Following threats from the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), buy FIFA has vowed to help improve the rights of migrants involved in the construction of stadiums ahead of Qatar’s 2022 World Cup.

The Gulf state is to undergo a period of rapid transformation if it is to fulfil its pledge to build nine new stadiums and refurbish three others. However, buy concerns have risen concerning the conditions under which migrants have to work under.

In an attempt to prevent a similar situation in Brazil, where strike action has affected various venues ahead of the 2014 World Cup, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke met with ITUC officials on Thursday and agreed to raise their concerns in the Gulf emirate.

“It was agreed that FIFA and ITUC will work jointly over the next few months to address labour issues with the Qatari authorities,” said Valcke.

“As the world governing body of the most popular sport we have a responsibility that goes beyond the development of football and the organisation of our competitions.”

ITUC general secretary Sharan Burrow described the meeting as ‘constructive’ and that FIFA’s decision is a welcomed one, although did add: “Migrant workers in Qatar have no labour rights, wages are exploitative and occupational health and safety risks are extreme. Qatar is a country wanting to gain acceptance from the global community of governments but refuses to acknowledge their treatment of migrant workers.”

“The ball is now at the feet of the Qatari Authorities to respect and implement workers’ rights. Workers everywhere are entitled to the dignity and respect of Governments and corporations. If the extremely wealthy nation of Qatar wants to host this major international event, we expect civilised treatment of workers.”

IMG, pill the global sports, thumb entertainment and media business, have acquired a minority stake in Sports New Media (SNM), a media technology company that reaches over £100million sports fans at this present time.

Ben Nicholas, Senior Vice President of  Digital Media for IMG Media, said: “Sports New Media is a critical component of IMG’s digital strategy.

“We think that SNM’s unique, proven approach to social media optimization will provide an attractive solution to our clients and partners.”

Fae Chaflin, Founder of Sports New Media added: “We’re very excited to be an official member of the IMG team.

“IMG has access to many of the world’s highest profile athletes, celebrities, events and sports organizations.

“We expect that SNM will be able to enhance many of those relationships.”

Nick Thain, CEO of Sports New Media, concluded: “We think IMG and Sports New Media complement each other well.

“This partnership will allow us to take our clients to a whole new level, moving us closer to our goal of bringing fans, athletes and brands closer together through Social Media.”

FIFA president Sepp Blatter has never been afraid on making controversial statements but his comments on racism may have been a step to far as football leaders and professionals have called for his resignation.

Blatter made his remarks in two television interviews claiming that football does not have problems with on-field racism – and any incidents could be dealt with by a simple handshake.

Blatter told CNN on Wednesday that racism on the pitch was not a problem. “I would deny it. There is no racism,” he said.

“There is maybe one of the players towards another – he has a word or a gesture which is not the correct one.

“But the one who is affected by that, he should say that this is a game. We are in a game, and at the end of the game, we shake hands, and this can happen, because we have worked so hard against racism and discrimination.

The Swiss made similar comments in another interview with Al Jazeera, sparking further outrage.

High-profile English Premier League players including England and Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand as well as former professionals said they were shocked by Blatter’s ill-judged remarks and called for him to resign. The 75-year-old’s comments were also condemned by Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore, Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor and the Kick It Out racism campaign.

Ferdinand took to Twitter to blast Blatter – the Man Utd defender has over 1,630,000 followers: “Your comments on racism are so condescending it’s almost laughable. If fans shout racist chants but shake our hands is that OK? I feel stupid for thinking that football was taking a leading role against racism – it seems it was just on mute for a while.”

Ferdinand added: ”Just for clarity if a player abuses a referee, does a shake of the hand after the game wipe the slate clean??” Ferdinand even looked for clarification by directly tweeting to FIFA.

PFA chief executive Taylor told a BBC radio breakfast program that it was time Blatter stepped aside after one his worst gaffes: “I just feel it’s the straw that broke the camel’s back.

