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      Furious Premier League chiefs slam Fifa Club World Cup plan and say it could scupper TWO SEASONS

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      PREM chiefs fear Fifa’s Club World Cup plan could scupper TWO successive seasons.Fifa boss Gianni Infantino signalled he is open to another winter World Cup, potentially as soon as 2030, when Saudi Arabia are increasingly confident of landing the big prize.
      Gianni Infantino’s plans for the Club World Cup have been blasted as “unacceptable”Credit: Getty
      That would require another six-week mid-season break for domestic football, either in the November-December period utilised in Qatar or at the start of the year.
      But the launch of the 32-team Club World Cup, which will feature potentially four or more Prem sides out of the 16 European competitors, has caused more concerns.

      It is expected that Fifa will hold the first version of the new tournament, in 2025, as a test event for the following year’s World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the USA.
      That will become the norm and so a Saudi World Cup in 2030 would also mean a Saudi Club World Cup the previous year.
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      And if the Big Six were all involved in a tournament that would last at least three weeks, it would leave a huge hole in the Prem fixtures calendar.
      One Prem insider said: “The lack of consultation by Fifa was really unacceptable.
      “This plan wasn’t even on the original agenda for the Fifa Council meeting and it looked as if it was a reaction to the European Court ruling that spelled the end of Super League.
      “But if there was a winter Club World Cup as well, that would be an outrage.”
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      Jamie Carragher added his voice to the discontent regarding the announcement.
      The Liverpool legend fumed: “Like the ridiculous idea of the @FIFAWorldCup every two years, this is another one from Infantino.
      “Players need rest at some point, they are getting treated like cattle.
      “Fifa hate the Champions League and want something similar themselves. 
      “European clubs should boycott it.”
      It has been suggested that Super League chief plotters Real Madrid have been promised as much as £50m per year for four seasons for signing up to the Club World Cup.
      Other major European years have winter breaks of varying lengths, allowing space to reschedule games for clubs involved in the new event.
      But the Prem schedule is based on 34 weekend dates and that will be hard to fit in if the big revenue drivers are overseas for a lengthy part of the campaign. More

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      Secret to stopping Lionel Messi revealed by the only man to beat Argentina at World Cup 2022

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      SAUDI ARABIA boss Herve Renard reckons he knows how to stop Lionel Messi.Renard’s men are the only team beat the South American champions at the World Cup after their stunning 2-1 victory last month.
      Lionel Messi has been exceptional form at the World CupCredit: Getty
      But Saudi Arabia are the only team to beat Messi and CoCredit: Alamy
      Messi scored the opener in that game, but two quickfire goals from the Saudis saw them produce one of the biggest tournament shocks ever.
      Perhaps more impressively, they managed to keep the PSG star quiet with his early penalty his only real contribution of note.
      But since that defeat, Messi has been playing football from another planet and heads into Sunday’s final against France in scintillating form.
      In total, the 35-year-old has scored five goals and laid on three assists in his five outings in Qatar.
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      And he’s already scored in EVERY knockout game.
      But Saudi boss Renard thinks he knows the secret to stopping Messi.
      He told L’Equipe: “To stop Messi, you have to put pressure on his most important link, De Paul.
      “You must keep Messi 35-40 meters away from the goal and prevent him from holding the ball comfortably.
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      “France did it with Matuidi in 2018.
      “Now he can do it with Rabiot and Tchouameni too.” More

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      France fitness boost as ALL players struggling with virus return to training ahead of World Cup final vs Argentina

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      ALL France’s players are back in training after a huge illness and injury scare ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final against Argentina.Virus victims Raphael Varane, Ibrahima Konate and Kingsley Coman have returned plus crocked duo Theo Hernandez and Aurelien Tchouameni
      France trained with a full squad on Saturday as five players returnedCredit: EPA
      Star performers Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe were joined in training by all France’s injury and illness victimsCredit: Rex
      Jules Kounde’s fellow centre-backs trained alongside him for FranceCredit: Getty
      A wave of illness swept over the camp before Wednesday’s 2-0 semi-final against Morocco.
      And Hernandez (knee) as well as Tchouameni (hip) made the situation worse with injuries.
      But French outlet L’Equipe say centre-backs Varane and Konate re-joined the squad for lunch.
      Bayern Munich winger Coman had to stay isolated in his room for longer but has reportedly also made a comeback.
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      Central defender Dayot Upamecano is also back after missing the semi-final.
      Adrien Rabiot will be available again too after sitting out that Morocco clash.
      But his replacement Youssouf Fofana put in an impressive display and boss Didier Deschamps could retain him in the starting line-up.
      While France have seen the last stretch of their title defence come under siege, Argentina have had no reports of such afflictions.
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      But the pressure is nonetheless on for Lionel Messi and Co to bring home a first Jules Rimet trophy since 1986 after failing in 2014.
      Speaking about the outbreak of the virus, Deschamps explained the virus spreading through the camp.
      He said: “In Doha, temperatures have fallen a little bit, you have air conditioning which is on all the time.
      “We’ve had a few cases of flu-like symptoms.
      “We are trying to be careful so it doesn’t spread and players have made great efforts out on the pitch and obviously their immune systems suffer.
      “Dayot Upamecano felt sick immediately after the match (against England).
      “It happens when you make such an effort, your body is weakened and you are more prone to be infected by these viruses.
      “We are taking all necessary precautions, we are trying to make sure it doesn’t spread but viruses are of course infectious and we have to take precautions against it.
      “We separated him from others and Adrien as well.”
      In one fortunate twist of fate, Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema is technically available for France selection in the final due to never being replaced in the squad.
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      However, both Deschamps and Benzema appeared to squash such rumours, with Deschamps saying he was taking care of the 24 players in the squad rather than players not present.
      Benzema posted a cryptic message on his social media channels, stating: “It does not interest me.” More

