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E
NGLISH Premier League club Liverpool can defend their Champions
League trophy, UEFA announced on Friday. They will go into the
competition's first qualifying round with their opening match on 12 July or
13. UEFA's executive committee overhauled its rules to make the decision. They
also opted to amend the regulations for future editions of the UEFA Champions
League, so the holders will have the right to defend their title and therefore qualify
automatically.
But Liverpool will get less television money than the other Premier League teams
should they reach the group stages. UEFA Spokesman William Gaillard admitted
splitting the pot five ways rather than four with just Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester United
and Everton will be "a burden on the other English-based clubs". Liverpool will also get
no "country protection" which means if they progress through the qualifying stages they
could face Everton or United who entered at the third qualifying round. If the Reds make
it through to the group stages, they could be drawn to face Chelsea, who they beat in
the semi-finals last season, or Arsenal. >>>
UEFA change rules to
allow Liverpool in
Champions League
SoccerInvestor
WeeklyIssue 246 15 June 2005
The Essential Guide to
the Business of Football
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GENERAL NEWS
FINANCIAL NEWS
COMMERCIAL NEWS
STADIA NEWS
COMPETITION NEWS
DEVELOPMENT NEWS
MEDIA NEWS
INDUSTRY MOVES
SOCCER DIARY
DIRECTORY
Cole appeals against verdict
Glazer five-year plan
UEFA sponsorship deal
English clubs set record
League attendances rise
Attendance figures surge
Football League seal deal
All the managerial changes

The first qualifying round tie means
Liverpool will now probably have to cancel
scheduled friendlies against German clubs
Bayer Leverkusen and Cologne. If
successful in the first qualifying round,
they will probably also have to cancel a
lucrative pre-season tour of Japan, where
they are due to play Shimizu S-Pulse and
Kashima Antlers.
UEFA chief executive Lars-Christer
Olsson told BBC Radio Five Live the
decision by the 14-man executive
committee was unanimous. "Unanimous
means that everybody is supporting it. By
definition, that is also the case here. There
were no discussions actually on where
they should enter the competition because
everybody was of the opinion they should
be given the opportunity but they have to
start from the beginning. They could not
be allowed to get into the 32."
The UEFA Cup spot which Liverpool
had earned for finishing fifth in the
Premiership will not be transferred to
another English club, however, so
Manchester City, who would have been
next in line, will not be in Europe.
Liverpool's failure to finish in the Premier
League's top four meant they were not
originally entitled to a place in the
Champions League, despite lifting the cup
after a penalty shootout win over AC Milan
in last month's final.
The problem of Liverpool's presence in
next season's competition looked to be a
non-issue at half-time in the final in
Istanbul as Milan cruised into a 3-0 lead.
But Liverpool's stunning three-goal blitz in
six minutes turned the game on its head
and a goalless period of extra time was
followed by the English side's 3-2 victory
in a penalty shootout.
Chelsea tops world salary charts
I Chelsea's wage bill of £115 million in 2003/04 is "almost certainly" the highest at
any club in the world, according to The Annual Review of Football Finance published
by accountancy firm Deloitte. The other 19 Premier League clubs are, for the first
time, spending less on players' pay - 1% lower than in the previous year. Even
including Chelsea's 110% increase in wages, the total Premier League bill increased
by only 7% from £761m to £811m. It is the lowest growth rate since the Premier
League was formed in 1992. Deloitte sports business consultant Paul Rawnsley
explained that clubs are treating player wages more carefully. "In the middle ground,
there are not the rates of increases seen in the previous 10 years and even
decreases," he said, adding that it is healthy that there has also been a move
towards performance-related pay. The Deloitte report states: "Chelsea total wages
were £38m higher than the second biggest spenders, Manchester United, and
almost certainly the highest football club wages bill in the world." Abramovich's
takeover has cost the Russian tycoon £300m in two years. In other findings, the
Premier League strengthened its position in 2003/04 as Europe's richest. Revenue
from Europe's top five leagues – in England, Italy, Spain, Germany and France rose
2% to £3.9 billion but the Premier League's income grew 6% to nearly £1.3bn, over
£537m more than Italy's Serie A, the number two league in Europe. Revenue was
£739m in Germany, £638m in Spain and £443m in France. Of the big five leagues
only clubs in the English Premier League and Germany's Bundesliga made profits
Serie A made losses of £228m in 2003-04. Deloitte partner Dan Jones said: "The
Premiership has a competitive advantage compared to its European rivals, most
notably when it comes to attracting and retaining top-quality players. Premier League
and Football League clubs have also had success in reining back costs, particularly
wages, and in doing so have improved the profitability of English professional
football. What we are now seeing is a new sense of realism as far as wages are
concerned. The clubs are showing more restraint and in relative terms salaries are
more under control." He explained that the reason other European leagues were
struggling to keep up owed itself to the latter’s increased investment in new stadia,
which is now paying off. Jones added that he would like to see the government,
which brings in millions through taxes on the game, returning more money to the
grass roots. Meanwhile, Manchester United were again, for the eighth successive
year, top of in terms of revenue generation with £172m the most for any club,
although Chelsea, with £144m, narrowed the gap. The difference is that United’s
wages to revenue ratio is approximately 50% while that of Chelsea is nearer 80%. In
the Championship, there was a fall of 7% in players' earnings to £138m a reversal of
an average 15% increase over the last decade – but the play-off game for a place in
the Premier League, worth £51m, is reported to be the richest match in the world.
"Player wages also declined in Leagues One and Two, by 17% and 4% respectively."
The amount of transfer fees in England heading to overseas clubs and agents was a
record £263m.
Publisher Brian Sturgess Tel: +44 (0) 20 7403 4110
Editor Brian Sturgess Tel: +44 (0) 20 7403 4110 editor@soccerinvestor.com
Editorial Staff Luke Gosset, Aimee Savage, Marc Majerczik
International Contributors Vladimir Soldatkin, Marcus Christenson, Thomas Zeh, Michele Reale, Keith McGuinness,
Cubby Leong, Robert Reid
Business Development Brian Sturgess Michael McDonald Marc Majerczik
Design & Production Trevor Hartley
All enquiries regarding admin, subscription, invoice, business or advertising, please contact Brian Sturgess on 020 7403 4110
or send an email to salesteam@soccerinvestor.com
©2005. No reproduction in whole or part without the prior approval of the copyright holder.
SoccerInvestorWeekly

GeneralNewsSoccerInvestorWeeklyIssue 246
15 June 2005
To advertise here call +44 (0)20 7934 9159
I The English Premier League has confirmed that Arsenal defender Ashley Cole has
lodged an official appeal against the £100,000 fine imposed on him for his involvement
in the 'tapping up' saga. Cole (pictured above) was judged to have breached Premier
League rule K5, which prohibited him from approaching Chelsea with a view to
negotiating a transfer, without permission from Arsenal. Chelsea were fined £300,000
and handed a suspended three-point deduction for breaking rule K3, forbidding them
approaching Cole, who has two years left on his current deal, while under contract.
While their manager, Jose Mourinho was found to be in breach of Rule Q, governing
managers' conduct, he was fined £200,000.
Cole's legal team are believed to have appealed against both the judgement of the
independent commission in finding the player guilty of the offences stated - as well as
the financial penalty handed out. Speaking on ITV News, Cole’s lawyer Graham Shear
suggested the player might take his case further if an appeal is unsuccessful. He said:
"It depends on his satisfaction, or lack of satisfaction with those findings. We will await
the outcome of the appeal commission's findings, consider those and decide with
Ashley, or advise him, as where then to go." An FA Premier League appeals board is
now set to be appointed, which will be made up of an independent legally-qualified
chairman and two FA councilors.
Cole appeals against
tapping up verdict
World Cup to boost German
economy by €10bn
I The FIFA 2006 World Cup will add
around €10 billion to Germany's economy
and could help create 40,000 jobs,
according to a study by Postbank. The
figure of €10bn is equivalent to 0.5% of
Germany’s gross domestic product (GDP),
the study said, adding that around three
tenths of a percentage point of predicted
GDP growth of 2.0% in 2006 would be due
to the month-long tournament. A quarter of
the new jobs, most of them in the
construction sector, could be permanent.
Germany was awarded the rights to stage
the World Cup in July 2000. The
government is spending €3.4bn on roads
and €802 million on local rail transport
improvements. Around €1.5bn has been
spent on building or renovating the 12
stadiums to be used in the tournament,
which runs from 9 June to 9 July next year.