“When you see the corruption they’ve had at Fifa, the comments he made about homosexuals not going to Qatar, the way he talked about women’s football, the style of the arrangements for the World Cup, the fact he won’t have technology.

“I think it’s really time to move over for Michel Platini.”

Premier League boss Scudamore told CNN that Blatter was wrong: “Racism exists in the world, racism certainly still exists in football, albeit reduced. There are still issues, of course there are and we’re not complacent about that, but I think it’s a bit of a stretch to say it doesn’t exist because it does.”

Kick It Out described Blatter’s remarks on racism as “worryingly out of touch”. 

“Shaking hands to compensate for a racial slur is not what the game has signed up to, and trivialises the work of campaigns like Kick It Out, which has been in the vanguard of rooting out discrimination and unacceptable behavior in our game for the best part of two decades,” it said in a statement.

Blatter’s comments came on the day that the English FA charged Liverpool’s Luis Suarez for alleged racist comments towards a Manchester United defender Patrice Evra. England captain John Terry is also the subject of a high-profile police and FA probe about alleged racist remarks he made to Ferdinand’s brother Anton Ferdinand in a recent match between Chelsea and QPR.

The FIFA leader tried to defuse the situation in a statement published on FIFA.com.

“I would like to make it very clear, I am committed to the fight against racism and any type of discrimination in football and in society,” Blatter said. 

“My comments have been misunderstood. What I wanted to express is that, as football players, during a match, you have “battles” with your opponents, and sometimes things are done which are wrong. But, normally, at the end of the match, you apologise to your opponent if you had a confrontation during the match, you shake hands, and when the game is over, it is over.”

He added: “I want to stress again that I do not want to diminish the dimension of the problem of racism in society and in sport. I am committed to fighting this plague and kicking it out of football.”

But it is clear his comments have started the ball rolling on his inevitable departure.

Get your thoughts heard on this subject by joining our discussion Sepp Blatter does it again.

 

The Ultimate Fighting Championship and the SONY SIX channel have confirmed a wide-ranging, ed strategic partnership which brings the fastest growing sport in history to India. 

SIX is the destination for all UFC programming in India, from live events featuring the biggest names in the sport to athlete profile shows including the seminal Countdown and Primetime. SIX will also feature the greatest fights in the UFC’s 19-year history with UFC Unleashed. 

UFC Chairman and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said: “We are very excited to partner with SIX as the UFC expands into India. We look forward to working with them to not only further expand the UFC’s fanbase here, but also to find and develop local talent and, ultimately, bringregular live events to India.” 

Man Jit Singh, CEO Multi Screen Media, the parent company of SIX, said “We are delighted to bringthe UFC – the fastest growing sport in the world – to India. India has a lot of appetite for new sports and we are confident that younger audiences will be attracted to the special programming of the Ultimate Fighting Championship on the channel. Mixed martial arts require tremendous physical training, skill and strategy and India certainly has a lot of aptitude for the sport. We hope the property will be an inspiration to young India.” 

A cornerstone of the new partnership will be the production of an all-Indian edition of the Ultimate Fighter, the UFC’s long-running reality TV show where 16 of the most talented unsigned martial artists compete for a contract with the UFC. Previous TUF winners have gone on to win UFC world champions and become international superstars. Fertita said SIX’s commitment to the series was crucial for the UFC in the market.TUF India will help to introduce the sport in India, to showcase the hard work, dedication, athleticism and skills needed to compete in the UFC.

FC Barcelona President Sandro Rosell’s call for a 16 team league in all of Europe’s major leagues to create additional UEFA Champions League games have been rejected by Premier League Chief Executive Richard Scudamore.

The idea of a smaller league was initially an attempt to address the financial problems currently tormenting Spanish football. However Scudamore has insisted that the Premier League will continue with its 20-team format and that any reduction would simply suit Barcelona, rather than La Liga.

