Newly-elected Argentina FA President Claudio Tapia said that FIFA handed Lionel Messi a four-match int'l ban "as punishment" to the AFA for its "previous political turmoil." Messi was dealt the suspension and a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs ($10,160) by FIFA's disciplinary panel "following his actions in Argentina's World Cup qualifier against Chile last month." Tapia "accused FIFA of making Messi a scapegoat to send a clear political message to the AFA" (ESPN.com, 4/4).
UEFA's futsal competitions will be revamped and expanded, with the addition of women's and youth competitions, after decisions made by the UEFA exec committee. The UEFA Futsal Euro will change from a biennial, 12-team tournament to a 16-nation event played every four years. The UEFA Futsal Cup club competition will become the UEFA Futsal Champions League from '18-19. A UEFA Women's Futsal Euro will be introduced, to be held every two years starting in '19. A U19 Futsal Euro will also be created, and will take place every two years starting in '19 (UEFA).
One hundred J.League first-division players, and more to come, "helped launch" the Spoon Foundation, a charity project that will work in conjunction with the United Nations' World Food Program." Headed by former Japanese Ambassador to the U.N. Motohide Yoshikawa, the foundation will "seek donations to aid the WFP's cause of combating hunger worldwide." Urawa Reds' former Japan int'l Tadanari Lee, one of the foundation's 15 ambassadors, "made the first donation to the organization" to the tune of 1M yen ($9,000) (KYODO, 4/4).
