Serie A to continue with Super Cup in Saudi as part of expansion to 4-team format
March 15 – Serie A will again play its Super Cup in Saudi Arabia next year as the continuation of a deal that began in 2018.
With Vidic out the running, Dzajic takes reins at Serbian FA
March 15 – Former Red Star legend Dragan Dzajic has been elected president of the Serbian Football Association. All 78 delegates attending the election voted for Dzajic.
Norway’s Klaveness talks of FIFA’s ‘realm of fear’ as she lobbies for UEFA exco position
By Samindra Kunti in Kigali, Rwanda
March 14 – Norway FA president Lise Klaveness has spoken of a “realm of fear” among football FA presidents as Gianni Infantino heads for re-election and another four-year term as FIFA president in the Rwandan capital.
Russia takes step towards Asia with invitation to compete in central region tournament
March 14 – News that Russia have been invited to compete in a regional Asian tournament in June has rekindled debate over whether they will quit UEFA and instead join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
Platini says he will not return to French federation to replace le Graet
March 14 – Cleared in 2022 by Swiss justice of the fraud charges that had persued him for six years, Michel Platini (pictured) has repeated that he has no interest in making a comeback as head of the French Football Federation (FFF) following the departure of the disgraced Noel Le Graet.
Conference call: Renewed demand for FIFA to set up compensation fund for Qatar migrant workers
March 14 – On the eve of the FIFA Congress and president Gianni Infantino’s retaking of his vows in Kigali, Amnesty and a million petition signees have demanded FIFA compensate migrant workers who suffered human rights and labour abuses in Qatar.
FIFAe launches FAMEHERGAME programme to ecourage more women into esports
March 14 – FIFA has kicked off a new initiative to encourage greater female participation in football esports with the launch of a women’s inclusivity programme titled FAMEHERGAME.
Investigation clears Berhalter to stay in running for USMNT job
March 14 – Greg Berhalter remains in the running to return to the role of US men’s national team head coach following an investigation into allegations of domestic violence.
Iran pick Ghalenoei to lead team into Asian Cup, starting with Russian friendly on March 23
March 14 – After months of speculation, Iran have named Amir Ghalenoei (pictured) as the successor to Carlos Queiroz to lead Team Melli until the 2023 Asian Cup that will be played in Qatar next January.
Hertha Berlin majority stake sold to 777 Partners as club seeks financial and Bundesliga stability
March 14 – Miami-based private equity firm 777 Partners has bought a 64.7% majority stake in Hertha Berlin, buying the shares of disaffected owner Lars Windhorst, held by his Peil Investment group.
Vidic bites the bullet and pulls out of Serbian FA presidential race
March 14 – Former Manchester United defender Nemanja Vidic has withdrawn his candidacy for president of the Serbian FA just two weeks after throwing his hat into the ring.
Bulgaria’s debt-plagued Levski refused sale of defender to Russian Premier League club
March 14 – Nasko Sirakov, owner of Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia, admitted that the club refused to sell a player to a Russian club, despite the serious financial crisis facing the club and its huge debts to the National Revenue Agency (NRA).
Cadbury stay sweet on Man Utd with renewal of global partnership
March 14 – Manchester United and Cadbury, part of the Mondelēz International brand family, have renewed their global partnership that began in February 2020.
Analysis: Are 104 games the way forward for the 2026 FIFA World Cup?
March 13 – This week in Kigali, Rwanda, in and around its Congress, FIFA will discuss proposals to change the opening group stages of the 2026 World Cup from three to four teams. Mario Guajardo and Alex Krumer, business and economics professors at universities in Norway are specialists in studying formats and schedules for sports competitions. They analyse some of the options available to FIFA.
Qatari espionage operation spied on Infantino/Lauber’s ‘unremembered’ meeting
March 13 – On the eve of the FIFA Congress in Rwanda where Gianni Infantino will be re-elected FIFA president, the Italian-Swiss football official has been further embarrassed following a report in Swiss Sunday newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung that Qatar spied in 2017 on Infantino and then Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber.