By Samindra Kunti
February 22 – FIFA is satisfied with India’s planning and preparation for next year’s U17 World Cup, but indicated that the hosts still need major renovation in the six selected venues to be compliant with international standards.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 22 – The spending plans of FIFA presidential candidate Gianni Infantino, which have already been questioned by his main rival Shaikh Salman, have come under further scrutiny, this time from election outsider Jerome Champagne.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 22 – The sensitivity surrounding Friday’s FIFA presidential election has been racked up a notch after FIFA rejected a demand from one of the candidates to use transparent voting booths to ensure delegates do not photograph their ballot papers.
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.