Hayatou’s African supremacy under threat from Madagascar’s Ahmad
January 13 – Is Issa Hayatou’s long, autocratic and often controversial reign as head of African football at last about to be put to the test?
Are Europe’s Cup competitions half full or half empty?
January 12 – With the English FA Cup having played its first weekend with the Premier League teams in the competition, and Spain’s Copa del Rey being marked by a comeback performance by Barcelona and Messi brilliance to get them though to the quarter finals, the question of whether Cup competitions are a distraction or an opportunity is being asked across Europe.
UEFA report shows a club football business that has never had it so good
By Paul Nicholson
January 12 – UEFA has released its latest club benchmarking report – an impressive and exhaustive (and exhausting) analysis via a range of indicators of the health and current position of European club football.
‘Are you Blatter in disguise?’ goes the chant
By Andrew Warshaw
All the benefits with no negatives. So proclaimed Gianni Infantino immediately after this week’s seismic decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams. This is not about politics, he said. This is not about money. This is purely about serving football and redressing the game’s imbalances. Does anyone in their right mind really believe that?
Man City looking like dopes as FA drug testers hunt for their players
January 12 – Manchester City have been charged by the Football Association for failing to ensure that anti-doping officials knew where their players were for random drugs testing.
Club vs country: Big 5 clubs count cost of African stars as AFCON set for kick off
January 12 – As European league seasons hot up in the second half of campaigns, the impact of losing players to the African Nations Cup, which begins on Saturday, is once again likely to take its toll.
Chelsea granted planning permission for £500m Stamford Bridge rebuild
January 12 – After a wait of more than a year, Chelsea have been granted planning permission to rebuild their Stamford Bridge stadium replacing the current 41,600 capacity venue with a 60,000-all seater.
Watch out, there’s a thief about. Six €93K timepieces go missing at FIFA
January 12 – Different regime, new ‘Watchgate’ probe. FIFA has filed a report with police in Switzerland after six Hublot watches embarrassingly went missing before Monday’s Best Awards gala in Zurich.
Taxi for Man Utd. Uber added to global partnership portfolio
January 12 – Manchester United has signed taxi app Uber as a global sponsor partner. No figure was announced for the sponsorship that will see Uber designated as the Official Ride of Manchester United.
Maracana looted as arguments rage over who will pay for the iconic stadium
By Samindra Kunti
January 12 – Rio de Janeiro’s famed Maracana stadium has been looted while a dispute over the stadium’s maintenance makes for an increasingly sad story of Brazilian World Cup legacy.
Three strikes and you’re out. UEFA hammers Partizan for breaking FFP rules again
January 12 – Partizan Belgrade have been banned from European competition by UEFA for the next three seasons in the latest crackdown over unpaid debts.
CONMEBOL call in Sportradar to boost battle against match-fixers
January 12 – South American confederation CONMEBOL has called in Sportradar to boost its battle against matchfixing and the on-going threats posed across the region.
Infantino defends 48 team World Cup as a 21st Century-looking, ‘football fever’ decision
By Andrew Warshaw
January 11 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has defended the expansion of the World Cup to 48 teams, insisting the change from 32 was based on “sporting merit” and not a money-making exercise despite his need to find promised additional revenue for FIFA’s 211 members.
World Cup 2018: 19 anti-doping chiefs call for blanket Russian ban on hosting
By Paul Nicholson
January 11 – The Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations (iNADO) statement calling for a ban on all Russian participation and hosting of international sporting events – which would include the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2018 World Cup – has been described as “strange” and “beyond the scope of their activities” by Russian minister of sport Pavel Kolobkov (pictured).