Former Russian national football team assistant coach Christian Panucci has lashed out at Russia Manager Fabio Capello for "not backing him and other national team assistants over a contract dispute." Panucci was "part of Capello's coaching team with Russia but stopped working for them a few weeks ago" when the Russian Football Union (RFU) "failed to make good on a pledge to give them new contracts." He said of Capello, "He has behaved in a shameful manner with me and all his Italian staff" (Scotland DAILY RECORD, 11/25). ... FIFA President Sepp Blatter has "condemned an apparent Israeli raid on
the headquarters of the Palestinian FA after a resurgence of unrest
between the two sides, according to Palestinian reports." On
Monday, Israeli forces reportedly entered PFA headquarters located
in the town of ar-Ram, north of Jerusalem, to "conduct a search of the
premises" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 11/25). ... Police in Paris have arrested 95 Ajax supporters before the Champions League match with Paris St. Germain. The "detained fans, who were all Dutch, had iron bars, knuckledusters and ski masks." They were "not allowed to travel to Tuesday night's game at Parc des Princes." Only 850 Ajax fans have been authorized to travel to Paris under police supervision (AP, 11/25).
IN SOUTH AFRICA: Member nations of the Council of Southern African Football Associations
have "resolved not to accept the invitation" of the Fédération Royale
Marocaine de Football to attend the opening of the 2014 FIFA Club World
Cup in Morocco next month. This stance has been taken "in solidarity"
with the Confederation of African Football, which stripped Morocco of
the right to host the 2015 Orange Africa Cup of Nations Final Tournament
after the FRMF "insisted the tournament be postponed over fears of the
Ebola virus" (KICKOFF, 11/23). ... COSAFA has confirmed that South Africa will host the 2015 COSAFA Cup. The tournament will be played on a "new date in May, which would allow participating nations to field their strongest teams" (THE SOCCER PAGES, 11/24).