IFAB extends rules to allow religious headwear for men and women
March 3 – Football’s rule-making body has given the green light for both male and female players to wear head coverings for religious reasons during games.
News
U-20 draw reinforces CONCACAF’s global lead in women’s football
By Paul Nicholson
March 3 – The draw for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Canada 2014 took place yesterday. The finals tournament is one of three major women’s world championships being hosted in the CONCACAF region over the next 18 months. Next month Costa Rica will hold the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup whilst the spotlight will be back on Canada in 2015 for the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Birmingham City’s Yeung found guilty of laundering $93m
By Andrew Warshaw
March 3 – After months trying to clear his name, Carson Yeung, the Hong Kong businessman who bought English club Birmingham City, faces a lengthy jail term after being found guilty of five counts of money laundering by a court in Hong Kong. Last month Yeung resigned as a director of both the club and its parent company Birmingham International Holdings Ltd (BIHL) as he awaited the verdict of a trial that had lasted 50 days having already lost two appeals to get it thrown out.
IFAB cautious on triple punishment, cold on sinbins and kills video replays
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
March 2 – Those who favour scrapping the so-called triple punishment rule were left disappointed today when football’s lawmakers opted to retain the status quo even though referees badly need some kind of guidance in applying this most controversial of regulations.
UEFA ready for war as early FFP figures indicate club battles to come
By Andrew Warshaw in Geneva
March 1 – Almost a third of the teams that entered UEFA’s two club competitions this season are in danger of breaking financial fair play regulations. UEFA administrators and legal experts revealed today that 76 clubs out of the 237 who started in the Champions League and Europa League were being probed for potentially failing strict break-even rules.
Triple punishment and sinbins on IFAB rule-makers’ agenda in Zurich
By Andrew Warshaw
February 28 – Two recent controversial Champions League dismissals have refocused attention on the so-called triple punishment – penalty , sending off and subsequent – that continues to cause so much consternation throughout the game. The rule, which has been hotly debated with referees applying different interpretations as to what constitutes a goal-scoring opportunity, comes up for discussion once again at the annual International FA Board meeting in Zurich on Saturday.
Ghana bank rolls out $10m sponsorship, but one player will certainly miss out
February 28 – The Ghana Premier League, which has signed Ghana’s First Capital Plus Bank as its headline sponsor, is rolling out a number of marketing initiatives to support the partnership. The bank will pay $10 million in five year deal, easily a record sponsorship for the league.
Anelka sanctioned for offensive ‘quenelle’ but not found anti-semitic
By Andrew Warshaw
February 28 – In a move that could serve as an important test case for English football’s disciplinary procedures, former French international striker Nicolas Anelka has been banned for five matches and fined £80,000 for his infamous “quenelle” gesture that made worldwide headlines.
UAE and Czechs renew development co-operation
February 28 – The UAE Football Association (UAEFA) and the Czech Republic (FACR) have renewed a signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing the two federations to co-operate and share expertise across a range of football related areas from administration to development and facilities.
Football as art: LA exhibition showcases the game’s creative side
February 28 – The Beautiful Game is an increasingly overused expression; of course it is beautiful. It has a depth of beauty and meaning to football fans and players that is rarely communicated in words. But can this depth be expressed in art? The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) thinks it can.
FIFPro turns up pressure to end ‘obscene’ transfer fees and system
By Paul Nicholson
February 28 – World players union FIFPro has renewed its vehement criticism of the current transfer system following the latest FIFA Transfer Matching System (TMS) data which reported global transfer fees in 2013 of $3.72 billion, an increase of 41% on the previous year.
UEFA releases Europa League final tickets for international sale
February 28 – With the UEFA Europa League now entering the last 16 phase of competition, the first round of ticket sales for the final at the Juventus Stadium, Turin, on Wednesday May 14 have opened. Available exclusively on UEFA.com, the sales window will be open until March 25.
Gamers called to action for CONCACAF Interactive 2014 competition
February 27 – CONCACAF is building on the success of its interactive Gold Cup last year and has launched the CONCACAF Interactive 2014 (#CI14), calling for fan and gamers across the region to compete for the title of CONCACAF Interactive Champion, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip for two to be guests at the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) Grand Final 2014 this summer in Rio de Janeiro.
ICSS warns of phoney fake agents passing off as club officials
By Andrew Warshaw
February 27 – Phoney football agents are defrauding young players by demanding huge sums of money for fake trials and contracts at a raft of top clubs, including several in the English Premier League, according to an investigation undertaken by the Qatar-based International Centre for Sport Security.
Blatter set to run for fifth term as FIFA President
By Paul Nicholson
February 27 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter looks increasingly certain to run for another term as president of FIFA. Speaking to Swiss Walliser Bote – a daily that appears in Blatter’s home canton of Valais – he confirmed that he will run for President again in 2015 “if the FIFA Congress so decides”.