Van Praag May Quit FIFA Presidential Race; Figo Denies Reports

By Christian Radnedge

Michael Van Praag is close to withdrawing his candidacy for FIFA president in order to rally behind rival Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, generic according to media reports in the Netherlands this week.

Dutch newspaper De Volkskrant also reports that former Portugal international Luis Figo is also considering pulling out of the race to challenge FIFA president Sepp Blatter at the election in Zurich later this month.

Van Praag, asthma Figo and Prince Ali all met in Geneva last week for talks on the best way to approach taking on Blatter who is seeking a fifth term in office.

“The common aim is to bring about change at Fifa and it is a good thing there is an ever-widening international coalition which supports this, cheap cialis ” Van Praag said.

However, following the meeting all candidates were insistent on carrying on with their respective campaigns.

Now though it looks as if the head of the Dutch FA has had a change of heart, with De Volksrant citing FIFA sources to back up their claims he will pull out on Thursday.

Figo’s camp has vehemently denied the rumours that the former player would be joining Van Praag at a news conference that day to stand down.

A spokesman working for Figo’s campaign told Reuters from Lisbon: “We reiterate what we said on the first day.
“Luis is an independent candidate and he will keep being independent. He will not travel to Holland, contrary to what the rumours say.”

Prince Ali is seen as the candidate with the best chance to unseat Blatter having been a member of the FIFA executive committee for the past four years.

The winning candidate will need to secure at least 105 votes from the 209 member associations on May 29.

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USOC “Absolutely Committed” to Boston 2024 and Will Not Drop Bid

The United States Oympic Committee (USOC) has dismissed claims that they could drop Boston’s bid to host the 2024 Olympic Games.

Organisers of the Boston 2024 bid announced last week that they will hold a statewide referendum on whether the city should host the games as local support deteriorated.

According to a poll released a couple of weeks ago, only 36% of locals in Boston, Massachusetts, were in favour of the Olympics being staged in the city.

This led to reports that USOC may drop Boston’s bid to host the Games but USOC CEO Scott Blackmun has rubbished these claims as “simply not true”.

“We believe that Boston can and should lead America’s bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and we are absolutely committed to our partnership with Boston 2024 and their innovative concept for hosting the Games,” he said.

“Any suggestion that we are considering alternatives is simply not true.”

Boston 2024 CEO Rich Davey added: “Boston 2024 has enjoyed the unequivocal support of our partner, the United States Olympic Committee, since we were designated in January.

“Boston 2024 and the USOC will conduct polls from time to time during this bid process to ensure we are on track to win a majority support. In fact the IOC requires it.

“We welcome this initiative and we are confident that all polling over the coming months will reveal a significant increase in public support as we continue to inform and engage the people of Boston and Massachusetts about the long-term and sustainable benefits of the Games.”

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iSportconnect Welcomes Trio on Board

iSportconnect, ambulance the world’s largest global network of sports business executives, anesthetist is delighted to announce three new recruits who will play a major part in the company’s expansion.

Tony Huegdon (centre) has joined as the new Head of Operations, Michael Rocha-Keys (right) joins as the new Senior Partnerships Manager, with Christian Radnedge (left) joining as Reporter and Presenter.

2015 is set to be a landmark year for iSportconnect and the arrival of the experienced trio shows the company is heading in the right direction.

ANOC and Seoul National University Sign MoU

The Association of National Olympic Committees (ANOC) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Division of Global Sport Management Talent Development at Seoul National University (GSM-SNU).

The aim of the MoU is to encourage more academic cooperation between both organisations to develop sport within the international community.

Full story HERE. 

Exclusive: Exeter Chiefs CEO Suspects Salary Cap Abuse in Premiership Rugby

By Steve Moorhouse

The Chief Executive and Chairman of Premiership Rugby club the Exeter Chiefs has said he suspects some clubs are abusing the league’s salary cap.

Premiership Rugby recently announced that the cap had been increased to £5m for clubs in England’s top flight, medic three months after the governing body opened a hotline for whistleblowers to report abuse of the regulations.

In October 2013 Premiership Rugby opened the hotline after Sale winger Mark Cueto claimed some clubs were “blatantly” abusing the financial rules, viagra something that Chiefs CEO Tony Rowe agreed with.

Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect, Rowe said: “I have my suspicions about a couple of clubs, but I cannot prove anything. You haven’t got to be Einstein to have a look at their squad to work out how they do it within the salary cap.

“I am an old fashioned guy. If I sat around the table with all the other Chairmen and said ‘we cannot spend any more than this’ and we shook hands then I expect everyone to keep to it.”

The salary cap was increased by £500,000 to £5m for the 2014-15 season in a move that Rowe supported.

Rowe, who is also the CEO and Chairman of the club’s main sponsor SW Comms, in fact went as far to say he would increase the cap further if asked tomorrow.

“I was one of those who voted for the increase up to £5m and if there was a discussion tomorrow I would be in favour of increasing it further,” said Rowe. “The French have just recently done a new TV deal and are commercially better off than we are. Consequently their salary cap is much higher and they are soaking up a lot of the talent in northern Europe.

“Personally I think our salary cap should be moved forward again to enable us to be able to compete with some of the star players.”

Read the full interview with Tony Rowe here

Japan May Scale Down Plans for 2020 Olympic Stadium

Japan may revise plans for a new stadium in Tokyo for the Olympic Games to combat rising costs and after facing criticism that the stadium will be too large. 

Olympics minister Hakuban Shimomura told a parliamentary commission that the new stadium could cost up to 300 billion yen ($3.08 billion), rather than the 130 billion yen that was outlined in the Japanese capital’s bid proposal, and that the government was to consider scaling back the stadium plans.

