By Ben Nicholson
December 7 – David Beckham is al last enjoying some Floridian sunlight on his campaign to exercise his contractual option to create an MLS expansion team. After three years of toiling, and scorching in political heat, Beckham has secured a site for his team’s home stadium. The MLS approved the location, getting Beckham over a hurdle that last week threatened to indefinitely suspend the idea.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 5 – The two FIFA vice-presidents arrested by police in Zurich on Thursday as part of the burgeoning corruption scandal have been handed 90-day provisional suspensions by the ethics committee.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – Europe’s leading clubs, having been given no say in FIFA’s reform package, have issued a strongly worded rebuke of the organisation’s attempt to clean itself up.
December 4 – When the current agreement between logistics company Hermes and the Deutsche Fußball Liga comes to a close, new vistas for sponsorship are expected to open up as the DFL has decided not to extend the collective agreement but will allow all 36 clubs to sell their own shirt sleeve sponsorship.
December 4 – While Manchester City’s holding company City Football group has been making headlines signing up a $400 million shareholder to boost the group’s expansion into China, the company’s prime asset has been deepening its links with its domestic fans via an integrated marketing deal with a travel partner.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – Domenico Scala, head of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee, part of whose job has been to police financial wrongdoing, has praised the reform programme announced Thursday but says a complete culture change is needed to ensure it is successfully implemented.
December 4 – Manchester United is again using its MUTV channel to drive the club’s brand and commercial presence into international markets. Last week it announced a distribution deal into Indonesia, this week it unveiled a partnership with telecoms giant Cable and Wireless Communications for the Caribbean.
By Samindra Kunti
December 4 – A study by the French consumer organisation QFC-Que Choisir has revealed that hotel rates during EURO2016 are set to skyrocket with rates up 45% on average from €97 to €141 across France.
December 4 – Liverpool under new German manager Jurgen Klopp are starting to look sharp. Wednesday night they slammed six goals past Southampton to book a place in the League Cup semi-final against Stoke.
By Paul Nicholson
December 4 – Just when FIFA’s executive committee thought it was safe to return to Zurich for their final meeting of the year – an event that would climax with the eagerly anticipated unveiling of FIFA’s new (and game-changing) reform proposals – football’s now habitual party poopers from the US justice authorities unleashed a second tsunami on the world governing body.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
December 3 – FIFA appears on the verge of agreeing to expand the World Cup from 32 to 40 teams, but has deferred a final decision pending discussions about commercial and organisational ramifications.
By Mark Baber
December 3 – With UK television regulator Ofcom’s review of the issue likely to drag on for months, Virgin Media’s chief executive Tom Mockridge has stepped up the campaign for 3pm Saturday kick-offs to be televised with a blog post on the Virgin Media site and briefing for sports journalists.
By Samindra Kunti
December 3 – FIFA’s ethics committee has begun an investigation into the Brazilian FA (CBF) president Marco Polo Del Nero. If guilty Del Nero can expected to be added to an increasingly long list of south American football chiefs either suspended or banned from all football-related activities.
By Paul Nicholson
December 3 – Alfredo Hawit and Juan Angel Napout, arrested this morning in dawn raids at the Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, Switzerland, have both opposed their extradition to the US after hearings given to the Zurich cantonal police this morning.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
December 3 – The timing could not have been more apt. On the day the FIFA corruption scandal escalated dramatically with a second dawn raid in six months and the arrests of two more high-profile footballing figures, so decades of protocol were wiped away with a total overhaul of the way the organisation does business.