South Korea drop K-League Cup in war against match fixing
By David Gold
February 28 – South Korea has dropped the K-League Cup in a bid to clamp down on match fixing in the wake of last year’s scandal.
Asia
South Korea promises crack down on match fixing criminals
By Andrew Warshaw
February 22 – South Korea is pledging to crack down even more forcefully on match fixing, including harsh prison terms, as a reaction to a number of incidents that have plunged the country’s football league into crisis.
Date set for Bin Hammam CAS hearing
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
February 20 – Former Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam’s eagerly-awaited appeal against his lifetime ban for alleged bribery will be heard on April 18 and 19 at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.
Former Chelsea manager angry after Iranians cancel friendly because he is Israeli
By David Gold
February 20 – Partizan Belgrade coach Avram Grant (pictured right) has claimed that Iranian team Sepahan Ishafan have cancelled a friendly with his team because he is Israeli.
Real Madrid to open four soccer schools in Kurdistan
By David Gold
February 20 – Spanish giants Real Madrid have signed an agreement with the Iraqi Sports Ministry to create four football academies in the Kurdistan province.
Qatar appoint Brazilian as new coach
By Andrew Warshaw in Doha
February 19 – Qatar’s determination to be taken seriously as a football nation has resulted in the appointment of a fourth national coach in just over a year as 55-year-old Brazilian Paulo Autuori became the latest figure to try and take the tiny Gulf state to its first ever World Cup.
Australia draw Japan in first AFC Under-22 Asian Cup
By David Gold
February 16 – Regional powers Australia and Japan have been pitted together in the qualifying round of the inaugural Under-22 Asian Cup following the draw at the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) House in Kuala Lumpur.
CAS to determine Persipura’s Asian Champions League participation
By David Gold
February 11 – Uncertainty surrounds an Asian Champions League qualifier between Adelaide United of Australia and Indonesia’s Persipura, who were reinstated in the competition by a provisional Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) judgement.
China’s Zhang Jilong wants permanent role as head of AFC
By Andrew Warshaw
February 10 – The acting head of Asian football, China’s Zhang Jilong (pictured), has revealed for the first time that he would like the post on a permanent basis after replacing the suspended Mohamed Bin Hammam.
World Cup organiser appointed new head of communications for Baku 2020
By Duncan Mackay
February 8 – Baku 2020 has appointed Elkhan Mammadov, the general secretary of the Azerbaijani Football Association (AFFA), as its new head of communications for its bid to host the 2020 Olympics and Paralympics.
Over $20 million spent at Indian football auction
By David Gold
January 31 – India’s Premier League Soccer (PLS) has held an auction in Calcutta, in which almost $21 million (£13 million/€16 million) was spent by franchises on the likes of 2006 World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro and former France midfielder Robert Pirès.
Asian Football Confederation supports campaign to lift hijab ban on female football players
By Andrew Warshaw
January 29 – The acting head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), China’s Zhang Jilong (pictured), has lent his support to the campaign for the wearing of the Islamic headscarf hijab by female footballers during matches.
Bin Hammam fights to save Asian position
By Andrew Warshaw
January 20 – Former Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam’s (pictured) attempt to clear his name after being banned for life for bribery by FIFA’s Ethics Committee reaches the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Monday (January 23) in a related case against his own Confederation.
French groups protest FIFA plan to lift ban on hijab
By Duncan Mackay
January 8 – A proposal to allow female Muslim footballers to wear the hijab during matches has been criticised by several groups in France, who have written to FIFA President Sepp Blatter to protest.
Indonesia facing international isolation over breakaway FA
By David Gold
January 2 – The troubled Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) could face sanctions from FIFA if they fail to retake control of the game in the country, after a group called the Indonesian Football Saviour Committee (KPSI) claimed to have taken over their duties.