June 16 – After taking Mexico to the edge in the Concacaf Nations League final in March, Panama is more than ready to make a deep run in the Gold Cup behind the man-management of Thomas Christiansen as he squeezes one more tournament out of his aging squad.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 27 – Sepp Blatter’s (pictured) promise that a woman will join FIFA’s Executive Committee to help get the organisation back on its feet cannot be approved for at least another four months.
By David Gold
January 27 – The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has failed in its attempts to amend Article 58 of its disciplinary code, which would relegate any teams found guilty of match fixing, after the clubs rejected the proposed change.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 27 – The increasingly powerful Middle East broadcaster Al Jazeera has signed a new four year agreement with the French Football League (LFP), cementing the region’s involvement with French football.
By David Gold
January 26 – Mark Pieth (pictured), the Swiss professor and chairman of the independent Governance Committee charged with reforming FIFA, has claimed he would be surprised if there are no more scandals to come after one of the most difficult periods in the organisations history.
By David Gold
January 26 – The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Competitions Committee has moved the region’s qualifiers for the London 2012 Olympic Games football tournament from Malaysia to Vietnam.
By David Gold
January 26 – The Bundesliga made a profit of €52.5 million (£44 million/$69 million) in 2010-2011, translating to an increase of €130 million (£109 million/$171 million) from the previous year’s figures.
By Andrew Warshaw in Nyon
January 26 – UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino (pictured) today urged the Turkish football authorities to move faster over eradicating match fixing, hinting that sanctions could otherwise follow.
By Andrew Warshaw in Nyon
January 26 – UEFA’s director of legal affairs, Alasdair Bell, insists financial fair play rules will be maintained and that, crucially, they have the backing of the European authorities against any attempts by clubs to overturn sanctions.
By David Gold
January 25 – Queens Park Rangers chairman Tony Fernandes (pictured) and his Chelsea counterpart Bruce Buck have issued a joint statement calling on supporters to make their FA Cup fourth round tie on Saturday (January 28) “a celebration of football”, following the racism allegations made against John Terry when the teams last met.
By Andrew Warshaw in Nyon
January 25 – Europe’s major professional clubs continue to rack up staggering losses despite warnings of sanctions under UEFA’s financial fair play rules.
By David Gold
January 25 – The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) will tomorrow meet to discuss whether to amend Article 58 of their disciplinary code, a move which could mean that any teams found guilty of involvement in the match fixing scandal in the country would escape relegation.
By David Gold
January 25 – Russian Premier League team Amkar Perm have had their bank accounts frozen due to a $1.1 million (£700,000/€850,000) debt they owe to former club President Valery Chuprakov.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 25 – The controversial President of beleaguered Swiss club Neuchâtel Xamax, Bulat Chagaev, has put his entire squad on gardening leave pending the outcome of an appeal against being kicked out of the Swiss league, according to reports.
By David Gold
January 24 – The former Japan Football Association (JFA) general secretary Takeo Hirata has said that Japan’s rivals will be more wary of the women’s world champions at the London 2012 Olympic Games this summer.
The stereotypical view of Switzerland is a country of chocolates, cuckoo clocks, mountainous beauty, cheese, private bank accounts, watches and rigid efficiency.
Having lived there many years ago, I discovered several other things, both good and bad. Flexibility was never one of the authorities’ great strengths but on the plus side I was struck by the contrast of quiet serenity allied, perhaps surprisingly to some, to a thriving cosmopolitan culture, depending of course which city you are in.