By Andrew Warshaw
March 28 – FIFA’s reform process, designed to bring about proper transparency and accountability, continues to receive negative publicity, with one of its leading advisers now accusing the organisation of “neutering” the originally suggested measures for much-needed change.
March 27 – As the Ralf Willi cartoon pictured here says, the referees take this seriously (personally) as well. FIFA is running a series of seminars for prospective referees and assistant referees in April in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.
March 27 – Costa Rica’s protest to FIFA over being forced to play their World Cup qualifier against the United States in a snowstorm has been thrown out on a technicality, a ruling that seems certain to incense the central American country.
March 26 – Russian World Cup organisers are planning to stage fan fests across the country during next year’s tournament in Brazil – four years before their own event.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 26 – The next Women’s World Cup will make history as the first major FIFA trophy to be decided on artificial turf – but leading players have been quick to express their disapproval.
March 26 – One of football’s most well known and influential figures, Michael Riehl, the Senior Vice President Global Brand and Sports Relations for adidas, died unexpectedly on Sunday in Germany at the age of 56.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 26 – FIFA are studying a demand by Costa Rica to replay last week’s controversial World Cup qualifier against the United States – played in a snowstorm. While Northern Ireland’s game with Russia was twice postponed because of adverse weather conditions, the CONCACAF qualifier went ahead with the USA winning 1-0 in Colorado.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
March 25 – Three of the four women chasing a spot on FIFA’s executive committee could end up sharing the top table of football’s world governing body.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
March 22 – It was the briefest of interventions but it provided a telling insight into the tensions of the previous two days and the current state of play.
Exclusive: By Osasu Obayiuwana
March 21 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has told InsideWorldFootball that confronting the growing scourge of racism in the sport is one of the last major challenges confronting his presidency. “I am going to tackle this with all my tenacity, my fighting character,” Blatter said, on the eve of the CAF Congress in Morocco earlier this month.
March 20 – FIFA has confirmed the date for the draw for the 2014 World Cup finals as December 6 this year.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 20 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has again issued a firm assurance that Brazil will be ready to host the 2014 World Cup. On the eve of one of FIFA’s most far-reaching executive committee meetings, Blatter met Brazil’s sports minister and FIFA’s World Cup organizing committee on Tuesday.
March 20 – Two FIFA films have been shortlisted for the International Visual Communications Associations Awards (IVCA). The 2013 IVCA awards ceremony take place on March 22 in London.
By Mark Baber
March 19 – Michel D’Hooghe, chairman of FIFA’s medical committee and President of the FIFA Medical Assessment and Research Centre, has said that the abuse of anti-inflammatory medicine by football players is a bigger problem facing the sport than doping.
Exclusive: by Osasu Obayiuwana
March 19 – In what can be regarded as a tacit admission that elections into leading football positions lack robust contests, which do little for public confidence, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has confessed that the prevailing situation is far from ideal.