Reuters Soccer Blog
World Soccer views and news
FIFA fails to act in naturalisation row
FIFA has failed to act on allegations that Burkina Faso flouted rules on fielding foreign-born players on their way to qualifying for the African Nations Cup.
In doing so, soccer’s governing body has potentially opened the floodgates for other teams to do the same.
Burkina Faso’s campaign included home-and-away wins over Namibia, who alleged that in both games the Burkinabe fielded Russian-based Cameroon-born defender Herve Zengue.
The Burkinabe said Zengue had obtained nationality by marrying one of their nationals. However, FIFA statutes also say that a player must have lived in his adopted country for at least five years before he can represent their country.
Nambia, adamant that Zengue did not meet this criteria, saw their protests brushed away on a technicality with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) saying, among other things, that the complaint had been lodged on the wrong type of paper.
Namibia angrily rejected this and said that the least CAF could have done was to have looked at the merits of the case.
Namibia said that, under CAF’s own rules, they should be awarded 3-0 wins in each match.
Danes the winners in FIFA numbers game
The calculation of the FIFA rankings may be a mystery to many soccer fans, but the football associations are well aware of the value of a high ranking.
Having recently beaten Cyprus and Portugal to win their group and qualify for the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine, Denmark rose to joint 10th with Argentina.
Jim Stjerne Hansen, general secretary of the Danish Football Association (DBU), told the Reuters Sports Blog that it brings advantages, both on and off the field.
Having risen from 17th to 10th, the Danish FA are looking forward to attracting a better class of opposition for friendlies. “People tend to have an eye on that when it comes to friendlies, the best teams will always look to play teams in at least the top 20,” he said.
“The commercial deals you can make are also better when you manifest yourself in that group.’
The value of the success of the national team will not be lost on head coach Morten Olsen, who is set to negotiate with Hansen for an extension to his contract. Next year Olsen will celebrate 12 years at the helm of the Danish national team, and the general secretary is one of his biggest fans.
Soccer Break Wednesday – It’s FIFA …again
You just can’t keep FIFA out of the news and the latest in the almost daily unfurling of allegations is perhaps the most devastating yet.
But just how seismic are the latest round of accusations and is there any way back Mohamed bin Hammam now?
One bonus for non-Manchester United and Barcelona fans is that the latest FIFA news has distracted everyone from the round-the-clock build-up to the Champions League final.
Saturday’s showpiece is looming on the horizion and the diminutive Lionel Messi is looming largest for Manchester United.
Midfielder Park Ji-sung has opted for honesty and doesn’t fancy his chances of being able to tame the world’s best player.
The fearless Nemanja Vidic on the other hand has fashioned the perfect rod for his own back by seeming to play down the 52-goal forward’s potential impact.
The final will be goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar’s last outing for United, but out with the old (in footballing terms) and in with the new.
Soccer Break Friday – Time to say goodbye
Blackburn Rovers. Wolverhampton Wanderers. Wigan Athletic. Blackpool. Birmingham City. Five teams, two must go. Who will it be?
Nervy times ahead then for these five Premier League strugglers. Sunday will be traumatic and full of twists.
Blackpool striker DJ Campbell has been relegated before, and is apparently scaring the living daylights out of his teammates with his tales of the dreaded drop.
More Blackpool now, and manager Ian Holloway’s take on things. They are a colourful bunch the Tangerines, and they’ve given all the top teams a run for their money this season. Do you want to see them relegated?
Over to the FIFA scandal latest, and do you agree with this blog? Are you in favour of the FA’s abstaining from the voting on the FIFA presidency?
Sensationally, read on for news that Qatar could be stripped of the right to host the 2022 World Cup. Now that would shake the game up.
Finally, remember Paolo Di Canio, he of the ultimate bit of sportsmanship but who also pushed a referee? Well, he could be back in the English game.
Soccer Break Thursday – Power to Portugal
It was no classic but Porto cemented themselves as one of Europe’s top sides on Wednesday with a 1-0 victory over compatriots Braga in the Europa League final in Dublin, surely the start of better days for the Portuguese game.
Key to this is that Porto’s coach Andre Villas-Boas and figurehead striker Radamel Falcao have agreed to stay at the club, a nice touch in the fast-paced football world where players and coaches come and go all too often.
Predictions for Porto next season? Can they repeat history and win the Champions League the year after winning Europe’s second-tier club competition? Why not.
At the very least, Portugal’s fine showing in Europe this season may bring a much needed economic lift to the country. Manchester is apparently set to profit immensely from having two clubs in the Champions League next term.
On that topic, there could be some big moves this summer. Didier Drogba to leave Chelsea? Brazilian Neymar to fill Drogba’s void? The youngster says compatriots David Luiz and Ramires have told him “London is a beautiful place.”
As the season winds down, it’s time for another Arsenal player to give their analysis on another failed season. Agree with Robin van Persie? And Arsenal fans, are you hopeful of success next year?
Finally, with the FIFA presidential election on June 1 fast approaching, the never-ending corruption allegations seem set to tarnish the whole event. Read here for the latest.
Soccer Break Tuesday – Blatter unbeatable?
Short and sweet today. Is Sepp Blatter really “unbeatable” ahead of the June 1 election for the FIFA presidency?
