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      Mourinho handed one-match suspended Euro ban and Spurs fined £23k after late kick-off against Antwerp

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      SPURS boss Jose Mourinho has been hit with a suspended one-match Euro ban for a late kick-off against Royal Antwerp.
      Tottenham were also slapped with a £23k fine after the Europa League clash on October 29 began late.

      Jose Mourinho has been rapped for Uefa for causing a late kick-off in EuropeCredit: PA:Press Association

      His club were fined just under £23,000 for the late start by Uefa’s control, ethics and disciplinary body (CEDB), as well as a further £2,700 for a breach of Uefa’s equipment regulations.
      Spurs lost 1-0 in a game that started a few minutes late.
      Meanwhile, Scottish champions Celtic were fined £6,300 for improper conduct related to their Europa League game against Lille on the same night.
      Spurs and Celtic have been contacted for comment.

      In July, Mourinho slammed the ‘clueless’ FA after Eric Dier was banned for four games for jumping into the Spurs crowd.
      Spurs defender Dier was given a four-match ban and fined £40,000 for climbing into the stands to confront a fan who had hurled abuse at him and his family after the FA Cup shootout defeat to Norwich on March 4.
      The FA’s independent panel punished England defender Dier for ‘threatening’ behaviour – despite being told the fan called him a ‘w*****’ and a ‘f***ing c***’.
      Mourinho branded FA people ‘powerful people who do not have a clue’.

      And he risked getting himself into trouble, insisting they ‘do not belong to the tribe’ of football.

      Mourinho has opened the door for Gedson Fernandes to return to Benfica in January.

      Mourinho’s countryman only moved to North London in January on an 18-month deal but his boss has hinted at cutting the flop’s spell short.
      Fernandes, 21, has featured just 13 times across all competitions under his compatriot Mourinho, totalling 357 minutes of action, and yet to register a goal or assist.
      And the Spurs boss suggested the deal could be terminated after just a year if that is best for the player.

      He told Sport TV: “For me it is never a problem, but a solution.
      Having him in the squad, even if he is not called up and not playing, is an extremely comfortable situation.
      “I will never be the one to push him or say that I don’t want him here. But I understand the situation of the kid and Benfica.
      “If the club wants to end the relationship here, we will be here to collaborate, because we want the good of the player.
      “Benfica has the power to decide and will be accepted by us.”

      Jose Mourinho says Spurs would win title in many European countries but the Premier League is difficult More

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      Disgraced Greg Clarke quits £190k-a-year Fifa vice-president job after resigning as FA chairman

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      DISGRACED former FA chairman Greg Clarke has resigned from his £190,000-a-year job with Fifa.
      Clarke, forced to quit his Wembley role after a car-crash appearance before MPs on Monday, had wanted to keep his role on the Fifa Council until March.

      Greg Clarke stepped down from his role as Fifa vice-president after being forced to resign as FA chairmanCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      The ex-Wembley chief claimed he had been asked to stay on by Uefa boss Aleksander Ceferin to ensure that European football did not lose a vote on any contentious issues arising over the coming months.
      But Uefa’s own rulebook says that the European governing body has the right to elect a replacement for any vice-president or council member who leaves their position.
      And in a statement, Uefa confirmed: “Following a telephone call this morning between the Uefa President and Greg Clarke, they agreed with Greg Clarke’s proposal that he should step down with immediate effect from his position as a Uefa representative on Fifa Council.”
      The U-turn came just hours after Clarke told Sky Sports News: “I am staying purely at the request of Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin.”

      It was claimed that Ceferin, still locked in a bitter power battle with Fifa president Gianni Infantino and who has formed a strategic alliance with South American chiefs on a number of proposals, was concerned at losing one of his bloc’s eight votes on the 37-member Council.
      There was a suggestion that Ceferin’s willingness to keep Clarke on for four months was a repayment for the FA chairman’s vote in favour of Colombia’s bid to stage the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
      That came despite Fifa’s official bid team strongly coming down on the side of the winning bid from Australia and New Zealand, with Clarke taking flak from both nations for seemingly ignoring the strong links between the Antipodean countries and the UK.
      But it then emerged that Uefa’s own rulebook DID allow them to replace Clarke – and, in fact, demanded they do so if he stood down.

