FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam has urged England’s FA to reconsider its decision to abstain from voting on June 1.The FA announced last Thursday they would not cast their vote in the election between Bin Hammam and incumbent Sepp Blatter, following allegations of corruption in the bidding process that saw Russia chosen over England to host the 2018 World Cup.
But Bin Hammam, who has promised wide-ranging reforms of FIFA should he be elected, believes the FA have a responsibility to world football to take part in the vote.
“The football family is vast and diverse – perhaps more so than any of us can truly comprehend – and that is one of our sport’s greatest strengths,” the Asian Confederation chief said in a blog post on his website on Tuesday.
“So it is always disappointing when someone opts not to engage with the rest, when one of our national associations takes the decision not to try to affect change from the inside.”
“The FA, with its status as the oldest association in the world and England’s position as the birthplace of the modern game, is one of the most important institutions in world football.”
“As a result, they should be working with FIFA and the rest of the global game to improve and enhance football. By choosing to abstain, the FA is, sadly, forfeiting that right.”
“I realise they have their reasons for making their decision but I hope in the days leading up to the election that they will reconsider their position and make moves to engage fully with the global football family, both on June 1 and beyond.”
England managed to secure just two votes in their bid to bring the World Cup back to the birthplace of football for the first time since 1966.
The disappointing outcome led to accusations of corruption in the bidding process, prompting the FA to launch an inquiry.
The bidding for the 2022 World Cup has also come under scrutiny, with a British parliamentary inquiry hearing allegations that Qatari bid officials offered two Confederation of African Football FIFA executives US$1.5 million in bribes in return for their votes.
Qatar’s bid committee angrily denied the allegations in a statement on Monday, and moved to discredit the forthcoming testimony of a whistleblower as the grumblings of an embittered ex-employee with an axe to grind.
FIFA is expected to hear evidence from the ex-employee on Wednesday.
Chelsea manager-in-waiting Guud Hiddink has asked the club to sign Wesley Sneijder, according to The Sun.
The West London club hope to agree terms with the Turkish FA for their national manager by next week and has reportedly made the Inter Milan playmaker his number one transfer target.
A fee in the region of £30 million is unlikely to deter Chelsea in moving for the player who looks certain to leave the San Siro this summer.
The Dutch international moved to Inter two summers ago from Real Madrid in a €15 million deal and won the Champions League in his first season at Inter. The 26-year old has made 79 appearances for the club but Inter only made the Quarter Finals of this year’s Champions League. Despite finishing second in Serie A, Sneijder is still rumoured to favour a move away.
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Manchester United have also regularly been linked with the player as they look for a replacement for the retired Paul Scholes. He is seen as a key acquisition as United look to bridge the gap on Barcelona following their Champions League Final defeat. However, his reported £200,000 a week wages could prove to be a stumbling block in any deal.
Australia’s FIFA Women’s World Cup campaign remains on track after an entertaining 3-2 win over Equatorial Guinea on Sunday.The Matildas struck through Leena Khamis, Emily van Egmond and Lisa De Vanna but were kept on their toes by a brace from Guinea captain Genoveva Anonma, who put her side within a goal with seven minutes to play having capitalised on two defensive errors.
The win puts Tom Sermanni’s side equal on points with Norway in Group D after they lost 3-0 to Brazil and Australia only need a draw against Norway on Wednesday to progress to the quarter-finals because of their superior goal difference.
Australia made a bright start after their first-up loss to Brazil and Khamis found the opener on eight minutes after neat build-up play.
Van Egmond played a delightful pass over the top to Heather Garriock and although her shot was parried by Guinea goalkeeper Mirian, Khamis was on hand to tap in the rebound.
Khamis went close again after quarter of an hour when she struck the post from close range, and Guinea defender Bruna picked up the rebound with her hands in a bizarre incident.
Bruna then dropped the ball and Mirian picked it up, delivering a long kick up field with officials seemingly missing a clear handball.
Guinea’s Anonma gave Australia two warnings with strikes going wide, and she equalised after 21 minutes.
