Sri Lanka’s Fernando suspended by FIFA’s investigators
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
March 11 – Another leading FIFA administrator was dramatically suspended today when Sri Lanka’s Vernon Manilal Fernando (pictured) was provisionally banned from any football activity for 90 days as part of an ongoing investigation by corruption busters.
John Yan: 中超打不过《泰囧》CSL can’t match ‘Journey to the West’
新增三个赞助商，中超的市场经营板块，在新赛季开始前要好看许多了。打开中超官网，首页下方滚动的几个logo分别是：万达广场、耐克、三星、山东临工和雷曼光电。打开内页，会有哈尔滨啤酒、全体育传媒、CCTV5、新浪体育、体奥动力和五大连池等logo。三星之外，在联赛新赛季开赛前一周，还有华视传媒和神州租车两个新的市场和作者加盟。这样一个市场经营版图，至少logo数量，较前几年丰富了许多。
虽然中超的整体市场经营架构，仍然显得相对杂乱，CCTV5、新浪体育、全体育传媒这样的媒体合作伙伴，与其他市场商业合作伙伴，被混为一谈，但中超的市场号召力，连续三年逐年上升，是显而易见的事实。三星在春节之前已经明确赞助中超，传言为3年6000万人民币，之后还有在公交地铁等户外数字电视平台运营代理权的华视传媒，以及提供用车的神州租车。
League plays on as violence flares again in Egypt
By Paul Nicholson
March 11 – Violence erupted in Egypt again over the weekend and the Egyptian FA headquarters were burned down after fans rioted after the second court ruling following the Port Said disaster in February 2012 handed down sentences to a further 54 people and confirmed the 21 death sentences already passed last month.
‘Football Diplomacy’ around Asian Cup to bring Australia and Asia closer
By Mark Baber
March 11 – Influential Australian think-tank, the Lowy Institute, has published a new report examining how football diplomacy around the 2015 Asian Cup will provide opportunities for government, business and community groups to strengthen their engagement with Asia.
Nigerian anti-lesbian witch-hunt tapes released
By Mark Baber
March 11 – As FIFA seeks clarification over reported remarks by the head of the Nigeria Women Professional League (NWPL), a tape of the controversial interview has been released by Nigeria’s Premium Times and activists have called for a FIFA ban.
QPR gambles on a spend, spend, spend policy
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
March 11 – Financial figures released by the Premier League’s bottom club, Queens Park Rangers, in their bid to remain in the top flight of English football will have raised eyebrows throughout Europe, not least at UEFA’s Swiss headquarters.
Lebanese ref resigns after violent attack and calls for greater protection
By Andrew Warshaw
March 11 – A Lebanese referee forced to flee for his life has decided to quit, the latest unsavoury episode to strike at the heart of the sport in the Middle Eastern country.
Contracts exchanged as Pompey fans wait for court
By Andrew Warshaw
March 11 – The biggest fan ownership scheme in English football has moved a vital step closer after the group hoping to buy stricken Portsmouth exchanged contracts to buy the club out of administration.
Diakite engineers stunning return to CAF ExCo
By Osasu Obayiuwana in Marrakech, Morocco
March 11 – In what can only be termed as the ultimate comeback, Mali’s Amadou Diakite (pictured), the disgraced former FIFA executive committee member, has returned to the top of continental football administration, winning another four-year term on the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Marathon man Hayatou takes his seat and criticises his critics
By Osasu Obayiuwana in Marrakech
March 11 – Issa Hayatou, elected without opposition to a record 7th term as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), has hit out at critics of his lengthy tenure.
Hayatou opens CAF Congress praising African football as the showcase of Africa
By Osasu Obayiuwana, at the CAF Congress in Marrakech
March 9 – The 35th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), to be spread over two days, began on Saturday at the Palais De Congrais in Marrakech, Morocco.
As African football’s elite gather, focus is on election rather than reform
By Osasu Obayiuwana, at the CAF congress in Marrakech, Morocco
March 9 – Backslaps, embraces and hearty chat are always on offer, when the great, the good and the miscreants in African football politics congregate, at least in public.
UNICEF steps into Barça ‘child-trafficking’ row
By Mark Baber
March 8 – UNICEF have written to FC Barcelona following a report by insideworldfootball that Barcelona may have breached FIFA regulations on the transfer of young players from abroad.
FIFA demands clarification over Nigerian ban on lesbian players
By Mark Baber
March 8 – In the wake of the Chair of the Nigerian Women’s Professional League reportedly banning lesbians from playing football, FIFA has now written to the Nigerian Football Fedearation requesting clarification.