FIFA promotes Jean-Marie to boss MA relations
March 24 – Kenny Jean-Marie is FIFA’s Chief Member Associations Officer, replacing Veron Mosengo-Omba who has just joined the Confederation of African Football as its general secretary.
Author: Paul Nicholson
West Brom renew Ideal Heating for another 3-year rollercoaster ride
March 24 – Premier League West Bromwich Albion have renewed their shirt sponsorship with Ideal heating for a further three years.
Low wages push Romania players to betting against own teams
March 23 – There is a reason why it is forbidden for athletes (in any sport) to wager on events in which they themselves participate – doing so endangers the integrity of the event. But the threat is very real as a current Romanian football case shows.
Women’s Super League agrees landmark BBC-Sky TV deal
March 23 – English women’s football has struck a ground-breaking deal reported to be worth around £24 million with Sky Sports and the BBC that will include up to 18 Women’s Super League matches per season being shown on the latter, the first time the league will be screened live to free-to-air channels.
Covid test tampering: Calls for Simba SC exclusion from CAF Champions League
By Paul Nicholson
March 23 – Allegations of covid test tampering have hit the CAF Champions League group stages, with clubs whose players have tested negative before leaving their country, being told they have tested positive following a second test in the host country.
Kokeza quits Serbian FA presidency but denies he is linked to organised crime
March 23 – Just days before the start of the country’s World Cup qualifying programme, Serbian football has been plunged into scandal and chaos with the resignation of federation president Slavisa Kokeza after he was linked to an organised crime group accused of murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking.
UEFA sends carbon-neutral message with ‘Cleaner Air, Better Game’ campaign
March 23 – UEFA is pushing the carbon-neutral message via a public awareness campaign – ‘Cleaner Air, Better Game’ – during the European Under-21 Championships in take place in Hungary and Slovenia that kicks off its group stages tomorrow.
Brazil’s covid chaos forces Rio shutdown as clubs scramble to get games played
March 23 – As the coronavirus pandemic deepens in Brazil, the country’s football competitions have been plunged into chaos with pressure mounting for a complete suspension of the national game.
Abramovich sues book publisher who claimed Putin told him to buy Chelsea
March 23 – Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has launched legal action against the author and publisher of a book which alleges he acted corruptly and bought the club on the direction of Vladimir Putin.
Email blunder leaves Cameroon striker Choupo-Moting benched in Munich
March 23 – In what is being described as one of the most bizarre administrative gaffes, Bayern Munich’s Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting has been ruled out of captaining his native Cameroon this month against Cape Verde and Rwanda in Group F of African Nations Cup qualifiers after his federation accidentally emailed themselves instead of his club.
EFL lobbies for 10,000 fans to attend Man City vs Spurs League Cup final in April
March 23 – Next month’s English League Cup final could become the nation’s first showpiece match in months to be played out in front of a limited number of fans as a test case, according to press reports.
Nilsson stays at top of Swedish FA as board shifts to a female majority
March 23 – Karl-Erik Nilsson has been re-elected as president of the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) for a two-year mandate.
FIFA insures 2022 World Cup for $900m
By David Owen
March 22 – FIFA has secured insurance for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. The disclosure comes in the small print of the governing body’s newly-published 2020 financial statements. FIFA said the “maximum insurance volume” was $900 million.
South American bid favourite to host 2030 World Cup, China bid encouraged
By Andrew Warshaw
March 22 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino says he wants as many bids as possible for the 2030 World Cup and has not ruled out China even though South America is an early favourite to land the tournament.