By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – Brazilian FA president Marco Polo Del Nero’s charmed life as leader of the CBF looks to be close to coming to an end after the FIFA’s ethics committee today banned him, though not before global pressure mounted to un-ignorable levels even in Zurich.
December 15 – As the three former South American football powerbrokers who have been on trial in New York for their alleged roles in the FIFA-gate scandal nervously await the jury’s verdict, the lawyer for one of them, former Brazilian FA boss Jose Maria Marin, wound up his defence Thursday by claiming his client had little idea about the $200 million bribery and corruption scheme.
By Samindra Kunti
December 15 – The Dutch FA (KNVB) has agreed to a significant pay rise for its national women’s team, but has shied away from the Norwegian model of equal payment to the men’s game.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – The bitter in-fighting between Zimbabwean football boss Philip Chiyangwa (pictured) and the national federation’s (ZIFA) former chief executive Jonathan Mashingaidze has plummeted to new depths with Mashingaidze reportedly handed a life ban after he claimed Chiyangwa was guilty of corruption.
December 15 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has been accused of turning a blind eye to match-fixing when he was UEFA’s general secretary during the 2010-11 scandal that rocked Turkish football.
December 15 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s determination to have video technology introduced before next year’s World Cup has taken a further knock with a spokesman for the game’s law making body questioning the system’s efficacity, especially in Germany where it is being trialled along with several other leagues.
December 15 – Kenya has been chosen by FIFA to form part of the pilot phase for FIFA’s new women’s football development programmes, with Kenya Football being offered the opportunity to benefit from a project which will focus on participation growth.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – Talk about a storm in a teacup. Just a couple of days after opening an investigation against their chief executive Jonathan Ford for allegedly talking out of turn by saying the next Wales manager could be “foreign”, but “definitely not English”, the Football Association of Wales has decided to take no action.
December 15 – The Qatar Football Association (QFA) has added another co-operation agreement to its growing list of federation alliances, signing a memorandum of understanding with the Iranian football association (IFF).
December 15 – AFC Wimbledon, who have clawed their way into the third tier of English football, have taken a big step towards returning to the site of their spiritual Plough Lane home in south west London with the granting of planning permission to start building their new £25 million stadium.
December 15 – The Chinese FA (CFA) has mandated a new youth football policy for its Chinese Super League (CSL) and China League One clubs that requires them to have youth teams in five age groups competing for the start of the 2019 season.
By David Owen
December 15 – The Chinese-owned Infront sports marketing company is splitting its summer sports and football businesses.
December 14 – The three former South American football powerbrokers who have been on trial in New York for their alleged roles in the FIFA-gate scandal lined their pockets with millions of dollars of bribes for more than six years, prosecutors argued in their closing arguments yesterday.
December 14 – Real Madrid beat local favourites Al Jazira in the semi-final of the Club World Cup in the UAE to set up a Europe versus South America clash against Brazil’s Gremio who qualified for the final with a 95th minute strike to beat Mexico’s Pachuca.
By Paul Nicholson
December 14 – Rochell Woodson, the suspended Liberian FA (LFA) executive committee member who plans to run against Musa Bility for the Liberian FA presidency, has filed a complaint to the LFA exco that her appeal against her sanction will not be heard in time for her to take place in the presidential election. She has also filed a separate complaint to the African confederation (CAF) against Bility complaining of constant harassment and intimidation.