Libya's 2012 African Cup of Nations qualifier against Comoros has been moved from Tripoli because of the country's political turmoil.
The Confederation of African Football says it's seeking a neutral country to host the match. It was scheduled between March 25-27 in Tripoli's June 11 stadium.
After two matches, Libya leads the group, which includes Mozambique and Zambia.
Last week, CAF decided Libya was unsafe to host the eight-nation African Under-20 Championship scheduled March 18-April 1 in Tripoli and Benghazi.
CAF says a new venue and rescheduled match dates in April-May will be announced next week.
Algeria's federation says it and South Africa have offered to host the event, a qualifier for the Under-20 World Cup.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Serbian fan sentenced in Italy for inciting riot
A Serbian fan has been convicted for instigating a riot at a European Championship qualifier in Italy in October, receiving a jail sentence of three years, three months.
Wearing a black mask to cover his face, 29-year-old Ivan Bogdanov climbed onto a barrier separating fans from the field, used a wire cutter to slice apart a mesh fence and launched fireworks onto the field as he encouraged other Serbian fans to do the same.
European soccer's governing body awarded Italy a 3-0 win over Serbia after the Oct. 12 match was stopped in the seventh minute with the score 0-0. The Union of European Football Associations also ordered Serbia to play its home match against Northern Ireland on March 25 in an empty stadium.
Three other Serbian fans received slightly shorter sentences at the trial in Genoa, with charges ranging from resisting public officials to damaging public property, as well as violating rules for behavior inside stadiums, the ANSA news agency said.
Four other Serbia fans made a plea bargain last month in which they were released from jail and banned from Italy for five years.
Bogdanov and the other fans on trial have been held in Genoa since the match.
Wearing a black mask to cover his face, 29-year-old Ivan Bogdanov climbed onto a barrier separating fans from the field, used a wire cutter to slice apart a mesh fence and launched fireworks onto the field as he encouraged other Serbian fans to do the same.
European soccer's governing body awarded Italy a 3-0 win over Serbia after the Oct. 12 match was stopped in the seventh minute with the score 0-0. The Union of European Football Associations also ordered Serbia to play its home match against Northern Ireland on March 25 in an empty stadium.
Three other Serbian fans received slightly shorter sentences at the trial in Genoa, with charges ranging from resisting public officials to damaging public property, as well as violating rules for behavior inside stadiums, the ANSA news agency said.
Four other Serbia fans made a plea bargain last month in which they were released from jail and banned from Italy for five years.
Bogdanov and the other fans on trial have been held in Genoa since the match.
Italy announces March 29 friendly in Ukraine
The Italian football federation has announced the Azzurri will play a friendly against Ukraine in Kiev on March 29.
The match comes four days after Italy visits Slovenia in European Championship qualifying and it will also give the Azzurri a chance to visit one of the host countries for next year's tournament.
Italy leads its qualifying group, three points ahead of Slovenia, while Ukraine qualifies directly for Euro 2012 as co-host with Poland.
In six meetings with Ukraine, Italy has won five and drawn once. One of the victories was a 3-0 win in the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup, which Italy went on to win.
The match comes four days after Italy visits Slovenia in European Championship qualifying and it will also give the Azzurri a chance to visit one of the host countries for next year's tournament.
Italy leads its qualifying group, three points ahead of Slovenia, while Ukraine qualifies directly for Euro 2012 as co-host with Poland.
In six meetings with Ukraine, Italy has won five and drawn once. One of the victories was a 3-0 win in the quarterfinals of the 2006 World Cup, which Italy went on to win.
Toulalan signs new contract with Lyon
France midfielder Jeremy Toulalan has signed a new contract with seven-time French champion Lyon until 2015.
Toulalan joined Lyon from Nantes in 2006 and won two French titles with the club.
Toulalan struggled this season after failing to recover quickly from France's World Cup debacle. He was banned for one match by the French football federation for his role in the boycott of a training session in South Africa.
Lyon coach Claude Puel said Toulalan "came back to a very good level, which is obviously good for the team."
Toulalan is the fourth player to extend his contract with Lyon this season after Remy Vercoutre, Jeremy Pied and Anthony Reveillere.
Toulalan, who said he will end his career in Lyon, has played 36 times for France.
Toulalan joined Lyon from Nantes in 2006 and won two French titles with the club.
Toulalan struggled this season after failing to recover quickly from France's World Cup debacle. He was banned for one match by the French football federation for his role in the boycott of a training session in South Africa.
