Eritrean players disappear to seek asylum in Uganda
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – As many as 18 Eritrean players are understood to be considering seeking asylum in Uganda after disappearing while playing in a regional tournament.
World Football
Park hit with ban and fine following London 2012 political protest
By Andrew Warshaw
December 3 – South Korea’s Park Jong-Woo, whose political protest sparked a diplomatic row with Japan at the London 2012 Olympics, has been banned for two games by FIFA and fined 3,500 Swiss francs (£2,400/$3,800/€2,900), football’s world governing body said today.
Malaga face UEFA sanctions over unpaid players’ wages
By Andrew Warshaw
December 3 – Despite being owned by Qatari investors and performing impressively in the Champions League, Malaga are facing UEFA sanctions for failing to pay millions of euros of players’ wages on time.
Anouma to challenge Hayatou for African football Presidency
By Andrew Warshaw
December 3 – The battle to take control of African football has taken a significant new twist with the announcement that the Ivory Coast is planning to nominate Jacques Anouma to stand against Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Issa Hayatou in next March’s elections in Morocco.
Exclusive: AFC officials throw out proposed ethics task force
By Andrew Warshaw
November 30 – Reformers within Asian football have been left shocked and disappointed after their campaign to heal deep-rooted rifts and crack down on corruption was dismissed by the Continent’s top brass.
Zenit St Petersburg take sanction appeal to CAS
By Andrew Warshaw
November 30 – In a rare move, Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg are going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after the Russian Football Union (RFU) turned down their appeal against being punished following serious crowd trouble at the recent domestic fixture at Dynamo Moscow.
Beckham tipped for move to Monaco
By Andrew Warshaw
November 30 – David Beckham, one of the icons of his generation, has been heavily linked with a career-ending move to French club Monaco as he prepares to round off his time with LA Galaxy in the United States.
Shakhtar’s Adriano hit with match ban after unsporting goal
By Andrew Warshaw
November 29 – One of the most bizarre instances of bad sportsmanship has been punished by UEFA with Shakhtar Donetsk’s Luiz Adriano handed a one-match ban.
CAS investigating African football’s Presidential vote rules
By Andrew Warshaw
November 29 – The power struggle to determine who can and who can’t challenge for the top job in African football is being taken all the way to sport’s highest court of law, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Goal-line technology to feature at FIFA Club World Cup
By Andrew Warshaw
November 29 – Both venues for the upcoming Club World Cup in Japan will employ goal-line technology to assist the officials, FIFA has confirmed, ending years of foot-dragging by the authorities.
UEFA considering scrapping Europa League in favour of expanded Champions League
By Andrew Warshaw
November 29 – Despite considerable efforts to make it more appealing and competitive, UEFA is now considering ditching the much-maligned Europa League and doubling the size of the Champions League.
Arsenal’s Gazidis elected to ECA board
By Andrew Warshaw
November 29 – The English Premier League has maintained its decision-making status on the top table of the European Club Association (ECA) with Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis elected to the organisation’s executive board.
Gaza conflict damages vital sporting infrastructure
By Andrew Warshaw
November 28 – The recent hostilities in Gaza have spilled over into the football arena with pro-Palestinian representatives criticising Israel’s military offensive, which is claimed to have damaged vital sporting infrastructure.
Exclusive: Bitter Asian divisions threaten to scupper reforms
By Andrew Warshaw
November 28 – The bitter political in-fighting at the heart of Asian football comes to a head tomorrow in a make-or-break showdown designed to heal the rifts and bring about desperately needed stability.
Emirates wants improvement in FIFA’s reputation before renewing sponsorship
By Andrew Warshaw
November 27 – Emirates Airlines, one of FIFA’s most important sponsors, want to see some kind of improvement in the organisation’s image before putting pen to paper on any further deals.