Now Interpol join the SAFA match-fixing investigation
By Andrew Warshaw
December 21 – Interpol has been drafted in to help with the investigation into the match-fixing scandal that has sent shock waves through South African football.
Mihir Bose: Winter whisperers must not knock Qataris from their core 2022 message
So what has Qatar in common with South Africa? On the face of it you would think this is an absurd, Christmas quiz, question. But it is not.
In footballing terms they have a lot in common. The common factor is both countries are pioneers for the world’s most popular game, staging the World Cup in their part of the world for the first time. And both countries have had the need to convince the world they are worthy of having this honour.
Sunset+Vine wins BT Sport Premier League TV contract
By Mark Baber
December 21 – BT Sport, which surprisingly landed £738m of rights for Premier League football this summer, has named Sunset+Vine, part of the Tinopolis Group, as production company for their 38 live Premier League games for the next three seasons.
La Coruña still have a sporting chance to avoid administration, but situation rapidly worsening in Bucharest
By Mark Baber
December 19 – Spanish club Deportivo de La Coruña are in imminent danger of entering administration.
Anti-corruption body urges Council of Europe to push for “urgent reform” at FIFA
By Andrew Warshaw
December 20 – An anti-corruption panel advising FIFA has called on the Council of Europe to push for “urgent” reform at football’s world governing body after suggesting its own efforts to bring about change were being blocked.
High Court quashes original “profound and almost palpable” Hillsborough inquest verdicts
By Andrew Warshaw
December 20 – In a major victory for the families of the 96 fans killed in the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster – Britain’s worst ever sporting tragedy – the country’s High Court has quashed the original inquest verdicts due to a “profound and almost palpable” sense of injustice.
Barça coach Vilanova temporarily steps down for cancer treatment
By Andrew Warshaw
December 20 – Messages of support are flooding in from around the world after Barcelona coach Tito Vilanova stepped down temporarily because of a cancer recurrence.
Napoli outraged at two-point sanction for match-fixing
By Andrew Warshaw
December 20 – Italian club Napoli are up in arms for being hit with a two-point deduction after becoming the latest Italian club sanctioned for alleged match-fixing.
Rangers shares open at 75p per share on London market
By Mark Baber
December 19 – The shares of Rangers International Football Club plc opened at 75p per share in their first session of trading this morning soon climbing to 76.5p on London’s Alternative Investments Market.
Egyptian Premier League start postponed for third time
By Mark Baber
19 December – The start of the Egyptian Premier League season, scheduled for 18 December has been postponed again by the Egyptian Football Association (EFA).
New Samara stadium site gets FIFA approval
December 19 – FIFA have given the greenlight to the relocation of the stadium in the Russian city of Samara which is slated to host the 2018 World Cup.
Zenit fans call for exclusion of non-white and gay players
By Andrew Warshaw
December 19 – Just when football authorities round the world are striving to eradicate homophobia and racism, supporters of Russian champions Zenit St Petersburg have demanded non-white and gay players be excluded from the team.
FIFA promises ‘comprehensive’ Brazilian security plan after Sao Paolo final abandoned
By Mark Baber
December 19 – The war of words following the abandonment of the Copa Sudamerica final in Sao Paolo overshadowed the handing over of the state-of-the-art Estadio Castelao in Fortaleza on Sunday, and any publicity coup for Brazilian World Cup organisers.
Kosovo “disappointed” with partial FIFA acceptance and push for full membership
By Andrew Warshaw
December 18 – Kosovo’s Football Federation (FFK) are to push for full membership of FIFA after receiving only partial acceptance from football’s world governing body.
South African FA President suspended for match-fixing
By Andrew Warshaw
December 18 – Two years after staging the World Cup and just weeks before hosting January’s African Cup of Nations, South African football has been plunged into crisis after the President of the country’s national federation, Kirsten Nematandani (pictured), was suspended along with four others in a new match-fixing scandal.