Spain to reign at Euro 2012

With huge apologies to my wife, I have to confess I've never been that great at recognising beauty. Be it the Arts, a scenic view or even house decor, I just don't have the eye for it. But it is a different matter when I get to see football played as it was by Spain at times during their final Euro 2012 qualifier against Scotland. I say "at times" because, despite the 3-1 defeat, the Scots had a couple of spells of pressure when there might just have been evidence of slight vulnerability in the world champions, but more on that later. Co-commentator Mark Lawrenson and I went to Alicante in the hope of describing a story of Scotland upsetting the odds to reach the qualifying play-offs but we always knew that the more likely task would be assessing Spain's progress since their 2010 World Cup win. The conclusion we came to was that they have got even better - and must be favourites to go all the way in Poland and Ukraine next summer to become the first team to retain the European Championship. They have qualified with a 100% record and have equalled a sequence set by great France and Netherlands teams of the past by winning their last 14 competitive internationals. I could quote a number of other statistics that tell you just how nigh-on unbeatable they seem at the moment but only by watching them live do you really see how good a squad of footballers Spain currently possess. Against Scotland the team was supposedly "under strength". Iker Casillas, Raul Albiol, Xabi Alonso, Andres Iniesta, Cesc Fabregas, Juan Mata and Fernando Torres were among those who did not get a game, either through injury or because coach Vicente Del Bosque chose to leave them out. No matter; the passing was as metronomic and mesmerising as ever, and all who played impressed. At left-back, Valencia's Jordi Alba had an excellent debut. Assured in defence and quick to join in every attack, he looks a much better bet than either World Cup-winner Joan Capdevila or Real Madrid's Alvaro Arbeloa, who would much prefer to play on the right. Liverpool's in-form Jose Enrique can't even get a look in. In midfield, Sergio Busquets was missing Alonso, his regular holding partner, but found Santi Cazorla to be equally adept alongside him. The versatile midfielder, who has just joined wealthy Malaga, also offers a bigger goal threat than Alonso when he gets the chance to push forward, which against Scotland happened regularly. Pedro was lively down both flanks, David Villa waited patiently for his inevitable goal, Xavi was just Xavi and played wherever he wanted, and the overall star of the show was a player who did not even get on in the World Cup final - David Silva. Superb for Manchester City last season, Silva has gone up a level to be the golden boy for club and country since the summer. His two goals were brilliantly worked, with the first finishing off a sequence of 41 Spanish passes. The fact that he played as the main forward with the country's record goalscorer Villa on the left shows just how fluid the team system is. When a recognised striker is needed through the middle, Athletic Bilbao's Fernando Llorente has got the fans' vote ahead of Chelsea's Torres to be first off the bench. So on to that slight vulnerability. When I asked Lawro during the game who could beat Spain next summer he replied, "maybe only themselves". When a team is that good there is bound to be a confidence that borders on arrogance and just occasionally they can overdo it. No two in the squad strut more than defenders Sergio Ramos and Gerard Pique and, once or twice, they had to rely on their speed of recovery to prevent chances for Steven Naismith and Craig Mackail-Smith. If Rangers's Naismith can cut in from the left on Ramos's blind side and Brighton's finest forward can badger Pique into looking ruffled, then maybe there is something for Europe's leading strikers to clutch at? The next assessment comes against England on 12 November. The three games Spain have lost since being crowned the best team in the world have all been away friendlies (in Argentina, Portugal and Italy) but, on the evidence of what I saw at the Jose Rico Perez Stadium, I won't be putting any money on them losing at Wembley. Would I bet on any team beating them next summer? Well, I've still got a strong feeling for Germany - but then I've never been that great at recognising beauty.

CAIRO, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Top-ranked African side Ivory Coast and World Cup finalists Ghana were named top seeds for this month’s African Nations Cup draw, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) said on Friday. They will head either Group B or D at the tournament where co-hosts Equatorial Guinea will be in Group A and Gabon in Group C. Angola, Guinea, Zambia and Tunisia are ranked second seeds while Burkina Faso, Mali, Morocco and Senegal will be drawn from the third tier. The lowest tier of teams is made up of newcomers Botswana and Niger plus Libya and Sudan, who qualified at the weekend in the best runners-up slots. The seedings were determined on previous Nations Cup tournament results. The draw is in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea, on Oct. 29.

Crowd Abuse, Uganda on the Up and Fifa Under Pressure

Kodjovi Obilale, the goalkeeper who was shot twice during last year's ambush on the Togo team bus, tells us how upset he was by the abuse given to his former intertnational team-mate Emmanuel Adebayor. He accuses Arsenal fans of "condoning terrorism". We'll also be finding out Uganda's secret to success - with the country's national team on the verge of qualifying for its first major tournament since 1978. And Fifa is accused of failing to take corruption seriously and putting the game at risk.

Nelson Mandela Foundation receives 2010 World Cup final match ball

The official match ball used in the final of the 2010 Fifa World Cup has found a home – it is now in the possession of one of the world's biggest icons, Nelson Mandela. The Jo'bulani ball used in the match between World Cup champions Spain and Holland will no longer be kicked around; it has found a special place in the Centre for Memory at the Nelson Mandela Foundation. Officials say they made changes to the gold on the ball, making it look like Egoli (Johannesburg) to express the city of gold. The ball has been named Jo'bulani (the original 2010 balls were named Jabulani), in honour of the city of Johannesburg. Former marathon world record holder and two times Olympic 10,000 metres gold medallist Haile Gebrselasssie of Ethiopia handed over Jo'bulani to the Foundation. Madiba could not receive the ball in person. Gebrselassie was declared an international ambassador for Mandela’s humanitarian and charitable project and was given a silver 46664 bracelet.

WADA drops doping case vs Mexico soccer players

LAUSANNE, Switzerland (AP) — Five Mexican soccer players who tested positive for clenbuterol before the Gold Cup will not face sanctions after FIFA determined the tests were caused by contaminated meat. The World Anti-Doping Agency said Wednesday it had dropped its appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where it planned to challenge a Mexico Football Federation decision clearing the players of doping. WADA said it accepted FIFA's "compelling evidence" from the recent Under-17 World Cup in Mexico that the country has a "serious health problem" with meat contaminated with clenbuterol. "WADA applauds FIFA for the further research it has initiated," the anti-doping watchdog said in a statement. FIFA gathered the evidence while working with the government of Mexico. "The studies conducted by FIFA showed the correctness of the footballers' claim that the positive samples were the result of meat they had ingested at a training camp ahead of the tournament," the governing body of international soccer said. Mexico won the Gold Cup in June despite the absence of goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa, defenders Edgar Duenas and Francisco Rodriguez, and midfielders Antonio Naelson and Christian Bermudez. It beat the United States 4-2 in the final. WADA said Mexico's government has agreed to address the issue of farmers giving steroids to livestock, which is illegal. "Already several arrests have been made pursuant to these laws and large amounts of clenbuterol seized. Investigations are to continue," WADA said. WADA issued a warning to athletes traveling to Mexico to compete at the two-week Pan American Games, which open Friday in Guadalajara. "If possible, they should eat in cafeterias designated as safe by event organizers and also try to eat in large numbers," WADA advised. "The state government in Guadalajara has taken steps to ensure the meat available to athletes at the Pan American Games will not be contaminated." The Mexican case is the second time this year that WADA has dropped an appeal after an athlete used a defense of contaminated meat to explain consuming clenbuterol. German table tennis player Dimitrij Ovtcharov tested positive after competing in China, which also has long-standing issues with illegally feeding steroids to livestock. Three-time Tour de France winner Alberto Contador will use the same argument as part of his defense at CAS next month. WADA and the International Cycling Union appealed to the sports court after a Spanish cycling federation tribunal accepted Contador's explanation that he inadvertently ate a contaminated steak during his 2010 Tour victory. Contador's four-day hearing is scheduled to begin Nov. 21.

