FIFA presidential race: Sexwale still in it, but losing chances to win it
February 8 – Tokyo Sexwale may be clutching at straws but he refuses to give up hope ahead of the FIFA presidential election – for the moment at least.
FIFA
FIFA candidates wait for white smoke from the CAF exco powwow
By Andrew Warshaw
February 5 – African football officials are due to announce later today whether they will formally endorse the only candidate from their Continent in the FIFA presidential race, Tokyo Sexwale, or to back one of the other contenders.
Will he, won’t he? Is Blatter planning to attend February finale?
By Andrew Warshaw
February 5 – Banned FIFA president Sepp Blatter could make a defiant farewell appearance at the Congress that will elect his successor – even if he has been unable to clear his name in time.
Is Prince Ali’s latest election blast over FIFA funding block an own goal?
By Andrew Warshaw
February 4 – FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali bin al-Hussein is back on the offensive, this time over the controversial decision to block $20 million in funding to CONMEBOL and CONCACAF, the two confederations at the centre of football’s worst ever corruption crisis.
Sexwale battles for African support as CAF ponders options
By Andrew Warshaw
February 4 – Speculation that Tokyo Sexwale will pull out of the race to become FIFA president has been fuelled by his continuing inability to secure the unequivocal backing of his own South African federation, let alone the African Continent as whole.
Mutko hints of secret FIFA presidential hustings event pre-election day
By Andrew Warshaw
February 4 – The five rivals running for FIFA president have agreed to hold a private summit in mid-February shortly before the February 26 election to succeed Sepp Blatter, according to FIFA’s Russian powerbroker Vitaly Mutko, one of the most influential figures in European football.
Exclusive: Scala ruling questions integrity of CONCACAF and CONMEBOL leadership
By Andrew Warshaw
February 3 – The growing influence of Domenico Scala as the prime mover in the drive to clean up FIFA has been further underlined by this week’s unprecedented ruling to block $20 million of payments to CONCACAF and CONMEBOL, the two confederations most seriously damaged by football’s ongoing corruption scandal.
Russia and Italy roll in behind Infantino as Europe falls into line
By Andrew Warshaw
February 3 – Just days after dismissing Gianni Infantino’s World Cup promises as pure electioneering, Russian football boss Vitaly Mutko says his federation will support him at the February 26 ballot to succeed Sepp Blatter.
FIFA pulls plug on CONMEBOL and CONCACAF funding
By Andrew Warshaw
February 2 – In an unprecedented move that will heap even more hardship and anguish on to both scandal-hit confederations, FIFA has blocked a reported $20 million in funding to CONMEBOL and CONCACAF – just when they are trying to put their respective houses in order.
Jose’s back! So was Fabio, and Luis, as Infantino puts on a presidential show
By Andrew Warshaw at Wembley
February 2 – If Gianni Infantino’s chances of clinching the presidency of FIFA on February 26 were judged on promotional opportunism and slick public relations, we may as well stop taking bets now.
In or out? Blatter and Platini appeal date set, but FIFA to appeal short sentences
By Andrew Warshaw
February 1 – Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini will have their appeals against their respective eight-year bans heard by FIFA’s appeal judges in the middle of February.
Salman outlines ‘needs-based’ funding proposals with emphasis on sustainability
By Paul Nicholson
February 1 – FIFA presidential candidate Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa has outlined more detail of how he would distribute FIFA’s funds to member federations focused on “need-based support”.
A pathway to FIFA’s financial ruin
By Paul Nicholson
January 29 – FIFA presidential candidate Shaikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa has delivered a hard hitting rebuke to the financial proposals of some of his rivals saying that their campaign promises could never be delivered out of current FIFA funds and that if they tried to, they would bankrupt the world governing body over the next four-year cycle.
Sexwale says it is time for an African or Asian boss, not another Swiss
By Andrew Warshaw
January 29 – Four of the five candidates for the FIFA presidency are heading to Qatar for weekend meetings, with one of them, South African Tokyo Sexwale, suggesting the horse-trading and unofficial election pacts are in full swing ahead of the February 26 ballot even though all of the contenders are keeping any election deals firmly under wraps.
Swiss law enforcers claim FIFA whistleblower will blow the criminal cases open
By Andrew Warshaw
January 29 – Swiss prosecutors say they have been given crucial information by a whisteblower in the criminal investigation of suspended FIFA president Sepp Blatter – and into FIFA itself.