Figueroa may join race to depose Blatter
By Andrew Warshaw
March 28 – Former three-time South American player of the year Elias Figueroa has confirmed he may challenge Sepp Blatter for the presidency of FIFA.
DiBenedetto nears Roma takeover to add to Liverpool and Boston Red Sox
By David Gold
March 28 – American businessman Thomas DiBenedetto, a partner in the group which owns both the Boston Red Sox and Premiership giants Liverpool, is in Italy leading a group aiming to buy 67 per cent of Serie A outfit Roma.
Warner set to play key role in FIFA election after being given free passage at CONCACAF
By Duncan Mackay
March 25 – Jack Warner, who is set to play a key role in shaping who leads FIFA, will be re-elected as CONCACAF President without a challenger in the North and Central American and Caribbean region.
Brazil Sports Minister hits back at Blatter criticism of 2014 progress
By David Gold
March 27 – Brazil’s Sports Minister Orlando Silva responded to FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s criticism of the country’s preparations for the 2014 World Cup by reassuring him that they were making good progress and that he was confident everything would be ready in time for the showpiece tournament.
Moggi jail sentence reduced by Rome court
By David Gold
March 27 – Rome’s Court of Appeal has reduced former Juventus general manager Luciano Moggi’s jail term to a year.
Exclusive: FA rebuff ChangeFIFA approach to back candidate for President
By Andrew Warshaw
March 26 – Two failed bidders for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup have been approached to back a hitherto unknown group seeking to end the 13-year reign of FIFA President Sepp Blatter.
Indonesian football left in limbo after Congress cancelled
March 26 – Indonesia edged closer to facing FIFA sanctions when a scheduled assembly to organise the association’s first leadership election in four years descended into chaos and was cancelled.
“We need to make things simpler so we can be ready for 2014 and 2016” admits Brazilian Sports Minister
March 25 – Brazil Sports Minister Orlando Silva is seeking help from the country’s Congress to simplify bidding processes and speed-up work ahead of the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympics and Paralympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Exclusive: “I never gave FIFA Presidency a serious thought,” says Der Kaiser
By Andrew Warshaw
March 25 – When politicians, famous sportsmen and other public figures retire to proverbially spend more time with the family, there are often suspicions of some hidden agenda.
“Match-fixing robs it of the core values” claims top UN officials
By Andrew Warshaw
March 25 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter warned today that match fixing must be stamped out to preserve the integrity not only of world football but of sport in general.
Bulgaria and Romania announce plan for joint Euro 2020 bid
By David Gold
March 24 – Bulgaria and Romania have confirmed their intention to apply to jointly host the 2020 European Championships.
La Liga strike planned for start of April
By David Gold
March 24 – La Liga games on the weekend of April 2/3 could be postponed if the Spanish professional soccer league (LPF) fails to resolve its dispute with the Government over a ruling that a La Liga game per matchday must be shown on free to air television.
Exclusive: Blatter – “I need four more years to complete my mission”
By Duncan Mackay in Paris
March 23 – Sepp Blatter has claimed that he needs four more years as FIFA President to finish his “mission”, which involves using football as a force for good in society and helping develop the sport in the less wealthy countries around the world.
Exclusive: FIFA vice-president determined to find solution to Team GB London 2012 row
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
March 23 – Britain’s new FIFA vice-president Jim Boyce says there is still time to persuade the four national Home Associations to provide players for a unified team at the 2012 London Olympics.
Quieroz wins appeal against ban
By David Gold
March 23 – Carlos Queiroz’s appeal against six month ban from all football and sporting activities has been successful, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has announced.