The Int'l Organization for Labour on Wednesday dropped a case against Qatar over its treatment of foreign workers that had "overshadowed the wealthy Gulf state's preparations to host the 2022 World Cup." The move by the U.N. agency came after Qatar committed to "far-reaching reforms" (REUTERS, 11/8).
A source said that a new Nations League tournament, for teams in North and Central America and the Caribbean, is "close to being agreed upon," with an expected start in Sept. '18. CONCACAF has been consulting with its 41 national associations about a competition which will be similar to UEFA's Nations League, which is due to begin in Europe in September (REUTERS, 11/8).
A study assessing whether footballers are at "greater risk of degenerative brain disease is ready to be launched as concerns grow about dementia in former players." After an eight-month evaluation period, a research group will be appointed in the next few weeks to "take on the most comprehensive study of its kind," jointly commissioned by the FA and Professional Footballers' Association (PA, 11/8).
Tony Popovic’s tenure at Turkish side Kardemir Karabukspor has been "thrown into chaos with the Super Lig club’s entire board of directors resigning en masse." President Hikmet Ferudun Tankut and 11 other board members quit, "barely a month after Popovic was installed as coach." An extraordinary general meeting is slated for next week as Karabukspor "reels from a financial crisis," according to reports in the Turkish press (AAP, 11/7).
Football fans who buy tickets to watch the Hong Kong national team's matches could have their names taken in future, "as part of attempts to reduce booing when the national anthem is played," according to a director of the Hong Kong FA. But Wilson Wong Wai-shun admitted that there was "little" the HKFA could do before local laws protecting the song from abuse "come into force" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 11/8).
More than 200 Borussia Dortmund supporters have been banned from attending their club's next away match at Stuttgart on Nov. 17. The bans "come amid concerns of violence at a train station close to the Mercedes-Benz Arena." Some 298 Dortmund supporters were taken into temporary custody prior to the sides' previous meeting at the Mercedes-Benz Arena in April '16. A spokesperson for Stuttgart said that bans had been issued ahead of the upcoming fixture because the "hostility between the fan groups points towards similar incidents/offences happening again at the Bundesliga match on November 17" (ESPN.com, 11/8).
FIFA once again fined Mexico for anti-gay chants, "meaning the country's federation was punished for the same offense in all eight of its home qualifiers for the 2018 World Cup." The latest $10,000 fine, for "improper conduct among spectators (homophobic chants)" against Trinidad and Tobago on Oct. 10, was announced on Monday (ESPN.com, 11/7).
Qatar is "strongly associated with the Interpol to ensure the security" for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the country's state news agency reported. According to the report, Qatar reiterated that terrorism is "a real challenge which is experienced by several countries all over the world, and called for the union between all nations in order to secure all the major sports events" (XINHUA, 11/8).