“Well that’s very nice of him (Rosell) to issue that as a statement but that’s a very Barcelona-centric view,” Scudamore said.

“Our clubs have no view whatsoever to be playing European football on a weekend. European football is a midweek competition, and domestic football is a weekend competition.”

The ECA is presently occupied in a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with UEFA which will continue until 2014. Negotiations for a new agreement is under way and Rosell’s threats of a potential breakaway if UEFA fail to listen to the clubs’ demands have also been rejected by Scudamore.

“What has been said has been said but I’m not going to go along with the sentiment. In reality we have a Champions League, it’s a fantastic competition.

“Obviously, there are some things the clubs would like to alter and ultimately discussions will take place and UEFA will do something to make sure things stay intact. When it comes to ultimate football sanctions you just can’t break away.”

ONE World Sports (OWS), medicine a worldwide leader in sports broadcasting, rx has extended its agreement with Infront Sports & Media, the exclusive global marketing partner of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). 

Under the new multi-year, multi-screen agreement, OWS continues to be the exclusive distributor of CBA Professional League games in North America. A minimum of 40 games from the CBA season will air. OWS will also air the CBA All-Star game, the playoffs and the finals.

The CBA is Asias premier mens professional basketball league. It is comprised of 17 teams and was founded in 1995. In the 2011/12 season, for the first time in its history, the CBA regular games aired in North America following the deal signed between OWS and Infront in October 2011. The highlight of the last years schedule was the final in which the Beijing Ducks beat Guangdong Southern Tiger in game 5 of the finals against the odds. Former United States NBA player Stephon Marbury helped lead the Ducks to their success.

Chinese Basketball games have been extremely popular in North America, according to Rick Jemison, ONE World Sports Senior Vice President of Programming. They appeal to a diverse audience, from those sports fans looking for their favorite teams from home to those fans who appreciate the competitiveness in the international sports arena and those who want to root for former NBA players. OWS is extremely pleased to continue our relationship with the CBA.

The extension of the deal between OWS and Infront is another testimony of CBA Leagues growing popularity overseas, which is due to the progress of its sportive performance, as well as the effective marketing and promotion of the League, commented by Mr. Ma Guoli, CEO and Managing Director of Infront China. Infront will work closely together with OWS to continue bringing the most exciting and vigorous images of the games to basketball fans around the world.

Manchester City has announced annual losses of £195m for the 2010-11 financial year, capsule a new record for English football clubs.

The club has spent heavily on player wages and transfer fees since Sheikh Mansour took over in 2008 and sought to establish the club as serious challenger for domestic and European trophies.

There will be no UEFA Financial Fair Play rule implications as the figures are not within  the accounting window.

Officials at the club do not expect such dramatic losses in future. Graham Wallace, dosage ed City’s Chief Operating Officer said:

“Our losses, which we predicted as part of our accelerated investment strategy, will not be repeated on this scale in the future.”

There is positive financial news for the club. Overall turnover during the same period was £153.2m, and the accounts showed City’s commercial revenue has reached £48.5m, an increase of 49.7 percent. The sponsorship deal with Etihad Airlines is reported to be worth £35m per year for the next ten years.

TV rights have increased 27.4 percent to £68.8m following the 2010-11 season, which was one of the most successful in the club’s recent history. TV revenue is likely to increase further still this season as the club competes in the Champions League for the first time.

Premium UK sports broadcaster, Sky Sports has agreed a new four-year deal with the ERC for exclusive live coverage of European rugby competitions.

The extended contract starts in the autumn of 2014, after the current deal, and will extend the long-standing relationship with the ERC to the end of the 2017/2018 season, a 15th year.

Under the new ERC deal Sky Sports will continue to hold exclusive live rights to the Heineken Cup with exclusive live matches from each of the first six rounds, plus all knockout stages and finals for a further four seasons, across the UK and Ireland.

