By Andrew Warshaw
December 20 – An anti-corruption panel advising FIFA has called on the Council of Europe to push for “urgent” reform at football’s world governing body after suggesting its own efforts to bring about change were being blocked.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – The most damaging scandal in the history of FIFA came to an abrupt conclusion today when Mohamed Bin Hammam dropped his long-running fight to clear his name, walking away after being banned for life by FIFA for “repeated violations” of the world governing body’s code of ethics while he was head of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
December 13 – Speaking at the International Football Arena (IFA) Roundtable in Tokyo, FIFA general secretary, Jerôme Valcke said that the future of football lies in the development of grassroots activities, “which must be dominated by a strong infrastructure that is centered around club football anywhere in the world.”
By Andrew Warshaw
December 9 – Mohamed Bin Hammam, still suspended from world football pending possible fresh sanctions after FIFA-appointed prosecutors completed their inquiry into alleged malpractice by the former head of Asian football, is set to make a rare public appearance in Europe.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 6 – FIFA has welcomed the introduction of goal-line technology, being rolled out for the first time in official competition at the Club World Cup in Japan starting today.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 5 – The ongoing probe into alleged malpractice by Asian football powerbroker Mohamed Bin Hammam, which has seriously split his increasingly dysfunctional confederation, reaches a crucial stage within the next 48 hours during which FIFA-appointed United States investigators must decide what action to take against him, if any.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 29 – Both venues for the upcoming Club World Cup in Japan will employ goal-line technology to assist the officials, FIFA has confirmed, ending years of foot-dragging by the authorities.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 29 – The English Premier League has maintained its decision-making status on the top table of the European Club Association (ECA) with Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis elected to the organisation’s executive board.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 27 – Emirates Airlines, one of FIFA’s most important sponsors, want to see some kind of improvement in the organisation’s image before putting pen to paper on any further deals.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 19 – FIFA’s Football Committee, the body comprising some of the most influential figures in the game and charged with tackling the game’s major issues of controversy, has called for third-party ownership of players to be banned.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 13 – The much publicised road map to reform undertaken by FIFA after the most scandal-tainted period in its history will come to a definitive end in May next year when the organisation’s 209-member congress is presented with a series of proposals designed to bring transparency and accountability back to world football’s governing body.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 1 – Mohamed Bin Hammam has lost the latest round of his ongoing campaign to clear his name and regain a place at the top table of Asian and world football.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 30 – Lionel Messi is favourite to pick up a fourth consecutive FIFA World Player of the Year award after being selected among 23 candidates for the prestigious annual prize.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 24 – In a major breakthrough for goal-line technology, both the Hawk-Eye and GoalRef systems have now been licensed for worldwide use by FIFA.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 23 – One of the two companies developing goal-line technology say “all the big leagues” in Europe including the Premier League have made contact with a view to implementation its system.