Iraq hosted a friendly with Saudia Arabia in Basra last week.GETTY IMAGES
Saudi Arabia's King Salman promised to "build Iraq a football stadium" during a phone call with Iraqi PM Haider al-Abadi on Monday. The two leaders also discussed "how to enhance and strengthen cooperation between their countries" (REUTERS, 3/5).
The English Football League was urged by League Championship clubs to investigate the influence of Portuguese agent Jorge Mendes at Wolverhampton Wanderers, and "a promotion rival plans to write to the authorities." A draft letter from a rival club reportedly outlines concerns and there is understood to be a "growing clamour from others to launch an inquiry." Mendes, who has no official title on the Wolves' website, has "a number of clients at the club," including Manager Nuno Espírito Santo (London TELEGRAPH, 3/5).
The EFL "could face the threat of legal action from a group of non-league clubs over its rules against artificial surfaces if it fails to loosen current regulations." The group, 3G4US, which "champions the benefits of 3G pitches in the English game," is determined to "force a change to the EFL's rules," which say that no match in the League Championship, League One or League Two can be played on an artificial surface (London INDEPENDENT, 3/6).
Pitchero launched a digital platform designed to help governing bodies "increase grassroots participation in their sport." The platform, called "Together," uses the sports website company's application and website technology to give governing bodies access to real-time participation data. The site "will aim to generate more revenue for governing bodies" (SOCCEREX, 3/6).