UEFA's Platini lauds Poland over Euro 2012

UEFA president Michel Platini on Wednesday lauded Poland's preparations for Euro 2012, and said concerns over fellow-host Ukraine's ability to get ready had largely subsided. "I am a very happy president, because we have wonderful stadiums, and infrastructure which is ready pretty much everywhere," Platini said in the new national stadium in the Polish capital Warsaw, where the European Championships kick off on June 8, 2012. Platini, who visited Ukraine last month, was this week on his latest inspection tour of Poland's four host cities: Warsaw, plus Wroclaw in the southwest, Poznan in the west, and the Baltic port of Gdansk. "I can say that, after having seen the four cities, the four stadiums, the four airports and all the roads, that preparations for Euro 2012 are going very, very well," the former France international told reporters. In 2007, UEFA caught pundits napping by picking Poland and Ukraine over favourites Italy and joint bidders Hungary and Croatia to host the quadrennial, 16-team championships. It marks UEFA's first serious foray behind the former Iron Curtain. Euro 2008 took place in Austria and Switzerland, and France will host Euro 2016. The communist era may lie two decades in the past, but Poland -- and to a greater extent Ukraine, which is locked in an economic crisis -- have faced infrastructure challenges beyond anything in western host nations and have been bedevilled by doubters. "We've had highs and lows, but never in Poland," said Platini -- although a 2008 UEFA readiness report did in fact give the Poles a yellow card and they have had to work to repair their image. "We've had problems with Ukraine. At one point, we didn't even know if we were going to hold the European Championships in Ukraine. And then we wondered whether it would be in two stadiums or four. But they've done a great job over recent years and we can now say there are no major problems," he said. Two weeks ago Platini had delivered a similar message in the Ukrainian capital Kiev -- one of the country's four host cities along with Kharkiv and Donetsk and Lviv -- saying he felt "completely reassured" despite "small problems". Unlike Poland and Ukraine, who have qualified automatically as hosts, the 14 other teams who have made the cut will have to wait until a December 2 draw in Kiev to know in which of the two countries they will be playing. Several have already jumped the gun, however, opting to set up their tournament bases in Poland not Ukraine. Germany announced last month that they would be based in Gdansk. England followed suit on Tuesday, saying they had also picked Poland, but kept the location under wraps as they were finalising the contract. The fact that two high-profile nations have picked Poland without waiting to know where they will actually play has been seen as casting doubt on the quality of accommodation in Ukraine. But Platini played down the issue. "We've proposed a number of sites that teams can come to. And teams are free to go where they want, provided they're actually based in the countries which host Euro 2012," he said. Sports Minister Adam Giersz said Poland was prepared for as many teams as required. "We're ready to host all the teams in Poland. We have 21 base camps. We are well prepared," he said.

Warner caught on tape

Video evidence of ex-FIFA vice-president Jack Warner urging Caribbean officials to accept cash gifts from Mohamed Bin Hammam has emerged. The recording of a speech made by Warner to members of the Caribbean Football Association (CFU) on May 11 is being used as evidence in FIFA ethics committee hearings into charges against 15 of those officials this week. The video, which has been posted on www.telegraph.co.uk, shows Warner telling members they are not obliged to vote for Bin Hammam in the FIFA presidential election but that he had told the Qatari to bring cash. Bin Hammam was banned for life in July by FIFA's ethics committee but is appealing. The speech took place in Trinidad a day after cash gifts of 40,000 US dollars (£25,000) each were handed out to the leaders of Caribbean associations. Warner says on the video: 'When Mohamed Bin Hammam asked to come to the Caribbean he wanted to bring some silver plaques and wooden trophies and bunting and so on, and told me to bring for 30 people would be too much luggage. 'I told him he did not need to bring anything but if he wanted to bring anything to bring something equivalent to the value of the gift that he brought. 'I said to him if you bring cash, I don't want you to give cash to anybody, but when you do you can give it to the CFU and the CFU will give it to his members. Because I don't want (it) to even remotely appear that anyone has any obligation to vote for you because of what gifts you have given them, and he fully accepted that.' Warner also says he will return any money if the officials choose not to keep it. He adds: 'I know there are some people here who believe they are more pious than thou. If you are pious go to a church friends, but the fact is that our business is our business. 'If there is anybody here who has a conscience and wishes to send back the money I am willing to take the money and give it back to him at any moment.' There is also an astonishing barrage aimed at UEFA president Michel Platini, saying a victory for Sepp Blatter over Bin Hammam would lead to the Frenchman taking over. Warner says: 'We have to ensure Platini is not some automatic inheritor of FIFA. Because I tell you if that happens FIFA will become a French province. Forever. 'The fact is that Platini is being groomed to succeed Mr Blatter and we don't know if it is in our best interests to have a French president, a French general secretary...but in any event I don't think it's in our best interests to do that. 'I have told him (Blatter) that we who have supported him faithfully have not benefited from that support. We stood up and backed him and then he went to embrace his enemies and not his friends.' Warner was charged with bribery by FIFA but the investigation was dropped after he resigned from all football activities in June. He continues to be a senior government minister in Trinidad and Tobago, and last month accused FIFA of 'devastating lives' and damaging football in the Caribbean in an attempt to clean up their image. FIFA's ethics committee are expected to deliver their judgments on the 15 Caribbean officials on Friday.

England choose Krakow base for assault on Euro 2012

Fabio Capello is planning to base his England squad in the centre of the bustling Polish city of Krakow at Euro 2012 after consulting his players. The isolation of their training camp in Rustenburg was given as one of the reasons why last year’s World Cup in South Africa did not go to plan But this time the England manager has involved John Terry and his colleagues in the decision-making process and the picturesque centre of Poland’s second city is their preferred choice. Plans still need to be finalised in terms of which five-star hotel and training facilities they will book, but the FA are keen to press ahead with plans. Club England managing director Adrian Bevington confirmed the FA had chosen Poland ahead of Ukraine as their base, irrespective of where their group games are. ‘We are just finalising a few contractual arrangements,’ said Bevington. ‘We will be in Poland but I won’t be able to say any more at this moment. "We are not far away from confirming the location but, out of respect to all the people we have been dealing with, we have to get everything finalised first.’ FA chairman David Bernstein told the Leaders in Football conference last week it was their intention to be ‘good tourists’ at future tournaments. Meanwhile, FA officials have given assurances that Capello is not about to walk out on England for megarich Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala. While there has been interest, as revealed by Sportsmail, the Italian has not received a formal offer.

