By Duncan Mackay
January 26 – Rod Allen (pictured), a former journalist, has been appointed as Football Federation Australia’s (FFA) new head of media relations, including handling the country’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, following the shock departure of Bonita Mersiades.
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January 26 – Bidding countries, including England led by former Liverpool striker John Barnes (pictured), are beginning to arrive in Angola for the Confederation of African Football (CAF), which has controversially been sponsored by Qatar 2022.
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January 25 – Prime Minister Gordon Brown (pictured) today admitted that the rising amount of debt being carried by several Premier League clubs was a ‘”concern” but Government intervention was out of the question.
By David Owen
January 25 – Two Asian football heavyweights are said to have drawn a line under their differences, in a move that could have profound consequences for the leadership of the world’s biggest sport.
By Duncan Mackay
January 24 – Bonita Mersiades (pictured), a key member of Australia’s campaign to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, has quit unexpectedly on the eve of a planned trip to Angola to lobby on behalf of the bid.
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By Duncan Mackay
January 24 – Europe’s leading clubs will be forced to release their top stars, like Didier Drogba (pictured), to play in the African Cup of Nations once every four years under plans proposed by FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
By Duncan Mackay
January 24 – South Korea’s President Lee Myung-bak (pictured) is set to meet FIFA President Sepp Blatter on Wednesday (January 27) to lobby on behalf of his country’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
January 23 – New West Ham United vice-chair Karren Brady (pictured) wants the club to eventually relocate to the London 2012 stadium – even suggesting the team could be renamed “West Ham Olympic”.
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As football movers and shakers head to Angola this week for the finale of the African Cup of Nations, some will still be mulling the significance of what happened the last time many of them set foot on the continent early last month.
January 23 – Two of South Africa’s World Cup venues have witnessed their first matches in preparation for the tournament, including in Cape Town, where England are due to play Algeria.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 23 – Markus Siegler (pictured), the newly appointed special advisor to Russia’s 2018 World Cup bid, insists the country has all the has necessary attributes to stage the tournament and is determined to use his unique contacts to bring it about.
January 23 – Former Liverpool and England striker Robbie Fowler (pictured) has hit out at the critics of Australia’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, claiming that they do not understand how huge the event is.
January 22 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter today met Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in Moscow to discuss Russia’s bid to host the 2018 or the 2022 World Cup.
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By Andrew Warshaw
January 22 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter is in Moscow for an update on the country’s bid to stage the 2018 World Cup.
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By Andrew Warshaw
January 21 – One of David Ginola’s first priorities in his role as the latest ambassador to be unveiled by England’s 2018 World Cup bid team will be to lobby UEFA President Michel Platini.