CONCACAF’s new referees chief to build competence after Gold Cup fiasco
By Paul Nicholson
March 10 – CONCACAF have appointed a new director of refereeing following a review of its Refereeing Department earlier in the year.
Premier League caps away tickets at £30 for three seasons
By Paul Nicholson
March 9 – The long running battle between clubs and fans over the price of tickets for away matches has found a league-wide solution with Premier League clubs having unanimously agreed to cap away tickets at no more than £30 each. The agreement will last for three seasons.
Salman and AFC pledge support for Infantino’s new FIFA
By Paul Nicholson
March 9 – The call from interim FIFA president Issa Hayatou last week following the election of Gianni Infantino as the new president was for the whole of FIFA to unite behind him in impletenting the reforms and a bold and positive new future.
DFS gets first regulation but Eaton warns US needs total culture change to beat gangsters
By Paul Nicholson
March 9 – Regulation of the runaway Daily Fantasy Sports (DFS) business in the US took a step closer in Virginia this week, but a ruling is still awaited in New York over whether DFS games operated by DraftKings and FanDuel are illegal or not.
Women in Football survey finds sexism is still major issue in British football
By Mark Baber
March 9 – A new Women in Football (WiF) survey, the results of which were published on Tuesday, presents a worrying picture of sexism in the workplace within UK football, including significant rises in those who have personally suffered bullying and sexual harassment.
Money laundering US match agent pleads guilty in NY court, Esquivel says ‘not me’
By Andrew Warshaw
March 9 – The FifaGate corruption scandal that has already snared 41 individuals and entities allegedly involved in more than $200 million of bribes and kickbacks has widened still further after Miguel Trujillo (pictured), a Florida-based consultant licensed to arrange official matches between member associations, admitted charges against him when he appeared in a Brooklyn court.
FIFA bans Italian officials and players for life for match-fixing
March 9 – FIFA has imposed worldwide bans on ”several officials and players” linked to match-fixing and illegal betting in Italy.
Sunderland boss quits over errors in handling Johnson sex case
March 9 – The chief executive of Premier League club Sunderland, Margaret Byrne (pictured), has resigned over her role in the child sex case involving former England wide midfielder Adam Johnson, one of the most distasteful off-the-field episodes in recent English football history.
French police raid FFF offices as part of Blatter investigation
By Andrew Warshaw
March 9 – The Swiss criminal investigation into Sepp Blatter’s activities has taken a dramatic turn with the news that the offices of the French football federation in Paris have been raided at the request of the Swiss authorities.
Former FIFA chief Linsi sucked into World Cup 2006 cash-for-votes inquiry
By Paul Nicholson
March 8 – The investigation into the German 2006 World Cup bid is dragging in more big names with former FIFA general secretary Urs Linsi (pictured) the latest to be tied to the irregularities.
Dodd uses FIFA Women’s conference to push for attitude change and equality
By Andrew Warshaw
March 8 – Hiring more women to take on decision-making roles must be made a priority by new FIFA president Gianni Infantino if he wants to restore the organisation’s tarnished image. That was the message shouted from the rooftops at the second FIFA women’s football and leadership conference this week.
Great expectations: Can Man United’s commercial drive be matched on the pitch
By Mark Baber
March 8 – The retirement of Alex Ferguson as Manchester United manager was lamented by fans as the “end of an era” – and how true that has proved to be as media and sponsors slowly adjust to United’s loss of dominance.
UEFA referee boss Collina backs video refs and new rule tweaks
March 8 – Former World Cup referee Pierluigi Collina has lent his support to the introduction of video technology trials to assist officials, saying it will end years of frustration.
Esquivel extradited to US leaving just two of ‘Zurich 7’ still in Swiss custody
March 8 – One of the remaining ‘Zurich Seven’, former Venezuela federation president Rafael Esquivel, has been extradited from Switzerland to the United States to face bribery charges in football’s ongoing anti-corruption investigation.
Platini sceptical of video technology questioning vested interest groups
By Andrew Warshaw
March 8 – It didn’t take long for Michel Platini to express his indignation over the decision to trial video technology. No sooner had the International FA Board given the green light for experiments to take place than Platini, still waiting to discover whether he can resume his role as UEFA president after being banned from football, made it clear he would have voted against the move.