Football Notes: FIFA Sends Delegation To Qatar To Hold Urgent Talks

FIFPro "is sending a delegation to Qatar on a four-day visit" (Nov. 28-31) "to hold urgent talks with the country's football authorities and organisers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup regarding the rights of players and in particular the plight of French footballer Zahar Belounis who has been trapped in the country by the kafala work visa system" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 11/26). ... Serie A side Juventus has confirmed that it "will take legal action following 'acts of serious vandalism'" during its game with Napoli (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 11/26). ... FIFA Dir of Security Ralf Mutschke said, after wrapping up the year's workshop activity in fighting match manipulation, he is seeing "signs of success." One hundred forty-five member associations "have been involved in FIFA's integrity initiative, which is being conducted in cooperation with Interpol." FIFA, in working with the associations, "has extended the effects of 267 national sanctions to give them international effect" (WORLD FOOTBALL INSIDER, 11/25).