Nine bidders line up for expanded Club World Cup commercial rights
December 20 – FIFA has received nine bids for the commercial rights to the new expanded 24-team Club World Cup being held in China in 2021.
FIFA
FIFA give former Ethics committee member Alvarado life ban for taking bribes
December 20 – FIFA has imposed a life ban on a former member of both its Ethics and Disciplinary Committees, who at one time helped judge the wrongdoing of others, for himself taking bribes.
FIFA chase Blatter and Platini for CHF 2m ‘disloyal payment’
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – Why now? It’s a question many are pondering after FIFA on Monday confirmed reports last week that it is filing a civil lawsuit against veteran former president Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA president Michel Platini to recover the CHF 2 million paid to Platini in 2011 on Blatter’s authority, which led to long bans for both of them.
Koreas pull out of WWC 2023 hosting race, leaving four bids to battle for rights
December 16 – Bids to stage the 2023 Women’s World Cup are conspicuous by the absence of any application from Korea, both south and north.
An end to slave trading? Brussels court rejects Doyen appeal against FIFA’s TPO ban
December 16 – The Brussels Court of Appeal has dismissed Doyen and FC Seraing’s effort to overturn a ban on third-party ownership (TPO), ending the financing practice. FIFA welcomed the verdict.
Ferguson questions why teams would drop home leagues to join Perez’s global money league
December 16 – Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson says English teams should seriously consider whether they would want to take part in rumoured global Super League.
US complete a year at the top as World Rankings reflect an upwardly mobile women’s game
December 13 – FIFA has released its final Women’s National Team world rankings for 2019 which show the USA ending the year as they began it at the top, following their impressive all-conquering unbeaten run to the France 2019 World Cup title.
FIFA may sue Blatter and Platini for the rogue CHF 2m consultancy payment made in 2011
December 12 – FIFA to launch legal action against former president Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA president Michel Platini to recover the CHF 2 million paid to Platini in 2011 on Blatter’s authority, which led to long bans for both of them.
Infantino scores twice at European Parliament on social issues and transfer reform
December 12 – FIFA and the European Parliament (EP) have not always sat cosily alongside each other with the EP having warned in the past that it would force regulation on football’s governing body across a host of commercial and social policy areas if it didn’t reform.
Germany’s Koch steps aside for France’s Le Graët to have clear run at FIFA Council seat
December 12 – The German FA vice-president Rainer Koch will not run for a seat on the FIFA Council, the DFB announced on Thursday. His candidacy has been withdrawn in favour of the president of the French Football Federation (FFF) Noël Le Graët.
Russia may be obliged to play in 2022 World Cup as neutral team
By David Owen in Lausanne
December 10 – The bizarre spectacle of a Russian football team qualifying for the 2022 World Cup as Russia, but then being obliged to assume a neutral guise in the finals was conjured up on Monday at a press conference featuring leading figures from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in the bowels of a Swiss hotel.
Qataris forced into last minute venue change for Club World Cup
December 10 – Organisers of the Club World Cup, which kicks off on Wednesday in Qatar, have been left red-faced after being forced to switch the venue for the tournament’s showpiece final because the so-called Education City Stadium is not ready.
Four years after Blatter left, Infantino is set to gain admission to Olympic club
By David Owen
December 6 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino is finally set to enter world sport’s most prestigious club. The 49-year-old is one of three new International Olympic Committee (IOC) members proposed for the next IOC Session in Lausanne on January 10.
FIFA bans Afghan official for failure to report sexual abuse
December 4 – FIFA has banned a third senior Afghanistan football official implicated in a sexual abuse scandal.
IFAB rule makers want deeper dive on concussion thinking and better VAR communication
December 4 – Concussion substitutes, improving player behaviour and tweaks to VAR were among the topics discussed when the International Football Association Board (IFAB) held its Annual Business Meeting (ABM) in Belfast, Tuesday.