IFAB prepares way for ‘concussion sub’ trials
October 22 – Trials of permanent concussion substitutes could begin in January, the game’s law-makers have announced.
FIFA
Conmebol returned $37m of stolen cash from Swiss accounts of Leoz and Deluca
By Samindra Kunti
October 15 – Conmebol is to receive a windfall $37 million from the Swiss bank accounts of Nicolas Leoz and Eduardo Deluca after the Swiss attorney general stated that “the forfeited funds will be returned directly”.
FIFA rebrands its esports and builds prize pool to $4.35m for new season
October 15 – FIFA has restructured its esports tournaments with three new competitive pathways and a combined prize money pot of $4.35 million. It has also rebranded with a new design under the tagline ‘Fame your game’.
Trinidad court rules against FIFA and hands control of suspended TTFA back to Wallace and crew
By Paul Nicholson
October 14 – A Trinidad and Tobago court has ruled that FIFA’s replacement of the board of the Trinidad and Tobago FA by a Normalisation Committee in March was illegal and that FIFA’s statutes are inconsistent with local law that formed the TTFA in 1982.
LaLiga and Liga Portugal buddy up for another three years as 2030 bid gathers pace
October 9 – With Spain and Portugal having confirmed their joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup, their two top leagues have similarly renewed their vows, extending a cooperation agreement signed in 2017 for a further three years.
Wenger suggests slate of rule changes to improve up the game
October 9 – With the rules of football under more scrutiny than ever – offside, handball, VAR etc – FIFA’s recently appointed Head of Global Development, Arsene Wenger, has come up with some forward-looking ideas he believes will improve the game.
Spain and Portugal confirm joint bid for 2030 World Cup hosting
October 8 – On the day they played each other in an Iberian friendly, Spain and Portugal announced Wednesday they were pushing ahead with a joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
Wenger’s global football talent stock take begins with 200+ FIFA members signing up
October 8 – More than 200 national association members of FIFA have signed up for the Arsene Wenger-led Talent Development Programme.
TTFA will lose World Cup spot if it isn’t compliant by Dec 18, but Friday is the real deadline
By Paul Nicholson
October 7 – The Trinidad and Tobago FA have been given a deadline of December 18 by FIFA to get their suspension lifted or face exclusion from the Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifiers. The TTFA has been given the same deadline for the 2021 Gold Cup.
Infantino drops in on Macron and timetables plan for a new Paris presence
October 7 – When FIFA football isn’t being played in an international window, politics will be. FIFA president Gianni Infantino was in Paris earlier this week to meet French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace, also present was French FA president Noël Le Graët.
United TTFA continues to play poker with future of Trinidad and Tobago football
By Paul Nicholson
September 28 – The soap opera that is the United TTFA’s desperate politicking to regain control of the Trinidad and Tobago FA took a couple of more plot turns over the weekend with the withdrawal of the notice to withdraw the court proceedings against FIFA on Friday, and the news from Concacaf that they were keeping the TTFA in the Gold Cup draw, at least for now.
FIFA nails TTFA’s coffin shut after Wallace and Look Loy posturing hits self destruct
By Paul Nicholson
September 24 – FIFA’s patience with the former leadership of the Trinidad and Tobago FA (TTFA) has inevitably run out. The world governing body tonight suspended the TTFA “with immediate effect and until further notice”.
Swiss prosecutor demands jail terms for PSG’s Al-Khelaifi and Valcke
September 23 – Swiss prosecutors have called for Paris Saint-Germain president and beIN Media supremo Nasser Al-Khelaifi, and former FIFA number two Jerome Valcke to go to jail for alleged corruption in the allocation of World Cup TV rights.
FIFA tweaks eligibility laws to allow young players to switch nationality
September 21 – New eligibility rules easing restrictions on switching nationality have been introduced by FIFA with African players, in particular, likely to benefit.
Infantino says focus is still on CAF reform, but pandemic has slowed progress
September 21 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has blamed the slowdown in the FIFA-led reforms of the African Confederation of Football (CAF) on the coronavirus pandemic.