AFC to take 2019 Asian Cup to UAE
March 10 – The Gulf region has struck yet another blow for staging major tournaments with the news that The United Arab Emirates has been awarded hosting rights to the 2019 Asian Cup.
Asia
New dawn for Chinese football as 2015 Super League kicks-off after €122m spend
By Mark Baber
March 9 – China’s domestic league kicked off this weekend, with the clubs having spent twice as much as ever before during the winter transfer window, with a major infusion of foreign talent and with the country’s political leadership committed to a reform programme to achieve the triple aims expressed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2011: for the People’s Republic to qualify for, host and finally win the World Cup.
AFC powerplay: Qatari looks set to lose out to Kuwaiti in bid for FIFA exco seat
Sobaclieu.com
By Andrew Warshaw
March 3 – Qatar’s hopes of securing a place at the top table of FIFA look set to be dashed for a second time as Asian football gears up for a powerful alliance between the region’s two most influential officials.
Jordan summit switches dates in bid to gather world’s football leaders
By Andrew Warshaw
February 23 – Organisers of Asia’s main football forum in Jordan have set a new date for the spring summit, pushing it back to within three weeks of the FIFA presidential election and therefore generating considerably more interest.
AFC reports Asian Cup 2015 was clean of match-fixers
February 19 – The AFC Asian Cup 2015 that ended at the end of January with a home win for Australia has been hailed as a success in the battle against betting related match-fixing, with the AFC announcing that there was no evidence of match manipulation uncovered at the tournament.
South Korea’s Chung bids to add to family dynasty on FIFA exco
By Andrew Warshaw
February 18 – Four years after South Korea’s Chung Mong-joon, one of the most influential figures in world football administration, suffered a humiliating defeat after almost a generation as Asia’s FIFA vice-president, his family is gunning to get back to the top table.
PSG edge out Sao Paulo, Arsenal secure third, at Al Kass Cup
February 14 – Europe edged out South America in the final of the Al Kass International Cup in Doha, Qatar, with Paris St Germain reversing a group loss to Brazil’s Sao Paulo, winning via a dramatic penalty shootout. Arsenal overcame AC Milan to take third place.
Egypt: blame game begins as the fans bury their dead
By Mark Baber
February 10 – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued a statement of sorrow for the deaths of Zamalek fans outside the Air Defense stadium on Sunday, extending his condolences to the families of the victims.
Chinese Wanda waves its wonga and buys €1bn Infront sports rights agency
By David Owen
February 10 – Another high profile Chinese investment in international sport has been unveiled, with the announcement on Tuesday that Wang Jianlin’s Dalian Wanda Group has reached a deal to acquire Infront Sports & Media from the private equity firm Bridgepoint for €1.05 billion.
Qatar target AFC seat on FIFA exco
By Andrew Warshaw
February 10 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup chief organiser Hassan al-Thawadi, who failed in 2013 to win a seat on FIFA’s executive committee, has decided not to stand again.
Exclusive: Salman switches Asian Football Confederation congress to home venue
By Andrew Warshaw
February 5 – Asian football supremo Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al-Khalifa’s control over his huge region has been underlined with the surprise decision to hold this year’s 47-nation Asian Football Confederation congress in his native Bahrain.
Japan fire coach Aguirre over match-fixing allegations
February 4 – Despite repeated protestations of his innocence and a plea to be allowed to get on with his job, Japan’s Mexican coach Javier Aguirre has been sacked over much-publicised match-fixing allegations covering the period he worked in Spain.
Prince Ali launches campaign with promises of openness, but no detail of backers
By Andrew Warshaw
January 30 – Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, regarded by many as the most credible rival to Sepp Blatter for the presidency of FIFA, today unveiled his vision for the future of football’s world governing body – but declined to name the five federations who have officially endorsed his candidacy.
AFC family row: unwanted Aussies may have to leave after hosting the party
By Andrew Warshaw
January 30 – Australia’s euphoria at reaching the Asian Cup final on home soil is being partly overshadowed by an apparent move by Gulf nations to have them thrown out of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and sent back to Oceania.
Iran fury after Asian Cup quarter-final defeat leaves a bitter taste
By Mark Baber
January 26 – The sense that the deck might be stacked against Iran in international football received a boost over the weekend as they were knocked out of the Asian Cup by Iraq, after a quarter-final match in which one of their players was sent off in a bizarre decision by the Australian referee, and which featured an Iraqi player who had produced a sample which proved positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine whilst playing for an Iranian club last year.