International Football
ENGLAND FOOTBALL TEAM’S DOCTOR RESIGNS
Doctor Rob Chakraverty – the former UK Athletics chief medical officer who administered controversial injections to Sir Mo Farah in 2014 – has resigned as the lead doctor for the England men’s football team.
Chakraverty has been under scrutiny since it was revealed in April 2017 that he had failed to properly record a series of L-carnitine injections given to Sir Mo before the London Marathon in 2014.
Having told this to a Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee inquiry, Chakraverty blamed the large number of athletes in his care for the oversight, and confirmed it had been included on his UK Athletics employment record.
A BBC Panorama documentary, aired last month, then put Chakraverty under more pressure.
The documentary revealed emails between senior UK Athletics figures, which debated whether giving Sir Mo injections of L-carnitine two days before he ran the 2014 London Marathon was ethical, with concerns expressed over whether it was in the “spirit of the sport”.
Some research has suggested L-carnitine, a legal supplement, could help to boost performance.
UK Athletics head of endurance running Barry Fudge, former UK Athletics performance director Neil Black and now-disgraced American distance running coach Alberto Salazar were also present when Chakraverty gave Sir Mo the injections, according to BBC Panorama.
Fudge had reportedly collected a package of injectable L-carnitine in Switzerland from a Salazar contact, which was then brought back to London.
The email exchange between the UK Athletics officials had revealed Salazar had been “keen” for the supplement to be used.
The volume was reportedly 13.5 millilitres, which was well within the allowed limit.
BBC Panorama alleges Sir Mo initially denied he had received an injection of the supplement, citing transcripts of an interview between Sir Mo and United States Anti-Doping Agency investigators, which took place in July 2015.
The four-time Olympic champion reportedly met Fudge minutes after the interview with the investigators, before returning to the interview room as the investigators were packing up to give a different account of his L-carnitine use.
Chakraverty has now resigned from his role with the Football Association (FA), as reported by The Times.
“It has been a privilege to work as the lead doctor to the England men’s senior team since joining The FA in 2016,” he said.
“The team and players have been wonderful to work with and the memories of what we achieved together at the World Cup two years ago will stay with me forever.
“The time is now right to step away from this role and seek new challenges enabling my successor to establish themselves into the team before the next tournament.
“I would like to thank my colleagues and the players for their support and wish them every success in achieving their goals in the tournaments to come.”
The FA have also confirmed the news.
“We would like to offer our sincere thanks to Rob, not just for his part in the team’s progress since 2016 but also in sharing his expertise across the wider medical department,” an FA statement said.
“We wish him every success for the future.”
The announcement comes on the same day as an independent report on UK Athletic’s relationship with Salazar, who is now serving a four-year ban for doping violations.
Salazar ran the Nike Oregon Project, which was home to Farah between 2011 and 2017.
The report found UK Athletics made “reasonable” decisions given the circumstances but its handling of the scandal “could have been better”.
Insidethegames
Soccer chiefs from Europe and South America will hold a final meeting before a Thursday deadline to decide whether and where this month’s “Finalissima” between Spain and Argentina will be played, with London emerging as the leading candidate after doubts over Doha, multiple sources told Reuters on Tuesday.
The match between European champions Spain and Copa America holders Argentina had been scheduled for March 27 at Lusail Stadium in Doha.
However, it has become increasingly unlikely that Qatar will host the fixture after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The Spanish FA (RFEF) has been pushing for a swift resolution, mindful that the March international break is viewed as vital preparation ahead of the June-July World Cup in North America.
“I know that negotiations are underway,” Spain coach Luis de la Fuente told Spanish Public Radio (RNE) on Monday. “The first thing, as a society, is to stop the conflict, but once you are immersed in it and you don’t know how long it will last, the solution would be, as long as you can’t play there, to find another venue as soon as possible.
Wembley Stadium staged the previous edition in 2022, when Argentina beat Italy, but it is set to host England v Uruguay on March 27. London, however, has other stadiums capable of staging the showpiece, leaving the English capital as the most likely alternative should Doha be ruled out, sources confirmed.
ALTERNATIVE OPPONENTS CONSIDERED
While keen to face Argentina and high-profile players such as Lionel Messi, sources told Reuters that Spain had made clear their priority was not to waste the last window of international fixtures before the World Cup and they were already contemplating alternative opponents.
With Spain also due to face Egypt three days later, any change would require agreement between the RFEF and European soccer body UEFA, South American confederation CONMEBOL, global governing body FIFA and the Argentine FA (AFA).
The RFEF, AFA and UEFA did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
A spokesperson for South American confederation CONMEBOL told Reuters that several meetings between the parties had taken place in recent days but did not confirm Thursday’s deadline or London as the preferred venue.