Club chairman demands drastic
changes to FAW rules
I Total Network Solutions (TNS) chairman Mike Harris has launched a scathing attack
against the Football Association of Wales (FAW) calling for a radical overhaul of the
governing body. This latest blast comes just days after calling for his TNS team to be
permitted to play Liverpool in a pre-UEFA Champions League qualifier this summer in a
move which would enable the Reds to defend the trophy they won against AC Milan last
week. FAW secretary David Collins and North Wales council member Trefor Lloyd-
Hughes publicly dismissed the TNS plan.
Harris claims: "Council members are there for the lunches ... but no one wants to put
in the work." Harris is particularly angered at the way the FAW have diverted a £1.7
million UEFA grant into acquiring plush new premises in Cardiff. He believes the money
should have gone towards improving Welsh Premier clubs, which Harris maintains was
the reason UEFA handed over the money. "There should be a total reform of the FAW to
ensure it has a cohesive structure. A structure that supports young players, the pyramid
system, the national league and the national team." Harris said he runs a multi-million-
pound business and employs over 100 staff. Two years ago, he bought quality offices for
well under £500,000 and he feels £1m-plus expense of an office complex, which the
FAW has done is ‘absolutely absurd’. Last year the FAW spent £1.9m in expenses.
"What we need is a cohesive management structure which gets results," Harris said.
Welsh Premier secretary John Deakin, deputy to Collins, defended the governing
body. He said: "At times people don't appreciate how much is put in. For example, we
get £100,000 every year, plus ground improvement money. I would like to think the great
majority of clubs do appreciate this help, even if Mike Harris doesn't." He conceded
there is friction about how this UEFA money was spent but insisted Council members
put in hours and hours of work in running Welsh football. "It is voluntary - they don't get
anything from it, other than the odd trip away with the Welsh team."
Dortmund to erect
‘sex garages’ for
World Cup prostitutes
I A German city is rushing to install a
series of drive-in wooden "sex garages" in
time for next year’s FIFA 2006 World Cup
and an expected boom in the local sex
trade, a city official has claimed.
Dortmund, one of 12 cities to host World
Cup matches, is anxious to keep
prostitutes and their clients off the streets
by providing them with discreet places to
do business.
Experts estimate as many as 40,000
prostitutes may travel to Germany to offer
their services to fans during the
tournament. "The World Cup has put us
under added time pressure, as we don’t
want a situation where prostitutes and
their clients disturb residential areas," the
official said. Prostitution is legal in
Germany in designated areas. "In
Dortmund we have an official red light
district on the outskirts, but there is a
problem. There is not enough space for
everyone to park."
Dortmund plans to arrange the Dutch-
designed huts, which have been
introduced in the city of Cologne, another
World Cup venue, in an area with condom
machines and snack bars. "Men have to
get used to them of course, but a high
percentage accept them because they can
protect their anonymity," the official said.
"That said there will always be those who
want to go behind a bush, under a bridge
or into the woods."
Turmoil continues at Barcelona
I The rift in the board at Primera Liga champions Barcelona board has intensified
when Jordi Moix followed the example of vice-president Sandro Rosell and fellow
director Josep Maria Bartomeu by handing in his resignation. The latest resignations,
of Moix and Rossel, came two days after director Jordi Mones said he was quitting
and provided more evidence of disagreements over the way president Joan Laporta
has been running the Catalan club. Mones, who was responsible for the Barca's
medical services, said that he quit his post because of the authoritarian way in which
the club was being run. "There has been an uwillingness to accept anyone who has
voiced any disagreements," Mones was quoted as saying by the Spanish media.
"Disagreements with the president have been confused with disloyalty to the club. I
find it very difficult to recognise the Joan Laporta of today with the man I knew two
years ago. I remain faithful to the project we stood for but it has been changed and
that is why I have decided to stand aside." Ex-Nike director Sandro Rosell, who was
in charge of overall sporting direction, was Laporta's right hand man when he was
elected president two years ago and played an instrumental role in persuading
midfielders Ronaldinho and Deco to sign. "I'm leaving without any bad feeling,"
Rosell told a news conference in Barcelona. "But if these resignations make Laporta
correct his mistakes and resolve his conflict with himself then it will be good for the
club." Part of the reason for the split is understood to be the result of the influence
former player and coach Johan Cruyff was exerting on Laporta, even though the
Dutchman does not hold any official post within the club. Rosell also condemned the
secrecy that has shrouded a possible shirt sponsorship deal with Chinese authorities
to advertise the 2008 Beijing Olympics and accused Laporta of distancing himself
from the club's fans. "It's incredible that within the same board there are some
members who can't tell you things because of a confidentiality clause," he said. Moix
handed in his resignation soon after Rosell during an emergency meeting of the
directors called to discuss the boardroom crisis.
Botswana bid
I Botswana FA President Philip
Makgalemele has revealed that his
country will be bidding for the 2010
African Cup of Nations finals. "I'm
fully convinced that we will put in a
bid for the 2010 African Cup of
Nations," he told the BBC. "We
have done our homework and we
have already appointed a 2010
team, which we will announce very
soon. This is definitely not just a
dream. Don't forget we have
already hosted the 1997 African
Under-17 Championship. We have
other factors going for us too, like
a good economy."

Dalian goalkeeper
suspended for matchfixing
I Chinese Super League (CSL) club Dalian Shide have
suspended goalkeeper Sun Shoubo for 'letting' Qingdao
come back to win 4-3 in the CSL Cup first round second
leg match.
Shanghai Zobon have already suspended three 'rogue'
players for matchfixing and now Dalian have begun an
investigation after Qingdao scored two late goals to hold them
to a 4-4 over two legs and qualify for the CSL Cup quarter-
finals on the away goals rule. Sun Shoubo had been selected
for the national team ahead of the upcoming friendly against
Costa Rica, but Dalian general manager Lin Lefeng has told
the Chinese FA that he will be unable to attend.
"Sun Shoubo has been banned from playing and training
with the Dalian team, and his salary payments have been
stopped," Lin Lefeng announced. "We believe that his
performance in that game was abnormal. A goalkeeper of his
ability shouldn't let in four goals like that."
Sun told the Chinese media: "I accept the club's decision,
but I swear that I didn't try to fix the result. Actually, it wasn't
just me that didn't play well. The whole team played badly. We
gave Qingdao too many chances. Also, the pitch was in bad
condition. Qingdao's goalkeeper made almost the same
number of mistakes in that game."
I South Africa and Manchester United midfielder Quinton
Fortune’s legal battle with his former agent Colin Gie has ended
with an out-of-court settlement. It means that potentially
damaging revelations over the long-standing financial and
personal relationship between the two parties have also been
averted. Gie initially took Fortune to court claiming the midfielder
had reneged on a 15-year management contract signed when
the player was 15 years old entitling him to 20% of his earnings.
He was also claiming for loss of earnings after Fortune
employed Elite Sports Company, which is owned by Jason
Ferguson, son of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, to
represent his interests in July 2002. When Fortune joined the
English Premiership club in 1999 Gie was his agent. Fortune
subsequently issued a counter-claim of around US$300 000.
I The four eircom League clubs that have qualified for
Europe this year have had their domestic licences upgraded
to UEFA standard by the Football Association of Ireland
(FAI). The FAI’s Club Licensing Department has informed
UEFA accordingly. The clubs involved are Shelbourne
(Champions League), Cork City (UEFA Cup), Longford Town
(UEFA Cup) and Bohemians (Intertoto Cup).
I Premier League club Chelsea have proposed modifying the
transfer regulations to allow clubs to approach players in the
final year of their contracts. Chelsea's fine for making an illegal
approach to Arsenal's Ashley Cole has generated a debate on
'tapping-up' rules. Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck said he thought
they could be "tweaked". "The one area I can think of is whether
in the last year of a contract a player should be able to talk to
other clubs without the permission of his club." Under FIFA
regulations, if a player is out of contract at the end of the season
he can talk to overseas clubs from 1 January. But Premier
League rules prevent players from holding similar talks within
England until the third Saturday of May. The rule changes
suggested by Buck would not have spared Chelsea from
punishment over the Cole saga because the England left-back is
contracted to Arsenal until 2007.
I The Italian government has introduced new measures
aimed at defeating persistent hooligan violence in the
nation's soccer stadiums. They include the introduction of
personalised, numbered tickets for all seats and improved
closed-circuit video coverage of the crowds.
InBrief...

FinancialNewsSoccerInvestorWeeklyIssue 246
15 June 2005
Glazer five-year plan
includes 54% price rise
I Malcom Glazer, the new owner of Premier League club Manchester United, aims to
triple operating profit under a five-year plan which would see ticket prices rise sharply,
The Times newspaper reported last week. U.S. tycoon Malcolm Glazer, who gained
control of the English side last month, hopes to boost annual profits to £114.3 million by
2010, the paper said. The Times believes Glazer could further anger supporters who
opposed his takeover by raising ticket prices by up to 54% within five years. The report,
citing previously unseen documents, said the club hopes to raise total revenues by 52%
to £245.6m by 2010. If the plans will be implemented, United fans would pay an average
of £46 to watch a game in 2010. The newspaper also said the documents gave details
of the interest repayments the club faces on part of the debt. The report said Glazer
must pay an annual rate of 20% on £210m of the debt and 14% on a further £65m.
Predictably, fans’ group Shareholders United have hit out at claims Manchester United
fans face huge rises in ticket prices. "How is he going to fill an expanded stadium when
fans are leaving in droves?" SU chair Nick Towle asked BBC Radio Five Live. "They are
so disillusioned with the massive increases it will just turn more and more fans off. The
drive for commercialisation is becoming too much for most fans. It’s really beginning to
create a big problem, and that’s just before fans stop buying the products and
merchandise, which will also increase in price. Our campaign to urge fans to exercise
their consumer choice and just not buy the products of the club or the products of the
company and the products of the sponsors is going to grow and grow."
I Meanwhile, the Glazer family continues to consolidate its position at the club. The
PLC board announced the appointment of Malcolm Glazer's sons Joel, Avram and
Bryan as new non-executive directors. This latest board reshuffle comes after Chairman
Sir Roy Gardener announced his resignation as of 6 June followed by non-executive
directors Ian Much and Jim O'Neill. Last week also saw the re-appointment of club
commercial director Andy Anson; he was one of the three directors Glazer voted off the
board last November. The appointment of his family members had been expected. All
three have developed firm business acumen, as reported by the BBC. Joel Glazer has
worked as a vice president of First Allied Corporation, a US real estate investment
company. In 1995, he was appointed executive vice president of the NFL franchise
Tampa Bay Buccaneers, owned by his father, and he still holds this position. "He has
extensive sports management experience," said a Manchester United statement to the
London stock market. Avram Glazer, aged 44, has also worked as a vice president of
First Allied Corporation. In 1995, he became president and chief executive officer of
Zapata Corporation, a US public company trading on the New York stock exchange. He
is also chairman of the board of directors of Omega Protein Corporation, the Glazer
family business that processes fish oils. Bryan Glazer, 40, has also worked as a vice
president of First Allied Corporation, and also serves on the board of directors of Zapata
Corporation. Like brother Joel, in 1995 he was made an executive vice president of the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Times report also stated the club’s manager, Alex
Ferguson, will have a £25m net annual budget to buy new players over the next five
years, compared to an average spend per season of £19.4m since 1998.
Investment
group in talks
with Everton
I UEFA Champions League
qualifiers and Premier League club
Everton have held talks with a
London-based consortium over
investing in the Premier League
club. The group is led by former
Tottenham Hotspur director Howard
Shore, but Everton chief executive
Keith Wyness insisted that only
"preliminary talks" had taken place.
He said: "We have talked to several
parties and always have an open
mind about such things. But as a
club we obviously have a duty to
look seriously at any offers that
come along." The Shore consortium
also includes Everton fan and
London media entrepreneur Keith
Young who is also the major
shareholder in the weekly sports
newspaper, Football First. After long
discussions lasting over several
months an anticipated significant
investment from the Swiss-based
Fortress Fund failed
to occur.

