England say they will refuse to play Russia; but Russian women still inbound for Euro 2022
February 28 – England has become the latest country to refuse to play international fixtures against Russia.
War and a Piece
By James Dostoyevsky
While FIFA offered up some lukewarm criticism of its best friend at the Kremlin – without naming the blatantly obvious, namely the criminal attack of Ukraine – its own Gianni, The Leader – proud recipient of the Putensian Russian Order of Friendship in May 2019 – seems to have some issues with reality. And with understanding criminal conduct.
Tite says Qatar 2022 will be his final bow
February 28 – Brazil coach Tite will step down after the 2022 World Cup, bringing to an end a 7.5-year reign irrespective of the five-time world champions’ result in Qatar.
Cazoo adds Valencia as online car seller gears up for Spanish launch
February 28 – Online car retailer Cazoo has ramped up its football sponsorship in Spain with a deal to become main partner and shirt sponsor of Valencia the start of next season.
Turkish league leaders Trabzonspor plan two NFT drops with Capital Block
February 28 – Turkish Super Lig leaders Trabzonspor has agreed with NFT consultancy Capital Block to advise on an initial two NFT ‘drops’. Capital Block also works with Galatasaray.
UEFA switch Champions League final from St Petersburg to Paris
By Andrew Warshaw
February 25 – As widely anticipated, UEFA have stripped St Petersburg of hosting this season’s Champions League final and switched their annual showpiece fixture to the Stade de France in Paris as a result of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Infantino sits on fence over his old pal Putin
February 25 – Choosing his words carefully, FIFA president Gianni Infantino failed to condemn the Russian invasion of Ukraine on Thursday, instead saying his organisation was “very worried” about the escalating crisis.
Schalke 04 drop Gazprom from shirt sponsorship
February 25 – German club Schalke 04 have removed Gazprom logo from the main shirt sponsorship position after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
CBF ends any chance of Caboclo return with extension of his ban
February 25 – Rogerio Caboclo’s time at the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) has come to a definite end following a new 20-month suspension which will prevent him from returning to his role before the end of his mandate in April 2023.
Poles, Swedes and Czechs tell FIFA they will not play Qatar 2022 qualifiers in Russia
February 24 – The national associations of Poland, Sweden and the Czech Republic have issued a joint statement refusing to play any World Cup playoffs in Russia in response to the military assault on Ukraine.
FIFA cracks down on political influence and suspends Zimbabwe and Kenya
February 25 – FIFA have suspended Zimbabwe and Kenya from all international competition as a result of government interference in the running of their affairs.
Honduras to host Concacaf U20 Championships which will qualify for U20 World Cup and Paris Olympics
February 25 – Honduras will host the 2022 Concacaf Men’s U-20 Championship (June 18 – July 30), in San Pedro Sula and Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
FA wins £800k Arts Council grant to run Euro 2020 arts and cultural programme
February 25 – The FA has snagged an £800,000 grant from Arts Council England to run an arts and cultural programme alongside Women’s EURO 2022 in England. The money comes from the Arts Council National Lottery funding.
Sportradar renews CBF deal and expands bet monitoring to state competitions
February 25 – The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has extended and expanded their agreement with Sportradar Integrity Services for as new three year term.
UEFA calls emergency meeting as Russia starts to bomb Kiev
February 24 – Under pressure to respond to Russia’s military intervention in Ukraine, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has called an extraordinary meeting of his executive committee for tomorrow, Friday.