Soccer News & Notes, June 1, 2011

No Postponement For FIFA Presidential Election Despite Turmoil

FIFA today "overwhelmingly rejected England’s call for a postponement" of its presidential election amid a wave of alleged ethics violations, leaving "little doubt" that Sepp Blatter will get a fourth four-year term (AP, 6/1). This comes after last night’s "botched attempt" by CONCACAF Acting President Lisle Austin to oust CONCACAF General Secretary Chuck Blazer, the "whistleblower whose allegations of corruption put world football’s governing body under unprecedented scrutiny" (LONDON TIMES, 6/1). Meanwhile, the dispute over whether to allow Qatar keep the ’22 World Cup hosting rights "intensified this morning after the German FA demanded that FIFA carry out an inquest into the bidding process" (THETIMES.co.uk, 6/1).

At the opening of the FIFA Congress yesterday, Blatter "acknowledged that all was not well." Blatter: "I thought we were living in a world of fair play, mutual respect and discipline, and I must say this is not the case any longer. … Our pyramid of FIFA is suddenly unstable on its basis and there’s a danger" (L.A. TIMES, 6/1).

Kuwait FA President Sheikh Talal Al Fahad Al Sabah said he thinks today "will be the most important day in FIFA history" (N.Y. TIMES, 6/1). The London TELEGRAPH’s Paul Kelso writes FIFA "is at war and there is no knowing where the allegations will end." A FINANCIAL TIMES editorial states, "What is striking is that the claims have come from within FIFA itself. … Nothing less than a sweeping independent review of its operations is required."

Source: sportsbusinessdaily.com

FIFA president Blatter set to survive late FA-led revolt
Wed, 01/06/2011

Sepp Blatter looks certain to retain his role as president of FIFA later today despite a late campaign, led by the Football Association of England, to postpone his re-election for a further four-year term following allegations of corruption within world football’s governing body.

Blatter’s only rival for the presidency, Mohamed Bin Hammam, pulled out of the running after being suspended pending a full investigation into allegations of corruption that were raised by FIFA Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer. In a further twist on Tuesday evening, Lisle Austin, acting president of the North, Central American and Caribbean CONCACAF body, attempted to fire Blazer as general secretary of the organisation, only for the Confederation to quickly thwart his attempts to remove the apparent whistleblower.

Austin was appointed on Monday following the suspension of Jack Warner, who was also implicated in Blazer’s dossier of allegations. In a statement, Austin blasted Blazer’s "gross misconduct of duty and judgement". However, CONCACAF later stated: "Under the CONCACAF statutes, jurisdiction over the general secretary rests solely with the CONCACAF executive committee which has taken no action. Further a majority of the executive committee members have advised Mr Austin that he does not have the authority to take such action. Chuck Blazer continues as CONCACAF general secretary and with the full authority of his office."

Football Association (FA) chairman David Bernstein admitted on Tuesday that the English body’s attempts to delay the vote on Wednesday is almost certain to fail with the FA needing 75% of the 208 associations to back calls for a postponement. However, by Tuesday evening, the Scottish Football Association was the only national body to confirm it would support the FA.

"To get 150-odd votes clearly would be extremely difficult when we starting from a standing start but there was actually a matter of principle involved," said Bernstein. "Myself and the FA feel that the situation FIFA has got itself into is in many ways unacceptable." Scottish Football Association chief executive Stewart Regan later said: "We believe the election should be rescheduled to facilitate a period of consultation to deal with the issues that have arisen in recent weeks. The events of the last two days, in particular, have made any election unworkable."

Earlier on Tuesday, Emirates and Visa followed statements from fellow FIFA top-tier sponsors Adidas and Coca-Cola on Monday by expressing concern about the corruption allegations. "Emirates, like all football fans around the world, is disappointed with the issues that are currently surrounding the administration of the sport," stated Emirates. "We hope that these issues will be resolved as soon as possible and the outcome will be in the interest of the game and sport in general."

Source: sportbusiness.com

FIFA Sponsors React To Corruption Charges On Eve Of Election

On the eve of FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s unopposed reelection to a fourth term, sponsors are "putting pressure" on FIFA "to undertake reforms in the wake of a wave of corruption allegations." adidas, Coca-Cola, Emirates Group, Visa and Continental AG have issued statements in the wake of the controversy, while Hyundai, Sony, Oi and Seara declined to comment. A-B, Castrol, and McDonald’s could not be reached for comment (REUTERS, 5/31). FIFA is "embroiled in two embarrassing bribery scandals: one regarding its presidential election, the other involving the awarding last fall of the 2018 World Cup to Russia and the 2022 World Cup to Qatar" (N.Y. TIMES, 5/31). CONCACAF President Jack Warner and Mohammad Bin Hammam, who would have opposed Blatter for election, have been suspended on bribery allegations. Warner yesterday released an e-mail in which FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke "stated that Qatar had ‘bought’" the ’22 event (L.A. TIMES, 5/31).

