FIFA keeps hold of Brazil’s $92m until CBF shows ‘reform’
By Samindra Kunti
February 29 – FIFA is to maintain its freeze on distributing any money to the Brazilian football association, the CBF, until the federation gets its house in order.
Archive
FIFA puts its past behind it and opens a $129m museum
February 29 – Following the hurly burly of the FIFA presidential election at Zurich’s Hallenstadion FIFA’s new chief Gianni Infantino attended his first official public function across town at the opening of the SFr 130 million ($129 million) FIFA Museum project.
Money talks: Infantino and exco members to get pay grade cuts
By Andrew Warshaw
February 29 – Gianni Infantino will earn less than his disgraced predecessor Sepp Blatter when he takes on the job of reforming FIFA, Insideworldfootball has learned. And whoever becomes his second in command will have to accept a smaller pay packet than former secretary general Jerome Valcke who, like Blatter, is banned from the game.
Old boss Blatter watches Zurich feeding frenzy from a different place
February 29 – Sepp Blatter says a weight has been lifted from his shoulders and that he is at peace with himself – even though he has left FIFA under the darkest of clouds.
Brave new world, same old problems. FIFPro and ECA put pressure on
February 29 – Whilst most stakeholders were quick to congratulate Gianni Infantino after his presidential election victory, the international players’ union FIFPro took a rather more negative approach, suggesting little would be done for those who actually play the game.
Infantino wins FIFA presidency in second round of voting
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
February 26 – Gianni Infantino secured a surprise second-round victory over Asian football supremo Sheikh Salman today to become the ninth Fifa president following Sepp Blatter’s 18-year reign and keep the post in European hands.
Infantino sticks by non-European as his number two
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
February 26- New Fifa president Gianni Infantino says he will stick to his manifesto pledge to appoint a non-European as his general secretary – throwing into question the position of Markus Kattner who is currently doing the job.
Voting goes to second round with Infantino and Salman neck and neck
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
February 26 – The FIFA presidential election as expected moved into a second round of voting today as none of the four remaining candidates in the race after Tokyo Sexwale’s withdrawal managed to achieve the required two-thirds majority.
Chinese wall broken with central powers handed to federation
By Samindra Kunti
February 26 – The Chinese Football Association (CFA) will have more decision-making latitude as the government-run Chinese Football Administrative Center has been removed from the Chinese football structure in a sweeping move to reform the game in China.
Sexwale pitches and then pulls, Salman and Infantino focus on the money
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
February 26 – And then there were four. Just a few hours before the election of a new FIFA president, rank outsider Tokyo Sexwale as expected withdrew from the race but not before stealing the show with a wonderfully humourous speech to FIFA’s voting members.
FC Barcelona extends UNICEF partnership until 2020
By Mark Baber
February 26 – Barcelona have extended their agreement with UNICEF to 2020, continuing a key relationship which has endeared the Catalan club to supporters around the world and helped them ride out the storm over their breaking the regulations aimed at preventing the child trafficking of young footballers.
Sexwale pitches and then pulls out of FIFA election leaving crowd on their feet
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
February 26 – And then there were four. Just a few hours before the election of a new FIFA president, rank outsider Tokyo Sexwale as expected withdrew from the race but not before stealing the show with a wonderfully humourous speech to FIFA’s voting members.
FIFA crisis: $550m down, but lawyers are coining $10m a month
By Paul Nicholson in Zurich
February 26 – FIFA is stumping up a massive $10 million a month for legal bills and is $550 million off its target.
Costa Rica’s Li meets bail conditions but US takes several pounds of flesh
By Mark Baber
February 26 – After nine months in jail, including nine weeks in the notorious New York Metropolitan Detention Centre – known as ‘Brooklyn’s Abu Ghraib’ – former FIFA executive committee member-elect, CONCACAF executive committee member and Costa Rican Football Federation president Eduardo Li was finally granted bail after a posting a bond of $300,000 in cash, $800,000 in US properties and the salaries of nine supporters worth over $900,000.
FIFA vote through reform proposals with huge majority
By Andrew Warshaw and Paul Nicholson in Zurich
February 26 – Within minutes of being urged not to waste a one-off and essential opportunity to clean up their organisation of years of scandal and disgrace, FIFA’s global membership approved a radical new set of reform proposals by a huge majority today – but not with the unanimous backing the architects of the package might have wished for.