Russian Deputy PM Vitaly Mutko on Wednesday reportedly "stepped down from his post" as head of Russia’s World Cup Local Organizing Committee. Russian LOC CEO Alexei Sorokin will reportedly "take on Mutko's responsibilities." Mutko said, "He (Sorokin) will interact with FIFA. I will coordinate the work on the government side" (REUTERS, 12/27).
Two of the "key figures behind the recent success of England youth football teams have been made redundant by the FA." Nick Levett, the FA’s talent identification manager, and Steve Brown, who worked with the U18 and U20 players, are "among staff in the youth set-up who were told to reapply for their jobs or face redundancy last month" (LONDON TIMES, 12/22).
FIFA's Members Association Committee gave Sierra Leone FA President Isha Johansen a "major boost" by ordering a "series of reforms she has long championed." Prominent among these are the decisions to "enforce integrity checks on elected officials, create a new code of ethics and find a way to complete and close a long-running World Cup match-fixing inquiry" (BBC, 12/22).