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      Tottenham blow as Richarlison faces six weeks out after Brazil star suffered hamstring injury at World Cup

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      TOTTENHAM forward Richarlison is set to be sidelined for around five to six weeks with a hamstring problem, according to reports.The 25-year-old sustained the injury in training ahead of Brazil’s World Cup quarter-final against Croatia.
      Richarlison could be sidelined for around five to six weeksCredit: Getty
      Richarlison still ended up playing the first 84 minutes of the game before he was withdrawn in the latter stages.
      It ended up being a doubly painful day for the ex-Everton star after Brazil were knocked out on penalties.
      Recent reports emerged that Richarlison was expected to miss around a month of action.
      But having undergone a scan, Football.London have revealed that he could now be ruled out for up to SIX weeks.
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      It comes as a major blow for manager Antonio Conte, who only recently welcomed back attacking duo Heung Min Son and Dejan Kulusevski.
      It means Richarlison will definitely miss the entire festive period and the FA Cup third round tie with Portsmouth next month.

      He could also sit out the North London derby on 15 January and the trips to Manchester City and Fulham.
      Tottenham face the reigning Premier League champs again on 5 February and he might be targeting a return to action then.
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      February could be a huge month for Conte’s side, who also face AC Milan in the first leg of their last-16 tie and London rivals West Ham and Chelsea.
      But first, Spurs travel to Brentford on Boxing Day in their first game since beating Leeds on 12 November. More

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      Do the winners of the third place playoff get a medal at World Cup 2022?

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      THE 2022 World Cup in Qatar is coming to an end THIS WEEKEND, with just two games remaining.It has been quite the tournament so far with Morocco, Croatia, Argentina and France making up the final four.
      France celebrating making consecutive World Cup finalsCredit: Getty
      Argentina will join France in the finalCredit: Getty
      France came out victorious against Morocco, with Argentina beating Croatia to set up a Kylian Mbappe vs Lionel Messi final.
      But first, Croatia take on Morocco to find out who finishes third at the 2022 World Cup.
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      Do the winners of the third place playoff get a medal at World Cup 2022?
      Many see the third place playoff match at a World Cup as one to avoid as both teams go into the clash bitterly disappointed as they fall at the final hurdle.
      Last time out we saw a depleted England side face Belgium in the clash, where Gareth Southgate’s men fell to defeat in Russia.
      England took on Belgium in an uninspiring third place playoff in 2018Credit: The Mega Agency
      It looked like the players were already ready to head home as they had no real desire to win the match.
      However, with Morocco and Croatia in action this time out, the two sides could be keen to come out victorious and ensure that they do not leave Qatar completely empty handed.
      The winners of the clash will be given a bronze medal, an award to show that they finished in third behind Argentina and France.
      The 2022 third place playoff will be a more interesting affair, with Morocco looking to beat Croatia to a bronze medalCredit: Splash
      This will be awarded after the match, with the two finalists receiving silver and gold medals – and the winner taking the prestigious World Cup trophy.
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      While Morocco have already won the hearts of the world as they became the first African side to reach a World Cup semi-final, they will be keen to add a medal to their collection when they face Croatia this weekend. More

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      Why is Croatia player Josko Gvardiol wearing a mask against Morocco at World Cup 2022?

