Former FIFA president and IOC member Joao Havelange has died aged 100. The Brazilian, whose name is one of those used for the track and field stadium for the Rio Games (Estádio Olímpico João Havelange), played a key role in bringing the Olympics to his country. He called on IOC members at the host city vote in 2009 to join me in celebrating my 100th birthday' at the Rio Olympics.
FIFA peeled back another layer of secrecy this week as football’s governing body revealed for the first time how much money it was paying disgraced former president Sepp Blatter. The former FIFA chief, who was suspended with pay in October 2015 and later banned for unethical conduct, made $3.76 million last year. He did not earn a performance bonus but did pocket almost $450,000 for reaching 40 years of service at FIFA.
The five contenders for the FIFA throne pitched the regional confederations in Zurich on Thursday in a last-ditch plea for votes in Friday’s election. Sheikh Salman, Gianni Infantino, Prince Ali, Jerome Champagne and Tokyo Sexwale made their appeals to CONCACAF, UEFA and Oceania congresses staged at various hotels in the Swiss city where Sepp Blatter’s successor will be 26 February.
Suspended UEFA chief Michel Platini has withdrawn from the FIFA presidential race as he fights to clear his name following an eight-year ban. Platini was banned by FIFA's ethics judge in December over a “disloyal” $2 million payment he received from Sepp Blatter in 2011. It virtually ended his dreams of succeeding Blatter at the helm of FIFA in the Feb. 26 election.
Michel Platini cannot take part in UEFA’s Euro 2016 draw in Paris on Saturday after losing his appeal against a 90-day FIFA ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The decision Friday means he also won’t be able to participate in the UEFA Executive Committee meeting before the draw.
The president of Chile's ANFP national football association Sergio Jadue has gone to the United States to talk to the FBI as part of its ongoing probe into corruption at soccer governing body FIFA, Santiago media reported.
UEFA's executive committee on Monday unanimously endorsed Gianni Infantino to stand for world football's top job. The move, coming less than 10 hours before FIFA's midnight deadline for presidential bids, followed an emergency UEFA conference call of European football's top executives on Monday morning and followed consultation with national federations from “across the global football community”.
Days before an emergency FIFA ExCo meeting, Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein has submitted his candidacy for the presidency vowing to restore the governing body’s battered reputation. In compliance with electoral regulations, the Jordanian has the backing of five national associations, although he didn’t name them.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter has appealed against the 90-day ban that forced him out of office, as world football's sleaze-tainted governing body headed into months of turmoil over how to find a new leader.
The president of the African football confederation Issa Hayatou steps up to replace Sepp Blatter who was on Thursday suspended for 90 days over corruption allegations. Blatter was provisionally suspended for 90 days along with secretary general Jerome Valcke and UEFA chief Michel Platini.