Football chiefs warned by Government they have until March to clean up the game

The Governnent has demanded urgent changes to the way English football is run - from controlling debt to a shake-up at the Football Association. Football authorities now have until March next year to bring in sweeping changes or face intervention from the government. The FA has a deadline of February 29 to change the way it is run and introduce a new licensing system for clubs. This is the Government’s response to the select committee report on football governance. The proposals include a plan to have a fans' representative on every club board and the mandatory release of players for England duty. They may now put the Government on a collision course with the Premier League. On finances, the Government says there should be a role for the FA, working with the leagues, to protect the game. The response states: 'The Government shares the concern expressed by the committee at the extent of losses and the number of clubs on the edge of viability. 'Debt per se is not always a bad thing, but it must be genuinely sustainable and should be assessed as a percentage of turnover. 'Government believes that there is a legitimate role for the national governing body, working hand in hand with competition organisers, to ensure that appropriate and consistent checks and balances are in place to protect the overall financial integrity of the national game and its long-term viability. 'The recent moves by the Football League to work towards a break-even rule in the Championship are a welcome indication of the appetite amongst many clubs for a change.' The Government says there should be a system of licensing for clubs where financial sustainability and robust checks on club owners and directors are included. The response adds: 'The Government expects that the issue of financial sustainability should be addressed as part of the recommendations on the new licensing model.' Sports minister Hugh Robertson said: 'This country is hugely passionate about our national game and there are many reasons we should be pleased with how it has progressed over the last two decades. Measures: Hugh Robertson 'However I believe that there are improvements that can be made in the governance arrangements, which have failed to keep up with the changing pace of the modern game. 'I do not want Government to run football, so this is an opportunity for the football family to work together to benefit the game in the long term.' The Government have set a deadline of the end of February for the changes to be brought in and have threatened to introduce legislation if the game does not make reforms. That would require the FA, the Premier League and the Football League all to agree on making the necessary changes. The Government's proposals also call for reform of the FA board. The suggested new structure would be made up of a chairman, general secretary, two further FA executives 'bringing wider football expertise', two independent non-executive directors and two each from the professional and national game. The FA Council's role should be changed so that committees report to the FA board instead, with a maximum limit of eight years for council members. The football authorities should look at ways to encourage more fans on clubs' boards, say the Government, and clubs should be forced to release players for England duty at all age levels from under 17 upwards. The report makes clear the Government's threat to bring in legislation if reforms are not made. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2048238/Football-chiefs-warned-Government-March-clean-game.html#ixzz1aaD7aLya

Ghana, Nigeria draw 0-0 in friendly in England

Nigeria and Ghana failed to find a cutting edge as the African rivals fluffed a series of chances in a 0-0 draw in a friendly in London on Tuesday. Nigeria striker Ideye Brown came closest to breaking the deadlock just before half-time. He smashed a shot from 20 yards against the bar with Ghana goalkeeper Adam Kwarasey well beaten. Ikechukwu Uche and Obinna Nsofor also squandered opportunities for Nigeria. This came after the Super Eagles weathered early pressure from Ghana, which reached the World Cup quarter-finals last year. Albert Adomah sent a volley just over the bar before Prince Tagoe drew two smart saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Austine Ejide. Ghana substitute Asamoah Gyan headed over one of the best openings in the second half. Black Stars coach Goran Stevanovic gave the opportunity to several young players to impress ahead of their participation in the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations. Manchester City youngster Mohammed Abu, who is loan at Norwegian side Stromgodset ,made his first start for Ghana while Italy-based defender Massawudu Alhassan made his debut for the Black Stars.

Government tells English football: change or be changed

The Football Association has been given an "absolute deadline" to bring in rules tackling debt levels at clubs or face government action. MPs have already demanded sweeping changes to the way football is run. And now a deadline of 29 February has been imposed for the FA to overhaul its board and bring in a new licensing system for clubs. "[Football's] governance has failed to keep up with the modern game," said Sports Minister Hugh Robertson. "If football proves unable to sort this out itself then the government may have to legislate. "I'm not keen on that idea because I've always believed very strongly that sport, not government, should run sport in this country. "It is an absolute deadline for them to bring forward proposals to say how they're going to implement this report." The Government has made a number of demands in its response to a select committee report on football governance. The report from MPs in July demanded the level of debt be addressed in the English game, with John Whittingdale MP insisting that "significant changes need to be made to the way the game is run to secure the future of England's football heritage". Ministers say there should be a role for the FA on finances, working with the leagues, to protect the game. "The Government shares the concern expressed by the committee at the extent of losses and the number of clubs on the edge of viability," said the Government response. "Debt per se is not always a bad thing, but it must be genuinely sustainable and should be assessed as a percentage of turnover. "Government believes that there is a legitimate role for the national governing body, working hand in hand with competition organisers, to ensure that appropriate and consistent checks and balances are in place to protect the overall financial integrity of the national game and its long-term viability. "The recent moves by the Football League to work towards a break-even rule in the Championship are a welcome indication of the appetite amongst many clubs for a change. The Government identified three "immediate priorities" for action: a complete restructuring of the FA Board; the implementation of an FA-administered licensing system for the professional game; and significant changes to the make-up and processes of "football's parliament", the FA Council. The FA Board is currently made up of FA chairman David Bernstein, general secretary Alex Horne and five representatives from the professional game (the Premier League and Football League) and five from the national game (the county FAQs). With conflicts of interest and historic feuds usually making this structure unworkable, the Government wants the board to be comprised of Bernstein, Horne, two more FA executives, two independent directors, two from the leagues and two from the counties. The reforms demanded of the council are a reduction in length of tenure and the introduction of more women, more councillors from ethnic minorities, more ex-footballers and more representatives of supporter groups. The proposed licensing system is intended to build on the two leagues' recent efforts to put in more safeguards against financial mismanagement, asset-stripping owners, tax avoidance and other related sins. This idea will be backed by many in the game but the leagues are unlikely to welcome any interference in their affairs from the FA. In words that will come as great encouragement to Supporters' Direct, the organisation that helps fans form supporter trusts and pushes for representation on club boards, the Government has criticised the recent threat to its funding and backed its work. But the Government has been more nuanced in its recommendations for reform of the "Football Creditors Rule", the infamous measure that states clubs, leagues and players must be paid first and in full when a team goes bust, while everybody else must settle for pence in the pound. The Government has called for a more "appropriate and modern solution" but stopped short of saying it would scrap the rule. A joint FA, Premier League and Football League statement said they were grateful to ministers for their recommendations and would now take time to consider "what the most appropriate actions might be"

Wayne Rooney writes to Uefa to reduce ban after Montenegro red

Wayne Rooney and Fabio Capello are both expected to write to Uefa on Wednesday morning regarding the England striker's red card in the 2-2 draw in Montenegro. Rooney faces a ban at Euro 2012 for kicking Miodrag Dzudovic, but written statements are being sent in the hope of reducing the potential punishment. A Uefa spokesman told BBC Sport that it will not see the dossier until the case is heard on Thursday. The deadline for submitting Rooney's case is Wednesday morning. Letters from the player and manager are a common tool of defence used in Uefa disciplinary hearings, both at club and international level. The 25-year-old definitely faces a one-match ban but this could be increased to three matches. The Football Association is ready to appeal should he be handed a longer suspension ahead of the finals in Poland and Ukraine. Rooney has received the backing of his club manager Sir Alex Ferguson over the incident. "I haven't seen it at all but it sounds like it was one of these reflex actions by the boy. He has been tackled and he has reacted," Ferguson told US-based digital radio station Sirius XM. "He has this fiery temper which, to my mind, is not the worst thing in the world. "He has shown tremendous improvement in his temperament and his reactions to tackles and things over the past few years. "He is improving all the time."