      Article 5 of Uefa Statutes reads: “If a Vice-President  or a person elected to the Fifa Council vacates his position during his term of office, the Uefa Executive Committee shall elect a replacement for the remaining period until the next Congress.”
      Clarke’s departure now puts the onus on Ceferin to name his replacement ahead of the next Fifa Council meeting due in a few weeks.
      The likeliest short-term option would be to ask Uefa Treasurer and former Manchester United chief executive David Gill – who stepped down from the former ruling Fifa executive committee in 2015 in a protest at the rule of Sepp Blatter – to fill the void.
      There are only a handful of Fifa meetings due between now and March, although Gill has already signalled he intends to stand down from his current Uefa post at the Congress.
      That will give time for the FA to find a candidate for the remaining two years of Clarke’s mandate.
      All 55 Uefa member nations are allowed to vote on the British seat, which saw Clarke see off a challenge by Northern Ireland’s David Martin in 2019.
      But Ceferin has previously indicated he believes England should represent the UK rather than the seat being filled by someone from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
      That will be even more critical with England being the leader of the planned British Isles 2030 World Cup bid, with the vote currently due to be held in 2023.

      What he said wasn’t acceptable and there was no alternative but for him to go
      Gareth Southgate on Greg Clarke

      Clarke resigned as FA chairman on Tuesday following the grilling in front of Parliament.
      The 63-year-old was forced into two public apologies after making reference to ‘coloured footballers’ and then suggesting that being gay was a lifestyle choice.
      Upon quitting, he said: “My unacceptable words in front of Parliament were a disservice to our game and to those who watch, play, referee and administer it. This has crystallised my resolve to move on. 
      “I am deeply saddened that I have offended those diverse communities in football that I and others worked so hard to include.”
      England boss Gareth Southgate said there was ‘no alternative’ but for Clarke to step away.
      Speaking ahead of his side’s clash with Ireland, he said: “We can’t just keep standing in front of the cameras talking about change. We are seeing a lot of change in society and football needs to be at the front of that.
      “What’s a shame for him [Clarke] is he has done a lot of work behind the scenes to support the diversity code and make inroads into relationships around Europe.
      “But what he said wasn’t acceptable and there was no alternative but for him to go.”

      Clarke resigned following a shambolic appearance in front of MPs on TuesdayCredit: PA:Press Association More

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      Uefa beg Fifa to change ‘unfair’ handball laws with VAR controversy in Chelsea’s win over Rennes the final straw

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      UEFA have pleaded with Fifa to change the “unfair” handball laws – after another night of VAR controversy.
      Chelsea’s second penalty in their 3-0 Champions League win over Rennes left the French side shocked by both the VAR spot-kick award and the second yellow card for defender Dalbert Henrique.

      UEFA have intervened after widespread dismay over a handball incident between Chelsea and Rennes last night Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd

      BT pundit Rio Ferdinand slammed German referee Felix Swayer for an “absolute disgrace” of a decision, with Timo Werner slotting home his second penalty of the night.
      And now Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin has stepped into the ongoing rows over the handball Laws by urging Fifa boss Gianni Infantino to intervene.
      In a letter to Zurich, Ceferin said: “The attempt to strictly define the cases where handling the ball is an offense has resulted in many unfair decisions which have been met with growing frustration and discomfort by the football community.”
      Despite being the wealthiest and most powerful of Fifa’s Confederations, Uefa has NO place on the Law-making International FA Board, made up of the four Home Nations and four representatives of the world governing body.

      The latest Laws, agreed by Ifab in Belfast in March, came into effect on June 1.
      Infantino had championed the introduction of the “tee-shirt line” which means the shoulder is no longer considered part of the arm.
      But Ifab, backed by Fifa refs’ chief Pierluigi Collina, guides that handling offences when the body is made ‘unnaturally bigger’, must be punished.
      Although the Premier League was given dispensation to apply a less strict criteria after a controversial start to the season, Uefa is sticking more firmly to the official guidelines.

