By David Owen
August 13 – The Japan Football Association (JFA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with its Iranian counterpart, the Football Federation of the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRIFF), as part of what appears to be an ongoing diplomatic offensive in the Asian region.
August 11 – Thailand’s Premier League has brought in betting fraud monitoring service Sportrader to track betting patterns and monitor any suspicious activity for the 2014 season.
August 11 – The Asian Football Confederation has handed out two-year bans to two players for doping offenses.
August 8 – Abu Dhabi club Al Ain has launched a season ticket initiative for fans in its new Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium, one of the few clubs in the region to have such a scheme. But what is most notable about the initiative is that females and families across the region are being encouraged to participate.
August 1 – The Asian Football Confederation has extended the domestic ban on nine Vietnamese players to confederation level for their role in the country’s match-fixing scandal. The chairman of the AFC Disciplinary Committee took the move following a request from Vietnam’s own national federation.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 30 – Asian football is stepping up its collective effort to tackle match-fixing by distributing a detailed booklet to member federations throughout the Continent highlighting the dangers of being drawn into manipulation.
By Mark Baber
July 29 – The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has granted the Indian Super League (ISL) permission to delay the start of the competition for a third time, whilst the signing of the 40-year old Robert Pires generates more enthusiasm.
By David Owen
July 21 – The President of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) is hoping that next year’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Presidential election will usher in a period of much-needed harmony in the region’s football affairs. Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, the former OPEC chairman who has become one of world sport’s foremost power brokers, said he thought the 2015 election “will found the unity of Asia”.
By Paul Nicholson
July 21 – Interpol are claiming a major success in the battle against illegal betting rings in Asia with a six-week World Cup operation carrying out more than 1,000 raids, 1,400 arrests and the seizure of $12 million.
July 18 – An Australian court has sanctioned a third British footballer for his part in a match-fixing racket that rigged games in the semi-professional league in the state of Victoria.
July 7 – Etihad Airways has expanded its Australian football presence, sponsoring Hyundai A-League side Melbourne City FC in a five-year deal that will see the airline branding on the club’s shirts.
By Mark Baber
July 3 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed the appeal filed by Virach Chanpanich against the decision taken on 17 October 2013 by the Football Association of Thailand to elect the controversial Worawi Makudi as its President.
June 27 – The Chinese are finding ways to use the 2014 FIFA World cup to circumvent local gambling laws. In general gambling is illegal in China, but in instances where the proceeds are donated to charity, exceptions are allowed. Alibaba and Tencent Holdings, two of China’s dominant Internet companies, have linked up with provincial lottery centres so as to allow betting on world cup matches.
By Mark Baber
June 23 – Macau police claim to have smashed two illegal gambling rings, arresting 26 people in separate hotel raids and seizing cash and other evidence. The raids uncovered evidence of HK$5 billion in illegal bets on World Cup football matches in a week – including a single HK$40 million (£3 million) bet on one World Cup match.
By Paul Nicholson
June 23 – Human rights group Nonviolence International has released the full report written in conjunction with the Palestinian FA into the abuses and disruption by Israeli authorities of footballers and football in the Palestinian occupied territories.