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      Uefa ready to boot out Russia’s Euro 2028 bid after outrageous attempt to fight Britain for tournament

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      UEFA is ready to boot out Russia’s Euro 2028 bid with a decision promised “very soon”.Moscow attempted to sabotage the England-led British Isles campaign by making an 11th-hour bid last month, which also saw Turkey enter the fray.
      Uefa is ready to boot out Russia’s Euro 2028 bid after outrageous attempt to rival UKCredit: Getty
      That was despite the global backlash against Vladimir Putin’s regime and meant the expected confirmation of the 2028 hosts was blocked. 
      European football insiders hinted that Russia would be banned from bidding and after a meeting of its ruling executive committee, Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said: “We are not talking about the UK bid or the Russian bid today.
      “But you will all hear something about this, very soon.”
      Ceferin also promised an imminent decision on Russia’s participating in this summer’s Women’s Euros, due to be held in England, with the likelihood the team will be banned.
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      Uefa has also confirmed its new “financial sustainability regulations” to replace financial fair play rules from next season.
      The new regime will see clubs’ expenditure on transfers, wages and agents’ fees capped, initially to 90 per cent of their income next season and at 70 per cent of revenues from the 2024-25 season.
      A fixed “sanctions list” punishment schedule for breaches of the rules will see clubs face fines, points deductions and potentially relegation from the new-look 36-team revamped Champions League when that starts in 2024.
      And the calculations, which also allow clubs to lose £50m over three seasons as long as they stay within the cap –  will be completed by May of each campaign, allowing “instant” punishments for the following term.
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      Uefa’s financial sustainability director Andrea Traverso explained: “The sanctions are much more transparent than before.
      “We have taken the criticisms on board and agreed this new approach with the clubs.
      “Yes, the bigger clubs will have more buying power than those in smaller leagues but this has always been the case.
      “It is not about competitive balance. The objective is financial sustainability and this system makes that more simple to address.” More

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      in Soccer

      New Champions League plans are just like Super League and Ceferin must reconsider Putin-esque U-turn – Karren Brady

      by

      PROMISES, Promises.According to president Aleksander Ceferin, Uefa could be counted on to prevent anything like the European Super League ever happening.
      Aleksander Ceferin’s Champions League plans are designed to keep the big clubs on top – just like the European Super LeagueCredit: Reuters
      His exact words were: “Teams will always qualify and compete in our competitions on merit, not a closed shop run by a select few.”
      Now in a Putin-esque about-turn he is presenting a scheme in which two teams with historic records will be allowed into the Champions’ League in two year’s time without qualifying by a top placing in domestic competition.
      No matter how the reasoning is dressed up the fact is he and a group called the European Club Association are nodding to a rich boys’ club who don’t like the idea of fair competition at home leaving them without a ticket to further big bucks abroad.
      Those bucks are going to grow bigger.
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      Uefa intend to add four clubs to the original 32, and to turn the first round of their premier competition into a single table involving ten ties for each club.
      What we haven’t been told is how opponents will be selected — not drawn from a hat, you may be sure.
      My deep suspicion is a ranking system will be fixed to give an extra boost to the continent’s aristocrats’ chances of reaching the knockout stage of 16 clubs.
      The proles must wait another season.
      If Ceferin thinks that all is fair in love and football then I guarantee all but the supporters of falling giants don’t. Their failures are the result of their own shortcomings and, meanwhile, better-managed, ambitious clubs will be marginalised.
      In Ceferin’s system, a club coming fifth in, say, the Premier League might well be omitted in favour of another who comes sixth or even seventh.I make that a protection racket and there is no place anywhere for that let alone in competitive sport.

      The excuse for these shenanigans has, as you no doubt realise, nothing to do with fairness and in time that will surely be its undoing.
      When competition is corrupted by money, as boxing once was, public interest declines.
      Football is miles from being fixed but even a sniff of off-stage deals is enough for doubts to emerge.
      In three of the past five seasons Arsenal would have qualified for the Champions’ League under Ceferin’s proposals without ever coming fourth in the League.
      This would be a perfect result for Uefa planners but hardly for a number of teams in other countries who have better competitive claims but don’t attract the crowds or, vitally, the appetite of television companies.
      English football is enthusiastically followed around the world. The reasons for such support are obvious. Our teams feature internationally famous players who value their jobs and wages.
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      In general they play entertaining, exciting football and know that winning the Premier League is a prize of great value.
      And a word for the Championship, too. It attracts the third highest attendances in the game and, no wonder, because effort and tension buzz through every match.
      It also has a system of promotion and relegation understandable to kids of six or seven. Not in the future though.
      To all of us the shortly to be considered Uefa plan is so complicated its proud claim of “a coefficient based on historical performances” deadens my heart and brain.
      A year ago Ceferin also commented: “Our game has become the greatest sport in the world based on open competition, integrity and sporting merit, and we cannot and we will not allow that to change. Never, ever.”
      So much for promises. More