Rushden & Diamonds
pass baton to Trust
I Rushden & Diamonds has transferred
ownership of the League Two club to its
supporters trust group. The Trust has
inherited a debt-free club with £20m in
assets and more than 20 acres of land
from former owners, Stephen and Max
Griggs. They have agreed to fund
Rushden up to £750,000 over the next two
seasons. Helen Thompson, the club's
new managing director said: "This is a
magnanimous gesture by the Griggs
family to the local community. To be
vested with the responsibility of sustaining
this superb facility for forthcoming
generations is such an honour."
Dave Suddens, former chief executive of
Rushden, described the deal as
groundbreaking. He said: "The transfer of
ownership to supporters, free of debt, with
commitments to further financial support is
an amazing gesture of support by Max
and Stephen Griggs," said Suddens. “At a
time when football is often maligned, and
the intentions of those at the top of football
ownership often much criticised, this deal
is truly groundbreaking."
Griggs has ploughed £20 million of his
own money into the club since assuming
control in 1992. He formed the current
club via a merger between Rushden Town
and Irthlingborough Diamonds and has
seen the present incarnation rise out of
the non-league ranks. His sizeable
investment in the club helped Rushden
claim a place in the Football League and
they also spent one season at League
One level.
Monchengladbach boast record budget
I Borussia Monchengladbach will start the 2005-06 Bundesliga season with a new all-
time record budget of €50.5 million, the five-time German champions announced at their
annual member meeting this week. Despite a disappointing campaign where the club
only narrowly avoided relegation, leaving the outdated Bokelberg stadium for the
53,000-capacity Borussia-Park proved a massive financial surplus which helped the club
to make a pre-tax profit of €3.6 million. After being plagued by debts of almost €15m
only five years ago, club president Ralf König was pleased to report that debts had been
cancelled out. "We have finally turned into a reliable tax-payer," said König. Gladbach’s
average attendance rose from 32,000 to 49,000 with season-tickets up from 19,500 to
27,000 while the club also won 6,000 new members, bringing the total to 26,600. The
move to the Borussia-Park also helped to increase sponsorship revenue from €9.3 to
€17.6m.The positive financial situation allows the club to shoulder a €50.5 budget from
next season – up from €40 million during the 2004-05 campaign – but financial director
Stephan Schippers insisted that the club will not take any economic risk. "Our planning
is very conservative and is based on the fact that we’ll finish the season on 15th, attract
an average attendance of 45,000 and lose in the first round of the German Cup," he
explained.
Blackburn Rovers on alert
over turnover-wages ratio
I Blackburn Rovers’ chief executive John Williams has said the board must
concentrate on increasing the existing fan base in a bid to ensure the club remains
competitive in the Premier League. A report into football finance conducted by
Deloitte and Touche showed that Rovers are operating at ‘alert level’, in terms of the
money they spend on wages compared to the size of the turnover. While the report
showed that Rovers’ wage bill actually fell by 12% in 2003/04, the second biggest
drop of any Premiership club, the actual amount spent on wages compared to
turnover was the second highest in the league behind Chelsea. In the period
2003/04, Rovers actually spent £31.3 million on wages (the 11th highest wage bill in
the league), which equated to roughly 75% of turnover. Analysts have described that
ratio as ‘alert level’ and they recommend it should be nearer to 65%. However, with
Rovers facing a constant battle to attract more fans through the gate at Ewood,
Williams and his board of directors are having to ‘gamble’ by ploughing a higher
proportion of the club’s turnover into wages to make up for the shortfall in revenue.
Williams said: "There’s a table which shows that circa 75% of our turnover is going
on wages, which puts us 19th out of 20 in the Premier League, with the highest ratio
being Chelsea."
Omagh folds under financial pressure
I Omagh Town will no longer operate as a football club after failing to
overcome financial problems. The St Julian's Road club had been in
existence for 43 years and won the Budweiser Cup in 1991 after moving up to
senior football a year earlier but was already struggling financially before they
were relegated from the Irish Premier League in April. Out-of-contract players,
relegation from the top-flight and the recent closure of the social club are
thought to be the major factors. A statement read: "Over many years the
management committee of Omagh Town has struggled to keep senior football
alive but unfortunately in recent times it has become too difficult to keep
operating. The management committee cannot sustain the club in its present
format or structure because of an accumulated financial deficit that means
there are no resources to keep the club going given that there is no current
income coming into the club. Regretfully, the existing Omagh Town Football
and Athletic Club has to declare that it cannot continue operating and
therefore ceases to trade or operate.
Max Griggs has transferred ownership
of Rushden & Diamonds to supporters.

Chairman resigns over corruption scandal
I Swedish club IFK Goteborg’s Chairman Bengt Halse has stepped down from his post
in the wake of the investigation into the club’s alleged tax irregularities. The 62-year-old
has not personally been blamed for the possible wrongdoings but has been severely
criticised for not admitting that he was aware of a ‘gift’ IFK’s financial administrator Jan
Nilsson gave star forward Peter Ijeh when he signed in 2003. Nilsson claims that he was
acting as a private person - and not an employee of the club - when he provided Ijeh
with €131,000 in connection with the forward moving from Malmo, but the Swedish tax
authorities are now investigating. "There is a limit for everything," said Halse. "I don’t
know whether my stepping down will be temporary or whether I will never return. This
has hurt my wife and kids and they haven’t done anything." He added that he thought
that the tax authorities should have more important things to do than chasing football
clubs. "They are going after mosquitoes with the heavy artillery," he said.
Brokers open up Colo Colo float to the nation
I LarrainVial, the stockbrokers running the stock exchange launch of Chilean First
Division club Colo Colo, have taken measures to ensure that it will be easy for investors
to participate throughout the South American country. LarrainVial were chosen by the
investment firm which has rescued Colo Colo from administration - Blanco y Negro - and
can count on all the 311 regional branches of the Banco Estado for the sale of shares.
"There is a firm spread of Colo Colo fans throughout Chile," finance manager Juan
Eduaro Vargas said. "LarrainVial has a presence outside Santiago but cannot sell trade
everywhere, which is where Banco Estado comes in." The Blanco y Negro finance team
has this week been meeting insurance companies and investment funds, spelling out
plans for the future. The launch, the first ever for a Latin American football club, is due
to take place on 20 June. The minimum amount that can be invested is US$3,000 and
there will be a 1% commission charge on each purchase to cover administrative costs. It
is hoped that the initiative will raise as much as US$25,000. The first stage will be to pay
off debts and to carry out a US$9 million renovation of the Monumental Stadium.
Fresh start required
for Austrian trio
I Relegated Austrian Bundesliga side
SW Bregenz and second-division
teams SV Wörgl and SC
Untersiebenbrunn will have to start
afresh in the third-division after being
denied a license for professional
football. The league’s arbitration court
confirmed that the Bundesliga’s Senate
5 was right to expel the financially
struggling trio and rejected their
appeals. While Bregenz and
Untersiebenbrunn are likely to accept
the verdict, Wörgl representative
Andreas Widschwenter threatened to
hand the matter to a regular court. "We
can’t accept this outcome and I will
turn to a lawyer and start the fight in
front of a regular court," announced
Widschwenter. While Bregenz’ place in
the ten-team T-Mobile Bundesliga was
handed to Red-Zac-League champions
SV Ried, it remains to be seen if plans
to extend the second division from 10
to 12 teams for the 2005-06 season
can still be carried out.

Tax law loophole
opens doors for
Elfsborg
I Swedish Premier League side Elfsborg
is hoping to sign another Premiership
player thanks to a loophole in the Swedish
tax laws. Anders Svensson has already
joined from English Premier League club
Southampton and now the Boras outfit is
hoping to convince Mathias Svensson to
take the same route from Norwich City. "If
we can reach an agreement then
Svensson will join us," said Elfsborg
director Thomas Nyberg. Elfsborg will not
be able to compete with Norwich when it
comes to the player’s salary but they are
allowed to pay players living abroad a
lump sum. The player then only has to pay
15 % tax on that sum and the club does
not have to pay any social service
charges. Elfsborg would, however, need a
cash injection from an external investor in
order to pull off the deal. "Mathias is in
Cyprus with his family and is mulling over
the offer," his agent and brother Jonas
Svensson said.
Medallion chief
anxious to push
through Kansas bid
I Andrew Murstein, President of New
York based Medallion Financial Corp, is
set to meet Kansas City Chiefs owner
Lamar Hunt in either New York or Kansas
City this week regarding the US$15 million
bid he made for the Major Soccer League
(MLS) club over a month ago. As Johnson
County officials are taking the first steps in
securing a soccer specific stadium for
Kansas City, Murstein is frustrated that he
has still not been able to advance his
takeover plans. Murstein has recently
hired Fox Sports soccer analyst and
Kansas City native Sean Wheelock as a
consultant on the project. His main task
will be to address the questions
concerning the stadium. "That's one of the
things he's going to look into for us is the
timing and the probability of a soccer-
specific stadium in Johnson County," said
Murstein. Murstein recently considered
bringing the Pittsburgh Penguins of the
National Hockey League (NHL) to the city
but Portland in Oregon was deemed to be
a more attractive location. His bid fell short
of the US$100m current owners Anschutz
Entertainment Group, who also own
several MLS franchises are looking for the
ice hockey team.
I Proactive Sports Management (UK), a subsidiary of listed sports marketing and
representation company, Formation Group plc has announced the acquisition of the
trade and assets of Wroe Sports Management, based in the North West of England.
Proactive will pay an initial consideration of £32,500, together with deferred
consideration of up to £32,500, contingent on the financial performance of the
business over the next twelve months. Wroe Sports Management currently
represents ten players, all of whom are expected to transfer to the Proactive stable
with immediate effect. The addition of the firm brings Proactive's total number of UK
licensed agents to six with more than 110 players currently on its books.
I French club FC Metz has signed an agreement for a sporting and financial
partnership with the Chinese group Derui that has interests in hospitals,
educational establishments and construction. Derui is expected to invest to up
and above 5% of the equity of Metz. At the same time the club will aid Chinese
young players to attend its training academy.
I The Spanish Professional Football League (LFP) has suspended Primera Liga
club Malaga from carrying out transactions on the transfer market. Midfielder Nacho
was last week prevented from completing a move from Levante because the
Andalucian club is over €20 million in debt.
I Spanish Segunda Liga A club Sporting Gijon has avoided automatic relegation
after paying last season’s debts to players and staff. The club was in danger of
going into administration because of debts of €31,259 but that prospect seems to
have been averted for the immediate future, despite the fact there are still creditors
to pay, as well as some of this season’s wages. The players are now ready to call off
a potential strike. Tercera Liga club Binfar, meanwhile, are bound for extinction
unless the club pays off debts of €90,000 which have built up over the course of the
past four seasons. Over €70,000 of the debt is owed to the tax authorities.
I Profute, the group of shareholders which control Spanish lower division club
Leon, is set to meet on 22 June to discuss a share issue. The measure should raise
€600,000 for the budget for next season. The club is also hoping to generate the
same amount of money again - €600,000 - from a local authority grant. The plc body
is hoping that Leon mayor Mario Amilivia and sports minister fulfil their promise of
making the money available. These funds would cancel out longstanding debts.
I The former president of Segunda Liga B club Burgos has claimed that the
club owes him €800,000. The debt reportedly built up over the course of
Burgos’ eight-year mandate. A lawyer representing the Toldedo local
authorities informed that negotiations to recover the money began in
November 2002 but has still not borne fruit.
I Segunda Liga club Algeciras has revealed that it has debts of approximately
€767,000 which will not be paid off until the 2008/09 campaign. The most serious
debt is the outstanding wages owed to players, which amounts to €415,699 and is
set to be paid over the next three years. The only way the club avoided automatic
relegation to the Third Division was by agreeing to pay half the salaries owed, some
€207,000, by 20 June. The players have promised not to take the matter to the
union if that amount is forthcoming by the stipulated date. The funds will come from
a loan provided by banks on account of a grant due from the local authorities for
next season.
I Newly elected San Antonio Mayor Phil Hardberger has confirmed that the
proposal to bring a Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise to the city is dead.
Departing Mayor Ed Garza had worked hard to attract a team in his final two years
in office, but Hardberger had insisted throughout his campaign that he was opposed
to the idea. "There may be the day that Major League Soccer could bring money into
San Antonio but it’s not now," he said. "The deal that was proposed I was very much
against. We’re not ready for MLS and I don’t think it would improve San Antonio."
InBrief...

CommercialNewsSoccerInvestorWeeklyIssue 246
15 June 2005
UEFA seal Dentsu sponsorship deal
I UEFA has reached an agreement with Dentsu Inc.
as regards sponsorship sales for UEFA's top national
team competitions between 2006 and 2009,
according to a report on uefa.com. The agreement
gives Dentsu the exclusive right to market the
sponsorship packages of UEFA's premier
tournaments (EUROTOP) to Japanese corporations,
and the right to market the sponsorship packages to
Chinese corporations, subject to UEFA's approval.
The new UEFA EUROTOP commercial programme,
developed by UEFA Marketing & Media Management
(UMMM), focuses on the best of European national
team competitions and includes the following events:
EURO 2008, the European Under-21 Championship
2006 & 2008, European Women’s Championship
2009 and Futsal Championship 2007 & 2009. Since
1984, Dentsu has been actively involved in the UEFA
European Football Championship as a marketing
agent in Japan, contributing primarily in the area of
sponsorship sales. UEFA Chief Executive Lars-
Christer Olsson said: "Dentsu has been an important
long-term partner of UEFA, assisting in many areas of
UEFA's competitions commercial programme in their
home market of Japan. The formalisation of this
agreement will help UEFA achieve its commercial
objectives, bringing in high-quality global marketing
partners to support national team football."
Alps feature on Euro 2008 logo
I The Austrian Football Federation (OFB) has presented its Euro 2008 logo showing
a football surrounded by the Swiss and Austrian Alps. The green, red, white and
grey emblem will be used for the European Championship to be held in Austria and
Switzerland. OFB boss Friedrich Stickler, and UEFA chief executive Lars-Christer
Olsson revealed the logo exactly three years before the opening game in Zurich. "We
wanted to avoid the traditional cliches of the Lippizaner horses...and Mozart balls
and present a modern, not a backward-looking, logo. And we were successful,"
Stickler told Austrian news agency APA. The logo has the word 'Euro' in two shades
of red and white – the national colours of Austria and Switzerland. Green represents
the importance of nature to the mountainous co-hosts. "It's strong, has a modern
touch and points of reference to both countries - and to football," Olsson said.
Lars Christer Olsson. www.actionimages.com

Russia at odds with
national team
sponsors
I Russia’s national team sponsors,
National Reserve Bank (NRB) and Stary
Melnik beer brand Efes, have not been
able to fulfil their contractual obligations
because of restrictions placed on
advertising, according to Russian Football
Union (RFU) chief Vitaly Mutko. The Efes
brewery has confirmed the reports. "In
2004 we signed a four-year sponsorship
deal," an Efes spokesman said. "But
because of certain barriers on beer ads in
Russia RFU we cannot come good on our
commitments." NRB president Alexander
Lebedev, meanwhile, said that the bank
was not happy about the sponsors’ money
being "siphoned off" from the team. Mutko
nevertheless maintains that funds will be
almost tripled to US$3 million from the
originally promised US$1.2m for the team
should it proceed into the FIFA World Cup
finals. According to Mutko, Russian oil
company Nafta Moscow, which last year
spent some US$60m on Russian Premier
Liga club Saturn Ramenskoye, has also
agreed to a sponsorship deal.
Megatone sign US$3.3m Boca shirt deal
I Electronics company Megatone are the new shirt sponsors of Argentine First division
club Boca Juniors. Boca signed a 26-month agreement with the company worth US$3.3
million. The funds will be paid in stages, with US$1.5m coming in the first year and
another US$1.8m in the following 14 months before the deal expires in August 2007.
"It’s about our push for a more rigorous publicity contract," a Megatone spokesman said.
Megatone, which replaces soft drink giant Pepsi and telecommunications giant Unifon,
boasts over 150 stores throughout Argentina. The contract also includes pitch side
advertising at the Bombonera stadium in Buenos Aires.
Mobile phone company signs
Real Madrid-bound Robinho
I Mobile phone company Vivo has signed a sponsorship
contract with Brazil sensation Robinho. The deal fits in neatly
with Vivo’s plans to become increasingly closely associated with
the Brazil national team and Robinho is the latest star, having
scored in the 4-1 FIFA World Cup demolition of Paraguay at the
weekend. The 21-year-old, who currently plays for Campeonato
Brasileiro club Santos, will link up with super model Gisele
Búndchen in publicity campaigns and his image will appear on
mobile phone services such as video clips and games.
CSKA UEFA Cup win boosts
football profile
I As many as 78% of Russians are aware that CSKA
Moscow defeated Sporting Lisbon to win the UEFA Cup last
month, according to a survey. The Public Opinion census
claims that 59% of the respondents believe that the success
is significant for the whole country, which has a population of
some 140 million. The poll also revealed that some 37% of
Russians follow football and football news and the figure is
up to 49% in Moscow. The survey collected the opinions of
1,500 people.
Shorts advertising still illegal
I Advertising on football shorts in Germany continues to be illegal after a
court-case between Fourth Division club Oberliga Arminia Hannover and the
German Football Association (DFB) failed to result in a conclusive verdict. In
front of the district court in Frankfurt, chief judge Werner Rau adjourned the
hearing to 7 September. It remains to be clarified whether the legal process
needs to go through the associations’ internal bodies prior to the case. The
Niedersachsen-based club wants to enforce the legality of using their players’
shorts for advertising, but the current DFB statues only allow the front side of
shirts and sleeves to be used for publicity purposes. Arminia Hannover refers
their claim to FIFA’s statues, where shorts advertising has been accepted for
years and was this season officially made legal. There are no such problems in
countries such as France or Austria, where short advertising has long been
legally acceptable.
Brazilian
sensation
Robinho.

StadiaNewsSoccerInvestorWeeklyIssue 246
15 June 2005
I English football clubs spent over £200
million on stadia and facilities in 2003-04,
which is a new record according to the
Deloitte and Touche Annual Review of
Football Finance. Stadia magazine
highlighted that the amount takes the
overall investment in the post Taylor report
era to over £1.8bn. Premiership clubs
accounted for around 90% of the total,
investing £178m in the financial year to
mid-2004. The majority of this figure was
made up of costs relating to Arsenal’s
Emirates Stadium, which has reached
£170m in the two years up to mid-2004.
This facility alone accounts for over half of
all Premier League spending in that
period. Deloitte expects the total level of
investment by English clubs post
Taylor to top £2bn by the end of summer
2006. By that stage, the new Wembley,
which has total project costs of over
£750m, will also be in operation. In the
medium term, the position is less clear
and will depend on the progression of
planning and funding arrangements for
some key projects by other clubs. Premier
League average attendances were over
35,000, with capacity utilisation at 94.7%
the highest level since the analysis began
in 1992. However, Deloitte estimates that,
in the 2004/05 season, around 800,000
seats were unused at Premiership
matches, meaning lost income of around
£24m.
Omega - The Last Word in LED video screens and scoreboards
tel : 023 8027 4520
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sales@omega-electronics.co.uk
www.omega-electronics.co.uk Omega Electronics is a division of the Swatch Group (UK) Ltd.
St. Jakob’s Stadium, Basle
Swiss National Stadium
Official Partner
English
clubs set
new stadia
investment
record
Arsenal’s new
stadium takes
shape.

New ground for
Paderborn
I Newly promoted German Bundesliga 2
club SC Paderborn is set to start work on
their new Paragon-Arena this month if
their plans are backed by a city council
meeting on 16 June. The community has
already signaled they will agree to the
decision to replace the outdated Herman-
Löns Stadion and the remaining critics of
the project were silenced when Paderborn
surprisingly gained promotion to the top
flight for the first time in the clubs’ history.
With the ceremony for the 15,000-capacity
ground expected to take place straight
after the city council meeting, the club
hopes that the stadium will be ready to
see its first match as early as February
2006 when the league resumes after the
winter break. The Dellbrück-based
electronic company Paragon is the
ground’s sponsor.
SFA align rules on artificial turf
I The Scottish Football Association (SFA) has voted in favour of the use of FIFA
approved artificial pitch surfaces. In its annual general meeting attended by 78
member clubs and affiliated associations, the assembly voted by 73-7 to allow the
use of such surfaces in competitions like the Scottish Cup. This vote is contrary to
the ban imposed by the Scottish Premier League (SPL) that voted against the use of
such surfaces in its competitions. A report on bbc.co.uk suggested that the vote
could bring hope to Dunfermline Athletic given the club’s appeal against the SPL
ban on such pitches in its competition. The club faces the prospect of removing the
existing pitch and needs evidence to support their case against the SPL board
decision that will be heard by the SFA and an independent external judge.
Dunfermline chairman John Yorkston said: "It is in the process of being tested and
we hope to know in the next couple of weeks." However, the Scottish FA told Soccer
Investor that any connection between the two events was purely tenuous. SFA
director John Dunlop said: "The AGM met and it changed its cup competition rules
to bring them in line with the decisions made by FIFA and UEFA and approved by
them in March." SFA president John McBeth said: "There was a proposal at the
AGM about Astroturf and it was almost unanimous that we will follow the FIFA
line…I think it's only wise because teams like Rangers and Celtic who play in
Europe are going to come up against it at some stage. There are two standards -
there is one for nations, like Africa, who don't have any grass at all and that's a
slightly lower standard. "Then there is the FIFA II standard, which is the one UEFA
have accepted and that's the better standard."
Munich Stadium opens one year
ahead of World Cup finals
I Munich’s impressive new Allianz Arena will be the venue for the opening game of the 2006 World Cup finals as well as
five other games in the tournament, including a semi-final. The stadium was officially opened recently with games for
the teams who will be sharing the venue, TSV Munich 1860 and Bayern, who defeated the German national side there.
There are 66,000 seats on three tiers, 2,200 press and business seats and 106 VIP boxes accommodating 1,374 guests.
There are also 9,800 parking places in four x four-storey Esplanade car parks (the biggest in Europe) as well as 1,200
parking places on two levels inside the stadium and 350 parking spaces for coaches.

