December 21 – Two Kosovo nationals have pleaded guilty to planning attacks at a World Cup game in Albania against Israel last year that was moved to a different part of the country because of terrorist threats.
December 21 – FIFA has appointed a normalisation committee to run the affairs of the troubled Malian Football Association (Femafoot).
By Andrew Warshaw
December 20 – The self-proclaimed Brazilian inventor of football’s vanishing spray, which has become an integral part of the game, is persuing FIFA for proper compensation after accusing the organisation of stealing his idea.
December 20 – FIFA has added a fifth sponsor for the Russia 2018 World Cup, the third from China. Chinese dairy products manufacturer the Mengniu Group will be designated the Official drinkable yoghurt and pre-packaged ice cream.
December 20 – Brazilian 1994 World Cup winner Romario is planning to run for president of the scandal-plagued Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) now that Marco Polo del Nero has been suspended by FIFA.
December 20 – A second-tier unheralded club in the industrial north of England with a relatively small but loyal and passionate fan base surrounded by larger rivals may not seem the most obvious target for a foreign takeover.
December 20 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has now officially confirmed that its commercial rights sales tender for the two cycles between 2021 and 2028 will be published 1 February 2018.
By Paul Nicholson
December 20 – Slovenian and Croatian polices yesterday swooped on an international match-fixing crime syndicate making 11 arrests after 13 house searches and impounding 15 vehicles in both countries.
December 20 – UAE-based kit supplier Romai has lost deals with Jamaica and Senegal in the space of a week after what has been described as disastrous relationships with the two national federations.
December 20 – Premier League Burnley agreed a one-year sponsorship with online broker TeleTrade, who become the ‘Official Forex Trading Sponsor of Burnley FC’. No figure for the deal value was given.
December 20 – Tottenham Hotspur have signed a deal North East health and wellbeing company Mammoth Mattresses, who will become the Official Mattress and Pillow Supplier of the Premier League Club.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 19 – Disgraced former FIFA and UEFA powerbroker Ángel María Villar has stoked up fears of his native Spain being barred from the World Cup as he tries to cling on to his role as head of his national federation (RFEF).
December 19 – The jury in the FIFA-gate corruption trial of three former South American powerbrokers is set to resume deliberations today with a verdict imminent.
By Mark Baber
December 19 – ‘Tis the season to be merry, for gifts, family and, naturally, Player of the Year awards. Sunday saw the CONCACAF Premios Univision Deportes awards ceremony in Miami whilst the Confederation of African football has announced the nominees for its 2017 awards.
December 18 – Sudan’s leading club has been reprimanded after supporters taunted rival fans by erecting banners displaying an image of Adolf Hitler during a bitter championship decider.