By David Gold
December 4 – Sócrates, one of the world’s greatest midfielders and Brazil’s captain at the 1982 World Cup, has died in a São Paulo hospital at the age of 57, casting a shadow over the final weekend of the Brazilian Championship.
By David Gold
November 26 – Brazil’s controversial football chief Ricardo Teixeira (pictured) has launched a veiled attack on Sepp Blatter by declaring that “racism is not resolved with a handshake”, echoing the words the embattled FIFA President used in an interview last week, as the country launched an anti-racism drive.
By David Gold
October 18 – Argentine Football Association (AFA) President Julio Grondona has won a record ninth term in office following an Extraordinary Congress of the organisation.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 12 – The man in charge of organising the 2014 World Cup is to be investigated this week on suspicion of illegal transfer of funds into the country and money laundering, it was reported today.
By David Gold
August 2 – FIFA has warned the Venezuelan Government against the creation of a new “Sports Justice Commission”, which could cause a dispute with both world football’s governing body and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
By David Gold
August 2 – Argentina has dropped plans to merge their top two divisions into a 38 team national championship from 2012 after the Argentine Football Association (AFA) announced that it has “suspended consideration of the proposal”.
By David Gold
June 5 – Argentine newspaper La Nacion called for FIFA vice-president Julio Grondona (pictured) to resign for his admission that he knew there were no drug tests before a 1994 World Cup qualifying game against Australia.
By David Gold
June 3 – Diego Maradona claims his lawyers will be taking legal action against Julio Grondona, the head of the Argentine Football Association (AFA) and FIFA vice-president, for “slander, defamation and discrimination” as the row between the pair escalates.
By David Gold
April 20 – Former South American champions Once Caldas became the second Colombian team in a week to face a 30-day suspension over unpaid player wages.
March 22 – Nicolas Leoz is set to remain as head of CONMEBOL, the South American Football Confederation, after the continent’s ten members backed him unanimously.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 5 – The Chilean official expected to have a major say in the destination of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups has been ousted as head of his national federation.
May 12 – FIFA has suspended El Salvador from all international football, citing Government interference in issues of the national side as the reason for their decision.
December 29 – Alcides Ghiggia (pictured), whose goal for Uruguay stunned spectators at the Maracana Stadium in the 1950 World Cup against Brazil, has been immortalised at the stadium’s sidewalk of fame.
By Duncan Mackay
December 29 – Crisis talks have been held between Diego Maradona (pictured) and Carlos Bilardo to try to prevent a damaging split between Argentina’s team management before next year’s World Cup in South Africa.
December 7 – Argentina’s 1978 World Cup-winning captain Daniel Passarella (pictured) was today elected president of River Plate after winning an election that was overshadowed by allegations of fraud and corruption.