Bundesliga Snatches UEFA CL Spot from Serie A

The German Football League (DFL) have revealed that the nation’s elite league, the Bundesliga, has been rewarded for its clubs’ performances in Europe by snatching a UEFA Champions League place off Italy’s Serie A in 2012-13.

If the reports are true than the Bundesliga will have three automatic spots in the flagship event for European club soccer as well as one play-off spot, while Serie A will only have a maximum of three Champions League places, including one play-off spot.

The revelation comes despite Italian giants Inter Milan winning last season’s Champions League, beating German side Bayern Munich in the final, with German teams now moving ahead in the UEFA rankings.

German clubs have increased their total points tally in UEFA’s five-year coefficients to 68,103, opening up an 8,122-point lead over Italy’s Serie A (59,981).

The DFL released a statement, saying: “Italy is no longer able to take over third spot this season. The new ranking gives Bundesliga teams three starting spots in the group stage and a fourth in the play-off games of the competition.”

Top-ranking England and second-placed Spain are the other two countries that will be afforded a maximum of four Champions League places in 2012-13. Italy has joined France and Portugal with a maximum of three Champions League spots.

Brazil President Backs Sao Paulo for 2014 WC Opener

Dilma Rousseff, state President of Brazil, has added her support behind Sao Paulo to be named as the venue for the Opening Match of the 2014 FIFA World Cup finals.

Sports Minister Orlando Silva, confirmed Rousseff’s stance having been heavily involved in the often chaotic negotiations between central and regional governments and sports bodies about how to raise the necessary cash.

Silva stated: “The President is satisfied with what she has heard from the state governor and the mayor and believe that Sao Paulo should, and will, stage the Opening Match.”

Politicians from the cities of Belo Horizonte, Brasilia and Salvador had proposed their own bid to stage the events opener, after the original ambition of redeveloping Sao Paulo’s Morumbi stadium had collapsed.

The latest proposal is to use the new stadium being planned by Corinthians, one of Brazil’s biggest and most popular clubs, in the eastern Itaquera district with the President having approved a proposal for the Banco Nacional de Desenvolvimento Econômico e Social to come up with foundation funding.

Sao Paulo mayor Gilberto Kassab said that the construction of Itaquerao should finally start in April – barely three years before the finals start.

Mediator Claims ‘Very Strong Differences Remain’ in CBA Talks

Despite claiming that the National Football League (NFL) and the players’ union (NFLPA) have made “some progress” over seven consecutive days of talks, denture George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, claims “very strong differences remain” between the two parties.

Cohen released a statement on Thursday, February 24, his first public comments since he began working with the League and Players’ Association last week. The current collective bargaining agreement (CBA) will expire on March 3, with the threat of a lockout looming large ahead of next season.

Cohen confirmed that the seventh consecutive day of talks would be the last for now, stating: “During the intervening weekend, the parties have been asked by us to assess their current positions. At bottom, some progress was made, but very strong differences remain on the all-important core issues that separate the parties.”

He added: “Our time together has been devoted to establishing an atmosphere conducive to meaningful negotiations and, of course, matters of process and substance. I can report that throughout this extensive period the parties engaged in highly focused, constructive dialogue concerning a host of issues covering both economics and player-related conditions.”

It is thought that the biggest dispute concerns the division of the NFL’s US$9bn in annual turnover, although a rookie wage scale and a proposed increase of the regular season to 18 games have also been issues.

BOA Sign Memorandum of Understanding with Qatar OC

Colin Moynihan, purchase chairman of the British Olympic Association (BOA) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Qatar Olympic Committee (QOC) at a ceremony in Doha yesterday, February 23, attended by UK Prime Minister David Cameron and Prince Tamim Bin Hamad Al-Thani.

The agreement was signed by Moynihan with Hamad Al-Thani at the Amiri Diwan – the Royal Court – which includes a wide range of mutually beneficial areas of agreement, including co-operation in the development of high performance sport and the promotion of the Olympic Movement.

Under the terms, which will last until at least the end of 2012 with the option of an additional three years, co-operation with their National Sports Federations was confirmed, and the BOA and QOC also agreed to share information relating to best practice in sports administration and discuss opportunities for relevant exchanges schemes and to work out to stamp out drug abuse.

Moynihan stated: “We welcome this opportunity for joint collaboration with the Qatar Olympic Committee.