Madrid was initially proposed by the RFEF but rejected by the AFA, who preferred a neutral venue rather than giving Spain home advantage.
Morocco offered to stage the game, but the RFEF was unwilling to back their Mediterranean neighbours amid tensions behind the scenes over the 2030 World Cup, which Spain, Morocco and Portugal will co-host. Both Spain and Morocco are campaigning to stage the final.
Miami was also considered, with Messi based there at Inter Miami, but Hard Rock Stadium is hosting the Miami Open tennis tournament at the same time.
-Reuters
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International Football
Spain-Argentina ‘Finalissima’ in Qatar at risk amid US, Israel attacks on Iran
The match between Spain and Argentina, tagged “Finalissima” in Doha, is in doubt after the Qatar Football Association suspended soccer tournaments indefinitely following U.S. and Israeli attacks on Iran and retaliatory missiles fired at the Arabian Peninsula.
The contest between European Championship winners Spain and Copa America champions Argentina was scheduled for March 27 at Doha’s Lusail Stadium, with potential big-name draws including Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi.
“Qatar Football Association announces the postponement of all tournaments, competitions and matches, effective from today and until further notice,” the association said in a statement on Sunday.
“The new dates for the resumption of competitions will be announced in due course through the Association’s official channels.”
The final call on whether to postpone the game rests with event organisers UEFA and CONMEBOL.
The Bahrain Football Association postponed all its matches until further notice, while the Asian Football Confederation on Sunday announced it was delaying Champions League Elite fixtures in the region.
The Asian Champions League Two, currently at the quarter-final stage, has also been impacted, along with games in the Challenge League.
Countries across the Middle East have been on high alert since Saturday, when the U.S. and Israel launched air strikes against Iran, aimed at diminishing Iran’s military capability.
Iran retaliated by attacking U.S. targets around the region, including in the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar.
On Sunday, Qatar’s interior ministry reported a fire in an industrial zone after debris fell from an intercepted missile.
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International Football
Iran Conflict Casts Uncertainty Over Super Eagles’ Four-Nation Tournament Opener
Nigeria’s Super Eagles may face fresh uncertainty ahead of their scheduled participation in a Four-Nation Invitational Tournament in Amman, Jordan, following reports that Iran — their intended first opponents — is now at war after attacks by the United States and Israel.
The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had earlier confirmed that the Super Eagles would compete in the mini-tournament during the FIFA Men’s International Window in March 2026. The competition is slated to run from March 27 to 31 in the Jordanian capital.
Under the original fixture schedule, Nigeria were due to open the tournament on Friday, March 27 against Iran’s senior national team at the 17,000-capacity Amman International Stadium. Hosts Jordan were set to face Costa Rica the same day at the 62,000-capacity King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
However, the escalating military confrontation involving Iran has cast serious doubt over the participation of the Iranian national team and the viability of the opening fixture.
While tournament organisers in Jordan have yet to issue an official statement regarding possible changes, the developing security situation is expected to force urgent consultations between the participating federations, tournament organisers and FIFA.
The competition was designed to provide competitive match exposure during a window initially reserved for the intercontinental play-off for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Nigeria’s inclusion in the tournament had already generated debate at home, with observers questioning whether the NFF’s commitment signalled a shift in focus away from potential qualification disputes.
The new geopolitical crisis further complicates matters. International conflicts often trigger travel restrictions, airspace closures and security advisories that can directly affect national teams’ ability to assemble and travel.
Should Iran withdraw or be unable to participate, organisers may be compelled to seek a replacement team or adjust the fixture format entirely.
Nigeria are scheduled to face hosts Jordan on March 31 in their second match of the tournament, while Costa Rica and Iran were originally billed to meet the same day at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Kick-off times for the four fixtures had yet to be officially announced before the outbreak of hostilities.
For the Super Eagles, the tournament was seen as an opportunity to build cohesion and test tactical adjustments ahead of future competitive engagements. Now, attention will turn to whether the event can proceed as planned — and whether Nigeria’s opening match will require a late reshuffle.
The NFF is expected to monitor developments closely and may issue further clarification in the coming days as the regional and international situation evolves.
Meanwhile, Reuters has quoted a senior Israeli official as saying that Iran’s Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. But the Iranians have dismissed the claim, saying that the leader is ‘firmly commanding the field’. Both Israel and the US launched strikes on Iran.
President Donald Trump says action will give Iranians a chance to topple their rulers. Hits were reported in Israel and Gulf states as Iran retaliated. The attack has triggered fear and panics as as Iranians flee cities.
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