SoccerBlogs

How are the supporters of a football club to judge a new owner? Perhaps the answer to that is the question of how desperate for a new owner they are, but even in the most extreme of circumstances, one common theme of recent years has been that supporters have been more prepared to carry out their own due diligence on those that turn up, out of the blue, promising to repair their clubs.

Pre-season previews used to be easy. Analyse the players, add the manager's likely tactics, stir in a liberal dose of unsubstantiated optimism masquerading as hitherto unfilled potential and there you have it. Swift appraisal of a few rivals, think of a possible final finishing position then go two places higher and pretend you know what you are talking about.

Spain's European championship title defense is going to be a bit more challenging, as a vital component to its back line is unlikely to be available for the world's No. 1-ranked team.

Carles Puyol is doubtful for this summer's tournament after Barcelona announced that their captain and 34-year-old centerback requires arthroscopic knee surgery that will sideline him for around the next six weeks.

So, Scottish venture capitalist Craig Whyte is not fit and proper to be a football club owner and director. That is amazing. I'll be avoiding feathers for a few days, that's for sure, because you could knock me down with even one. In one sense, and possibly two senses, the Scottish Football Association's declaration that Whyte "is not considered a fit and proper person to hold a position within Association Football" is amazing.

From Barcelona to Manchester United, there has never been a shortage of interest in Frank Lampard's services over the years as the Chelsea midfielder continues to age brilliantly.

But despite the continuation of his superb form for the Blues, the fact remains that Lampard is approaching his 34th birthday and as many in Europe will say, it is ideal for him to look overseas for a more lucrative opportunity at this stage of his career.

Eric Wynalda's quest to break into the professional American soccer coaching ranks has led him to Atlanta, where he has been hired to be the new interim head coach of the NASL's Silverbacks.

Atlanta announced the hiring on Monday morning, with Wynalda taking over for fired head coach Alex Pineda-Chacon.

This does not look good for Roberto Di Matteo's chances of staying on at Chelsea, at least as manager. Days after winning the most coveted prize a European club can hope to get and adding the oldest football trophy in the world to that bag, the club owner and the technical director are the ones calling the shots on the transfers.

Fates. Met.

This past month or so has seen the firings of two high profile managers from two high profile positions in the greater European soccer community.

André Villas-Boas fired on March 4th from Chelsea, one month shy of celebrating his one-year anniversary.

The firing was not a surprise as club owner Roman Abramovich has shown a lack of patience in keeping managers.

My knowledge of the insolvency practice profession is limited to my football writing experiences, gleaned from research into articles on this and other sites. As a result, I have come to know of 'gentlemen' such as Gerald Krasner, Andrew Andronikou and Brendan Guilfoyle. And, as a result of that, my opinion of the insolvency practice profession is not high.

Chicago Fire Soccer Club owner Andrew Hauptman opened up to a small group of reporters following Thursday's partnership announcement at Quaker Plaza. Despite the fact that all of his official business was already taken care of, Hauptman was still around after the media had interviewed players, Frank Klopas, and MLS personnel.

After working USSF to be sanctioned for 2012 despite not meeting the requisite requirements, the Women's Professional Soccer League (WPS) suspended operations today for the 2012 season.

The main culprit per league messaging: the mounting legal bills of attempting to finally close the Dan Borislow ownership situation.

By AVI CREDITOR

WASHINGTON -- Upon their first public remarks after becoming major investors in D.C. United, the club's two newest owners wasted no time in addressing the one thing that the club's supporters have been eagerly and patiently waiting to have resolved: A new stadium.

You can say what you like about Scottish media coverage of Rangers' financial crisis but you're certainly spoilt for choice. Unfortunately, that choice is all-too-often between parallel universes, with a tangential universe thrown in every time club owner Craig Whyte is within range of a microphone (Whyte's common criticism of HMRC as "living on a different planet to the rest of us" is top-of-the-range irony, I'm sure you'll agree.

photo by Michael Pimentel/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

It may have taken longer than they would have liked, but the San Jose Earthquakes will finally be getting a soccer-specific stadium to call their own.

At a public hearing inside a packed San Jose City Hall's council chamber late on Wednesday night, the San Jose Planning Commission voted 6-0 to deny an appeal against the construction of a soccer-specific stadium.