On the first day of its meeting in Sydney, the FIFA Executive Committee decided to suspend the Iraqi Football Association (IFA) as of today, 26 May 2008, following the governmental decree passed on 20 May which dissolved the Iraqi National Olympic Committee and all national sport federations, including the IFA.
The FIFA Executive Committee also decided that in accordance with art. 14, par. 1 of the FIFA Statutes, the case of the Iraqi Football Association would be presented to the FIFA Congress on 30 May for suspension until the FIFA Congress in 2009, namely one year.
However, the suspension decided upon today may be lifted if FIFA receives by 29 May, midnight (Sydney time), 16.00h CET, written confirmation from the Iraqi government that the decree has been annulled.
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James Rodriguez deserves more respect from Zinedine Zidane and Real Madrid, according to former Colombia international Faustino Asprilla.
A €80million transfer from Monaco in 2014, James enjoyed a fruitful first season with Madrid, scoring 17 goals and assisting 18 others in all competitions.
However, his opportunities were cut short in 2015-16, with a muscle tear in his thigh also seeing him miss a small part of the season.
Asprilla believes James is not being given the respect he deserves at the Santiago Bernabeu, and said the only way he can prove his worth is if he gets more game time.
If today he has not been able to demonstrate his quality, it is because the coach does not have him in his plans, the 57-time international told Onda Cero.…
Sporting Lisbon defender Michael Ciani will be joining Espanyol in the summer transfer window, the Portuguese club has revealed.
The French defender only joined the Lions a month ago, having arrived on a free transfer from Lazio, but he has since experienced problems adapting to the new surroundings.
As a result, Sporting Lisbon has allowed the player to leave Stadio Jose Alvalade and moved to reveal that he would be signing for Spanish side Espanyol.
The Lions announced the move in an official statement, thanking the player for the short stay in Lisbon.
Before signing for Lazio in the summer of 2012, Ciani had spent his entire professional career in France, representing the likes of Sedan, Lorient and Bordeaux.
He hasn t quite managed to prove h…
Joachim Low was delighted to see Bastian Schweinsteiger score Germany s crucial second goal as a late substitute in Sunday s 2-0 Euro 2016 win over Ukraine.
The world champions had struggled to find a killer second after Shkodran Mustafi s first-half header put them in front at Stade Pierre-Mauroy, and Manuel Neuer made three strong saves to keep their lead intact.
Schweinsteiger appeared as a 90th-minute substitute to a rapturous reception, and the noise levels among the Germany fans reached a peak when the Manchester United man converted Mesut Ozil s cross with almost the final kick of the match.
And Low was thrilled to see his captain make such an impact after battling a knee ligament problem for much of 2016.
I m very happy for Bastian Schweinsteig…
Bayern Munich and Germany star Leroy Sane believes he is still short of full fitness and match sharpness after a tumultuous year.
Sane completed a long-anticipated €60million move to Bayern in June, a switch from Manchester City delayed in large part by a cruciate knee ligament injury sustained in the Community Shield encounter with Liverpool last August.
The 24-year-old s proposed comeback to competitive action was scuppered by the coronavirus pandemic, while an 11-minute substitute cameo in a 5-0 win over Burnley was the sum of his action between the resumption and the switch to Bavaria.
Having looked on as a keen spectator while his new team-mates wrapped up Champions League glory in Lisbon, Sane is itching for his Germany return when Die Mannschaft face Sp…
Thomas Tuchel wants Borussia Dortmund to build on their fine performances before the winter break when they take on Borussia Monchengladbach on Saturday.
BVB sit second in the table ahead of the Bundesliga restart with 38 points from 17 games, trailing leaders Bayern Munich by eight points, while they hold a six-point advantage over third-placed Hertha Berlin.
Tuchel s men impressed in the first half of the season with their free-flowing attacking football, netting more goals than any other team (47), and the former Mainz coach hopes for more of the same in the remainder of the 2015-16 campaign.
I hope that we can keep pushing our boundaries in the second half of the season, Tuchel told the official Bundesliga site.
That means carrying on as we are and…
Kylian Mbappe decided to stay at Paris Saint-Germain due to the club s project and rejected a more lucrative offer from Real Madrid, according to the Parisians president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Al-Khelaifi also hit out at suggestions Mbappe possesses undue influence in footballing decisions at the club in an explosive interview with Marca, as well as labelling La Liga dead and claiming to never have heard of the league s president Javier Tebas.
Mbappe was widely expected to join Madrid upon the expiry of his contract in Paris this month, but committed his future to PSG until 2025 in a shock decision in May.
That decision sparked fury in Spain, with Madrid president Florentino Perez claiming the striker must already be sorry for snubbing the European champions, and …
Best Odds: 11/10
Bookmaker:
Looking to extend on their EFL Cup adventure on Wednesday night, Manchester City will make the trip to Southampton.
Southampton
Starting with the hosts, after managing to snatch a shock FA Cup victory away at fellow Premier League outfit Crystal Palace last weekend, Southampton will be desperate to use that display as a platform to build on. However. while Nathan Jones new squad might have eventually left Selhurst Park with a 2-1 victory, the Saints find themselves at the heart of a relegation scrap in 2023. Opening the New Year with what could be a crucial 1-0 loss at home against fellow strugglers Nottingham Forest, the former Luton boss finds his side sat rock-bottom of the Premier League table. Tipped as one of the leading relega…
Best Odds: 19/20
Bookmaker:
Looking to extend on their remarkable Premier League romp, Aston Villa will travel to Goodison Park on Sunday afternoon.
Everton
Starting with the hosts, while Everton might have found themselves at the heart of a major Premier League flurry last month, Sean Dyche’s side have largely come crashing back down to earth. Although the Blues might have snatched an FA Cup replay away at Crystal Palace last week, they have failed to muster a single win from any of their previous five appearances against Premier League opposition. Signing off 2023 with a nightmare display away at Wolves as they slumped to a 3-0 drumming, Everton are still at the centre of a relegation scrap. Hit with a hugely controversial 10-point deduction back in Novembe…
Kieran Trippier has announced his retirement from international football.
The 33-year-old was handed his debut by Gareth Southgate against France in June 2017 and represented his national side 54 times.
That includes six appearances in the Three Lions run to the final of Euro 2024.
The Newcastle United right back played in four major tournaments and scored England s opening goal during their 2-1 World Cup semi-final defeat to Croatia in 2018.
In a statement on Instagram, Trippier said: I never thought as a young lad from Bury that I would play for my country let alone achieve 54 caps.
It s been one of the biggest honours of my life to represent my country at four major tournaments.
Thank you to all my team-mates we have had some very spe…