Blatter during a press conference yesterday was in a "combative mood, berating media for their lack of manners and giving Qatar his public backing." Blatter: "Football is not in a crisis. … Adidas has a very long and successful partnership with FIFA, which we are also looking forward to continue. Having said that, the negative tonality of the public debate surrounding FIFA is neither good for football nor for FIFA and its partners" (REUTERS, 5/31).

The GUARDIAN’s Matt Scott writes while some of the criticisms from sponsors "may seem lightweight, they are a significant departure from the usual steadfast support FIFA sponsors demonstrate." The WASHINGTON TIMES’ John Haydon writes this "could be a watershed moment for FIFA. The organization is facing the kind of scrutiny that brought changes to the [IOC] following the Salt Lake Winter Olympic Games bribery scandal."

Source: sportsbusinessdaily.com

FIFA sponsors reveal concerns despite Blatter’s call for calm
Tue, 31/05/2011

Coca-Cola has joined fellow FIFA sponsor Adidas in expressing its concern following allegations of corruption that have engulfed world football’s governing body.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter – who is set to be re-elected for a final four-year term on Wednesday after his only rival in the vote, Mohamed Bin Hammam, withdrew from the running – insisted on Monday that FIFA was "not in a crisis" despite arguably the most turbulent weekend in the history of the organisation. Bin Hammam, president of the Asian Football Confederation, pulled out of the presidential race after being suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee over allegations that financial incentives were offered to Caribbean Football Union members.

FIFA vice-president Jack Warner, who has also been suspended following similar claims from fellow Executive Committee member Chuck Blazer, subsequently revealed an email in which FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke suggested Bin Hammam had "bought" the 2022 World Cup finals for Qatar. Valcke has since attempted to play down his remarks, and Qatar 2022 itself issued a statement on Monday claiming that Valcke’s words had been "taken out of context" and its bid had been "dragged through the mud for absolutely no reason".

Following the extraordinary developments over the weekend, a Coca-Cola spokesperson told the Press Association: "The current allegations being raised are distressing and bad for the sport. We have every expectation that FIFA will resolve this situation in an expedient and thorough manner." An Adidas spokesman had earlier commented: "Adidas enjoys a long-term, close and successful partnership with FIFA that we are looking forward to continuing. Adidas will be an official sponsor of FIFA World Cup 2014 in Brazil. Having said that, the negative tenor of the public debate around FIFA at the moment is neither good for football nor for FIFA and its partners."

Blatter told a press conference on Monday that he did not agree with suggestions, from the UK government among others, that Wednesday’s presidential election should be postponed. "If governments try to intervene then something is wrong," he said. "I think FIFA is strong enough that we can deal with our problems inside FIFA."

The 75-year-old started his solo appearance in front of the media by welcoming the findings of an independent inquiry that cleared four FIFA Executive Committee members over allegations made by former Football Association (FA) chairman Lord Triesman. "The executive committee of FIFA was very pleased to receive the report of the FA regarding the allegations made by Lord Triesman at the House of Commons," he said. "We were happy that we can confirm there are no elements in this report which would even prompt any proceedings."

Source: sportbusiness.com

Fox Earns 1.8 Overnight Rating For UEFA Champions League Final

Fox earned a 1.8 overnight Nielsen rating for Saturday’s UEFA Champions League final, which saw FC Barcelona defeat Manchester United in the network’s second-ever soccer broadcast. That rating is up 64% from the net’s inaugural soccer telecast last year, which saw Inter Milan defeat Bayern Munich. ESPN in ’09 aired the FC Barcelona-Manchester United final, which earned a 1.0 overnight on a Wednesday afternoon (THE DAILY).

It is estimated that ITV made more than US$13M in ad revenue during "Europe’s biggest football night of the year," as some "late spots in key breaks" went for up to US$490,000 for 30 seconds. Google during the game ran its "first UK TV ad for its Chrome browser" (CAMPAIGNLIVE.co.uk, 5/28). A crowd of 87,695 was on hand for the match at Wembley Stadium (UEFA.com, 5/29).

Meanwhile, UEFA announced an extension of its deal with UniCredit, which will continue to sponsor the UEFA Champions League from ’12-15 and the UEFA Super Cup from ’12-14 (UEFA).

Source: sportsbusinessdaily.com

UniCredit invests in continued UEFA Champions League partnership
Tue, 31/05/2011

UniCredit Group has extended its sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League, UEFA confirmed just hours before Saturday’s final between Barcelona and Manchester United.

