The Mexican Football Federation's (FMF) Referees Committee announced that starting on Tuesday, the organization will post on its website a series of videos of plays in which a referee's judgment was used and "will explain, when necessary, the correct decisions or mistakes by officials" (LA AFICIÓN, 9/29). ... New Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) President Tombi A Roko Sidiki has vowed to "unite the body and restore his country's sporting pride." Sidiki was elected Monday and will take over from the FIFA-appointed Normalisation Committee that has run Fecafoot since July '13. Sidiki: "We must all sit together and talk if we want to rebuild" (BBC, 9/29). ... Palestinian Football Union Chair Jibril Rajoub said Tuesday that FIFA's decision to move the Palestinian team's World Cup qualifying match against Saudi Arabia to a neutral site was "unjust and reprehensible." Rajoub accused FIFA of "bowing to Saudi pressure by agreeing to relocated the second-leg Oct. 13 match" from the West Bank to neighboring Jordan. FIFA said the decision was "final and binding," leaving the Palestinians to decide whether to play in Jordan or forfeit the match (AP, 9/29). ... Futsal is to replace the standard 11-a-side format at the next Youth Olympic Games in Buenos Aires in '18. The move may help to "control costs by reducing the number of participating athletes, depending on the number of teams qualifying for the Olympic competition." It also appears to be "in line with the views of those who see the Youth Games," whose inaugural edition was in '10, as an "opportunity to experiment" with sports and formats that are in tune with youth culture (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 9/29). ... Premier League fans are set to stage a number of protests this weekend "to highlight the increasing costs of match tickets in the division." Supporters' groups from all 20 top-flight clubs, as well as fans of Football League sides, "are due to participate in the Football Supporters' Federation's 'Twenty's Plenty for Away Tickets' campaign." They will be "protesting against the cost of tickets and will call on clubs to cut their prices" -- including introducing a cap of £20 ($30) for away fans -- the Daily Mirror reported the average price of a Premier League ticket is £53.76 ($81.53), making the division "the most expensive in the world" (ESPN, 9/29).
IN SPAIN: Spanish football clubs have agreed to raise the salary of Spanish Football League (LFP) President Javier Tebas by 25%, so that it matches the compensation of his predecessor, José Luis Astiazarán. Tebas' salary will jump from €340,000 ($383,000) to €425,000 ($479,000) (SUPERDEPORTE, 9/29). ... La Liga side Valencia Owner Peter Lim defended himself against "accusations from former club VP Miguel Zorío." Lim called Zorío's comments "entertaining but absurd." He said, "Zorío has selective memories of the club, and of himself. ... There are good reasons why the club now finds itself in good financial health and currently playing in the Champions League. It also should be remembered that not long ago, Valencia was on the border of bankruptcy and selling players to cover losses was habitual" (MARCA, 9/29).
