FIFA has told under-pressure Indonesian soccer federation to resolve internal conflicts and related problems by Monday or face suspension

Soccer in the Asian country has been plagued by infighting between the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) and the breakaway Indonesian Soccer Rescue Committee (KPSI) for control of the sport

The two factions, who have their own leagues, signed a memorandum of understanding in June at the headquarters of the Asian Football Confederation where they agreed to run one league next season and hold a congress by December 10.

FIFA Secretary-General, Jerome Valcke wrote a letter to sports minister Andi Mallarangeng, saying Indonesia faced indefinite sanctions if the row is not resolved at Monday’s meeting.

“…in case of failure, the case would be brought before the FIFA Executive Committee on December 14, 2012, in order to determine the sanctions, which could go as far as an indefinite suspension,” Valcke reportedly wrote in the letter.

“Unfortunately yet again, it seems that the set objectives will not be reached and we, therefore, anticipate that the PSSI will be sanctioned.

“With the deadline approaching and in the current situation, we deem it important that the Indonesian authorities be made aware of the likely sanctions to be imposed on Indonesia.

“We are fully aware that Indonesia is passionate about soccer and that sanctions will have a major impact. We have tried tirelessly to solve the problems, but we are afraid that there will be no choice unless the objectives of FIFA and the AFC are met or that significant progress has been made.”

A suspension could cause problems with Indonesia’s participation in the qualifying tournament for the 2015 Asian Cup, which begins in February.

Indonesia’s early exit from the ongoing AFF Suzuki Cup has also renewed calls for a truce between the factions. Many of their players were blocked from playing because they had contracts with supposed ‘rebel’ KPSI Indonesian clubs.

On Monday, the death of Paraguayan striker Diego Mendieta from a viral infection heaped further pressure on the PSSI, with world players’ union FIFPro criticising the “structural mismanagement” of the Indonesian clubs.

Mendieta, who played for Indonesian club Persis Solo last year, wanted to return home but was unable to do so as the club owed him four months’ wages.

The PSSI refused to pay Mendieta’s family the money owed by the club as the team competed in a league it they did not recognise.{jcomments on}

Netshoes announced that former NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue will join its Board of Directors and serve as the company’s global ambassador, arthritis working to bolster its industry ties in the U.S. and around the world.

Twelve years after its founding in a parking lot in downtown São Paulo, ed Netshoes is already one of the world’s largest online sports and leisure retailers – even though its operations are currently limited to Latin America. Tagliabue joins the company as it prepares for expansion into new markets.

“Netshoes has shown a tremendous capacity for innovation in the online marketplace,” said Tagliabue. “I am extremely pleased to join Netshoes Board of Directors and I’m very impressed by Netshoes services in online retailing and look forward to helping Netshoes expand as a brand and continue its success as an industry leader.”

Paul Tagliabue is one of the most influential leaders in the business of sports. He served as NFL Commissioner for nearly two decades, overseeing an extended period of labor peace and revenue growth in professional football. Under Tagliabue’s leadership, the NFL grew from 28 to 32 teams, secured the largest television contracts in entertainment history, supported the construction of more than 20 team stadiums, and expanded the league’s global reach.

Prior to leading the NFL, Tagliabue was a partner at the well-known Washington D.C. law firm, Covington & Burling. Before practicing law, he served as a policy analyst in the U.S. Department of Defense. He is currently the Chairman of the Georgetown University Board of Directors and earlier chaired The U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC) Independent Advisory Committee.

As a Netshoes Board Member, Tagliabue will also help bolster the company’s industry ties with corporate partners and the sports business community. The company is already one of the largest retailers in Latin America of many global brands, including Nike, Adidas, and Puma.

“We believe Paul will be a valuable asset to our growth in Latin America as well as internationally, and we look forward to working with him for many years to come,” says Marcio Kumruian, CEO and founder of Netshoes.

“His track record at the NFL and in business make Paul an ideal partner as we seek to expand,” added Jose Rogerio Luiz, Vice President of Netshoes.

