UEFA lodges Nations League trademarks in the US and Europe
February 18 – UEFA has registered a logo and a trademark related to the Nations League in its ongoing feud with FIFA over new competitions that would reshape the football landscape.
Integrity
Qatar-shirt wearing British fan returned to UK from UAE to lick his wounds
February 18 – A British fan who was detained whilst on holiday in the United Arab Emirates for wearing a Qatari football shirt says he was convinced he was going to be killed.
LFP join LICRA lawsuit against abusive anti-Mbappe graffiti authors
February 15 – The French football league (LFP) says it will join a lawsuit against the perpetrators of racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic graffiti targeting Paris St Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe.
FIFAgate: Webb sentencing moved for 9th time, Burzaco moved to August
February 12 – Disgraced former Concacaf president and FIFA vice-president Jeffrey Webb’s sentencing has been delayed for a ninth time. His lawyers sentencing has now been moved back to September 10. Another defendant Alejandro Burzaco has had his sentencing moved back to August 21.
Integrity: Prince Ali says FIFA must act urgently to reform statutes on sexual abuse
By Andrew Warshaw
February 11 – Pressure is mounting on FIFA and the Afghan authorities to do more to combat the grave situation of sexual abuse among the country’s women players.
FifaGate: Booze-battling Guatemalan FA boss Jimenez set free with $350K fine
February 8 – Former Guatemalan FA chief Brayan Jimenez has been sentenced to time served and ordered to forfeit $350,000 after pleading guilty for his role in the FIFA corruption scandal.
Discrimination: West Ham and Met Police investigate abuse targeted at Liverpool’s Saleh
February 7 – London’s Metropolitan Police and West Ham United are reviewing a video that shows a West Ham supporter directing anti-Muslim abuse at Liverpool star Mohamed Salah.
Mourinho adds tax fraud to his list of titles but escapes Spanish prison
February 6 – Jose Mourinho, arguably the game’s most successful coach for more than a decade but whose star has recently faded, was handed a one-year suspended sentence for tax fraud on Tuesday – but will not serve any time behind bars.
British politicos call in football stakeholders to discuss discrimination issues
February 5 – The British government is to hold an “urgent” meeting with football administrators to try to tackle the worrying resurgence of discrimination in the sport.
Questions of Infantino’s manipulation of Swiss judiciary refuse to go away
February 4 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino is under investigation in Switzerland for suspicion of bribery and potential corruption of the Swiss judiciary.
Whistleblower Rui Pinto says he acted in ‘public interest’ and fears a Portuguese trial
February 4 – The man behind a string of incriminating leaks that shook the footballing world over the past few weeks claims he would not get a fair trial if he is returned to his native Portugal because “the mafia is everywhere”.
Palestine lawyer asks if FIFA’s new human rights agenda is just a callous political tool?
By Paul Nicholson in Abu Dhabi
January 31 – FIFA’s rush to become involved in the civil extradition case of Australian refugee, Bahraini passport holder and part-time football Al-Araibi has again raised questions over the validity and motivations of FIFA’s human rights policy.
Vega says no corporate boardroom in the world would accept FIFA’s lack of transparency
By Paul Nicholson
January 31 – Ramon Vega, the former player and businessman who is challenging for the FIFA presidency, has said that lack of financial transparency would be unacceptable in any corporate boardroom anywhere in the world.
Italian team walks off after ref racially abuses goalkeeper
January 31 – The Italian football federation (FIGC) is investigating claims a referee racially abused a player in a non-league game between Serino and Real Sarno.
SIGA signs key integrity partnership with U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
January 30 – The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) and the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition (PCSFN) have announced a broad partnership to promote sport integrity across America and worldwide.