Newly formed Major League Soccer club New York City FC have announced Time Pernetti will become their Chief Business Officer.

The appointment follows the announcement in May of this year that Manchester City Football Club, viagra 60mg together with the New York Yankees, apoplectic had acquired Major League Soccer’s 20th expansion club.

Pernetti, vcialis 40mg who brings more than 18 years of Business and Media experience to the role, will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Ferran Soriano.  He will oversee all business operations for the Club, which is set to commence competition in the MLS in March of 2015.

Tim becomes New York City FC’s second major appointment and joins Claudio Reyna, the Club’s Director of Football, who is responsible for all football operations.

Prior to his appointment at NYCFC, Pernetti served most recently as Director of Athletics at Rutgers University. During his four-year tenure he directed and oversaw record business revenue and fundraising growth totalling more than $120M. He also designed and executed the agreement for Rutgers to join the prestigious Big Ten Conference in all sports- an historic agreement to maximize access, resources and media exposure.

Speaking of the appointment, Chief Executive Officer Ferran Soriano said: “The post of Chief Business Officer attracted a significant number of high caliber candidates but Tim’s extensive experience in New York sports business was particularly compelling. He fits perfectly within our organisation, adding different skills and talent to our existing international management group. He is the ideal person for this role and we very much look forward to the contribution that he will make.”

Speaking of the appointment, Tim Pernetti said: “I feel truly privileged to have been appointed to this position and to play a key role in building this Club from its infancy.  I relish the opportunity to be part of a global organisation, and also to use my experience  to create a first class Club for New Yorkers and one in which they will always have a voice.  This is a tremendously exciting time for all involved and interested in soccer in New York and beyond.”

Tim will begin his role with immediate effect and will be based in New York City’s recently opened Manhattan office.

Tokyo 2020 head Tsunekzu Takeda said that Tokyo’s bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games has a better chance now than when it bid for the 2016 Games.

Tokyo was competing against four cities when it bid for the 2016 Summer Games, but this time it faces only two cities – Madrid and Istanbul. Istanbul is divided into a European and an Asian side, making Tokyo the only wholly Asian bid. Takeda, an IOC member and head of Japan’s Olympic Committee, told Reuters “I think it is a big difference this time.

“Last time it was spread out around four continents. This time it is two from Europe and one from Asia. I think this is better for us.”

Takeda said despite a growing Asian presence on the Olympic map, it was not a drawback. He said, “(IOC President) Jacques Rogge said the Winter and Summer Games are a totally different thing and Tokyo is not in a disadvantage. There are different dynamics.

“Asia is becoming stronger. The economy is coming up and sports is increasing”, he said.

Tokyo wants to use the Games as a way to recover from last year’s earthquake and tsunami leaving up to 20,000 people dead or missing.

Takeda added, “The 2016 bid has been enhanced as part of the recovery effort. Many IOC members and sports people have understood that our young people need this hope for the future.”

London 2012 organisers announced today that authentic London 2012 Torches will be available from an official online auction during the Olympic Torch Relay.

Torches will be released in special limited editions marking significant moments along the Relay and featuring signed metallic shards by athletes and celebrities. Packaged in an Olympic Torch Relay collectors box, they come with a certificate of authenticity.

The auctions will take place at the official London 2012 auction site and the proceeds will help subsidise the costs of Torches to Torchbearers and contribute towards the staging of the Games.

The auction site will also allow Olympic fans to bid for rare and remarkable pieces of sporting equipment used in the Olympic competitions. Items up for grabs will include a baton from the Men’s 4 x 100 Relay, a beach volleyball from the Horse Guard’s Parade competition site and tennis balls from Wimbledon,

LOCOG commercial director Chris Townsend said: “The London 2012 auction not only offers fans the chance to own a piece of history but helps subsidise the cost of Torches for Torchbearers.”

Financial report, decisions on competition hosts and 2014 World Cup slots are all on the agenda for soccer’s world governing body, FIFA’s first Executive Committee Meeting of the year, in Zurich on Wednesday and Thursday, 2-3 March 2011.

The agenda will also feature the presentation both of the FIFA Financial Report for 2010 and the financial results for the 2007-2010 cycle, as well as the decision on the slots per confederation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup to be staged in Rio, Brazil.

In addition, decisions will be taken regarding which member associations will host the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015 and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2014, as well as the FIFA U-17 World Cups 2013 and 2015, the FIFA U-20 World Cups 2013 and 2015, the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2012 and the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2014.

