Governing Bodies

PREMIER LEAGUE CLUBS AND FA HEAD INTO MEETINGS AMID REFORM PLAN ROW

Published

5 years ago

October 13, 2020

English Premier League clubs will break their silence over the much criticized proposals for major changes to the structure of England’s top flight when they meet this week amidst talk of a ‘civil war’ within the game.

The Football Association (FA) will also hold a scheduled council meeting on Thursday when the issue is also expected to be raised. As the governing body for English football, the FA itself holds a ‘golden share’ which would allow it to block major changes.

The FA has so far declined to comment on the proposals but its council is made up of representatives from all leagues, as well as county FAs, the grassroots and supporters representatives.

While no clubs have made public statements as yet on the plans, which Football League chairman Rick Parry says have been drawn up together with Liverpool and Manchester United, the fact that the league itself quickly issued a critical statement on Sunday indicates the likely mood of many teams.

Some British media has referred to a “civil war” within the Premier League over the proposals and the British government has criticised what it termed a “backroom deal”.

But Parry, who has been the only public face of ‘Project Big Picture’ so far, has insisted that he will push ahead with the plans in the face of opposition.

It is understood that the leading clubs, often referred to as the “Big Six”, have been discussing how to approach the upcoming meeting which is likely to be held on Wednesday or Thursday.

The proposals would give more power to the big Premier League clubs, reducing the top division from 20 teams to 18 for the 2022-23 season and scrapping the League Cup and Community Shield.

The plans would also see the Premier League commit to providing 25 per cent of the league’s revenue to EFL clubs and a £250 million (S$443.3 million) rescue fund to help with the immediate impact of the Covid-19 crisis.

A precise date has not been agreed for this week’s meeting of Premier League clubs, which will be online.

Any changes to the Premier League’s structure need the support of 14 of the 20 clubs.

The plans, outlined by Parry on Sunday, address the issue of those voting powers within the Premier League and propose giving the nine clubs with the longest consecutive presence in the top flight special voting rights.

However, the proposal states that only six of the nine would need to vote for a given policy meaning the “Big six” clubs would have the power to make changes in a number of key areas, without the support of other clubs.

Manchester United and Liverpool have not issued statements on the issue and other clubs have been keeping their opinions private and declining to comment.

Reuters

Governing Bodies

Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council

Published

28 minutes ago

April 26, 2025

Kunle Solaja

Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.

The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).

The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.

Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.

He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.

An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.

He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.

“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”

Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.

“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.

He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.

“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.

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Governing Bodies

Ex-FIFA Council member and Mali football chief released from jail

Published

3 days ago

April 23, 2025

Kunle Solaja

A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.

Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.

He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.

The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.

He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.

Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.

While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.

-Reuters

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Governing Bodies

Nigeria Football Federation denies owing late national captain and coach, Chukwu

Published

2 weeks ago

April 14, 2025

Kunle Solaja

The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has denied reports of an outstanding debt to former captain Christian Chukwu and has challenged anyone with verifiable documents to prove otherwise.

Chukwu, a former national team captain and chief coach, died last Saturday.

The Nigeria Football Federation decried statements in a section of social media that the football-ruling body was indebted to the deceased.

Reacting to one statement on social media that claimed NFF owed the 1980 Africa Cup of Nations-winning team captain the sum of $128,000, NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, said: “There is no record in the NFF of any outstanding indebtedness to ‘Chairman’ Christian Chukwu.

“During the first term of the Board headed by Amaju Pinnick, a committee was set up to diligently peruse the papers of coaches who were being owed, even from previous NFF administrations.

“That committee was given the clear mandate to verify all debts and ensure that the coaches being owed were paid immediately. I am aware that the ‘Chairman’ was in the employ of the NFF between 2002 and 2005, before he was relieved of the post following the 1-1 draw with Angola in a FIFA World Cup qualifying match in Kano in August 2005. There is certainly no record of indebtedness to him in the NFF.”

Sanusi challenged anyone with genuine and verifiable documents of NFF indebtedness to any coach, who has worked with any of the National Teams over the past two decades, to come forward and tender those documents.

“As a credible organization that is very much alive to its responsibilities, if we are confronted with any genuine document of indebtedness to any coach, we will offset the debt immediately.”

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