Terry Butcher expects Euro 2012 ban for Wayne Rooney

Former England captain Terry Butcher says Wayne Rooney will be very lucky if he escapes with a one-match ban after his red card in Montenegro. Uefa's disciplinary panel meets on Thursday afternoon to decide whether to extend Rooney's suspension beyond one game at the start of Euro 2012 He was sent off for kicking Miodrag Dzudovic in Friday's 2-2, which confirmed England's qualification. "If he gets one game he's the luckiest man in the world," said Butcher. "He's got no defence and he just has to hope Uefa are lenient. He has had red cards before and Uefa may see it as a chance to make their mark. "I would expect at least a two-game ban. He's got previous form and Uefa will look at this and I think they will say you just can't do it." Rooney and England coach Fabio Capello have written to Uefa in the hope of limiting potential punishment, which could be extended to three matches. And referee Wolfgang Stark has said the striker's lack of dissent after the decision may help his cause. But Butcher told BBC Sport: "The referee said he did not contest the red card and that might count in his favour. "But it is surely not the reaction he gave to the decision but the action that Uefa will judge. It was idiotic and quite aggressive towards his opponent. "For me it showed a complete lack of respect for his team-mates and England. "Capello must be so frustrated. How could he have seen that sort of behaviour coming? You couldn't condone what Rooney did at seven or eight-year-old level." Butcher also fears the impact Rooney's absence will have on England's Euro 2012 ambitions if the suspension is stretches beyond the first game of the tournament in Poland and Ukraine. "If Rooney is out of England's team it is a massive blow," said Butcher, who won 77 caps in a 10-year international career. "And it puts lots of pressure on the other players because England look nowhere near a top team without him. "He is critical to England's plans. He is the Lionel Messi of England's team. England are so reliant on one man. No-one else fills the role he does and does it with such quality. "Rooney will regret what he did for a long time and England will hope they are not left to regret it at Euro 2012. It is not only marvellous deeds that make a player's reputation, it is mistakes like this that blight a career."

Venezuela beats Argentina for 1st time in history

Even a draw would have been momentous, but Venezuela went a step further by beating Argentina 1-0 in a World Cup qualifier for its first ever win over the South American heavyweights. Venezuela had lost all 18 of its previous matches against Argentina, but Fernando Amorebieta’s 61st-minute header turned the tables Tuesday night against a star-studded team captained by Lionel Messi and also including Real Madrid stars Angel Di Maria and Gonzalo Higuain. “This was not a lucky game, not a fortunate game, this was a deserved victory,” Venezuela coach Cesar Farias said. Venezuela’s players greeted the final whistle by hugging each other as fireworks were set off above the stadium in Puerto La Cruz. “We made history,” midfielder Cesar Gonzalez said. “We brought our soul on the field. We are family. We back the coach and each other. The goal is the World Cup. We defeated a big team, but there is a long, long way to go.” Argentina, under new coach Alejandro Sabella, had comfortably won its first game in qualifying 4-1 against Chile on Friday, while Venezuela lost 2-0 in Ecuador. That left Argentina as overwhelming favorites to win against a team that has never played at a World Cup. However, Venezuela’s stout defense restricted Argentina to mainly long-range shots, while Argentina goalkeeper Mariano Andujar had to make several sharp saves in the first half. The hosts took the lead in the 61st minute when Juan Arango delivered a corner from the right and Athletic Bilbao striker Amorebieta managed to get ahead of his marker and head in at the far post. Jose Rondon almost added a second after a slaloming run through the Argentina defense but just lost control of the ball as he closed in on goal. Sabella conceded that on the balance of play, Venezuela had deserved the win. “In the first half hour Argentina was better,” he said. “We had chances in the first 20 minutes. After that, Venezuela began to get better, particularly in the last 10 minutes of the first half. In the second half they were better than we were.” Argentina and Venezuela have three points from two games in the nine-team South American qualifying group, which is led by Uruguay. The top four teams will qualify, with the fifth-place team going through to a playoff. Venezuela next travels to Colombia on Nov. 11 when Argentina hosts Bolivia. “We have to analyse what we should improve,” Sabella said. “The qualifiers are a long tournament and we must improve some aspects.” Lineups: Venezuela: Renny Vega, Roberto Rosales, Oswaldo Vizcarrondo, Fernando Amorebieta, Gabriel Cichero, Franklin Lucena, Tomas Rincon, Cesar Gonzalez (Julio Alvarez, 83), Juan Arango, Nicolas Fedor (Alejandro Moreno, 89) Jose Salomon Rondon (Frank Feltscher, 77). Argentina: Mariano Andujar, Pablo Zabaleta (Ever Banega, 65), Nicolas Burdisso, Martin Demichelis, Marcos Rojo, Javier Mascherano, Nicolas Otamendi, Jose Sosa (Rodrigo Palacio, 75), Angel Di Maria (Javier Pastore, 83), Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain.

Engels named as new Mozambique coach

Mozambique have appointed German Gert Engels as their new coach, giving him a two-year contract on Wednesday, the Mozambique Football Federation announced. Engels, whose previous coaching experience has come in Japan as an assistant to current Australia coach Holger Osiek and later on his own, takes over the Mozambique job from Dutch coach Maart Nooij. Mozambique begin their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign against the Comoros Islands in November when they play a preliminary-round tie over two legs inside five days. They beat the same opponents 3-0 at home last weekend at the end of their unsuccessful African Nations Cup qualifying bid. The 54-year-old Engels is a former Borussia Moenchengladbach player and Urawa Red Diamonds coach.

Serbia’s Vidic, Stankovic to quit internationals

Serbia defender Nemanja Vidic and midfielder Dejan Stankovic indicated Wednesday they will retire from the national team after its failure to qualify for the European Championship. Vidic missed a penalty in a 1-0 loss to Slovenia on Tuesday which cost Serbia a place in the playoffs for Euro 2012. Estonia took the playoff sport, while Italy topped Group C. “It’s time for a change of generations and for some older players to say goodbye to the Serbian jersey,” said the 29-year-old Vidic, who plays for Manchester United. Vidic, who returned after an eight-week injury layoff, said it was his choice to take the penalty. “I’m aware of the consequences of a poorly executed penalty,” said Vidic, who has scored two goals in 56 appearances for Serbia. “If I had scored, the game would have taken an entirely different course.” While Vidic’s comments came as a surprise, Stankovic’s decision was not unexpected. “I played many matches, helped the national team and it’s time for me to turn to my tasks with Inter Milan,” the 33-year-old Stankovic said. “This was my last competitive match for Serbia. I may play another (farewell) friendly.” Stankovic made his 102nd appearance for Serbia against Slovenia, tying the record set by Savo Milosevic. He scored 15 goals for the national team. Serbia captain Vladimir Petrovic also appears on his way out. “I have another two months contract with the football federation,” Petrovic said. “In the next few days, we’ll have some answers.”

The five heavyweights that failed to qualify for the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations

