By Samindra Kunti
June 30 – Germany and Chile will play the final of the 2017 Confederations this Sunday after eliminating Mexico and Portugal respectively in the semi-finals. For a tournament that was met with scepticism and supposedly fading interest, FIFA is reporting positive TV audiences for the group stages.
By Samindra Kunti
June 30 – The former CBF president Ricardo Teixeira has called the Garcia report “inconclusive” and postulated, facing a US indictment against him, that Brazil is a safe haven.
June 30 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has issued a statement giving its backing to Qatar and pledging its support following the release of the Garcia report into the bidding for the 2018/2022 World Cups.
By Mark Baber
June 30 -FIFA has given Sudan a final warning that it faces an international ban from football unless it overturns a governmental order to install a new football association president today (Friday).
June 30 – Australia’s A-League clubs are increasing the stakes in their dispute with the Football Federation of Australia (FFA). Having refused the latest FFA cash offer earlier this week they are now demanding a forensic financial audit of the FFA’s accounts for the past three years.
June 30 – The Italian FA (FIGC) is to run its first Hackathon in conjunction with the University of Trento October 15-16. The FIGC is inviting registrations to event which is open to participants internationally.
June 30 – Sunderland owner Ellis Short (pictured) has taken the club off the market after sales talks with potential new German owners broke down.
By Mark Baber
June 29 – The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is to charge six people in relation to the Hillsborough Stadium disaster that left 96 Liverpool fans dead. David Duckenfield, the police officer who was the match commander on the day of the tragedy is to be charged with 95 cases of manslaughter by gross negligence.
June 29 – West Bromwich Albion’s Chinese owner Guochuan Lai (pictured) and landscaping company Palm plan to construct up to six ‘soccer towns’ across China as part of Lai’s expansion of the West Brom brand across China.
By Mark Baber
Junne 29 – Leeds United have confirmed that their parent company has completed the purchase of the Elland Road Stadium, as had been promised by new Chairman Andrea Radrizzani.
June 29 – It may be a month to go before the match but Relevent Sports, organisers of the International Champions Cup, are ramping up the promotion of the El Clásico clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 29.
June 29 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially recognised the Indian Super League. As a result, India will have two national leagues next season.
By Samindra Kunti in Kazan
June 29 – FIFA’s secretary-general Fatma Samoura has said the governing body wants to eradicate doping in the game. Samoura also welcomed the publication of the Garcia report.
From the vantage-point of today, the Garcia report has something of the air of the Dead Sea Scrolls – an important relic offering vital clues about how life was lived in a bygone era.
By Paul Nicholson and Samindra Kunti
June 28 – The Garcia report into the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding procedures is both as revealing as it is, for the most part, old news. It shows the political depths that the individuals on FIFA’s executive committee would go to solicit favours from bidders; it also shows how far bids will push their people and the rules to win. What it doesn’t do is find the smoking gun that would derail Russia or Qatar hosting 2018 or 2022.