By Paul Nicholson in Doha
December 12 – Guests, dignitaries and media are gathering in Doha, Qatar, for the launch on Saturday of the Lusail Stadium design that will be the showpiece venue hosting the opening match and final of the 2022 World Cup.
December 14 – The reputation of Chelsea supporters as among the worst in English football has plummeted to an all-time low after their own club questioned the “brain power” of some fans following the latest disgraceful scenes of racist abuse.
December 14 – LaLiga has brought in sports marketing agency IMG to boost its global sponsorship sales as it continues its international revenue drive.
By Paul Nicholson
December 13 – Patrice-Edouard Ngaïssona, a member of CAF’s executive committee and president of the Central African Republic FA, has been arrested in France and charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity including murder, torture and the recruitment of child soldiers.
By Samindra Kunti
December 13 – Japan have dropped Borussia Dortmund star Shinji Kagawa from their Asian Cup squad with coach Hajime Moriyasu opting for youth.
December 13 – Using cases like Gibraltar and Kosovo as precedents, Spain’s Basque region is to request formal recognition from both FIFA and UEFA following a vote by its local assembly.
December 13 – Morocco have pulled out of the running to step in as replacement hosts of next June’s African Nations Cup leaving South Africa and Egypt as front-runners.
December 13 – Just days after Afghan Football Federation president Keramuddin Keram was removed from office by the country’s attorney general while allegations of sexual abuse against members of the country’s women’s national team are investigated, FIFA has followed suit by banning him due to the ongoing probe.
By David Owen
December 13 – Brighton and Hove Albion, the south-coast club who have adapted well to life in the Premier League since their promotion in 2017, have announced a profit for the first time in their recent history.
December 13 – Despite UEFA chief Aleksander Ceferin’s preference for one sole bid from Europe, a Balkan grouping of countries hoping to stage the 2030 World Cup say they have just as realistic a chance as anyone else.
December 13 – The fractious relationship between Premier League club West Ham and their London Stadium landlords appears to have reached a break in hostilities with the club agreeing to pay about £450,000 extra per season to use London Stadium if the capacity is raised to 66,000 from the current 57,000.
December 13 – The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) and the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) have partnered to raise the level of Sport Integrity within national governments via a research and profile-building project titled ‘A Business Case for Sport Integrity’.
By Paul Nicholson
December 12 – Qatar-based pan-regional broadcaster beIN Sport has written to Serie A to ask the Italian league to reconsider the recently announced three-year deal for the staging of the Italian Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia.
December 12 – Qatar’s hosting of the 2022 World Cup is reported to be one of the key discussion points at the latest FIFA executive summit currently taking place in in Qatar and involving over 50 FIFA federations from five continents, including 18 from Asia.
December 12 – The head of African football has denied that he orchestrated the move to strip Cameroon of hosting rights for next year’s African Nations Cup, saying it was a collective decision by his confederation’s inner circle.