Clubs that supply squad members for next year's FIFA World Cup "can look forward to massively increased payments of around $8,530 per player per day," in recognition of their "contribution to the successful staging" of the tournament. A letter specifying detailed procedures to get a share of the benefits "has been circulated to member associations." The system is set to cost the world governing body $209M -- triple the $70M made available for the '14 edition and five times the $40M paid out after the competition in '10 (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 12/5).
The former senior police officer who was the match commander at the Hillsborough disaster will "get funding to fight a possible prosecution on charges of gross negligence manslaughter." A judge at Preston Crown Court, sitting in London, made an order that David Duckenfield qualifies for legal representation at high court proceedings next year (PA, 12/4).
Nigeria Football Federation President Amaju Pinnick said that the NFF "will now concentrate on helping the women's team." He was reacting to criticism that the women's national side has "not played or trained since lifting the Women's Africa Cup of Nations a year ago." Desire Oparanozie, who scored the winner in last December's final, labeled the NFF efforts as "pathetic." Pinnick apologized and "admitted shortcomings" by the federation as it focused on the men's team (BBC, 12/5).
North Korea's national football teams arrived in Tokyo on Tuesday as "an exception to Japanese sanctions against Pyongyang's missile and nuclear development." North Korea is competing against Japan, China and South Korea in the E-1 Football Championship, which starts Friday (AP, 12/5).
