By Andrew Warshaw
February 24 – The row over voting procedures at Friday’s FIFA presidential election has taken another remarkable step with Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein writing to the entire FIFA membership to explain why he has called on the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to consider postponing the ballot unless fairness and transparency can be guaranteed.
February 23 – Shaikh Salman Bin Al-Khalifa, believed to be tied neck and neck with Gianni Infantino to become FIFA president, says rival candidates who have been criticising him are simply getting desperate.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 23 – FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein has called on the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to postpone Friday’s presidential election because of a dispute over voting procedures which he believes could seriously jeopardise his chances of victory.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 23 – First mobile phones and cameras were banned, then a request for transparent booths was rejected. Now, amid intensifying suspicion about voting manipulation, a complaint has been submitted by one of the five FIFA presidential candidates over the number of observers attached to rival teams being allowed to attend Friday’s showdown.
By Paul Nicholson
February 23 – The first concrete signs of dealmaking between candidates in the FIFA presidential election race became evident yesterday following a meeting between South African candidate Tokyo Sexwale and UEFA’s top gun Gianni Infantino, with Sexwale saying he is “open to negotiations and alliances”.
By Samindra Kunti
February 22 – FIFA is satisfied with India’s planning and preparation for next year’s U17 World Cup, but indicated that the hosts still need major renovation in the six selected venues to be compliant with international standards.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 22 – The spending plans of FIFA presidential candidate Gianni Infantino, which have already been questioned by his main rival Shaikh Salman, have come under further scrutiny, this time from election outsider Jerome Champagne.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 22 – The sensitivity surrounding Friday’s FIFA presidential election has been racked up a notch after FIFA rejected a demand from one of the candidates to use transparent voting booths to ensure delegates do not photograph their ballot papers.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 22 – As he awaits the imminent outcome of his appeal against his eight-year ban and the election of his successor, Sepp Blatter insists the December 2010 vote to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was clean, but has repeated that political influences played a role in the infamous ballot that went some way to prompting the biggest scandal in FIFA history.
By Matt Scott
February 21 – FIFA’s presidential election will feature two swing voters who in an increasingly bitter struggle for support among candidates could play a decisive role in its outcome.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 19 – Outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter insists he has no preferred candidate to take his place but says he has spoken with four of the five contenders in the build-up to next week’s election.
February 19 – To ensure that no last-minute skullduggery takes place and the ballot remains secret, mobile phones and cameras will be banned from polling booths at next week’s FIFA presidential election.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 19 – FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein has revealed more details of the independent “oversight” body from outside football he will introduce if elected, with former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan (pictured centre) planned to head up the group whose mission will be to help FIFA out of its quagmire of scandal and corruption.
By Paul Nicholson
February 18 – Meetings of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) member associations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to discuss the FIFA reform proposals led to reiterated support for Shaikh Salman in his bid for the FIFA presidency, and speculation from observers as UEFA’s candidate Gianni Infantino enterprisingly turned up to lobby federations.
February 18 – FIFA’s ethics investigators have requested life bans for two senior South American officials who have already pleaded guilty as part of the FBI probe into widespread bribery and corruption.