The Executive Committee will also decide on the venues of the FIFA Congress for 2012 and 2013, as well as receiving reports and updates on other topics, such as all standing committee meetings held since the last meeting on 1-2 December 2010 and the 61^st FIFA Congress, which is to be held in Zurich on 31 May and 1 June 2011.

Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games organisers have received a boost by the reception the London 2012 Olympics have received.

On Wednesday organizers released results of a survey showing that more than 40 per cent of Scots say their experience of London 2012 has made them more excited about the prospect of sporting stars from 71 nations and territories competing in the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

David Grevemberg, generic chief executive of Glasgow 2014, treatment said that he had been in discussions with London 2012 organizers over any issues they had experienced during recent weeks.

On the television program Scotland Tonight, order Glasgow City Council leader Gordon Matheson talked about the “economic benefit and lasting legacy” Glasgow should see from hosting the Games, stating that around 180 million pounds of contracts relating to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games have been awarded to businesses in the city so far.

Coca-Cola are going to launch an ad-funded TV programme during the Olympic Games targeted at young people that aims to capture the “social” side of the event.

The original series a first for the marketer  will air 10 episodes on weeknights from July 30 through Aug. 10 through a variety of broadcast partnerships. Celebrity and athlete interviews, live musical performances and the Beat Bus, a mobile pop-up studio, will be mainstays of the variety-style show, which can be sliced and diced for use by Coca-Colamarketers around the world.

“We’re filling out a need and desire. Sometimes you have games coming and going and you get a lot of info on the event, but you miss out on what it would have felt like had you been there,” said Claudia Navarro, the company’s global Olympic marketing director. “Instead of focusing on what’s happening on the pitch, the medalists. … We’ll capture the vibe of London, the social aspect of it for the fans.”

Ms. Navarro said the show will target teens in more than 30 countries. Already Coca-Cola has secured hosts that speak English, German and Spanish, while other countries will use subtitles.

In the U.K., the show will air at 11 p.m. on ITV2 and in several countries MTV is a partner. Coca-Cola is still seeking a partner in the U.S., though Ms. Navarro, says she’s confident Beat TV will find a distributor.

Time slots and show length will vary by region, though the majority will feature a 30-minute format. “We’re giving the markets flexibility of having different lengths, so they can cut snippets or place it digitally,” Ms. Navarro said. “We want to tap into social media.”

The show will be ad-supported, meaning advertisers besides Coca-Cola can buy air time during the episodes. Rival Pepsi could even buy ads, in theory, though Ms. Navarro considers that unlikely. For the most part, episodes will air on stations that have official rights to the Olympics and therefore previous ad commitments from Coca-Cola, an official sponsor of the Olympic Games.

Ms. Navarro said Coca-Cola branding on “Beat TV” won’t be “overt,” though the company’s involvement should be apparent. “We’re relying on linkage back to the ‘Move to the Beat’ campaign,” she said. “We believe it will be clear it’s coming from us. But we want the editorial piece to be fairly clean, so that people really enjoy it.”

“Beat TV” is part of the broader “Move to the Beat” London 2012 Olympic campaign, which includes the anthem “Anywhere in the World,” produced by Mark Ronson and performed by Katy B. The campaign also includes the Create My Beat and My Beatmaker apps, as well as global TV spots and Olympic packaging.

The president of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah has confirmed that he will be standing for re-election later this year at the general assembly in Tokyo on July 14.

In a letter to OCA executive members and affiliated National Olympic Committees, Sheikh Ahmad stated: “I will be offering myself as a candidate for re-election as the OCA president in the forthcoming general assembly.”

Sheikh Ahmad has held the position as the president of the OCA since 1991 as well as membership of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) since 1992.

He was a supporter of Jordan’s Prince Ali eventual successful bid to oust South Korea’s Chung Mong-joon as the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) FIFA vice-president. In an apparent snub to AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam, who is thought to have FIFA leadership ambitions, Sheikh Ahmad announced publicly that all 25 votes which had gone to Prince Ali would also be going to Sepp Blatter in the forthcoming FIFA presidential election.

His letter to OCA officials and directors said: “It has been a singular honour for me to be elected president of the OCA since 1991. It has been a journey which I have cherished very much, especially due to the fact that I have received the whole-hearted support and cooperation of friends and colleagues.

“With your guidance and advice I hope to continue to serve the Asian Olympic Movement to the best of my abilities and capabilities and make the OCA one of the most active and revered continental associations in the world.”