By Paul Nicholson
June 20 – The corruption-riddled, ungoverned FIFA-fiefdom that Africa has become has now impacted on the offices of the president of FIFA, Gianni Infantino. In an act of demagoguery that may come to define his leadership, and in order to protect his own powerbase, FIFA has stepped in to take charge of Africa.
June 20 – LaLiga has implemented a socio-educational programme at the Zaatari refugee camp in Jordan, linking up with AFDP Global, the international football social enterprise, to help enhance the quality of life of young refugees using football as a tool for change.
June 18 – The Swiss investigation into FIFA corruption looks to be collapsing following a ruling by the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona which declared Federal Prosecutor Michael Lauber’s secret meetings with FIFA president Gianni Infantino give the appearance of bias.
June 14 – AFDP Global, the international social enterprise set up to use football as a tool for change in deprived communities, has welcomed FIFA’s ground-breaking move to ban former Afghan FA president Keramuudin Karim for life for sexual abuse.
June 7 – Manchester City, desperate not to be punished by UEFA as they chase winning Europe’s premier club trophy, have filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to block UEFA’s pursuit of a Champions League ban for violating Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
June 7 – Reportedly about to lose their star player Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, Chelsea have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against being slapped with a two-window transfer ban by FIFA after being found guilty in February of illegally signing no fewer than 29 under-age foreign players.
June 3 – Mired in controversy off the field far more often in recent months than scoring goals on it, Brazilian star Neymar is back in the news for all the wrong reasons, denying allegations by an unnamed woman that he drunkenly assaulted her at a top Paris hotel.
May 24 – Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, one of the most influential figures in world sports administration, has reportedly been charged in France with corruption over Qatari bids to host the world athletics championships.
By Paul Nicholson
May 22 – Italian competition regulators have ruled that Serie A missed out on international broadcast revenue because agents MP & Silva, B4 Capital and IMG fixed the acquisition price of the rights from the league over three rights cycles from 2008 to 2017.
May 16 – The ongoing saga over the conduct of Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber relating to a series of private meetings he held with FIFA president Gianni Infantino has taken yet another twist with reports that Lauber may not be able to run for a third term.
May 13 – Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber has been forced on to the attack following reports that an independent disciplinary investigation has been launched into his conduct relating to a series of private meetings with FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
April 29 – Sheffield United have been promoted to the English Premier League for the first time since 2007, joining Norwich City in the top flight, but they had an unusual helping hand from Yorkshire rivals Leeds.
By Paul Nicholson
April 26 – Saudi Arabia has been put on a ‘Priority Watch List’ by the US and in the UK questions were asked in the Houses of Parliament over the industrial scale copyright theft by Saudi-based pirate broadcaster beoutQ.
April 26 – Confidential meetings between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber – reportedly set up by a childhood friend of Infantino – continue to be the subject of investigation in Switzerland amid intense speculation about exactly what was discussed.
April 25 – After spending almost two years in custody awaiting trial, former Barcelona president and European football strongman Sandro Rosell has been acquitted of money laundering charges in a blow to Spanish prosecutors’ relentless campaign to wipe out football-related corruption.