    • 238 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      New Champions League plans are just like European Super League proposals – designed to keep big clubs on top

      by

      PROMISES, Promises.According to president Aleksander Ceferin, Uefa could be counted on to prevent anything like the European Super League ever happening.
      Aleksander Ceferin’s Champions League plans are designed to keep the big clubs on top – just like the European Super LeagueCredit: Reuters
      His exact words were: “Teams will always qualify and compete in our competitions on merit, not a closed shop run by a select few.”
      Now in a Putin-esque about-turn he’s presenting a scheme in which two teams with historic records will be allowed into the Champions’ League in two year’s time without qualifying by a top placing in domestic competition.
      No matter how the reasoning is dressed up the fact is he and a group called the European Club Association are nodding to a rich boys’ club who don’t like the idea of fair competition at home leaving them without a ticket to further big bucks abroad.
      Those bucks are going to grow bigger.
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      Uefa intend to add four clubs to the original 32, and to turn the first round of their premier competition into a single table involving ten ties for each club.
      What we haven’t been told is how opponents will be selected — not drawn from a hat, you may be sure.
      My deep suspicion is a ranking system will be fixed to give an extra boost to the continent’s aristocrats’ chances of reaching the knockout stage of 16 clubs.
      The proles must wait another season.
      If Ceferin thinks that all is fair in love and football then I guarantee all but the supporters of falling giants don’t. Their failures are the result of their own shortcomings and, meanwhile, better-managed, ambitious clubs will be marginalised.
      In Ceferin’s system, a club coming fifth in, say, the Premier League might well be omitted in favour of another who comes sixth or even seventh.I make that a protection racket and there is no place anywhere for that let alone in competitive sport.

      The excuse for these shenanigans has, as you no doubt realise, nothing to do with fairness and in time that will surely be its undoing.
      When competition is corrupted by money, as boxing once was, public interest declines.
      Football is miles from being fixed but even a sniff of off-stage deals is enough for doubts to emerge.
      In three of the past five seasons Arsenal would have qualified for the Champions’ League under Ceferin’s proposals without ever coming fourth in the League.
      This would be a perfect result for Uefa planners but hardly for a number of teams in other countries who have better competitive claims but don’t attract the crowds or, vitally, the appetite of television companies.
      English football is enthusiastically followed around the world. The reasons for such support are obvious. Our teams feature internationally famous players who value their jobs and wages.
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      In general they play entertaining, exciting football and know that winning the Premier League is a prize of great value.
      And a word for the Championship, too. It attracts the third highest attendances in the game and, no wonder, because effort and tension buzz through every match.
      It also has a system of promotion and relegation understandable to kids of six or seven. Not in the future though.
      To all of us the shortly to be considered Uefa plan is so complicated its proud claim of “a coefficient based on historical performances” deadens my heart and brain.
      A year ago Ceferin also commented: “Our game has become the greatest sport in the world based on open competition, integrity and sporting merit, and we cannot and we will not allow that to change. Never, ever.”
      So much for promises. More

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      in Soccer

      Uefa pressured to reconsider hated ‘historical merit’ Champions League places where two clubs enter who didn’t qualify

