By David Gold at Westminster in London
July 29 – MPs today threatened to legislate in an attempt to force English football to make a number of reforms, including the introduction of a licensing system for professional clubs, if the Football Association (FA) was unable to do so, with MP Damian Collins telling football authorities that “doing nothing is not an option”.
By David Gold
July 29 – Twelve cities have been invited by Frank van Hattum (pictured), the chairman of New Zealand football, to host the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2015.
By David Gold
July 28 – Atalanta and Chievo Verona will face an Italian Football Federation (FIGC) disciplinary hearing next week as part of the ongoing investigation into match fixing in the country.
By Andrew Warshaw in Rio de Janeiro
July 28 – Vastly more Brazilians are looking forward to the FIFA World Cup in 2014 than the Rio Olympic Games two years later.
By Andrew Warshaw in Rio de Janeiro
July 27 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter today refuted allegations by one-time colleague Mohamed Bin Hammam that he ran the organisation like a dictator but refused to get drawn any further into the explosive bribery scandal that snared the former Asian football chief at the weekend.
By Andrew Warshaw in Rio de Janeiro
July 27 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter admitted today that preparations for the 2014 World Cup could be more advanced but said the country deserved to host the tournament and would end up proving critics wrong.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 26 – FIFA have given 25 Caribbean associations 48 hours to explain their role in the bribery scandal which led to Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam being banned for life.
By David Gold
July 25 – Hugh Dallas has settled a dispute with the Scottish Football Association (SFA) out of court over an email he sent which mocked the Pope.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 25 – As many as 15 representatives of Caribbean countries could now face investigation as part of the explosive bribery scandal that brought down Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam at the weekend.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 25 – Brazil’s Ricardo Teixeira, one of football’s most prominent powerbrokers, has launched a savage attack on the English Football Association, saying he will “make their lives hell” as long as he remains a member of FIFA’s ruling Executive Committee.
By David Gold
July 25 – Following an exhaustive search by London 2012 Official Sportswear Partner Adidas for a name for the football to be used in next year’s Olympics, it has been revealed that it will be called “The Albert”.
By David Gold
July 25 – A riot in a São Paulo derby between Guarani and Ponte Preta has raised fresh doubts on Brazil’s preparations for the 2014 World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 24 – Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam claims the life ban against him was an act of revenge for him standing against Sepp Blatter for FIFA President – and still insists he never paid bribes to anyone.
By Duncan Mackay in Zurich
July 24 – Mohamed Bin Hammam today continued to protest his innocence after being given a life ban for bribery by FIFA but the lack of support for him, especially from Asia, was deafening.
Just when Qatar thought it could turn over the page and move on in an atmosphere of trust and integrity, along comes another distasteful saga to give its 2022 World Cup preparations an unwanted headache.
First things first. Mohamed Bin Hammam’s lifetime ban from all football activities in Zurich had nothing whatsoever to do with his country’s landslide victory per se.
Bin Hammam wasn’t initially even in favour of Qtar going ahead and only aligned himself to the bid once it was clear the project was an immoveable force that had the support of those who pull the purse strings.