By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
May 9 – The English Football Association declined comment today on an explosive report alleging that the country’s 2018 World Cup bid team hired a private security firm to monitor the behaviour of their rivals.
By David Gold
May 10 – CONMEBOL, South America’s governing body, has denied reports that its President, Nicolas Leoz, asked for a knighthood in return for supporting England’s bid to host the World Cup in 2018.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 8 – A voting member of FIFA’s Executive Committee asked for a knighthood in exchange for backing England’s bid to stage the 2018 World Cup, The Sunday Times newspaper reported today.
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By David Gold
May 6 – Brazil’s preparations for the 2014 World Cup will speed up towards the end of this year, according to the country’s Sports Minister Orlando Silva, who is seeking to improve the country’s image amid sluggish preparations for the tournament.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 5 – Claims that England’s 2018 World Cup bid team invited a prominent FIFA member to last week’s royal wedding to entice his vote have been denied.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 5 – Mike Lee, the arch-strategist behind a series of successful World Cup and Olympic bids, is to give evidence at the latest session of the ongoing Parliamentary inquiry into football governance.
By Duncan Mackay
May 2 – A new $3.1 million (£1.8 million) scheme has been launched by the Ethos Institute of Business and Social Responsibility and the United Nations Global Compact to try to ensure that the build-up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil and 2016 Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro remain free of corruption.
By David Gold
May 1 – The Parliamentary inquiry into football governance is seeking answers over the award of merchandise contracts to Glue Creative Production Solutions, a company which is part owned by the son of Sir Dave Richards (pictured), the Premier League chairman.
By David Gold
April 30 – Project Qatar 2011 has expanded significantly, largely thanks to the country’s successful bid to host the 2022 World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 27 – A complaint that the BBC damaged England’s bid for the 2018 World Cup by broadcasting a hard-hitting Panorama documentary presented by Andrew Jennings three days before the vote has been rejected by the Corporation’s governing body.
April 27 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has sent a personal message to Prince William and Kate Middleton ahead of the Royal Wedding on Friday (April 29).
By David Gold
April 27 – Orland Silva, Brazil’s Sports Minister, has cast fresh doubt on whether São Paulo will be able to host games during the 2014 World Cup, with construction still yet to begin on the city’s Itaquera Stadium, which is intended to host the tournament’s opening match.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 27 – Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has been appointed chairman of the organising committee for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
By Tom Degun
April 22 – Mayor of London Boris Johnson has come under fire as it was today revealed that he spent just under £300,000 ($495,000) on England’s shambolic bid to host the FIFA 2018 World Cup, which equates to nearly £50,000 ($83,000) more than he pledged.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 22 – England’s failed 2018 World Cup bid has come under fresh scrutiny with the revelation that a company run by the son of one-time 2018 Board member Sir Dave Richards secured commercial deals to provide merchandise to promote the bid.