      by

      UEFA is reconsidering the idea of allocating two Champions League places to teams who failed to qualify for the competition based on their past results.Members of the European Club Association – which includes 10 Premier League sides – are preparing to lobby Uefa to secure qualification for two sides who fail to obtain Champions League football on merit in any one particular campaign.
      Some ECA members are keen to push through the controversial ideaCredit: EPA
      Instead, these places would be filled based on coefficient ranking – which is determined by continental performance over the five previous seasons.
      According to The Guardian, sides who finish outside the Champions League places but qualify for the Europa League or win a domestic cup are eligible to fill the two spots.
      For example, if the adjusted rules were in place this season then Manchester United would qualify for the Champions League despite finishing sixth in the Premier League because their coefficient ranking is ninth in Europe.
      Meanwhile, Arsenal and Roma would have qualified for this season’s competition.
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      The new rules have been discussed by the Club Competitions Committee working group – a body which sees members of the ECA work on competition reform with Uefa.
      The ideas are also expected to be raised at the General Assembly in Vienna later this week.
      These coefficient-based places were plans outlined by Uefa as part of their original expansion of the Champions League – which was announced last year.
      But following the fallout around the European Super League, Uefa insisted this idea could be altered.
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      And Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin went on to insist that the two additional Champions League spots would allow “more places for smaller and mainly mid-sized leagues”.
      This would not be the case if coefficient qualification was to be implemented.
      It would almost certainly benefit the clubs in the biggest leagues as, for example, an English team’s coefficient can improve by clubs from their country reaching the latter stages of the competition.
      So if Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea all reach the semi-finals this season then that could boost the coefficient of teams such as Man Utd, Tottenham and Arsenal.
      The European Leagues organisation – which represents domestic competitions in Europe – is against the idea, as are a host of fan-led organisations. More

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      in Soccer

      European Championship ‘set to expand to 32 teams from 24 from 2028’ but PFA want ‘urgent talks’ with Uefa over plans

      by

      EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP chiefs reportedly want to expand the tournament from 24 teams to 32 starting in 2028.But the PFA are seeking ‘urgent talks’ with Uefa over the controversial plans amid fears the competition will become weakened.
      Uefa are plotting to expand Euro 2028 in the UK and Ireland to 38 teamsCredit: Getty
      The UK and Ireland are set to host the tournament six years from now.
      And the Daily Mail claims it could become the first Euros to boast an expanded 32-team format.
      It would mark the second shift from Uefa in recent years, with Euro bosses allowing 24 teams instead of 16 to compete since 2016.
      However, they now want 32 out of 55 members to play in 2028.
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      And that would likely see the qualification system watered down yet again.
      The Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) are now looking to talk with Uefa over the plans.
      They believe another expansion will lower the tournament’s quality, and also have a negative effect on fans and footballers alike.
      PFA chair Maheta Molango told the Mail: “This is just harming the quality of the product.
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      “Kids do not see the best version of their idols. That’s the reality.
      “Yes there may be short-term financial benefit, but long-term we are harming the product.
      “We are concerned that the players are always the last to find out.
      “It’s always a process where they find out when everything is done and they are told to get on with it.
      “We met Gianni Infantino and Arsene Wenger in Manchester with all the Premier League captains and other players such as Juan Mata, Paul Pogba and Lucy Bronze.
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15px;}.css-1qsre5o{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:flex-start;-webkit-box-align:flex-start;-ms-flex-align:flex-start;align-items:flex-start;-webkit-align-content:flex-start;-ms-flex-line-pack:flex-start;align-content:flex-start;-webkit-box-flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-wrap:nowrap;-ms-flex-wrap:nowrap;flex-wrap:nowrap;-webkit-flex-direction:column;-ms-flex-direction:column;flex-direction:column;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;}.css-16djrfc{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:1;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;padding-top:2px;}.css-1skzs3j{overflow:hidden;-webkit-line-clamp:1;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;display:-webkit-box;word-wrap:break-word;padding-top:2px;}.css-7ysxcx{padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-7ysxcx:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot{display:-webkit-box;display:-webkit-flex;display:-ms-flexbox;display:flex;height:100%;-webkit-align-items:center;-webkit-box-align:center;-ms-flex-align:center;align-items:center;-webkit-flex-direction:row;-ms-flex-direction:row;flex-direction:row;-webkit-box-pack:justify;-webkit-justify-content:space-between;justify-content:space-between;padding:0;text-transform:uppercase;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-jkwlot:hover:not(:disabled){-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}.css-1x7hydu{font-family:The 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      “I think we now have a conversation with Uefa.
      “A third of players who took part in the last Euros played in this country. We expect them to have a much more important say in these discussions.” More

    • 225 Shares179 Views

      in Soccer

      ‘I would not subscribe to this for any treasures’ – Uefa vice-president blasts ‘scandalous’ Fifa decision on Russia

      by

      UEFA vice-president Zbigniew Boniek has blasted Fifa’s failure to kick Russia out of the World Cup.Despite global condemnation and widespread punitive action against Russia following their invasion of Ukraine, world football’s governing body have refused to boot them out of Qatar 2022.
      Former Poland winger and national team manager Zbigniew Boniek is now Uefa’s vice-presidentCredit: Sportsfile – Subscription
      Uważam, ze jest to decyzja skandaliczna i dowiedziałem się o tym tak jak pan dwie godziny temu. Nie podpisałbym się pod tym za żadne skarby… proszę mnie nie wciągać w jakieś fifowskie ruchy z którymi nie mam nic wspólnego. https://t.co/lvgTbve1JJ— Zbigniew Boniek (@BoniekZibi) February 27, 2022