Institute plan £1m
stadium upgrade
I Irish Premier League club Institute
plans a £1million upgrade to their stadium
at Drumahoe. The North-West club aim to
build a new stand, a clubhouse
incorporating new changing rooms and
facilities where supporters can take young
families. The board is to embark on a
three-year redevelopment plan due to start
next year to encourage and increase
attendance. Institute intends to upgrade
and replace all temporary buildings within
the stadium to bring the ground up to
UEFA standard. There will be a
refurbishment of the north stand from 200
seats to 800 seats, a new covered stand
for 750 people and 300 seats at the south
side will be increased to 600 seats. As
part of their refurbishment plans, they
hope to improve access to the grounds
and provide additional car parking.
Institute president Charlie Ferguson said:
"The new stadium proposals are being
planned to prepare us for the next century.
This will provide not only a centre of sport
for our senior and reserve teams, but for
our youth academy and our ladies."
New location put
forward for Salt
Lake stadium
I Salt Lake City officials are still
undecided over where to place the football
specific stadium for Major League
Soccer’s Real Salt Lake. The 2005
expansion franchise is considering several
options for the 25,000-seat facility. Real
Salt Lake has now sought the services of
real estate brokers to find a location for
their new stadium. Mayor Rocky Anderson
originally favoured a city centre location
but the land would have cost US$20
million. Anderson then suggested the
Utah State Fairpark as an alternative as
the land would be free. This would place
the stadium in one of Salt Lake City’s most
diverse neighbourhoods, which would help
with the franchise efforts to target minority
residents as their core supporters. A
majority of season ticket holders live
closer to the fairgrounds than the town
centre, one of the other possible locations.
Rick Frenette, executive director of the
Fairpark, claims the Board is behind
Mayor Anderson’s proposal. "We are in the
event business, and we do lease facilities
like that," he said. "At least there are some
options for us that a city somewhere else
might not have." The Fairpark could
definitely use the extra income, which
could be as much as US$400,000 a year.
Even with 300,000 visitors last year, the
facility still needed an $800,000 subsidy
from the state. Hiring the brokers, says
team spokesman Josh Ewing, "Suggests
that maybe the team and [Real owner]
Dave [Checketts] isn't ready to give up on
a downtown location yet. We're not ready
to say there are only two players in the
game, Sandy and the Fairpark." Sandy
Council chairman Scott Chadwell,
however, feels the area would be better
served by selling the land to commercial
developers due to the amount of property
tax it would generate. "I wouldn't
aggressively pursue it," he said. "The
Fairpark appears to me to be the best
spot." Real expects public funds to pay for
the land and half of the construction costs,
expected to be in the region of US$65m,
and the team will pick up the balance.
Local authorities revive Kansas
stadium plans
I Jackson County has tried to revive plans to build the stadium needed to
keep Major League Soccer club Kansas City Wizards in Kansas.
Owner/operator Lamar Hunt has put the team up for sale but any interested
parties must be committed to constructing a football specific stadium,
meaning the Wizards could leave Kansas if another city was willing to do so.
The Johnson County Commission is looking for US$105,000 to update a
three-year old study that determined a 22,000-seat stadium surrounded by 20
youth training fields that would cost between US$55 million and US$65
million. One party interested in purchasing the franchise has already
committed US$35,000. "If an ownership group emerges … and they want to
discuss the possibility of a Wizards' stadium out here, I think everybody
would listen," said Blake Schreck, president of a local Chamber of Commerce.
"I think everybody is basically taking a wait-and-see attitude as to what
develops and what their intentions would be with regard to their
participation." The facility would be funded by a public/private partnership
with tax breaks for the operator. However, it is estimated such a facility would
generate US$45 million for the local economy. Andrew Murstein, President of
New York based Medallion Financial Corp, is set to meet Hunt in either New
York or Kansas City this week regarding the US$15 million bid he made for
the club a month ago.
Geneva stadium in financial crisis
I The Geneva football stadium earmarked to host matches at the 2008 European
Championship is on the verge of bankruptcy, according to its owners. The state-
controlled Foundation for the Stade de Geneve has announced that it was preparing
to go into liquidation with bankruptcy set to follow. Built at a cost of US$91 million,
the stadium has run up debts of almost US$8m, caused largely by the collapse of its
main tenants, Servette Geneva FC, in February. The stadium's fate was apparently
sealed in April when Geneva's citizens voted against a rescue package involving
public and private money. It is now expected that the ground will pass into the hands
of the construction company that built it, who could then auction the ground off to
recover its losses. Euro 2008 spokesman Wolfgang Eichler told Reuters he could not
yet comment on any possible impact on the tournament. Switzerland, which is due to
co-host the 2008 tournament with neighbouring Austria, has also faced problems
with the new stadium it promised to deliver in Zurich. Plans to rebuild Grasshoppers
Zurich's Hardturm stadium in time for the tournament were scuppered following
opposition by environmentalists and residential groups. FC Zurich's Letzigrund
stadium has now been put forward as an alternative solution, with the ground set to
be rebuilt and upgraded temporarily for the duration of Euro 2008.

Colo Colo set for new
US$9m stadium
I Construction on Colo Colo’s new
35,000-capacity Monumental stadium is
set to begin in July. The job will take 18
months to complete and cost
approximately US$9 million. The ground
will include access bridges, VIP suites, two
restaurants, a chapel, a club shop,
conference rooms, lifts, outdoor patios,
underground parking and a museum
giving on to the avenue outside. The
decision to go ahead with the project
was ratified after investment firm Blanco y
Negro’s recent takeover and confirmation
of an imminent share issue. "Most
importantly, we are going to improve the
stadium’s security, comfort and
entertainment capacity," said ByN
representative Michael Black. "We will also
be able to use the restaurants, the
museum, the chapel and the shop to bring
in additional revenue and boost our
commercial prospects."
Telstra Stadium to
host World Cup
play-off
I New South Wales Premier Bob Carr
has announced that Sydney will host the
FIFA World Cup qualifier between
Australia and the fifth placed South
American nation – the winner of which will
proceed to Germany. The match will be
played at Telstra Stadium on either 12 or
16 November, 2005 and is expected to
attract more than 22, fans to Sydney,
injecting around US$14 million into the
NSW economy. Carr said the decision
confirmed Sydney’s place as a major
event capital. "Sydney is now recognised
as a city that delivers the biggest and best
events as good as anyone in the world,"
he said. "The Olympic Games and Rugby
World Cup 2003 earned us a stamp of
excellence. The World Cup play-offs are
another opportunity to showcase Sydney
and NSW to those visitors here for the
game and the millions watching around
the world. Given the near misses of the
last two World Cup campaigns, I would
imagine the atmosphere in the city on
match day will be of Olympic proportions."
The play-off will be broadcast in more than
100 countries around the world.
Sydney’s Telstra Stadium was used
for the 2003 Rugby World Cup.
I The Football League has confirmed that the 2006 Carling Cup final will be
played at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on Sunday, 26 February. "This is
great news," said Millennium Stadium chief executive Paul Sergeant. Cardiff is
also keen to host next year’s FA Cup final, should the new Wembley stadium
not be ready in time. "We have told the FA that if there are any problems then
the Millennium Stadium is open for business for any other of their matches,"
said Sergeant. The 2006 match will be the sixth Carling Cup final staged in the
Welsh capital.
I Scottish Premier League club Hearts has started work on their Tynecastle pitch
that will ensure it can host European matches again. A row of seats is being
removed from the front of two stands to expand the playing surface to meet UEFA
criteria, reports the BBC. The Edinburgh outfit is forfeiting 280 seats, which will
reduce the Tynecastle capacity to 17,420. Hearts were forced to play UEFA Cup
matches at Murrayfield, the home of Scottish rugby, last season but failed to qualify
for Europe this year.
I The 2006 FIFA World Cup play-off between Australia and the Solomon
Islands is to be played at the Aussie Stadium in Sydney on 3 or 6 September,
according to the Football Federation Australia (FFA). Assuming Australia
beats the Solomon Islands, they would then move on to a home and away
playoff against a South American nation. The opponent may not be known
until the final regional qualification matches on 11 October 2005. With five
rounds left to play, nations that could finish in fifth position include: Ecuador,
Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela and Peru. If Australia wins
both playoffs, they will qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals in Germany
– becoming only the second Qantas Socceroos team to do so.
InBrief...
End close for Jakarta’s Menteng ground
I The Menteng football stadium in Central Jakarta is to be demolished and turned into a multipurpose city park. The
capital city authorities are reported to be renovating grounds in Roxy, West Jakarta, and the Lapangan Banteng in
Central Jakarta as replacements. Taufik said the administration would also move the home training ground for Jakarta
soccer team Persija to the Lebak Bulus soccer stadium. Many observers fear that there is a hidden agenda to develop
soon to be former Menteng stadium for commercial purposes but Governor Sutiyoso has claimed that this is not the
case. "I assure you that not a single spot in the park will be used for commercial purposes," he said. The stadium was
being converted into a park because residents need more green spaces. The ultimate goal for the city is to develop 13%
of the 650 square kilometers green areas. Currently, 9% of the capital is categorised as green space. Deputy Governor
Fauzi Bowo said the administration would find it difficult to reach the target. "We are in dire need of more
comprehensive measures to develop open and green spaces. Otherwise, we will fail to achieve the target," Fauzi said.

CompetitionNewsSoccerInvestorWeeklyIssue 246
15 June 2005
I A year before the FIFA 2006 FIFA World Cup, the 1. Bundesliga has posted a
new attendance record as fans flocked to the host nation's 18 top flight stadiums.
News agency dpa has reported a total attendance figure of 11,494,764 for the 306
fixtures played by the 18 Bundesliga clubs in 2004-5, giving a new record average
of 37,565. Borussia Dortmund led the way with a total of 1,315,008 paying
customers at the Westfalen stadium, an average of 77,353 per game. Dortmund
were followed by Schalke 04 on 61,341, Bayern Munich on 53,294, Borussia
Monchengladbach on 49,183, Hamburg on 49,022, Hertha Berlin on 46,886,
Stuttgart on 39,585, Werder Bremen on 39,423, Hanover 96 on 36,500 and
Kaiserslautern on 34,499. Eight of the twelve FIFA World Cup stadiums - Hamburg,
Dortmund, Berlin, Hanover, Kaiserslautern, Gelsenkirchen, Nuremberg and
Stuttgart – hosted Bundesliga action in 2004-5 and the new campaign sees the
debut of the new arena in Munich. Experts are predicting another new record next
year.
Attendance figures surge
ahead of World Cup
New format for
League Cup
I The German Football League (DFL)
is convinced that the new format for
their League Cup will boost the
popularity of the mini-tournament. "We
are aiming for a new attendance
record," said DFL director Holger
Hieronymus after agreeing
sponsorship contracts with betting
company Betandwin and TV
programme Premiere.
The "DFL League Cup" a pre-
season knock-out competition in which
the Bundesliga champions, the DFB
Cup winners and Germany’s four
UEFA Cup starters compete and has
been renamed "Premiere League
Cup" after the German TV programme
confirmed that they will broadcast all
games. While previous competitions
were played on separate days in mid-
sized stadiums, the DFL has now
opted to introduce a doubleheader on
23 July, where Werder Bremen and
Bayer Leverkusen plus Hertha Berlin
and VfB Stuttgart compete in
Dusseldorf’s 52,000-capacity LTU-
Arena for a place in the semi-finals.
The winners will then have to travel
to Schalke’s Veltins-Arena on 26 June
and Bayern Munich’s Allianz-Arena a
day later to challenge the seeded
hosts for a place in the final, which
takes place in a yet to-be-announced
venue on 2 August.
"We are looking forward to starting
our cooperation with Betandwin and
are sure that the changes will make
the competition even more attractive,"
explained Christian Seifert, the
league’s financial director.

