Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) President ÁNGEL MARÍA VILLAR has been summoned to testify in court as part of a lawsuit brought by Seyer Gestión S.L., a sports marketing and consulting firm engaged to "promote women's football" in Spain, for "breach of contract." The preliminary hearing was held on Oct. 6. The judge overseeing the proceedings has issued a subpoena so that Villar may be interrogated about why the RFEF ignored a €6.6M ($7.2M) offer submitted by CGP SPORT to sponsor women's football competitions in Spain for six seasons (MARCA, 11/5). ... A judge ruled Wednesday that former Premier League footballer RICHARD RUFUS "masterminded a multi-million-pound criminal fraud that robbed innocent victims" of almost £9M ($13.7M) and saw him use £3.4M ($5.2M) to "fund his own lifestyle." The 40-year-old was found to have operated a £16M ($24.3M) Ponzi scheme involving "almost 100 unsuspecting investors -- including family, friends and congregations of churches he attended -- and was hit with a 15-year bankruptcy restriction order at the High Court." A criminal prosecution could follow over what the Insolvency Service branded "one of the worst" frauds it had ever encountered (London TELEGRAPH, 11/5). ... MotoGP leader VALENTINO ROSSI will start Sunday's final race of the season "from the back of the grid after his penalty was confirmed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport." Rossi was "handed the punishment after clashing with Honda rider MARC MARQUEZ in Malaysia" (BBC, 11/5). ... Real Madrid striker KARIM BENZEMA has been "ordered to appear in front of a judge after admitting that he was involved" in an alleged sex tape blackmail of MATHIEU VALBUENA. Benzema was arrested on Wednesday morning in France and questioned over the scandal which also saw former France striker DJIBIRL CISSE taken into custody last month. Cisse was released after being questioned by police but Benzema "has been referred to the investigating judge in the Versailles courthouse after spending the night in custody" (EUROSPORT, 11/5). ... World No. 2 tennis player SIMONA HALEP will work with Australian coach DARREN CAHILL next season. Halep said on her Facebook page, "Starting January 2016 my personal coach will be Darren Cahill. He will also keep his role as men's tennis analyst for the grand slam events on the U.S. sports network ESPN which will not prevent him from coaching me full-time" (REUTERS, 11/5). ... Former Scottish Football League President BROWN MCMASTER has died "following a long fight against cancer." The former Stenhousemuir director also enjoyed a 20-year association with Partick Thistle, serving as a director, vice-chair, and chair on two separate occasions. McMaster later worked on the Scottish Football League board "but stepped down after two and a half years" in July '09 after being diagnosed with cancer (Scotland DAILY RECORD, 11/5).
