Governing Bodies
JAPAN DENIES RUMOURS OF TOKYO 2020 CANCELLATION
The Japanese Government has denied reports that this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo will be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Japan’s Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Manabu Sakai told a press conference there was “absolutely no truth” in the report from British newspaper The Times, which claimed the Government had privately concluded Tokyo 2020 would be cancelled.
“No one wants to be the first to say so but the consensus is that it’s too difficult,” an unnamed senior member of Japan’s ruling coalition told The Times.
“Personally, I don’t think it’s going to happen.”
The source also claimed Japan and Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga were instead hoping to host the Games in 2032.
“Suga is not emotionally invested in the Games,” the source said.
“But they want to show that they are ready to go, so that they will get another chance in 11 years.
“In these circumstances, no one could really object to that.”
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government joined Sakai in vehemently denying the cancellation of Tokyo 2020, which had already been rescheduled from last year due to the global health crisis.
“Tokyo Metropolitan Government, as the Host City, will continue to exert its utmost efforts in order to materialise holding safe and secure Games in close collaboration with all parties concerned such as the Japanese Government, Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee, International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the International Paralympic Committee (IPC),” it said in a statement.
Concerns over the fate of Tokyo 2020 have intensified since the New Year following a rise in coronavirus cases in countries such as Japan, thought to be largely caused by more transmissible variants of COVID-19.
Suga was forced to declare a state of emergency in several areas, including the capital city Tokyo, as a result.
With a recent Kyodo News survey finding around 80 per cent of Japanese people want this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo to be cancelled or postponed, there have also been calls to push Tokyo 2020 back to 2024.
Organisers have remained confident the Games will go ahead, however, with IOC President Thomas Bach claiming yesterday that there was “no reason whatsoever” for the Olympics not to open on July 23 and there was no “Plan B”.
IOC vice-president and Tokyo 2020 Coordination Commission chair John Coates has insisted preparations for the Games continue and rejected the report that Japan was aiming for 2032 instead.
“There’s been no discussion on that at all,” Coates said, according to The Sydney Morning Herald.
“There is no discussion on 2032 with Japan because there is no discussion on not proceeding in Japan.”
The IOC has also described the report as “categorically untrue”.
“Together with its Japanese partners and friends, the IOC is fully concentrated on and committed to the successful delivery of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020 this year,” an IOC statement said.
A statement from the IPC has repeated the IOC message to quell fears of a cancellation for the Paralympics, currently scheduled for August 24 to September 5.
“Since last March’s postponement, everyone involved in the delivery of the Games has been working tirelessly to develop COVID-19 countermeasures and plans which we believe will mitigate the risk for the athletes, all Games stakeholders and, importantly, the Japanese public,” the IPC statement said.
“In early February, the IOC, IPC and Tokyo 2020 will publish the first editions of playbooks targeting Games stakeholders.
“These playbooks will start to explain exactly how we aim to deliver this summer’s event and outline the personal responsibilities each person attending the Games must follow to ensure safe and secure Games.”
The IPC statement also claimed an “extensive testing programme” and “valuable learning experiences” from other sporting events held during the pandemic would allow Tokyo 2020 to take place safely.
“Compared to March 2020, we now know much more about how the COVID-19 virus behaves, much more about how to organise safe sport events during a pandemic and are encouraged by the international roll-out of several vaccines,” the IPC said.
“By the time of the Games this summer, we are optimistic that daily case numbers will be much lower than during these dark winter months.
“We are also confident that the extensive testing programme to be implemented before, during and after the Games – one of several measures that will be taken targeting Games stakeholders – will help minimise the risk of virus transmission.
“Finally, each sport event that has taken place globally since the outbreak of the virus has provided us all with valuable learning experiences which are helping to continually shape our plans for Tokyo.
“There is no doubt the Tokyo 2020 Games will be very different to any previous Games and that this summer’s event looks a long way off right now.
“However, we believe that with the robust measures and plans we have in place, the Games can and will go ahead safely.”
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World football governing body, FIFA, today clocks its 122nd anniversary, celebrating more than a century of overseeing and expanding the global game.
Founded on May 21, 1904, in Paris, France, FIFA began with just seven member associations — France, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
From that modest beginning, the organisation has grown into the most influential sports governing body in the world, with 211 member associations spread across all continents.
