Wales manager Gary Speed dies
By Andrew Warshaw
November 27 – The football world was plunged into mourning today after Wales manager Gary Speed was found dead at the age of 42 from an apparent suicide.
Leave my kids alone, Sir Alex Ferguson warns Team GB
By David Gold
November 26 – Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has welcomed the potential involvement of several of his young English players in the Olympic Games next year, but warned that he did not want any of them playing at both London 2012 and the European Championships.
Racism is not resolved with a handshake, sneers Brazil’s Teixeira
By David Gold
November 26 – Brazil’s controversial football chief Ricardo Teixeira (pictured) has launched a veiled attack on Sepp Blatter by declaring that “racism is not resolved with a handshake”, echoing the words the embattled FIFA President used in an interview last week, as the country launched an anti-racism drive.
African London 2012 Olympic qualifiers get under way in Morocco
By David Gold
November 25 – Eight teams from across Africa are in Morocco for the next fortnight hoping to progress to the London 2012 Olympic Games football tournament.
It’s either van Gaal or Cruyff as decision time approaches for Ajax
By David Gold
November 25 – Dutch giants Ajax will choose between two of the most influential men in the club’s history, Louis van Gaal (pictured) and Johan Cruyff, at a shareholders meeting on December 12, in order to end the internal civil war between the two men’s respective supporters.
Exclusive: Win-at-all-costs mentality shouldn’t take priority over health issues, warns FIFA medical chief
By Andrew Warshaw
November 25 – Too many footballers are risking their long-term careers by having painkilling injections before matches, FIFA’s medical chief warned today.
Exclusive: FIFA’s medical chief calls for relax on anti-doping rules in clenbuterol cases
By Andrew Warshaw
November 25 – FIFA’s medical chief, Jirí Dvorák (pictured), has called on anti-doping authorities not to take too hard a line against clenbuterol and to be more understanding about how and why the substance gets into the body.
Mihir Bose: Blatter’s outrageous racism comments have done untold damage to him and FIFA
Sepp Blatter may believe the furore he provoked by his comments on racism in football is behind him. He could not be more mistaken. He will have to live with the consequences of his absurd comment that if there is racism on the field of play it can be got rid of by a post-match hand shake.
Worse still, the damage he has done to FIFA, when the organisation is already so beleaguered, cannot be overestimated.
Chelsea explore viability of new stadium at Battersea Power Station
By David Gold
November 24 – Chelsea have appointed Mike Hussey, chief executive of property investment and development company Almacantar, to investigate the possibility of the club constructing a new stadium at Battersea Power Station.
Rift between Morocco and Nigeria overshadows African Olympic qualifiers
By David Gold
November 24 – The African Olympic football qualifying tournament gets underway in Morocco this weekend, but a row between the hosts and Nigeria is overshadowing the build up to the event.
AFC President Jilong puts controversy to bed saying it’s “business as usual”
By David Gold
November 24 – Zhang Jilong (pictured right), the acting President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has claimed that it is “business as normal” after a controversial year for the organisation.
Russia agree deal with Transport Directorate for 2018 World Cup
By David Gold
November 24 – The Russian organising committee for the 2018 FIFA World Cup have signed an agreement with the Olympic Games Transport Directorate, who have worked on the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games and the Kazan 2013 Summer University Games, to develop transport links during the competition.
Anti-corruption guru Mark Pieth to lead FIFA reforms
By Andrew Warshaw
November 24 – A Swiss anti-corruption expert has emerged as the key player in FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s quest to rid the organisation of sleaze and scandal.
David Owen: Could financial fair play be ruled offside by an all-out eurozone crisis?
Here’s a thought for these turbulent financial times in Europe: Could UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations (FFP) survive a collapse of the Euro?
These are the rules through which the governing body’s boss Michel Platini hopes to save European football from itself by, to oversimplify outrageously, obliging clubs to operate on a break-even basis.
Warrant issued for arrest of Portsmouth’s Russian owners
By Andrew Warshaw
November 23 – A European arrest warrant has been issued by Lithuanian prosecutors for the Russian owner of troubled English Championship club Portsmouth.