Copa America Centenario to play final at MetLife Stadium
December 16 – Organisers of the 2016 Copa America Centenario have announced that the final will be played at the 82,000 capacity MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
World Football
Sports Media Pearl Awards honour new writers and new football frontiers
By Samindra Kunti
December 16 – Football writers Anaman Fiifi from Ghana and Mihir Vasavda from India were both recognized for their outstanding journalism at the inaugural Sport Media Pearl Awards in Abu Dhabi. They represent a bright future for football journalism coming from football markets not always noted for their leading media coverage.
India builds Brazilian links as Zico’s Goa beat Roberto Carlos’ Delhi
By Samindra Kunti
December 16 – Yesterday FC Goa cruised to a 3-1 aggregate victory against Delhi Dynamos to reach the final of the Indian Super League in a battle between Brazilian coaches Zico and Roberto Carlos.
Napout and Callejas plead not guilty, Leoz and Li next for Brooklyn court
By Andrew Warshaw
December 16 – Suspended former FIFA vice-president Juan Angel Napout (pictured) and one-time Honduras President Rafael Callejas have both pleaded not guilty in a Brooklyn court to bribery charges as part of the US probe into widespread football corruption.
FIFpro’s Piat says TPO must be outlawed and players paid
By Andrew Warshaw
December 16 – The French president of the international players union FIFpro says the current transfer system encourages third party ownership which he has described as “a monster”.
Man Utd and Man City top table of players on 2015 international duty
December 15 – Manchester United and Manchester City players played more times for their countries than any other players at clubs in the Big-5 European leagues, according to research from the CIES Football Observatory.
Santos’ failure to qualify for Copa Libertadores leave club cash-strapped again
By Samindra Kunti
December 15 – Brazilian club Santos will face a 2016 season of austerity after missing out on qualification for the Copa Libertadores.
Brazilian revolution: Bom Senso movement makes bid for control
By Samindra Kunti
December 15 – Brazilian football needs its own 1992 Premier League moment – with Bom Senso that moment may have finally arrived in the country that lit up the world stage with its teams and players.
Bosman landmark galvanises FIFpro to drive next step of transfer reform
By Andrew Warshaw in Amsterdam
December 15 – The head of the international players’ union FIFpro says football is facing its “worst ever crisis” because of the imbalance between rich and poor and has urged his members to stick together to safeguard the sport.
MLS commits $37m for clubs to target ‘impact’ players via bigger wage incentives
By Ben Nicholson
December 14 – The MLS has committed near an additional $37 million for clubs to spend on player salaries. In both the 2016 and 2017 seasons, $125,000 per season will be dedicated to clubs to use on signing Homegrown Players, and $800,000 per season will be made available to all MLS clubs in the form of Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).
UEFA close to crossing the line on GLT, but will keep 5 assistant refs
December 14 – UEFA president Michel Platini may have long been opposed to goal-line technology but his organisation now realises it can no longer resist its implementation.
USL players on brink of union recognition
By Ben Nicholson
December 14 – The United Soccer League Players Association (USLPA) – consisting of those players employed in the United Soccer League (USL), which is considered the third tier of US soccer – is coming close to formal unionisation.
UEFA cover the presidential bases and call in feds for pre-FIFA election powwow
By Andrew Warshaw
December 11 – UEFA’s top brass have given Michel Platini as much time as possible to try and clear his name to run for FIFA president – but could have a new chief in place themselves at the start of May if he is banned from the game.
Kuwait’s Sheikh Ahmad handed 6 month jail term for TV remarks, 3 years ago
December 11 – Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Sabah, arguably the most powerful official in Asian sport and a recently elected member of FIFA’s top brass, has vowed to fight a six-month jail term imposed in his native Kuwait for allegedly insulting the judiciary.
Sports ministry disbands Sierra Leone FA board, but meets resistance
December 11 – Sierra Leone, which has only just returned to organised football activity having been declared ebola-free, has had its FA board dissolved by the National Sports Council (NSC), though the Sierra Leone FA (SLFA) is refusing to acknowledge the ruling.