Inside World Football - Page 1363 of 2248 - For the Business of Football

Former CONCACAF bigwigs Hawit and Callejas given life bans

Alfredo Hawit

By Andrew Warshaw

December 20 – Three months after disgraced former CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb – not so long ago touted as a possible successor to Sepp Blatter – was banned for life, two more once all-powerful officials of the same confederation have suffered the same fate with Hondurans Alfredo Hawit (pictured) and Rafael Callejas thrown out of the game by FIFA’s ethics committee for taking bribes as part of the US-led football corruption scandal.

Africa

FIFA halts grant money as Nigerian minister calls for audit over ‘missing’ $802K

December 20 – Nigeria’s sports minister has called for a “reputable audit” of the national FA, constantly embroiled in financial troubles, over claims of irregularities in the use of FIFA grants.

Finance

Ismaik pledges €50m to 1860 Munich bid to return to Bundesliga’s top tier

December 20 – Bayern may dominate Munich and Germany, but they are facing challenges. RB Leipzig, backed by Red Bull cash, is now a realistic challenger at the top of the Bundesliga, while locally 1860 Munich are showing signs re-emerging from the shadows thanks to the deep pockets of Jordanian investor Hasan Ismaik.

Finance

Kit change pushes Chelsea’s high flyers to £70 million loss

By David Owen

December 19 – The short-term impact of the early termination of Chelsea’s kit deal with Adidas has been made apparent, with the West London club announcing a big net loss of £70.6 million for the year to 30 June 2016.

Football Asia

Ronaldo’s genius wins Club World Cup for Real, as Asia racks up another milestone

By Paul Nicholson

December 16 – It took a hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo to wake up the European football ‘world’ to FIFA’s often unloved Club World Cup in that region. The significant story of this competition, however, is perhaps not Real Madrid’s extra time win but that the European Champions were pushed by another team from Asia making a mark in world football.

Europe

French revolution: Ligue 1 boss Quillot says the LFP is growing its competitiveness

By Samindra Kunti

December 19 – Didier Quillot is the executive director of the LFP, the body presiding over professional French football. In an exclusive interview with Insideworldfootball Quillot addressed the challenges Ligue 1 faces.

Africa

Zimbabwe’s Chiyangwa wins at COSAFA saying CAF is next, then FIFA

By Andrew Warshaw

December 19 – Danny Jordaan, the public face of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and head of the country’s national association (SAFA) has missed out on the same role with the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (COSAFA) after withdrawing from presidential elections before a vote was cast.

FIFA

Suspended Niersbach resigns seats at FIFA and UEFA top tables

Germany Euros_2020_-_Wolfgang_Niersbach_Apr_11

By Andrew Warshaw

December 19 – Former German football supremo Wolfgang Niersbach has conceded defeat by agreeing to step down from his senior posts at FIFA and UEFA after failing to win his appeal against his one-year ban.

FIFA

Infantino backs video ref saying history has been made and errors will be ironed out

December 19 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino still hopes to see video technology used at the 2018 World Cup in Russia if teething problems can be ironed out in time.

Africa

Samoura blunder leaves Sierra Leone focusing on regional first steps

December 19 – When FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura (pictured right) visited Sierra Leone last month on a working trip that was partly to mediate in the ongoing dispute between the national association and the government over the way football there is run, she somewhat surprisingly suggested that the country bid for the under-17 women’s World Cup.

FIFA

World Cup TV corruption puts Televisa affiliate in the frame

December 19 – Court papers filed by prosecutors in the US allege that an affiliate of a major broadcasting company in Latin America paid millions of dollars in bribes to obtain the rights for the next four World Cup tournaments in Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay.

Football Marketing

Tsingtao signs on for another four years of AFC Champions League

December 19 – Chinese brewer Tsingtao has renewed its sponsorship of the fast developing and increasingly commercial AFC Champions League for another four years, no figure was announced for the deal.

FIFA

Trinidad double locks the door on letting the US in on Warner extradition case

Jack Warner3

By Paul Nicholson

December 19 – The hunting down of Jack Warner by the US Department of Justice suffered a second setback in six months when a judgement at the Hall of Justice, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, refused the US access to join the legal team making the case for his extradition from the island.

Football Marketing

Orange stays a CAF sponsor in time for AFCON kick-off in Gabon

December 19 – Confédération Africaine de Football (CAF) has renewed telecoms giant Orange as a major sponsor of its competitions for another eight years. The deal has been finalised just a couple of weeks before the start of the Total Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Gabon in January.

Europe

UEFA set Euro 2024 bid criteria and rule out 3-nation Nordic proposal

UEFA logo2

By Andrew Warshaw

December 16 – When Aleksander Čeferin was campaigning to replace Michel Platini as UEFA president, he dismissed as “insulting” persistent reports that in exchange for their votes he had made a series of promises to the Nordic federations, not least that he would support a joint Nordic bid for the 2024 Euro finals.