Umberto Gandini, generic Organising Director at AC Milan and Vice-Chairman of the European Clubs Association (ECA), stuff has taken part in an exclusive Featured Profile interview with iSportconnect.

Mr Gandini spoke in detail of his role at the European Clubs Association (ECA), doctor and explained that the mission of the body was to “give club football its proper position into the football family.” He confirmed that historically “the involvement of club football into the governing bodies has always been very poor” and this was something that the ECA hopes to address.

Umberto spoke of the importance of the change in Presidency at UEFA when Michel Platini was elected, stating: “He (Platini) came into UEFA’s presidency with a clear design of bringing the football families together,” adding “he was pivotal in convincing the major clubs to renounce their positions by joining the family and creating the ECA, in reality, merging the UEFA European Club Forum and the G14 into this new organisation.”

Gandini said that the ECA’s communication and relationship with UEFA was naturally and easier one to manage than that with FIFA, claiming: “The problem lies within the fact that the majority of our issues, such as the release of players, the international calendar and transfer regulations are all FIFA matters. It is a more difficult route to obtain access to FIFA, especially because FIFA represents all confederations, and the other confederations have not developed in the same way that UEFA has.”

Umberto confirmed that Italian soccer has suffered this season due to poor results on the pitch in European competitions, saying it had been “been highly detrimental to the status of Italian football within the European scenario.” However, he spoke of his club, AC Milan’s successes in the league thus far and confirmed that qualifying for the Champions League is of paramount importance, claiming: “It’s fundamental,” and adding: “The difference between the Europa League and the UCL is still huge. Without Champions League revenues, the club would be forced to resize its objectives in the long run.” He also revealed that although the ability to break into the emerging Middle Eastern market in sport was an incentive behind the latest sponsorship deal with Emirates, the main priority was to remain associated with top brands.

Mr Gandini spoke of the amount of FIFA’s total revenue from the World Cup afforded to the clubs whose player’s were represented at the tournament, less than 1.5%, saying the figure was “absolutely ridiculous”. He confirmed that the ECA is still strongly pursuing the fact that, “the clubs were the only part of the football family that were not going to get any benefit from the World Cup or the confederation tournaments.” He claimed that the agreement to compensate the clubs was a “starting point” but one that was “no longer enough”, revealing that: “players are going to the European Championships at 5,000 euros per day, and players going to the World Cup for 1,400 dollars per day!”

He also talked of the need to find a better solution to the current international calendar when asked as to whether the notion of friendly international fixtures should be scrapped and stated that, expecting players to be fit and able to compete in the Euro 2012 Championships and the Olympic Games just a month later was “nonsense”.

Umberto had the final word on his association with iSportconnect and the incentives it brings, stating: “It’s a great platform that offers the opportunity to be in touch with the leaders, and also the experts and the professionals of the Sport Industry, and to have the opportunity to get instant access to potential business partners. I think it’s a great concept. It gives you the possibility to follow the trends and best practise in Sport.”

Read the full article here – http://isportconnect.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=6453&catid=56&Itemid=224

Editors Note:

Umberto Gandini is the organising Director of Italian Football Club AC Milan. Having obtained his degree in law, he started his career in the sports industry as a consultant for TV rights for the sports programme at RTI (now Mediaset Group). For more than 17 years, he has been working for AC Milan. In his current position, he is responsible for all first-team activities as well as negotiation of TV and New Media rights. He is a member of the Professional Football Strategy Council of UEFA and the FIFA Club Committee and he is First Vice-Chairman of ECA European Club Association.

Bird’s Nest in Beijing will host the 2012 Super Cup between Serie A champion Juventus and Italy Cup winner Napoli on August 11.

The Italian Super Cup made its debut in China in 2009, when Lazio beat Inter Milan 2–1 in theNational Stadium. Domestic league champion Inter Milan refused to play in China in 2010 dueto a scheduling conflict with the UEFA Super Cup final in Monaco.

The two countries joined forces again in 2011, bringing the Milan derby to China.

According to Wang Hui, who works for the Chinese organizers, the teams will arrive in China inearly August to participate in some commercial activities ahead of the game, and Napoli willplay another friendly with a Chinese team in a city nearby Beijing before the Super Cup.

