By Andrew Warshaw
January 15 – FIFA’s main corruption-buster has warned that match-fixing criminals may try to target World Cup matches this summer. But says Ralf Mutschke, football’s world governing body will do all it can to make sure the tournament remains clean.
January 15 – FIFA has named an elite group to officiate in Brazil this summer. Included in the list is English referee Howard Webb, who took charge of the bad-tempered 2010 World Cup final, but has had an indifferent season in the English Premier League.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 14 – Two new panels, one of ex-players and coaches and the other comprising officials and other experts, are to advise football’s lawmakers on proposed changes to the game. The two bodies are part of the reform structure being made to the International FA Board, the guardians of the rules of the game comprising FIFA and the four British associations.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 14 – There were tears all round and heaps of respect as FIFA’s annual world player of the year award as expected went to Christiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid’s Portuguese star ending arch rival Lionel Messi’s four-year stranglehold on the prestigious prize.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 13 – After consistently losing out to Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo is favourite to clinch FIFA’s prestigious Ballon d’Or award later today. Real Madrid’s Portugal captain is named on a three-man shortlist to be crowned world player of the year at the annual gala in Zurich, along with Barcelona’s Messi and Franck Ribery of Bayern Munich.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 10 – UEFA president Michel Platini has turned up the heat over the timing of FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke’s much-publicised remarks about the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 3 – In his first public pronouncement of 2014 on the game’s ills, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has denounced the “deeply irritating” practice of diving and has urged referees to take stronger action. In his latest column in FIFA Weekly magazine, Blatter doesn’t hold back on the subject of simulation which continues to infuriate fans and which he clearly would like to stamp out ahead of this year’s World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 23 – FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke says it’s time to “recharge the batteries” over the Christmas period after what he has described as a “momentous” year – in part related to trying to organise next year’s World Cup in Brazil where half the stadiums will not be ready by FIFA’s end-of-year deadline.
December 23 – Vanishing spray, used for several years in South America to stop defensive walls encroaching at free kicks, is to be employed throughout next year’s World Cup by referees.
December 23 – Favourites Bayern Munich crowned a momentous year by winning the Club World Cup in Morocco and finally ending the brave challenge of Raja Casablanca who did the host nation proud by reaching the final.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 18 – Moroccan football is celebrating its greatest ever club triumph after little-known domestic champions Raja Casablanca upset Ronaldinho’s mighty Atletico Mineiro to reach Saturday’s final of the Club World Cup.
December 18 – In a review of its development activities in 2013, FIFA has reported that it has invested $200 million in football development over the past year.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – Having increasingly preached zero tolerance when it comes to racism, FIFA have dealt their severest penalty to date by banning Croatia midfielder Josip Simunic for 10 matches, ruling him out of next year’s World Cup.
December 12 – FIFA has widened its Live Your Goals initiative in women’s football and is inviting member associations to submit applications. Submissions should be made by 25 February and should detail the women’s football development initiative the federation wants to implement.
December 11- The opening game of the FIFA World Club Cup today in Morocco will see the first time the official Handshake for Peace has been integrated formally into the match protocol. The Handshake for Peace campaign is a joint initiative between FIFA and the Nobel Peace Center in Norway and will feature at all the matches in the Club World Cup.