Sweden 2 England 2 (2-3 pens)
July 17 – In a dramatic quarter-final, European champions England defeated Sweden 3-2 in a penalty shootout to complete a stunning comeback from two goals down in the first half. Their dreams of retaining their live on.
“Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?” Juvenal, Satires
“Who watches the watchmen?” This question, first posed by classical writers thousands of years ago, is perhaps one we would do well to ask ourselves now, as civil liberties hard won in the second millennium are gradually eroded in the third.
March 2 – The United States Soccer Federation (USSF) has unveiled a new crest, which it says respects the past and represents the future. USSF revealed the crest by sending packages to its Members and encouraging them to share the news and merchandise on social media platforms.
By Mark Baber
March 1 – Citibank has confirmed that it has received a subpoena from US prosecutors investigating alleged bribery, corruption and money laundering associated with FIFA.
By Samindra Kunti
March 1 – Belgian top-flight club Oud-Heverlee Leuven has demanded that UEFA monitor a number of its games after a number of its players were named as having potentially gambled on matches.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 1 – What would have happened if only one or two votes had separated the winner and runner-up in Friday’s FIFA election vote?
By Andrew Warshaw
March 1 – Just a few days before the release of an eagerly awaited internal report into slush fund allegations surrounding Germany’s successful 2006 World Cup bid, another senior German FA official has left his position, fuelling speculation that the report could produce explosive findings.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 1 – UEFA are set to appoint Theodore Theodoridis as their interim general secretary to replace Gianni Infantino later this week, a somewhat controversial choice given his family’s alleged links with match-fixing.
February 29 – A ranking of the players who have made the most domestic league appearances since the start of their adult career shows English Premier League players occupying 15 of the 20 age group categories.
By Matt Scott
February 29 – The Northern Irish referee Arnold Hunter has been drawn in to the match-fixing scandal surrounding Olympiacos over his performance in Anderlecht’s 2-1 Europa League win over the Greek champions last Thursday night.
By Mark Baber
February 29 – Everton will have a new major shareholder after Iranian-British billionaire Farhad Moshiri on Friday sold his shares in Red and White Holdings to his business partner Alisher Usmanov before it was announced on Saturday that he would be acquiring 49.9% of Everton, conditional on Premier League approval.
By Samindra Kunti
February 29 – FIFA is to maintain its freeze on distributing any money to the Brazilian football association, the CBF, until the federation gets its house in order.
Fortune favours the brave. Or in Gianni Infantino’s case, being in the right place at the right time.
February 29 – Following the hurly burly of the FIFA presidential election at Zurich’s Hallenstadion FIFA’s new chief Gianni Infantino attended his first official public function across town at the opening of the SFr 130 million ($129 million) FIFA Museum project.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 29 – Gianni Infantino will earn less than his disgraced predecessor Sepp Blatter when he takes on the job of reforming FIFA, Insideworldfootball has learned. And whoever becomes his second in command will have to accept a smaller pay packet than former secretary general Jerome Valcke who, like Blatter, is banned from the game.
February 29 – Sepp Blatter says a weight has been lifted from his shoulders and that he is at peace with himself – even though he has left FIFA under the darkest of clouds.