By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 7 – The five South African administrators suspended last month over the matchfixing scandal that has rocked the nation have been re-instated by their own federation (SAFA) – at least temporarily.
I hate to be a wet blanket, but I have the tiniest sliver of sympathy for football administrators in the predicament they face following the actions of Kevin-Prince Boateng and his Milan team-mates.
The powers-that-be now have to decide how they are going to respond when a similar walk-off happens in a competitive match – as assuredly it will.
January 4 – This weekend the English FA Cup, the world’s oldest cup competition, enters its third round and sees the entry of the Premier League teams – matched-up against the minnows of England’s lower leagues all looking to create dramatic upsets.
Consider this question. In the next few years Britain may decide to leave the European Union. At no time since this country joined what was then the Common Market 40 years ago has there been such a strong anti-European feeling. And this is a mood that seems to be going beyond the traditional ‘fed up with Brussels’ to ‘get out of Europe’ clamour.
But even should a referendum see the people of Britain vote to leave,
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 4 – AC Milan’s collective stance against racism, when the whole team walked off the pitch in protest, has produced widespread support from across the game.
By Mark Baber
January 4 – The French Football League (LFP) has welcomed France’s Constitutional Council’s ruling that a proposed 75% upper income tax rate would be unconstitutional.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 4 – The Gulf Cup kicks off this Saturday with the latest edition having considerable significance both for those taking part and a region that is increasingly catching the attention of international observers from football politics, commerce, and fans.
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 4 – The head of Major League Soccer has responded to criticism of the league from FIFA president Sepp Blatter by saying the best way of winning Blatter over is to for him to actually attend a game and see the progress that has been made.
January 3 – Research using the social media tracker tool Flightdeck, puts Chelsea ahead of ‘big club’ rivals Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid in India in the race to dominate the social space.
By Mark Baber
January 3 – Ali Kafashian, head of the Iranian Football Federation (IFF) has confirmed Iran’s bid to hold the 2019 Asian Cup whilst hitting out at critics he claims are undermining the work of the federation in developing football in Iran.
By Mark Baber
Janaury 3 – Pay-TV broadcaster SuperSport has signed a 1 year deal with the South African Football Association (SAFA) to broadcast all South Africa’s home and away friendly matches during 2013.
January 3 – Over three-quarters of professional footballers questioned in England and Scotland believe depression is a genuine problem in the sport, according to a survey published by one of Britain’s leading football magazines.
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 3 – FIFA is requesting Israel to return VIP status to Palestinian Football Federation President Jibril Rajoub, allowing him to enter the country without security checks.
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 3 – German fans have called a halt to their groundbreaking silent protest against new safety and security measures adopted last month which, they claim, ruins the atmosphere at games.
By Mark Baber
January 2 – The Ghana FA is facing a possible cash crisis in the days before the start of the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.