By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
March 20 – A defiant Sepp Blatter laid down the gauntlet to his critics today by insisting his record at the head of FIFA spoke for itself and refusing to say whether or not he will issue a manifesto ahead of the presidential election in May.
March 20 – France has been awarded hosting rights for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, beating off a challenge from South Korea, the only other candidate.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 19 – Michel Platini may be Sepp Blatter’s greatest critic when it comes to the veteran Swiss standing for a fifth term of office as FIFA president but one thing the pair agree on is that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar must be staged in winter.
March 19 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has rejected a joint offer from UK broadcasters the BBC and Sky to take part in a political-style live television debate alongside his three rivals ahead of the presidential election at the end of May.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 16 – Brunei’s football federation has sought to play down reports that it will be supporting Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency.
March 12 – No sooner has qualifying for the 2018 World Cup begun in various parts of the world than Zimbabwe have been thrown out for failing to pay former coach Jose Claudinei Georgini.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 12 – The exact dates for the first ever winter World Cup in November and December 2022 leads a packed agenda for next week’s FIFA executive committee meeting.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 11 – Prince Ali bin al-Hussein’s bid to dethrone Sepp Blatter as president of FIFA has taken an unexpected twist after he appeared to pick up support in arguably the least likely part of Asia.
March 9 – Quotas should be introduced to increase the number of women in top football positions according to panelists who attended the first FIFA Women’s Football and Leadership Conference.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 9 – FIFA presidential candidate Michael van Praag says he and fellow contender Luis Figo have no chance of dethroning Sepp Blatter unless one of them pulls out of the running in the weeks ahead.
March 9 – Germany’s outgoing FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger is back on the offensive over the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – FIFA’s new chief ethics investigator insists he will not be influenced or sidetracked by anyone within the heirarchy of football’s world governing body when it comes to making independent decisions – including FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
March 5 – Michel d’Hooghe, FIFA’s longest-standing executive committee member and head of its medical committee, has expressed his relief at being cleared of any misconduct in the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and says he just wants to get on with what he has been doing for the last 27 years.
By Mark Baber
March 4 – Michael Boateng (pictured), the former Crystal Palace youth player who was sentenced to jail for match-fixing last year, has had his lifetime ban from football extended worldwide by FIFA.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 3 – Dutch FA chief Michael van Praag has become the latest FIFA presidential candidate to unveil his manifesto, parts of it perceptibly similar to that of the other European candidate vying for Sepp Blatter’s crown, Luis Figo.