The Israel FA "received a boost in its counter-campaign against the Palestinian bid" to suspend the IFA from FIFA on Monday, with UEFA President Michel Platini "promising to do all in his power" to support local football. IFA Chair Ofer Eini, CEO Rotem Kemer and legal advisor Efraim Barak met with Platini to "discuss the Palestinian proposal." According to the IFA, Platini told Eini that UEFA "will do whatever it can to aid Israel and that if the matter is brought to the vote at the FIFA Congress, UEFA will stand by Israel" (JERUSALEM POST, 4/21). ... The Equal Employment Opportunities Commission has demanded that Israeli Premier League side Beitar Jerusalem "retract statements the team’s coach made against Arab players joining the team." National Equal Employment Opportunities Commissioner Tziona Koenig-Yair "spoke out against remarks made by Beitar coach Guy Levi on Radio 102." Levi said, "It doesn’t matter that this is the right time; it would create tension and cause much greater damage. I won't find any player from the Arab sector who would want to. Even if there was a player who suited me professionally, I wouldn’t bring him, because it would create unnecessary tension" (HAARETZ, 4/21). ... Argentine FA President Luis Segura, Venezuelan FA President Rafael Esquivel, Chilean FA President Sergio Jadué and Ecuadorian FA President Luis Chiriboga met with Pope Francis on Tuesday. They announced that CONMEBOL will donate $10,000 per goal scored and penalty saved during this summer's Copa América to Scholas Ocurrentes, an initiative promoted by the Pope (LOS ANDES, 4/21). ... Scotland goalkeeper Gemma Fay thinks Scottish football "needs to change" and said that women "can help lead the way." Fay said that females are "not represented enough at board level." Fay: "If we talk about a football club -- they have a female fan base as well. Arguably, football at board level in Scotland and in the U.K. fails to reflect that" (BBC, 4/20).
