Governing Bodies
Qatar 2022 World Cup: More questions than answers for troubled holders France
France head into the World Cup with more questions than answers after their build-up to the tournament was marred by injuries, poor results and off-field distractions.
The defending champions have had a dismal Nations League campaign, just salvaging their place in the top tier at the end of an injury-ravaged month in September.
Key midfielders N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba, who played pivotal roles in France’s victorious campaign in 2018, have been ruled out due to injuries.
Kylian Mbappe is in the midst of a media storm over reports he wanted to leave Paris St Germain less than four months after extending his contract with the French champions. The striker has now said he is happy at PSG and never asked to leave in January.
The French Football Federation has also been subjected to an audit commissioned by the Sports Ministry over working conditions amid claims of sexual harassment and bullying. The federation has denied the allegations.
Should the inspectors find evidence of a crime, they are legally bound to report it to a judge, which would likely trigger a police investigation.
On the pitch, France have been struggling to rediscover the spark that guided them to a perfectly mastered Nations League triumph last season, helping Les Bleus put the disappointment of a last-16 exit at the European Championship behind them.
Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema and Mbappe might have the potential to form the most formidable attacking lineup in the game but their partnership has been taking time to gel.
While Benzema was out injured in France’s last two Nations League games, veteran Olivier Giroud earned a recall from Deschamps and made the most of it, earning Mbappe’s praise
“We managed to combine, to speak the same football, it was satisfying,” Mbappe said. “A plus for us? Of course he is. When you are the second-best striker in the French team if you are not a plus you will never be a plus.”
The 36-year-old Giroud’s presence – or absence – will be the main topic of Deschamps’s squad list for the Qatar finals, where France take on Denmark, Australia and Tunisia in Group D.
They are expected to go through, even if they lost to Denmark in their last meeting when their back line showed more signs of nerves.
Deschamps needs to fix the defence and decide, for good, whether he will play with four defenders or three centre backs and two wing backs.
The length of the injury list might make the decision for the coach, who can win the World Cup for a third time – once as a player and twice as manager – like Brazil’s Mario Zagallo who lifted the trophy twice as a player and once as head coach.
-Reuters
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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