The head of FIFA's inspection team for the bids for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups "will appeal against a seven-year ban from football" after it was revealed he asked for favors from Qatar. Harold Mayne-Nicholls, 54, "was in charge of the commission which assessed each bid and which rated Qatar, the winner of the vote to host the 2022 tournament, a high-risk option" due to the searing summer heat. A leaked email from FIFA Chief Ethics Investigator Cornel Borbely said that Mayne-Nicholls "repeatedly asked for personal favours -- including special treatment for family members" from Qatar shortly before he produced the evaluation report (PA, 7/7). ... Even as Russia prepares to host the 2018 World Cup, "football's popularity there is plummeting to record levels." According to figures released Monday by state-run pollster VTsIOM, 73% of Russians say they are "indifferent" to football, "the highest
proportion the pollster has ever recorded." The figure was only 43% 10 years ago. Just 8% of Russians said they were dedicated football
fans, halved from 16% ahead of last year's World Cup in Brazil (AP, 7/7). ... Spanish Superior Sports Council (CSD) President Miguel Cardenal has resolved the "ongoing conflict" as to when the '15-16 season will start, siding with the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). The season will start on the weekend of Aug. 22-23 -- one week later than the Spanish Football League (LFP) had proposed (EFE, 7/6).