After Heineken extended its partnership of Europe’s top club competition on Thursday, UniCredit signed up to sponsor the 2012-15 seasons of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup in 2012, 2013 and 2014. The financial services company, which first linked up with the Champions League in 2009, is the second of six official sponsors to have concluded an agreement for the 2012-15 period of the competition.

UniCredit will continue to leverage the sponsorship through the exclusive banking services and products product category. According to a statement from UEFA, UniCredit has successfully promoted the Champions League, "especially in key Eastern European markets through the UEFA Champions League Trophy Tour".

"We are extremely pleased that UniCredit has chosen to extend its agreement with UEFA and with the UEFA Champions League. UniCredit’s renewed support and contribution, particularly in the promotion of the competition in Eastern Europe, is highly valued," said David Taylor, CEO of UEFA Events SA.

"The UEFA Champions League continues to be a very valuable platform for our sponsor partners and we are confident that it will provide UniCredit with excellent opportunities to connect with fans across Europe, and further strengthen its brand awareness and identity," Taylor added.

UniCredit Group CEO Federico Ghizzoni added: "The renewal of the sponsorship agreement for three more years is a clear confirmation of our belief in being a European group with a strong presence in our core markets including central and Eastern Europe, as we aim to continue to leverage on the UEFA Champions League sponsorship to increase our brand awareness in the region. Clearly, we chose a European sponsorship platform that perfectly fits with our positioning as a leading European bank."

Source: sportbusiness.com

Coca-Cola Canada proud to support National Teams and Canadian soccer

The Canadian Soccer Association has a new powerhouse partner on its bench. In a new four-year partnership, Powerade sports beverage will be at every game and practice, quenching players’ thirst and supporting our Canadian National Teams as they strive for peak performance.

"The Canadian Soccer Association is pleased to welcome one of the world’s leading brands to our family of sponsors," stated Peter Montopoli, Canadian Soccer Association General Secretary. "The addition of Coca-Cola Canada is an important step in our collective efforts to build the brand of soccer in Canada and we thank them for their commitment to the beautiful game."

Coca-Cola Canada has been a long and proud supporter of sports and physical activity at all levels from grassroots up to the FIFA World Cup. With this partnership, Powerade is now the official sports drink of the Canadian Soccer Association and the Canadian National Teams, and will be an associate sponsor of the Canadian Soccer Association National Championships.

"We know the passion that Canadians have for soccer and our Canadian teams, and we are very proud to continue our support for the sport through this partnership," said Nicola Kettlitz, President, Coca-Cola Ltd. "Through this partnership Powerade will also be helping to build the soccer movement in Canada, encouraging youth to be more active and the important lessons that come from being part of a team."

To celebrate this new partnership and help nurture a love of soccer in youth, brand Powerade will be welcoming the St. Alban’s Boys and Girls Club to the first 2011 Men’s International Friendly Match on June 1. One lucky St. Alban’s member, Fallona, was chosen to be the Powerade Ambassador for the game. Her job will include keeping the players well-hydrated and providing plenty of team spirit during the game.

Source: Canadian Soccer Association

Report: TV remains king but online catching up quickly
Wed, 01/06/2011

Half of all sports fans watching online have started doing so in the last two years, and a quarter now regularly turn to the internet for highlights or live coverage and not just for news, according to a new report.
Figures from the Global Sports Media Consumption Report 2011 show that the home TV set remains the place where the vast majority of fans prefer to watch sport, with six to 10 hours consumed on average per week. However, in Europe and the USA, half of all sports fans now consume sports content online, increasing to more than two-thirds in key developing markets such as Brazil and China.

The Global Sports Media Consumption Report 2011 is the first annual survey of sports media consumption in the world’s major markets by digital media specialists the Perform Group, in collaboration with KantarSport, sports and entertainment research specialists, and TV Sports Markets, the newsletter of the sports broadcasting industry.

The report also shows there is still an unwillingness among sports fans to pay to watch live online sports content but fans are open to receiving content supplemented with adverts. When fans were asked whether they would prefer to pay for content without ads or watch free sport supplemented by ads, the majority preferred not to pay.

Advertiser or sponsor-supported content therefore appears to be the preference of sports fans across the world and this suggests that monetising online content via an ad-funded model is an approach sports fans would accept.

Other key findings include:
– Online and print media are neck and neck but sports fans spend more time consuming sport online
– Broadcast and publisher/newspaper websites remain the dominant sites for fans to consume sport online
– Consuming sport via mobile is growing, especially in markets such as Italy, Brazil and China
– IPTV growing in importance for sports fans to consume sport in markets such as China and Italy
– Profile of a sports fan online and on mobile is young and affluent and therefore a great opportunity for marketers

Source: sportbusiness.com