UEFA Increase 'Solidarity' Payments

UEFA have announced an increase in what they call solidarity payments to clubs that make early exits from European competition. Teams that fail to reach the group stages of the Champions League will receive €160,000. Clubs that play in the first or second qualifying rounds will each receive €100,000 per round. In the UEFA Cup clubs that play in the first and second qualifying rounds and the first round will receive €70,000. Clubs that play in the first, second and third rounds of the Intertoto Cup will receive €50,000 per round.

Pekerman Quits

Jose Pekerman has resigned as coach of Argentina after the teams quarter-final defeat to host Germany on penalties :

"This has come to an end and I will certainly not go on. You have to make a decision and I'm convinced I've done everything in my reach, and it's time to look for something else.  I'm very sorry for the coaches and the fans and the players, this team deserves to go further but we couldn't make it."

"It was a very exciting match. We also played like favourites and gave our best although  we lost. The penalties were a consequence of a very even match. It's a shame for Argentina who played very well and in the whole championship."

Southgate Plans To Attack

New Middlesbrough coach Gareth Southgate has vowed to play attacking football next season :

"I want to attack. I want to play an attacking brand of football next season. That's not to say we want to win games 8-6 every week but I am mindful of how expensive it is for supporters to watch Premiership football these days. Fans pay a hell of a lot of money to come and watch us, and we have to do what we can to send them home with a smile  on their faces."

"I think we were better than 14th in the Premiership last season but we put the emphasis on winning cup games because we had so much more to gain in those competitions. We won't be in that situation this season, and so we have to concentrate on winning points and climbing the table."

Former coach Steve McClaren had a reputation for being defensive.

Adams Joins Harry At Portsmouth

Former Arsenal captain Tony Adams has been appointed Portsmouth's assistant coach. Coach Harry Redknapp said :

"Tony is a guy I have a lot of respect for and feel he can do a great job for us. He knows the game inside out and I'm really looking forward to him joining Pompey and to starting to work alongside me."

Cannavaro's Recipe for Success

Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro has revealed the recipe for his consistent brilliance is a diet of the right food, sleep and sex :

"For an athlete it's as important how you behave off the pitch as you do on it. Eating well, getting plenty of sleep and having sex all of these things are important. You body needs the right fuel to keep going. I don't smoke and I don't drink alcohol, I've never liked it. I live a normal, healthy life. I've been disciplined for many years and that has served me well."

When asked how often he has sex he replied "Whenever I want to, it helps me."

Cannavaro was angry at suggestions Italy were lucky to beat Australia in the last 16 due to a controversial last second penalty :

"It annoys me when people say that we are lucky. Against Australia we had six or seven opportunities to score, and people still say we were lucky. It was Australia who were lucky because they had 11 men against 10."

AFC President Calls For Professionalism

The President of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Mohammed bin Hammam has said the poor level of competition in Asia is to blame for the poor results of Asian teams in the World Cup :

"What has happened cannot help in the push for more Asian places. It is my belief that this defeat is because of poor competition structures, particularly club competitions, both at national and confederation level. We will not see any improvement at the international standard unless we restructure and improve the professionalism in our clubs and in our leagues. We need to professionalise all aspects of the game, including administration and management, to really create professional leagues comparative with those outside Asia.
As president of AFC, this is my focus for our next stage of development. We can achieve this, and this should be Asia's future objective."

"In my mind, a key contributor to their success is that most of their team plays in very strong leagues. They are well prepared for the high standards at the World Cup. We need to build strong leagues in Asia so that our national teams have the same experience to bring to the field in such important competitions."

Galliani Resigns

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has resigned as chairman of the Italian league following news that as part of the Calciopoli trial he faces charges for sporting fraud :

"I have decided to resign from my position as president of the Italian football league but I wish to make it clear that this can not in any way be interpreted as an admission of responsibility. The charges against me are an injustice and I reiterate that I am a total stranger to this affair."

The decision was announced after the close of trading at the Milan Stock Exchange because some of the teams involved in the scandal are listed.

In an eight-line press release, it was confirmed that defendants from the four clubs would receive the 108-page dossier into the investigations on Friday.

