By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – The timing could have not have been more apt. Just as their top brass gather in Morocco for what could prove a pivotal executive committee meeting, so FIFA’s appeals committee has made an attempt to close another chapter in the seemingly interminable 2018 and 2022 World Cup corruption probe.
By Paul Nicholson
December 17 – Russia has swiftly dismissed any discussion that the crashing value of the Ruble could in turn lead to a withdrawal from hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup on economic grounds.
December 17 – Hosts USA, Costa Rica and Mexico have all been seeded for the three group stage of the 2015 Gold Cup which will be played across 13 North American cities, including crossing into Canada for the first time.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 16 – Europe’s clubs and leagues have devised a last-ditch strategy for keeping the Qatar 2022 World Cup close to the tournament’s traditional summer time slot in order to avoid an unpredecented and controversial switch to winter.
By Mark Baber
December 16 – The multi-billion pound auction for Premier League television rights, which kicked off on Friday, has led to a 4.4% fall in the share price of Sky plc on Monday on fears the company could be outbid by BT on a number of packages, and predictions the total bill could be as high as £5 billion, An Ofcom investigation, initiated by Virgin, has added to the lack of stability in the market.
December 16 – Just a couple of weeks before the start of the mad scramble mid-season transfer window, three of English football’s most iconic clubs – Blackburn Rovers, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest – have been slapped with transfer embargoes for the rest of the season for breaching Financial Fair Play rules.
December 16 – Croatia have been ordered to close a section of their ground for their next Euro 2016 home qualifier as punishment for racist behaviour and crowd trouble in last month’s fixture against group rivals Italy.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 16 – Manchester United and Atletico Madrid have been rocked by the revelation that their respective midfield stars Ander Herrera (pictured) and Gabi are among more than 40 people named in an alleged match-fixing scandal that took place in Spanish football four years ago.
By Denis de Haas and Christian Paschwitz
December 16 – In an interview on German sports channel SPORT1’s Doppelpass Talk programme, former playing legend Paul Breitner who is now an advisor to the Bayern Munich board, said that the success of Bayern has much to do with the incompetence of their opponents. His comments have sparked rage and debate in Germany. Click on the video link to watch the excerpt from Doppelpass Talk.
By Paul Nicholson
December 16 – Somalian football took another major symbolic step forward this weekend with a Super Cup final that was packed with passion, historic significance, a penalty shootout, and hope for the future in front of a packed crowd at the recently refurbished Banadir Stadium in Mogadishu.
December 16 – Play-in series dates for the final 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup berth between French Guyana and Honduras have been set for March next year. The series will provide a fist test for new Honduran coach Jorge Luis Pinto who achieved fame in the Summer with his stewardship of Costa Rica at the world Cup.
December 15 – Both of last season’s Spanish Champions League finalists have been drawn against German opposition in the first knockout stage of the competition in February.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – Strict new legislation has been passed in Switzerland aimed at fighting money laundering among sports officials by tightening up the scrutiny of bank accounts held by governing bodies such as Fifa and the International Olympic Committee.
By Mark Baber
December 15 – The quarter finals of the FIFA Club World Cup on Saturday saw Kiwi semi-professionals Auckland City go through at the expense of African Champions ES Setif whilst Mexican side Cruz Azul controversially defeated Australia’s Western Sydney Wanderers on a waterlogged pitch, thanks largely to some remarkable refereeing.
December 15 – While the hierarchy of Asian football continues to be embroiled in politics, on the ground the not-for-profit Asian Football Development Project is endeavouring to present the region in a more charitable, compassionate light.