July 20 – An Israeli lawmaker close to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu has sent an open letter to FIFA urging it to strip Qatar of 2022 World Cup hosting rights because of its alleged support for Hezbollah and Hamas, regarded by Israel and others as terrorist organisations.
July 19 – France’s victory in the World Cup may have “given the country optimism”, according to President Emmanuel Macron, but elsewhere it has sparked an unsavoury and unnecessary atmosphere of racism.
July 18 – The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) has announced His Excellency the Director General, Michael Møller will open its fourth edition of the Sport Integrity Forum next Thursday, July 26, at the United Nations, in Geneva.
July 11 – As the World Cup reaches its climax in Russia, the FifaGate scandal has reared its head again with The Imagina Group, parent of Spanish broadcaster MediaPro, agreeing to pay $24 million after its US-based affiliate US Imagina pleaded guilty to charges of corruption.
July 11 – The transfer window is open, but not for everyone, at least theoretically. Birmingham City, who have reportedly been placed under a transfer embargo by the English Football league, have nevertheless continued to pursue players currently under contract at other clubs.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 9 – The extent of the rift within the Swiss camp following their exit from the World Cup has been widely exposed by an unprecedented outburst from their Arsenal midfielder Granit Xhaka in response to comments made by Swiss FA secretary general Alex Miescher.
July 9 – In the latest political row involving players at the World Cup, Croatia’s Domagoj Vida has avoided punishment from FIFA after being filmed proclaiming “glory to Ukraine” in the wake of his side’s quarterfinal victory over Russia.
By Paul Nicholson
July 6 – Italian football faces a sponsorship crisis following a government proposal to ban on all gambling advertising, including sponsorship or promotional deals with gambling companies.
July 6 – After describing Colombia’s World Cup loss to England as a “monumental theft” and being wrapped over the knuckles by FIFA, for whom he is a well-paid ambassador, Diego Maradona has apologised for the comments he made about the refereeing during the last-16 tie.
By Paul Nicholson
July 5 – Spain’s LaLiga is the latest football rights holder to condemn the on-going copyright theft by pirate satellite broadcaster BeoutQ that is transmitting sports content it does not own. Separately world tennis’s various governing bodies and major tournaments have combined to issue the strongest demands yet, calling for the “immediate closure” of the channel.
July 5 – A Swedish court has ordered an Arabic internet TV company to pay 210 million Swedish crowns in damages for distributing content including English Premier League soccer without permission.
July 2 – Imprisoned former FC Barcelona president Sandro Rosell is to stand trial for alleged money laundering related to television rights and sponsorship of the Brazilian national football team.
June 26 – The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) is tendering out its sports federation rating and verification system SIRVS (SIGA Independent Rating and Verification System) that will launch in 2019.
With the World Cup in full flow and attracting global attention, the temptation by some businesses who lack the badge of ‘Official Sponsor’ to promote their global brand will be great. But, however tempting, the stakes for those businesses, so-called “ambush marketers”, are high. By Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner
June 22- Lionel Messi is not having the happiest of times. On Thursday his Argentina were dismantled by Croatia 3-0 as the team’s talisman failed to muster any sort of resistance against the Europeans. On top of that abject performance new data from the Panama Papers has revealed more of his offshore secrets.