By Andrew Warshaw
December 16 – UEFA president Michel Platini has confirmed he is boycotting Friday’s FIFA ethics committee hearing which will determine whether he is banned from football and has to relinquish his bid for the FIFA presidency.
December 16 – Pre-Christmas Premier League attendances are holding up well with eight of last weekend’s home clubs reporting over 90% capacity and three of them over 99%. But of 20,795 unfilled seats in round 16 out of a total of 361,222 available, 14,514 were at Aston Villa and Sunderland.
By Samindra Kunti
December 16 – Football writers Anaman Fiifi from Ghana and Mihir Vasavda from India were both recognized for their outstanding journalism at the inaugural Sport Media Pearl Awards in Abu Dhabi. They represent a bright future for football journalism coming from football markets not always noted for their leading media coverage.
By Mark Baber
December 16 – The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has announced that China League One, the second tier professional soccer league in China, has agreed a partnership deal with South Korean based Team Twelve Inc, a part of the Dentsu Sports Network.
By Samindra Kunti
December 16 – Yesterday FC Goa cruised to a 3-1 aggregate victory against Delhi Dynamos to reach the final of the Indian Super League in a battle between Brazilian coaches Zico and Roberto Carlos.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 16 – Suspended former FIFA vice-president Juan Angel Napout (pictured) and one-time Honduras President Rafael Callejas have both pleaded not guilty in a Brooklyn court to bribery charges as part of the US probe into widespread football corruption.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 16 – The French president of the international players union FIFpro says the current transfer system encourages third party ownership which he has described as “a monster”.
December 16 – With the treatment of migrant workers in Qatar under continuing scrutiny in the build-up to the 2022 World Cup, FIFA has appointed a United Nations official to develop a global human rights strategy for the organisation going forward.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 16 – Sepp Blatter says he is “bewildered by the insinuations and accusations” against him and that FIFA’s ethics committee has no option but to acquit him when he appears before them tomorrow to try and clear his name over the infamous SFr2 million payment made to Michel Platini by FIFA.
“O what a tangled web we weave, When first we practise to deceive!” Sir Walter Scott, Marmion
Sir Walter Scott’s Lord Marmion was a much dislikeable character. Having taken a nun for his mistress Marmion confected a tale of treason to have a man exiled so that he could make a play for his betrothed. Upon doing so he discarded the nun to her fate, which was to be bricked up alive in her convent cell for breaking her vows.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – Despite being suspended over the infamous SFr2 million payment deal allegedly struck with Michel Platini, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has written to all 209 member federations proclaiming his innocence as he prepares for his pivotal hearing this week before FIFA ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert.
December 15 – Manchester United and Manchester City players played more times for their countries than any other players at clubs in the Big-5 European leagues, according to research from the CIES Football Observatory.
By Mark Baber
December 15 – Tennant’s NI has been unveiled as the new title sponsor of the world’s fourth-oldest national cup completion – The Irish Cup – which will now be known as the Tennent’s Irish Cup.
December 15 – Arsenal’s automotive partner Citroën has activated its sponsorship with a promotion for the Citroën C4 Cactus which has first team stars playing Footpool on a specially created ‘table’ using the car’s Airbump technology.
By Samindra Kunti
December 15 – Brazilian club Santos will face a 2016 season of austerity after missing out on qualification for the Copa Libertadores.