By Paul Nicholson
January 8 – Just when you thought he had gone he came back. And just when you thought he was back he is gone again. Brazilian football confederation (CBF) chief Marco Polo Del Nero is to take another 150 days of leave just two days after returning to his post.
One thing that unites all the Presidential candidates is their promise that they can deliver a FIFA that will get away from the scandals of the last year and become an organisation fit for purpose. Yet reading their proposed reforms what is striking is how timid these proposals are. None of them go far enough. They will amount to cosmetic changes that will not produce the new FIFA we need.
By Mark Baber
January 7 – The Liberian Football Association (LFA)and the country’s sports minister are at loggerheads after the minister Lenn Eugene Nagbe entered into a sponsorship arrangement with LoneStar Cell/MTN the rival to Cellcom GSM, the LFA’s partner and apparently holder of sole rights to sponsorship of football-related activities at LFA stadiums.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 7 – FIFA’s ethics committee has opened formal proceedings against Jerome Valcke after investigators recommended a nine-year ban against the organisation’s 55-year-old general secretary.
By Paul Nicholson
January 7 – Delegates heading to the world’s largest coaching event – the NSCAA Convention – in Baltimore next week, will be able to experience the US Club Soccer organisation’s latest hook-up with LaLiga as they demonstrate the technical resource that has been added as part of the Players First initiative.
By Samindra Kunti
January 7 – Rio-based club Fluminense have teamed up with sportswear manufacturer Dryworld in a five-year kit supply deal.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 7 – One month after being arrested as part of the new wave of US justice department indictments in the FIFA corruption scandal, former FIFA vice-president Alfredo Hawit has agreed to his extradition from Switzerland.
By Paul Nicholson
January 7 – The musical chairs at the top of South America’s leading football federations continued yesterday with an unusual twist. Recently the news has only been of presidents being arrested or removed from office, but this time the game changed with the return of Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) head Marco Polo Del Nero who resumed his position from Marcus Antonio Vicente.
January 7 – Manchester United is to launch its dedicated TV channel in China with Sina Sports. The multi-year deal is exclusive to Sina Sports.
By Paul Nicholson
January 7 – With the last evidence in the Hillsborough disaster inquest being heard earlier this week, the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG) announced another step forward for families and fans of Liverpool, saying that that Friday April 15 will be the last Hillsborough Memorial service held at Anfield Stadium.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 6 – Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, the Jordanian royal who has put his reputation on the line by taking a second stab at the FIFA presidency, has warned that if the wrong man is appointed to succeed Sepp Blatter, the organisation faces a catastrophic future.
By Ben Nicholson
January 6 – The United Soccer League (USL) has terminated the Adirondack Sport’s Club’s ownership of Rochester Rhinos FC for failing to meet league standards. Issues about external and internal operational issues over the past several months led to the decision.
By Mark Baber
January 6 – Barcelona celebrated the end of their 14-month “transfer ban” by registering 77 players across all age groups, many of whom had been signed to the club during the ban and who will now be able to play in competitive matches.
By Paul Nicholson
January 6 – The scramble for football properties and a foothold in China is gathering pace with the winning bid for a 50% stake in Chinese Super League (CSL) side Beijing Guoan expected to be announced in the next few days.
By Paul Nicholson
January 6 – Guyanese Mark Rodrigues is the first candidate to declare he will run for the presidency of the North and Central American and the Caribbean confederation in elections expected to take place May 12 in Mexico City.