By Andrew Warshaw
December 14 – Despite UEFA President Michel Platini’s oft-quoted insistence that his organisation favoured a zero tolerance approach to racism, Serbian authorities were handed a series of less than drastic sanctions today in the wake of their fans’ behaviour at the now infamous under-21 fixture against England in October.
December 13 – Speaking at the International Football Arena (IFA) conference in Japan, Khaled Mortagy, a board director of Egyptian champions Al-Ahly and the African qualifiers for the FIFA Club World Cup, gave a brutally honest presentation outlining the journey the game was taking away from the dark days of football corruption, Government interference and the scenes of shocking violence.
December 13 – Speaking at the International Football Arena (IFA) Roundtable in Tokyo, FIFA general secretary, Jerôme Valcke said that the future of football lies in the development of grassroots activities, “which must be dominated by a strong infrastructure that is centered around club football anywhere in the world.”
By Andrew Warshaw
December 12 – European football’s governing body is clamping down hard on third party ownership – by which footballers are partly controlled by outside parties when it comes to access and transfer rights.
By Tom Degun
December 12 – The Indonesian Government has formed a football task force in a last-ditch attempt to avoid a FIFA suspension following a major row between two rival soccer factions in the country.
By Duncan Mackay
December 12 – Issa Hayatou is set to extend his 25-year reign as head of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) unopposed after Jacques Anouma’s challenge to be President was thrown out.
By Emily Goddard
December 11 – Christine Sinclair, who led Canada’s women’s football team to a bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympics – the team’s first podium finish since 1936 – has been named the winner of the 2012 Lou Marsh Award.
By Tom Degun
December 11 – Attorney General Dominic Grieve has made an application to quash the original Hillsborough inquest verdicts.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 11 – UEFA President Michel Platini is sticking to his firm stance against goal-line technology – exactly at the time it is currently being used for the first time in official competition.
By Tom Degun
December 10 – UEFA has announced the launch of a new under-19 club competition for the 2013-2014 season which will have close ties to the Champions League.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 9 – Mohamed Bin Hammam, still suspended from world football pending possible fresh sanctions after FIFA-appointed prosecutors completed their inquiry into alleged malpractice by the former head of Asian football, is set to make a rare public appearance in Europe.
December 7 – UEFA has announced an extension of its long-term marketing partnership with TEAM Marketing.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 7 – Twenty four hours before it was due to expire, the latest 45-day suspension of former FIFA vice-president Mohamed Bin Hammam, who has been out of football for 18 months, was again extended today but left open-ended after FIFA-appointed prosecutors completed their investigation into alleged malpractice by the once most powerful figure in Asian football.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 6 – FIFA has given rival Indonesian football factions until Monday (December 10) to end their in-fighting or face suspension from the world game, according to local reports.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 6 – FIFA has welcomed the introduction of goal-line technology, being rolled out for the first time in official competition at the Club World Cup in Japan starting today.