LONDON, April 13 (Reuters) – Wigan Athletic forgot their relegation worries to reach the FA Cup final for the first time in their history when goals from Shaun Maloney and Callum McManaman gave them a 2-0 win over Championship side Millwall at a soggy Wembley on Saturday.

But the match was marred when fighting broke out between Millwall’s own fans who traded punches with each other for more than 20 minutes, ignoring their team’s efforts on the field.

MANCHESTER (Reuters) – Construction workers who helped rebuild Brazil’s Maracana stadium will play in the first match to be staged there later this month, Rio de Janeiro’s Secretary of State for Sport Andre Lazaroni said on Thursday.

The rebuilding of one of the world’s iconic stadiums, which will host the World Cup final next year as well as matches in the 2016 Olympics, has been beset by problems but is now expected to be finished by April 24.

MANCHESTER, April 11 (Reuters) – Construction workers who helped rebuild Brazil’s Maracana stadium will play in the first match to be staged there later this month, Rio de Janeiro’s Secretary of State for Sport Andre Lazaroni said on Thursday.

The rebuilding of one of the world’s iconic stadiums, which will host the World Cup final next year as well as matches in the 2016 Olympics, has been beset by problems but is now expected to be finished by April 24.

MANCHESTER (Reuters) – Russia expects to welcome more than one million foreigners to the 2018 World Cup and a ‘Fans Law’ guaranteeing their safety has taken a step closer to the statute books, a top official said on Thursday.

Under the proposed law there will be visa-free entry to the country for fans arriving with match tickets and free travel between host cities. New regulations are also being introduced to deal with troublemakers at sporting events in the leadup to the finals.

MANCHESTER, April 11 (Reuters) – Russia expects to welcome more than one million foreigners to the 2018 World Cup and a ‘Fans Law’ guaranteeing their safety has taken a step closer to the statute books, a top official said on Thursday.

Under the proposed law there will be visa-free entry to the country for fans arriving with match tickets and free travel between host cities. New regulations are also being introduced to deal with troublemakers at sporting events in the leadup to the finals.

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – England are unlikely to become world champions again because the country’s Premier League is now flooded with foreign players, 1966 World Cup winner Bobby Charlton said on Wednesday.

“I worry a bit. Every year I feel when one of the newspapers wants me to give an opinion on whether there is a chance to win the World Cup or whatever, I feel obliged to say ‘yes they have got a chance’ but I think it’s a fool’s errand,” Charlton told delegates at the Soccerex Business Forum.

MANCHESTER, England, April 10 (Reuters) – England are unlikely to become world champions again because the country’s Premier League is now flooded with foreign players, 1966 World Cup winner Bobby Charlton said on Wednesday.

“I worry a bit. Every year I feel when one of the newspapers wants me to give an opinion on whether there is a chance to win the World Cup or whatever, I feel obliged to say ‘yes they have got a chance’ but I think it’s a fool’s errand,”

MANCHESTER, England (Reuters) – European football governing body UEFA are planning to introduce tough new sanctions to combat racism with players found guilty of racist offences banned for a minimum of 10 matches, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday.

Infantino also said there would be partial closure of stadiums for a first incident of racist abuse by fans and a full closure for a second offence plus far tougher financial penalties.

MANCHESTER, England, April 10 (Reuters) – European soccer governing body UEFA are planning to introduce tough new sanctions to combat racism with players found guilty of racist offences banned for a minimum of 10 matches, UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino said on Wednesday.

Infantino also said there would be partial closure of stadiums for a first incident of racist abuse by fans and a full closure for a second offence plus far tougher financial penalties.

LONDON (Reuters) – The English FA will tell FIFA they have found no evidence of racist chanting by their fans at last month’s World Cup qualifier against San Marino, Adrian Bevington, managing director of Club England, said on Monday.

The FA began an inquiry following the match on March 22 after Football Against Racism in Europe (FARE) contacted world soccer’s ruling body citing English fans for singing a racist song aimed at brothers Rio and Anton Ferdinand.