Canada 2-0 El Salvador
June 24 – Fresh from emerging from a Concacaf-imposed timeout, Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch returned to the technical area at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, knowing any more misbehaviour would send him back to the naughty room. He needn’t have worried as their opponents El Salvador simply imploded in a red mist.
By Andrew Warshaw in London
October 12 – The English Football Association, still reeling from the humiliating 2018 World Cup debacle, has been ordered by the Government to bring in rules to tackle debt amongst its clubs.
By David Gold
October 12 – Trinidad and Tobago’s Football Federation (TTFF) will pay more than TT$4 million (£2.4 million/€3 million) to 13 players who played in the 2006 World Cup as compensation following a dispute between the two parties over revenues from their participation in the tournament, which was held in Germany.
By Andrew Warshaw at the ISEM Conference in London
October 12 – More and more major sports events will go to emerging markets like Qatar rather than established nations in years to come.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 12 – The man in charge of organising the 2014 World Cup is to be investigated this week on suspicion of illegal transfer of funds into the country and money laundering, it was reported today.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 12 – The hearing into the roles played by 15 Caribbean officials in the FIFA bribery scandal is using explosive video evidence of ex-FIFA vice-president Jack Warner (pictured) urging them to accept cash gifts, it was reported today.
By Andrew Warshaw at the ISEM Conference in London
October 12 – One of the UK’s most respected sports business gurus has poured scorn on Liverpool’s bid to lead a Premier League challenge for overseas television rights to be sold individually, branding the idea as a “red herring” and saying it would never get off the ground.
By David Gold
October 11 – The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) has asked the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to find an alternative host for the London 2012 qualifying tournament for Africa, in the wake of a surge of violence in the country.
The most telling information in the Football Association’s recently published 2010 annual report and financial statements comes on page 24 of the 42-page document.
This tells us that, for all the pain and hard work that went into driving up the body’s overall financial performance, stadium and non-FA event management remained heavily in loss – to the tune of £12.1 million ($18.9 million/€13.9 million) at the pre-tax level, against £15.6 million ($24.4 million/€ million) in 2009.
By David Gold
October 11 – FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke has praised the enthusiasm and commitment of Russia after the first meeting of world football’s governing body and the 2018 World Cup Local Organising Committee (LOC).
By David Owen
October 11 – The Football Association last year paid £63,000 ($98,500/€72, 400) in compensation to directors for “loss of office”, newly published accounts show.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 11 – West Ham United insisted today they still want to take over the Olympic Stadium despite the collapse of the deal allowing the club to move in straight after next year’s Games.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 11 – Michel D’Hooghe, one of FIFA’s most experienced and respected policy shapers, has hit out at criticism of the scandal-hit organisation by saying not enough account is taken of the work it does to promote the game globally.
By Duncan Mackay
October 11 – The deal to award West Ham the Olympic Stadium after the London 2012 Games has collapsed, it has been reported.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 10 – Four days after Sport and Olympics Minister High Robertson described England’s doomed 2018 World Cup bid as the “biggest single failure” of his ministerial career, it was revealed today that the bid cost £6 million ($9.5 million/€7 million) more than everyone had been led to believe.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 10 – FIFA have appointed China’s Zhang Jilong, acting head of Asian football, to chair next week’s meeting of the London 2012 Olympic football tournament’s Organising Committee.