July 22 – FIFA’s team of inspectors today praised Japan’s 2022 World Cup bid for its balance between old and new, environmental awareness and a high-tech approach, including a plan for 3-D match telecasts.
By Mike Rowbottom
July 21 – A report from a leading sports economist warning that bidding for another World Cup would be a costly mistake for the United States has generated fierce debate.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
July 21 – Danny Jordaan will join up with the FIFA team of inspectors evaluating the bidders for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup in Australia, he has revealed today.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
July 21 – Spain’s World Cup victory has given a massive lift to the country’s joint bid with Portugal to host the 2018 tournament, Sports Minister Jaime Lissavetzky has claimed.
July 21 – Durban officials have claimed that they are working on plans to ensure that the Moses Mabhida Stadium has a sustainable future now that the World Cup is over.
July 21 -FIFA has approved the use of two additional assistant referees for the next two seasons of UEFA Champions League football.
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On the face of it, Asian bidders for the 2022 World Cup were hit last week by some very bad news.
This took the form of an announcement by a top official at the Chinese Football Association that his powerhouse of a nation wants to host the 2026 World Cup.
“The CFA,” said Wei Di, its general secretary, “is preparing to ask the General Administration of Sport to bid for the 2026 World Cup”.
By Tom Degun in London
July 20 – West Ham United’s hopes of taking over the Olympic Stadium after the London 2012 Games today received a major boost from the owners of Westfield, who are building a new multi-million shoping centre in the shadow of the arena.
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July 20 – FIFA have gone back on President Sepp Blatter’s pledge to discuss introducing technology following at the first opportunity following the controversy over Frank Lampard’s goal that was not given against Germany.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
July 19 – FIFA’s team of inspectors arrived in Japan today to begin evaluating the candidates for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup but were unexpectedly missing Danny Jordaan, the chief executive of South Africa 2010, who had been expected to be part of the delegation.
July 19 – Bosnia’s Football Federation (NS/FSBIH) was threatened today with exclusion from international competitions as it has failed to adopt statute changes requested by FIFA and UEFA.
July 19 – British bookmaker William Hill is currently in talks with La Liga club Malaga, following reports that the their sponsorship deal with the club is to be terminated.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
July 19 – Mohamed Bin Hammam, the President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), will told talks with Chinese Vice-Sports Minister Cui Dalin in Beijing tomorrow with the prospect of a bid from China for the 2026 World Cup set to be top of the agenda.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
July 19 – A team of FIFA inspectors will today begin its marathon global trip of assessing the nine candidates bidding to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups when it lands in Japan.
July 19 – A delegation from the Irish Football Association (IFA) will today travel to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne to lay out their case in the ongoing eligibility case against the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) and FIFA, which Northern Ireland manager Nigel Worthington claims is exploiting them.