The Spanish Football League (LFP) has opened an inquiry into La Liga side Elche's administrative council after irregularities were found last summer in an audit by Spain's Superior Sports Council (CSD). If results the audit, now under investigation, are supported, the council "could be disqualified for a period of two years, as proposed by the LFP." It would be an "unprecedented case in the history of Spanish football" (SUPERDEPORTE, 1/15). ... Chelsea is "taking no chances" with security when the team heads to France next month to play Paris St. Germain and "will ensure extra bodyguards are hired to protect their stars."
The Blues face Ligue 1 champions PSG for the second successive season in the Champions League on Feb. 17. In the wake of last week's Charlie Hebdo terror attacks, extra security guards "will be hired by the Blues to protect players as they move in and around the French capital, and as they make their way to and from the Parc des Princes" (London DAILY MAIL, 1/15). ... League Championship side Millwall Chair John Berylson "will refund the cost of match tickets for fans who watched their FA Cup third-round defeat at Bradford City."
The Lions lost 4-0 to the League One side.
The 456 supporters who purchased tickets in advance "will be refunded."
American businessman Berylson thanked fans "for their continued support during difficult times" (BBC, 1/15). ... After its worst F1 season in over two decades, there is "ominous news coming from Ferrari" ahead of its '15 campaign. Ferrari President Sergio Marchionne said the team was "late in starting the design work" on its new car. Marchionne believes that Ferrari "can still claw their way back towards the front." He said, "We’re starting the season a bit late because the design of the new car was started late" (FOX SPORTS, 1/15).
IN BARCELONA: A FIFA spokesperson said that there was "not a single journalist" that reported Barcelona in the case that led to the club's ban from signing players. FIFA said that a report by German agency DPA did not represent FIFA Transfer Matching System GM Mark Goddard's comments. The FIFA spokesperson said that Goddard "said that he could not indicate the specific origin of the investigation." The source added, "Goddard said that generally, TMS uses different sources, for example information published by the media" (MUNDO DEPORTIVO, 1/14). MARCA reported Barcelona President Josep María Bartomeu attacked FIFA and demanded that FIFA President Sepp Blatter "reduce the sanction handed down to Barcelona which prevents the club
from signing players" until '16. Bartomeu: "FIFA are getting nervous and not because I didn't go to the Ballon
d'Or gala, but because of the involvement of the LFP. Blatter wants to
meet with Barça. He's the one who has to offer solutions to a problem
that they created" (MARCA, 1/15).
