April 12 – If the basis for international success is in the number of young players coaches can pick from their domestic leagues then England, who currently have the youngest national ‘A’ team in Europe, need to be worried about what happens next. France on the other hand has a very bright future.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 12 – Former FIFA vice president and interim CONCACAF president Alfredo Hawit has pleaded guilty to four conspiracy counts as part of the sweeping US investigation into football bribery in the Americas.
April 12 – Equatorial Guinea have been thrown out of the 2020 women’s Olympic preliminary qualifying football tournament by FIFA after one of their players was found to have used two passports with conflicting details.
By Samindra Kunti
April 12 – FC Barcelona’s Brazilian superstar Neymar, who has had assets seized in Brazil as part of a tax fraud case and whose transfer to Spain was one of the most controversial deals in world football, has had details of his contract released showing he receives a guaranteed salary of €45.9 million with his five-year contract at Barca. His buy-out clause is a massive €190 million.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 11 – Gianni Infantino has issued his most stinging rebuttal to date of any wrongdoing in the Panama Papers affair. The new FIFA president describes the way his involvement has been reported as a “disgrace”.
By Paul Nicholson
April 11 – The movement towards creating a cross-discipline global sports integrity alliance now has a name for the proposed umbrella body. The official formation of the Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) took step closer last week at a meeting of leading sports representatives in Madrid.
By Mark Baber
April 11 – With Nigeria having been eliminated from the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, the factional struggle for control of the Nigerian Football Federation has returned with a vengeance as, on Friday, Chris Giwa’s group returned to court, winning a ruling which effectively makes Giwa head of the federation and overthrows the Amaju Pinnick-led board.
By Bernd Fisa
April 11 – Florence, Italy celebrated the lives and achievements of Stefano Borgonovo and Armando Segato, last weekend. Both men were former strikers for Fiorentina and Italy’s La Squadra Azzura, who lost their battle with neurological disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
April 11 – Fans eager to know what the future holds for Portugal’s famed former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho will have to wait a bit longer.
By Samindra Kunti
April 8 – In the past year Dutch football agents and intermediaries pocketed €9.5 million from professional clubs for their transfer and player contract services, according to the Dutch FA, the KNVB.
April 8 – A British businessman who was managing director of iconic English club Leeds United has alleged he was mistreated and physically abused whilst detained in Dubai for almost two years.
By Matt Scott
April 7 – Greek government officials ordering the Hellenic Football Federation to reform over corruption and crowd trouble have issued a defiant statement in response to FIFA’s threat to ban Greece from international competitions.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 7 – Despite vehemently insisting it acted in good faith over the sale of Champions League rights to an offshore company after being caught up in the Panama Papers tax haven affair, UEFA had its offices raided on Wednesday by Swiss police searching for evidence of any possible wrongdoing.
April 7 – 2016 International Champions Cup organisers have launched pre-sale ticket sales for matches taking place in the US summer with Liverpool being the first to announce ticketing plans for their two games in California in July.
By Paul Nicholson
April 6 – UEFA and its marketing agency TEAM have laid bare the anatomy of the Ecuadorian TV deal that has dragged FIFA president Gianni Infantino into the Panama Papers scandal as the signatory on the contract for Champions League TV rights in 2006.