By David Owen
March 21 – FIFA’s decision to make $209 million available to the employers of squad members of teams qualifying for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups means top European clubs in particular can look forward to dramatically enhanced payouts.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 23 – Leagues across Europe are angrily refusing to accept FIFA’s decision to switch the 2022 Qatar World Cup to winter, saying they will back any legal action against the unprecedented move.
March 23 – Carlos Queiroz’s uncomfortable tenure as Iran’s coach ended on a bitter note when he was briefly barred from leaving the country over allegations of a reported $300,000-plus in unpaid taxes.
By Samindra Kunti
March 23 – Dutch club AZ Alkmaar have hired Moneyball baseball guru Billy Beane (pictured) in an advisory role to try and close the gap on big-spending clubs in the Eredivisie.
By Paul Nicholson
March 23 – Premier League Twitter stats for the week ending Friday March 20 show no change in the top five positions of clubs ranked by new followers. Manchester United continue top the table, 7,000 new followers ahead of Arsenal and Chelsea, with Liverpool fourth and Manchester City trailing in fifith.
By David Owen
March 23 – World Cup ticketing income combined with a bonus from a well-subscribed hospitality programme to enable FIFA to shoulder a number of additional costs in 2014 without slipping into deficit or dipping into its rainy day reserve.
By David Owen
March 23 – Europe is virtually monopolising payments to clubs under FIFA’s Club Protection Programme (CPP). The scheme, which compensates clubs when their players are injured on international duty, made €39.4 million of payments in its first two years and four months of operation. Of this, no less than €38.6 million – 98% – went to clubs in the UEFA region.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
March 20 – A defiant Sepp Blatter laid down the gauntlet to his critics today by insisting his record at the head of FIFA spoke for itself and refusing to say whether or not he will issue a manifesto ahead of the presidential election in May.
By Samindra Kunti
March 20 – Jose Maria Marin, the president of the Brazilian FA, has said that “Brazilian football is going to pass through a very difficult time.”
By Mark Baber
March 20 – The General Secretary of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Musa Amadu (pictured), tendered his resignation on Wednesday after, according to unconfirmed reports in local media, a row with NFF President Amaju Pinnick over money, specifically FIFA grants and a $3.6 million loan from the Federal Government.
By Mark Baber
March 20 – Nigel Wilson, 42, from Nottingham has been summoned to appear before Westminster Magistrates Court on April 16 over allegations he flew a drone over several football grounds during matches, breaching an Air Navigation Order, according to Scotland Yard.
March 20 – Italian crisis club Parma have hit rock bottom after being declared bankrupt by a court in Italy but should be allowed to see out the current season.
March 20 – France has been awarded hosting rights for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, beating off a challenge from South Korea, the only other candidate.
The Bundesliga has experienced a hard landing in reality over the past week. After the march of the German quartet into the knockout stages of the Champions League, only FC Bayern reached the last eight, while Schalke, Leverkusen and Dortmund have crashed out early.
March 20 – UEFA has slapped a mandatory one-match ban on PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic following his sending off in the Champions league victory over Chelsea. But his team mate Serge Aurier was less fortunate, receiving a three-match suspension for his abusive tweets.