By Andrew Warshaw
March 24 – Genius is an over-used word in football – but few have laid claim to that description with more justification than Johan Cruyff. The football world was stunned into collective grief today with the announcement that the great Dutch icon had died of lung cancer aged 68.
By Samindra Kunti
March 24 – Brazil’s Lavo Jato scandal is further escalating. This time bribes may have been offered in relation to the construction of Arena Corinthians, a 2014 FIFA World Cup venue.
By Mark Baber
March 24 – Scottish giant Rangers, poised for a return to the Scottish Premier League, have reported operating losses increased by 11% to £9.04 million for the financial year to June 30, 2015. The Rangers Football Club Ltd (TRFCL) audited accounts also show debt owed to their parent company Rangers International Football Club Plc (RIFC) increasing by 16% to £18.1 million (2014: £15.6 million).
March 24 – Colombia’s Gerardo Bedoya, widely regarded as the world’s dirtiest footballer, quickly maintained his bad boy reputation in his first game as a senior coach.
March 24 – Belgium have switched their March 29 home friendly international with Portugal to the Portuguese city of Leiria because of security fears following the Brussels terrorist attacks.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 24 – Greek football authorities are digging in their heels and refusing to budge despite receiving a letter signed jointly by FIFA and UEFA urging them to reinstate the national cup competition, scrapped by the government earlier this month because of crowd trouble, or risk being thrown out of international football.
March 24 – The Caribbean Cup 2016 kicked off this week with a new format and a new title sponsor in the form of Scotiabank. Cuba, Grenada and Guyana all won their opening games as seven groups begin play to qualify 15 teams for the next round.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 23 – As next summer’s expanded European Championship finals in France come under increasing scrutiny because of the threat of terrorism, UEFA have been quick to express assurances about safety and security in the wake of Tuesday’s Brussels attacks that killed at least 34 people and left scores more injured, with one high-ranking UEFA official suggesting matches might even have to be held behind closed doors.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 23 – German football has a new general secretary as it endeavours to tackle the fallout from the 2006 World Cup corruption controversy.
By Paul Nicholson
March 23 – Barcelona, Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Paris St Germain, Liverpool and Chelsea will all compete this summer in the US-organised International Champions Cup (ICC), but not all games will be played in the US.
By Samindra Kunti
March 23 -The arbitration committee of the Belgian FA, the KBVB, has decided that Royal Antwerp FC must repay €4.9 million to its former chairman Eddy Wauters. The verdict leaves Antwerp gasping for air.
By Samindra Kunti
March 22 – Next week’s friendly international Belgium – Portugal at Brussels’s King Baudouin Stadium may be cancelled after the Belgian capital was hit by terrorist attacks.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 22 – Pressure is mounting on Danny Jordaan, the public face of the 2010 South Africa World Cup and head of his country’s FA, to explain how much he knew about FIFA’s belief that bribes were paid to secure the tournament.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 21 – Of all the upcoming fixtures in this week’s international programme, few will have the same resonance as Sierra Leone ‘s symbolic friendly with Malawi, the first on home soil since the west African country was officially declared free of Ebola.
By Samindra Kunti
March 21 – Brazil and Barcelona player Neymar has been convicted of tax fraud and ordered to pay €45.9 million in fines and back-taxes.