By Mark Baber
April 8 – Despite encouraging signs of resilience in the economy, Russia looks poised to cut back on the number of hotels built specifically for the 2018 World Cup, following the publication of a consultation document by the Sports Ministry.
April 2 – The word legacy seems to accompany every World Cup but post-tournament the evidence is frequently conspicuous by its absence. Reports in Brazil have revealed that the World Cup stadium in Natal is up for sale since the company that owns it is suffering from cash flow problems following a corruption scandal.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 2 – A group of US senators is back on the attack over Russia’s staging of the 2018 World Cup and have written to FIFA urging it to consider stripping the country as hosts because of the occupation of Crimea.
By David Owen
March 31 – Southampton have joined the stampede of Premier League clubs reporting unusually strong profits for last season. The South Coast club, currently lying an impressive sixth in the league table and playing consistently well under Dutch coach Ronald Koeman, have announced that after-tax profit for the year ended June 30, 2014 reached £33.4 million, compared with a £7.1 million loss the previous year.
By David Owen
March 30 – Newcastle United have become the latest Premier League club to report strong financial figures for the 2013-14 season. For the year ending June 2014, the Magpies generated a record after-tax profit of £18.7 million, not far off double the £9.9million achieved in 2013, and the fourth consecutive year in the black for the club which is owned by businessman Mike Ashley.
March 27 – With Russia having completed its final planning for 2018 World Cup stadium build and construction underway, the current focus is now switching towards budgets and planning for infrastructure around the championships.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 26 – Hassan al-Thawadi’s (pictured) mood was as bright as the spring sun that shone down over Zurich. For months – no, make that years – Qatar’s multi-lingual 2022 World Cup organising chief has had to field all manner of attacks over his country’s right to stage the tournament, whether it should be in summer or winter and what would happen if workers’ rights were not improved.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
March 19 – After more than four years of often heated and fractious debate, FIFA finally confirmed today that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will be played in November and December with the final on Sunday, December 18.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 18 – In a week when the 2022 World Cup in Qatar will take centre stage as FIFA announces the exact November-December dates, the country has again pledged to push ahead with reforming its controversial ‘kafala’ labour system – but has stopped short of presenting a timetable for when this will happen.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 17 – Ukraine’s government is back on the offensive over a potential boycott of the 2018 World Cup in Russia with organisers countering that such a move would be doomed to failure.
March 16 – In a week when FIFA is due to announce the dates for the first ever winter World Cup in 2022, Sepp Blatter is keeping up the pressure on hosts Qatar to improve conditions for migrant workers.
By Paul Nicholson
March 16 – The problem of racism in Russian football is getting the full attention of FIFA with CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb (pictured), who heads FIFA’s anti-racism and discrimination task force, saying that the problem needs to be tackled from the “dressing room out”.
March 11 – Germany’s outgoing FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger has taken yet another opportunity to call for Qatar to be stripped of the 2022 World Cup.
March 10 – Qatar has awarded the Design Architect contract for its showpiece Lusail Stadium to UK firm Foster + Partners. The stadium is the proposed venue for the opening ceremony and the final of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
March 4 – Europe’s leading clubs are reported to have softened their anger over the decision in principle to switch the 2022 World Cup to winter following a meeting between the head of the European Club Association and FIFA president Sepp Blatter.