By Paul Nicholson
March 14 – It was good news and bad news from FIFA as the final round of ticketing for the Russia 2018 World Cup began. While 356,700 tickets were allocated in 24 hours, complaints poured in from fans unable to access the system.
March 14 – The three-way co-operation between Canada, Mexico and the US in the bid for the 2026 World Cup, is seeing new alliances formed at the top end of club football in their countries. Liga MX and Major League Soccer have agreed a long-term partnership that will see new club competition between the countries.
March 14 – With precision timing just as bid books are to be presented to FIFA, Canada’s government has officially thrown its support behind the North American bid for the 2026 World Cup.
March 14 – Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho will be taking “blood money” by working for Russian state-backed channel RT during the World Cup, according to a British member of parliament.
March 14 – FIFA has lifted the suspension of the Pakistani Football Federation (PFF). The decision was communicated to the PFF and follows on from a decision of the Lahore High Court ordering the handover of control of the PFF from a court-appointed administrator to the winners of the election held 20 June 2015.
March 14 – The English FA has received 15 club applications to join the expanded top two tiers of women’s competition. As many as four new full time professional teams could enter the Women’s Super League (WSL), taking the league to 14 teams.
March 14 – The Bundesliga is to introduce virtual advertising over its international broadcast feeds from the start of next season.
March 14 – Goals Soccer Centres, an operator of outdoor small-sided football centres, has announced year end profits to December 2017 of £6 million on revenue of £33 million.
March 13 – With just days to go before the two 2026 World Cup contenders have to hand in their bid books to FIFA, Moroccan officials have met with a key group of Asian nations to try and gain crucial support ahead of the vote in June.
March 13 – Greece’s Super League has been suspended “indefinitely” by the Greek government following the pitch intervention in a top of the table clash between PAOK and AEK Athens by Ivan Savvidis, owner of PAOK. Savvidis entered the field carrying a holstered handgun on his hip and allegedly threatened the referee after a 90th minute goal was disallowed.
March 13 – The German Football Association (DFB) has appointed Burson-Marsteller Sport to advise on international strategy and communication for its bid to host the 2024 European Championships.
March 13 – When British foreign secretary Boris Johnson first raised the notion of England boycotting this summer’s World Cup in protest at what has been dubbed spy-gate, he was roundly condemned and his office was quick to issue a clarification saying he meant officials and politicians rather than the team itself.
March 13 – Former CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb has lost an appeal against a CHF1 million ($1.05 million) fine imposed on him by FIFA for his part in the corruption scandal that left the governing body of the game in tatters.
March 13 – FIFA have confirmed that 568,448 tickets have been allocated following the second random selection draw sales window from 5 December to 31 January, on top of the 735,168 tickets allocated during the first sales phase, making a total of 1,303,616 tickets allocated to date.
March 13 – The Scottish FA is to meet Scottish Premier League officials to discuss whether to implement video assistant referees.