Fiorentina plan a ‘purple renaissance’ starting with €420m new stadium
March 13 – Serie A club Fiorentina have outlined plans for a new 40,000 capacity stadium in Florence that would be open for the start of the 2021-22 season.
Liverpool adds local distillers Halewood to sponsor roster
March 13 – Premier League Liverpool have added a new official partner with Halewood Wines and Spirits joining the club’s sponsorship roster.
Mutko ruled out of standing for FIFA Council due to Russian government role
By Andrew Warshaw
March 10 – Russia’s under-fire World Cup supremo Vitaly Mutko, one of the most powerful figures in world sport, has been sensationally barred from seeking re-election to FIFA’s ruling Council.
Bility’s ‘bribery’ claim drags in Johansson and throws smokescreen over corruption allegations
By Paul Nicholson
March 10 – The whistleblower who informed FIFA of corruption within the Liberian Football Association (LFA) has been accused by LFA president Musa Bility of encouraging Sierra Leone president Isha Johansson to pay a bribe to her own executive committee members to win their support.
Infantino says FIFA’s garden is rosy but World Cup poisons may eat away his harmony
By Andrew Warshaw
March 10 – Gianni Infantino painted a picture of total harmony when the curtain came down this week on FIFA’s talk shops with member federations, dubbed “executive summits”, that have been held in six venues across the world over the past few months.
PSG fans target players as Barca disaster turns nasty
March 10 – Paris St-Germain say a police investigation is under way after fans angrily confronted players on their return from Barcelona following the greatest capitulation in Champions League history.
Confederations Cup ticket sales slow as Russians cool on 2018 World Cup warm-up
By Samindra Kunti
March 10 – The countdown to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup is on, but concerns remain over the slow ticket sales for the tournament. Despite ticket sales windows being open since November 2016, tickets are still available for all 16 matches.
AFC postpones Korea vs Malaysia Asian Cup qualifier as diplomatic tension builds
March 10 – The diplomatic stand-off between North Korea and Malaysia following the assassination of Kim Jong Nam, the estranged half-brother of Pyongyang ruler Kim Jong Un, at Kuala Lumpur International Airport on February 13 has spilled over into football.
CAS ruling on Seraing backs FIFA ban on third party ownership
March 10 – FIFA have welcomed the decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to uphold a recruitment ban on Belgian club RFC Seraing during four transfer windows imposed back in September 2015 for breaches relating to third party ownership.
Man City top Facebook, Man Utd snap Instagram lead, Chelsea keep building
March 10 – Manchester City continue to dominate growth on Facebook with 133,600 new Facebook likes this week – a 0.57% growth. This is 55,000 more new likes than local rivals Manchester United who grew by 78,780.
Exclusive: Bility refutes corruption claims saying LFA audits were clean
By Paul Nicholson
March 9 – Musa Bility, the Liberian FA (LFA) president accused of corruption by a former LFA executive committee member, has struck back with his own letter to FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura refuting the allegations and saying he has instructed his lawyers to take action against the LFA whistleblower.
Infantino says US will have to let fans in for 2026, but will FIFA let Mutko in for 2017?
By Andrew Warshaw
March 9 – Donald Trump’s controversial immigration policies could potentially undermine a United States bid for the 2026 World Cup, FIFA president Gianni Infantino warned today.
Samoura claims she is neutral in CAF elections, wanting the best for Africa’s future
March 9 – Senegal’s FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura her assured her neutrality ahead of next week’s presidential election of the African Confederation (CAF), when Ahmad Ahmad will try to dislodge Issa Hayatou.
Unhappy birthday party: Chiyangwa loses plot over CAF election allegations
March 9 – Zimbabwe FA chairman Phillip Chiyangwa has stepped up his dispute with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) by threatening legal action against both its president, Issa Hayatou, and secretary general.
US and Olympique Lyon dominate vote for FIFPro 2016 Women’s World XI team
March 9 – The US leads the list of countries represented in the FIFPro 2016 Women’s World XI with four players – Hope Solo, Carli Lloyd, Ali Krieger and Alex Morgan – making the final cut. The team includes players from six countries, including two from Olympic Gold medal winners Germany.