An Education ministry official has said that the original estimate only accounted for the stadium itself and the additional cosrs were for work on the grounds around the new stadium. 

Yukio Yamamoto, in the ministry’s Sports and Youth bureau, said: “The minister meant two things – that while guaranteeing the stadium has the needed facilities and scale to host the Olympics, the building could be made smaller, more compact. Then there’s also the idea that the cost may be too much.”

The planned 80,000 seater stadium was designed by London architect Zaha Hadid, who was also behind the aquatics centre for the London 2012 Games. 

The plans have been criticised by Japanese architects, who its size would not allow it to blend in with the current environment. A number of trees would also need to be cut down to clear space for the construction, trees are a rare commodity in the crowded city of Tokyo.

Yamamoto said that essential components to host the Olympics would be unchanged in any revised plans, as would the stadium’s capacity, suggesting areas such as exhibition rooms may be reduced in size. 

V8 Supercars Queensland Future Secured Until 2016

The future of V8 Supercars events in Queensland has been secured until 2016 at least after an agreement was struck between the organisers and the government.

The Queensland Government and V8 Supercars had been locked in talks for months, vialis 40mg with doubt emerging over the events at Ipswich, ambulance Gold Coast and Townsville.

Those events will now continue, asthma albeit on a tighter budget, with reports suggesting the AU$9.3m (US$8.6m) annual government funding had been dropped to AU$7.3m (US$6.74).

Premier Campbell Newman said: “We have achieved a result which is an improved position for the Queensland taxpayers..

“We have made sure we get value for money and that was always important for myself and cabinet, particularly the Treasurer.

“I do say we have a better deal. The other thing is we are ensuring we look at the actual benefit tat Queensland gets.”

Newman added that the state Auditor-General would carry out individual audits of the economic benefits and attendances.

Tourism Minister Jann Stuckey said V8 Supercars contributed to 200,000 visitor nights in Queensland, pumping in AU$60m (US$55.4m) into the economy.

Coordinator, Accounting – Tampa Bay Rays

Location: Tampa Bay, purchase US

Closing Date: 2nd November

Overview:

  • Assist the Accounts Payable Department, including:
    • Matching Invoices to P.O.s and managing open/closed P.O.s, including those integrating from Workplace and Concur
    • Assist AP Coordinator with keying invoices and check requests, including integration from Workplace
    • Assist and backup AP Coordinator keying and processing payment of expense reports, including integrations from Workplace and Concur
    • Special vendor handling (corporate credit cards, concessionaire, beverages, hotels, car leases, etc.) including keying documents, payment processing, automation, statements, and integration of documents from third party systems
    • Vendor phone calls, research, statement analysis, credit analysis/applications
    • Preparing credit and direct bill applications
    • Weekly filing and annual storage of records
    • Cut checks in AP Coordinator’s absence
    • Assist AP Coordinator with year-end 1099 and 1042 processing
    • Assist AP Coordinator with opening and distributing mail
    • Ensure adherence to all disbursement policies including proper approvals of documents and education and training on various third party software systems integrating to GP
  • Assist the Accounts Receivable Dept., including:
    • Invoicing for sponsorships, broadcast, events, miscellaneous items
    • Post cash receipts to aging
    • Record deposits to the GL
  • Record ticket receipts from Box Office reports to the GL
  • Special projects, reports, and other related duties and tasks as required from time to time
  • Various ad hoc reporting to increase efficiency and productivity
  • Maintain/update documentation on processes and procedures
  • Participate in monthly close and annual audit

Qualification & Skills:

  • Associates degree in Accounting or Business + 1-2 years of general accounting experience or Bachelor’s degree in Accounting;  recent grads encouraged to apply
  • Beginning to Intermediate Excel and Word skills desirable with ability to adapt to improving technologies
  • MS Dynamics Great Plains, Concur, and Paramount Workplace software experience helpful
  • Ability to prioritize, multi-task and be detail oriented in a fast paced deadline driven environment
  • Strong communication and organizational skills with ability to work with all levels of employees within the company
  • Discretion with confidential information
  • All offers contingent on a satisfactory background check
  • How to Apply
  • Click to apply HERE

Ligue 1 to explore e-Sports and All-Star Game

The LFP’s Administrative Council has given the go-ahead to look into launching two innovative projects: the French e-sport Championship and the ‘All-Star Game’, which would bring Ligue 1’s best players together.

At a time when e-sports are experiencing a boom in France, the LFP – in conjunction with EA Sports, who make the hugely successful FIFA football games – is looking into launching an innovative competition that includes all 20 Ligue 1 clubs.

The LFP have also announced the Administrative Council has adopted the principle of taking the Coupe de la Ligue final on the road for season 2016-17.

An initial consultation concerning possible locations yielded the following pre-selection candidates: the Matmut Atlantique (Bordeaux), the Stade Pierre-Mauroy (Lille) and the Parc OL (Lyon).

The Administrative Council will make a final decision in the autumn.

 

Ferrari sign Ray-Ban sponsorship deal

Ferrari and Luxottica Group have signed a sponsorship agreement which will see the Ray-Ban brand appear on the SF16-H Formula One cars, doctor starting from the next Formula One race, site the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Mr. Sergio Marchionne, Chairman and CEO of Ferrari, commented: “Adding another prestigious brand like Ray-Ban to our livery is very gratifying for Scuderia Ferrari.”

“This new agreement strengthens the ties between Ferrari and Luxottica, two major Italian companies with shared principles and values that are both continuously striving for excellence. I am sure that this new partnership will be satisfactory for both companies and give the team an extra boost to strive for more”.