Lord Goldsmith, a former attorney general has been appointed to FIFA’s new Independent Governance Committee (IGC), the organisation selected to reforming FIFA.

Lord Goldsmith will begin his stint in the committee which has been set up by football’s governing body following a number of scandals that have rocked the organisation.

Lord Goldsmith, said: “I have accepted the invitation as I believe that there are important issues of reform with which FIFA needs to deal.”

“I hope my experience from government and now in an international law practice with a heavy emphasis on corporate governance and compliance and anti-corruption issues will enable me to contribute to that work.”

The IGC does not contain a representative from Transparency International, however, after it expressed concerns earlier this month that the committee chairman, professor Mark Pieth, had been appointed by FIFA and was being paid by them.

“Our road map is very ambitious and we want to take time to look at the proposals made by the Independent Governance Committee so that we reach 2013 with results and decisions to be taken,” FiFA president, Sepp Blatter said speaking after a meeting of FIFA’s executive committee in Tokyo on Saturday.

“The executive committee is united and stands strong, and has a determination to respond to the FIFA congress and to public opinion. FIFA will carry out the necessary reforms,” he added.

The Premier League has secured three new radio broadcast deals with talkSport, BBC and Absolute Radio.

talkSport has bagged two Barclays Premier League packages for the next three football seasons.

The deal means that talkSPORT will be the exclusive audio rights holders for the Saturday late and Sunday lunchtime matches.

talkSPORT will broadcast between 60 and 64 matches in total each season, with the opportunity to build on the unprecedented increase in audience that Premier League commentary has given the station over the past three years, when it first grabbed these rights from the BBC.

talkSPORT Chief Executive, Scott Taunton, said: “We’re really pleased to have secured these two Barclays Premier League packages, as it puts us in a firm position to build on our past success and drive the business forward.

“Over the past six years, we have established ourselves as a major player in providing exciting, energetic and distinctive Premier League commentary. We have proved that we are providing what people want – and now, with the extra rights we have secured already and with a firm policy to continue investing in sports rights, we can move forward to gain recognition as a bigger player not just with the Premier League but across the board.”

The BBC has secured four existing packages of rights which kick-offs at Saturday lunchtime, first choice of Saturday’s 15:00 kick-offs, Sunday at 16:00 and Monday/Tuesday evenings – have been retained until 2015-16.

BBC director of sport Barbara Slater said: “Radio 5 live remains the home of live football on the radio, with more FA Premier League matches than any other broadcaster.”

She added: “The contract extension reinforces the BBC’s commitment to securing premium radio rights for the long-term, despite a competitive market.

“Comprehensive coverage of football on Radio 5 live is a key part of our audience offering and a driving force behind the continued integration of our football service.

Absolute Radio has got a further three year deal to broadcast live and exclusive Barclays Premier League football commentary across our Sony Award winning Rock N Roll Football Show. We only bid for one package and we’re pleased we have kept them.

FIFA Futsal and Event Manager Jaime Yarza said he has seen progress in the construction and renovation of stadiums for the Futsal World Cup to be held in Thailand in November.

Yarza said: “We are pleased with the construction and renovation of the venues. The preparations for the tournament have made considerable progress since the last inspection.”

The venues under renovation are the Nimibutr Gymnasium and Indoor Stadium. Anew stadium in Bangkok’s Nong Chok district is  under contruction.

Yarza unveiled the ball for the tournament called Tango 12, which is “a smaller version of the one used at Euro 2012.”{jcomments on}

Derek Brewer has become the fifteenth Chief Executive of the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC).

The former Nottingamshire CEO will take up the post at Lord’s at the beginning of April.

Brewer succeeds Australian Keth Brashaw who resigned after five years in the role this summer because of family reasons.

This morning the MCC unanimously voted in favour of Brewer after a recruitment process.

The MCC committee had elected a sub group to find a suitable replacement and Brewer was the name presented to the board.

The MCC chairman stated, “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Derek Brewer to the post of chief executive of MCC. He was an outstanding candidate in an incredibly strong field, and is the right person to take the club forward.

“Derek will now oversee the finest cricket ground in the world and will have the responsibility to ensure MCC continues to act as a progressive and independent force for the good of cricket everywhere. It’s a wonderful opportunity and a challenge to which the committee is confident he will rise”.

