US Soccer changes legal wording as it seeks a solution in equal pay dispute
April 1 – US Soccer has toned down its legal language in new federal court filings in the equal pay dispute with members of the American’s national women’s team.
Law
FIFAgate: Marin given early release to return to Brazil over health fears
March 31 – Jose Maria Marin, 87, is on his way home. Amid health concerns in times of the global coronavirus pandemic, the former Brazilian football supremo has won his release from an American prison, where he was serving a four-year sentence for his role in the FIFAgate scandal.
Swiss Federal Court drops Lauber’s case against BeIN boss AI-Khelaifi
By Paul Nicholson
March 30 – The case brought against BeIN Sport boss Nasser AI-Khelaifi by the Swiss prosecutor’s office and driven by its attorney general Michael Lauber was dropped by the Federal Court in Switzerland at the end of last week.
Coronavirus backlog means Man City will have to wait for CAS hearing on suspension
March 16 – Manchester City’s appeal against their two-year ban from European football for allegedly breaking financial fair play rules is suddenly up in the air as a result of the coronavirus.
Niersbach makes it to Swiss court for 2006 World Cup fraud trial
March 12 – Former DFB President Wolfgang Niersbach (pictured) has made a surprise court appearance at the 2006 World Cup tax fraud trial – despite the advice of his doctor not to attend.
Covid-19 halts 2006 World Cup vote buying trial after Zwanziger, Schmidt and Niersbach stay home
By Andrew Warshaw
March 10 – The eagerly awaited trial of three of Germany’s most high-profile former football chiefs plus ex-FIFA Secretary General Urs Linsi linked to suspicions that Germany bought votes to obtain the 2006 World Cup has been adjourned after three of the four were absent from the courtroom near the Swiss-Italian border because of the coronavirus.
LaLiga loses court appeal over staging league match in US match, but vows to fight on
By Paul Nicholson
March 6 – LaLiga has responded swiftly to a Madrid court ruling today that dismissed the league’s appeal against the RFEF’s decision not to authorise the Miami match between Girona and Barcelona that was going to be played January 26.
Portuguese police raid clubs and agents in nationwide financial fraud probe
By Samindra Kunti
March 5 – Portuguese police have raided 76 addresses, including the home of super-agent Jorge Mendes, as part of a nationwide investigation into money laundering and tax evasion in 2015.
Swiss AG Lauber sanctioned for lying. Doubt cast over impartiality of FIFA indictment
By Paul Nicholson
March 5 – Controversial Swiss attorney general, Michael Lauber (pictured), who led the Swiss investigations into FIFA but mysteriously failed to remember or document meetings he held with FIFA president Gianni Infantino, has been sanctioned for disloyalty, lying and breaching his office’s code of conduct.
Man City lodge formal appeal against UEFA ban at CAS
February 26 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has confirmed it has received Manchester City’s appeal against UEFA’s two-season European ban and €30 million fine.
Fury and intrigue as Swiss charge Valcke and Al-Khelaifi with bribery over World Cup rights
By Paul Nicholson
February 20 – The Swiss Attorney General has issued an indictment against the former FIFA secretary general Jerôme Valcke, the chairman of the BeIN Media Group, Nasser Al-Khelaifi (who is also president of PSG and a UEFA executive committee member), and an unnamed businessman.
Sport must be given tools to fight piracy and protect income, demands anti-corruption panel
By Paul Nicholson
February 20 – Sport must be given more power to protect its rights and commercial income from criminal piracy in any form, was the overriding demand from a panel at the World Congress on Global Leadership and Anti-corruption in Sport hoisted by SIGA in Rome.
Man City’s Soriano blasts UEFA ban as being about politics, not justice
By Andrew Warshaw
February 19 – Five days after the club were sensationally banned from Europe for two seasons by UEFA, Manchester City’s chief executive has denounced allegations of financial fair play “serious breaches” as totally untrue and politically motivated.
Man City sought damages from UEFA over FFP investigation leaks
February 13 – Details have been published by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) revealing that Manchester City sought damages from UEFA for what the club alleged were “unlawful” leaks to the media over an inquiry into possible breaches of Financial Fair Play (FFP).
Mediapro wins ‘abuse of power’ court ruling against Spanish FA over rights tender
February 6 – Spanish-owned sports agency Mediapro has won another court battle against the Spanish FA (RFEF) in the Provincial Court of Madrid. The court reconfirmed its initial ruling to dismiss the RFEF’s attempt to have the agency excluded from tendering for rights to the Copa del Rey final.