Russian footballers "remain under active investigation relating to state-sponsored doping," according to FIFA. A FIFA spokesperson said, "Investigations of several football players unrelated to the FIFA World Cup [but related to the Russian state-sponsored plot] are still ongoing in close cooperation with WADA." FIFA has been "widely lambasted" for its "lack of progress on alleged doping and cover-ups in the Russian game, including by leading anti-doping officials" (London DAILY MAIL, 9/23).
City Football Group became the first global football organization to open a second hub in China as it launched a new office in Shenzhen. CFG was the first non-Chinese club to open a mainland office, in Shanghai in March '16. Man City has 12 official supporters' clubs in 12 cities across China. The club entered into several commercial partnerships in the country including with robotics company UBTECH and insurance firm Ping An (Man City).
The Irish FA "backed ideas to alter the months in which the Irish Premiership is played." In April, supporters were "canvassed about potential tweaks" to the season's calendar. IFA CEO Patrick Nelson said, "We think that tweaking the season is a great idea. It will give our clubs a much better chance to compete in Europe because they will already be in their season when they play their European games" (BBC, 9/20).
Kenya's Horn of Africa Development Initiative, which is using the power of football to combat social barriers while fostering safety, received the FIFA Diversity Award 2018 during a ceremony in London on Sunday. The organization's flagship program, Shoot to Score, helps prevent young children from being forced into ethnic rivalry and conflict (FIFA).