Also their Amlin Challenge Cup coverage will be exclusive live coverage of matches in the opening rounds, knockout stages, both semi-finals and the final across the UK and Ireland.

Barney Francis, Managing Director of Sky Sports, said: “This new deal with the ERC gives us live European Rugby for another four seasons.

“We have been pleased to be partners with the ERC for over a decade and see their tournaments grow. This is rugby of the highest quality and these competitions give our viewers over 60 live games across eight months.

“The Heineken Cup and Amlin Cup will continue to line up with our exclusive live coverage of the British & Irish Lions, England’s autumn internationals and the best rugby from the southern hemisphere.”

ERC Chief Executive Derek McGrath said: “Over the past 10 years Sky Sports has made a major contribution to the development of European club rugby and ERC is delighted to be able to extend our partnership for a further four seasons until 2018.

“Sky Sports’ innovative coverage and commitment has greatly enhanced the game in Europe and we look forward to working together over the next six seasons as the Heineken Cup and Amlin Challenge Cup reaches new heights.”

This season Sky Sports offers live rugby union throughout the calendar with; the Heineken Cup, Amlin Challenge Cup, England’s QBE Autumn Internationals, the British & Irish Lions tour, Sothern Hemisphere rugby and the Aviva Premiership. Coverage is available live on Sky Sports HD channels across TV, PC, mobile and tablet devices.

Professional Footballers Association (PFA) Scotland is set to begin discussions with Hearts’ players after they failed to receive their monthly salaries.

The Edinburgh club have told senior squad members they will be paid at the “earliest opportunity” following a second consecutive month of overdue wages.

Hearts admit they are currently trying to “obtain funding” in order to make those payments after settling a tax bill of more than £1million with HM Revenue and Customs on Tuesday.

A statement on the club website read: “We expect salaries to be paid into the senior players’ accounts at the earliest opportunity and have informed the players of this today. The club is experiencing an income shortfall due to lower than expected transfer monies. Our future funding is secure, but requires time to be organised. 

“The club unfortunately failed to reach agreement with HMRC, which would have allowed it time to pay a tax bill in excess of £1m, that was settled in full yesterday. We are currently looking at options to identify new income opportunities and obtain funding for the players’ salaries.’

But the players` union wants a definitive date as to when their members can expect to receive their wages, and PFA Scotland chief executive Fraser Wishart said: “We are disappointed that once again our members’ wages have not been paid on time.

“I wrote last month to the club asking for an undertaking that they would take steps to ensure that this would not be repeated. The fact that the wages were three weeks late last month caused many players some financial problems.

“Once again there will be an expectation that our members will simply turn up to train and play without any certainty as to when they will be paid. I have therefore emailed the club today (Wednesday) to once again ask for a definitive undertaking as to when the wages will be paid.

We will be in discussions on this matter with our members in coming days. Our members are only too aware of the various legal options open to them as they have had to suffer this previously. The players have shown a great deal of patience in recent times and PFA Scotland is ready to follow their instructions at short notice.”

Senior squad members had to wait 19 days for last month’s overdue wages, which were eventually paid on November 4. Players were persuaded 24 hours earlier not to make a formal complaint to the Scottish Premier League by manager Paulo Sergio but now face a delay again this month.

MP & Silva has expanded its relationship with Major League Soccer (MLS) until 2014, giving it the exclusive distribution rights outside of North America for all games, tournaments and events.

The agreement covers MLS regular season, Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup. MLS is North America’s professional soccer league. 

Carlo Pozzali, MP & Silva’s CEO for the Americas, commented: “We are very proud to be working with Major League Soccer since 2008 and to be part of their international growth since then. With more international players joining the league and more clubs sure to come on board in future years, the future of MLS is bright.”

“MP & Silva is a valued partner of MLS,” said Mark Abbott, MLS president. “We look forward to continuing to work with them to build the profile of MLS outside of the United States and Canada.”