By Andrew Warshaw
July 14 – Harold Mayne-Nicholls, the FIFA-appointed official who led the inspection team that evaluated the credentials of all 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding candidates, is free to resume his career in football after the Court of Arbitration for Sport cut his ban for seeking unpaid intern work in Qatar for relatives to two years.
By Paul Nicholson
July 13 – FIFA has wriggled out of responsibility to enable it to continue to support an unelected president of a national federation, claiming it is not the “competent” authority to enforce the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that Tombi A Roko Sidiki is unlawfully holding the position of Cameroon FA (Fecafoot) president.
By Mark Baber
July 14 – The German football association (DFB) is trading in its Mercedes-Benz deal for a shiny new model from disgraced carmaker VW, reportedly worth €25-20 million per year. Mercedes have been the DFB’s main automotive sponsor since 1972.
July 14 – Monaco’s much-vaunted Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, suspected of tax evasion in Spain, has paid back €8.2 million to Spanish tax authorities, according to agencies and the Spanish media.
July 14 – A lighthearted example of sport and politics mixing saw Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn bringing an unusual gift to the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier when the pair met for talks this week.
By Paul Nicholson
July 14 – Controversial Liberian FA president Musa Bility (pictured), a member of the Confederation of African Football executive committee, is under renewed allegations from stakeholders in his own federation who claim that he is “embezzling” funds from the federation and FIFA grant money.
July 14 – North, Central America and Caribbean confederation has opened a second regional office in Guatemala City, Guatemala. This follows the opening of a regional office in Kingston, Jamaica in May.
July 14 – Having initially rejected a move to China because of the terms of the deal, French striker Anthony Modeste has become the first big name European signing of the Chinese Super League’s close season transfer window after Bundesliga side Cologne announced his departure to Tianjin Quanjian for a reported €35 million.
By Paul Nicholson
July 14 – French Guiana has been ruled to forfeit its last Gold Cup group game to Honduras for playing former French international Florent Malouda. The 3-0 forfeit (the match itself was a 0-0 draw) puts Honduras firmly back into contention for qualification to the next round of the competition.
July 14 – The Ajax midfielder Abdelhak Nouri, who collapsed during a recent pre-season friendly, has suffered serious and permanent brain damage, the club have announced.
July 14 – The Bureau of the FIFA Council has lifted the suspension imposed on the Sudan Football Association (SFA) for government interference, but it is too late for the Sudanese clubs who had already been disqualified from CAF competitions. However, the good news is it is in time to allow to the national team to fulfil this weekend’s fixture against Burundi in African Nations Championship 2018 qualification.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 13 – Love him or loathe him, no-one can deny Chuck Blazer his legendary place in the annals of football politics. The burly American, whose admissions of guilt set off the corruption scandal that heaped disgrace on FIFA, has died aged 72 after battling cancer and other illnesses, bringing to an end one the most colourful and controversial careers in the history of the sport.
July 13 – Nike may have been the dominant brand when it comes to winning major European leagues and titles over the past 11 years (Nike 37 Adidas 26), but last season Adidas wiped out the swoosh winning six out of seven major European tournaments.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 13 – South African football has been plunged into controversy after the country’s Premier Soccer League (PSL) allowed a Durban-based club to buy their way into the top flight.
July 13 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has banned former Timor-Leste Technical Director Orlando Marques Henriques (pictured) for life for serious match-fixing offences.