Brazilian superstar Zico, often referred to as the ‘White Pelé’, was not only a fantastic player, but he has become a respected and a successful professional coach. Having coached in Iran, Japan and Brazil, more recently he has become an idol in India’s Goa.
March 10 – The Gulf region has struck yet another blow for staging major tournaments with the news that The United Arab Emirates has been awarded hosting rights to the 2019 Asian Cup.
By Mark Baber
March 9 – China’s domestic league kicked off this weekend, with the clubs having spent twice as much as ever before during the winter transfer window, with a major infusion of foreign talent and with the country’s political leadership committed to a reform programme to achieve the triple aims expressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2011: for the People’s Republic to qualify for, host and finally win the World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 3 – Qatar’s hopes of securing a place at the top table of FIFA look set to be dashed for a second time as Asian football gears up for a powerful alliance between the region’s two most influential officials.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 23 – Organisers of Asia’s main football forum in Jordan have set a new date for the spring summit, pushing it back to within three weeks of the FIFA presidential election and therefore generating considerably more interest.
February 19 – The AFC Asian Cup 2015 that ended at the end of January with a home win for Australia has been hailed as a success in the battle against betting related match-fixing, with the AFC announcing that there was no evidence of match manipulation uncovered at the tournament.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 18 – Four years after South Korea’s Chung Mong-joon, one of the most influential figures in world football administration, suffered a humiliating defeat after almost a generation as Asia’s FIFA vice-president, his family is gunning to get back to the top table.
February 14 – Europe edged out South America in the final of the Al Kass International Cup in Doha, Qatar, with Paris St Germain reversing a group loss to Brazil’s Sao Paulo, winning via a dramatic penalty shootout. Arsenal overcame AC Milan to take third place.
By Mark Baber
February 10 – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued a statement of sorrow for the deaths of Zamalek fans outside the Air Defense stadium on Sunday, extending his condolences to the families of the victims.
By David Owen
February 10 – Another high profile Chinese investment in international sport has been unveiled, with the announcement on Tuesday that Wang Jianlin’s Dalian Wanda Group has reached a deal to acquire Infront Sports & Media from the private equity firm Bridgepoint for €1.05 billion.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 10 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup chief organiser Hassan al-Thawadi, who failed in 2013 to win a seat on FIFA’s executive committee, has decided not to stand again.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 5 – Asian football supremo Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa’s control over his huge region has been underlined with the surprise decision to hold this year’s 47-nation Asian Football Confederation congress in his native Bahrain.
February 4 – Despite repeated protestations of his innocence and a plea to be allowed to get on with his job, Japan’s Mexican coach Javier Aguirre has been sacked over much-publicised match-fixing allegations covering the period he worked in Spain.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 30 – Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, regarded by many as the most credible rival to Sepp Blatter for the presidency of FIFA, today unveiled his vision for the future of football’s world governing body – but declined to name the five federations who have officially endorsed his candidacy.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 30 – Australia’s euphoria at reaching the Asian Cup final on home soil is being partly overshadowed by an apparent move by Gulf nations to have them thrown out of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and sent back to Oceania.