UEFA lifts in-stadium booze ban for Champions and Europa Leagues
June 27 – UEFA is lifting its alcohol ban during Champions League and Europa League matches “within the limits permitted under national and local law”.
World Football
Bundesliga clubs top world attendance figures for 2017/18 season
June 22 – Germany’s Bundesliga has again reported attendance figures that make it the most highly attended league in world football. The numbers for the 2017/18 season are the second highest in the league’s history.
FIFA talks postponed as Ghanaian government takes lead on football reform
June 22 – A meeting between FIFA and Ghanaian officials, scheduled for today and aimed at restructuring the national FA after it was dissolved in the wake of the Kwesi Nyantakyi scandal, has been postponed indefinitely.
Ghana’s ‘gift-accepting’ Nyantakyi claims innocence and calls for release of full TV tape
By Andrew Warshaw
June 20 – The second most powerful official in African football has broken his silence after being banned by FIFA for allegedly taking bribes.
Germany and Lahm take Russian opportunity to lobby for 2024 Euros
June 19 – Germany could have done with the inspirational but now-retired Philipp Lahm when they kicked off their World Cup campaign against Mexico.
Harris wins Caribbean presidency and promises grassroots build and governance support
By Paul Nicholson
June 12 – The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) has confirmed Barbados FA president Randy Harris as its new leader to finish off the two years remaining on the presidential term after former president Gordon Derrick was banned from football by FIFA at the end of last year.
Ukraine sports minister demands interrogation of CONIFA winning Karpatalya players
By Mark Baber
June 12 – The victory of Ukraine’s Karpatalya over Northern Cyprus in the 2018 Paddy Power World Football Cup in London on Saturday was a far from a cause for celebration for Ukrainian Sports Minister Igor Zhdanov who called for the players to be interrogated by security services for “sporting separatism” and ties to separatist and terrorist groups.
African turmoil as Conmebol blanks Morocco and Nyanteki quits as CAF roles
By Andrew Warshaw in Moscow
June 11 – The two sides in the bid to stage the 2026 World Cup upped the ante today as they made final presentations to all but one of FIFA’s six individual regional groupings – and not without considerable controversy.
UEFA and FIFA impotent as AEK’s Melissanidis heaps further shame on Greek football
By Paul Nicholson
June 11 – UEFA and FIFA’s failure to get any kind of control or governance over Greek football is reaching unprecedented levels even by their own woeful standards. The integrity of the game in Greece was hammered again with news that champion club AEK’s owner Dimitris Melissanidis is under investigation for accounting fraud.
Kosovo football legend and pioneer Vokrri dies suddenly, aged 57
June 11 – One of the main architects in getting Kosovo recognised as an international football federation and admitted as a UEFA and FIFA member, Fadil Vokrri, has passed away aged 57.
USL breaks attendance records as league admits New Mexico franchise for 2019
June 11 – The rapidly expanded secoind tier US professional league, the USL, broke another record last week as total attendance for the 2018 season broke the one million barrier at the earliest point in its history.
Ghana crisis as FIFA ban arrested Nyantakyi and government moves to dissolve FA
By Andrew Warshaw
June 8 – Just days before FIFA’s top brass and entire membership are both due to meet on the eve of the World Cup, explosive new corruption allegations have plunged African football into disgrace and led to Ghana dissolving its national federation.
Frederick challenges Harris for Caribbean leadership with solidarity of CFU on the line
By Paul Nicholson
June 8 – While Concacaf focus in Moscow next week will be on the United 2026 bid to bring the World Cup back to the region, the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) also faces a potentially pivotal moment.
Israeli fury at Argentina pull out, claiming players were threatened by terrorists
By Andrew Warshaw
June 7 – The tit-for-tat row over the cancellation of Argentina’s friendly with Israel this coming Saturday has intensified with the Israelis demanding FIFA investigate what it said were threats against Argentina players and laying the blame squarely at the feet of the Palestinian authorities.
Mamic flees as Croatian court sentences him to 6.5 years over Modric and Kovacic deals
June 7 – A Croatian court has sentenced the former boss of Dinamo Zagreb, Zdravko Mamic (pictured right with brother Zoran), to six-and-a-half years in prison for tax evasion and siphoning off profits from player transfers, allegedly including that of Luka Modric to Tottenham Hotspur and Mateo Kovacic to Inter.