Mexico’s
Confederations
Cup plans in
disarray
I Mexico's Confederations Cup plans
have been hit by a club-versus-country
clash after local club Chivas
Guadalajara asked for five players to be
excused from the competition in
Germany later this month.
Chivas, who field only Mexican players
and form the base of the national side,
want their players for the knockout stages
of the South American Libertadores Cup,
which clashes with FIFA's tournament.
Chivas, who also have a franchise team
that plays in the Major Soccer League
(MSL), are attempting to become the first
Mexican side to win the competition and
look certain to reach the semi-finals after
beating Argentina's Boca Juniors 4-0 in
their quarter-final first leg.
The second leg is in Argentina on 14
June, two days before Mexico face Japan
in their opening Confederations Cup
match. The semi-finals, on 22 and 29 June
also clash with the tournament. Mexican
clubs take part in the South American
tournament as guests. "We're asking the
federation to open up, use their
intelligence and think about what's more
important," said Chivas President and
owner Jorge Vergara.
"We're on the point of achieving
something which would be unique for
Mexican football."
I Athletic Bilbao will become the third Spanish representative in the Intertoto Cup
after UEFA offered them a vacant slot in the competition. Bilbao, who finished ninth
in the Primera Liga, said they had asked to replace any club that decided against
participating in the cup and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) had informed
them that they had now been granted a place. The Basque side will join Valencia
and Deportivo Coruna in the knockout competition, whose winners qualify for a
place in the UEFA Cup. The Intertoto Cup first round, first leg matches begin on 18
June.
I Germany's FSV Mainz and a Danish club were awarded places in next
season's UEFA Cup following the Fair Play draw. Sweden's Hammarby,
Tulevik Viljandi of Estonia, England's Tottenham Hotspur and Young Boys of
Switzerland were also in the draw made at halftime in the opening game of
the women's European championship between England and Finland in
Manchester. The Danish club will be confirmed when their season ends on 19
June. Norwegian side Viking FK had already been handed a place in the UEFA
Cup after Norway finished top of the Fair Play league.
I The members of the Norwegian ladies team currently competing in UEFA Euro
2005 have revealed that they will only receive a bonus of €3,200 if they win the
tournament. "This is the way it has always been," said goalkeeper Bente Nordby.
"We are just pleased that we are getting something." Midfielder Solveig
Gulbrandsen added: "I think that the bonus is fine. We have been negotiating it
ourselves." The players will get €540 per win, €270 if they draw and nothing if they
lose their games. The players of the Norwegian men’s national team would have
received around €76,000 if they had won the European or World championships
during the last five years.
I The Unity Cup in London featuring Nigeria and Ghana has been postponed
indefinitely. The four-team tournament was originally due to start on 30 May
and was then delayed until 11 June, but has now been postponed with no
new date set for the event. The first delay was because the organisers had
been in negotiations with the British police over the cost of policing the
event. Nigeria had been hoping to use the cup that was also due to feature
Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica, as part of their preparations for their 2006
World Cup qualifier 18 June at home to Angola. Ghana was planning to send
an under-23 side to play as the Black Stars will be in the Kenyan capital
Nairobi preparing for their qualifier in South Africa, also on 18 June.
InBrief...
CAF expels Kaiser Chiefs from Champions League
I South Africa's club the Kaizer Chiefs have been banned from African club competition for three years and fined
US$1,500 for withdrawing from the 2005 Confederation Cup. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) dealt out the
mandatory ban and fine on the popular Soweto team in Cairo on Saturday, in accordance with its regulations. CAF rules
state that any team that withdraws from a competition after the fixtures have been determined receives an automatic
three-year ban. The Chiefs, who last weekend retained their domestic league title, dropped down to the Confederation
Cup after a controversial elimination in the third round of the Champions League but then refused to play against
Egyptian club Ismaili.
The ban means the Chiefs will not be able to compete in next year's Champions League, for which they qualified last week, or
any other of CAF's competitions until 2009. But CAF officials said South Africa will still be allowed two teams in next year's
competition, meaning third-placed Mamelodi Sundowns will join league runners-up Orlando Pirates in the 2006 Champions
League field. In 2002, Chiefs were also fined by CAF after refusing to play a match in strife-torn Madagascar in defence of the
African Cup Winners' Cup title they had won the year before. CAF's disciplinary board on Saturday, meanwhile, fined South
Africa's Alex Heredia US$3,000 for directing foul language at dignitaries after a semi-final at the African Under-17 Championship
in the Gambia.

DevelopmentNewsSoccerInvestorWeeklyIssue 246
15 June 2005
I A £30m grassroots investment launched
by the Football Foundation in England
intended to reinvigorate school sports has
been completed five months ahead of
schedule. Launched in 2002, the Football
Foundation investment package has
provided funding for over 50 artificial
pitches, 40 new changing facilities and
more than 30 pitch improvement projects.
112 schools across the country have
received a total of £30m, in association
with the Big Lottery Fund, creating a
variety of sporting opportunities for tens of
thousands of players of all ages and
abilities. Every facility is also available for
use by the wider community outside of
school hours and during weekends and
holidays. Peter Lee, Chief Executive of the
Foundation, acknowledged the success of
the programme: "Young people need to
have the best possible introduction to
sport and to provide so many outstanding
facilities way ahead of schedule is tribute
to the Foundation and the professionalism
and dedication of the schools and colleges
who received funding. By increasing
participation whilst also supporting social
inclusion, health and education initiatives,
football is realising its potential to change
people's lives both on and off the field."
The final schools to complete the funding
package are the Astley Sports College
from Dukinfield in Cheshire who received
£570,084 for new changing facilities and a
pitch drainage programme, Bacons
College, Rotherhithe in London who
scored £817,410 for artificial and grass
pitches as well as changing facilities,
Knottingley High School in West Yorkshire
who netted £311,705 to construct a floodlit
artificial pitch and finally Netherhall School
and Sports College, Maryport in Cumbria
who were granted £397,836 for a third
generation artificial pitch.
I A unique grass roots co-operation between rugby and
soccer will invest in a £557,000 community sports facility
in Brighton in England. A cash grant from the Football
Foundation and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) will
create a unique 120m x 70m floodlit artificial pitch,
specially designed for both football and rugby at Brighton
Rugby Football Club (BRFC).
The pitch, which is due to be built and open by September,
is the first of its kind in the world of sport, meeting the
technical requirements for the two games. The Waterhall
Sports Ground will provide opportunities for over 11,000
footballers and 10,000 rugby players to use the third
generation rubber crumb artificial grass pitch. Peter Lee, Chief
Executive of the Foundation, welcomed the new sporting
partnership, between Brighton Rugby Club, Dorothy Stringer
Sports College, Sussex County Football Association, Sussex
Rugby Football Union and Brighton & Hove City Council's
Sports Development Team. He said: "The Brighton Rugby Club
Project is the first of what we hope will become a productive
and beneficial relationship. Football and Rugby have shown
that sport can work together for the benefit of communities."
The Football Foundation is funded by the FA Premier
League, the Football Association, Sport England and the
Government. The RFU's funding has come from the
Community Club Development Programme - a joint initiative
between the Union, Sport England and the Government,
through the Department for Culture, Media and Sport to
improve sports facilities around the country. RFU Funding and
Facilities Executive Dave Stubley said: "This is the first full-
size 3rd generation rubber crumb artificial pitch funded by the
RFU and Football Foundation at a community rugby club and
everyone involved is very excited about it. There has been a
lot of hard work by numerous people to get to this stage and it
is testament to what can be achieved through cross-code
partnerships."
Football and rugby co-operate
in grass roots project
£30m grassroots investment programme completed
Authorities invest
US$1.5 million in
training centre
I The New South Wales Government
has set up a new football training
centre - the Johnny Warren Soccer
Academy in Sydney. The initiative cost
US$1.5 million and will enable
Australia’s top young players to access
the best possible training at home.
Johnny Warren, a former Socceroo
captain, died of cancer in November.

Football Foundation project
to be used by Everton
I One of the most deprived areas in Liverpool will soon offer a number of new sporting
opportunities, due to a £331,826 investment package from the Football Foundation. The
cash boost will provide the Kensington Community Sports Association with a new junior
football pitch and mini soccer pitch alongside a modern and fully equipped changing
pavilion on Jubilee Drive, on the site of the former Kensington Reservoir.
The area currently has no grass pitches, which has inevitably hampered the growth of
the game within the community. The news was welcomed by Everton Midfielder and
Football Foundation Ambassador Lee Carsley: "This grant is great news for grass roots
football on Merseyside. As an Ambassador for the Football Foundation I think it's
fantastic that money from the top of the game is being reinvested to ensure that a new
generation of players have the best possible start. It's particularly encouraging to see
this project linking in with our own community scheme, which has helped thousands of
Liverpool youngsters get more opportunities to play football."
This first phase of the project will provide sporting activities for over 30,000 footballers
of all ages and abilities every year. Currently derelict, the site will also provide the
chance for local women and girls to play the national game. Partnerships with 3 local
schools will not only enhance curricular use, but also provide young participants with
Mini-Soccer sessions during holiday periods.
The new site will also host initiatives for both Liverpool and Everton's Football in the
Community Schemes. Urban Hope (Subsidiary Company of Liverpool Hope University)
the developer for this project, recently undertook consultation concerning the utilisation
of the land surrounding the sports centre and as their Chief Executive Dr. Martin Carey
stated, "local residents and organisations put the development of new football pitches at
the top of their list."
Football
Foundation in
rejuvenation
project
I Football Foundation, the UK's
biggest sports charity, has donated
a £939,528 grant to renovate the
Flanders Playing Fields in Newham -
once home to FIFA World Cup hero
Sir Bobby Moore. The cash boost
will enable the London Borough to
revamp the fields, creating a nine-
room changing pavilion complete
with gym, alongside a floodlit
artificial five-a-side pitch.
The new site will enhance football
in the area and will host a variety of
initiatives to get more local
residents playing the game. Estate
based football will be developed,
locals will be offered coaching
sessions, whille school holiday and
extra-curricular taster sessions will
be offered to children and young
people.
Bobby’s widow, Stephanie Moore
MBE, said: "I am delighted to hear
that the Football Foundation is
contributing such a fantastic sum of
money towards the funding of a
football pitch and other new
facilities."
To date, 175 projects worth over
£25m, have been delivered in the
capital by the Foundation, creating
new opportunities. The Football
Foundation is dedicated to
revitalising the grass roots of the
game, constructing modern football
facilities, developing football as a
force for social cohesion and as a
vehicle for education in
communities throughout the
country. Funded by the Premier
League, the Football Association,
Sport England and the Government,
the charity has already funded 1,300
projects worth over £300 million.
Peter Lee, Chief Executive of the
Foundation said: "The Football
Foundation is revolutionising the
way sport is funded in this country,
creating opportunities for hundreds
of thousands of people to gain the
benefits that sport has to offer."
Everton’s Lee Carsley