      Aleksander Ceferin wrote to FIFA over the handball rules Credit: Reuters
      In addition, the 2019 Law which sees any goal chalked off if the ball is handled by the scorer or player who passes directly to a scoring team-mate, has caused frustration.
      Ceferin added: ”The spirit of the game must be preserved at all times.
      “The arms are part of bodies dynamically engaged in athletic efforts and their movement is necessary to preserve the body balance, make the effort successful and avoid injuries.
      “Defenders are nowadays forced to assume ‘unnatural’ positions simply to avoid the risk of seeing their hand or arm accidentally hit by the ball and concede a penalty kick.
      “There are also plenty of situations where hands/arms exposed outside the profile of the body in moves which are understood to be natural, unintentional and unavoidable have been punished with penalty kicks. This is no good service to the game.”
      The Uefa President suggested in his letter that the widespread use of VAR had been more of a curse than a blessing in terms of decisions.
      Ceferin said VAR had ‘exacerbated’ problems, leading to ‘paranoid effects and controversial outcomes’.
      He added: ‘lf the original spirit of this amendment was to avoid that a goal is scored with a hand or arm, this goes far beyond the rationale.’

      Gianni Infantino may have some thinking to do as the handball rule continues to attract controversyCredit: Reuters
      “It leads to goals being disallowed following situations where the ball may have minimally hit the hand or arm of a player, without any intention, even when the deflection did not have any significant impact on scoring the goal.
      “There is no shame in admitting that sometimes decisions that are made for the good do not achieve their objectives and should be reviewed.

      “Doing so would certainly not undermine the credibility of IFAB.
      “I believe that going back to the previous wording, perhaps reviewed and integrated by a provision which does not allow goals to be scored with a hand/arm, is an option to be taken into account.”
      Ceferin’s letter comes ahead of the looming ‘business meeting’ of Ifab, which will determine any Law change proposals to be decided by the organisation’s AGM, due to be held in Cardiff next March. More

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      Euro 2020 ‘could take place in Russia as Uefa eye single host’ – leaving England to miss out on holding final

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      ENGLAND could reportedly lose out on holding the Euro 2020 finals to Russia as UEFA look to host the tournament in just one country.
      UEFA had to delay the tournament until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic and are adamant it will still go ahead, according to The Mirror.

      England could miss out on hosting the Euro 2020 finalsCredit: AFP or licensors

      President Aleksander Čeferin has insisted that the competition must go ahead as it ‘would bring positive energy to the people’.
      To ensure it can go ahead safely they are said to be thinking about changing the format of the Euros.
      Initially, UEFA had planned to play the tournament over 12 nations – including England.
      The other nations which were set to host the Euro’s are Germany, Italy, Romania, Holland, Ireland, Spain, Hungary, Scotland and Denmark.

      England were due to host the group matches for Gareth Southgate’s men at Wembley plus also some of the latter stages, including the final next summer.
      But with the high rise in coronavirus cases in the country this now seems unlikely.
      This would be a huge blow to England, who had been hoping they could thrive off the spirit of the home crowd in the Euros, as they did in 1996.
      Boss Gareth Southgate was also keen for the competition to be held in England.

      He was part of the the Three Lions squad in 1996 and missed the crucial penalty in the semi-finals against Germany.

      Russia have been touted as potential hosts due to their relatively low number of cases and their successful handling of the World Cup in 2018.
      This is a far cry from last year when they faced expulsion from the tournament due to alleged inconsistencies in anti-doping data.
      Suprisingly, Azerbaijan has also been thrown into the hat but that would be unrealistic due to their ongoing military conflict with Armenia.
      At this present time nothing has been decided by UEFA, who are said to be making contingency plans in the light of the latest setbacks.

      Gareth Southgate reacts to Harry Maguire and Reece James red cards More

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      Champions League could be extended to 36 teams and restructured into single table with 10 matches for each side

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      THE CHAMPIONS League could be extended to 36 teams in the group phase.
      The idea is one of a number of options set to be considered by Uefa chiefs who are under pressure to agree a format ensuring more guaranteed games for clubs.