Servet Uzunlar was dispossessed as she positioned herself for a pass back to shot-stopper Lydia Williams and Anonma took advantage, rounding the goalkeeper before scoring into an empty net.
Although they went into the break level, Australia produced a strong start to the second half and were rewarded with two goals in the space of four minutes.
Khamis worked hard to put in a cross from the left and van Egmond, moving into the area, struck a powerful drive into the corner on 48 minutes.
Substitute De Vanna made it 3-0 when McCallum delivered a pin-point long pass for her to poke home from inside the area.
But they were forced into a nervous finish when Uzunlar was again dispossessed in defence, leaving Anonma free to place into the bottom corner to pull another goal back for Guinea.
In Group D’s other game, Brazil handed Norway a 3-0 thrashing after five-time FIFA Women’s Player of the Year Marta capped off a brilliant display with a brace and Rosana scored the other.
The five-time world champions have already booked a place in the quarter-finals ahead of their clash against Equatorial Guinea on Wednesday.
Arsenal manage Arsene Wenger has labelled Barcelona midfielder Xavi as disrespectful following the Spaniard’s latest comments regarding Cesc Fabregas’ potential transfer to the Catalan club.
The Camp Nou midfielder has stated that his countryman is suffering in England, is unhappy and desperate to leave to return to Pep Guardiola’s side.
“I spoke to Cesc in Ibiza and he said he was suffering because he wanted to come. It’s more like, he did everything he could to come and wants to leave Arsenal,” the Champions League winner stated on Barcelona’s official website.
Fabregas’ current boss is not pleased with Xavi or Barcelona’s conduct in the affair, and feels it lacks respect.
“What is important is that Cesc Fabregas is contracted to Arsenal. That is a fact. Arsenal wants to keep him and all the rest is comment,” the Frenchman is reported to have said in The Telegraph.
“If I found Barcelona in exactly the same position, I believe a mutual respect between the clubs should stop this kind of comment. If it is true then it is very disrespectful and it is not the first time that Xavi has been disrespectful to Arsenal.”
The Emirates side have slapped a £35 million valuation on the Spanish international, but so far La Liga’s winners have only offered £27 million, which has turned down.
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Swansea City manager Brendan Rodgers is under no illusions as to the challenges his club faces in the English Premier League.The Swans became the first Welsh side to reach the Premier League after gaining promotion via the Championship playoffs at the end of last season.
Reaching the top-flight completes a fairytale story for the Welsh side, who nearly dropped out of the entire Football League just eight seasons ago.
But Rodgers knows the hard work is only just beginning.
“It’s the most competitive league in the world,” he said.
“I’m just happy that I was able to help bring that football to Wales, in particular to Swansea. There’s no doubt that it’s going to be really tough for us. Certainly, we’re going to give it our best and continue to play how we play.”
“It’s important that we’re creative and attacking in our football. The difference in the Premier League is that when you lose the ball there’s a better quality that can hurt you.”
Swansea have taken a measured approach to strengthening their squad ahead of the new campaign, having lost goalkeeper Dorus de Vries (Wolves) and midfielder Darren Pratley (Bolton) after their contracts expired.
One-cap Portugal goalkeeper Jose Moreira joins from Benfica, while Rogers splashed out a club-record 3.5 million pounds for Watford striker Danny Graham. Tottenham defender Steven Caulker joins on a one-year loan deal.
Rodgers’ men face a tough start to life in the top flight, travelling to Manchester City for their opener as well as to Arsenal and Chelsea inside their first six games of the season.
“They’re all tough games,” Rodgers said.
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“It’s obviously a start away at a club that isn’t even in comparison with ours in terms of budget.”
“I think last year, looking at the Premier League, a lot of teams in the middle to bottom took a lot of points off the top teams.”
“I think (the big teams) be stronger next year. It’s going to be very, very competitive and every game will be a cup final for us. We understand that – home or away – every game will be tough.”
