By Andrew Warshaw
November 18 – Domenico Scala, the official who has taken centre stage amid the unfolding corruption crisis at Fifa, and Alexei Sorokin, ceo of Russia’s 2018 World Cup organising committee, are the standout speakers at the annual International Football Arena conference in Zurich tomorrow.
November 18 – Liverpool have teamed up with club sponsor Standard Chartered to support the Positive Living Around the World campaign, designed to promote education and reduce stigma around HIV and AIDS ahead of World AIDS day on 1 December 1.
By Mark Baber
November 18 – German discount supermarket chain Lidl, which has been rapidly expanding its operations in the UK, has signed partnership deals with The Football Association (the FA), the Football Association Wales (FAW) and the Scottish Football Association (Scottish FA) in a major deal that lasts until 2018.
By Samindra Kunti
November 18 – Belgian club KRC Genk have suffered a record €14.9 million loss after missing out on European football and falling revenue from both outgoing transfers and season ticket sales.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 18 – Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, both of whom insist they are innocent, have lost their respective appeals against being banned for 90 days for financial wrongdoing.
November 19 – Qatar may still have critics of their right to host the 2022 World Cup but on the field the Gulf state has struck a significant blow by becoming the first side to book a spot at the 2019 Asian Cup and the next round of 2018 World Cup regional qualifiers.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 18 – It isn’t often that home fans belt out the opposition national anthem but supporters of England and France staged an unprecedented display of emotion and unity Tuesday in a prestige friendly at Wembley where the football itself took very much a back seat.
November 17 – CONCACAF director of sports integrity Dr Laila Mintas (pictured) is leaving the confederation. Mintas, one of the world’s most experienced experts in the battle against match-fixing, set up the integrity department in probably the world’s most challenged confederation when it comes to integrity.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 18 – In what could be a huge embarrassment to their most influential sports supremo and FIFA executive committee member Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, Kuwait face the prospect of being thrown out of World Cup qualifying after failing to resolve a case of government interference in the running of the sport domestically.
November 18 – Germany’s high-profile friendly with traditional rivals the Netherlands on Tuesday night was called off because of an “intention to ignite explosives” at the Hannover stadium.
By David Owen
November 18 – Shirt sponsorship of national teams could become a reality if South Africa’s Tokyo Sexwale wins the FIFA Presidency. A 14-page manifesto distributed by the former anti-apartheid political activist turned mining tycoon includes a pledge to “seriously explore the possibility of having the national jersey…bearing the logo of the main sponsor”. He goes on: “There is space there for much value worth millions of dollars which will be destined directly into FAs’
By Paul Nicholson in Manama, Bahrain
November 17 – In the second instalment of his exclusive interview with Insideworldfootball, Asian Football Confederation president and FIFA presidential candidate Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa talks about a much needed new structure for crisis-torn FIFA, his position on reform, and the steps towards stability his own Asian confederation have taken in the past two years.
By Samindra Kunti
November 17 – The I-League wants to introduce a single football league in India in two or three seasons with 14 to 16 competing franchises and clubs from both the Indian Super League (ISL) and I-League.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 17 – Already fuming at being forced to play last week’s World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia on neutral ground, Palestinian officials are up in arms at being ignored over another fixture they have protested to FIFA about.
By Mark Baber
November 17 – FIFA may be under fire from its existing US sponsors but its properties still have attraction for marketers. Rinnai, the Japanese-headquartered tankless water heater manufacturer and distributor has signed on as an official sponsor of FIFA Club World Cup 2015, being held December 10 – 20 2015 in Japan.