It would appear so, though under his leadership the sport’s governing body has come under fire for alleged corruption.
That said, you have to admire his workrate. He is no ordinary 75-year-old.
Some transfer speculation now, and with Ligue 1 leaders Lille set to all but clinch the title on Wednesday will they be agitated by rumours that star man Eden Hazard could leave?
And how about Everton’s Leighton Baines to Manchester City for 25 million pounds? Money is no obstacle for the Manchester side as they prepare to sail into uncharted waters in the Champions League next season.
This article says City need to focus on actually winning trophies, not annoying fierce city rivals United and trying solely to beat them.
Finally, a piece on what relegation means to teams leaving the top flight. West Ham United went down last Sunday, and two more clubs will follow suit next Sunday. Who are you backing to stay up?
Soccer Break Friday – R.I.P FA Cup?
When I was in a French campsite in the 1990s a Dutchman caught wind of the fact I was English and immediately asked “Do you know the scores in the FA Cup semi-finals?”
Ask most football fans about what day in the season they looked forward to the most in the past and the FA Cup would have often topped the list, but the grand old competition is on the wane.
This year, four Premier League fixtures will be played before the trophy-starved Manchester City and Stoke City take to the Wembley turf for a shot at glory, the irony being Manchester United could clinch the league title about 20 minutes before their bitter city rivals try to win their first piece of silverware since 1976.
Is this farcical and disrespectful to the FA Cup or a sign the times-are-a-changin’? Money rather than trophies seems to rule modern football, so it’s no surprise to see the lucrative Champions League taking over as the ‘must win’ competition.
Off the pitch the red half of Manchester had a pleasing day after announcing their revenue was up by 30 per cent. The Red Devils roll on.
Over to the ongoing FIFA corruption scandal, and president Sepp Blatter has written a letter to Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport about his re-election bid on June 1.
The talk in Africa is that one of the executive members embroiled in the affair, Issa Hayatou, should step down from his role as one of African football’s most influential figures. Agree?
Soccer Break Thursday – How to stop Barca?
Just another night of footballing action and another trophy for the all-conquering Barcelona, who on Wednesday clinched their third successive La Liga title despite a laboured 1-1 draw away to Levante.
Manchester United will be hoping a similarly weary Barcelona turn up at Wembley for the Champions League final on May 28, hopefully having themselves recently won their top domestic honour, the Premier League.
Now, onto Manchester City, who are in the news for two reasons on Thursday. One, they play Stoke City in the FA Cup final on Saturday. Click on this link for facts and figures about the game. Two, newspaper reports say they are lining up a move for Barca’s Xavi. But then again, it was Cesc Fabregas on Wednesday.
Realistically who do you think they might poach for the new season?
Sadly the news dominating the sport this week has been the FIFA corruption allegations, where president Sepp Blatter is promising a swift enquiry into the accusations. Brazil 2014 World Cup chief organiser Ricardo Teixeira is coming under fire in his home country but he is defiant and says former FA chief David Triesman should prepare for legal action.
This blog says Triesman’s accusations have further harmed English football’s reputation.
Another sour note for the game and another damaged reputation is in Scotland, where the attack on Celtic boss Neil Lennon on Wednesday was the latest blow to Scottish football.
Soccer Break Wednesday – Money buys success
Cash, dollars, bucks, dough, call it what you want, it paves the way for football clubs to be successful.
On Tuesday the bank-rolled Manchester City outfit reached the Champions League qualifiers for next season and could even secure an automatic berth if they pip Arsenal to third place in the Premier League. That would be a real kick in the guts to Arsene Wenger, who has barely spent anything in comparison to City since he took over the North Londoners in 1996.
A further blow to the Gunners would be the departure of captain Cesc Fabregas. Would he go to City of all places?
Football fans out there, is this fair? Should clubs’ success be based purely on the size of their owners’ wallets?
City’s rise has coincided with Tottenham Hotspur’s demise this season. Spurs’ foray into the quarter-finals of the Champions League proved a big step and ultimately hurt their chances of a place in the competition next season. They may not even secure a Europa League spot. Double disaster. Or is it?
Staying with wage bills and money in the game, salaries in Major League Soccer are up 12 percent, and, surprise surprise, David Beckham is the biggest earner.
Beckham however represents everything that is good about the game, an honest, hard-working individual. What we saw on Tuesday was the darker side of football with the FIFA corruption allegations.
Soccer Break Tuesday – corrupt game?
Dominating football news on Tuesday are the allegations by David Triesman to a UK parliamentary inquiry that several FIFA executive committee members asked for favours in return for their votes for England’s 2018 World Cup bid.
Startling stuff, especially with the FIFA presidential election less than a month away and a third of the 24-man executive committee having been accused of corruption.
Current chief Sepp Blatter sought to distance himself from the committee on Tuesday. Rival Mohamed bin Hammam has been campaigning by pledging transparency and technology. Who do you want to clean up the game?
Click here for a timeline of events that have rocked FIFA over the past year.
Back to the pitch, and Liverpool’s blistering late-season form has got everyone talking after their 5-2 destruction of Fulham.
Not that Fulham are being ignored mind you, goalscoring midfielder Clint Dempsey very much a transfer target this summer.
More off pitch drama now and France coach Laurent Blanc has been cleared of racial discrimination.