Serie A Quartet Will Stand Trial

Stefano Palazzi has issued a statement through the FIGC (Italian FA) saying 30 "subjects" and four teams - Juventus, Milan, Fiorentina, Lazio face trail as part of the Calciopoli ('match fixing') scandal :

Luciano Moggi, Antonio Giraudo, Adriano Galliani, Leonardo Meani, Andrea Della Valle, Diego Della Valle, Sandro Mencucci, Claudio Lotito, Cosimo Maria Ferri, Franco Carraro, Innocenzo Mazzini, Tullio Lanese, Paolo Bergamo, Pierluigi Pairetto, Gennaro Mazzei, Pietro Ingargiola, Paolo Bertini, Massimo De Santis, Paolo Dondarini, Fabrizio Babini, Domenico Messina, Gianluca Paparesta, Gianluca Rocchi, Pasquale Rodomonti, Paolo Tagliavento, Claudio Puglisi.

Vice President of Milan, Adriano Galliani, has resigned from his position as league chairman :

"I have decided to resign from my position as president of the Italian football league, but I wish to make it clear that this can not in any way be interpreted as an admission of responsibility. The charges against me are an injustice and I reiterate that I am a total stranger to this affair."

Van der Meyde - I'm Not an Alcoholic

"I've heard what people have said about me. I've heard people say that I drink a lot and that I have been going out all the time but we are all human and we all have problems. When I was out injured things were just so difficult. I was frustrated with everything and I wanted to forget things but I am not an alcoholic." - Andy van der Meyde

Glazers Take More Seats On Man United Board
 
Three more members of the Glazer family have taken positions on the Manchester United board. Kevin (44), Edward (36) and Darcie (37) will join Joel, Ave and Bryan, who were on the board after the family takeover in 2005. The club's 78 year old owner Malcolm Glazer is recovering from a double stroke.

More FIFA Corruption

FIFA have sacked executive committee member Ismail Bhamjee of Botswana after he admitted selling 12 tickets for England's match against Trinidad & Tobago for €300.

Head crook of FIFA, President Sepp Blatter, said :

"I am disappointed about the conduct of a member of the executive committee. In such a situation, FIFA acts immediately and firmly."

Juve Announce New Board

Giovanni Cobolli Gigli has been named president of a new look Juventus board. Franzo Grande Stevens and Giampiero Boniperti are honorary presidents. Italy's volleyball coach Giampaolo Montali, former player Marco Tardelli, Stefano Bertola, Riccardo Montanaro, Marzio Saa, Carlo Sant'Albano and Camillo Venesio are the other members. Jean Claude Blanc is the chief executive.

Neeskens Back at Barca

Former Barcelona player Johan Neeskens has returned to the club as assistant to coach Frank Rijkaard, replacing Henk Ten Cate who has left to coach Ajax.

Bladder Under Investigation Over Bribery Scandal

FIFA President Sepp Bladder in under investigation by Swiss police over his role in repaying more than £1 million worth of bribes to FIFA officials over a period of 20 years. The bribes were paid by ISL, FIFA's marketing partner, to help secure television rights for the Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships and Football World Cup. ISL collapsed in 2001 and liquidators found evidence of bribes.

Former Marseille Coach Joined

Former Marseille coach Rolland Courbis has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for fraud Between 1997 and 1999 €22 million were illegally diverted from the clubs funds between several tax heavens as part of a ploy to hide commissions paid on the transfers of 15 players. The clubs owner, Robert
Louis-Dreyfus, was given a three year suspended sentence. Both men were fined €375,000.

Judge Vincent Turbeaux said :

"Fraud was one of the tools of the Olympique Marseille management between 1997 and 1999. This created a disastrous image of professional football."

During the trail Courbis admitted he was paid 4 million French francs into a Swiss bank.

FIFA Demand 18 Team Leagues

On the eve of the World Cup FIFA President Sepp Bladder, never one to miss an opportunity to make headlines, has re-iterated his plan to reduce the number of teams in Europe's top leagues to 18 teams each :

"We've been given the power to work on it. We'll do it. It'll give four more days to the international calendar."

BBC Retain Premiership Highlights

The BBC have retained rights to broadcast highlights from the Premiership for a further three years, from 2007 – 2010 at a cost of £171.6 million.

Martyn Forced to Retire

Everton goalkeeper Nigel Martyn has been forced to retired after failing to recover from an ankle injury :

"I've loved every minute of my time at Everton and have a lot to be thankful for. I had a follow-up CT scan to see if the crack in the bone had healed but it clearly showed no healing. It was a decision based on being able to live a normal sort of life afterwards. It means I will have to have another operation to pin the bones back together."

"I had to get on the phone to the manager after making the decision. It was a decision based on being able to live a normal sort of life afterwards. That was the primary concern because it is a nasty bone to have a problem in."