MediaNewsSoccerInvestorWeeklyIssue 246
15 June 2005
Football League seal
exclusive deal
I The Football League has secured a new broadcasting agreement with Sky Sports.
Press reports put the value at £110m, a 40% increase on the current deal. The digital
channel has been awarded the exclusive live rights to the League’s competitions until
the summer of 2009. The three-year agreement for seasons 2006/07, 2007/08 and
2008/09 provides increased revenue for clubs and more live matches on Sky Sports for
supporters, including 70 exclusively live matches from The Football League, including
55 from The Championship, the end-of-season play-off matches, including all three play-
off finals, 15 live ties from the Carling Cup and the LDV Vans Trophy final. This new
agreement will see Sky Sports broadcast around 100 live matches per season from The
Football League’s competitions and extends a partnership first established in 1995. In
announcing the new agreement, Football League chairman Sir Brian Mawhinney said:
"This tremendous news caps what has been an enormously couraging season for The
Football League. Crowds have increased yet again, as have viewing figures and we are
also delivering on the promise we made to increase our clubs’ commercial revenues.
Sky Sports are a class act and this new agreement is recognition of the outstanding
entertainment our clubs provide their viewers week-in, week-out throughout the
season." Vic Wakeling, managing director of Sky Sports, said: "The Football League
continues to go from strength to strength and attendances are at their highest in 45
years - reflecting the huge interest in the game at all levels and emphasising the
League’s importance in the sporting fabric of this country." In addition to the new TV
deal with Sky Sports, The Football League has also extended its TV highlights
agreement with ITV Sport until the summer of 2009.
I Three million viewers in the UK
tuned in for live coverage of the
England team’s first match in the
European Women’s Championship.
The audience for the 3-2 victory over
Finland - covered by the BBC -
peaked at just over 3 million, the
highest figure recorded for a women’s
match in the UK.
I German Pay TV Channel Premiere
revealed its viewing figures in the
2004/05 Bundesliga season to be
4.7 million on average per match day. A
survey conducted by media Research
Company Modata showed 2.05 million of
those were subscribers that followed the
1.Bundesliga from home and 710,000
followed the 2.Bundesliga on live
television. Additionally there are 460 000
viewers who watched Premiere in one of
the 11000 or so ‘Premiere Sportbars’.
The remaining 1.5 million viewers
followed the Premiere round-up of the
1 and 2. Bundesliga.
I Giant Brazilian TV station Globo
plans to introduce a service whereby
fans can access goals from the
Campeonato Brasileiro on their mobile
phones. The option, which will
broadcast goals with a five-minute
delay, should be available by the end
of the year and will cost approximately
US$1 per set of images.
I CONCACAF has announced that TV
giant Univision will broadcast all
forthcoming tournaments in Spanish.
Univision Communications holds US
Spanish-language TV rights to the FIFA
Under-20 World Youth Championship,
the FIFA Confederations Cup, and the
CONCACAF Gold Cup. Matches will air
on TeleFutura and Galavision. In
Canada, Rogers Sportsnet will air
selected matches involving Canada as
well as the Gold Cup final.
InBrief...
FAS launches ‘blogging’ site
I The Football Association of Singapore (FAS) has kept itself up to date with emerging
new mobile technology through an unprecedented collaboration with local
telecommunications company, SingTel. With blogging now fashionable, FAS and SingTel
have launched an official Mobile Blogging (Moblog) site – www.mylions.com.sg –
specially designed for the Lions and their fans. SingTel is one of the first
communications companies in the world to enable Moblog, a mobile and online
community where bloggers can publish their thoughts and images. It allows users to
update their blogs via both the personal computer and mobile phone. The Lions’ Moblog
site (www.mylions.com.sg) is specially dedicated to members of the Singapore National
Team. They will be able to interact with fans through their online journals, otherwise
known as blogs. For fans of the Lions, the MoBlog site will allow them to post and
share MMS messages and photos on the site, discuss topics, exchange views, share
experiences and information and view exclusive pictures.Index to provide FIFA World
Cup highlights Japanese internet and mobile phone content provider Index Corporation
has signed a deal to provide internet highlights to games from the FIFA World Cup 2006
for Japan. The deal will allow Index to stream a maximum of 12 to 20-second highlight
scenes via the Internet to Japanese computers or mobile phones shortly after each of
the 64 games is finished. The live broadcast to games in Japan are held by
SkyPerfecTV, while the Japan Consortium of terrestrial broadcasters will have the rights
to show 20 games live. Index has already become involved in football through its
takeover of French Ligue 2 club, FC Grenoble, which was completed this summer.

BRITISH ISLES
I George Burley has resigned as
manager of Championship side Derby
County after claiming his position was
"untenable". Burley saved the club
from relegation after joining as interim
manager in March 2003 and was
rewarded with a two-year deal in May
2003. He led them to the play-offs in the
2004-2005 season but a deteriorating
relationship with the club's hierarchy
has led to the 49-year-old's departure.
I Championship club Coventry City's on-
going financial crisis has claimed another
victim after youth development officer
Trevor Gould was made redundant. The
55-year-old former Sky Blues player was
told the news last Friday and is now
planning a break before hoping to get
another job in football. Gould said: "I had
five years as a player and 13 happy years
as a coach, youth development officer and
director of youth. I am proud to have set
up the business plan to set up the
academy and help get the club to two FA
Youth Cup finals and this year's play-off
finals."
I Championship club Leicester City’s
manager Craig Levein has welcomed
new goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell,
40, to the club. Stowell, who made over
400 appearances for Wolves, was let go
by Bristol City at the end of last season
and turned down a similar role at
Ashton Gate.
I Sean McAuley has resigned as
assistant manager of Conference club
Halifax Town. McAuley, deputy to manager
Chris Wilder for three years, intends to
return to university. McAuley, 32, also
made 26 appearances for the Shaymen
after earlier spells as a left-back at
Hartlepool, Scunthorpe and Rochdale.
I Scottish Premier League club
Caledonian Thistle has appointed Mike
Smith as its first ever chief executive.
A chartered accountant, Smith spent 14
years in the same role for the UK
Basketball League. He starts on 1 June.
I Former Berwick Rangers player and
manager Jimmy Crease has returned to
the club as general manager. Crease had
been in charge of the junior club Arniston
Rangers, assisted by new Berwick
manager John Coughlin. The general
manager will have particular
responsibilities for scouting and fund-
raising. Crease was manager from July
1992 to January 1994.
I Former Wrexham and Wales Under-
21 player Gareth Owen has been
named as the new manager of Airbus
UK. Owen takes over from Gary Wynne
and Rob Lythe, who took the
Wingmakers to safety in their first
season in the Welsh Premier League.
IndustryMovesSoccerInvestorWeeklyIssue 246
14 June 2005
George Burley www.actionimages.com
IUEFA
I 1. Bundesliga club VFL Wolfsburg
has appointed Holger Fach as their new
coach. The 42-year-old former
Gladbach manager has signed a
contract until June 2007.
I Just three days after releasing Matthias
Sammer of his duties as manager of
Bundesliga club VFB Stuttgart, the
Schwaben has hired former 1.FC
Nuernberg coach Wolfgang Wolf as his
successor.
Newly promoted 2.Bundesliga club
Sportfreunde Siegen has appointed Jan
Kocian as head-coach. The former RW
Erfurt coach signed a one-yearMexican
First Division club Pachuca has released
Argentine sports director Rubén Omar
Romano and is set to name his
replacement imminently.
I Jan Kocian and relegated
2.Bundesliga club Rot-Weiss Erfurt
have ended their working relationship
by mutual agreement. The former
Czech international blamed a 'lack of
prospects' at the club as the main
reason for failing to fulfill his contract
until 2006.
I Giuseppe Papadopulo is quitting as
coach of Italian Serie A club Lazio after
failing to reach an accord for a new
contract. Papadopulo had been in charge
at Stadio Olimpico since the midway point
in the season after replacing Mimmo Caso
at the helm. He will leave the club when
his current contract expires on June 30
after breaking off talks regarding an
extension.
I Italian Serie A club Lecce have
announced that coach Zdenek Zeman's
contract will not be renewed. The

