By Andrew Warshaw
October 27 – After years of delays and buck-passing, FIFA has officially closed down its much-troubled Middle East mediation initiative, a highly provocative move that could enflame tension in the region and seems bound to infuriate the pro-Palestinian lobby like never before.
By David Owen
October 27 – England wanted to stage a football World Cup in 2018 – and now it is to get its wish.
October 27 – Italian football’s efforts to tackle a resurgence of anti-Semitism backfired disgracefully when a section of Lazio fans, traditionally among the worst culprits, sang fascist songs instead and made salutes.
October 27 – Under-fire English Football Association chairman Greg Clarke (pictured) has admitted his organisation has “lost the trust of the public” over its handling of discrimination claims made against former England women’s manager Mark Sampson.
October 27 – South African activists have urged their compatriot Tokyo Sexwale (pictured centre) to step down as FIFA’s chief Middle East negotiator because of the body’s distinct lack of progress in settling the footballing impasse between Israel and the Palestinians in the occupied territories, specifically the ongoing dispute over Israeli lower-league clubs playing official games on settlements in the West Bank.
By Paul Nicholson
October 27 – Arsenal’s annual general meeting – an almost pointless gathering of shareholders as the two largest (Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov) control 97% of the shares – was a stormy reflection of the relationship between the club and its London-based support.
By David Owen
October 27 – A total of 168 urine samples provided to drug testers by footballers resulted in adverse analytical findings (AAFs) in 2016, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has revealed.
October 27 – The Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) has signed a co-operation agreement with the Colombian División Mayor del Fútbol Colombiano (DIMAYOR) that will see the two leagues develop joint sports, marketing and management initiatives.
October 27 – The Hong Kong Football Association (HKFA) has just completed a week-long integrity programme for players and officials across the territory.
By Samindra Kunti in Kolkata
October 26 – England made history by reaching their first ever U-17 World Cup final as Rhian Brewster broke Brazilian hearts with a hat-trick in a commanding 3-1 semi-final victory. The Young Lions will face European champions Spain, who eliminated Mali with the same scoreline.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 26 – Football’s lawmakers look set to postpone their annual business meeting in Abu Dhabi where the main focus of attention was to have been video technology.
October 26 – Embattled Sierra Leone FA president Isha Johansen has been set aside by her own executive committee while she is investigated by the country’s Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC). The ruling also extends to the body’s secretary general Christopher Kamara.
October 26 – Under the global spotlight over its treatment of foreign workers, Qatari authorities have agreed a range of labour reforms including the introduction of a minimum wage and the abolition of the controversial kafala system under which foreign workers must get their employer’s consent to change jobs or leave the country.
October 26 – After being grilled for some eight hours by Swiss prosecutors, Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, the under-fire Qatari boss of beIN Sport Media who is at the centre of corruption allegations over World Cup TV rights, said he had nothing to hide and would willingly testify again.
October 26 – Spurs broke the 10-year-old Premier League attendance record in Round 9 of fixtures last week with 80,827 fans at Wembley for their 4-1 win over Liverpool.