July 18 – Switzerland boss Pia Sundhage has called the quarterfinal against Spain the biggest managerial challenge of her career yet.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 11 – FIFA has confirmed that new Secretary General, Fatma Samoura will deliver a keynote address as part of the opening of this year’s Soccerex Global Convention in Manchester at the end of September.
August 11 – While FIFA’s Anti-discrimination task force seems to have been consigned to the backburner of projects the governing body doesn’t really know what to do about (not unlike the its former chair Jeffrey Webb who is under house arrest in the US), the Zurich mandarins have announced an awards ceremony to cover what is still one of the most contentious issues in world football.
August 11 – With Chinese money having taken positions in big league Italian and English clubs, France has attracted more Chinese interest with ORG Packaging having bought a controlling 60% stake in AJ Auxerre for €7 million.
By Matt Scott
August 10 – Ten months since Kuwait was suspended from world football by FIFA over government interference, police entered the Kuwait Football Association (KFA) headquarters on Tuesday.
August 10 – Hard on the heels of its announcement of an estimated £85 million sponsorship of the Premier League as a ‘Lead Partner’, EA Sports has followed up with confirmation that it has concluded a deal with the Premier League’s biggest club, Manchester United.
August 10 – Tournament favourites Brazil and the USA both drew their final pool games but topped their groups to go through to the quarter-finals of the Women’s Olympic tournament. Canada topped their group to maintain a 100% win record beating European champions Germany 2-1.
August 10 – Brazil’s leading players could get so demoralised they might refuse to play in the Olympics if they keep getting booed. That was the stark warning issued by national coach Rogerio Micale as the host nation’s Olympic men’s team approached their must-win fixture against Denmark.
August 10 – Police have arrested 10 people as part of a probe into alleged match-fixing in the little-known Welsh Premier League.
August 10 – Jose Mourinho has wasted no time getting under his rivals’ skin following the £89 million world record transfer of Paul Pogba to Manchester United.
August 10 – Hull City’s sale talks appear to be back on after the Allam family owners had announced that they had put negotiations on hold while they stabilised the club for the start of the Premier League season. The negotiations now appear to be with a Chinese group rather than the US consortium they were in talks with.
August 10 – Premier League West Ham United have announced a three-year partnership with American destination marketing firm, Experience Kissimmee. The Florida-based firm will be the club’s Official Destination Partner starting this season.
August 10 – Online bookmaker FUN88 has returned as a Tottenham Hotspur sponsor in a two-year deal after having taken a two-year break from the club.
August 10 – Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri, who masterminded the club’s memorable Premier League success last season, has signed a new four-year contract.
August 10 – Champions League winners Real Madrid edged Europa League titlists and fellow Spaniards Sevilla 3-2 after extra time in a dramatic Super Cup in Norway.
To lose one FIFA president may be considered unfortunate. To lose two in the space of a few months smacks of carelessness. Apologies to fans of Oscar Wilde for the adulteration of one of his most pithy sayings but it might well be used to characterise last week’s ruling by FIFA’s ethics committee – one of the most momentous and controversial since the body was first set up – to let Gianni Infantino off the hook.