Looking at the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations qualifying results drives home the theory that there is nowhere in Africa where one can be sure of taking full points. Below is a list of the African heavyweights that were punished for not taking heed of the changing football landscape. The teams are ranked from least to most surprising exits, with an analysis of which results cost them the most, as well as other issues that led to their respective continental disappointments. 5) SOUTH AFRICA Bafana Bafana’s ousting is probably one of the more bizarre tales of qualifying. It ended in Pitso Mosimane’s men celebrating with the fans after the final whistle, only to be informed thereafter that rival Niger had made it instead due to a better head to head record. Not only was it embarrassing, but it has also served as a somber reminder that reading the rules has not gone out of style. Looking back on their campaign, South Africans will feel that the points dropped in two goalless draws against Sierra Leone was where the team went wrong. The under-fire Mosimane even admitted that he adjusted his tactics at the end of Saturday’s qualifier to hold onto a point when his men really needed a win. The high point was definitely the last-minute victory over Egypt, but the euphoria clearly lasted longer than it should have. 4) ALGERIA From 2010 World Cup participant and 2010 Afcon fourth-place finisher to second last in Group D. That’s not what Algerians had in mind when the qualifiers began. Far from a fresh approach, Fennecs fans were treated to more of the same in their first home game against Tanzania (1-1), resulting in Rabah Saadane’s dismissal. Abdelhak Ben Chikha took over the reins only to lose 2-0 in Bangui and then lose his job two matches later when Algeria fell to a humiliating 4-0 thrashing to neighbor Morocco. An over-reliance on the same group that went to the World Cup has clearly been a mistake as many of them are past their prime. Vahid Halilhodzic has a rebuilding job on his hands. His 2-0 win over second-placed Central African Republic in his first official match at the helm is a decent place to start. 3) NIGERIA Prior to the 2010 World Cup, many Nigerians were clamoring for Samson Siasia to get the top coaching job in their country instead of Lars Lagerback. They finally got their man and things did briefly seem to be improving, but clearly they didn’t do so fast enough. A slender 1-0 away loss to eventual qualifier Guinea was tolerable, but the 2-2 draw in Addis Ababa against Ethiopia was arguably the game that lost it for the team. If the Super Eagles had earned full points in that one, then Ibrahima Traore’s last minute header in Abuja wouldn’t have mattered much. Now the question is whether or not the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) will resist the urge to fire Siasia and, for once, go for stability instead of completely wiping the slate clean. 2) CAMEROON If they were in another group, they may have qualified, but the Indomitable Lions suffered the bad fortune of competing with a revitalized Senegal team which seems to be scoring goals at will in these qualifiers. Aside from the away loss in Dakar and failing to win the reverse fixture in Yaounde, Cameroon’s 1-1 home draw against DR Congo was a pivotal result. Samuel Eto’o and his colleagues showed great resolve on the last day to obtain a hard-fought 3-2 victory against the same opponent in Kinshasa but it was too little, too late. Furthermore, this inability to qualify seems to have vindicated the large number of analysts who questioned the appointment of coach Javier Clemente from the moment it was announced. 1) EGYPT Given that it had won the last three editions of the African Cup of Nations and was naturally a heavy favorite to easily win its group, this was undoubtedly the biggest surprise of qualifying. Egypt’s dominance on the continental stage over the last six years made its finishing bottom of its group and elimination with two games to be played almost incomprehensible. However, a combination of political upheaval and an aging and perhaps unmotivated side ended up taking Hassan Shehata out of the picture. Notoriously a slow starter in qualifying, no one was too concerned when the Pharaohs drew 1-1 with Sierra Leone in Cairo. However, a 1-0 away loss to Niger sounded the alarm. Things went from bad to worse against South Africa in Ellis Park and nothing could be salvaged in the reverse fixture. The last two games were played with the Olympic team and at least things finished on a high with a 3-0 victory over the astonishing Niger.

Government wants overhaul of English soccer

Britain’s government demanded Wednesday that the English Football Association implement wide-ranging governance changes, including curbs on debt and stricter checks on foreign owners. Responding to a report by a group of influential legislators, the government backed concerns that some clubs are living on the “edge of viability” and pledged to introduce legislation that will force the FA to make the required changes if not approved by the end of February. Sports minister Hugh Robertson said the world’s oldest soccer association has “failed to keep up with the changing pace of the modern game.” Robertson wants the FA to seize control of the national game from the wealthy Premier League as part of a new licensing system that all clubs must adhere to. The most stringent measures would seek to address concerns over the “financial sustainability” of clubs. “Debt per se is not always a bad thing, but it must be genuinely sustainable and should be assessed as a percentage of turnover,” the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said. “There is a legitimate role for the national governing body, working hand in hand with competition organizers, to ensure that appropriate and consistent checks and balances are in place to protect the overall financial integrity of the national game and its long-term viability.” The growth of the Premier League since its began in 1991 has led to half of the 20 clubs being under foreign ownership. But high debt levels at clubs remain troubling. Liverpool was rescued from the brink of bankruptcy by the Boston Red Sox ownership group of John Henry one year ago. “Because of the inherent attraction of English football clubs to foreign investors and markets, particularly robust criteria need to be applied to prospective owners and directors before they are allowed to own or run a club,” the government said. As part of reforms for the 2012-13 season, the government wants an independent body to run the disciplinary process, stripping the FA of the power to ban players. The government also wants clubs to release players to appear for the under 17, 19 and 21 sides and not just the senior team in a bid to help England end a trophy drought stretching back to the 1966 World Cup. “Government is fully committed to ensuring that the changes put forward by the football authorities make a lasting and substantive difference,” the response to Parliament said. “If that does not happen the Government will introduce a legal requirement on the Football Association to implement the appropriate governance clauses by the swiftest possible means.”

Advocaat slams critics after Russia seal Euro spot

Russia coach Dick Advocaat has hit out at his critics after guiding his team to the Euro 2012 finals in Poland and Ukraine. “I hope that, from now on, our team will not be criticised as much as it was in the past,” the Dutchman told reporters after Russia sealed a place in the 16-team tournament by crushing rank outsiders Andorra 6-0 in their final qualifier on Tuesday in Moscow to finish top of Group B. Since replacing charismatic compatriot Guus Hiddink as Russia boss in 2010, Advocaat has repeatedly clashed with the media and soccer experts over selection policy. The 64-year-old has also been criticised for failing to blood new players into the ageing team and reverting to overly defensive tactics. Former Soviet international Yevgeny Lovchev, now a newspaper columnist and one of Advocaat’s fiercest critics, said Tuesday’s flattering scoreline should not deceive the players or their fans over the real problems facing the team. “Yes we’ve won but the team still failed to convince,” Lovchev wrote in Wednesday’s Sovietsky Sport. “The team’s play is still far from ideal.” Unlike his predecessor, Advocaat has repeatedly stated that he cared little about his public image, his only concern being to qualify for next year’s finals. “I’ve never paid any attention to what the press say or write about me,” the Dutchman, dubbed the ‘Little General’ because of his small stature and authoritative manner, told reporters. “I’ve been in this job long enough not to worry about it. I’m not here to please you or anybody else. The team’s results are the only thing that really matters to me.” AVOID PLAYOFFS Since the start of the Euro 2012 qualifiers, Advocaat made clear his aim was to finish top of the group and avoid going into the playoffs following Russia’s 2010 World Cup playoff defeat by Slovenia that cost Hiddink his job. However, the qualifying campaign was far from plain sailing. Advocaat has relied mostly on the same veteran campaigners, such as captain Andrei Arshavin, defender Sergei Ignashevich and midfielder Konstantin Zyryanov, who made up the core of the team that reached the Euro 2008 semi-finals. Former Russia striker Dmitry Bulykin has accused Advocaat of not giving other players like him a chance to show their worth. “He has turned the national team into his own private club,” said Bulykin, who notched 21 goals for ADO Den Haag to become the Dutch league’s second highest scorer last season. Advocaat retorted that Bulykin, at 31, was too old to compete with the likes of Arshavin, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Alexander Kerzhakov, all of whom are just a few months younger. Even Advocaat’s own players have had a go at him. Pavlyuchenko complained that the coach had his favourites after being relegated to the bench earlier this year. The Tottenham Hotspur striker declined to elaborate but it was widely understood he was referring to the players from Advocaat’s former club Zenit St Petersburg, who he led to the Russian title in 2007 and the UEFA Cup the following year. With Russia’s qualification now in the bag, Advocaat has proved his critics wrong and received a glowing endorsement from his boss, Russian FA chief Sergei Fursenko. “Despite what has been said I’ve never lost faith in Dick Advocaat,” Fursenko told reporters after the Andorra match. “He’s the right man to lead us at the 2012 Euro finals."