“Following our meetings today, details of specific areas of cooperation will be discussed between both National Olympic Committees over the coming months.

“Given his strong interest in sport, we appreciate the backing given to this initiative by the Prime Minister, David Cameron MP who attended the signing ceremony here today.

“With the London 2012 Olympic Games fast approaching we are entering the most exciting period in our history as a National Olympic Committee. 

“I welcomed the opportunity to share some of our experiences with our colleagues in Qatar, who have themselves embarked upon their own journey to prepare to host the FIFA World Cup in 2022.”

IOC Announce Meeting on Irregular and Illegal Sports Betting

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have released a press statement, ampoule announcing that it will hold a Working Meeting on irregular and illegal sports betting on Tuesday 1 March 2011 at their Headquarters in Lausanne.

The meeting, ambulance which will be chaired by IOC President Jacques Rogge, generic will comprise members of the Olympic Movement, including representatives from International Federations and National Olympic Committees.

Ministers from Australia, France, Switzerland and the UK, international organisations such as Interpol, the European Union, the United Nations, and sports betting operators will also be in attendance.

The statement stressed that the meeting will be closed to the media but working facilities will be provided, and the IOC President will hold a press conference at 3 p.m. (CET) on the same day at the IOC Headquarters.

Ecclestone: Crown Prince to Decide on Bahrain F1 by Tomorrow

Formula One boss Bernie Ecclestone has revealed that the decision as to whether it is safe to stage the opening Grand Prix race of the season in Bahrain will be left to the country’s crown prince. 

Fears have been mounting rapidly over the safety of drivers, teams and spectators alike as the country is currently in the middle of large-scale protests that have seen six people killed after police fired live rounds at protesters demanding reform.

Human rights protesters are believed to have targeted the high profile event as a way of getting more exposure to their cause.

However, according to media reports, Ecclestone has said that crown prince Salman bin Hamad al-Khalifah was in the best position to make the call having stated: “He will decide whether it’s safe for us to be there, I’ve no idea. I’m not there, so I don’t know.” 

Ecclestone said a decision on whether the race on 13 March could go ahead would be made on Tuesday, February 22.

Holding the race on that date in another location has been ruled out as there would not be enough time for alternative organisers to make the necessary arrangements, but Ecclestone confirmed that the Bahrain race could be moved to another date later in the year.

iSC Partner Stadia & Arena Conference Sponsored by Philips and Arema

iSportconnect will serve as a social broadcast and media partner to the upcoming Stadia and Arena conference in Marseille from June 15-17 as the event moves to 70 per cent exhibition space sold & major sponsors continue to sign up.

Such is the clamour to be involved in the event in Marseille that the major construction group Arema and global electronics supplier Philips have both recently signed up as headline sponsors.

Arema, viagra 100mg a construction group, part of the Bouygues Group, will construct and reconfigure the Stade Velodrome in Marseille at an estimated project value of some €276 million (US$377.5m) and will unveil details of their project – whereas Philips will address the wider fan experience, bringing together their expertise which includes various aspects of lighting, screens and sound. The two new sponsors will serve as additions to the Stadia & Arena Series alongside long-term partner Populous, the world famous Sports Architectural practice.

With such large venue investment to come, France (and Marseille in particular) was a logical choice to host our event this June, which is mainly why the exhibition space for the event is almost 70 per cent sold out. As such, it is advised that any companies with an interest in participating get in touch before it’s too late.

Following the success of the 2010 event at ExCel in London in June, which attracted several hundred senior industry decision makers representing 26 different countries (including major delegations from both Brazil (World Cup 2014 & Olympics 2016) and Russia (Winter Olympics 2014)) the status of the Stadia & arena Series, in the Global Venue Management industry, is continuing to increase after 12 years and a full conference programme will be ready for delegates to register in the very near future. Watch this space.

The Stadia & Arena series continues to receive unequivocal endorsement and support from the two major trade associations representing the venue industry in Europe – The European Safety and Stadium Managers Association (ESSMA) and IAAM Europe (European chapter of International Association of Assembly Managers (IAAM)). This year we are also delighted to be granted the patronage of the Town of Marseille, which we a truly grateful for.

For more information, http://www.sam.uk.com/2011/index.php

SportAccord Announce SJA Panel to Coincide Convention

An Olympic-themed ‘Sporting Question Time’ is to be staged on April 5 to coincide with the SportAccord Convention taking place in London by the Sports Journalists’ Association.

