SIGA puts final touches to Middle East, Asia and Africa regional integrity summit
September 13 – The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) will hold its first high-level Inter-Regional Summit in the Middle East next week on September 16-17.
Integrity
Relevent Sports accuse USSF and FIFA of conspiring to prevent LaLiga play in US
September 12 – Relevent Sports, the promoter of the International Champions Cup which is building a business on taking international clubs to play in the US, has filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the US Soccer Federation (USSF).
France’s Le Graët under fire after saying matches won’t be stopped for homophobic chants
September 11 – The president of the French Football Federation Noël Le Graët has instructed referees that they should no longer stop matches over homophobic chants. The directive has prompted anti-discrimination groups to demand that Le Graët resigns.
Chelsea and Liverpool join Spurs in ending 1xBet sponsorships
September 3 – Chelsea and Liverpool have followed Tottenham Hotspurs’s lead earlier this month and ended their sponsorships with Russian online betting firm 1xBet.
Cappello warns of ‘disturbing’ power of agents
By Paul Nicholson in Edinburgh
September 6 – Coaching legend Fabio Cappello has slammed the power that player agents have within the game, and how that power is used to manipulate players, managers and clubs.
SIGA focus on protection of minors in Portuguese hook-up; Doha Summit nears
September 6 – The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) has signed a co-operation agreements with the Portuguese Players’ Union to focus on the promotion of sport integrity and enhance the protection of minors in football.
Lukaku calls for unity and governing body action over increase in racist abuse
September 3 – Inter Milan Striker Romelu Lukaku says “we are going backwards” on racism in football and has called for stronger action from the game’s governing bodies and social media platforms after he faced racial abuse by Cagliari fans on Sunday.
Dream Asia Awards nominees announced in timely reminder of the real power of football
September 3 – While FIFA is busy lauding the biggest, best and most wealthy with their Best Awards, a significantly more humble set of awards and nominees were announced in Asia.
All bets are off. Spurs end deal with toxic online bookie 1xBet
September 3 – Premier League Tottenham Hotspur have ended their relationship with betting partner 1xBet.
Cagliari racists up to monkey business again, ‘education needed’ says Conte, Serie A turning blind eye
September 2 – Inter Milan striker and match winner Romelu Lukaku was racially abused by Cagliari fans during his club’s 2-1 victory in Serie A on Sunday. Milan coach Antonio Conte said that “more education is needed in Italy.”
Rangers fans keep up their sectarian abuse, UEFA keep sanctioning them
August 30 – Glasgow Rangers appear to have still not learned their lesson when it comes to sectarian abuse after being found guilty of a second charge by UEFA.
Homophobic abuse forces ref to remove players in Nice-Marseilles derby
August 29 – The top-flight derby between Nice and Marseille was suspended for 10 minutes on Wednesday following yet another instance of homophobic abuse in French football.
Is it time for Twitter to pay the penalty for promoting racism on its platform?
August 27 – Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said he was “lost for words” after yet another vitriolic case of racial abuse on social media towards a player missing a penalty, this time directed against Marcus Rashford who fluffed a second-half spotkick as United suffered a shock 2-1 home defeat to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
Trashing Twitter: Neville says it is time football sent a message to social media giants
August 21 – Former England international Phil Neville has called for the football community to “send a powerful message” and boycott social media for six months in response to the rise in racist abuse of players.
Aston Villa fire head of development MacDonald for bullying
August 21 – Newly promoted Premier League club Aston Villa’s long-serving youth coach and head of football development Kevin MacDonald has been suspended following an investigation into allegations of bullying.