Fake news: Arab states did not send anti-Qatar 2022 demand to FIFA
By Andrew Warshaw
July 17 – Reports that FIFA has received a collective request from Arab nations to strip Qatar as 2022 World Cup hosts have emerged as fake.
World Cup
Mutko fury at doping allegations as details of Xenon tests emerge
By Andrew Warshaw
July 3 – The Confederations Cup may be over but the spectre of doping continues to hang over Russian football, a major headache for World Cup chief and deputy Prime Minister Vitaly Mutko.
Blatter packing a bag for Russia, but FIFA’s former pied piper is not taking a whistle
By Andrew Warshaw
July 3 – Defiant as ever, Sepp Blatter says he will travel to Russia for next year’s World Cup despite serving a six-year ban from all football-related activities imposed by FIFA’s ethics committee.
Interview: Sorokin on 2017 learnings, 2018 expectations and a seat at FIFA’s top table
July 3 – The Confederations Cup has been a test of Russia’s organisational skills and a credible warm-up for 2018. Alexey Sorokin, chief executive of the Organising Committee for the 2018 World Cup in Russia, in an exclusive interview with Samindra Kunti talks about the learnings from the tournament, Russia’s expectations for 2018, and his bid for a seat on FIFA’s Council.
Qatar continues building as alternative trade routes are opened up for construction supplies
By Mark Baber
June 19 – Qatar has moved swiftly to reassure the world’s football community that construction is progressing on stadia for the 2022 World Cup, despite the political, economic and social isolation attempts by its neighbours led by Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
Infantino backs Qatar 2022 saying there is plenty of time for diplomacy to work
By Paul Nicholson
June 12 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has expressed confidence that the diplomatic crisis surrounding Qatar in the middle east will not threaten the 2022 World Cup, but that FIFA is monitoring the situation closely.
Advocaat parachuted back into Dutch national team in last ditch push for Russia 2018
By Samindra Kunti
June 9 – Dick Advocaat begins his third reign as Netherlands coach with the mission of taking Oranje to the World Cup in Russia. Holland lie in fourth position in their World Cup qualification group and play Luxembourg on Friday.
Feeling their way. Qatar breaks ground with ‘sensory room’ stadium project
May 30 – As the first 2022 World Cup stadium opened its gates for Qatar’s Emir Cup final last week, a pilot sensory room project also kicked off, designed to improve the match-day experience for supporters with cognitive disabilities.
FIFA knew of North Korean workers human rights abuse in St Petersburg, claims report
May 26 – A report by Britain’s Guardian newspaper claims FIFA knew about North Korean workers being employed in dire conditions in the construction of a 2018 World Cup site in St Petersburg.
Al Thawadi showcases Qatar 2022 mission at World Economic Forum
May 23 – Qatar 2022 organising chief Hassan Al Thawadi has been explaining the impact and scale of his country’s World Cup project at the World Economic Forum in Jordan.
Qatar’s revamped Khalifa stadium to debut with Emir Cup final, 5 years before 2022 kick off
By Paul Nicholson
May 18 – Qatar will re-open the Khalifa International Stadium this weekend, the first tournament-ready venue for the first winter World Cup that kicks off 21 November 2022. Khalifa International will host group matches and knock out rounds up to the quarter finals in 2022, but before then it will host the 2017 Emir Cup final, 2017 Gulf Cup and 2019 IAAF World Championships.
Zenit move league game after pitch at St Petersburg’s new stadium cuts up
By Samindra Kunti
May 17 – Zenit St. Petersburg have been forced to play tonight’s (Wednesday) league match with FC Krasnodar at another ground after the pitch at the Krestovsky stadium was deemed to be too poor for the fixture.
Going to war on the Russian front: Smertin puts discrimination top of the agenda
By Paul Nicholson
May 10 – Issues of racism and discrimination have been thrust into the spotlight again with the Sulley Muntari case sadly showing that football has a lot more work to do on the issue. FIFA’s response has been depressingly ambivalent; of the “it’s not nice but what do you expect us to do” variety. So what about Russia, the World Cup and the widely documented issues facing that country as it prepares to welcome the world in 2018.
St Petersburg stadium debuts as a work in progress
By Samindra Kunti
April 24 – Saint Petersburg’s 69-000 all-seater Krestovsky Stadium has opened two months before the Confederations Cup, but concerns remain over the venue’s readiness.
Blumenthal toxic on Russia hosting of 2018, says US could help out
April 20 – A US Democrat Senator has urged FIFA to consider stripping Russia as hosts of next year’s World Cup over its alleged complicity in the recent chemical weapons attack in Syria.