By Andrew Warshaw
December 18 – It’s an unthinkable scenario but Spain’s participation in next year’s World Cup could technically be under threat if the Spanish government meddles in the election of a replacement for disgraced Spanish FA (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar, the former FIFA and UEFA bigwig who was forced to relinquish his posts over corruption charges.
December 18 – AC Milan’s troubles on and off the pitch have taken a massive hit after UEFA rejected a request to waive Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules, saying they remain unconvinced about the club’s Chinese backers.
By Samindra Kunti
December 18 – The Brazilian football association (CBF), has moved swiftly following the 90-day suspension of president Marco Polo Del Nero, appointing Antonio Carlos Nunes on an interim basis.
December 18 – Real Madrid were crowned FIFA Club World Cup champions for the second year in succession at the weekend in the United Arab Emirates, beating Brazil’s Gremio 1-0 in the final.
By Samindra Kunti
December 18 – FIFPro, the World Player’s Union, has published a report exposing gender inequality in the game, urging football’s authorities to support the professionalisation of the women’s game.
December 18 – Yet more pressure is growing on football’s lawmakers to delay the formal implementation of video technology following contentious decision-making – this time at one of FIFA’s own competitions.
December 18 – Talk about a faux pas. France’s much-touted Atletico Madrid forward Antoine Griezmann has apologised after initially telling his social media followers to “calm down” in response to an outpouring of protest about racism when he painted himself black.
December 18 – Details of the new two-tier Caribbean club championship that kicks off 31 January 2018 have been announced with eight clubs from the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and Trinidad & Tobago competing in the top tier.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – Brazilian FA president Marco Polo Del Nero’s charmed life as leader of the CBF looks to be close to coming to an end after the FIFA’s ethics committee today banned him, though not before global pressure mounted to un-ignorable levels even in Zurich.
December 15 – As the three former South American football powerbrokers who have been on trial in New York for their alleged roles in the FIFA-gate scandal nervously await the jury’s verdict, the lawyer for one of them, former Brazilian FA boss Jose Maria Marin, wound up his defence Thursday by claiming his client had little idea about the $200 million bribery and corruption scheme.
By Samindra Kunti
December 15 – The Dutch FA (KNVB) has agreed to a significant pay rise for its national women’s team, but has shied away from the Norwegian model of equal payment to the men’s game.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – The bitter in-fighting between Zimbabwean football boss Philip Chiyangwa (pictured) and the national federation’s (ZIFA) former chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze has plummeted to new depths with Mashingaidze reportedly handed a life ban after he claimed Chiyangwa was guilty of corruption.
December 15 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been accused of turning a blind eye to match-fixing when he was UEFA’s general secretary during the 2010-11 scandal that rocked Turkish football.
December 15 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s determination to have video technology introduced before next year’s World Cup has taken a further knock with a spokesman for the game’s law making body questioning the system’s efficacity, especially in Germany where it is being trialled along with several other leagues.
December 15 – Kenya has been chosen by FIFA to form part of the pilot phase for FIFA’s new women’s football development programmes, with Kenya Football being offered the opportunity to benefit from a project which will focus on participation growth.