Gambia government caves in over FA corruption allegations and follows FIFA line
November 30 – Gambia has bowed to FIFA pressure after the country’s sports council chairman, Bori Darboe, reinstated the national FA’s executive committee.
Integrity
Real Madrid’s Modric becomes latest player caught in Spanish tax probe into image rights
November 30 – Real Madrid’s Croatian midfield star Luka Modric has become the latest high-profile player in Spain accused of tax fraud on revenue from his image rights.
Colombia’s Bedoya tells of World Cup approach, bribes and an offer from Nike
November 28 -Fresh revelations at the FifaGate scandal trial in New York have heaped more unwanted publicity on 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar with the former president of Colombia’s federation testifying that a sports marketing executive told him that up to $15 million in bribe money was potentially available for South American officials to back Qatar’s bid.
Families untied. Chiriboga testifies against father and ‘friends’ in FIFAgate court
November 24 – The son of disgraced former Ecuador FA president Luis Chiriboga (pictured) has testified against his father in the FIFAgate corruption trial in New York, admitting he facilitated bribery payments.
Going Dutch? Sports minister says KNVB must end women’s pay exploitation
By Samindra Kunti
November 23 – Dutch Minister for Sport Bruno Bruins wants the Dutch FA (KNVB) to consider narrowing the salary gap between professional men’s and women’s football in the Netherlands.
Former Anzhi owner Kerimov questioned in France for tax evasion
November 23 – The former owner of Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala has reportedly been questioned for two days in France following his arrest on suspicion of tax evasion.
Russian doping suspicions linger as FIFA confirms investigations still open
November 22 – With just days to go until the much-trumpeted draw in Moscow on December 1, the spectre of doping continues to hang over 2018 World Cup hosts Russia and their main organiser Vitaly Mutko.
PSG boss named in New York trial as bidder for Full Play sports rights agency
November 22 – Despite Qatar’s World Cup organisers being at pains to stress that the FIFAGate corruption trial in New York has nothing to do with them, yet another connection – however tenuous – has emerged between the 2022 bid process and the three football powerbrokers on trial for allegedly taking multiple bribes.
Party pooping Beverley Hills cops spoil Lukaku’s wild time in LA
November 22 – Manchester United striker Romelu Lukaku has avoided a possible jail sentence in the United States by agreeing to compensate police in Los Angeles for their repeated callouts over loud parties he held at a house he was renting in the summer.
Full Play’s Pena details bribes, driving more nails into Marin, Napout and Burga
November 21 – A prosecution witness in the increasingly revelatory FIFAGate corruption trial in New York says eight South American officials who received bribes in exchange for broadcasting and sponsorship rights were all given code names relating to different car brands, logged in secret Excel spreadsheets.
Mugging or contract killing? Televisa’s Espinosa shot in Mexico City
November 21 – Days after Mexican broadcaster Televisa was named in the New York corruption trial as paying bribes for World Cup rights, one of its senior executives, Adolfo Lagos Espinosa, was shot dead in Mexico City. It is unclear whether this was related to the courtroom revelation.
AFC launches whistleblower app in battle against match-fixing and corruption
November 21 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has launched a mobile whistleblower app which will enable fans, players and officials to report suspicious activities or supply information on match-fixing and other forms of corruption in football.
Former FIFA ethics bosses Borbely and Eckert set up governance advisory firm
By Andrew Warshaw
November 20 – “We’re round the corner and watching you, FIFA…” That’s what many may read into a new partnership between the two former heads of FIFA’s ethics department who have gone into business together in Zurich to advise on good governance in sport.
DFS issues to get aired at first business summit in Malta
November 20 – The Daily Fantasy Sports business is to get its first conference, hosted in Malta, later this week (November 23). The European Fantasy Sports Summit (EFSS) aims to give an international platform to a DFS focused agenda.
Paraguayan judge rules key US target Leoz can be extradited to face justice in Brooklyn
November 17 – A judge in Paraguay has authorised the extradition to the United States of former CONMEBOL boss Nicolás Leoz, alleged to have been one of the masterminds in the FIFAGate corruption scandal but who has so far managed to escape the clutches of US prosecutors.