With the English Premier League’s debt estimated to be at around £3.4 billion, it is definitely time for measures to be enacted that bring about a change in the landscape of the financial sector of professional football.

The 25th of May, in Brussels marked the European Union’s preliminary steps in the process of creating a legal structure for gambling and betting.

When Norway enters Ullevaal Stadium on 2 June, the task is to beat one of the next host nations of the Euro Cup – that is, if Ukrainian politicians and football authorities are able to meet the demands of UEFA President Michel Platini.

As the 2010 World Cup in South Africa approaches, the question of what South Africa actually gains from hosting this mega-event is raised more frequently. The South African organisers proclaim that the World Cup will benefit South Africa and the African continent for years to come, but critical voices are joining in, asking who actually benefits from the 2010 World Cup.

The same tax-haven secrecy enabling some football club owners to hide their financial affairs from supporters also facilitates massive tax dodging in poor countries.

Michel Platini has welcomed plans by the UK government to introduce radical new legislation aimed at giving football supporters the power to buy into their clubs and take a stake of up to 25%.

Although official reports praise the economic benefit following the SA World Cup, reality is a potentially negative effect on local businesses and industries.

The deadline for bids for the 2015 and 2019 rugby union world cups is only days away but the International Rugby Board (IRB) demand that hosts provide an £80 million guarantee is threatening to turn the bid process into a shambles.