Bulgaria are ‘laughing stock’ of Europe - local media

Bulgaria’s national team were labelled the “laughing stock of Europe” by local media on Wednesday after their dismal Euro 2012 qualifying campaign ended in a home defeat by Wales. Playing in front of near deserted Vasil Levski stadium on Tuesday, Bulgaria lost 1-0 against the Welsh to finish bottom of Group G with only five points from eight matches—their worst ever performance in major tournament qualifying. Bulgaria failed to score in any of their four home qualifiers and last won on home soil in October 2009 when former captain Dimitar Berbatov scored a hat-trick in a 6-2 rout of Georgia in a 2010 World Cup qualifier. “National disaster”, “Wales buried Bulgaria”, “Shame! The laughing stock of Europe” and “(interim coach Mihail) Madanski’s bunch of idiots disgraced Bulgaria”, screamed newspaper headlines. A crowd of just 1,600 people, almost half of them coming from Wales, were in attendance at the 44,000-capacity national stadium with home fans boycotting the game over poor results. The Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) had given several hundred free tickets to fan clubs but that incentive failed to generate interest. Caretaker coach Madanski, who became Bulgaria’s third coach in the campaign by replacing German Lothar Matthaeus last month, has hinted that he prefers to continue his work with the Bulgaria Under-21 team. “I’m sorry to say but it’ll be very difficult for the BFU to find a good coach,” said BFU executive committee member Emil Kostadinov. “Any self-respecting coach would not agree to work in Bulgaria in a situation like this,” added Kostadinov, whose last-minute strike gave Bulgaria a 2-1 win over France to clinch a place at the 1994 World Cup finals in the U.S. Bulgarian fans are now hoping that all-time leading scorer Dimitar Berbatov will end his international retirement. Fans from all around the country will travel to neighboring Romania next week to urge 30-year-old Berbatov to change his mind during his team Manchester United’s Champions League game against Otelul Galati. Berbatov, who boasts a remarkable international scoring record of 48 goals in 79 matches, quit the national team in May last year. “I think it’s a big mistake not to have Berbatov and Martin Petrov (the Bolton Wanderers winger was omitted for Wales game) in the team,” said Bulgaria captain Stilian Petrov, who is the country’s most capped player with 105 appearances. “It’ll be completely different if they’re part of the team.”

Liverpool wants greater share of TV rights money

Liverpool wants the Premier League’s top clubs to be allowed to emulate Barcelona and Real Madrid by selling their own overseas television rights. The Premier League describes its TV revenue distribution system as the “most equitable of Europe’s major leagues,” with each of the 20 clubs receiving 17.9 million pounds ($28 million) from overseas broadcasters last season. But Liverpool managing director Ian Ayre believes it is unfair that high-profile clubs with a global appeal are part of a collective deal that is worth 1.4 billion pounds ($2.2 billion) under a three-year deal. “At some point we definitely feel there has to be some rebalance because what we are actually doing is disadvantaging ourselves against other big European clubs,” Ayre said. The domestic TV deal with Sky Sports and ESPN is weighted more in favor of the larger clubs, with part of the payment based on how many times their games are shown live in Britain. Liverpool, which won the last of its 18 English titles in 1990, received 55 million pounds ($86 million) in total from broadcasters last season despite finishing sixth, 2 million pounds ($2 million) more than fifth-place Tottenham. Spanish and European champion Barcelona receives around $250 million annually from broadcasters. Ahead of Liverpool’s match against Manchester United on Saturday, Ayre said “in Kuala Lumpur there isn’t anyone subscribing to ESPN to watch Bolton.” “The large majority are subscribing because they want to watch Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea or Arsenal,” Ayre added. “So is it right that the international rights are shared equally between all the clubs?” But most Premier League clubs support the status quo because their revenue would drop if there was a change, which would require approval of 14 of the 20 sides. “Do we just share ours because we’ll all be nice to each other?” Ayre asked. “The whole phenomenon of the Premier League could be threatened if the Spanish clubs just get bigger and bigger and they generate more and more. Then all the players will start drifting that way. “Will the Premier League bubble be burst because we are sticking to this equal-sharing model? It’s a real debate that has to happen.” The league released new figures Wednesday from business research consultancy SPORT+MARKT claiming that match coverage last season reached 643 million homes worldwide and 777 million viewers away from their homes. The research projected a global following for the league of 1.46 billion, or an estimated 70 percent of football fans. “This remarkable increase lies largely in the redistribution of international rights for the start of the new three-year broadcast term last year,” said Andrew Walsh, SPORT+MARKT’s head of international affairs. “One of the main drivers of that development was the switch of the league’s broadcast rights from a Pay TV broadcaster to terrestrial coverage in China which really has burst open the floodgates in terms of the Premier League’s popularity in the world’s most populous and fastest-growing market.” The research was carried out in 36 countries, surveying 1,000 people in each of those markets.

Ghana, Ivory Coast top seeds in African Cup draw

Ghana and Ivory Coast joined African Cup of Nations co-hosts Guinea and Equatorial Guinea as the top-seeded teams in the draw for next year’s tournament. The Confederation of African Football decided Wednesday that four-time champion Ghana and 1992 winner Ivory Coast would be top seeds in Group B and D, respectively, based on previous record and qualifying performance. Equatorial Guinea is the top seed in Group A and Gabon leads Group C for the four-group, 16-team event. The other 12 teams will be seeded into groups at the Oct. 29 draw in Equatorial Guinea’s capital city of Malabo. The continental championship will be played from Jan. 21 to Feb. 12 in four cities across the pair of West African countries.

Lithuania coach quits after Czech thrashing

Lithuania coach Raimondas Zutautas quit on Wednesday, a day after his side were thumped 4-1 at home by the Czech Republic in their final Euro 2012 qualifier, the national soccer federation said. Former Lithuania captain Zutautas, 39, had been in charge since February 2010 after replacing Portugal’s Jose Couceiro. “We have failed to win as many points as we wished. Since I, as a coach, failed to reach my goals, I’m finishing my work here,” Zutautas said in statement. Lithuania finished fourth out of five teams in Group I with just five points from eight matches. Their campaign began in promising fashion with a draw against Scotland and a shock victory over the Czechs in Olomouc. But they picked up just one further point from a draw at home to perennial strugglers Liechtenstein.

Fernando Llorente: Barcelona's David Villa is one of Spain's all-time greats

Athletic Bilbao striker Fernando Llorente has taken the time to praise Barcelona forward David Villa after the latter's brace in Spain's 3-1 Euro 2012 qualifying win at home against Scotland on Tuesday. Villa netted twice to help his side to its 10th win in the qualification campaign and is now Spain's all-time top goalscorer with 50 goals, six more than the previous record holder, Raul. And Llorente has voiced his opinion that it will be hard to erase the former Valencia man's name from the history books. "It is incredible David has scored 50 international goals and I think that's a national record which will be very hard to overtake," Llorente was quoted as saying on the official UEFA website. "It tells you everything about the player. David is one of the all-time greats and it's clear that even after this historic goal he will continue scoring more for Spain for a long, long time."

