By Andrew Warshaw
October 30 – FIFA have broken their silence over the artificial turf controversy that threatens to disrupt next year’s Womens World Cup in Canada, insisting the pitches will be of the highest standard and rejecting any sense of discrimination against female players.
October 28 – Six Real Madrid players are on the 23-man shortlist for this year’s Ballon d’Or FIFA World Player of the Year award.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 28 – Lawyers representing an elite group of international players fighting to play on natural grass at next June’s Women’s World Cup have added a retaliation claim against FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association, claiming “unlawful reprisal threats” towards those participating.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 28 – As FIFA builds towards the latest meeting with football’s stakeholders to discuss exactly when to stage the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, one of the main winter sports bodies has warned against a clash with the Winter Olympics.
By Paul Nicholson
October 22 – Latest rumours are that Asia’s FIFA vice-president Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein of Jordan has been persuaded to run for the presidency of FIFA. If confirmed he could be the third candidate prepared to take on current FIFA president Sepp Blatter in his bid for a fifth term at the head of the world governing body.
By Paul Nicholson
October 20 – In response to allegations and evidence that he promised confidentiality to those interviewed in his investigation of the bidding process for 2018 and 2022, FIFA’s chief ethics investigator, Michael Garcia, has told German news magazine Der Spiegel that the wording is merely a “standard statement”.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 20 – FIFA is to step up its global awareness drive highlighting the threat of the Ebola virus which has killed more than 4,500 people and has placed next year’s African Cup of Nations in serious jeopardy.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 17 – The German judge overseeing FIFA’s investigation into possible corruption surrounding the 2018 and 2022 World Cup ballot has re-iterated once and for all that the 430-page report submitted to him cannot be published in full for legal reasons.
By Paul Nicholson
October 15 – Insideworldfootball has received copy of correspondence from FIFA’s chairman of its investigatory chamber Michael Garcia proving he promised confidentiality to an interviewee in the investigation into the bidding cities and their conduct in the race to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
October 14 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has condemned the latest attack against referees in Cyprus, one of the less publicised by most worrying trends in European football.
October 10 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has questioned the away goals rule, saying that it was conceived at a time when away games were often an adventure and playing conditions could vary significantly in favour of the home team.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 10 – FIFA’s medical supremo Michel D’Hooghe wants time-outs for cases of concussion to become law so they are applied at domestic level throughout world football.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 9 – One of FIFA’s leading World Cup sponsors responded emphatically today to accusations of staying silent over allegations of corruption that have swirled around world football’s governing body.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 9 – The FIFA-appointed expert who headed the bidding countries evaluation committee and first cautioned about the dangers of taking the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, is considering running against Sepp Blatter for the world governing body’s presidency next year.
By David Owen in Monte Carlo
October 8 – Viewing figures for this year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil set records in several key football markets, Niclas Ericson, FIFA’s director of TV, has told the Sportel Convention in Monaco.