By Andrew Warshaw
October 19 – As FIFA’s executive committee prepares to meet in emergency session to consider the fallout from Sepp Blatter’s 90-day suspension, its Australian member Moya Dodd says cleaning up the organisation after the worst corruption crisis in sporting history is far more important than whoever takes over as president.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 19 – For the first time since being sensationally suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee, beleaguered UEFA president Michel Platini has gone public by admitting he had no written contract over the infamous SFr2 million payment he received from FIFA in 2011 but has issued a staunch defence of his reputation and conduct.
October 19 – Kuwait, home to Asia’s most influential sports power broker Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, has been banned from international football because of government interference in the running of the sport domestically.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 19 – Franz Beckenbauer and Wolfgang Niersbach, the two men at the centre of the explosive cash for votes allegations over the 2006 World Cup, have both vehemently denied any wrongdoing as FIFA admitted it was examining the claims made by Der Spiegel.
By Samindra Kunti
October 19 – Flamengo’s chairman Eduardo de Mello wants the club to take management control of Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana stadium to maximise its revenue potential, but is facing opposition from within the sporting club.
By Ben Nicholson
October 19 – The MLS has joined up with other heavyweight sporting organisations in the US across multiple sporting disciplines to advance race relations. The MLS, NFL, NBA, NHL, to name a few, have joined the Ross Initiative in Sports for Equality (RISE) to launch a nationwide campaign that uses the power of sport as vehicle to promote understanding, respect and equality.
By Ben Nicholson
October 19 – FIFA, alongside The International Football Association Board (IFAB), are looking to develop standardised wearable-technology. FIFA and IFAB have invited producers of electronic performance and tracking systems (EPTS) to present their systems.
By David Owen
October 19 – Letv Sports & Technology, the Chinese business that last month won exclusive live broadcasting rights for the Premier League in Hong Kong for three seasons from 2016-17, is to rebrand.
One word dominated this year’s Sportel event in Monte Carlo. That word was China. The explanation for this can be encapsulated in one word as well. That word is money.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 16 – Sepp Blatter has admitted that the SFr2 million franc payment made to Michel Platini which led to them both being suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee was “a gentleman’s agreement”.
October 16 – Manchester City has added online gaming company Betsafe as an official betting partner for both the club’s men’s and women’s teams.
By Mark Baber
October 16 – Three current and two former Nepal national team players have been arrested in Kathmandu Valley as part of an investigation into match-fixing involving bookies in Malaysia and Singapore.
October 16 – Concerns over yet another possible FIFA cash-for-votes scandal have been dismissed by the German Football Association (DFB) which says it has found no indication of wrongdoing in the bid process for the 2006 World Cup which it hosted.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
October 16 – Following Serbia’s unsuccessful campagin to qualify for the Euro 2016 finals in France, the country’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has announced that his government will allocate €150 million to the construction of a new national football stadium in Belgrade.
October 16 – Bayern Munich fans are planning a protest at their Champions League clash at Arsenal next week over how much they have been forced to fork out for tickets. The Bayern fans say they will not enter the Emirates stadium for the first five minutes because of the “excessive” £64 ticket price.