La Liga side Celta Vigo fan group "Colectivo Nós" expressed in a statement its "discontent" and "rejection" of the possible sale of the club to a foreign investor. The group said that club President Carlos Mouriño "has the right to sell his shares but was critical that the sale would be to an investment fund and of the 'total silence' from the club." It has been reported that China-based Citic Group is on the verge of a takeover of the club (EFE, 9/27).
DESERT CAMP: Qatar is to construct “a special Bedouin-style desert camp to house thousands of fans during the 2022 World Cup as the Gulf state looks to broaden accommodation for the tournament beyond the limited number of apartments and hotels.” The Qatari World Cup organizing committee said that a fan village among the sand dunes close to the Saudi border will house “up to 2,000 visitors in Arabian tents, allowing them to experience the desert from close quarters.” Committee member Abdulaziz al-Mawlawi said, "We will allow visitors from outside the country to enjoy Qatar and their football experience in an entirely new way" (REUTERS, 9/27).
NEUTRAL SITE: Starting in '17, the Copa Libertadores will take place from February to November, and the final will be one game at a neutral site, CONMEBOL announced on Tuesday. The decision was taken to "harmonize the schedule with the domestic leagues in each country." The Copa Sudamericana will be held from June-December. Another change will be that starting in '17, "the 10 Copa Libertadores clubs that do not reach the final 16 will be able to continue competing in the Copa Sudamericana" (CLARÍN, 9/27).
FOOTBALL BRIEFS ...
Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille has “organized two matches for the international break.” The first will be played against the Cameroon national team at the club’s training center and the second “will be a friendly against an opponent to be determined” (LA PROVENCE, 9/27).
Members of the Singapore football community have "expressed outrage at the minimal amount of financial investment in grassroots' competitions over the last financial year." According to figures just released, FA of Singapore spent a net amount of around S$70,000 on the National Football League and Island Wide League between April '15 and March '16. This was "a little more than two percent" of S$35.8M, the total revenue and outlay of FAS during that period (ESPN.com, 9/27).
Bundesliga side Eintracht Frankfurt has "been hit with two partial stadium closures" following incidents at its DFB Pokal match in Magdeburg in August. During its first German Cup match of the season, Frankfurt supporters "lit smoke pots and used the smokescreen to fire a tracer into the neighbouring Magdeburg block." The DFB ruled that the home end of Frankfurt's stadium will be closed for the upcoming second round DFB Pokal match against Ingolstadt, "with the club also ordered to make compensation payments" to its opponents for lost ticket sales (ESPN.com, 9/27).
The Int'l Football Business Institute and the Free University of Brussels "launched the first full-time postgraduate football course with the aim of preparing new future executives for the football industry." VUB Sports Management Dir Jos Verschueren said, "Football is a single language, but also a commercial aphrodisiac." The program "wants to offer a mixture of academic classes and real life experiences, with a singular focus off the pitch" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 9/27).
