Bulgarian club Ludogorets said that it "could quit the league" after claiming that referees are favoring rival Levski Sofia. On Saturday, Levski was losing 1-0 against Litex Lovech "but the game was abandoned when Litex players walked off the pitch in protest after a second red card and a penalty against them." Ludogorets Owner Kiril Domuschiev said, "We'll probably quit the championship if such precedents in favour of Levski continue" (BBC, 12/14). ... Qatar 2022 Secretary General Hassan Al-Thawadi said that Qatar has been unfairly "singled out" for criticism. He added that no laborer has died during "more than 14 million man-hours of work on tournament venues." In a "robust" defense of Qatar's position, Thawadi also said the Gulf state "does not expect to lose the World Cup, regardless of an ongoing investigation into the 2022 bidding process in Switzerland, amid allegations of corruption." He said that there was "no evidence of wrongdoing against Qatar." Thawadi: "We became the victim of a campaign that singled out Qatar and our successful bid without any shred of evidence" (AFP, 12/14). ... Sierra Leone has rejected demands by FIFA to reinstate its "dissolved" FA, cautioning FIFA on Tuesday to "respect national laws." FIFA has given the west African nation until Wednesday "to comply with the directive or risk an immediate ban" from all int'l competition. Sierra Leone National Sports Council Dir of Sports Ibrahim Bangura said, "Our decision stands and it will not be changed. ... FIFA must follow procedures and respect national laws. Our decision is final and cannot be changed or overturned by anyone outside our jurisdiction" (AFP, 12/15).
