By Andrew Warshaw
September 18 – Last week’s remarkable testimony to a group of British parliamentarians by former FIFA governance guru Miguel Maduro not only exposed the way FIFA, under Gianni Infantino, tried to exert influence on independent judicial bodies but also highlighted serious misgivings about FIFA’s electoral process.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 15 – FIFA have announced a new format for the 2018 World Cup draw with teams to be grouped by their places in the world rankings rather than by Continent.
By Paul Nicholson
September 14 – At FIFA they come like buses, you wait for one and another follows right behind. No sooner had sacked former chairman of FIFA governance committee Miguel Maduro lifted the lid on new FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s manipulations of the ethics system, than another former governance committee member revealed that he had filed a complaint to FIFA Ethics.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 13 – Cornel Borbely (pictured), FIFA’s former ethics investigations chief whose work brought down a string of corrupt officials, has been barred from giving evidence to a British parliamentary committee, blatantly calling into question FIFA’s insistence it has nothing to hide and that the dark days of corruption are over.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 13 – FIFA’s entire approach to ethical standards under Gianni Infantino came under attack today by the man ousted as the organisation’s chief governance and electoral watchdog.
September 13 – After expressing serious reservations about the ruling, South African football chiefs have decided not to launch an appeal against FIFA’s order to replay last year’s World Cup qualifier against Senegal because of corrupt officiating.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 12 – As Miguel Maduro, axed as head of FIFA’s governance committee last May during a purge of senior ethics watchdogs, prepares for his appearance before a British parliamentary committee later today, it has come to light that both of FIFA’s former ethics chiefs are also set to go public to discuss their time at the organisation and the controversial circumstances of their removal.
September 12 – The knock-on effect of FIFA ordering a replay of the South Africa-Senegal World Cup qualifier because of corrupt officiating has taken another twist with group leader Burkina Faso criticising the move as unconstitutional.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 11 – Will this be the moment that exposes key ethical questions about Gianni Infantino’s conduct as FIFA president amid his claims that he is persuing meaningful reform?
September 11 – South Africa’s Football Association (SAFA) are holding an emergency committee today “to discuss the way forward” following FIFA’s decision to order a replay of the World Cup qualifier against Senegal over “match manipulation” by the referee.
September 8 – South Africa are considering appealing against FIFA’s decision to order a replay of their World Cup qualifier against Senegal 10 months ago over “match manipulation” by the referee.
September 8 – FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli over his middle-finger gesture during England’s World Cup qualifier against Slovakia on Monday.
September 8 – Forty-one North American cities have declared an interest in hosting matches at the 2026 World Cup as part of the joint bid by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
By Paul Nicholson at the Edinburgh Sports Conference
September 7 – The transfer window just closed saw player agents earn more than $76 million in commissions England, once again the highest value market in Europe for football’s intermediaries.
By Paul Nicholson
September 7 – David Chung, president of the Oceania Football Confederation and the second highest official at FIFA as senior vice president, is under increasing pressure from football stakeholders in his home country Papua New Guinea, where a breakaway group of top clubs is running its own league and development programmes already with greater numbers and participation than Chung’s FIFA-backed organisation.