Here are some of last week’s top stories from around the global soccer industry…
Ex-Costa Rica soccer chief pleads not guilty to U.S. bribery charges (Reuters)
Former Costa Rican Football Federation President Eduardo Li on Friday pleaded not guilty in Brooklyn federal court to corruption charges connected to the ongoing scandal around FIFA.
Li entered his plea in the late afternoon and remains in custody, according to Li’s lawyer and a spokeswoman for U.S. prosecutors.
To continue reading, please click here.
Apollo’s Josh Harris Completes of Crystal Palace Soccer (Bloomberg)
Apollo Global Management LLC co-founder Josh Harris completed his purchase of Crystal Palace, ending more than a year of negotiations to acquire a controlling stake in the English Premier League football team.
Harris, who controls the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Devils along with Blackstone partner David Blitzer, becomes the latest person to own a major U.S. sports franchise and an EPL team. He, Blitzer, and Steve Parish, the current co-chairman and part owner, will control the club in a general partnership.
To continue reading, please click here.
Player LENS International Goes Live (FC Business)
The Player Loan Exchange Network System (LENS), used by two thirds of the professional football clubs in England, is now ready for international participation.
Clubs from around the globe can join the network to overcome communication barriers and utilise the ability to source and promote players for loans with all other Player LENS network participants.
To continue reading, please click here.
Seattle Sounders sign tech partnership with Kitman Labs (Soccerex)
The Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer (MLS) have entered into a new partnership with sports science technology company Kitman Labs.
The team’s coaching staff and trainers will use the Silicon Valley-based company’s technology with the aim of preventing injuries and optimising player performance.
To continue reading, please click here.
Bolton players set to be paid with club hopeful of avoiding administration (the guardian)
Bolton look set to avoid seeing their players walk out for free next month by paying them before the end of December. Wanderers’ players were not paid last month as their financial situation lurched into a crisis after the owner, Eddie Davies, withdrew his long-time backing.
However, non-playing staff are due to receive their December wages on Monday – with funds understood not to have come from Davies – and Neil Lennon’s players should now also receive money before the new year.
To continue reading, please click here.
Sepp Blatter calls Monday news conference for FIFA verdicts (ESPN FC)
The FIFA ethics committee hearings against Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have ended, with the latter’s lawyer emerging and declaring his client’s innocence while Blatter has called a news conference for Monday ahead of the verdicts.
Suspended FIFA president Blatter and suspended UEFA boss Platini are to learn their fate on Monday over whether there was impropriety in a £1.3 million payment received by the latter from the former in 2011.
To continue reading, please click here.
Other countries are scouting young U.S. soccer talent (Los Angeles Times)
When Brad Friedel was growing up in suburban Cleveland a generation ago, youth soccer was more an afterthought than an organized activity.
“There was nothing there,” he remembers.
So he was a bit surprised when he moved back to the U.S. after spending most of the last 20 years playing in the English Premier League.
To continue reading, please click here.
Mysterious Website Aims to Shed Light on Soccer Dealings (New York Times)
The press officer for F.C. Twente, a professional soccer club in the Netherlands, received a telephone call one morning last month while driving to work. A colleague had just seen a strange post on Twitter.
But this was no ordinary social media crisis for a sports team. Rather, Twente, based in Enschede, had become the latest target of a group that has suddenly disrupted professional soccer around the world with tactics that are reminiscent of WikiLeaks. The group has published private documents related to soccer clubs in Portugal, England, Spain, France, Luxembourg and Monaco, among others.
To continue reading, please click here.
Official Ancelotti to replace Guardiola at Bayern (Goal.com)
The former Barcelona coach will leave Allianz Arena at the end of the season amid links with Manchester City and United, and will be replaced by the experienced Italian.
Bayern Munich has announced that Carlo Ancelotti will take charge of the club next season and replace Pep Guardiola, who is to depart.
To continue reading, please click here.
Report: Louisville City setting sights on MLS after one season in USL (Major League Soccer)
Louisville City has been around for one year, joining USL in what was a highly successful 2015 season.
They now have their sights set on MLS.
With accomplishments at the turnstiles and on the field, advancing to the Eastern Conference finals, the club began working with mayor Greg Fischer this fall to make a push toward joining North America’s top-flight league, which recently announced potential plans to expand to 28 teams.
To continue reading, please click here.
This article originally appeared on Business of Soccer. To learn more about BOS you can follow them on Facebook or Twitter.