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      JOSKO GVARDIOL is one of the most sought-after talents in European football and has shown just why at the World Cup and he is in action again TODAY.The RB Leipzig centre-back, 20, has attracted transfer interest from Chelsea, Manchester United and Real Madrid in recent months.
      Josko Gvardiol puts on his face mask after the anthems at the World Cup in QatarCredit: Reuters
      Gvardiol was sporting two black eyes when he was on the bench for Croatia’s World Cup warm-up match recentlyCredit: Alamy
      But he has remained loyal to the Bundesliga club, who are regulars in the Champions League.
      And fans will have noticed the Croatia star is wearing an unfamiliar facial decoration during their World Cup campaign, which concludes in the third place playoff against Morocco.
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      Why is Josko Gvardiol wearing a mask?
      Gvardiol was taken to hospital on November 10, during Leipzig’s 3-1 Bundesliga win over Freiburg.
      He collided with team-mate Willi Orban in the 17th minute and injured his face.

      Gvardiol wasn’t actually supposed to start the game but Abdou Diallo injured his knee in the warm-up.
      Unfortunately for Gvardiol, he injured his face, with a nose and eye problem and left the pitch with a bloody nose.
      Josko Gvardiol had a bloodied nose after a nasty collision with a team-mate during Leipzig’s 3-1 win over FreiburgCredit: Reuters
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      Scans later showed he broke his nose and is therefore being forced to wear a face mask at the World Cup, with Croatia’s first game less than two weeks away.
      RB Leipzig manager Marco Rose said: “I heard he has a broken nose.
      “The eye is swollen. He looks like a boxer after 12 rounds against a tough opponent.” More

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      Why do footballers spit on the pitch, and why do they spit out water after drinking?

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      THE World Cup is rolling on at pace in Qatar.The tournament is being watched by billions across the globe each day as footballers play for the game’s biggest prize.
      Lionel Messi spits during a game for Argentina
      Cristiano Ronaldo spits out his water on the touchline
      But you may have picked up a couple of trends that footballers seem to do in every game…spitting on the pitch and also spitting out their drinks on the touchline.
      Though there is a very scientific reason for this.
      Why do footballers spit?
      Players need to spit while performing exercise as excess saliva develops.
      Additionally, players often spit their drinks out onto the pitch after taking a small swig from the bottle.
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      This is due to a tactic called carb rinsing, which can reportedly improve performance.
      According to a New York Times article on England players at the 2018 World Cup: “Carb rinsing refers to the practice of swishing with sports drinks for five to ten seconds during exertion, but then spitting it out instead of swallowing.”
      Harry Kane spits water out after drinking
      The European Journal of Sport Science published a report in 2017 which found that carb rinsing boosted performance in a range of activities.
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      Running magazine added that during exercise: “Swishing with a carb-laden drink is refreshing and lets you avoid the feeling of bloating or cramping that may come with swallowing liquid.”
      Spitting is not an offence in football, so does not warrant any disciplinary card.
      However spitting at another player or official is a red card.

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      Why does the flag go up so late for an offside at the World Cup 2022?

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      THERE’S nothing more exciting than seeing your football team go through on goal – until the assistant referee raises their delayed flag for offside.Argentina was on the bitter end of this in their shocking 2-1 loss to Saudi Arabia.
      Messi saw his expertly taken goal denied for offsideCredit: Getty
      But it has been something that referees have been instructed to do since the 2020/21 campaign.
      Find out why below…
      Why do assistant referees delay raising their flag for offside?
      Referees were told at the beginning of the 2020/21 season that they must keep their flags down during an immediate goal-scoring opportunity even if they think it is offside.
      And they must only raise their flag once the passage of play has come to an end.
      However, if a goal is scored and the assistant referee opts to call for offside, the incident will then be reviewed by VAR.
      VAR will then confirm or rule against the decision depending on what is shown on the monitor.
      When has this happened at the World Cup?
      Footballing legend Lionel Messi fell victim to the delayed flag during Argentina’s 2-1 defeat against Saudi Arabia.
      Messi, 35, thought he had dispatched his second of the day when coolly slotted home past Saudi goalkeeper Mohamed Alowais.
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      However, his celebration was cut short after seeing the assistant referee eventually raise their flag for offside.
      And Lautaro Martinez was haunted by the same problem minutes later.
      What else do they use for offsides at the World Cup?
      A semi-automatic offside tool has been used at the World Cup and it is a piece of technology introduced to make VAR decisions quicker and more accurate.
      It will be done by a system using a computer tracker of 29 body parts of each player, combined with a microchip inside the ball.
      Semi-automatic VAR has been used at the World Cup
      This is expected to determine the positions of the players at the exact moment the ball has been played.
      So in the case of an offside situation, the video operations room will receive an automated alert alongside an automatically selected point and instantly drawn lines within seconds of the incident.
      Match officials will then have to validate the proposed selected kick point and the drawn offside line before VAR communicates the final decision on the pitch.
      Extra VAR officials will be in charge of calling offsides with the algorithm providing a 3D animation to explain a call in an average of 25 seconds.
      And that illustration is then available on the giant screens within the stadium for TV viewers to take a look at in the next stoppage of play. More