Governing Bodies
LA LIGA AND SPAIN FA AT LOGGERHEADS
If the La Liga season is cut short or abandoned because of the coronavirus pandemic, the top four teams in the current standings will qualify for next season’s Champions League, the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) has said.
With all teams having played 27 rounds before play was halted on March 12 due to the outbreak, leaders and defending champions Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla and Real Sociedad will be the four clubs that will go through to Europe’s premier club competition if no more action is possible this season.
“The RFEF wants to have done its homework in case, in the event of a suspension of competitions, it receives the request from UEFAregarding the Spanish clubs that would have access to European competitions next season,” general secretary Andreu Camps said in a statement on Thursday night.
“Thus… it has been agreed in the RFEF delegate commission to make a plan in order to give certainty in an extreme scenario, such as not being able to finish the competitions, so that all the clubs know the new scenario they are facing.”
After the last round of games ended, Barcelona topped La Liga with 58 points, two ahead of rivals Madrid.
Sevilla are third on 47, with Real Sociedad, who have not played in the Champions League since the 2013-14 campaign, a point further back in fourth.
The teams in fifth and sixth place – which are Getafe (46) and Atletico Madrid (45) – will qualify for the Europa League.
The result of the King’s Cup final, if that is contested, could have an impact on the team grabbing the final Europa League spot.
With finalists Sociedad already in the top four, their opponents Athletic Bilbao (10th) are in pole position for the third Europa League spot should the league not resume.
The suspended final had been set for today and would have been the first Cup final featuring the country’s two biggest Basque teams.
The RFEF’s decision remains a proposal that has not been approved by La Liga. League president Javier Tebas said in response: “Nulling and voiding the season is not an option on the table.
“We’re reviewing multiple scenarios, such as what happens if we play behind closed doors… and what happens if games aren’t played.
“We have to look at all possibilities, but we’re not working towards a situation where we don’t complete the season.”
Other clubs that stand to lose out the most have also voiced their unhappiness with the unilateral plan.
Atletico, who eliminated title-holders Liverpool to reach the last eight of the Champions League this term, told Spanish media such a scenario “would be unfair to them”.
It could force the club into selling at least one of their key assets such as the highly sought-after Saul Niguez, given that participation in the Champions League represents 15 per cent of the club’s budget.
Valencia, who are in seventh spot on 42 points, and Getafe also told Spanish daily Marca they were equally outraged.
But Sergio Busquets feels a premature conclusion may be something clubs have to come to terms with – as unpalatable as it might be.
“It’s going to be difficult to resume,” the Barca midfielder told local radio stations Onda Cero and Cope. “I don’t think it can be done. It’s going to be difficult to resume because of the travelling, getting everyone together.”
AFP, Reuters
FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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