By Andrew Warshaw
February 22 – As he awaits the imminent outcome of his appeal against his eight-year ban and the election of his successor, Sepp Blatter insists the December 2010 vote to host the 2022 World Cup in Qatar was clean, but has repeated that political influences played a role in the infamous ballot that went some way to prompting the biggest scandal in FIFA history.
By Matt Scott
February 21 – FIFA’s presidential election will feature two swing voters who in an increasingly bitter struggle for support among candidates could play a decisive role in its outcome.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 19 – Outgoing FIFA president Sepp Blatter insists he has no preferred candidate to take his place but says he has spoken with four of the five contenders in the build-up to next week’s election.
February 19 – To ensure that no last-minute skullduggery takes place and the ballot remains secret, mobile phones and cameras will be banned from polling booths at next week’s FIFA presidential election.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 19 – FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein has revealed more details of the independent “oversight” body from outside football he will introduce if elected, with former United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan (pictured centre) planned to head up the group whose mission will be to help FIFA out of its quagmire of scandal and corruption.
By Paul Nicholson
February 18 – Meetings of Asian Football Confederation (AFC) member associations in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to discuss the FIFA reform proposals led to reiterated support for Shaikh Salman in his bid for the FIFA presidency, and speculation from observers as UEFA’s candidate Gianni Infantino enterprisingly turned up to lobby federations.
February 18 – FIFA’s ethics investigators have requested life bans for two senior South American officials who have already pleaded guilty as part of the FBI probe into widespread bribery and corruption.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 18 – The reputation of Franz Beckenbauer, Germany’s most revered footballing icon, has suffered yet more damage after he was fined and cautioned by the FIFA ethics committee for failing to initially co-operate with the investigation into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 18 – England is the latest country to announce it is backing Gianni Infantino for the FIFA presidency next week, adding its voice to a raft of other European nations officially endorsing the UEFA general secretary.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 18 – The Jordanian Royal Court has stepped into an increasingly distasteful FIFA presidential spat by denouncing alleged attempts to spread false rumours about the campaign being led by Prince Ali bin Al Hussein, specifically involving his Jewish chief spin doctor.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 17 – Sepp Blatter will find out later this week whether his appeal hearing to clear his name marked his last ever official visit to FIFA headquarters where he has ruled for the best part of 18 years.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 17 – The international players union FIFPro have laid bare their objections to the current transfer system, revealing that compensation for clubs who develop young talent is woefully inadequate.
By Matt Scott
January 17 – The FIFA presidential candidate Tokyo Sexwale has denied French-media accusations he received kickbacks worth hundreds of millions of dollars over a transaction involving a Canadian mining company in 2007.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 16 – Banned UEFA president Michel Platini says he is confident of clearing his name in time to take centre stage at this summer’s European Championship finals in his native France.
February 15 – FIFA presidential candidate Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has issued fresh denials that he had anything to do with suppressing pro-democracy protests in his native Bahrain four years ago.