FIFA Archives - Inside World Football

Analysis: Overdrive or overkill? Roadkill looks a certainty on FIFA’s panicked highway

By Andrew Warshaw

August 11 – A strongly worded press release in Q and A format; a hastily arranged virtual press conference denouncing the Swiss judicial authorities; an attack on the reform process under the previous regime; letters fired off to every national association and every member of the all-powerful FIFA Council; and, if rumours are to be believed, the hiring of at least three (no doubt expensive) external specialist lawyers to help fight the case.

FIFA

Infantino and FIFA executive scramble to build a wall of Member Association support

By Paul Nicholson

August 10 – It has been a busy few days of letter sending by FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino who have scrambled to inform FA presidents their version of the circumstances surrounding the criminal investigation into Infantino’s meetings with the Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.

FIFA

Bell hits wrong notes as Pieth turns focus back on ‘bizarre’ claims and a ‘panicked’ FIFA

Mark Pieth

By Paul Nicholson

August 10 – FIFA’s newly hired external PR teams went into overdrive at the weekend with a stunning assault, led by FIFA’s new-found media luvvie Alasdair Bell, the organisation’s deputy general secretary, on the FIFA reform process led Basel criminal law professor Mark Pieth (pictured) as being a useless waste of money.

FIFA

Bell tolls for FIFA and Infantino questioners as he argues the case that there is no case

By Andrew Warshaw

August 3 – FIFA came out with all guns blazing today as it savaged the decision by the Swiss authorities to launch a criminal investigation into the conduct of Gianni Infantino, insisting there was no case to answer and hinting it might be based on a deliberate attempt to bring Infantino down.

FIFA

FIFA Council should be ‘terrified’, says Bility, as Infantino calls on his African support

By Paul Nicholson

August 3 – Musa Bility has made it a hat-trick of hard-hitting letters in the past week with his latest being to the FIFA Council demanding they force the standing down of FIFA president Gianni Infantino following the opening of a criminal investigation by the Swiss judiciary.

FIFA

Blatter says it is ‘clear’ FIFA Ethics need to open a case and suspend Infantino

August 3 – Sepp Blatter has been quick to call for his successor, Gianni Infantino, to be suspended by FIFA after criminal proceedings were opened against the latter in Switzerland last week.

FIFA

Swiss special prosecutor greenlights criminal investigation into FIFA boss Infantino

By Andrew Warshaw

July 30 – Despite persistently brushing aside any semblance of wrongdoing for weeks on end, criminal proceedings were dramatically launched against FIFA president Gianni Infantino today by a Swiss special prosecutor over undocumented dealings with the country’s former attorney general Michael Lauber who resigned last week.

FIFA

FIFA Bureau greenlights release of $1.5bn for Covid-19 relief fund

July 30 – The FIFA Bureau – the top table of the world governing body comprised of the confederation and FIFA presidents – has greenlighted the release of $1.5 billion for its coronavirus relief fund from FIFA’s reserves.

FIFA

Bility calls on UEFA and Conmebol chiefs to demand Infantino resigns

By Paul Nicholson

July 29 – Musa Bility, the banned former Confederation of African Football (CAF) executive committee member and former president of the Liberian FA, has kept up his pressure on FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino with an open letter to UEFA president Alexander Ceferin and Conmebol president Alexander Dominguez demanding they call for the FIFA president’s resignation.

Africa

Mob rule: FIFA bans Guinea-Bissau’s dissenting Nascimento a day before re-election

July 27 – With interesting timing, FIFA has imposed a 10-year ban on the president of Guinea-Bissau’s federation, Manual Nascimento (pictured), over “an incident of mob justice.”

FIFA

Lauber resignation over Infantino meeting ‘lies’ ramps up pressure on FIFA boss

By Paul Nicholson

July 24 – Switzerland’s embattled Attorney General Michael Lauber has offered to resign after a Swiss court concluded he had lied to investigators regarding his office’s corruption probe into FIFA.

Africa

Exclusive: SA’s Jordaan back in the naughty corner as FIFA Ethics receive wide-ranging complaint

By Paul Nicholson

July 23 – Danny Jordaan, the president of the South African FA (SAFA) and the administrative face of the South Africa 2010 World Cup, has come under renewed pressure following an extensive FIFA Ethics complaint filed by two of his National Executive Committee (NEC).

Coronavirus

No compassion for FIFAGate felon Napout who stays locked up despite positive Covid test

July 22 – Former Conmebol president Juan Angel Napout, currently serving a nine-year prison sentence in Miami for his part in the FIFAGate corruption scandals, has had his request for compassionate release turned down despite having contracted Covid-19.

Africa

Mauritius club fined for not doing the TMS paperwork

July 20 – FIFA has sanctioned a club in Mauritius for failing to use its Transfer Matching System (TMS).

FIFA

FIFAGate: Napout stays locked up as Judge Chen considers Covid-19 compassionate release

July 21 – A New York court has delayed deciding on a request for compassionate release from prison by former Conmebol president Juan Angel Napout (pictured).