Real Salt Lake sack Petke for homophobic rant at Leagues Cup
August 14 – The head coach of an MLS team has been sacked for using profane homophobic language.
Integrity
Liberian FA bans ref for 2 years for taking bribe
August 14 – The Liberia Football Association (LFA) has banned referee Josephus Torjilar for two years for accepting a bribe.
Battle honours even between Rubiales and Tebas in LaLiga match date war
By Andrew Warshaw
August 12 – The bitter dispute between La Liga and the Spanish FA (RFEF) over which days are eligible for league matches has been resolved with a judge ruling that Fridays are fine but imposing a blanket ban on games being played on Monday nights.
SportPesa pulls out of Kenyan sponsorships after regulators crackdown on betting taxes
August 12 – Betting giant SportPesa has pulled the plug on all its sports sponsorships in Kenya after a prolonged tax dispute with local authorities.
MLS rules out anti-Nazi ‘Iron Front’ flags in stadia
August 12 – A Major League Soccer derby between northwest rivals Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders has burst into controversy ahead of a potentially politically-motivated clash between right-wing and left-wing activists on August 17.
Hamburg’s Gambian refugee midfielder accused of false age and identity
August 9 – A Gambian-born midfielder is reported to be playing in Germany with a falsified name and age.
Whistleblowers question FIFA’s inaction over ‘widespread’ Afghan sexual abuse
August 8 – Two of the leading figures behind the campaign to expose sexual abuse by Afghan officials have gone back on the offensive accusing FIFA of not doing nearly enough and calling for far more concrete action.
Chelsea apologise for ‘prolific sexual abuse’ of ex-chief scout Eddie Heath
August 7 – Leading English Premier League club Chelsea have apologised for the “terrible past experiences” of some former youth players following a damning 252-page report into child sexual abuse at the club that has made headline news across the UK and shocked the country.
Schalke 04’s Tönnies takes 3-month break from board chair after African comments
August 7 – Yet another racism row has struck at the heart of German football with Clemens Toennies, president of top-flight club Schalke 04, forced to step down for three months following a hearing into controversial comments he made last week.
Swiss indict former German FA bosses over suspected 2006 World Cup vote buying
By Andrew Warshaw
August 6 – Almost three years after opening an investigation, Swiss prosecutors have indicted three of German football’s most prominent former administrators over suspect payments linked to the 2006 World Cup which the country hosted.
GVC brands pass football sponsorship inventory to Bet Regret campaign
August 6 – Gaming and betting giant GVC Holdings is donating club sponsorship assets from 42 to its UK clubs to GambleAware’s ‘Bet Regret’ campaign.
Bedoya calls for action on gun violence in US
August 5 – Philadelphia Union captain and US international Alejandro Bedoya has called on US Congress to “end gun violence” after 29 people were killed in two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio over the weekend.
Sakho sues Wada claiming dope test blunder killed his Liverpool career and depressed earnings
July 26 – A Premier League player is suing the world anti-doping agency (WADA) for £13 million over claims a drug-test blunder wrecked part of his career.
Going back in: Gay Championship player changes mind on coming out
July 25 – In a stark example of the effect of homophobia in football, a Twitter user who claimed to be a player in England’s second-tier Championship, and who intended to come out as gay, has appeared to change his mind after admitting he is “not strong enough to do this”.
Kick it Out report finds discrimination and racism on rise in English football
July 24 – Incidents of discrimination in English football, both at grassroots and professional level, rose significantly last season, according to a report by the anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out.