FIFA says $1bn spend on women’s game will not be impacted by Covid-19
April 21 – FIFA has said that the coronavirus pandemic will not touch the world federation’s ambitious plans to invest $1 billion in the women’s game.
FIFA
New Infantino links to Swiss judiciary raise more questions of integrity and impartiality
By Andrew Warshaw
April 20 – Yet another significant twist has emerged over undocumented dealings between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Switzerland’s judiciary authorities.
Former FIFA ethics judge Eckert questions ‘confusion’ of Infantino/Lauber meetings
By Andrew Warshaw
April 17 – Former FIFA ethics judge Hans-Joachim Eckert, removed three years ago by the FIFA Council led by Gianni Infantino, has added his voice to speculation over the motives of undocumented meetings between Infantino and Switzerland’s attorney general Michael Lauber.
Blatter says FIFAgate allegations of World Cup vote buying should force a rethink
By Andrew Warshaw
April 16 – Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter says Qatar should be stripped of the 2022 World Cup as a result of the latest FIFAgate revelations, with the United States best-placed to step in as replacement hosts.
Exclusive: Blatter ‘energised’ by dropped charges but wary of Infantino and Swiss politics
By Andrew Warshaw
April 15 – Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has hailed the dropping of criminal mismanagement charges against him by Swiss prosecutors as a partial success in his bid to clear name and has dragged his successor Gianni Infantino into the narrative by implying Infantino was partly behind a conspiracy against him.
Infantino warns leagues against returning to action too early
April 14 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has warned countries not to start playing football again too early since safety has to come first.
FBI chasing dead ends on Qatar 2022, Russia ask why now?, Jack still sunning himself
By Andrew Warshaw
April 8 – Qatar’s World Cup organisers, who thought they had finally moved on from years of suspicion and finger-pointing over the process by which they were awarded the 2022 tournament, have been forced to deny fresh allegations of corruption and bribery.
FIFA rubber stamps proposal to push transfer window back to season end
April 8 – FIFA has now confirmed reports that the summer transfer window is being pushed back into whatever gap ends up being between the seasons, and that player contracts due to end June 30 will be extended.
FIFAgate reopens with Fox and Imagina execs indicted for bribery and another $5m for Jack
By Andrew Warshaw
April 7 – Football may be postponed indefinitely on the field but off it, the FIFAgate scandal has burst into new life with a fresh catalogue of explosive indictments and allegations relating to widespread bribery, notably over the awards of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups to Russia and Qatar.
Clubs to keep players beyond June as FIFA set to realign contracts to new season end
April 7 – The summer transfer window will be amended, the 2019-20 season extended indefinitely and player contracts ending on June 30 put back for a short period under radical proposals about to be announced by FIFA, according to unconfirmed reports.
FIFA raise Tokyo 2021 age limits and postpone U20 and U17s
April 6 – As a consequence of the global health crisis, FIFA has taken a number of sweeping decisions that will reshape various age group tournaments.
From Allenwood to Campinas. Marin makes it back to Brazil
April 6 – On Sunday, Jose Maria Marin, 87, returned home to his native Brazil. The disgraced former football official spent five years detained overseas following his arrest and conviction in the FIFAgate scandal.
FIFA plans fund to help keep football industry financially fuelled during Covid-19 crisis
April 1 – FIFA is to set up an emergency fund to assist the football industry amid growing fears that the coronavirus crisis will bring the sport to its knees.
FIFAgate: Marin given early release to return to Brazil over health fears
March 31 – Jose Maria Marin, 87, is on his way home. Amid health concerns in times of the global coronavirus pandemic, the former Brazilian football supremo has won his release from an American prison, where he was serving a four-year sentence for his role in the FIFAgate scandal.
FIFA discuss plan to stop players changing club before season ends, and cut wages
March 27 – FIFA have drawn up radical plans to offset football being wiped off the map by Covid-19 by recommending player contracts be extended automatically until the end of the season (whatever date that becomes) and to push transfer windows back.