December 18 – Equatorial Guinea’s former African women’s footballer of the year Genoveva Anonma has called for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations to be cancelled to avoid the Ebola virus spreading to her country.
December 17 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has called on Australia to beef up security for next month’s Asian Cup following this week’s fatal hostage siege in Sydney.
By Alexander Krassimirov
December 18 – Bulgarian police investigating the match-fixing scandal in the country have said that their focus is on matches from Bulgaria’s top division – A grupa.
“The way to crush the bourgeoisie is to grind them between the millstones of taxation and inflation.” Vladimir Iliych Lenin
The Russian bear was dancing when it held the winter Olympics and won its bid to host the 2018 FIFA World Cup. All the while it was growling a demonstration of its aggressive fighting strength in the Caucasus. But, for the moment at least, one of the world’s most historically important nations is cowed.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – FIFA was plunged into renewed crisis and confusion when its ethics investigator Michael Garcia sensationally resigned today in protest over the handling of his report into possible corruption during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bid process.
Covering the murky, newsy, side of football can be an unpleasant business.
Frequently leading you away from what you loved about the game in the first places. Encapsulated in recent years by the scandal surrounding the games governing body.
By Mark Baber
December 17 – Members of Besiktas’ Carsi supporter group, Turkish opposition groups, human rights campaigners and rival supporters gathered outside an Istanbul court chanting “Stand against fascism” as 35 members of the ultra group went on trial for participating in the demonstrations against the redevelopment of Gezi Park, one of Istanbul’s last areas of greenery.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
December 17 – FC Copenhagen has extended its sponsorship contract with Denmark’s leading brewer Carlsberg. The new contract will see the company remain the football side’s sponsor until 2021.
December 17 – Celtic’s Bulgarian on-loan winger Aleksandar Tonev has lost his appeal against a seven-match ban for racially abusing an opponent.
December 17 – Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has vehemently denied being involved in match-fixing after his name was one of those released by Spanish authorities investigating an alleged scandal that took place in La Liga four years ago involving 41 players and officials.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – The two whistleblowers interviewed during Michael Garcia’s World Cup corruption probe have had their complaints that they were unfairly identified rejected by FIFA.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – The timing could have not have been more apt. Just as their top brass gather in Morocco for what could prove a pivotal executive committee meeting, so FIFA’s appeals committee has made an attempt to close another chapter in the seemingly interminable 2018 and 2022 World Cup corruption probe.
By Paul Nicholson
December 17 – Russia has swiftly dismissed any discussion that the crashing value of the Ruble could in turn lead to a withdrawal from hosting the 2018 FIFA World Cup on economic grounds.
December 17 – Hosts USA, Costa Rica and Mexico have all been seeded for the three group stage of the 2015 Gold Cup which will be played across 13 North American cities, including crossing into Canada for the first time.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 16 – Europe’s clubs and leagues have devised a last-ditch strategy for keeping the Qatar 2022 World Cup close to the tournament’s traditional summer time slot in order to avoid an unpredecented and controversial switch to winter.