      Legendary former Poland and Juventus winger Boniek, 65, took to Twitter to voice his disapproval of the decision on Sunday evening.
      In response to a question from investigative journalist Szymon Jadczak about what he thought of Fifa’s statement on the situation, former Poland manager Boniek tweeted his reply in his native Polish.
      The English translation is: “I believe this is an outrageous decision, and I found out about it like you did two hours ago.
      “I would not subscribe to this for any treasures.
      “Please do not involve me in any FIFO [presumably FIFA] movements with which I have nothing to do with.”
      Poland are due to play Russia in a World Cup play-off semi-final in Moscow on March 24.
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      Fifa announced their position on the day when the FA ruled out England facing Russia at any level.
      Instead, football’s world governing body will allow them to compete in the play-offs at neutral venues under the name “Football Union of Russia” — but with no national anthem, flag or fans.
      Fifa chief Gianni Infantino is under pressure to axe Russia from the World Cup over Russian president Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
      But Fifa have stopped short of that step, saying ‘additional sanctions’ could include ‘potential exclusion from competitions’. More

    • 188 Shares199 Views

      in Soccer

      Mafia bosses offering top UEFA referees £25k bungs online in bid to fix footie matches

      by

      MAFIA bosses are targeting top UEFA referees with cyber-crime hits to try to fix footy matches.Officials are offered up to £25,000 to swing matches, according to a leaked memo seen by The Sun.
      Mafia bosses are targeting top UEFA referees with cyber-crime hits to try to fix footie matchesCredit: Reuters
      Criminals are using the phishing techniques fine-tuned during the pandemic to tempt refs to throw European clashes.
      The memo, which was sent to the FA and other governing bodies, warns: “The corrupters made use of cyber-crime tactics not previously seen in reported corrupter messages, possibly pointing to a bleed-over in tactics from more sophisticated groups or even the potential for collaboration with such groups.”
      It talks of “incidents in which a suspected match-fixer attempted to recruit referees to manipulate matches via social media”.
      It reads: “This evolution may have been accelerated by the Covid lockdown, during which cyber criminals both diversified and intensified their criminal activities, according to Europol.”
      The memo adds: “We assess corrupters will likely continue to attempt contact with players, referees and other officials via social media and the use of more sophisticated messages, including personalised content and manipulation techniques.”
      The messages are understood to have originated from Asian crime gangs and were sent in English — but it’s not thought British refs were targeted.
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      Jude Bellingham slapped with £34k fine over match-fixing comments about referee after Dortmund defeat to Bayern More

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      Tottenham’s Europa Conference League hopes suffer blow as Uefa suggests ‘unfair’ rules must be followed

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      SPURS’ hopes of a second chance to  stay in Europe suffered a major blow as Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin suggested “unfair” rules have to be respected.Antonio Conte’s men were unable to play their final Conference League group game against Rennes after a Covid outbreak closed down the club’s Enfield training base.
      Spurs currently sit third in group GCredit: Reuters
      Harry Kane’s last game was against NorwichCredit: Mark Pain / Premium Sports Images
      Spurs were thwarted in their efforts to reschedule the game for last night – they were even prepared to give up home advantage and travel to France – and Uefa announced the December 31 competition deadline would not be extended.
      At the same time, Euro chiefs said a final decision would be made by Uefa’s control and disciplinary committee.
      Asked about the situation, Ceferin said: “I cannot comment on a case that has been referred.
      “But our regulations are clear. 
      “Maybe those regulations are sometimes hard to understand.
      “Sometimes it looks unfair that a team has to play the next match in a certain timeframe or the result is a 3-0 defeat.
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      “But if we hadn’t had clear rules about it we could not have finished last season.”
      Spurs have not played a game since their 3-0 win over Norwich on December 5 due to coronavirus outbreaks at the club.
      Their game against Leicester which was due to be played on Thursday has also been postponed due to coronavirus.
      Many Premier League fixtures are currently in doubt due to a rising number of Covid-19 cases around the country. More