Over the decades, FIFA has transformed football into a truly global phenomenon through competitions such as the FIFA World Cup, Women’s World Cup, Club World Cup, youth tournaments, and developmental programmes aimed at growing the game worldwide.
The organisation has also witnessed remarkable milestones, including the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 13 teams in 1930 to 48 teams beginning from the 2026 edition to be jointly hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
FIFA’s journey has equally reflected football’s growing influence beyond sport, with the game becoming a major tool for diplomacy, social inclusion, youth empowerment, and economic development across the world.
As FIFA celebrates 122 years of existence, attention is now focused on the future of the game, technological innovations, expanded competitions, women’s football growth, and the continued globalisation of football.
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UEFA has issued a lifetime ban to Petr Vlachovsky, a Czech women’s soccer coach who secretly filmed his players, the governing body announced on Tuesday.
Czech media reported that the coach was convicted in May 2025 and initially received a suspended one-year prison sentence and a five-year domestic coaching ban for filming FC Slovacko’s players in changing rooms, the youngest of whom was 17.
In a statement, UEFA’s Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) said it had decided to ban Vlachovsky “from exercising any football-related activity for life” following the appointment of an Ethics and Disciplinary Inspector to investigate allegations of potential misconduct.
“The CEDB further decided to request FIFA to extend the abovementioned ban on a worldwide level and to order the Football Association of the Czech Republic to revoke Mr Petr Vlachovsky’s coaching licence,” the statement added.
FC Slovacko did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment.
Football players’ union FIFPRO welcomed the ban as well as UEFA’s request for world soccer governing body FIFA to impose an international ban on Vlachovsky.
“This outcome sends a strong and necessary message that abusive and inappropriate behaviour has no place in football and that safeguarding the well-being of players must remain a priority at every level of the game,” FIFPRO added in a statement.
Vlachovsky had also previously served as coach of the Czech women’s Under-19s team.
RELATED STORY: https://sportsvillagesquare.com/2026/04/08/outrage-as-male-coach-who-secretly-filmed-women-players-still-free-to-work-in-football/
-Reuters
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Southampton have been kicked out of the Championship playoff final after being found guilty of spying on semi-final opponents Middlesbrough, the English Football League said on Tuesday.
Middlesbrough, who lost 2-1 to Southampton on aggregate in the semi, have been reinstated and will face Hull City on Saturday in what is dubbed the world’s richest soccer match.
Promotion to the Premier League, even with an immediate relegation, is estimated to be worth in the region of 200 million pounds ($268.10 million) over three seasons.
Southampton, who admitted the charges, were also found guilty of filming training sessions involving Oxford United in December and Ipswich Town in April during the regular season.
They have also been deducted four points from the start of next season in England’s second tier.
“An Independent Disciplinary Commission has today expelled Southampton from the Championship play-offs after the club admitted multiple breaches of EFL regulations related to the unauthorised filming of other clubs’ training,” the EFL said.
“Southampton admitted breaches of Regulations requiring Clubs to act with the utmost good faith and prohibiting the observation of another Club’s training session within 72 hours of a scheduled match.
“The effect of today’s order is that Middlesbrough are reinstated into the 2026 play-offs and will proceed to the play-off final against Hull City. The final remains scheduled for Saturday 23 May, with the kick-off time to be confirmed.”
The EFL confirmed that Southampton could appeal against the decision and that “parties are working to try and resolve any appeal on Wednesday 20 May.
“Subject to the outcome, it could result in a further change to Saturday’s fixture,” the statement said.
‘BORO CALLED FOR SOUTHAMPTON EXPULSION
Middlesbrough had called for Southampton’s expulsion after having a training session at their Rockliffe Park site filmed 48 hours ahead of the first leg of their playoff semi-final with Southampton which ended 0-0.
The north-east club said they welcomed the decision.
“We believe this sends out a clear message for the future of our game regarding sporting integrity and conduct,” the north Middlesbrough said in a statement.
“As a club, we are now focused on our game against Hull City at Wembley on Saturday.”
Southampton were relegated from the Premier League last season and were struggling in the early part of this campaign until a storming finish in which they went unbeaten in 19 league games to finish fourth and enter the playoffs.
The south-coast club are the first to fall foul of the Football League’s regulation 127 — brought in after Leeds United were found guilty of spying on Derby County seven years ago, an offence for which they were fined 200,000 pounds.
-Reuters
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