By Paul Nicholson
December 7 – Wherever there is money in football these days you will generally find Europe’s clubs prospecting. The current gold rush is in China with AC Milan, Bayern Munich and Arsenal very much in the middle of the race for Chinese football’s hearts and mind.
By Mark Baber
December 7 – In the wake of last Thursday’s superseding indictment, issued by the US Department of Justice, in the FIFA corruption cases, Sportswear company Nike has once again issued a statement to the effect that it is cooperating fully with authorities and to insist its officials were not aware of any bribery or wrongdoing in connection with the millions the company sent to a Swiss bank account.
December 7 – The French government has become embroiled in the Karem Benzema sex tape scandal, with prime minister Manuel Valls saying the Real Madrid striker “has no place” in the national team at next summer’s European Championship finals.
December 7 – The head of Ecuador’s football federation, one of 16 officials newly charged with corruption by US authorities, has turned himself in to authorities in his home country in the knowledge that it does not extradite its nationals.
December 7 – The head of Ecuador’s football federation, one of 16 officials newly charged with corruption by US authorities, has turned himself in to authorities in his home country in the knowledge that it does not extradite its nationals.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 7 – The FIFA corruption scandal has taken another mouth-watering twist with the revelation that the FBI is investigating the role Sepp Blatter may have played in a $100 million bribery scam.
By Samindra Kunti
December 7 – Marcus Antonio Vicente is the new president of the Brazilian Football Association CBF. He assumed the position on an interim basis after Marco Polo Del Nero was indicted by the FBI last week.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 7 – A leaked memo published in a French newspaper on Sunday should clear Michel Platini’s name and allow him to bid for the FIFA presidency in February, according to his legal team.
By Ben Nicholson
December 7 – David Beckham is al last enjoying some Floridian sunlight on his campaign to exercise his contractual option to create an MLS expansion team. After three years of toiling, and scorching in political heat, Beckham has secured a site for his team’s home stadium. The MLS approved the location, getting Beckham over a hurdle that last week threatened to indefinitely suspend the idea.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 5 – The two FIFA vice-presidents arrested by police in Zurich on Thursday as part of the burgeoning corruption scandal have been handed 90-day provisional suspensions by the ethics committee.
Working your way through the 240-page “superseding indictment” unveiled on Thursday by United States Attorney General Loretta Lynch by way of a powerful aftershock to the earthquake that laid waste to the FIFA Congress in May, it would be all too easy to form the view that we should disband FIFA and start all over again with governance of the world’s most popular sport.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – Europe’s leading clubs, having been given no say in FIFA’s reform package, have issued a strongly worded rebuke of the organisation’s attempt to clean itself up.
December 4 – When the current agreement between logistics company Hermes and the Deutsche Fußball Liga comes to a close, new vistas for sponsorship are expected to open up as the DFL has decided not to extend the collective agreement but will allow all 36 clubs to sell their own shirt sleeve sponsorship.
December 4 – While Manchester City’s holding company City Football group has been making headlines signing up a $400 million shareholder to boost the group’s expansion into China, the company’s prime asset has been deepening its links with its domestic fans via an integrated marketing deal with a travel partner.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – Domenico Scala, head of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee, part of whose job has been to police financial wrongdoing, has praised the reform programme announced Thursday but says a complete culture change is needed to ensure it is successfully implemented.