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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
By David Gold
March 24 – Bulgaria and Romania have confirmed their intention to apply to jointly host the 2020 European Championships.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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The FIFA Presidential election will turn on two words: Goal Project.
This was Sepp Blatter’s great idea, energetically pushed by him ever since he got elected as President. But, and this is crucial, it was run by Mohammed Bin Hammam. The Qatari can win if, through his stewardship of the project, he has built such support in FIFA that he can undercut Blatter, particularly in the small organisations round. It is a big if.
By David Gold
March 23 – The Football Supporters’ Federation today launched their petition to give supporters the choice to watch football games from a safe standing area at stadiums in England and Wales.
By David Gold
March 22 – Ian Watmore, the former chief executive of the Football Association, has criticised the organisation and called for it to be restructured under the guidance of an independent board.
By David Gold
March 22 – Alisher Usmanov has increased his stake in Arsenal to over 27 per cent to raise the possibility that his company Red & White Holdings Limited may make a move to buy the Premier League club outright.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
March 22 – Michel Platini began his second term in charge of UEFA today by launching a savage attack on the re-emergence of football hooliganism, saying he was “sick” of what was going on some parts of the continent.