April 2 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been softening his stance over criticising European clubs for having too much power and is “ready to change” as he approaches the presidential election in May, according to the head of the European Club Association.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 1 – In an unprecedented off-the-field success for Palestinian football over its Israeli neighbour, FIFA has ordered Israeli premier league club Hapoel Haifa and their former player, Ali Khatib, to compensate Palestinian side Jabal al-Mukabbar after Khatib broke his contract with them.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 31 – The resentment, you feel, still partially lingers and the wounds of defeat have perhaps not completely healed. But ask Lennart Johansson whether Sepp Blatter, who beat him to the FIFA presidency back in 1998 and has reigned ever since , has any chance of being dethroned on May 29 and the Swede provides a categoric one-word answer.
“No.”
By Paul Nicholson
March 30 – Bonita Mersiades, the self-outed whistleblower from the Michael Garcia report into corruption in the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process, has again hit the headlines, this time with the revelation that she was found guilty of government fraud in Australia.
By David Owen
March 29 – A 20% jump in income from its Asia and North Africa region enabled FIFA to generate marginally more TV revenue from the 2014 World Cup than the previous edition in South Africa. This was in spite of a near 10% decline in revenue from the key European region.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
March 27 – He is guarded about how many votes he will pick up and where they will come from. And he won’t guarantee he will stay the course. Yet there is a certain gravitas, authority, self-belief and dry humour about Michael van Praag that gives the impression the Dutch FA president might, just might, just have a fighting chance of upsetting Sepp Blatter at the FIFA presidential election on May 29.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 26 – Two months after announcing he was standing as a FIFA presidential candidate against Sepp Blatter, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein of Jordan has broken his self-imposed withdrawal from the media spotlight by accusing the current regime of not doing nearly enough to develop football on the ground and Blatter in particular of playing politics to meet his own re-election ends.
By David Owen
March 24 – Low taxes and political neutrality: those are two of the reasons why, as I understand it, so many sports bodies over the years have set up headquarters amid the lakes and mountains of Switzerland.
By David Owen
March 21 – FIFA’s decision to make $209 million available to the employers of squad members of teams qualifying for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups means top European clubs in particular can look forward to dramatically enhanced payouts.
By David Owen
March 23 – World Cup ticketing income combined with a bonus from a well-subscribed hospitality programme to enable FIFA to shoulder a number of additional costs in 2014 without slipping into deficit or dipping into its rainy day reserve.
By David Owen
March 23 – Europe is virtually monopolising payments to clubs under FIFA’s Club Protection Programme (CPP). The scheme, which compensates clubs when their players are injured on international duty, made €39.4 million of payments in its first two years and four months of operation. Of this, no less than €38.6 million – 98% – went to clubs in the UEFA region.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
March 20 – A defiant Sepp Blatter laid down the gauntlet to his critics today by insisting his record at the head of FIFA spoke for itself and refusing to say whether or not he will issue a manifesto ahead of the presidential election in May.
March 20 – France has been awarded hosting rights for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, beating off a challenge from South Korea, the only other candidate.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 19 – Michel Platini may be Sepp Blatter’s greatest critic when it comes to the veteran Swiss standing for a fifth term of office as FIFA president but one thing the pair agree on is that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar must be staged in winter.
March 19 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has rejected a joint offer from UK broadcasters the BBC and Sky to take part in a political-style live television debate alongside his three rivals ahead of the presidential election at the end of May.