Czech Republic tactician, who has been
in Italy since 1983, penned a one-year
deal with the club last summer. Lecce
finished just two points clear of third
from bottom Parma and President Rico
Semeraro has opted against retaining
Zeman's services.
I Italian Serie A club Palermo have
appointed former Roma and Chievo
Verona boss Luigi Del Neri as coach on a
two-year contract.
I Italian Serie A club AC Florence has
appointed Claudio Cesare Prandelli as
new coach. The 47-year-old succeeds
Dino Zoff , who was released from his
duties after securing the club’s league
status at the very last match-day.
I Coach Philippe Troussier has been
let go by French club Olympique
Marseille, the Ligue 1 club's chairman
Pape Diouf said on Thursday. "His
mission has come to an end," Diouf
told reporters after a meeting of the
club's supervisory board.
I Guy Roux has ended a career on the
Auxerre bench which stretches back to
1961. The French tactician has enjoyed a
remarkable longevity at Auxerre that has
seen him at the helm for 44 years. Roux,
66, told French television channel TF1, "I
have decided to quit, I am not retiring, I
am just changing my activities." Roux
finished his career at Auxerre on a high
after clinching his fourth French Cup with
a 2-1 win over Sedan and feels the time is
right to bow out of the Stade Abbe-
Deschamps in order to pursue other
activities. Under his tenure, Auxerre
clinched all four French Cups in 1993,
1996, 2003 and 2005, and won the
championship in 1996. They reached the
Champions League quarter-finals in 1997
and the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 1993.
Roux started his career on the Burgundy
side's bench in 1961.
I Real Mallorca President Mateu
Alemany is to step down after five
years in charge of the Spanish Primera
Liga club. "My cycle at the helm has
come to an end and Mallorca has got a
brilliant future ahead," Alemany said.
He took over in August 2000, though he
has been involved with the club for 16
years. During his presidency Mallorca
equalled their best league placing when
they came third behind champions Real
Madrid in 2001, participated in the
UEFA Champions League the following
season and won the Copa del Rey in
2003.
I Joaquin Caparros has decided not to
accept Spanish Primera Liga club Sevilla's
offer of a two-year contact renewal and
will quit as coach after five seasons at the
helm.
I Spanish Primera Liga club Atletico
Madrid has appointed former Boca Juniors
chief Carlos Bianchi as their coach for the
next two seasons. The 56-year-old
Argentine, who has been out of the game
since he quit Boca in July last year, takes
over from Cesar Ferrando who was
sacked last week after the club finished a
disappointing 11th in the league. "It is an
honour for Atletico Madrid and its fans to
be able to have a coach of the prestige
and calibre of Carlos Bianchi," said club
president Enrique Cerezo. "The titles he
has won are too long to list but it is worth
noting that he was twice named the best
coach in the world and that he happens to
have been born on the same day - April 26
as Atletico was founded many years ago
(1903)."
I Javier Irureta has left his position as
Spanish Primera Liga’s Deportivo La
Coruna coach by mutual consent. The
experienced tactician had met Depor
president Augusto Cesar Lendoiro to
discuss his future. He had spent seven
years at the helm and guided the
Galician side to their only Primera Liga
title success in 2000. The club has
appointed former Sevilla coach Joaquin
Caparros as replacement for Javier
Irureta. The Primera Liga club did not
release any details of the deal.
I Portuguese SuperLiga Champions
Benfica has appointed Dutchman Ronald
Koeman as coach. Koeman, a former
Netherlands international and Ajax
manager, replaces Giovanni Trapattoni.
The Italian quit last week after steering
the Lisbon club to their first title in 11
years.Guy Roux www.actionimages.com
Jacques Santini www.actionimages.com
I Former Spurs boss Jacques
Santini has been appointed
manager of French Ligue 1 club
Auxerre. The former France
coach takes over from Guy
Roux, who stepped down after
44 years in charge. Santini, 53,
left Spurs in November "for
personal reasons" barely four
months after being appointed.
After just 13 games in charge it
is thought he left amid tensions
with the club's former sporting
director Frank Arnesen. Santini
guided Lyon to the French title
in 2002 before taking over as
coach of the French national
team.

I Toni Polster has been released from his
duties as general manager of Austrian
Bundesliga club Austria Vienna.
I Dejan Bajevic has resigned as coach
of Greek First Division club Olympiakos
Piraeus. Despite winning the domestic
title and cup, the 56 year-old stepped
down after just one season. Ongoing
disputes with the board as well as with
several players caused the Serbo-Croat
to throw in the towel.
I Turkish First Division club Galatasaray
have appointed Erik Gerets as coach
following the resignation of Gheorghe
Hagi, the club said on their website.
"Agreement was reached with him in all
areas. Gerets will be in Istanbul on
Thursday," a statement said. Belgian
Gerets, 51, resigned as VfL Wolfsburg
coach at the weekend, leaving the
German club a year before his contract
expired. He had previously coached
Kaiserslautern.
CAF
I Tunisian club Esperance has
appointed Mrad Mahjoub as their new
coach to replace Switzerland's Claude
Andrey. El Araby Zawawi has been
acting as caretaker coach since
Andrey's departure in March, but failed
to win the Tunisian Cup after finishing
fourth, their worst position for over a
decade. Mahjoub guided CS Sfaxien to
victory in the Arab Champions' League
last season, which earned the club
US$2 million.
I The coach of Ghanaian club Hearts of
Oak, Emmanuel Ofei Ansah, has died.
Ansah collapsed after a league match
against Liberty Professionals in Accra and
was rushed to a nearby hospital where he
passed away. No official cause of death
has yet been released by either the club
or the hospital. Ansah had been an
assistant coach with Hearts for nearly 12
years and was appointed head coach after
the departure of Attuquayefio to Liberty
Professionals in March.
I FIFA has confirmed that Zambia
coach Kalusha Bwalya has been
suspended pending an investigation
into accusations of indiscipline. The
incident was reported to Fifa's
disciplinary committee by Moroccan
referee Mohamed Guezzaz following
Zambia's 2006 World Cup qualifier
against Togo on Sunday. Bwalya was
sent off during the 4-1 loss for
apparently blocking the assistant
referee on the touchline.
I Carlos Alberto has been
dismissed as Azerbaijan coach after
the 3-0 home defeat by Poland in the
FIFA World Cup qualifier. It was the
fourth successive loss in a
qualifying campaign. Azerbaijan is
bottom of the same group as
England, Wales and Northern
Ireland. Alberto won the World Cup
with Brazil 1970.
Carlos Alberto

WorldSoccerDiarySoccerInvestorWeeklyIssue 246
15 June 2005
DATE EVENT
JUNE 2005
June 10-July 2 FIFA World Youth Championships, Netherlands
June 15-29 FIFA Confederations Cup, Germany
June 30 AFC FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament - Matchday 5
JULY 2005
Jul 16-17 The Grassroots Football Show, London
AUGUST 2005
Aug 6 AFC FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament - Matchday 6
SEPTEMBER 2005
Sep 15-Oct 2 FIFA Under-17 World Championships, Peru
Sep 15 FIFA Congress Marrakesh, Morocco
OCTOBER 2005
Oct 29-31 United Soccer League Annual General Meeting, Tampa, USA
NOVEMBER 2005
Nov 6-10 Play the Game, politics and communication in sports conference, Copenhagen
DECEMBER 2005
Dec 9 FIFA 2006 World Cup draw, Leipzig, Germany
Dec 11-18 FIFA World Club Championship, Tokyo, Japan
JAN-FEB 2006
Jan-Feb 2006 CAF African Cup of Nations, Egypt
JUNE 2006
June 9-July 9 FIFA 2006 World Cup, Germany
2007
TBC CONMBEOL 42nd Copa America

DirectorySoccerInvestorWeeklyIssue 246
15 June 2005
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Tel: +44 (0) 207 448 5009
Fax: +44 (0) 208 924 9475
E-mail kashmir@tjaccounting.co.uk
Website www.tjaccounting.co.uk
Vantis Group
82 St. John Street, London EC1M 4JN
Contact: Michael Bailey
Tel: +44 (0) 207 417 0417
Fax: +44 (0) 207 417 0418
E-mail: michael.bailey@vantisplc.com
Website: www.vantisplc.com
ARTIFICIAL TURF MANUFACTURERS
Astroturf Europe
Ijsselkade 72, 8261 AH Kampen, Netherlands
Contacts: W Ditzel
Tel: +32 (0)13 5308680
Fax: +32 (0)13 5308686
Domo Sports Systems
Industriepark West 43
B-9100 Sint-Niklas, Belgium
Contact: Arnoud Fiolet
Tel: +32 (0)3 780 45 72
Fax: +32 (0)3 780 45 73
Mobile: +32 (0) 477 39 61 20
E-mail: arnoud.fiolet@domo.org
Website: www.domo.be
ASIAN SPORTS MARKETING
Total Sports Asia
Unit 20-1, Level 20, CP Tower, Jalan 16/11
46350 Petaling Jaya, Selangor Darul Ehsan,
Malaysia
Regional Offices: Mumbai, Tokyo, Shanghai
Contacts: Marcus Leur (CEO); Ian Ayre (COO)
Tel: +603 7660 9611
Fax: +603 7660 9622
E-mail: marcus@totalsportsasia.com
Website www.totalsportsasia.com
AUTHENTIC NUMBERS, LETTERS
& BADGES
Chris Kay International
158 Station Road, Witham, Essex, CM8 3YS
Tel: +44 (0) 1376 500566
Fax: +44 (0) 1376 500578
E-mail sales@chriskay.com
Website www.chriskay.com
Metro Sports Limited
Unit 41, North Tyne Industrial Estate
Benton, Tyne and Wear NE12 9SZ
Tel: +44 (0) 191 215 4780
Fax: +44 (0) 191 2701460
E-mail: metro@metro-sport.com
Website: www.metro-sport.com
COMMUNICATIONS - MOBILE IMAGING
MobileChannel.Network SA
5, chemin du Canal - C.P.544
CH-1260 Nyon 1, Switzerland
Contact: Sean O'Beirne
Tel: +41 (0) 22 363 9288
Fax: +41 (0) 22 363 0114
E-mail: sean@mobilechannel.net
Website: www.mobilechannel.net
CONSULTING
Deloitte
201 Deansgate, Manchester, M60 2AT
Contact: Sarah-Jane Howitt / Dan Jones
Tel: +44 (0) 161 455 8787
Fax: + 44 (0) 161 455 6013
E-mail footballteam.uk@deloitte.co.uk
Website www.footballfinance.co.uk
Field Fisher Waterhouse
contact Michael Stirling
For Brand Strategy & alt. Income Streams
35 Vine St, London EC3N 2AA
Contact: Michael Stirling - Head of Pricing
Strategies
Tel: +44 (0) 207 861 4000
Fax: +44 (0) 207 861 0084
E-mail michael.stirling@ffw.com
Website: www.ffwlaw.com
PKF
Farringdon Place, 20 Farringdon Road,
London EC1M 3AP
Contact: Philip Long / Stuart Barnsdall
Tel: +44 (0)20 7065 0000
Fax: +44 (0)20 7065 0650
E-mail: stuart.barnsdall@uk.pkf.com
Website www.pkf.co.uk
Scorpio Partnership Limited
65, The London Fruit Exchange
Brushfield St., London E1 6EP
Contact: Sebastian Dovey
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7366 4900
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7366 4904
E-mail office@scorpiopartnership.com
Vantis Sports Solutions
82 St. John Street, London, EC1M 4JN
Contacts: Ken Anderson
Tel: +44 (0) 207 417 0417
Fax: +44 (0) 207 417 0418
E-mail: sportssolutions@vantisplc.com
CORPORATE FINANCE
Deloitte
201 Deansgate, Manchester, M60 2AT
Tel: +44 (0)161 455 8787
Fax: + 44 (0) 161 455 6013
Contact: Sarah-Jane Howitt / Dan Jones
E-mail footballteam.uk@deloitte.co.uk
Website www.footballfinance.co.uk
Vantis Corporate Finance
82 St. John Street, London, EC1M 4JN
Contacts: Lee Anderson/Neil Foster
Tel: +44 (0) 207 417 0417
Fax: +44 (0) 207 549 2400
E-mail: corporatefinance@vantisplc.com
FEDERATIONS
Asian Football Confederation
AFC House, Jalan 1/155B, Bukit Jalil
57000 Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia
Tel: +603 8994 3388
Fax: ++603 8994 6168
E-mail: media@the-afc.com
Website: www.the-afc.com

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