The local organizing committee for the Qatar 2022 World Cup has been activated, "with a newly-formed Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy providing oversight of the project." The head of the LOC, which will liaise closely with FIFA Secretary General Jerome Valcke and his World Cup department, "has yet to be named" (WORLD FOOTBALL INSIDER, 1/29). ... Nocerina has been kicked out of Lega Pro B "after players faked injury during the game with Salernitana in November." The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) confirmed that the Neapolitan team "had been expelled and had also handed out bans to a number of players and officials," as well as fining the club €10,000 ($13,700) (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 1/29). ... FIFA on Tuesday "extended to a global level sanctions imposed by the Asian Football Confederation on three Lebanese match officials who were part of a sex-for-fixing scandal." FIFA said that "it had banned referee Ali Sabbagh from all football-related activities for life, as well as forbidding him entering any stadium in the world." Linesmen Ali Eid and Abdallah Taleb "were handed down ten-year football and stadium bans" (AFP, 1/29). ... FIFA "has been alerted" after a rogue group offered Tottenham the chance to sign Dutch Eredivisie side FC Twente striker Luc Castaignos using falsified documents. The Dutch football employers' organization (FBO) "has also warned three agents over the matter" after Twente Chair Joop Munsterman’s signature was apparently forged for a false mandate document authorizing Castaignos’ sale (ESPN, 1/29). ... Australian second-tier club Tuggeranong United "will get a 'significant shot in the arm' financially if its appeal to be included in the inaugural Football Federation Australia Cup is successful." United will find out at a Capital Football board meeting on Feb. 18 "whether it will be the ACT's representative in the elite 32-team nationwide competition" (CANBERRA TIMES, 1/28).
