By Ben Nicholson
December 14 – The United Soccer League Players Association (USLPA) – consisting of those players employed in the United Soccer League (USL), which is considered the third tier of US soccer – is coming close to formal unionisation.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 14 – Just days after being arrested as part of the new wave of US justice department indictments in the FIFA corruption scandal and then suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee for 90 days, Paraguay’s Juan Angel Napout has tendered his resignation as president of CONMEBOL.
For years we have speculated about when China will host a World Cup. In 2030 maybe? Or 2034? Perhaps even 2026 in the (unlikely) event that the United States (or A.N.Other) somehow wrests the endlessly controversial 2022 competition away from Qatar.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 11 – UEFA’s top brass have given Michel Platini as much time as possible to try and clear his name to run for FIFA president – but could have a new chief in place themselves at the start of May if he is banned from the game.
December 11 – Sheikh Ahmad Fahad Al-Sabah, arguably the most powerful official in Asian sport and a recently elected member of FIFA’s top brass, has vowed to fight a six-month jail term imposed in his native Kuwait for allegedly insulting the judiciary.
December 11 – Sierra Leone, which has only just returned to organised football activity having been declared ebola-free, has had its FA board dissolved by the National Sports Council (NSC), though the Sierra Leone FA (SLFA) is refusing to acknowledge the ruling.
December 11 – Legendary Brazilian striker Ronaldo says he would not rule himself out of running for the presidency of his country’s beleaguered federation to restore is battered credibility.
By Mark Baber
December 11 – Turning a blind eye to the corruption scandals swirling around Nike, as they have to years of sweatshop and child labour by the same company, the Premier League announced on Wednesday a three-year extension to their long-term official ball partnership with the Eugene, Oregon-founded sportswear brand.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 11 – One of the most bizarre cases of alleged foul play has led to Real Madrid’s French striker Karim Benzema being suspended by his national team until an investigation into a blackmail case involving a sex tape has been resolved.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 11 – Without being able to rely on the majority support of his own confederation, FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein has been lobbying intensively in Africa, trying to swing some of its 54 votes his way ahead of the election on February 26.
By Samindra Kunti
December 11 – UEFA have unveiled Turkish Airlines as a global sponsor and official carrier of Euro 2016, the first airline sponsor the confederation has landed. No figure was announced for the deal which is for the 2016 tournament only.
By Paul Nicholson
December 11 – Manchester United have continued to outperform their Twitter rivals in the Premier League with a massive increase of over 150,000 followers in the last 4 weeks. At the top of the Twitter table they now have Arsenal very much in their sights and could overtake them by mid January at the current rate of increase.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 11 – Michel Platini’s hopes of running for FIFA president have suffered a potentially fatal blow, as has his entire footballing future, after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) refused to lift his interim ethics suspension.
December 11 – Honduran international Arnold Peralta was tragically shot dead in a parking lot on Thursday by unknown assailants while on holiday in his hometown.
By David Owen
December 10 – The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has added its support to the package of reform proposals approved last week by FIFA’s ruling Executive Committee, while expressing concern about the “ongoing criminal procedures” in the United States and Switzerland.