By Andrew Warshaw
January 29 – The acting head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), China’s Zhang Jilong (pictured), has lent his support to the campaign for the wearing of the Islamic headscarf hijab by female footballers during matches.
By David Gold
January 28 – The United States and Canada will both be at the London 2012 Olympic Games after victories over Costa Rica and Mexico respectively in the semi-finals of the CONCACAF women’s football qualifiers at BC Place in Vancouver.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 28 – UEFA President Michel Platini (pictured right) has justified why he voted for Qatar to stage the 2022 World Cup, denying he was following instructions from French President Nicolas Sarkozy (left).
By David Gold
January 28 – MATCH Hospitality has appointed Grupo Mundomex and Nevada Tours as co-exclusive sales agents in Mexico for the official FIFA hospitality programmes during the 2013 Confederations Cup and 2014 World Cup, being held in Brazil.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 27 – Two-time Swiss champions Neuchâtel Xamax, the club where FIFA President Sepp Blatter used to be a director, have lost their appeal against being thrown out of the Swiss league for financial irregularities.
By David Gold
January 27 – French Sports Minister David Douillet (pictured) has suggested that the French Government should not have to spend money on stadia to be used during the European Championships in 2016 and that any renovation or construction costs should be met with Ligue 1 television revenues.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 27 – UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino (pictured) insists Poland and Ukraine will be able to cope with the massive transport and infrastructural issues at the 2012 European Championships even though preparations were too slow at first.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 27 – Sepp Blatter’s (pictured) promise that a woman will join FIFA’s Executive Committee to help get the organisation back on its feet cannot be approved for at least another four months.
By David Gold
January 27 – The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has failed in its attempts to amend Article 58 of its disciplinary code, which would relegate any teams found guilty of match fixing, after the clubs rejected the proposed change.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 27 – The increasingly powerful Middle East broadcaster Al Jazeera has signed a new four year agreement with the French Football League (LFP), cementing the region’s involvement with French football.
By David Gold
January 26 – Mark Pieth (pictured), the Swiss professor and chairman of the independent Governance Committee charged with reforming FIFA, has claimed he would be surprised if there are no more scandals to come after one of the most difficult periods in the organisations history.
By David Gold
January 26 – The Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) Competitions Committee has moved the region’s qualifiers for the London 2012 Olympic Games football tournament from Malaysia to Vietnam.
By David Gold
January 26 – The Bundesliga made a profit of €52.5 million (£44 million/$69 million) in 2010-2011, translating to an increase of €130 million (£109 million/$171 million) from the previous year’s figures.
By Andrew Warshaw in Nyon
January 26 – UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino (pictured) today urged the Turkish football authorities to move faster over eradicating match fixing, hinting that sanctions could otherwise follow.
By Andrew Warshaw in Nyon
January 26 – UEFA’s director of legal affairs, Alasdair Bell, insists financial fair play rules will be maintained and that, crucially, they have the backing of the European authorities against any attempts by clubs to overturn sanctions.