By David Gold
April 19 – MATCH Hospitality, the FIFA Hospitality Programme rights holder, has launched a global Invitation to Tender (ITT) process for companies interested in becoming official and exclusive agents of hospitality for the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup in their respective countries.
By David Gold
April 18 – Up to 10 of the 13 Brazilian airports currently being upgraded for the 2014 World Cup, are unlikely to be ready on time or able to cope with the volume of air traffic during the tournament, a report by the country’s Institute for Applied Economic Research shows.
By David Gold
April 18 – Japan’s plans to take part in the Copa America are facing another threat after German clubs including Borussia Dortmund announced that they were unwilling to release their players for the tournament, taking place in Argentina this July.
By David Gold
April 18 – Thailand Football Association President and FIFA Executive Committee member Worawi Makudi (pictured) believes that Southeast Asia could host the World Cup in 2030.
By David Gold
April 18 – Russia’s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has announced that approximately $5 billion (£3 billion) would be required for the construction of new stadiums and upgrades to the country’s infrastructure for the World Cup in 2018.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 18 – A Swiss television network is to launch an official complaint to FIFA after two of its journalists were detained in Qatar for 13 days for filming a report on the 2022 World Cup hosts.
By David Gold
April 15 – Kiev and Warsaw have been told to strengthen anti-terrorism plans for the European Championships, being held jointly by Ukraine and Poland in 2012, by Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 15 – A galaxy of footballing legends past and present, led by Pele and Franz Beckenbauer (pictured), meet next month to start to find ways of improving the game as a result of some of the sterile encounters at last year’s World Cup.
By David Gold
April 15 – Carling Cup winners Birmingham City could be denied entry to the Europa League next season due to concerns over the club’s finances.
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By David Gold
April 18 – Ukraine is confident that Euro 2012, being hosted jointly with Poland, will be free of racism and violence, in response to a report documenting a number of such crimes at football games in the two countries during the last 18 months.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 14 – Leyton Orient have followed Tottenham Hotspur by applying to the High Court for a judicial review to try and prevent West Ham United moving to the Olympic Stadium after next year’s summer Games, club chairman Barry Hearn revealed today.
By David Gold
April 14 – Arsenal director Danny Fiszman, a lifelong fan of the Premiership club and a driving force behind the club’s move from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium, has died at the age of 66.
By David Gold
April 14 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has said that world football’s governing body “do not have any problem” with progress being made by Brazil in preparation for the 2014 World Cup.
By David Gold
April 14 – South Africa’s national football team could be set for a name change due to a trademark dispute, with the country’s football federation (SAFA) admitting that they are undecided on whether to drop the “Bafana Bafana” nickname.
By Tom Degun at City Hall in London
April 14 – Costs on England’s disastrous bid to host the 2018 World Cup should have been kept much tighter, one of London Mayor Boris Johnson’s closest advisors has claimed.