By Tom Degun at the Global Sports Forum Barcelona in Barcelona
March 8 – Manchester United legend Eric Cantona (pictured) has predicted that the United States can win the World Cup in 20 years by building on the system he is introducing at New York Cosmos, where he is Director of Soccer.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 9 – FIFA has wasted no time defending its position by hitting back at a critical Council of Europe report by declaring there were “certain inaccuracies” in a recommendation calling for an internal investigation of Sepp Blatter’s (pictured) re-election as President last year.
By David Gold
March 8 – The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) has announced a partnership with the Institute for Fan Culture (IfF) in Germany.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 8 – A key Council of Europe watchdog has questioned FIFA President Sepp Blatter’s (pictured) election victory last year and says more assurances need to be given that it was clean.
By David Gold
March 8 – A European Parliament report today called on UEFA to ensure that football clubs cannot be sponsored by organisations closely related to their owners, thus circumventing the new Financial Fair Play rules (FFP).
By Andrew Warshaw
March 7 – Gambia is the latest country to risk being kicked out of world football after FIFA warned that the tiny West African country faces “severe sanctions” as a punishment for the Government dissolving the Gambia Football Association (GFA) following a 2013 African Nations Cup qualifying defeat to Algeria.
By David Gold
March 7 – Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), who bought 70 per cent of Ligue 1 leaders Paris St Germain last summer, has purchased the remaining shares in the company from Colony Capital.
By David Gold
March 6 – The International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) has confirmed that Egyptian Professional Footballers’ Association President Magdy Abdel Ghany (pictured left) will be speaking at their annual conference in Doha on March 14 and 15.
By David Gold
March 6 – A British Select Committee which was due to be held today to look into whether enough is being done to combat racism in football has been postponed, with no future date as yet known.
By David Gold
March 6 – French Presidential candidate François Hollande (pictured) has hit back at suggestions that his proposed 75 per cent tax on high earners could be the “death of French football”.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – FIFA looks set to bow to pressure from Europe’s top clubs by reducing the number of international fixtures from 2015 and scrapping meaningless friendlies, especially the one in August that coincides with the start of most leagues.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 5 – Zhang Jilong (pictured), the Chinese acting President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), has welcomed the decision by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) to unanimously endorse lifting the ban on women footballers wearing the Islamic headscarf.
By David Gold
March 5 – FIFA has revealed that over $3 billion (£1.88 billion€2.25 billion) was spent last year on more than 11,500 transfers in the men’s world football market.
By David Gold
March 5 – Puma has extended its long term partnership with the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) through to the World Cup in Russia in 2018, it has been announced.
By David Gold
March 5 – The battle between Clive Palmer (pictured) and Football Federation Australia (FFA) has been ratcheted up again after the Gold Coast United owner vowed to create a new governing body for football in the country.