By Andrew Warshaw
April 13 – FIFA’s avowed intention to put the misdemeanours of discredited powerbrokers behind it and focus on a reformed future has got off to an inaupicious start – in Brazil at least.
By Mark Baber
April 13 – China, Indonesia, Thailand and South Korea are bidding to host the 2023 Asian Cup, with Indonesia in the running despite being under a FIFA-imposed ban from international competition because of government interference in the running of the national soccer federation.
By Paul Nicholson
April 13 – With the spotlight back on the detail of the deal made by West Ham with the London Legacy Development Corporation for their move to tenancy at the Olympic Stadium, more evidence was provided that the need for the club to get a bigger home was provided last weekend with another sell out at the Boleyn ground with just 39 seats left unfilled.
April 13 – Whilst Angel Maria Villar Llona controversially continues to stand in for banned UEFA president Michel Platini despite being sanctioned late last year for failing to co-operate with the official investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process, his son is reported to have has fallen foul of judicial authorities in Uruguay.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 13 – The threat of an international ban on Greek football has been lifted after the government and the Greek FA (EPO) reached an 11th-hour agreement with FIFA to restart the domestic cup competition.
By Andrew Warshaw and Samindra Kunti
April 12 – As he awaits the verdict of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over his six-year ban from football, Michel Platini has been assured by the organisers that he can attend this summer’s European Championship finals in his homeland – even if the CAS judgement goes against him.
By Mark Baber
April 12 – West Ham’s move to London’s Olympic Stadium will come under increased public scrutiny following a ruling by the UK’s Information Tribunal which rejected in full the London Legacy Development Corporation (LDDC)’s appeal against an earlier Information Commissioner ruling to reveal full details of the secret contract enabling West Ham to move into the publicly owned Olympic Stadium.
April 12 – If the basis for international success is in the number of young players coaches can pick from their domestic leagues then England, who currently have the youngest national ‘A’ team in Europe, need to be worried about what happens next. France on the other hand has a very bright future.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 12 – Former FIFA vice president and interim CONCACAF president Alfredo Hawit has pleaded guilty to four conspiracy counts as part of the sweeping US investigation into football bribery in the Americas.
April 12 – Equatorial Guinea have been thrown out of the 2020 women’s Olympic preliminary qualifying football tournament by FIFA after one of their players was found to have used two passports with conflicting details.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 12 – China, which is already spending like crazy to lure a string of big-name overseas players to its domestic Super League, has announced plans to transform the country into a world football power by 2050.
By Samindra Kunti
April 12 – FC Barcelona’s Brazilian superstar Neymar, who has had assets seized in Brazil as part of a tax fraud case and whose transfer to Spain was one of the most controversial deals in world football, has had details of his contract released showing he receives a guaranteed salary of €45.9 million with his five-year contract at Barca. His buy-out clause is a massive €190 million.
April 12 – Man City players David Silva, Bacary Sagna, Fernando and Eliaquim Mangala warmed up for their Champions League second leg quarter final match-up with PSG with a few laps of the Etihad campus, in Nissan GT racing cars.
April 12 – The minute imperious central midfielder Yaya Toure got the news that Pep Guardiola would be replacing Manuel Pellegrini as manager at Manchester City in the summer, he knew his reign as one of the team’s pivotal superstars would be over.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 11 – Gianni Infantino has issued his most stinging rebuttal to date of any wrongdoing in the Panama Papers affair. The new FIFA president describes the way his involvement has been reported as a “disgrace”.