By Paul Nicholson
July 27 – Mexico won their seventh CONCACAF Gold Cup last night with a 3-1 win over the tournament’s surprise package Jamaica who made Gold Cup history by being the first team from the Caribbean to reach the final.
By David Owen
July 27 – The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has released comprehensive statistics on anti-doping tests analysed by WADA-accredited laboratories in 2014.
By David Owen
July 25 – Things have been going well on the field of play for Scottish club Aberdeen of late, a second place finish in the Scottish Premiership last season entitling them to a slot in the qualifying phase of the 2015-16 Europa League.
By Paul Nicholson
July 24 – The Panamanian Football Federation (FEPAFUT), bitter at their semi-final loss in the Gold Cup to Mexico on Wednesday evening have escalated their public complaints, now calling for the resignation of the whole CONCACAF Referees Committee citing “insulting and shameful” refereeing. The demand was made in a statement on their website.
July 24 – Croatia have been let off the hook and avoided being thrown out of Euro 2016 qualifying for racial discrimination, much to the relief of the entire country after the prime minister personally pleaded with UEFA president Michel Platini to show leniency.
By David Owen
July 23 – A close ally of FIFA Executive Committee (ExCo) member Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah has been made heir apparent of the International Swimming Federation (FINA).
By Alexander Krassimirov
July 23 – Bulgaria’s Marek Dupnitsa have been fined BGN 210,000 (€105,000) by the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) disciplinary committee for match-fixing. The steep fine, in Bulgarian terms, is a hard hit for the club which was relegated from the top flight last season.
By Mark Baber
July 23 – The plan of French League (LFP) president Frederic Thiriez (pictured) to protect investors in Ligue 1 clubs by reducing the number of relegation and promotion places between Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 to two up and two down hit a major obstacle today as the France Football Federation (FFF) annulled the move in its Executive Committee meeting.
July 23 – UEFA is celebrating a landmark court ruling which it says justifies its policy of financial fair play. The European Court of Justice has dismissed a legal challenge to the system following a Belgian court’s request for a preliminary judgment.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 23 – Three months after being replaced on FIFA’s executive committee following an 18-year stint, Thai football boss Worawi Makudi has been found guilty of electoral fraud in his homeland and sentenced to a suspended jail term.
By Paul Nicholson
July 23 – Not even the FBI could prevent the Caribbean having their day in the Gold Cup sunshine in the US. A history making 2-1 semi-final victory over the US in Atlanta yesterday catapulted the Reggae Boyz from Jamaica into a final against Mexico in Philadelphia this Sunday.
By Samindra Kunti
July 23 – A September friendly between Brazil and Argentina in San Francisco has been cancelled as the fallout of the FIFA corruption scandal continues. Problems with Full Play have impeded the staging of the match.
July 23 – As Russian football prepares to portray itself in the best possible light at Saturday’s star-studded 2018 World Cup draw, its record on racism has again been questioned with FC Ufa midfielder Emmanuel Frimpong describing the rejection of allegations he made as “beyond a joke”.
July 22 – The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) has signed another agreement with a government body, this time with youth and sport ministers from Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP). At the same time preparations for ICSS’s Financial Integrity and Transparency in Sport (FITS) Forum are continuing at speed.
By Alexander Krassimirov
July 22 – The Bulgarian tax collector, the National Revenue Agency (NAP), has failed to find a buyer for the CSKA Sofia brand (it’s logos and trademarks) and has dropped the asking price by 20%, to BGN2,944,288 (€1,472,144). This is the second time it has lowered the price.