Platini backs a German for World Player award
October 21 – UEFA president Michel Platini says it’s only fair that a German player wins this year’s FIFA World Player award because of the country’s World Cup success.
Now Nepal falls under FIFA audit scrutiny as cash questions raised
By Andrew Warshaw
October 21 – Yet another Asian country has become embroiled in corruption allegations as the fallout from the Mohamed bin Hammam era continues. Nepal’s football association (ANFA) is implementing “corrective measures”, say FIFA, amid claims by some of its own senior officials regarding embezzlement of funds.
India: 123 year old Mohammedan Sporting Club disbands football team
By Mark Baber
October 21 – The executive committee of the 123-year old Mohammedan Sporting Club, a Kolkota club with a glorious history, made the decision on Saturday to disband their football team for an indefinite period after failing to find a sponsor and being unable to pay salaries to players and coaching staff for the last 3 – 4 months.
Matt Scott: FIFA joins the dots in the fight against corruption
“Connectivity will be an enabler. Transparency for better government, education, and health.” Bill Gates
Eighteen months and 430 pages have gone into Michael Garcia’s report for the FIFA ethics committee into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding, and there have been acres more pages of newsprint produced on the back of it. It was the highest-profile measure to emerge from the Independent Governance Committee’s strategic review of FIFA’s operations.
A New FIFA President is Needed
Well, there will be one on May 29, 2015, and it seems pretty clear who the winner will be.
The bad part is that those who shriek “democracy”, “transparency” and shout for competing candidates, do nothing about it.
Enter football’s new old friend Greg Dyke. It is one thing to decry Blatter’s way of leading world football. And it is similarly easy to jump on the bandwagon but remain an onlooker.
UEFA hands out fines to Galatasaray, Wales and Andorra for fan trouble
October 21 – UEFA have fined Galatasaray €50,000 and ordered the Turkish club pay costs for the trouble caused by their fans in the Champions League clash at Arsenal on October 1.
Brazilian football violence claims fourth death this year
By Andrew Warshaw
October 21 – Brazilian police have detained six people following the death of a 21-year-old Palmeiras fan that has heaped more shame on the domestic game – the fourth fatality involving rival supporters this year.
Goal celebration goes tragically wrong for Indian footballer
October 21 – Indian football, which has just launched its much-touted Super League in an attempt to bolster interest, has suffered an untimely blow with a fatal tragedy as a result of a goal celebration in a state-level league game that went tragically wrong.
Ukraine vs Russia causes more damage to Shakhtar’s Donbass Arena
October 21 – Ukraine’s domestic champions have once again become an unwitting victim of the military conflict in the country after Shakhtar Donetsk’s state-of-the-art Donbass Arena suffered further damage from shelling despite a ceasefire agreed between the government and Russian-backed separatists.
Interviewee beware, FIFA ethics’ confidential doesn’t mean confidential after all
By Paul Nicholson
October 20 – In response to allegations and evidence that he promised confidentiality to those interviewed in his investigation of the bidding process for 2018 and 2022, FIFA’s chief ethics investigator, Michael Garcia, has told German news magazine Der Spiegel that the wording is merely a “standard statement”.
FIFPro to press CONMEBOL to ban clubs over unpaid wages
By Mark Baber
October 20 – FIFPro Division America Secretary General David Paniagua has announced that FIFPro will be asking South American confederation Conmebol tomorrow to exclude clubs that are in debt to their players from its competitions, including the Copa Libertadores de América and the Copa Sudamericana.
Myanmar fined and warned after country’s biggest game for a century
October 20 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has ordered Myanmar to play its next competitive game behind closed doors, suspended for two years, and has fined the national federation $24,000 as a result of a pitch invasion following last week’s 1-0 AFC under-19 Championship quarter-final win over the United Arab Emirates in Yangon.
Platini suggests sin bin white card to solve dissent ‘epidemic’
October 20 – UEFA president Michel Platini, not averse to coming up with fresh ideas for enhancing the game – some of which have their critics as well as their supporters – has thrown out another proposal: white cards to mean sinbins for players who harass referees to protest decisions.
Exclusive: FIFA plans to ramp up Ebola aid and awareness drive
By Andrew Warshaw
October 20 – FIFA is to step up its global awareness drive highlighting the threat of the Ebola virus which has killed more than 4,500 people and has placed next year’s African Cup of Nations in serious jeopardy.
AFCON 2015 hits hosting block as South Africa rejects white knight role
By Andrew Warshaw
October 20 – The troubled African Cup of Nations has received a further blow with the news that South Africa, which has already stepped in twice to rescue the tournament in recent years, may not be willing to do so again.