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      The Champions League may be extended to 36 teams in the group stageCredit: EPA

      Euro chiefs have to find a way of appeasing the demands of the influential European Club Association which is pushing for more income when the three Uefa club competitions are restructured from the 2024-25 season.
      In addition to a plan for the current 32 team group stage to be split into four groups of eight, rather than the current eight groups of four, there are two potential 36-team models as well.
      Under one plan, there would be six groups of six in the initial phase, with the top two teams in each group and best four third-placed teams going through to the last 16.

      That proposal guarantees each side 10 matches, four more than under the current format.
      The other, more complicated plan, would see the adoption of the so-called “Swiss-system tournament”, by which the teams would be assigned 10 opponents of varying strengths by a computer programme.
      Under this system – first designed for a chess tournament held in Zurich in 1895 – all the teams would compete in the same league table format, based on the 10 games played – five home, five away.
      The biggest issue with this format would be fans struggling to understand how the games are allotted with suspicions that certain clubs have been favoured with an easier fixture list to get them into the last 16.

      Last week’s Project Big Picture proposals for the Premier League, drafted by Liverpool and Manchester United, sought to create room in the calendar for extra matches by reducing the English top flight to 18 clubs, scrapping the Carabao Cup and abandoning all FA Cup replays.
      But the biggest push for more games comes from outside England, with Juventus president Andrea Agnelli, the head of the ECA, determined to extend the number of matches played in the Champions League.
      The 36-team plans, though, could also find favour with Europe’s mid-sized nations who struggled to get teams into the current competition where England, Spain, Germany and Italy have 16 of the 32 group stage slots automatically and France are also handed three slots.

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      Providing room for another four clubs would benefit the likes of Holland, Belgium, Portugal,  Switzerland and Denmark.
      Claus Thomsem, chief executive of the Danish Superliga and who helped draft the proposed “Copenhagen Model” which was discussed by the ECA last year, said: “More teams from non-top five leagues need to have access to the Champions League and the Europa League.”
      Agnelli – who along with PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi is a member of Uefa’s ruling executive committee – and the ECA are pushing for a final decision “by the spring of 2022”.

      Sergio Romero, Phil Jones and Marcos Rojo AXED from Man Utd’s Champions League squad More

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      Champions League could be moved to ‘final eight’ one-off mini-tournament from 2023 as Uefa begin talks

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      UEFA is ready to confirm end of season tournaments to find the winners of its three European competitions.
      But Euro chiefs are split on whether to introduce a ‘Final Eight’ or ‘Final Four’ format when the new schedule is confirmed for the 2024-25 season.

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      Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin has proposed a ‘final four’ format for the Champions LeagueCredit: EPA

      The success of July’s ‘one-off’ knockout tournaments, with Champions League quarter-final stages onwards played in Portugal, and Europa League in Germany has prompted Uefa’s way forward.
      The organisation’s President Aleksander Ceferin suggested on Friday that a ‘final four’ concept, with the semis and finals played out in a series of one-off ties, was the most likely option.
      Ceferin talked about a ‘week’ of football which would round off the club season and capture worldwide interest.

      But now Ceferin’s widely respected No 3, deputy general secretary Giorgio Marchetti, has raised the prospect of the tournament’s last eight stages being played out.
      Uefa – pushed by the influential European Club Association – recognises there is pressing demands for changes. 
      However, any format alterations will be on hold until the end of the next three-year TV contract cycle in 2024.
      Marchetti, though, said: “Everybody watched the final eight tournaments in August.

      A good rule is to never exclude something which proves valuable or has potential
      Giorgio Marchetti UEFA Deputy General

      “Single knockout matches obviously favour uncertainty and emotions. 
      “We received great feedback from clubs, broadcasters and other partners as well as from the fans. 
      “The circumstances made this format a must, but the result could not be better as well as the degree of satisfaction.”

