By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – FIFA’s new chief ethics investigator insists he will not be influenced or sidetracked by anyone within the heirarchy of football’s world governing body when it comes to making independent decisions – including FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
March 5 – Michel d’Hooghe, FIFA’s longest-standing executive committee member and head of its medical committee, has expressed his relief at being cleared of any misconduct in the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and says he just wants to get on with what he has been doing for the last 27 years.
By Mark Baber
March 4 – Michael Boateng (pictured), the former Crystal Palace youth player who was sentenced to jail for match-fixing last year, has had his lifetime ban from football extended worldwide by FIFA.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 3 – Dutch FA chief Michael van Praag has become the latest FIFA presidential candidate to unveil his manifesto, parts of it perceptibly similar to that of the other European candidate vying for Sepp Blatter’s crown, Luis Figo.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 2 – The timing could not have been more apt. Just as the custodians of world football decided to delay the advent of video technology to help referees for at least a year, so those in favour of speeding things up pointed to another example of the need for progress with a case of mistaken identity in England’s Premier League.
March 2 – FIFA has agreed to fund the restoration of the grave of William McCrum, the man responsible for first proposing the penalty kick to football’s lawmakers which was adopted back in 1890.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 2 – A new FIFA-UEFA spat has emerged, this time over how to resolve the thorny issue of triple punishment – penalty, sending off and suspension – for players who deliberately prevent a goalscoring opportunity.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 27 – The lawmakers of world football are to consider allowing a fourth substitute in extra time and will at last try to get to grips with the contentious so-called “triple punishment” when they convene in Belfast today and tomorrow.
February 27 – FIFA presidential candidate Michael van Praag steps up his campaign bid early next week by unveiling his manifesto on Monday – then flying straight to the Conmebol Congress in Paraguay to lobby for support.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 27 – Kuwait’s Olympic supremo Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, one of the most influential powerbrokers in world sport, has formally put his name forward to take up one of Asia’s slots on the FIFA executive committee. Ahead of Saturday’s deadline, Skeikh Ahmad has been officially nominated by his home football federation, prompting immediate speculation that he may ultimately be setting his sights on the FIFA presidency in 2019.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 26 – Kuwait’s Olympic supremo Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, arguably the most powerful figure in Asian sport, looks set to throw his hat into the ring to take up one of Asia’s slots on the FIFA Executive Committee.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 25 – Michel d’Hooghe, FIFA’s longest-standing executive committee member, has been cleared of any misconduct in the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, bringing an end to what he described a few weeks ago as the hardest period of his life.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
February 19 – Promising to prioritise grass-roots football and a fairer distribution of funds as well as increase the number of World Cup finalists, Portuguese icon Luis Figo today became the first candidate for FIFA president to launch an official manifesto as distinct from simply mission statements.
February 19 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has been quick to react to former Italian national coach Arrigo Sacchi’s complaint that there were too many black players in Italian youth football.
February 16 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter is leaving no stone unturned in his determination to secure the African vote at the presidential election in May.