Disgraced Ronaldinho cuts $200K deal to return home
August 25 – Brazilian footballer Ronaldinho has been released from house arrest in Paraguay after his detention for holding a forged passport after a local court accepted a plea deal.
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Jetsetter Gianni lands in more trouble over what his private Russian flights really cost
August 25 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s predilection for private jet travel looks likely to cause him more discomfort than a trip in economy class.
Maguire in a meze. Man Utd defender released by Greek police but court date looms
August 24 – England international and Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been released by a Greek prosecutor after appearing in court on Saturday after two days in detention over a brawl on the island of Mykonos.
Wallace rant warns that FIFA is like the British Empire. What next, a return to slavery?
By Paul Nicholson
August 24 – William Wallace, removed from the presidency of the Trinidad and Tobago FA by a FIFA Normalisation Committee just three months after being elected to office, is not backing down in the dispute to have the legality of board’s removal contested in Trinidad rather than at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland.
FIFA files appeal on TTFA court ruling but warns of sanctions if it loses
August 21 – FIFA is not stepping back from its own statutes and rules of law and is maintaining that the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) is the correct forum for the ousted former Trinidad and Tobago FA leadership who have complained against their replacement by a Normalisation Committee.
FIFA closes ranks. Ethics boss Rojas dismisses Infantino’s Swiss criminal probe as bogus
By Andrew Warshaw
August 19 – FIFA’s ethics body today stood firm behind Gianni Infantino in the wake of the much-publicised Swiss criminal investigation into his conduct, refusing to suspend him by arguing the allegations did not “ justify the adoption of any kind of measure”, yet seriously calling into question its credibility and so-called independence.
FIFA suspends two more as Haitian sex abuse investigation escalates
August 20 – FIFA has suspended two more Haitian football officials and has extended a 90-day provisional ban meted out to federation (FHF) president Yves Jean-Bart while it investigates allegations of teenage girls being sexually abused at the national training centre, built with a FIFA grant.
Swiss cut face saving deal for Lauber who agrees to go early
August 20 – Switzerland has dropped impeachment proceedings against Michael Lauber after the attorney general agreed to quit office early amid persisting accusations of misconduct during an investigation into FIFA.
Demba Ba calls on football to boycott Chinese over abuse of Uighur muslims
August 19 – Former Senegal and English Premier League striker Demba Ba has called on football’s stakeholders to condemn China’s treatment of Uighur muslims, whatever the financial cost in terms of broadcast deals and player contracts.
LaLiga’s Granada renews Winamax short deal as appeal against gambling ad ban goes to EU
August 19 – Despite the strong threat of LaLiga’s clubs being prevented earning sponsorship income from the gaming and betting sector, another club has announced an online gambler as its main shirt sponsor.
Bayern’s ‘feel-good’ bubble burst as multiple racist instances at FCB academy revealed
August 18 – Just as Bayern Munich were plotting a return to European greatness after their 8-2 demolition of Barcelona in the Champions League quarter finals, the club has been hit by racism allegations towards a leading coach in its academy that has now triggered a police investigation.
Trinidad and Tobago teeter on brink of ban and 2022 exclusion after judge rules local law trumps FIFA’s
By Paul Nicholson
August 14 – Trinidad and Tobago High Court judge Carol Gobin has ruled against FIFA’s application to dismiss a lawsuit brought against it by former TTFA board members over their replacement with a normalisation committee.
Rehn’s defense of Infantino prompts reopening of FIFA’s governance challenges
August 13 – The defence of FIFA president Gianni Infantino by Olli Rehn (pictured), chairman of FIFA’s Covid-19 steering committee, has prompted a sharp response from a former FIFA staffer and a former candidate to represent CAF at the FIFA council.
Boris joins Toon Army questioning PL over the colour of Saudi money
August 11 – It isn’t every day that the prime minister of a country gets involved in a specific club take-over, but Boris Johnson has called on the English Premier League to explain why it neither approved nor rejected the recently failed Newcastle United deal.
Infantino and FIFA executive scramble to build a wall of Member Association support
By Paul Nicholson
August 10 – It has been a busy few days of letter sending by FIFA and its president Gianni Infantino who have scrambled to inform FA presidents their version of the circumstances surrounding the criminal investigation into Infantino’s meetings with the Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.