Beckham given option to buy MLS franchise
November 23 – David Beckham (pictured) will be given the first option of buying Major League Soccer’s (MLS) 20th franchise team, Commissioner Don Garber has revealed.
Adelaide fine Vidmar to avoid World Cup embarrassment
November 22 – Adelaide United Aurelio Vidmar (pictured) has been suspended and fined heavily by his club for a racist remark that Australian officials feared could jeopardise their bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
Multi-billion pound railway deal boosts Qatar 2022 World Cup bid
By Duncan Mackay
November 22 – Qatar today signed a €17 billion (£15 billion) rail project with Deutsche Bahn that will play an important role in transporting football fans around the country if it is awarded the 2022 World Cup.
Brazilian President wants world champions to help in peace process
November 23 – Five-time world champions Brazil would be prepared to play an exhibition match against a joint Palestine-Israel team to help the peace process in the Middle East, the South American country’s President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said today.
Australia World Cup bid appoints German company to lead campaign
By Duncan Mackay
November 22 – Australia has recruited Andreas Abold (pictured), who helped Germany win its bid to host the 2006 World Cup and South Africa 2010, to give its campaign to stage the tournament in 2018 or 2022 a major boost.
Irish Football Association agree to six-figure payout to Wells
November 21 – Former Irish Football Association (IFA) chief executive Howard Wells (pictured) has said he is satisfied with his six-figure payout for unfair dismissal, which has been settled out of court.
Beckham role in US praised by MLS Commissioner
By Duncan Mackay
November 22 – David Beckham (pictured) has been credited by Don Garber, the Commissioner of Major League Soccer (MLS), for his role in helping the sport establish itself in the United States.
Iraq vows to fight FIFA suspension
November 21 – Iraqi officials has promised that they will appeal against a decision by FIFA to suspend the country’s football association because of state interference.
Former Zenit President emerges a contender to replace Mutko
November 21 – Sergei Fursenko, the former President of Zenit St Petersburg and a close ally of Vladimir Putin, has emerged as a serious contender to become the new head of the Russian Football Union (RFU).
The Fix author hails match-rigging scandal revelations
By Duncan Mackay
November 21 – Declan Hill (pictured), author of the book The Fix, which alleged major matches across Europe had been rigged, has hailed the revelations that a continental-wide police investigation has uncovered widespread evidence of corruption.
Exclusive: England 2018 bid would have been dead without Thompson
By Andrew Warshaw
November 21 – England’s campaign to stage the 2018 World Cup would have died on its feet had FIFA vice-president Geoff Thompson (pictured) been left without a role to play, a senior bid source has exclusively told insideworldfootball.
Major match-fixing scandal uncovered in Europe
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November 20 – Europe was riddled with a match-fixing betting scandal involving more than 200 suspected members who fixed or tried to fix around 200 matches across the continent, it has been claimed by police in Germany today.
Former Chelsea chief executive takes up new role at Sheffield United
November 20 – Trevor Birch (pictured), the man who helped Roman Abramovich buy Chelsea, has joined Sheffield United as its new chief executive.
Israeli Government warn Palestine new stadium could be demolished
November 20 – Work on a football stadium being built in the West Bank, and financed by FIFA, has been stopped, after Israel claimed that it wanted to use some of the land for its own use.
Rodney Marsh: David Beckham is the most influential English sports figure since Bobby Moore
One day soon David Beckham will become Sir David Beckham. He has been the most influential English sports figure both on and off the field since the late great Bobby Moore. Bobby was never knighted – a national disgrace in my view. Now Beckham faces one of his biggest challenges on Sunday in the final of the Major League Soccer Championship.