By Andrew Warshaw
April 9 – The next crucial stage in the race to stage the 2026 World Cup gets under way today when FIFA begins the all-important process of evaluating the respective bids of USA-Canada-Mexico and Morocco by sending its panel of technical experts into the respective regions.
By Paul Nicholson
April 9 – FIFA general secretary Fatma Samoura has stepped into to the Liberian FA (LFA) election dispute asking general secretary Emmanuel Deah for a report on the allegations of rule breaking. Samoura has asked for the report to be delivered by April 9.
April 9 – Vahid Halilhodzic has been axed as coach of Japan following a string of disappointing results, leaving Japan’s World Cup preparations in turmoil. With two months left until the World Cup, Akira Nishino (pictured) will take over from the Bosnian coach.
April 9 – France’s Ligue 1 and broadcast distribution partner beIN SPORTS have signed a major TV deal in China that will see the league broadcast across terrestrial and digital channels with state broadcaster CCTV.
April 9 – Fans, especially those from England, should “think twice” before travelling to Russia for the World Cup because consular services will be less effective as a result of the recent diplomatic expulsions following the nerve agent poisoning affair, the White House has warned.
April 9 – Russian Railways has become an official sponsor of the 2018 Russia World Cup, taking a third-tier regional association alongside Alfa-Bank and Rostelcom.
April 9 – Having seemingly made peace with UEFA after being handed a voice on its executive committee, the body comprising Europe’s major leagues is back on the offensive by criticising UEFA’s distribution model for the 2018-21 cycle, saying it only increases the gap between the haves and have-nots.
April 9 – Concacaf is to play its 2018 Women’s Championship in the US in three cities: Cary, N.C., Edinburg, Texas, and Frisco, Texas. The tournament will be played October 4-17.
By David Owen
April 9 – The near 20-fold increase in broadcasting revenue associated with the club’s brief return to the Premier League helped Middlesbrough rebound into profit for the year to 30 June 2017.
By Andrew Warshaw and Paul Nicholson
April 6 – David Chung, president of the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) and one of FIFA’s highest ranking officials, has resigned after seven years in the job. A short statement from the OFC said Chung, FIFA’s senior vice-president and an important ally in Gianni Infantino’s 2016 presidential election victory, took the decision “after much deliberation, citing personal reasons.”
By David Owen
April 6 – FIFA has secured adequate supplies of anti-doping sample collection kits for this summer’s World Cup in Russia, in spite of the company which makes them announcing plans to exit the business.
April 6 – Bullets have been sent in the post to three key figures at the Italian Referees’ Association, according to its president, amid fan protests over use of the video assistant referee system.
April 6 – A women’s football match at the Dead Sea this week entered the Guinness Book of Records for having been played at the lowest point on earth, 400 meters below sea level.
April 6 – Professional footballers often try to extend their careers as long as possible by dropping into the lower leagues but the international Players union FIFPro has warned that more than one in three former players over the age of 40 are now suffering from knee cartilage damage, “risking their long-term health or are unaware of the lasting effects of serious knee injuries.”
April 6 – The attraction of e-sports has snared another football big name. Former Real Madrid, Liverpool and West Ham star Álvaro Arbeloa is partnering with League of Legends team Origen.