Brazil FA Chief Teixeira Probed by Police

Brazil's top soccer official Ricardo Teixeira is to be investigated by the police this week on suspicion of illegal transfer of funds into the country and money laundering. The police and the federal prosecutor's office (MPF) made the announcement Tuesday following media allegations against Teixeira, president of the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and the local 2014 World Cup organising committee. "The investigation into Teixeira will open this week. It will be conducted by the anti-financial crimes bureau," a police spokeswoman told Reuters by telephone. Teixeira could be called in for questioning. "Federal prosecutor Marcelo Freire asked head office of the Federal Police in Rio de Janeiro to open a police investigation of the president of the CBF for the crimes of illegal transfer of money to Brazil and money laundering," the MPF said. The investigation will centre on accusations by the BBC of three top officials of soccer's world governing body FIFA, including Teixeira, of taking bribes over the appointment of International Sports and Leisure (ISL) as its marketing arm. ISL went bankrupt in 2001. The BBC, which said 175 secret payments were made by ISL between 1989 and 1999, also named Confederation of African Football (CAF) chief Issa Hayatou and South American (CONMEBOL) head Nicolas Leoz of Paraguay. They and Teixeira are members of FIFA's executive committee. The MPF has asked the police to investigate whether any part of that money entered Brazil illegally through companies in tax havens belonging to Teixeira. Teixeira has denied any wrongdoing.

Klinsmann Looking at Long-Term Changes for US

Jurgen Klinsmann is focusing on long-term changes and not short-term results. And that's OK with his boss at the U.S. Soccer Federation. "It's not quite a mulligan," USSF president Sunil Gulati said before Tuesday night's 1-0 loss to Ecuador. "It's a growing process." Since the former German star and coach replaced Bob Bradley in late July, the Americans are 1-3-1, tying Mexico 1-1 and losing to Costa Rica and Belgium 1-0 before last weekend's 1-0 win over Honduras. When Bradley took over from Bruce Arena after the 2006 World Cup — when talks between Gulati and Klinsmann failed to reach an agreement — Bradley got off to a 10-0-1 start. "He certainly felt more pressure about results than Jurgen feels," Gulati said before the match, clearly comfortable with stumbles in Klinsmann's first few exhibitions. "Part of the attraction, obviously, is he's an innovative guy and wants to try things, not necessarily only things that have a 50-year track record of success, but some new things. So that always takes a little time for everyone — staff, coaching staff, players, leadership — and everyone's adjusting." Ecuador won as second-half substitute Jaime Ayovi beat defender Tim Ream to a cross and scored in the 79th minute. Ream, a young but relatively inexperienced center back, received his first minutes with the national team since the 2-1 loss to Panama during the opening round of the CONCACAF Gold Cup in June. The Americans have gone 23 games without scoring more than two goals, since beating Australia 3-1 in their last warmup before the 2010 World Cup. "It's a growing process and, obviously, also a couple of knocks that you have to accept," Klinsmann said. He is trying new formations, new assistants and a new fitness staff. He's also working with Gulati, USSF chief executive officer Dan Flynn and youth technical director Claudio Reyna on planning for next year's Olympics, where players are mostly limited to 23 and under. Klinsmann estimates about one-third of his 2014 World Cup roster will come from the Olympic team. He projects forwards Jozy Altidore, Juan Agudelo and Teal Bunbury; midfielder Danny Williams; defender Timmy Chandler; and goalkeeper Bill Hamid as making the London roster. "Hopefully they get a great experience if everything goes OK with the qualifiers in March," Klinsmann said. Gulati said the USSF might announce an Olympic coach within a month and left open the possibility that Tab Ramos could move up. Ramos, a former national team standout, has been interim coach of the under-20 team since Thomas Rongen was fired in May. In turn, under-17 coach Wilmer Cabrera could move up to the U-20s. "A big part of what Jurgen's challenge will be is how do we influence all of those other things, like Claudio is working on, so that four, six, eight years from now — player development issues," Gulati said. "He's not going to invent new players under a short period of time." Still, Klinsmann has made a few changes to the U.S. lineup. He gave Oguchi Onyewu his first start since June, and the 6-foot-4 central defender played a strong match. Following knee surgery in October 2009, Onyewu had struggled to regain his form until becoming a regular with Sporting Lisbon this season. Williams made his second straight start since gaining an American passport last month and Chandler, a fellow German-American, has become the starter at left back. Fabian Johnson, who switched allegiance to the U.S. after starting for Germany in the 2009 European Under-21 final, is expected to make his debut after recovering from a neck injury. When Landon Donovan (quadriceps) and Jose Torres (foot surgery) return from injuries, there will be heightened competition for midfield spots. And that doesn't even include Stuart Holden, out until spring following his second knee surgery this year. Already, Michael Bradley has been benched in favor of Williams, Maurice Edu, Brek Shea and Kyle Beckerman. Jermaine Jones and Ricardo Clark weren't invited to the latest camp. "That fight, midfield, will really heat up," Klinsmann said. "So we get some interesting situations, and for me as a coach, very good options." Players headed back to their clubs, but the national team will reform for two games in Europe from Nov. 11-15. One is likely to be at France, which qualified for the European Championship on Tuesday and no longer needs the dates next month for a playoff. The other could be in Eastern Europe. "Everyone still wants to see wins," Gulati said. But for now, scores aren't the priority. "The first few results haven't been great," captain Carlos Bocanegra said. "It's just frustrating, but we're moving in the right direction."

France Look to Keep Building After Euro 2012 Qualification

France got the point they needed to ensure qualification for Euro 2012 against a hard-working Bosnia side Tuesday but Laurent Blanc's team know they will need further improvement to make an impression at next year's finals. The French have struggled since following up their World Cup victory on home soil in 1998 with the European crown two years later and although those dominant days are a thing of the past, the current crop are proving a tough side to beat. Trailing to a sublime Edin Dzeko strike, France can thank the Bosnian hitman's Manchester City team mate Samir Nasri for converting a second half penalty that booked the side's ticket to the finals and extended their unbeaten streak to 15 games. "We want to stay invincible as long as possible," Valencia centre back Adil Rami told reporters after Tuesday's win. "Our 15-game unbeaten run is great for confidence. This is a statistic that we need to use to help us grow." Blanc is hoping to line up a couple of friendlies next month before France's championship credentials are given a thorough test against a German side that won all 10 of their qualifying games in Bremen next February. "We will play games with nothing at stake against top teams so it will be the opportunity to develop our play," Blanc said. Last year, France were completely outplayed by Spain at the Stade de France, losing 2-0 in a friendly that sowed the seeds for a disastrous World Cup, where they were knocked out in the first round and were torn apart by off-field controversies. "That scar will never go away because there will always be someone, a blogger, reporters, who will talk about it and because the players involved will never forget," added Blanc, who will hope inject some new blood before the finals. "We will certainly give playing time to those we have not seen much yet," he said. Midfielder Nasri, meanwhile, is hoping France will use those games to "grow as a team." "When you look at the best teams -- Germany and Spain -- you see that they have been playing together for a long time and that's what we need if we are to compete at the highest level," he said. "That's what we must work on, grow as a team, because otherwise, we have the players we need, we all play at the biggest clubs." Defender Eric Abidal believes France can ill-afford a repeat of the first half against Bosnia at next year's finals or their stay in Poland and Ukraine could be a short one. "If we have a 45-minute lapse like that at Euro, we will pay dearly for it," the Barcelona player said.

Portugal Among Four Seeds for Euro 2012 Playoff Draw

Portugal, Croatia, Ireland and the Czech Republic have been seeded for Thursday's draw for next month's Euro 2012 playoffs, UEFA said in a statement Wednesday. The decision means Euro 2004 runners-up Portugal, who missed out on automatic qualification for next June's finals in Ukraine and Poland after Tuesday's 2-1 defeat in Denmark, will face either unseeded Turkey, Bosnia, Estonia or Montenegro. The draw for the November 11/12 and 15 two-legged ties will take place at 1100 GMT in Krakow Thursday. Croatia were second in Group F behind Greece and could now face fellow former Yugoslavs Bosnia or Montenegro, the latter of whom are making their playoff debut along with Estonia. Spain, Germany, Russia, Italy, France, the Netherlands, Greece, England, Denmark and best runners-up Sweden have already joined the two host nations in the finals with the tournament draw taking place on December 2 in Kiev.

