By Andrew Warshaw
December 22 – UEFA have confirmed that Russia’s deputy prime minister Vitaly Mutko is among the declared candidates for five European vacancies on the FIFA Council but must still pass an eligibility check ahead of next April’s election.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 22 – After keeping a low profile for several weeks in the wake of the potentially highly damaging probe into his alleged role in the 2006 World Cup bid scandal, Franz Beckenbauer (pictured with Wolfgang Niersbach), Germany’s most revered footballing figure, has re-iterated that his country did not buy the tournament.
By Samindra Kunti
December 22 – The Brazilian FA and TV Globo have extended their broadcast partnership for the Brazilian cup, the Copa do Brazil, from 2018 to 2022, the much of he new deal money being used to reinvigorate the competitiveness of the championship. The winner of the competition will earn €14.35 million in prize money.
December 22 – Panathanaikos chairman Giannis Alafouzos, a bitter and vocal opponent of Olympiakos owner Vaggellis Marinakis, has this week been sentenced to a year in jail for violating Greece’s Privacy Act.
December 22 – The Irish Football Association says it wants an “urgent” meeting with FIFA after being fined CHF15,000 for its poppy-displaying act of remembrance at last month’s World Cup qualifier.
December 22 – West Ham United have added global payments company TransferMate as the club’s Official Payments partner. TransferMate will be the Club’s exclusive foreign currency provider for foreign exchange payments, including player transfer transactions.
December 21 – In what has all the hallmarks of a classic club versus country dispute, seven Cameroon players say they are shunning the Africa Cup of Nations, which begins on January 14.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 21 – Amos Adamu, one of Africa’s most notorious footballing figures, is facing a second ban from the game after FIFA’s Ethics Committee opened fresh proceedings against the Nigerian.
December 21 – The influence, importance and ambition of Internazionale’s new owners Suning Sports Group to the club’s development was reinforced yesterday with the announcement of a multi-year sponsorship agreement for a package of naming rights by Suning Group affiliates.
December 21 – Twitter week-on-week growth rates increased again this week for Premier League clubs, up to 253,000 across the league from 228,000. This was a week that saw Premier League fixtures on five days as three rounds were crammed in before Christmas.
December 21 – Manchester City have pushed the digital and social media boundaries further with the introduction of a matchday Snapchat host.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 19 – The reaction has been understandably incredulous. In a disgraceful move that hardly enhances its attempt to turn over a new leaf and become a respectful, compassionate, modern-thinking organisation, FIFA have once again shown their true colours by predictably fining all four British home nations for their various poppy displays at last month’s World Cup qualifiers on or around Armistice Day.
December 20 – West Ham’s Christmas came early, topping the attendance capacity chart twice during the Premier League’s three fixtures in eight days, and taking seven points out of a possible nine in the league.
By Paul Nicholson
December 20 – The Gold Cup 2017, CONCACAF’s top event for national teams, will be played in a total of 14 stadiums in 13 metropolitan areas, four of them first-time hosts, as the confederation expands the competition to support emerging football markets in the US.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 20 – Three months after disgraced former CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb – not so long ago touted as a possible successor to Sepp Blatter – was banned for life, two more once all-powerful officials of the same confederation have suffered the same fate with Hondurans Alfredo Hawit (pictured) and Rafael Callejas thrown out of the game by FIFA’s ethics committee for taking bribes as part of the US-led football corruption scandal.