The discussion will be held in the debating chamber of the old County Hall on London’s South Bank, with up to 200 of Britain’s leading sportswriters, editors and invited guests from international federations and national governing bodies able to put Olympic questions to the expert panel at the event. The all-ticket SJA event will be free to attend, with priority given to media accredited for SportAccord.

Panellists, who will be confirmed nearer the date, will include representatives from the London 2012 Games organising committee, the International Olympic Committee, British sporting agencies and the international media.

SJA chairman Barry Newcombe stated: “We are delighted to be able to stage our event alongside SportAccord as the convention is held in London for the first time.”

“Last year we staged a similar event with the sports spokesmen of the UK’s three leading political parties ahead of the UK General Election, and generated headlines for the rest of the week. We are sure that our Olympic Question Time will be just as newsworthy,” he added.

Anna Hellman, executive director of the SportAccord Convention, also stated: “We are gratified that the SJA is using the special occasion of the SportAccord Convention being in London to organise this initiative bringing together sport and the media.”

FIM Appoint Cecchinelli as Director of Technology for MotoGP

 

The FIM MotoGP World Championship have announced the appointment of Corrado Cecchinelli as Director of Technology, health overseeing technical developments relating to the three World Championship categories; 125cc, Moto2 and MotoGP.

One of Cecchinelli’s main responsibilities will include the development of new regulations regarding the implementation of the Moto3 category and the new 1000cc engine capacity in MotoGP, both of which come into effect in 2012.
The experienced Italian will also play a key role in providing a technical link between manufacturers and suppliers and the organisations involved in the governing of the World Championship, which include the FIM, the MSMA, IRTA and Dorna.

Cecchinelli has an extensive amount of experience and knowledge in motorcycling, and after obtaining a degree in Mechanical Engineering – in which he specialised in automobile mechanics – he worked for Piaggio for two years.
A five-year period working on Ducati’s superbike project then followed between 1997 and 2002, and from 2003 to 2005 Cecchinelli was Technical Director for the Borgo Panigale factory’s MotoGP team. In 2006 Cecchinelli took up the post of Vice Director General at Ducati Corse, a position he held until the end of 2010 prior to his appointment as MotoGP Director of Technology.

 

Pakistani Wicketkeeper Vows to ‘Name and Shame’ Corrupt Cricketers

Zulqarnain Haider, the former Pakistan national cricket team wicketkeeper has pledged to shed more light on corruption within the sport after three of his compatriots were banned from the sport for five years by the International Cricket Council (ICC).

Haider, 24, said that he would “name and shame” those guilty of corruption after seeking asylum in the UK in November after claiming he had received death threats for refusing to help fix two games against South Africa.

In an interview with PakPassion.net, Haider stated: “There are big names involved in these illegal activities, but they’re getting away with it. I am ready to name and shame them, if asked by the relevant authorities.”

Accusations of spot-fixing in last summer’s Test against England saw Pakistani trio Salman Butt, Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir receive lengthy sanctions despite the three have always denied any wrongdoing.

Despite the bans, Haider claimed thorough investigations were “not being carried out” and continued: “Players are going to be even more careful now and I know they are watching their backs and attempting to make it even more difficult for the ACSU (the ICC’s Anti-corruption & Security Unit) and ICC to catch them out.”

Haider, whose contract with the Pakistan Cricket Board was terminated following his flight to the UK, suggested that one way to keep tabs on players would be to subject them to greater financial scrutiny.

“What needs to happen very soon is for an organisation to be set up by the ICC for the specific purpose of looking into the bank accounts and financial dealings of all international cricketers,” he said.

“This can be an offshoot of the ACSU and should contain individuals who have previously worked in the legal profession or the world of finance.

“The new organisation needs to work closely with all of the international cricket boards who should offer their utmost cooperation.

“The player contracts with respective boards should have a clause in the contract stating that all financial transactions have to be transparent and details of all bank accounts irrespective of location, have to be revealed by the cricketer to the board and investigating authority.”

He added: “I gave up everything in cricket. I had a promising career ahead of me and I sacrificed it all, but I don’t have any regrets and my mission now is to clean up the game.

“I am prepared to do anything to help in totally cleaning up cricket.”