1	Graham Taylor Quits as Watford’s Non-Executive Chairman	Wednesday, 30 May 2012
2	Luis-Moreno Ocampo to Head-Up FIFA’s Ethic Committee	Wednesday, 30 May 2012
3	Manchester City Snag Tom Glick for Commercial Role	Tuesday, 29 May 2012
4	Carmelo Anthony Assigned VP Role at Powercoco	Tuesday, 29 May 2012
5	Ukraine National Olympic Committee Official Quits Over Alleged Ticket Scam	Tuesday, 29 May 2012
6	Therese Walsh Becomes Head of New Zealand for 2015 ICC World Cup	Monday, 28 May 2012
7	Paul Barber Named New CEO of Brighton & Hove Albion	Monday, 28 May 2012
8	Liverpool Appoint Billy Hogan as Chief Commercial Officer	Thursday, 24 May 2012
9	Jeffrey Webb Succeeds Warner as CONCACAF President	Wednesday, 23 May 2012
10	Francesco Ricci Bitti Elected President of ASOIF	Wednesday, 23 May 2012
11	FIFA Names First Female Executive	Tuesday, 22 May 2012
12	Liverpool to Appoint Sports Illustrated Writer as New Communications Director	Friday, 18 May 2012
13	ITF Appoints Kris Dent as Executive Director	Tuesday, 15 May 2012
14	Shaquille O’Neal’s Agent Joins Harlem Globetrotter’s Board of Directors	Tuesday, 15 May 2012
15	Rochdale Duo Step Down from Board of Directors	Monday, 14 May 2012
16	Glasgow 2014 Commercial Director to Quit Role	Monday, 14 May 2012
17	Liverpool’s Director of Communications Gets the Boot	Friday, 11 May 2012
18	ICC to Announce David Richardson as New CEO	Thursday, 10 May 2012
19	Nigel Chamier Takes Stockwell Seat as Chairman of the 2018 Gold Coast Bid	Wednesday, 09 May 2012
20	Blackburn Rovers Sack Deputy Chief Paul Hunt	Wednesday, 09 May 2012
21	Head of Gold Coast Bid Mark Stockwell Gets the Chop	Tuesday, 08 May 2012
22	Big East Commissioner Marinatto Resigns Post	Tuesday, 08 May 2012
23	Marc Bergevin Named New GM of NHL’s Montreal Canadiens	Friday, 04 May 2012
24	NCAA’s Big 12 Conference to Appoint Stanford’s Bob Bowlsby as Commissioner	Thursday, 03 May 2012
25	Ian Beattie Named Non-Executive Chairman of Scottish Athletics	Tuesday, 01 May 2012

According to media reports, the 015 Champions League final will take place in Berlin and the 2016 decider in Milan.

The website of Germany’s Bild paper and Italian sports daily Gazzetta dello Sport said the Berlin’s Olympic stadium and the Guiseppe Meazza in Milan have been picked, although the ruling body UEFA won’t announce the host cities until March 2013.

German football federation president Wolfgang Niersbach did not want to confirm the news, but told bild.de that “We can have big and legitimate hope that the Champions League final will come to Berlin.”

Milan’s stadium, formerly named San Siro, has hosted the final of Europe’s elite event three times, in 1965, 1970 and 2001. Berlin’s Olympic stadium has never hosted the big game but was the site of the 2006 World Cup final and the 2009 world athletics championships.

The 2013 Champions League final is at Wembley in London and the 2014 final in Lisbon’s Estadio Da Luz.

Dr. Ary Graça has been named as the fourth International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) President at the FIVB Congress at Disneyland Hotel in Anaheim, diagnosis USA on Friday. 

Dr Graça, viagra buy who is president of the Brazil Volleyball Federation and the South America Confederation and a member of the FIVB Board of Administration, recorded 103 votes, with USA Volleyball CEO Doug Beal obtaining 86 and Australia Volleyball Federation President Chris Schacht 15. 

Former FIVB President Jizhong Wei promised the FIVB’s first democratic election and that was exactly what happened with each federation voting by secret ballot with a choice of three candidates. 

“Dear friends, dear colleagues,” President Graça told the Congress. “I would like to address my thanks for those who trusted me, for those who voted for me and I would like to thank most of all President Wei, who is always saying the FIVB is undergoing an evolution. I think FIVB had a revolution. Today was a demonstration of the revolution we have had. All of you had the right to talk today to transmit ideas, this was demonstrated. I believe in democracy. I believe that 220 persons thinking, is much better than one person as a so called dictator. Business is much better with a lot of people, new ideas is much better with a lot of people.

“Mr Wei is a very wise man, he taught me lot. I thank all my colleagues on the Board. You can be sure what was aid on the podium will be done. We will prepare the FIVB in a modern era following the work President Wei has done. In that way it will be an evolution. We are here tomorrow to make our sport one of the biggest in the world. So my friends from the bottom of my heart I would like to thank you for those who trust me and those who will trust me in the future. Thank you.” 

Honorary President Wei added in his closing remarks: “My dear colleagues, in a general satisfaction our Congress is closed. I will like to congratulate you all for electing your new president and your new leading team. Now, a new era is opened by you and for you. You have all made this congress successful. Here I would like to thank you. I would like to thank the USOC and USA Volleyball for providing us with the best conditions for the congress. Thank you to the FIVB staff here or not here, working together with me, very, very hard over the past four years. I’m sure that the FIVB will continue to develop thanks to your common effort. I will be a volunteer and ready serve you at anytime.”

Informa Sports Group are delighted to announce the 2nd Asia-Pacific Sports Conference, adiposity taking place in September.

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English Championship team, Wolverhampton Wandereres have posted a healthy pre-tax profit of £2.16million for the year ended May 31, 2012.

The period covers Wolves’ third season in the Premier League, which ultimately ended with relegation to the Championship.

