The 2015 Women's World Cup tournament draw will be “overshadowed by an ongoing turf war” between players and FIFA. Players have "pressed for talks" with FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke, who will conduct the draw in Ottawa, but "so far have been unable to confirm” a meeting. Attorney Hampton Dellinger, who is representing the players, “stepped up the pressure” on Wednesday by distributing a copy of a letter sent to Valcke demanding to know if he will meet with players. Valcke, however, sent a letter to Dellinger dated Dec. 1 saying he was unavailable to meet with players this week (REUTERS, 12/3). ... A new campaign to help identify and treat sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) on the football field hopes that its new app will be the first step to saving lives should emergencies strike. The "Play Safe" campaign is an initiative promoted by MAPFRE Foundation, the FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence and Ripoll & De Prado Sport Clinic from Spain. The CPR11 app will provide users with clear instructions on how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) (FIFA).
BANNED IN CRIMEA: UEFA has "barred football clubs in the disputed Crimea region" from playing in competitions organized by the Russian Football Union. UEFA General Secretary Gianni Infantino said the prohibition starts Jan. 1 (AP, 12/4). ... EPL side Stoke City Chair Peter Coates has been fined £5,000 ($6,183) for accusing referees of "bias towards other teams." Coates was “upset with the officiating in successive home games” against Swansea, Southampton and West Ham (BBC, 12/4). ... Belgian top clubs are “fearing an exodus of their homegrown talent” after FIFA reduced the int’l training compensation from €75,000 ($92,738) to €10,000 ($12,365) a year for players aged 12 to 15 in the summer. Anderlecht, Club Brugge, Genk and Standard Liège have “reacted with indignation” to a measure that FIFA “quietly implemented” in August and that may fundamentally alter the outlook of their youth academies (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 12/4).
IN FRANCE: The French National Assembly adopted Thursday a tax exemption for all int’l sporting events that will be awarded to France before the end of ’17, which "includes not only the Euro 2016 but eventually the 2024 Olympic Games." Initially, this "item of the 2014 draft amending budget provided for a tax exemption not limited in time," but the date of Dec. 31, 2017 was added by a government amendment. A proponent of a French bid for the 2024 Olympic Games, French President François Hollande, on Tuesday "spoke out in favor of a general exemption" measure. Hollande said, “The state must be present. ... for tax purposes, so that major competitions are organized here in our country, not just for football” (AFP, 12/4). ... Minutes after the defeat of Ligue 1 club Bastia at home against Evian (1-2), fifty Corsican supporters "blocked the exits of players, protesting particularly against the referee and the performances" of their team. They "lit garbage fires outside the main entrance of the stadium, but were dispersed peacefully" around 10:30pm local time. Players and referees were able to leave the stadium shortly before 11pm local time. Bastia defender François Modesto said he has “never seen such poor refereeing…in (his) 19-year professional career and in all the European leagues (he) has been a part of” (L’EQUIPE, 12/3).
MATCH-FIXING: Charges have been brought against 16 people in a large-scale investigation into match-fixing in Greek football, including the chairman of the country’s leading club, a police source has revealed. Prosecutors did not provide the names of those charged with, among other offenses, “participation in a criminal enterprise,” but the source indicated the individuals are the “same as those targeted in a preliminary investigation.” Those included Evangelos Marinakis, the president of “reigning national champions Olympiakos” (AFP, 12/4). ... Singapore said that Singaporean businessman Dan Tan Seet Eng, locked up without trial in the city, is behind football match-rigging "in at least five countries” including South Africa, host of the 2010 World Cup. Tan “led and financed a global match-fixing syndicate” from '09-13, according to a copy of a government order filed with Singapore’s High Court. Besides South Africa, he “bankrolled rigging” in Nigeria and Turkey in ‘11, helped arrange for a corrupt referee in Egypt and sent an agent to try to fix games in Trinidad and Tobago, according to the papers (BLOOMBERG, 12/4).
