The European Club Association said that it wants UEFA to give $31M collected from Financial Fair Play fines back to other clubs. ECA Chair Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said the group gave UEFA's
exec committee a proposal for "sharing the money among clubs playing
in last season's Champions League and Europa League, excluding the
offenders." The ECA said that more than 70 group-stage clubs would each get about $341,000. The remaining 20%, $5.7M, would be "spread among clubs eliminated in qualifying
rounds" (AP, 9/9). ... Algeria risks playing its upcoming home games behind closed doors if its supporters "misbehave at Wednesday's 2015 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Mali." Their behavior "is very much under the spotlight after the throwing of a piece of slate at a club match hit and killed JS Kabylie's Cameroon striker Albert Ebosse on August 23" (AFP, 9/9). ... Australian Football League side Port Adelaide "is investigating a complaint that a fan racially vilified Richmond defender Bachar Houli during Sunday's AFL elimination final at Adelaide Oval." The alleged abuse "came from a fan on the scoreboard hill" (AAP, 9/9). ... Scottish Premiership side St. Johnstone said that it will appeal against UEFA's decision to fine the club €18,000 ($23,000) "after a supporter waved a Palestinian flag." St. Johnstone is "still waiting for the written reasons for the judgement." A club spokesperson said, "Once we receive the reasons we have three days to appeal, but we will appeal it" (BBC, 9/9).
PADERBORN UNDER FIRE: Bundesliga club SC Paderborn has "come under fire for tripling the price" of its season tickets for disabled fans, who now have to pay more than €1,000 ($1,294) to "see the club play in their maiden season in the Bundesliga." The club "came under fire earlier this summer for offering the highest ticket prices in the Bundesliga, increasing the price of a season ticket" by up to 90% from last season (ESPN, 9/9).
