FIFA fines clubs for breaches of third party ownership rules
April 19 – In the latest crackdown on third party ownership of players, FIFA have handed out a raft of sanctions to clubs for transfer deals.
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FIFA Council member and Congo FA chief Omari arrested on corruption allegations
By Paul Nicholson
April 18 – Police in Congo have swooped to arrest DR Congo Football Association (Fecofa) president Constant Omari along with two Fecofa vice presidents, Roger Bondembe (finance director) and Theobad Binamungu (national team manager), Their detention comes as part of a corruption investigation looking at embezzlement of government and football funds.
UEFA cracks disciplinary whip banning Sion and fining Irtysh, FC Vojvodina and KF Tirana
April 18 – Swiss club FC Sion, which has a history of controversy on and off the field, have been a handed a two-season ban from European competition by UEFA over a transfer debt.
Russian roulette with their own World Cup? FIFA charge hosts for racist monkey chants
April 17 – They can protest all they like about being unfairly singled out, but FIFA has charged World Cup hosts Russia with fan racism less than two months before the tournament begins.
WADA enters fray as CAS set to rule on World Cup fate of Peruvian captain Guerrero
April 13 – Peru captain Paolo Guerrero’s dreams of leading his country into the World Cup in June could be shattered if the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) appeal to increase his ban for a positive doping test is successful.
Doping: Berlinger sample bottles to continue production for at least another 12 months
By David Owen
April 13 – In a move that will be greeted with much relief in the anti-doping sector, Berlinger has decided to continue producing sample bottles for at least the next 12 months.
Legal comment: Derby County rush to blame – but will it be an own goal?
April 12 – The Beautiful Game. A matter more serious than life or death, if you believe Mr Shankley. However, far from complementing the beauty of the game, off-field misdemeanours within the business of football are increasingly stealing the headlines. This time the scandal hitting the headlines concerns Derby County FC and Sam Rush, its former President and CEO. The Rams dismissed Mr Rush for gross misconduct and breach of fiduciary duty in May 2017.
Player pay row puts pressure on parsimonious Panathinaikos
April 11 – Greek football, plagued by a raft of controversial incidents on and off the pitch in recent months, has been plunged into yet more turmoil after Panathinaikos players went on a brief strike in protest over unpaid wages from last year.
El Haddadi looks for CAS support for his Moroccan heritage in time for Russia 2018 start
April 11 – Barcelona forward Munir El Haddadi has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in his bid to switch national allegiance from Spain to Morocco ahead of the World Cup.
Film fund tax avoidance schemes catch more English players in HMRC snares
April 11 – Scores of English professional footballers are facing huge fines for investing in a tax avoidance scheme, according to the country’s Daily Mirror newspaper.
Serbian FA call in Genius Sports for data and integrity partnership
April 10 – Genius Sports has added the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) to its roster becoming the federation’s official data and integrity partner.
Exclusive: FIFA stocks up on anti-doping kits after Berlinger announces withdrawal
By David Owen
April 6 – FIFA has secured adequate supplies of anti-doping sample collection kits for this summer’s World Cup in Russia, in spite of the company which makes them announcing plans to exit the business.
UEFA warn Zenit after player misses doping test after Celtic clash
April 4 – Zenit St Petersburg have been cautioned by UEFA after one of their players failed to attend a routine doping test following Celtic’s 1-0 Europa League win over the Russian side in February.
Italian law enforcers probe €740m sale of AC Milan to Li Yonghong
March 22 – Italian prosecutors have opened an investigation into last year’s sale of AC Milan by Silvio Berlusconi’s holding company to a Chinese consortium, according to Reuters quoting a judicial source.
Spanish prosecutors hunt Xabi Alonso, calling for €4m tax repayment and 5-year jail term
March 22 – The crackdown by Spanish authorities to prevent elite footballers getting even richer by beating the tax system has struck again, with former Liverpool and Real Madrid star Xabi Alonso facing a possible five-year jail term after being accused of fraud.