By Andrew Warshaw
August 24 – As he enters the final phase of what will be almost 18 years as FIFA president, Sepp Blatter insists he cannot be held morally responsible for the dishonest activities of his inner circle and that he himself has been “clean” throughout his long and often tempestuous tenure.
August 24 – The official heading FIFA’s new reform body says Sepp Blatter has been unfairly criticised amid the corruption storm that has enveloped his organisation.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 24 – FIFA presidential candidate Chung Mong-Joon has issued yet another fierce rebuke against Sepp Blatter, blaming the outgoing Swiss veteran for undermining his credentials for succeeding him and meddling with the election process as well as accusing FIFA of acting like the Mafia.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 21 – As the overhaul of FIFA’s reform process picks up speed, the women’s game is determined not to be left behind and has called for a target of 30% of women’s participation in the body’s decision-making heirarchy.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 21 – FIFA’s much-trumpeted reform body headed by former Olympics guru Francois Carrard will meet for the first time on September 2-3, three weeks before it is due to provide an update to the organisation’s top brass over proposals for cleaning up the corruption-tarnished body.
By Mark Baber
August 20 – Called before the National Assembly on Wednesday, South Africa’s Sport and Recreation Minister Fikile Mbalula (pictured) explained that South Africa’s $10 million payment to the Caribbean, was a totally legitimate legacy payment, whilst a former South African Football Federation (SAFA) executive member gave an off-message interview to local media – saying neither he nor many of his colleagues were told anything about the payment.
By Mark Baber
August 20 – FIFA subsidiary Early Warning System and the sports media group Perform have announced a new partnership which will see the integration of data from Perform into EWS’s integrity monitoring system in a major turnaround since this time last year.
By Paul Nicholson
August 20 – FIFA has taken steps with its six confederations to create a global club licensing framework that will set a minimum standards required by clubs in key areas like stadium safety, fan experience and youth football development. FIFA said the new licensing framework will be in place by the end of 2016.
By Paul Nicholson
August 20 – There is a lot of talk about FIFA reform, but the talk is in general very short on detail. To date the focus has been on corruption and its prevention, with reform measures being focused around issues like age and term of tenure and ‘fit and proper’ person tests, financial governance and independent governors. Lurking below the surface of this talk is a much deeper issue – that of the one-man (it is usually a man) one-vote system.
By Mark Baber
August 19 – Former FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon’s entry into the FIFA presidential race on Tuesday has quickly dispelled any notion the contenders may pull their punches. The South Korean accused rival Michel Platini of having been too close to a corrupt FIFA and president Sepp Blatter. Response to his comments has been swift.
By Mark Baber
August 18 – It emerged on Monday that a radical plan presented to the FIFA executive committee on July 20 by Domenico Scala, the independent chairman of FIFA’s Audit and Compliance Committee charged by outgoing president Sepp Blatter with implementing reforms, envisaged the abolition of the executive committee and its replacement by a separate management committee and governing council.
By Paul Nicholson
August 18 – Jeffrey Webb, former CONCACAF president and the highest ranking of the FIFA officials arrested in May in Zurich, was in court in Brooklyn, NY, again last Friday where his hearing was adjourned until October 9.
By Paul Nicholson
August 17 – South Korea’s Chung Mong-Joon officially launched his FIFA presidency bid this morning in Paris saying that he would be a “crisis manager and a reformer” if he were elected. He said that under his leadership FIFA would not become a Eurocentric organisation and that he would take just one term to reinvent the governing body.
By Paul Nicholson
August 17 – The war between Nyon and Zurich escalated at the weekend with UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino writing to FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke complaining of a smear campaign against UEFA president Michel Platini and asking FIFA to investigate a letter that was circulated to Swiss and German newspapers.
By Ricardo Setyon
August 14 – Having spent Father’s Day with his family, Zico is now in Goa, India, relaxing in a top 5-star hotel but plotting a dual course – his Goa FC club’s assault on the Indian Super League, and his personal campaign for the FIFA presidency.