By Andrew Warshaw
February 12 – FIFA’s determination to crack down on illegal activities by agents has been illustrated by Brazilian Renato de Moura Ricardo being fined SFR 7,000 by the world governing body’s Disciplinary Committee, the second time in two weeks FIFA has enforced its rules following last week’s sanctioning of CA Independiente of Argentina and Genoa CFC of Italy for misuse of the FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS).
By Andrew Warshaw
February 11 – FIFA’s former head of security, Chris Eaton (pictured), says the recent revelation of a virtual epidemic of match fixing should serve as a wake-up call for authorities across the world.
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
February 11 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has hit back at criticism by UEFA of the reform process he instigated almost two years ago in the wake of widespread corruption. The reform process will reach its eagerly awaited conclusion at the FIFA Congress in May.
By Mark Baber
February 8 – A European Commission study on the economic and legal aspects of player transfers says the transfer system has to change to bring it into line with the original rationale for sport to be alowed to differ from normal employment practices.
February 7 – Swiss law professor and FIFA’s anti-corruption adviser Mark Pieth has warned that UEFA’s position on FIFA’s reform proposals will “basically try to cut half” of the modernising agenda.
February 7 – FIFA has launched a website where whistleblowers can report allegations of corruption, match-fixing and breaches of the FIFA Code of Conduct and the FIFA Code of Ethics.
By Mark Baber
February 7 – There are now four candidates nominated to represent women’s football on the FIFA executive committee for a four year term, the first time the women’s game has had a permanent seat at the governing body’s top table.
By Mark Baber
February 6 – A storm of protest has been unleashed by vice-President of AC Milan, Paolo Berlusconi, the brother of ex-Premier Silvio Berlusconi, after he described the club’s new acquisition, Mario Ballotelli, as “”il negretto della famiglia” (the n***** of the family).
February 5 – Tonight’s friendly between Brazil and England, part of the FA’s 150 year celebration, is the first match under a new deal between Pitch International and the Brazilian football federation (CBF) under which the London-based sports rights agency has all commercial and marketing rights for Brazil’s friendly games for the next 10 years.
By Mark Baber
February 4 – Australia’s Moya Dodd will challenge Lydia Nsekera (pictured) for the newly created position of women’s representative on FIFA’s Executive Committee.
By Mark Baber
February 4 – The saga of Diego Maradona’s tax woes in Italy has taken another turn with his solicitor, Angelo Pisani, claiming that the Argentine’s tax bill, had been cleared by the Central Tax Commission, a claim that has been dismissed by Italy’s tax collection agency, the Agenzia delle Entrate.
February 4 – The International Football Association Board (IFAB) will discuss a clarification of the offside rule as well as consider a report on goal-line technology at its 127th Annual General Meeting on Saturday 2 March under the chairmanship of The Scottish FA in Edinburgh.
On a transfer deadline day and with his usual flair for a dramatic headline grabbing entrance, David Beckham was officially presented as a PSG player this afternoon after passing his medical.
The Premier League have awarded audio visual broadcast rights for all 380 Barclays Premier League matches per season for three seasons, 2013/14 to 2015/16, to media agency MP & Silva for the Middle East and North Africa region.
January 31 – Europe’s big spending clubs are reporting winter flurries of activity as they rapidly manoeuvre in the player transfer market to close their deals as the window starts to close across the continent tonight – from 19:00 CET in Germany to 24: 00 CET (23:00 GMT) in England and France.