So the Premiership season is only days away, which means the Community Shield has come and gone. The game that last week everyone agreed was a pre-season friendly, albeit a competitive one, a final work out for the players has now been re-assigned as a marker for Manchester United, a kick in the face for United’s noisy neighbours, and according to Alan Hansen, the proof we all needed that United are the team to beat, and it is their title to lose (they are defending champions, this should be obvious to him anyway). Under an article entitled: Community Shield Has Changed Everything, he added:
“Suddenly they are overwhelming favourites. They look a team of tremendous strength in depth, something that has almost come out of nowhere. They are young, vibrant, exciting. The young players who finished the game looked as though they had been at Old Trafford for years. And they are a team, something which City emphatically are not. “
Yes, no need to analyse the contenders this season, or even play the games really – it’s a done deal.
But bitter sarcasm aside, just how much of a marker is the Charity Shield? Does history show us that it is a guide to how the league season will go? Well not surprisingly, no.
First, the history. The Charity Shield evolved from the Sheriff of London Charity Shield that had been introduced in 1898 as a professionals v amateurs challenge. The competition format has varied over the years – in 1930 the Football League winner v. FA Cup winner format was re-used, and with a few exceptions, this format has remained to the present day. The game has been moved to the start of the season from 1959 onwards.
Not all teams have historically accepted an invitation to play however – the last time Manchester City won it, they were there as the offer was declined by other clubs – City had finished fourth in the league, and beat a 3rd Division Aston Villa 1-0. And only in 1993 were penalties introduced into the mix – before that each team would have the trophy for 6 months if the game had ended a draw. In 2002, the competition was renamed the Community Shield, and that leads us to the present day.
Next – the statistics. From 1997 to 2004, the team that won the Community Shield didn’t go on to win the league the following season but in the last 6 yrs, 5 teams have done it, reversing the trend. Statistics don’t tell half the story of course. Teams that won on penalties do not provide evidence of a stronger team – such games are effectively draws, in the context of predicting league success.
So for the start of the run of winning Charity Shield teams failing to capture the league thereafter, we see in 1998 Arsenal winning the league, edging out Manchester United who had triumphed in the season’s curtain-raiser – but they had only triumphed on penalties. The roles were reversed the following season – Arsenal strolled to a Charity Shield victory, but lost out in the league. And the same happened the following year….and so on.
Recent records may have reversed the trend, but three of the games went to penalties, so little can be deduced from this. Finally, only in 2006 in the Premiership years has neither contestant in the game gone on to lift the league title the following season.
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Of course both managers after Sunday will have things to ponder – the game does tell us something. Mancini will wonder why his team seemed two weeks behind in fitness to United. He will continue to wonder about the effectiveness of Dzeko and Balotelli, or the best position to play James Milner, if anywhere. But with no new signings starting the match, it doesn’t tell him too much at this stage. Ferguson will be happy with how his signings integrated into the team, and will be confident going into the new season. He’ll be happy that he got his players fired up, keen as they all were to avoid a third Wembley defeat in just a few months. And that’s about it. If Vincent Kompany had wellied the ball into Row Z in the 90th minute and City had gone on to triumph on penalties, no one would be crowning City champions-elect, and no-one should be doing the same for United, better team though they were.
An injury to a first-teamer would have had more consequences than the result of this one game. Its sole purpose is a teaser – the new season is around the corner, when the proof of the pudding will be in the eating – and only then will we be able to make confident predictions on how the season may play out. United were favourites to regain their title before the match, and no result would have changed that – it is up to the other teams to upset the odds, but everyone knew that already.
Tottenham have agreed to sign Manchester City striker Emmanuel Adebayor on loan, The Sun understands.
It’s been reported that the Togolese international will undergo a medical at White Hart Lane today.
Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has been chasing the ex-Arsenal striker all summer with complications over payment of the players wage holding up the deal.
However an agreement has now been reached which will see the North London club pay a larger percentage of Adebayor’s £170,000-a-week-wage than they had originally planned.
Redknapp admitted he needed to add a new striker to his side after watching them lose comprehensively to champions Manchester United on Monday.
The 27-year-olds temporary move to Spurs will certainly add some European pedigree that has been missing from the White Hart Lane attack.
