FIFA turn down Bolivia World Cup points appeal
February 6 – Bolivia’s appeal against being docked points for fielding an ineligible player in two World Cup qualifiers has been rejected by FIFA’s appeals panel.
FIFA
FIFA shelves Early Warning System in favour Sportradar for war on match-fixing
By Andrew Warshaw
February 3 – The role and reputation of Sportradar in detecting global match-fixing and irregular betting patterns has received a major boost after FIFA decided to hire the specialist firm in place of its own detection division.
As bad ideas go, it might not be such a bad idea, says Blatter on ‘World Cup 48′
February 2 – Sepp Blatter has not always talked favourably about his successor but has surprisingly come out in partial support of Gianni Infantino’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams.
Van Basten puts sinbins proposal on rule makers’ agenda
By Andrew Warshaw
February 1 – Football’s lawmakers are to consider introducing sin-bins in place of yellow cards in what would constitute the most radical step for years to the way the game is played.
Rummenigge tells FIFA to stop playing politics and focus on football, or the clubs will step in
By Andrew Warshaw
January 31 – The head of the European Club Association, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, is back on the attack over FIFA’s decision to expand the World Cup to 48 teams, describing the move as “nonsense” and warning that the balance of power was shifting back towards his members.
Andrew Warshaw: Will Trump cast a towering shadow over football?
It’s still early days of course but legitimate questions are starting to be asked about the effect Donald Trump’s US presidency might have on the landscape of world football and specifically two huge issues: the 2026 World Cup and the FifaGate scandal.
FIFA removes old warhorse Villar from the frontline via its revamped committee structures
By Andrew Warshaw
January 26 – Is Angel Maria Villar’s influence as one of FIFA’s most senior figures gradually being stripped away, some might say not before time?
ECA chief Rummenigge warns clubs aren’t finished with opposition to 48-team World Cup
By Andrew Warshaw
January 24 – The head of the European Clubs Association has provided the biggest hint yet that his members will not take World Cup expansion lightly and could end co-operation with FIFA if their needs are not met.
Dark nights at the FIFA Museum as staff warned of job cuts
January 24 – FIFA’s much-touted but loss-making museum, which opened only a year ago, is on the verge of losing another raft of employees in a move to save costs.
Less is more? FIFA appoints heads of its slimmed-down committee structure
January 23 – As part of its reform process to streamline its top-heavy bureaucracy, save costs and respond to the worst crisis in its history, FIFA has slashed the number of standing committees from 26 to nine.
Mutko refuses to bow to Infantino pressure to withdraw from Council election
By Andrew Warshaw
January 23 – Russia’s under-fire senior football powerbroker Vitaly Mutko, allegedly caught up in the country’s damning doping scandal, reportedly ignored a private request from FIFA president Gianni Infantino to withdraw from the spotlight.
FIFA end Chirakal’s football career for good with life ban
By Andrew Warshaw
January 23 – Any hopes Gianni Infantino may have that FIFA has buried its toxic past have again been laid bare with yet another former prominent official banned for life by FIFA’s own ethics committee.
Video refs coming to Europe: Bundesliga to lead way with trials this season
January 2 – Germany’s Bundesliga will become the first major league to use video assistant referees next season for game-changing decisions.
Van Basten puts forward radical plan for sin bins and an end to offside rule
By Andrew Warshaw
January 19 – Not to be outdone by the innovations of his boss Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s new technical director Marco van Basten has come up with arguably the most ground-breaking blueprint ever for the future of football including scrapping offside and introducing sin-bins in place of yellow cards.
Club vs country: Matip waits in Liverpool’s wings as eligibility fog set to clear Friday
January 18 – Liverpool expect to discover on Friday whether Joel Matip is eligible to play for them as confusion continues over the defender’s availability.