The Black Country club were £80,000 down on the pre-tax profits of 12 months previous (£2.24m), largely due to a decrease in generated turnover from £64.4m in 2011 to £60.6m in 2012 as a result in part to lower Premier League merit receipts and lower league match revenues.

The financial information does not include transfer activity during the summer of 2012, including the sales of Steven Fletcher, Matt Jarvis and Michael Kightly as well as the recruitment of seven new players.

Operating costs were approximately level with the previous 12 months.

At the year end for 2012, the club’s holding company, WW (1990) Ltd, boasted a strong balance sheet with net assets totalling £74.9m, which includes all of the club’s property such as Molineux and the Compton training ground.

Chief executive Jez Moxey told the club’s official website: “The season under review was dominated by the huge disappointment of relegation from the Premier League, which impacted on everyone connected to Wolves.

“Since then the club has been through a period of significant change with the appointment of a new manager and the arrival of seven new players.

“As we all know the Championship is a very competitive league, both on and off the pitch, however we all remain united behind the goal of trying to regain Premier League status as soon as possible.

“We recognise this will be a difficult challenge in a number of different ways but we are totally committed to it.”

Turgay Demirel has been re-elected as President of the Turkish Basketball Federation (TBF) for another four year term, following the exploits of the women’s national team at the Olympic Games, as well as the men’s qualification for the 2013 EuroBasket.

Demirel said:  “The Turkish Basketball Federation has reached an important milestone. Our objective the past 10 years was to build up basketball in Turkey and achieve success on the court.

“We are now one of the strongest basketball nations in the world and our national teams hold silver medals in the World and European championships.

“Now it is time to take our federation and sport to the next level and go for gold.”

Under his leadership, TBF have introduced their 2012-2016 strategic plan, named ‘Project Powerhouse”, which lays down the blueprint to cement the nation’s position as an elite in international basketball.

“The Turkish Basketball Federation is one of the strongest in the world. This is the result of long term planning and a clear vision. When I first got elected as President in 1992 our main focus was to create the right foundation for basketball in Turkey,” said Demirel, exclusively to iSportconnect.

“We worked on our grassroots programs and sports performance system to find the right players that could help us achieve the sports success we needed to get noticed nationally and internationally.

“We also knew we needed something to drive our development and decided to bid for major sports events.

“In 2001 entered a new phase. We had a strong national team and we had secured the rights to host the EuroBasket. Our aim was now to position Turkey as a leading nation in Basketball.

“We won the silver medal at the 2001 EuroBasket and used the sports success to secure new and exciting commercial partnerships both for our national teams and leagues. We continued to host major sports events such as the 2005 Women’s EuroBasket and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. And we continued to win medals.”

With the aim to pick up as many medals as possible, as well as to create the strongest domestic league, the next step revolves around creating the optimum talent development programme.

Demirel said: “Now it’s time for gold. We are entering into a new phase for Turkish Basketball. We have come far in the past 20 years.

“Now it is time to secure sustainable sports success and firmly position the Turkish Basketball Federation in the top of the world.

“We are excited about the future and ready to work hard to create a new chapter in the history of Turkish sports.”

Bettina Kuperman, CEO of Impact34, who helped construst the ‘Project Powerhouse’ plan, mirrored Demirel’s vision to achieve sustained growth and help the country be as successful as possible on the court.

Speaking to iSportconnect, she said: “The Turkish Basketball Federation is going for the top.

“It is very refreshing to see a sports federation that is this focused and ambitious.

“Their approach to sports management is an in-depth understanding of and passion for their sport mixed with essential business principles such as strategic planning, change management, communication and value creation.”

Patrick Baumann, Secretary General of FIBA, added: “I believe that good leadership within the TBF, the hosting of major events including the FIBA World Championship and strong governmental support have all combined to raise the profile of the sport, the number of players and, as a result the level of Turkish Basketball. The TBF is definitely a great example for others to follow.”

 

English Championship team, Bristol City have announced a club-record loss of £14.4million for the financial year ending May 2012, a rise of over £3million on last year’s results.

The Robins, currently two points off the foot of the Championship, now have a wage bill of £18.6million and chairman Keith Dawe is aware of what needs to be done to make sure the club are ready for the UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations in 2014/15.

“The financial results for the year ended May 31 2012 once again reflect a disappointing and difficult year for the club,” he said in a statement on the club’s official website.

“The loss illustrates how much work is required to reduce costs and grow our income in order to comply with the new FFP regulations, brought in by the Football League. It also shows how fixed-term contracts for players mean there is no easy or quick solution, but an improvement in recruitment and selection criteria can certainly aid us going forward.

“Manager Derek McInnes has a firm focus on results on the pitch but is equally aware of the financial demands of FFP on the club, and this rounded understanding and determination can only help us in our ultimate aims.

“The main challenge facing the board will be to reduce our losses, achieve FFP, whilst remaining competitive. With good planning and ownership I am confident this can be achieved.”

During the last financial year City’s turnover fell slightly from £11.9million to £11.8million.