International Football
FIFA REINTRODUCE WORD “CORRUPTION” INTO CODE OF ETHICS
BY DAN PALMER
FIFA has reintroduced the word “corruption” into its updated Code of Ethics for 2019.
The word was controversially omitted last year at a time when football’s world governing body was trying to repair its image following a number of scandals.
Numerous FIFA officials were indicted by the United States Department of Justice and banned from any involvement in football for life by the Ethics Committee.
Corruption was removed from the Code of Ethics at the same time as the introduction of a defamation clause, with claims this barred officials from publicly speaking out against FIFA.
This led to criticism but Section 27 of the Code of Ethics is now entitled “Bribery and Corruption”.
Another addition is the word “misuse” in Section 28 about misappropriation of funds.
“The goal of these amendments is to avoid any misunderstanding about FIFA’s stance against unethical conducts in football, even though both breaches to which said terms refer were already subject to the relevant provisions,” FIFA secretary general Fatma Samoura said in a letter to member associations.
A number of other changes have been made to the Code of Ethics, which FIFA described as “important updates”.
Public hearings for those accused will be guaranteed on request of the relevant party in a bid for greater transparency.
Harsher penalties for those found guilty of concurrent offences will also be possible with the Ethics Committee’s adjudicatory chamber now given the power to impose sanctions without a maximum limitation.
In the past punishments for concurrent offences could only be increased by up to one third for the most serious breach.
This meant several infringements with a maximum of a five year ban could only be risen to seven-and-a-half years.
A new minimum sanction of a 10-year ban has been introduced for those found guilty of sexual abuse and exploitation while the prosecution period for these offences will also be 10 years, bringing it in line with bribery and the misappropriation of funds.
Another major change will see FIFA provide legal aid for accused parties with insufficient means.
This will include covering costs such as counsel, travel, accommodation, witnesses and experts.
FIFA said they wanted to “bridge the gap” that exists between individuals of varying financial power.
A further amendment will see the Disciplinary Committee as the only body which tackles match-fixing, with the aim of freeing up the Ethics Committee to deal with solely ethical misconduct.
“FIFA has made some important updates to its Code of Ethics to increase the efficiency of the independent Ethics Committee, to protect the safety and wellbeing of individuals involved in football, and to ensure greater transparency of ethics proceedings,” the governing body said.
The full list of amendments can be found here and the 2019 Code of Ethics is here.
–insidethegames
International Football
Former Brazil coach Tite taking break to take care of mental, physical health
Former Brazil coach Tite said he is taking an indefinite career break in order to take care of his mental and physical health.
The 63-year-old, who led Brazil to the 2019 Copa America title, was hospitalised due to a heart issue last August. He was sacked by Flamengo the following month and had most recently been linked with the Corinthians job.
“I realised that there are times when you have to understand that, as a human being, I can be vulnerable and admitting that will certainly make me stronger,” Tite said in a statement posted on his son Matheus Bachi’s Instagram on Tuesday.
“I’m passionate about what I do and I’ll continue to be so, but after talking to my family and observing the signals my body was giving off, I decided that the best thing to do now is to take a break from my career to look after myself for as long as it takes.
“As has become public, there was a conversation in progress with Corinthians, but it will have to be paralysed by a difficult but necessary decision.”
Tite, who stepped down as Brazil coach after their quarter-final exit from the 2022 World Cup, has previously coached a string of Brazilian sides including Gremio, Atletico Mineiro and Palmeiras.
-Reuters
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Brazil have sacked head coach Dorival Jr, the country’s football confederation (CBF) said on Friday after the five-time world champions were thrashed 4-1 away to fierce rivals Argentina in a humiliating qualifying loss in Buenos Aires.
The 62-year-old was appointed in January 2024 after the team spent a year under two caretaker coaches as the Brazilian FA were unable to lure Italian Carlo Ancelotti from Real Madrid.
“The Brazilian Football Confederation informs that coach Dorival Jr is no longer in charge of the Brazilian national team,” the confederation said in a statement.
“The management thanks (Dorival) and wishes him success in continuing his career … the CBF will work to find his replacement,” it added.
Dorival was handed the job after his success with Flamengo in 2022 where he won the Copa Libertadores and Brazilian Cup, a trophy he lifted again the next year with Sao Paulo.
However, he never seemed to get to grips with the national team job and failed to earn the trust of Brazil’s demanding fans after winning only seven of his 16 games in charge.
Sources told Reuters the CBF was not confident in Dorival’s work, considering there had been little to no progress since a lacklustre Copa America campaign when Brazil were knocked out in the quarter-finals by Uruguay last year.
Still, the CBF was willing to wait and see until the 2026 World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay in June to reassess the situation following the end of the European season and the Club World Cup in the U.S. in June and July.
But after Brazil slumped to their heaviest-ever loss in a qualifier when they were thrashed by Argentina this week, CBF president Ednaldo Rodrigues decided to pull the trigger.
IDEAL CANDIDATE
Sources told Reuters Ancelotti was still the ideal candidate but he is under contract with Real until July 2026 and there is no indication he would leave the European and Spanish champions.
Brazilian media have reported that Al Hilal’s Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus is the favourite to replace Dorival.
Brazil have been in unfamiliar territory for over two years since crashing out of the 2022 World Cup against Croatia on penalties in the quarter-finals, a heartbreaking elimination that led to the exit of long-time manager Tite.
Their humbling defeat in Buenos Aires was the latest of a series of negative records Brazil have set under caretakers Ramon Menezes and Fernando Diniz and with Dorival in charge. They had never conceded four goals in a World Cup qualifier.
Brazil are in the midst of their worst-ever World Cup qualifying campaign. They are fourth in the South American standings with 21 points, a point above sixth-placed Colombia who currently occupy the final direct qualifying berth.
Never have Brazil lost so many games, conceded so many goals or set so many negative records in the qualifying competition. They have lost five of their 14 games and conceded 16 goals.
Brazil’s 1-0 defeat by Argentina in the Maracana late in 2023 was their first-ever qualifying loss on home soil.
They also lost to Colombia for the first time, saw the end of their unbeaten run against Uruguay stretching back over two decades and were defeated by Morocco and Senegal, having never previously lost to an African nation.
-Reuters
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International Football
England’s German manager Tuchel will not sing the English anthem in his first game
England manager Thomas Tuchel said he would have to “earn the right” to sing the national anthem, God Save the King, after announcing his 26-man squad on Friday ahead of the team’s World Cup qualifiers.
Tuchel, who was appointed as Gareth Southgate’s successor in October and named his first squad to face Albania and Latvia this month, said he would not sing the anthem in his first games in charge.
“It means a lot to me, I can assure you, but I can feel that because it is so meaningful and it is so emotional and it is so powerful, the national anthem, that I have to earn my right to sing it,” the 51-year-old German told a news conference.
Former caretaker manager Lee Carsley was criticised last year for not singing the anthem during his tenure.
However, Tuchel added that while he is proud to be in charge of the team and knows the words to the anthem, he plans to earn the right with results.
“Maybe I have to dive more into the culture and earn my right from you, from the players, from the supporters, so everyone feels like ‘he should sing it now, he’s one of our own, he’s the English manager, he should sing it’,” he said.
-Reuters
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