32 is the World Cup’s magic number, no expansion required
July 30 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has re-iterated that any expansion of the World Cup finals beyond the current 32 teams would be impractical and may reduce quality of play.
FIFA
Malta’s Sammut has 10-year match-fixing ban made global
July 30 – Kevin Sammut, one of the most influential players in Malta’s fledglng footballing history, has had his 10-year ban for match-fixing extended globally by FIFA.
FIFA fines Argentina over team’s Malvinas banner at 2014 warm-up game
July 27 – FIFA have fined the Argentine Football Association SFr30,000 ($33,000) for displaying a banner that was deemed to qualify as “political action” and “team misconduct”.
FIFA bosses in Qatar to meet Emir and discuss 2022 progress
July 24 – Having just wrapped one World Cup, FIFA’s top brass are already back on the road with FIFA president Sepp Blatter and general secretary Jerome Valcke in Qatar last night meeting His Highness the Emir Sheikh Tamim Bin Hamad Al Thani and HH Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani.
Garcia World Cup bidding report delayed until September
By Andrew Warshaw
July 22 – The eagerly awaited report into possible wrongdoing during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process has been delayed for several weeks. FIFA’s chief independent prosecutor Michael Garcia was expected to deliver the findings of his investigation this month but has delayed handing it over to ethics committee adjucatory chamber chief Hans-Joachim Eckert until the first week of September.
Whelan back in custody as FIFA outlines ticketing policy
By Andrew Warshaw
July 15- Amid yet another twist in the alleged World Cup ticketing scandal involving the British director of a Fifa partner firm, Fifa itself has issued the strongest defence yet of its own integrity and credibility in the matter.
Reports in Brazil claim Ray Whelan, who works with Match Services on the hospitality side and is one of 12 people detained by police as part of an investigation into an international ticket touting gang,
FIFA and ECA to open talks on new player release deal
July 15- FIFA has denied reports that there could be a clash with European clubs over the release of players for future World Cups.
The clubs are seeking a new financial deal for compensating their highly-paid employees since the European Club Association’s existing memorandum of understanding with Fifa is expiring. Football’s world governing body distributed money on a daily rate for as long as players were involved in the tournament in Brazil.
FIFA lays out rules of engagement in the battle for the presidency
By Andrew Warshaw
July 10 – FIFA have released their eagerly awaited regulations to make sure there is no foul play at next year’s presidential election campaign. The detailed 20-point set of rules follows the establishment at the FIFA Congress in May of a three-member Ad Hoc panel set up to supervise the process of the election.
FIFA follows though on threat and suspends Nigeria
By Andrew Warshaw
July 10 – FIFA has suspended Nigeria from all international football as the fallout from the country’s World Cup pay dispute intensifies. The Nigerians failed to meet a FIFA deadline to stop government interference in the affairs of country’s national federation (NFF) and now faces the prospect of being excluded from the under-20 women’s World Cup in Canada starting next month.
FIFA start probe into Fofana and World Cup ticket re-selling
By Andrew Warshaw
July 7 – The son of one of FIFA’s most powerful administrators has denied claims he illegally sold a World Cup ticket to touts in order to make money. Humberto Grondona, whose father Julio is FIFA’s senior vice-president as well as being head of the Argentine football association, has been asked to explain how a ticket he bought ended up in the wrong hands.
Brazilian police bust industrial-scale World Cup ticket tout ring
July 4 – In an operation dubbed Jules Rimet, police in Brazil have arrested 11 people and broken up an international gang that was apparently involved in the illegal sale of World Cup tickets.
Fourth change proposal as ‘impact’ subs become the main men in Brazil
By Andrew Warshaw
July 3 – Following the unprecedented impact of substitutes at the World Cup, football’s lawmakers will be asked to consider a proposal that teams be allowed to use a fourth sub during extra time.
Scala, Sulser and Mussenden to sit on FIFA presidential election committee
By David Owen
July 3 – FIFA has set up a three-man electoral committee to supervise the process of what may yet be a bitter and divisive presidential election.
Blatter calls for GLT for all major competitions as UEFA rethinks position
July 2 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter says UEFA will be tempted to perform a u-turn and introduce goal-line technology for the 2016 European Championship finals even though UEFA boss Michel Platini has long stated his objection to the innovation and prefers his system of two additional referee’s assistants.
Der Kaiser bows to Garcia’s questions and can now go to the Brazil 2014 ball
By Andrew Warshaw
June 28 – FIFA has lifted Franz Beckenbauer’s ban from all football-related activity for failing to assist the investigation of alleged corruption into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup votes, according to his manager.