The Aston University graduate and banking veteran (he worked at NatWest for over twenty years, including as Regional Director of Corporate and Commercial Banking in East Midlands) had six years experience as chief executive at Trent Bridge.

During this time, he oversaw the development of a new stand – which is especially relevant in light of the imminent redevelopment of the Home of Cricket – as well as two championship titles.

Brewer added, “I am very excited and honoured to have been selected as the next secretary and CEO of MCC,” Brewer said. “Lord’s is the most iconic Test match venue in the world and I look forward to bringing the experience I have gained in leading the Trent Bridge redevelopment to opportunities which lie ahead at Lord’s.

“I know that I inherit a very strong team and, having worked closely with Keith Bradshaw during his tenure, I would like to pay tribute to his outstanding contribution. I would also like to thank the Nottinghamshire committee, staff and local partners for making the past seven years at Trent Bridge so enjoyable and successful. Trent Bridge, like Lord’s is a special place”.

Universal Sports Network, the year-round destination for Olympic and endurance sports programming, has announced it will have live coverage 117th Boston Marathon. 

UniversalSports.com will offer a live stream of the event presented by Timex. The network’s exclusive national TV coverage of the world’s oldest annual marathon will showcase more than 20,000 runners tackling the historic 26.2-mile course, including many of the sport’s elite marathoners.

In addition to the highly anticipated race, Universal Sports will air a special preview show presented by Xendurance, featuring analysis of the elite field, on Sunday, April 14 at 4 PM ET. On Monday, April 15, LIVE race day coverage from Copley Square will include the network’s pre- and post-race shows presented by Slow-Mag at 9 AM ET and 12:30 PM ET respectively, and a recap show at 4 PM ET.

The Network’s LIVE on-site coverage will be hosted by Paul Sunderland, alongside analyst and elite distance runner Josh Cox, analyst Juli Benson, field reporter Nick Gismondi, and Special Guest Analyst Frank Shorter, the only American male to win an Olympic Gold Medal in the marathon.

“As America’s top TV and online destination for marathons, we are proud to offer this in-depth coverage of the world’s ultimate distance running race,” said Dean Walker, SVP, Production of Universal Sports. “The Boston Marathon is the linchpin of our Marathon-A-Thon programming and a must-watch event for the growing endurance sports community.”

English League Two team Keith Ryder has completed his takeover of Port Vale following the approval of the Football League and Football Association. 

Lancashire businessman Ryder and the club’s administrators Begbies-Traynor last week completed all the necessary paperwork, but the deal was still subject to approval.

That approval was granted on Friday afternoon.

The npower League Two club confirmed via a brief statement on their official website: “In accordance with Football League Regulation 94.1 – Publication of Ownership. Port Vale FC Ltd is owned 100% by Mr. Keith Ryder.”

Former British Prime Minister Sir John Major has resigned from the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) club committee, after having a disagreement with the rest of the panel over the Vision for Lord’s project.

“For me, cricket has been a lifelong and enduring passion and it will remain so. The solace the game has given me in good times and bad, the friendships I have made, and the sheer joy of the game will never fade,” he told The Telegraph.

“My decision to resign from the committee of the world’s pre-eminent cricket club has been reached with very great sadness and I wish other members of the committee well in their future deliberations,” he added.

The move by the likes of Major comes as a setback for the MCC.

An MCC statement said it had accepted his resignation, which was “due to fundamental disagreements over the direction of policy on the Vision for Lord’s; the manner in which decisions have been reached, and their wider implications for the club”.

It also acknowledged Major’s contributions to the committee.

Major had been member of the MCC’s development sub- committee, which was re- developing the Lord’s as a majorcricket venue.

The £400 million ($620.6m) plan was floated in 2007 to increase Lord’s capacity with new stands at the Nursery End of the ground.

But the cost of the plan was reduced to £100 million ($155.5m), and the committee dissolved since MCC Chairperson Oliver Stocken adopted a cautious line of approach in the wake of recession.

But the decision to scrap the committee did not go down well with Major, who was in favour of strong development subcommittee.

Former Kiwi Test cricketer Martin Snedden is likely to succeed Major.

To vent your thoughts on this issue go to our latest discussion: Was Sir John Major right to resign from the MCC committee?