By David Owen
March 24 – Low taxes and political neutrality: those are two of the reasons why, as I understand it, so many sports bodies over the years have set up headquarters amid the lakes and mountains of Switzerland.
By David Owen
March 21 – FIFA’s decision to make $209 million available to the employers of squad members of teams qualifying for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cups means top European clubs in particular can look forward to dramatically enhanced payouts.
By David Owen
March 23 – World Cup ticketing income combined with a bonus from a well-subscribed hospitality programme to enable FIFA to shoulder a number of additional costs in 2014 without slipping into deficit or dipping into its rainy day reserve.
By David Owen
March 23 – Europe is virtually monopolising payments to clubs under FIFA’s Club Protection Programme (CPP). The scheme, which compensates clubs when their players are injured on international duty, made €39.4 million of payments in its first two years and four months of operation. Of this, no less than €38.6 million – 98% – went to clubs in the UEFA region.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
March 20 – A defiant Sepp Blatter laid down the gauntlet to his critics today by insisting his record at the head of FIFA spoke for itself and refusing to say whether or not he will issue a manifesto ahead of the presidential election in May.
March 20 – France has been awarded hosting rights for the 2019 Women’s World Cup, beating off a challenge from South Korea, the only other candidate.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 19 – Michel Platini may be Sepp Blatter’s greatest critic when it comes to the veteran Swiss standing for a fifth term of office as FIFA president but one thing the pair agree on is that the 2022 World Cup in Qatar must be staged in winter.
March 19 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has rejected a joint offer from UK broadcasters the BBC and Sky to take part in a political-style live television debate alongside his three rivals ahead of the presidential election at the end of May.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 16 – Brunei’s football federation has sought to play down reports that it will be supporting Jordan’s Prince Ali bin Al Hussein against Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency.
March 12 – No sooner has qualifying for the 2018 World Cup begun in various parts of the world than Zimbabwe have been thrown out for failing to pay former coach Jose Claudinei Georgini.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 12 – The exact dates for the first ever winter World Cup in November and December 2022 leads a packed agenda for next week’s FIFA executive committee meeting.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 11 – Prince Ali bin al-Hussein’s bid to dethrone Sepp Blatter as president of FIFA has taken an unexpected twist after he appeared to pick up support in arguably the least likely part of Asia.
March 9 – Quotas should be introduced to increase the number of women in top football positions according to panelists who attended the first FIFA Women’s Football and Leadership Conference.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 9 – FIFA presidential candidate Michael van Praag says he and fellow contender Luis Figo have no chance of dethroning Sepp Blatter unless one of them pulls out of the running in the weeks ahead.
March 9 – Germany’s outgoing FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger is back on the offensive over the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.