FA Handed Deadline to Sort Out Governance

LONDON (Reuters) - The government told the Football Association on Wednesday to work with its partners and publish a plan to improve football governance by February 2012. The FA has been widely criticised following England's failed bid to host the 2018 World Cup and the perceived anachronistic make-up of its board, with just under half the members coming from outside the professional game. "I believe that there are improvements that can be made in the governance arrangements, which have failed to keep up with the changing pace of the modern game," Sports Minister Hugh Robertson said in a statement. "I do not want Government to run football, so this is an opportunity for the football family to work together to benefit the game in the long-term." Football's world governing body FIFA takes a dim view of governments interfering in football and has handed down heavy sanctions in the past. The government has set out a number of recommendations for the future of football including looking at the creation of a modern, accountable and representative FA board and changes to the FA's decision-making structures. The response follows a report from a committee of MPs who slammed football governance in the wake of Portsmouth becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration in 2010. FIFA has also come under pressure to reform following a string of corruption scandals but FA chairman David Bernstein, a surprise appointment to run English football last December, said he was "not holding his breath" about any global changes.

Government Wants Overhaul of English Soccer

LONDON (AP) — Britain's government demanded Wednesday that the English Football Association implement wide-ranging governance changes, including curbs on debt and stricter checks on foreign owners. Responding to a report by a group of influential legislators, the government backed concerns that some clubs are living on the "edge of viability" and pledged to introduce legislation that will force the FA to make the required changes if not approved by the end of February. Sports minister Hugh Robertson said the world's oldest soccer association has "failed to keep up with the changing pace of the modern game." Robertson wants the FA to seize control of the national game from the wealthy Premier League as part of a new licensing system that all clubs must adhere to. The most stringent measures would seek to address concerns over the "financial sustainability" of clubs. "Debt per se is not always a bad thing, but it must be genuinely sustainable and should be assessed as a percentage of turnover," the Department of Culture, Media and Sport said. "There is a legitimate role for the national governing body, working hand in hand with competition organizers, to ensure that appropriate and consistent checks and balances are in place to protect the overall financial integrity of the national game and its long-term viability." The growth of the Premier League since its began in 1991 has led to half of the 20 clubs being under foreign ownership. But high debt levels at clubs remain troubling. Liverpool was rescued from the brink of bankruptcy by the Boston Red Sox ownership group of John Henry one year ago. "Because of the inherent attraction of English football clubs to foreign investors and markets, particularly robust criteria need to be applied to prospective owners and directors before they are allowed to own or run a club," the government said. As part of reforms for the 2012-13 season, the government wants an independent body to run the disciplinary process, stripping the FA of the power to ban players. The government also wants clubs to release players to appear for the under 17, 19 and 21 sides and not just the senior team in a bid to help England end a trophy drought stretching back to the 1966 World Cup. "Government is fully committed to ensuring that the changes put forward by the football authorities make a lasting and substantive difference," the response to Parliament said. "If that does not happen the Government will introduce a legal requirement on the Football Association to implement the appropriate governance clauses by the swiftest possible means."

Usual Suspects Lead Class Heading Into Euro 2012

LONDON — The long road to Poland and Ukraine is almost closed. Spain, Germany and the Netherlands are travelling superior class to Euro 2012, as they did to the previous tournaments. The Germans, still growing and still bringing fresh young talents through the ranks, closed out their qualification with a perfect 10th-straight victory Tuesday. Their 3-1 demolition of Belgium in Düsseldorf was proof, if proof was needed, that the new cosmopolitan Germany will not let up, even when the only thing at stake is pride in performance. Winning, they say, is too good a habit to break. Likewise, Spain. The reigning European and world champion fielded a few fringe players against Scotland at Alicante, but still won by the same score as Germany to keep up its own perfect run to the finals. A 5th goal in 10 national team games for Germany’s 20-year-old winger, André Schürrle, was typical of the fast, coordinated, athletic counterattack that epitomizes Germany. A 50th goal in his 80th international game by David Villa emphasized that Spanish hunger is far from sated. The two countries that contested the last European Championship and set the standards at the World Cup in South Africa a year ago, are playing with the confidence and the know-how of champions. Almost up to their level, but without the same depth of reserves, come the Dutch. The Netherlands also won every qualifying match that counted until this week when, in Sweden against a home side desperate for the points, a considerably weakened Dutch lineup succumbed, 3-2. The result didn’t mean a lot to the Netherlands, which had already qualified after nine consecutive victories. It meant everything to the Swedes, whose eighth victory in 10 games gave them the automatic right to play in the tournament finals as the best runner-up in any of the European groups. Maybe, just maybe, Scandinavian soccer is on the rise again. What Sweden could do in Stockholm, the Danes were more than prepared to match in Copenhagen, where they outran and largely outplayed Portugal. The 2-1 home victory scarcely did justice to Denmark’s greater collective determination. It flattered the Portuguese, who after five successive victories expected to top the group, but finished second. All that Portugal had to do was tie the final game. But Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani and company said they were not going to Copenhagen to draw; they were sure they had the skills to win. Those boasts proved a spur to the Danes. With 38,000 roaring on the national team, the midfield players worked like dervishes to deny Portugal’s arguably finer artists the room to create. Denmark scored an unanswered, predatory goal from Michael Krohn-Dehli in the first half. It increased that lead with a well-rehearsed second, made by Dennis Rommedahl’s cross and scored by the foot of Nicklas Bendtner. And long before Ronaldo curled in one of his magical free kicks to score Portugal’s consolation goal in injury time, there could have been a landslide in the Danes’ favor. “We were playing against two of the best wingers in the world,” said Denmark’s captain, goalie Thomas Sorensen. “But we didn’t see much of them for almost the entire match.” Portugal thus has to go into the playoff draw Thursday in Krakow, Poland, to determine the pairings between eight nations who finished second in their groups but could yet qualify through playoff games to be contested, home and away, in mid-November. Those places include teams like Croatia and Turkey and Portugal, which expected to qualify in the first place. They include Estonia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, which represent the changing map of the Baltic and Balkan region. The Estonians qualified in second place in their group without even playing Tuesday. Their joy was Serbia’s despair because the Serbs, needing just a point in Slovenia, went down, 1-0. Nemanja Vidic, the captain of Manchester United, missed a penalty kick and, possibly in the emotion of failure, he and Serbia’s accomplished midfielder, Dejan Stankovic, indicated that they would now retire from the national team. “It’s time,” said Vidic, 29, “for a change of generations.” “It’s time,” said Stankovic, 33, “for me to turn to my tasks with Inter Milan.”

Denmark and France Make Euro 2012

LONDON (AP) — Denmark gained an automatic spot at the 2012 European Championship at the expense of Portugal on Tuesday while France needed a late penalty kick in a 1-1 draw with Bosnia-Herzegovina to qualify. Former champion Greece and Russia also clinched places at next summer's tournament in Ukraine and Poland with victories in the final round of qualifying games. Sweden beat the Netherlands 3-2 to advance as the runner-up with the best record from the nine groups. A 2-0 defeat in Copenhagen dropped Portugal into next month's qualification playoffs, along with Turkey, Ireland, Estonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia and Czech Republic. Defending champion Spain and Germany won to finish group play with perfect records.