By Andrew Warshaw
September 13 – FIFA’s recently established anti-discrimination Task Force will not get involved in the furore over 2018 World Cup host Russia’s controversial so-called anti-gay legislation. The task force, meeting in Zurich yesterday, has identified a series of key priorities including allocation of resources, a best practice manual and identification of high risk games.
By Paul Nicholson
September 12 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has further clarified his comments regarding the Qatar 2022 World Cup, first reported in Insideworldfootball. Speaking to reporters at the International Olympic Committee Congress in Buenos Aires he again confirmed the right of Qatar to hold the World Cup in 2022.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 12 – The most powerful footballing voice in the United States, controversially beaten by Qatar to stage the 2022 World Cup, has spoken out about the growing momentum to switch the tournament to winter.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 12 – FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke is expecting a decision, in principle, for a switch to a Winter World Cup in 2022, which he says wlll in turn spark a round of intense discussion with all parties to find the best solution.
By Mark Baber
September 9 – The FIFA Development Committee has outlined 27 new Goal projects to be implemented around the world, including the first to be planned for Indonesia as well as 16 new recipients for FIFA’s Performance Programme.
September 9 – The recent heated debate about potentially playing the FIFA World Cup 2022 in what would be the European winter (note European) has generated some agreement and considerable dissent among football pundits, administrators and politicians alike. Insideworldfootball’s Paul Nicholson spoke exclusively to FIFA’s President, Joseph S. Blatter, and asked him what repercussions he is expecting – if any – to his proposal to shift dates.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
September 6 – Palestine football’s leading figurehead has poured scorn on Israel’s commitment to easing the plight of his country’s players and officials – and says the FIFA initiative to resolve the deep divisions between the two Middle East neighbours will never work unless Israel stops its “bullying” tactics. Earlier this week, FIFA president Sepp Blatter hailed initial talks aimed at easing travel restrictions for Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza as “historic”
By Andrew Warshaw
September 6 – As the World Cup qualification process moves towards its conclusion, Fifa secretary-general Jerome Valcke insists organisers are “heading in the right directions” despite various ongoing issues inside Brazil, including cost and infastructure.
By Paul Nicholson
September 4 – World Cup 2014 ticket prices have again been the subject of debate as FIFA marketing director Thierry Weil has robustly responded, in writing, to a Swiss press report that FIFA’s World Cup final is the domain of an exclusive few.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 4 – FIFA’s leading medical expert admits he is concerned the decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to revoke the accreditation of the Rio de Janeiro doping control laboratory so close to next year’s Brazil World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 4 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter says FIFA can do nothing to stop spiralling transfer fees following the world record €100 million sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. Meanwhile FIFA TMS (Transfer Matching System), which monitors the movement of players, is reporting $3.4 billion of player sales globally this year (to September 3), a 29% uplift on 2012.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 4 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has hailed initial talks aimed at easing travel restrictions for Palestinian footballers and breaking that country’s deep divisions with Israel as “historic” and hopes to find a permanent solution by the end of the year.
By Mark Baber
September 2 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has warned urgently against the Swiss 1:12 initiative which he says would create a real problem for football in the country and the hinder the possibility of attracting talent from abroad, in an interview with the newspaper Schweiz am Sonntag.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 2 – The landmark first meeting of the newly created FIFA Task Force set up to try and break the bitter divisions between Israel and Palestine over travel restrictions imposed in the West Bank and Gaza will be held tomorrow (September 3) at FIFA headquarters in Zurich.
August 30 – The first round of public ticketing for the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil saw more that more than 400,000 fans request over 2.3 million tickets in the first 24 hours. Brazilians led the way in terms of demand by country.