By David Gold
December 6 – Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini has criticised Bayern Munich chairman Karl Heinz Rummenigge ahead of the Champions League clash between the pair this week, after the former German international attacked the Premier League leaders’ spending.
By David Gold
December 6 – Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera has taken another step into the French sports media rights market with the acquisition of four UEFA packages to show Champions League games.
By David Owen
December 6 – Sepp Blatter (pictured) has suffered a new setback in his drive to reform world football’s governing body.
By David Gold
December 6 – Anzhi Makhachkala stars Samuel Eto’o (pictured) and Roberto Carlos have stated their confidence in Russia’s ability to stage the World Cup in 2018.
By Duncan Mackay
December 5 – Joao Havelange’s position as a “legend” and “icon” remains unaffected by his decision to resign from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to avoid corruption charges, the head of Rio 2016 claimed today.
The weekend reports claiming that João Havelange had resigned as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) brought to mind two images from recent IOC Sessions.
The first is from Copenhagen in 2009.
The Brazilian, who as FIFA President once shared with the late Juan Antonio Samaranch the billing of ‘Most Powerful Man in World Sport’, is inviting fellow members of the IOC club to Rio de Janeiro to celebrate his 100th birthday in 2016.
By David Gold
December 5 – After winning the Bulgarian player of the year award ahead of Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov, Prime Minister Boyko Borisov (pictured) has called for the abolition of the prize.
By David Gold
December 5 – Four African teams remain in the hunt for a place at the London 2012 Olympic Games football tournament, with Senegal facing Gabon and Egypt taking on hosts Morocco in the crucial semi-finals.
By David Gold
December 5 – Barcelona’s Lionel Messi (pictured right) is in line for his third successive FIFA Ballon D’Or award after being confirmed on the final three-man shortlist alongside Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo (centre) and team mate Xavi (left).
By David Gold
December 5 – Qatar is donating $400,000 (£256,000/€300,000) generated in ticket proceeds from the recent friendly game between Brazil and Egypt in Doha, to the victims of famine in Somalia.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 5 – Beleaguered former Asian football chief Mohamed Bin Hammam will have the first of his two appeal hearings on January 23 at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
By Andrew Warshaw
December 6 – FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke (pictured) has fuelled further tension between the world governing body and English football by suggesting that they not always feel welcome in the country.
By Duncan Mackay
December 4 – Joao Havelange, the former controversial President of FIFA, has resigned as a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to avoid being expelled from the organisation he has served for nearly 50 years.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – FIFA Pesident Sepp Blatter has re-opened his feud with English football by saying the country has still not come to terms with losing out on the 2018 World Cup.
By David Gold
December 4 – Sócrates, one of the world’s greatest midfielders and Brazil’s captain at the 1982 World Cup, has died in a São Paulo hospital at the age of 57, casting a shadow over the final weekend of the Brazilian Championship.