CONMEBOL proposed to UEFA the possibility of a match between this year's UEFA Super Cup champion, Real Madrid, and River Plate, which won the Recopa Sudamericana. CONMEBOL President Alejandro Domínguez said, "The proposal to hold one or two games between the defending champions of the Recopa and the Super Cup has been made" (EFE, 9/7).
TECHNICAL DIFFICULTY: Liga MX side Chivas Guadalajara "announced that the sale of its commemorative 110-year anniversary shirts would go on sale online on Thursday, but due to high demand, the web page crashed." Fans "did not hide their frustration on social media" (LA AFICIÓN, 9/8).
PLATINI RESIGNATION: Michel Platini will attend UEFA's congress in Athens next week to "present his resignation of the presidency" to the 55 member associations of European football's governing body. Platini was banned in '15 from all football activity "over a conflict of interest" in a 2M Swiss franc payment deal made to him by FIFA. The former France captain had been invited to the congress by UEFA's exec committee, and Platini's "entourage has confirmed he will be in attendance in the Greek capital." A source said that Platini would "travel there by his own means and will not give a press conference" (ESPN.com, 9/8).
UNDER INVESTIGATION: FIFA's ethics body will investigate ex-German official Helmut Sandrock after a report "alleged he broke conduct rules during Germany's 2006 World Cup bid." The report recommended Sandrock, who resigned as German FA (DFB) general secretary in February, "is fined and should perform social work." FIFA has been "investigating Sandrock and five others since March over the awarding of the 2006 World Cup" (BBC, 9/8).
EARTHQUAKE RELIEF: The Japan FA on Thursday donated over 30M yen ($295,000) to Kumamoto Prefecture "after it has been struck by two massive earthquakes in April, leaving about 50 dead." Money from the JFA has been presented, "along with donations from the Japan national team players and from a charity match in May" between Japan's U23 team and Ghana (KYODO, 9/8).
FOOTBALL BRIEFS ...
The J.League is "considering returning to the single-stage system that had been in place for 10 years" through the '14 season for the first division. The change "may be implemented possibly starting next season." The J.League has been using the two-stage system followed by a championship playoff "for the top flight since last year in the hope of boosting sponsorship revenues." But as it has since concluded a 10-year, 210B yen ($2B) deal to "sell digital online broadcasting rights to British-based Perform Group," J.League officials see "less of a need to continue the two stage format" (KYODO, 9/8).
Wales' candidate to be Europe's first female FIFA member "has been blocked from standing in next week's election." Professor Laura McAllister was running against Italy's Evelina Christillin but "has been forced to pull out of the contest, leaving the way clear for her only rival." UEFA rules state that the four British associations "cannot put forward any candidate" for the FIFA council in addition to their FIFA VP (LONDON TIMES, 9/8).
