Eboué ban over agent’s €1m claim leaves Sunderland in the dark

April 1 – Already without the services of former England midfielder Adam Johnson, imprisoned for six years after his conviction on charges of sexual activity with a 15-year-old girl, struggling English Premier League team Sunderland have now had to sack one-time Arsenal fullback Emmanuel Eboué, who has been banned from football for 12 months by FIFA because of an unpaid debt owed to his former representative.

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MegaFon dials-in with upgraded sponsorship of Russian Football

By Mark Baber

March 31 – The efforts of Vitaly Mutko, Russian Sports Minister and President of the Russian Football Union (RFU), to put the finances of Russian football on a solid foundation have received another boost as Russia’s second biggest mobile operator MegaFon has signed an agreement with the RFU to become a general sponsor of Russian football from 2016 until 2018.

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AFC brings Soosay back into the fold for project-based role

Alex Soosay

By Andrew Warshaw

March 31 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has rehired its former general secretary Dato’ Alex Soosay (pictured) as a consultant less than a year after he quit over claims, still to be proven, that he was involved in a cover-up during an investigation into corruption allegations dating back to the era of Mohammed bin Hammam.

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