FIFA set to end big club warehousing of top youth talent with cap on loans
November 30 – FIFA finally look set to stop cash-rich clubs, like Chelsea, hoarding the best young players to the detriment of everyone else.
FIFA
FIFA Ethics ban former Sao Tomean FA boss Dende for corruption and fine him CHF75k
November 30 – FIFA’s ethics committee has imposed a four-year ban on Manuel Dende (pictured second left in happier times), former president of the Sao Tomean Football Association, for accepting a bribe believed to be from former Asian confederation chief and FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed bin Hammam.
FIFA ethics deputy chair Rajoo quits after Malaysian arrest
November 29 – Just days after he was arrested and temporarily suspended, FIFA has lost a key governance official following Sundra Rajoo’s decision to resign as one of the deputy chairmen of the FIFA’s Ethics Adjudicatory Chamber, a position he has only held since last year.
AFC condemns Israeli military action in Palestinian football and calls for new Task Force
November 27 – The Asian Football Confederation Executive Committee has pledged its support to the Palestine Football Association (PFA) after the latest interference in their football jurisdiction by Israeli military forces.
FIFA’s Ethics overlords call for Iran action and Ethics transparency. Will FIFA listen?
November 27 – FIFA has been urged by its own human rights advisory panel to set Iran a deadline for lifting its ban on women attending male matches in order to put an end to gender discrimination.
FIFA cleared suspected Russian dopers to play in 2018 World Cup
November 26 – FIFA gave the go-ahead for two Russian players to take part in the World Cup even though the Russian Football Union (RFU) had listed them as suspected dopers, according to email exchanges in the latest information provided by the Football Leaks website and widely reported over the weekend.
IFAB rules on time-wasting subs, handballs and penalty shoot-outs
November 23 – In a move designed to stop cynical time-wasting, players will leave the pitch at the nearest goalline or touchline when substituted rather than walk, sometimes at a snail’s pace, to the technical area under new proposals recommended by football’s lawmakers.
OFC declares for Infantino, as Blatter calls for an investigation into his conduct
November 23 – The 11-member Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) is backing FIFA President Gianni Infantino for re-election as his predecessor Sepp Blatter has called for an investigation into Infantino’s conduct.
Germany and North Koreans push US to bellyflop out of U17 Women’s World Cup
November 23 – Defending champions Korea DPR progressed to the quarter-finals, but the United States were among the casualties as the U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay reached the knockout phase.
More FIFA Ethics turmoil as official suspended after deputy chair caught in corruption probe
By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – In another hugely embarrassing blow to the credibility of FIFA’s supposedly revamped ethics process under the regime of Gianni Infantino, a leading FIFA ethics official whose lofty position gives him the right to pass judgement on corrupt footballing figures has himself been arrested on suspicion of corruption and temporarily thrown out.
US judge rejects FIFA’s restitution argument awarding just $108k
November 22 – In what will be judged as bitter disappointment for both FIFA and regional confederations Concacaf and Conmebol, a US judge has ruled that they can collectively recoup just $2.63 million from two former officials convicted on bribery charges, a small fraction of the roughly $125 million they had sought.
Infantino goes for gold with FIFA sell-off and a seat at the head of the ‘Newco’ table
By Paul Nicholson
November 19 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan to sell off the rights to two new FIFA competitions for $25 billion has been revealed as being just a stepping stone for a movement of all FIFA’s competition rights, including the World Cup and its archive, into a newly created Swiss company that he would chair.
Germany’s Grindel calls on Infantino to come clean over ‘facts’ behind $25bn sell-off plan
By Andrew Warshaw
November 19 – A prominent FIFA council member is urging Gianni Infantino to come clean over his alleged landscape-changing plan to sell off FIFA’s World Cup rights as part of a $25 billion deal with a consortium linked to Saudi Arabia.
Just a friend? Did Infantino miss the classes on integrity and conflict of interest at law school?
November 16 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino says he has no idea why Switzerland’s lead investigator into corruption within the organization was suspended from his role.
Chelsea spotlighted as Premier League clubs face FIFA scrutiny over rules on signing minors
By Andrew Warshaw
November 15 – FIFA is reported to be investigating five Premier League clubs over possible violations of rules covering the signing of foreign players under the age of 18.