Yemen suspends national team as cash crisis worsens
By Mark Baber
July 12 – Yemen’s Football Federation has pulled its national football team from participation in foreign competitions for the rest of 2013 due to a financial crisis.
Archive
Racing Santander issue match fixing denial but Tebas unconvinced
By Gareth Messenger
July 12 – Racing Santander have denied an allegation their 3-0 home win against Hercules on the final day of the second-division season was fixed and said they will co-operate fully with a probe by Spanish and European football authorities. Despite their victory on June 8, Santander were relegated to the third tier of Spanish football making it their second consecutive relegation.
Thai election turmoil deepens as Makudi sets vote date and FIFA step in
By Andrew Warshaw
July 12 – Thailand is once again facing the possibility of being expelled from FIFA unless the continuing impasse over implementing contentious new reforms can be resolved.
CONCACAF acts swiftly as Belize players report bribery attempt
July 12 – Football’s global match-fixing scourge, regarded as the biggest threat to the integrity of the sport, has now struck at the heart of CONCACAF with the confederation confirming that two Belize players were offered bribes to throw their opening match of the Gold Cup, the region’s blue riband event, against the United States.
CFU Under-20 women kick off qualifiers for place in Puerto Rico finals
July 11 – The qualifiers for The Caribbean Football Union (CFU) Women’s Under-20 Qualifiers Tournament kicked off this week with the Dominican Republic losing 3-0 to Trinidad and Tobago at home.
Deloitte report details Qatar’s $200bn+ investment in infrastructure
By Mark Baber
July 11 – A new report by Deloitte highlights the opportunities for the construction sector in Qatar as the country gears up to spend $140 billion over the next five years in transport infrastructure and over $200 billion in construction projects.
Leonardo quits PSG after French boost barging ban to 14 months
July 11 – Paris St. Germain’s Brazilian sporting director Leonardo has caved in to the pressure of his 14-month ban and is to resign from the Qatari-owned club.
Italian clubs face match fixing sanctions as court date looms
By Andrew Warshaw
July 11 – Lazio and Genoa face starting next season in Serie A with a points deduction as a result of the latest revelations in Italy’s match-fixing scandals. The two top-flight clubs, plus Lecce, face sanctions as do eight players accused of “sporting fraud” by the Italian football federation, allegedly involving sums of up to €500,000 in bribes.
Messi in but Iniesta out as German clubs lead the ‘best player’ nominees
July 11 – Five nominees from the Bundesliga are included in UEFA’s initial shortlist of ten players for the 2012-13 Best Player in Europe Award, reflecting the success of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in reaching last season’s Champions League final.
Bubayaro owner disbands Nigerian club over ‘goal-fest’ shame
July 11 – The owner of one of the teams caught up in Nigeria’s match-fixing goal-fest scandal has disowned and disbanded the club. Nigerian authorities have imposed an indefinite ban on all four teams involved in two recent playoff games that ended with Plateau United Feeders annihilating Akurba FC 79-0 and Police Machine FC demolishing Bubayaro 67-0.
Canadian Twitter threat leads to police investigation
By Andrew Warshaw
July 11 – Canadian police are investigating death threats sent on Twitter to the captain of one of the country’s leading clubs, Montreal Impact, which plays in the MLS. Midfielder Davy Arnaud is reported to have received threatening tweets after making a mistake that led to his team losing 4-3 at home to the Colorado Rapids in stoppage time.
CONCACAF calls for return to rotation and for the World Cup in 2026
By Andrew Warshaw
July 10 – CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb is targeting the 2026 World Cup after the United States missed out on hosting the event in 2022 when beaten to the punch by Qatar. Webb is hopeful he can harness enough support for the World Cup to be staged in his region for the first time since the USA hosted in 1994.
Magogo promises a new era of change for Ugandan football
By Mark Baber
July 10 – Moses Magogo who will be taking over as Ugandan FA (FUFA) president on August 31, and has launched his manifesto entitled ‘The Next Four Years’, outlining his vision for the future of Ugandan football.
Nigerian ‘goal-fest’ teams suspended indefinitely by FA
By Andrew Warshaw
July 10 – Nigerian football authorities have suspended four teams involved in “mind-boggling” playoff results, describing the 79-0 and 67-0 scorelines as “scandalous”.
AFF to bring in Australia, and announces Super League criteria
By Mark Baber
July 10 – ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) secretary-general Datuk Azzuddin Ahmad has welcomed Australia’s upcoming accession to full membership whilst firming up the details of the planned ASEAN Super League.