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      Uefa’s format change could see Champions League and Europa semis-finals played as one-off tiesCredit: Reuters
      When asked if that implied a format change was now likely, Marchetti added: “A good rule is to never exclude something which proves valuable or has potential. 
      “We know there are many elements that need to be taken into account, such as calendar and organisational constraints, fans’ involvement, economic implications, but we will for sure study this format and its variations for our upcoming discussions.”
      Uefa will launch their new third-tier competition, the Europa Conference League – which includes a place for the winners of the Carabao Cup – next season.

      Uefa admit delayed Euros can’t go ahead as planned with format set to be changed and some host cities set for axe More

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      Uefa admit delayed Euros CAN’T go ahead as planned – with format set to be changed and some host cities set for axe

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      FOOTBALL bosses are preparing to rip up the format for the Euros – and SCRAP some venues.
      Uefa privately accept there is no way that next summer’s tournament – postponed because of Covid – will be able to go ahead with the planned 12 host cities.

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      Euro 2020 is set for a format change with some host cities to be axed due to Covid

      A worst-case scenario could see one country stage the tournament with four venues being used.
      Wembley is due to stage seven games, including England’s three group matches, plus the semi-finals and final.
      The competition is sure to go ahead – owing to the millions Uefa will receive from TV companies.
      And the governing body is hopeful supporters will still be able to attend.

      But some venues are at risk and the tournament will have to be condensed to ensure less travelling.
      Places such as Baku in Azerbaijan – now caught in a conflict with Armenia – plus St Petersburg in Russia will be among the first to be dropped.

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      Baku, Azerbaijan, is under threat as the country is in conflict with ArmeniaCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      San Mames in Bilbao, Spain, is among those that could be axed as it struggled to sell ticketsCredit: Getty Images – Getty

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      Bilbao in Spain struggled to sell tickets so would also be in the firing line.
      Uefa know they can complete a tournament in one country, with teams staying in bubbles.

      Further meetings are due over the next few months.

      Manager Paul Fairclough talks about the England C team and its importance to the game More

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      Champions League games WILL see fans at 30 per cent capacity if local coronavirus rules allows

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      UEFA have given the green light for fans to return – but only where national governments allow.
      In a move that will add to pressure from Prem sides for a UK Government U-turn, European football’s ruling executive committee has agreed that fan numbers will be capped at 30 per cent of stadium capacity.

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      Football fans could be back in stadiums cheering their heroes onCredit: Getty Images – Getty

      But there will be no away supporters allowed for now.
      The change, which will apply to all competitive games under the Uefa umbrella, will come into effect from next week’s international break.
      This will include the delayed Euro 2020 play-off semi-finals and the National League group stage.
      Fans will be ordered to socially distance and wear masks in line with local regulations.

      But it will not apply for any of England’s games next week or the opening Champions League or Europa League home games for English sides unless the Government relents on its current ban on attendances.
      Uefa President Aleksander Ceferin said: “This is a sensible first step which puts fans’ health first and respects the laws in each country.
      “Different countries have different approaches and different challenges at any given moment but 27 countries on the continent already allow fans to some extent.
      “This allows a coherent approach on a country-by-country basis and not on a competition-by-competition basis which was sometimes difficult to understand for fans.”

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      Football fans will have to get used to social distancing in the standsCredit: Reuters

      The move comes just weeks after European football was warned of a cash ‘crisis’ which will last for two years.
      Clubs face being hit by a triple whammy of no gate income, reduced TV money and sponsors demanding lower value deals.
      And Europe’s biggest sides including Liverpool, Manchester United and Manchester City will also be hit by a £530million cut in Uefa prize money for the Champions League and Europa League.
      The gloomy forecast was given by Juventus president Andrea Agnelli.
      Agnell told an audience of Europe’s biggest clubs that the real price of the Covid-19 pandemic has still to be paid.
      Speaking at the opening of the virtual general assembly of the European Club Association, Agnelli said: “None of us could have imagined what we have had to live with over recent months.
      “Now we are looking at a top revenue decrease of approximately £3.6billion in the next two years.
      “According to Fifa, 90 per cent of those top line losses will be borne by clubs.
      “I don’t believe we will have a full scope of what this means to us until we have the first set of accounts published this autumn.
      “But we do have a set of facts which we have to face.”

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