Signed for £25 million two years ago Adebayor has dropped way down the pecking order at the Etihad Stadium after numerous fallouts with boss Roberto Mancini.
He’ll have to wait for his Spurs debut though as they face his parent club on Sunday.
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Question marks will now hang over the future of Peter Crouch with the England international not in Redknapp’s plans. He could move to Fulham or QPR who are both interested.
Liverpool are ready to go head-to-head with Tottenham in the battle to sign £22 million rated Internacional striker Leandro Damiao, according to the Daily Mail.
Reds boss Kenny Dalglish is prepared to dip his toes into the transfer market yet again to sign the highly rated 22-year-old as he looks to strengthen his attacking options.
Despite already having Luis Suarez, Andy Carroll, Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt at his disposal, the Scot is determined to add more firepower to his side and has earmarked Damiao as a potential signing.
And although Damiao is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, Anfield scouts have already watched the forward in action and are expected to keep tabs on him until the transfer window re-opens.
Dalglish will have a fight on his hands to land the Brazilian, with Spurs boss Harry Redknapp also eager to secure his services despite seeing his £15 million bid knocked back in the summer.
Redknapp eventually brought Emmanuel Adebayor to White Hart Lane on loan from Manchester City but has never taken his eye off Damiao and is likely to make a new bid to bring him to North London in January.
Both clubs will have to be wary of getting caught up in a bidding war with each other, with Internacional likely to try and get the best possible fee for their prized asset.
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Real Madrid are weighing up a stunning bid to bring Carlos Tevez to the Bernabeu in January putting an end to his Manchester nightmare the Mirror reports.
Los Merengues boss Jose Mourinho has earmarked the Argentinian striker as the man to help the club end Barcelona’s La Liga superiority and take the club back to the pinnacle of Spanish football.
The 27-year-old’s career at the Etihad Stadium is effectively over after his refusal to come off the bench in last months Champions League draw with Bayern Munich saw the club suspend him for two weeks.
Roberto Mancini has admitted he won’t consider Tevez for selection even though his suspension ends on Thursday with City ready to announce what action they will take after an internal investigation into his act of mutiny.
Despite the strikers temperament it hasn’t dampened Madrid’s interest and the Spaniards are preparing to test the Premier League big spenders with an offer as soon as the transfer window opens.
There is, however, a few complications that could scupper the deal with City demanding £35 million for their former captain whilst his wage demands could prove to be too excessive.
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Whilst the fee shouldn’t pose too much of a problem Tevez’s wage demands of £250,000-a-week, which surpass that of Madrid’s highest earner Cristiano Ronaldo on £200,000-per-week, could put the brakes on any potential deal.
Wolves boss Mick McCarthy has slated the section of the club’s fans who chanted for him to be sacked in the 2-2 draw with Swansea at the weekend, and has stated that their abuse had nothing to do with the Molineux side coming back from 2-0 down.
Disgruntled fans sung “you’re getting sacked in the morning” at the Wolves manager and also singled out specific players for criticism after the second Swansea goal, but McCarthy has hit back at the sceptical supporters.
“Let me clear something up. It (the negative support) doesn’t help. Let’s not give them any credit,” he told Sky Sports.
“Let’s not give any of the dissenting voices, the mindless idiots that do it, any credit whether it’s aimed at me, Karl Henry, Andy Keogh or Stephen Ward.
“Do not give them any credence or any credit for getting us playing well or getting a result. They don’t deserve any of that. There was no credit given to any of them at all for the 2-2 draw.
“I’m taking the credit, getting Jamie O’Hara further up the pitch, the players that went on and the attitude they had.
“We’ve a great spirit amongst us but I always worry in saying that, in giving them (the fans) some sort of back-handed compliment that they have generated a good team spirit and a siege mentality.
“They haven’t. All they do is destroy it. It is destructive and no good to me or anyone else,” he concluded.
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Wolves have been in a poor run of form and have only recorded two victories so far this season; their task will not get any easier at the weekend as they travel to take on Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.