By David Gold
June 8 – Aldo Rebelo, Brazil’s Sports Minister, has told insideworldfootball that the infrastructure development and construction projects taking place for the hosting of the 2014 FIFA World Cup are “going well”, despite suffering a raft of bad press and setbacks in recent months.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 8 – The Dutch Football Association has reportedly decided to make no official complaint to UEFA after skipper Mark van Bommel was subject to racist abuse at an open training session two days before the start of the 2012 European Championship.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 8 – The British Government has joined the Europe-wide condemnation of Ukraine’s human rights record by announcing it will snub the group phase of the 2012 European Championship because of the “selective justice” meted out to jailed opposition leader Yulia Tymoshenko.
By David Gold
June 7 – Chelsea’s hopes of moving into a new stadium in Battersea have been scuppered by two Malaysian property companies.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 7 – The UEFA lawyer charged with eradicating the growing scourge of match fixing in Europe is to quit after the 2012 European Championship in Poland and Ukraine.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 7 – The increasing involvement of Qatar in European club football has taken another significant step forward with the takeover by the country’s Aspire Zone Foundation (AZF) – one of the world’s most sophisticated sports facilities – of Belgian Second Division club KAS Eupen.
By David Gold
June 7 – Spanish coach Manuel Preciado (pictured) has died of a heart attack at the age of 54, just after agreeing a deal to take over at relegated Villarreal next season.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 7 – UEFA President Michel Platini says referees will have no hesitation in halting matches at the 2012 European Championship if any of the players report being racially abused from the stands.
By David Gold
June 7 – UEFA President Michel Platini has helped unveil the 2012 European Championship International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) in Warsaw, while insisting he was “sure we are going to have a fine Euros”.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 7 – The infamous ISL corruption files, which have cast a dark shadow over much of Sepp Blatter’s 14-year FIFA Presidency, could finally be made public by the end of October, insideworldfootball has learned.
The non-selection of Rio Ferdinand for the 2012 European Championship now resembles one of those tragedies where you start with one story and end up with something so different you can hardly recognise the starting point. And to think that Ferdinand should be the one who suffers the most collateral damage when he is not even involved in whatever John Terry may or may not have said to his brother Anton.
However, unlike many others in the game,
By David Gold
June 6 – The much talked about aerosol spray used to draw lines on a football pitch when giving a free-kick is being used during the current round of South American qualifiers for the Brazil 2014 World Cup, the continental confederation (CONMEBOL) has confirmed.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 6 – Helmut Spahn, the former high-ranking German policeman who ran the security operation for the 2006 World Cup in his homeland, has been given a similar role for the forthcoming European Championship finals in Poland and Ukraine.
By David Gold
June 6 – Brazil’s President Dilma Rousseff has finally signed the controversial 2014 World Cup law, bringing to an end the wrangling over its content.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 6 – Too many footballers are putting their careers at risk by taking painkillers to push them through the pain barrier, according to FIFA’s chief medical officer.