By Andrew Warshaw
November 20 – “We’re round the corner and watching you, FIFA…” That’s what many may read into a new partnership between the two former heads of FIFA’s ethics department who have gone into business together in Zurich to advise on good governance in sport.
November 20 – The Daily Fantasy Sports business is to get its first conference, hosted in Malta, later this week (November 23). The European Fantasy Sports Summit (EFSS) aims to give an international platform to a DFS focused agenda.
November 17 – A judge in Paraguay has authorised the extradition to the United States of former CONMEBOL boss Nicolás Leoz, alleged to have been one of the masterminds in the FIFAGate corruption scandal but who has so far managed to escape the clutches of US prosecutors.
November 17 – FIFA has been adjudged to have wrongly viewed chanting by Mexican fans towards opposition goalkeepers at World Cup qualifiers as homophobic.
By Paul Nicholson
November 16 – The second day of testimony by Alejandro Burzaco in the FIFA bribery case brought more drama to the Brooklyn court after one of the defendants, Peruvian Manuel Burga, was accused of twice making slashing motions across his throat towards Burzaco.
By Paul Nicholson
November 15 – The depth of the corruption around the sale of TV rights that has plagued South and North America and shattered the reputations of football officials worldwide, was unmasked in the federal court in Brooklyn yesterday. For the first time major broadcast networks Fox Sports (USA), and Televisa (Mexico) were dragged into the narrative alongside Brazil’s TV Globo, all of whom were accused of paying bribes for rights.
November 15 – Former FIFA vice president Chung Mong-joon has testified at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to challenge his five-year ban for failing to cooperate with ethics investigators.
November 15 – South African football officials, plagued over the years by match-fixing scandals, insist they will speedily investigate the latest claims – this time in a regional game of the country’s premier women’s league, Sasol.
By Paul Nicholson
November 14 – With jury selection complete, the trial of three South American former football administrators began in earnest with opening statements on Monday in the Brooklyn Federal court.
November 14 – Football DataCo, the official data rights holder of English and Scottish football, has moved to increase its integrity provision via a combined deal with Genius Sports and Perform Group.
November 13 – The Thai owners of surprise 2016 English Premier League champions Leicester City are reportedly being sued for £323 million over money owed to their government.
November 13 – The sexual harassment scandal pervading public life has spilled over into football with Hope Solo, the best-known goalkeeper in the women’s game, making accusations against none other than former FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 9 – The Portuguese official ousted by FIFA as its chief governance and electoral watchdog has blasted the organisation’s approach to political neutrality under Gianni Infantino as “shocking” and says there is no chance of reform from within because of its closed-shop mentality.
By Paul Nicholson
November 8 – Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis is to stand down as chairman of the club while the judicial proceedings regarding the match-fixing allegations against him are completed.
November 8 – The long running judicial investigation into Greek football has partially been resolved with the Judicial Council of dropping four criminal charges against Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis.