UEFA partner Leaders to promote Women’s game via Generation XX Series
June 21 – European governing body UEFA has partnered with conference organiser Leaders for the Generation XX Series to promote dialogue and profile of the women’s game.
Qatar continues building as alternative trade routes are opened up for construction supplies
By Mark Baber
June 19 – Qatar has moved swiftly to reassure the world’s football community that construction is progressing on stadia for the 2022 World Cup, despite the political, economic and social isolation attempts by its neighbours led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Despite its failures, Infantino defends VAR saying it is ‘the future of modern football’
By Samindra Kunti, Moscow
June 20 – FIFA has defended the use of video assistant referees (VARs) in the Confederations Cup in Russia, with president Gianni Infantino satisfied with the system’s progress.
Mercurial Argentine Bielsa keeps them waiting in Lille
June 20 – The French football revolution being engineered at Lille looks to have lost focus. New coach Marcelo Bielsa didn’t up show up for his first training session at the club as it seeks to rebuild after struggling in previous seasons in Ligue 1.
Sunderland accelerate sale talks as Short holds out for £90m to end his reign
June 20 – Sunderland’s relegation from the Premier League also saw the resignation of manager David Moyes over lack of transfer funds, and has accelerated the desire of American owner Ellis Short to sell the club. The club announced it is prioritising its sale over the search for a new manager.
Saudi Arabia to challenge BeIN sports rights deals with new channel launches
June 19 – With the Gulf diplomatic crisis continuing, reports suggest Saudi Arabia plans to set up new TV channels to challenge the regional dominance of Qatar’s BeIN Sports which is banned in the country, but is the dominant regional player in the sports rights market holding most of the key international league and national team properties.
DraftKings and FanDuel merger hits antitrust roadblock in the US
June 20 – The merger of daily fantasy sports DraftKings and FanDuel has been temporarily shelved after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stepped in to block the deal.
FIFA and Facebook combine to launch AR 3D mask app
June 20 – FIFA has embraced the new Augmented Reality (AR) technology opportunity on the Facebook platform to give fans a new way of showing their support for their teams.
Sheikh Ahmad’s ANOC pleads for sport to be kept separate from politics over Qatar
By David Owen
June 19 – An organisation headed by Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, the Kuwaiti sports power-broker, has sought to intervene in the diplomatic crisis surrounding 2022 World Cup host Qatar, with a plea for sport to be kept separate from politics.
Russia and Chile win, Mexico and Portugal draw, video ref is the biggest loser so far
By Samindra Kunti in Moscow
June 18- Under the watchful eye of president Vladimir Putin, Russia kicked off the Confederations Cup with a comfortable 2-0 win against New Zealand, but the tournament’s opening weekend was dominated by controversy over VAR.
CAF gives Kenya more time, but race is on to keep CHAN 2018 hosting
By Mark Baber
June 18 – After a week of inspections of stadia CAF have given Kenya more time to make progress, whilst assuring that a Plan B is in place for hosting of the CHAN tournament in January 2018, in case “there are some problems.”
FIFA emphasises eliminating the negative in its game-changing play fair! initiative
By Mark Baber
June 19 – The International Football Association Board (IFAB) and FIFA have formally launched the new play fair! Initiative as part of “a strategy focussing on improving fairness and the image of the game.”
Infantino dismisses talk on future of Confederations Cup for later date
By Paul Nicholson
June 18 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has dismissed talk of 2017 being the last staging of the Confederations Cup, saying that the time now is to focus on the game.
Bulgaria’s CSKA-Sofia loses at CAS but remains in Europa League, for now
June 18 – The on-going confusion and controversy around Bulgaria CSKA-Sofia shows little sign of ending as the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) rejected an urgent request to suspend UEFA from, potentially, ruling the club cannot compete in the upcoming Europa Cup.
US confirms Del Nero still under investigation as FBI digs deeper into South American leads
June 18 – The US Justice Department has confirmed that Brazilian football federation (CBF) president Marco Polo Del Nero is still under investigation for bribery in 2014, but Del Nero has not yet been formally charged.