Football

The investigatory chamber of the ethics committee at football’s world governing body Fifa called on Saturday for sanctions to be imposed against president Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini, who was long thought to be the favourite to replace the incumbent chief.

Organisers of the Copa America Centenario have today (Thursday) confirmed that 10 American cities will host the historic staging of the national team football tournament next year.

A senior Fifa official has warned that corruption in football is “systemic” and the sport’s leaders should not ignore its prevalence, as world football’s governing body today (Thursday) hit back at a report issued by the Transparency International (TI) organisation.

The Chilean Football Association (ANFP) has confirmed the resignation of president Sergio Jadue amid local media reports that he has travelled to assist US authorities in their investigation into the corruption scandal surrounding world football’s governing body Fifa.

Fifa has today (Wednesday) rejected appeals by its president Sepp Blatter and Uefa president Michel Platini against their provisional bans from all football-related activity.

European football is in a state of high alert after the cancellation of last night’s international friendly match between Germany and the Netherlands, with a security meeting set to take place today (Wednesday) to discuss measures for the Spanish LaLiga game between Real Madrid and Barcelona on Saturday.

Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has entered into a wide-ranging endorsement deal with telecommunications firm Altice.

Football’s European governing body Uefa has confirmed that the Euro 2016 national team tournament will take place in France next year despite the devastating terrorist attacks in Paris on Friday.

David Nakhid has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over a decision by Fifa to exclude him from its presidential race, while football’s global governing body has also issued bans to officials from Laos and Nepal.

Uefa Euro 2016 organising committee president Jacques Lambert has pledged that France will not be forced to cancel its staging of the national team football tournament in the wake of the attacks in Paris, while International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach said the capital’s bid for the 2024 Olympic Games will not be affected by the events that unfolded on Friday evening.

Powerful Spanish Football Association (RFEF) president Ángel María Villar Llona was today (Friday) fined and warned by the adjudicatory chamber of the Fifa Ethics Committee for misconduct during the bid investigation surrounding the award of hosting rights for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

The Football League, which operates the three club divisions below the English Premier League, is to be re-named the English Football League (EFL) as part of a wider corporate and competition re-brand.

Uefa president Michel Platini and Liberian Football Association (LFA) president Musa Bility have today (Thursday) been excluded from the list of candidates to become the next leader of Fifa, world football’s governing body.

Spanish LaLiga football club Rayo Vallecano has formed a new affiliate team, which will compete in the North American Soccer League (NASL).

German Football Association (DFB) president Wolfgang Niersbach has resigned, but maintained his innocence amid mounting pressure relating to a scandal concerning a payment connected to the country’s successful bid for the 2006 Fifa World Cup.

US-based private equity firm Peak6 Investments has acquired a 25 per cent stake in English Premier League football club AFC Bournemouth.