Lyon coach Claude Puel said Toulalan "came back to a very good level, which is obviously good for the team."
Toulalan is the fourth player to extend his contract with Lyon this season after Remy Vercoutre, Jeremy Pied and Anthony Reveillere.
Toulalan, who said he will end his career in Lyon, has played 36 times for France.
FIFA lifts ban on Israel's soccer coach
FIFA has lifted its suspension of Israel national team coach Luis Fernandez.
Fernandez was suspended by soccer's governing body last month because he had not obeyed a November 2009 disciplinary committee ruling regarding a long-standing debt he owed to a club in Qatar.
The debt has now been settled, and FIFA said Fernandez has been given the go-ahead to coach the team this month for the European Championship qualifiers.
Responding to the decision, Fernandez said: "I arranged things with FIFA so that I can be with my team. Now everyone has to have one aim, to get six points from the upcoming two games against Latvia and Georgia."
Fernandez was suspended by soccer's governing body last month because he had not obeyed a November 2009 disciplinary committee ruling regarding a long-standing debt he owed to a club in Qatar.
The debt has now been settled, and FIFA said Fernandez has been given the go-ahead to coach the team this month for the European Championship qualifiers.
Responding to the decision, Fernandez said: "I arranged things with FIFA so that I can be with my team. Now everyone has to have one aim, to get six points from the upcoming two games against Latvia and Georgia."
Saturday, March 5, 2011
England tried royal influence in World Cup bid
England's failed 2018 football World Cup bid tried to use Prince Andrew's relationship with the Qatari royal family to secure a voting alliance, a report said Saturday.
It came as several newspapers rounded on Queen Elizabeth II's second son over his business links.
The British Broadcasting Corporation claimed a freedom of information request it submitted showed that diplomats and the Football Association (FA), the game's governing body in England, had worked on a strategy for Qatar's support.
Fifty-one-year-old Andrew, the Duke of York, has served as Britain's special representative for international trade and investment since 2001 and has significant influence and contacts worldwide.
Correspondence from British diplomats in Qatar made it clear that securing the support of the Gulf state's emir would be crucial to England's chances of landing the 2018 tournament, the BBC said.
Its report said a plan was discussed to use royal influence -- Andrew in particular -- to secure a voting alliance.
One email from a Foreign Office official said: "The advice from the ambassador in Doha is that, subject to anything that happened at that meeting, we should ask the duke to be kind enough to speak to the emir on the phone as soon as is convenient... in order to seek his support for the England bid."
It is not known if any meeting or phone call took place, the BBC said.
Andrew's office has said no lobbying took place. The FA has declined to comment.
Another email showed concerns over the eventual winning Russian bid for the 2018 tournament.
"It is the Russians who have been signalled to us consistently by the Qataris as the main threat to England," it read.
England was eliminated in the first round in December, gaining only two votes, including its own.
Prime Minister David Cameron, Prince William, the FA president and Andrew's nephew, plus former England captain David Beckham had all flown to FIFA's headquarters in Zurich in a last-ditch bid to garner support.
The 2018 tournament went to Russia, with the 2022 event heading to Qatar.
It came as several newspapers rounded on Queen Elizabeth II's second son over his business links.
The British Broadcasting Corporation claimed a freedom of information request it submitted showed that diplomats and the Football Association (FA), the game's governing body in England, had worked on a strategy for Qatar's support.
Fifty-one-year-old Andrew, the Duke of York, has served as Britain's special representative for international trade and investment since 2001 and has significant influence and contacts worldwide.
Correspondence from British diplomats in Qatar made it clear that securing the support of the Gulf state's emir would be crucial to England's chances of landing the 2018 tournament, the BBC said.
Its report said a plan was discussed to use royal influence -- Andrew in particular -- to secure a voting alliance.
One email from a Foreign Office official said: "The advice from the ambassador in Doha is that, subject to anything that happened at that meeting, we should ask the duke to be kind enough to speak to the emir on the phone as soon as is convenient... in order to seek his support for the England bid."
It is not known if any meeting or phone call took place, the BBC said.
Andrew's office has said no lobbying took place. The FA has declined to comment.
Another email showed concerns over the eventual winning Russian bid for the 2018 tournament.
"It is the Russians who have been signalled to us consistently by the Qataris as the main threat to England," it read.
England was eliminated in the first round in December, gaining only two votes, including its own.
Prime Minister David Cameron, Prince William, the FA president and Andrew's nephew, plus former England captain David Beckham had all flown to FIFA's headquarters in Zurich in a last-ditch bid to garner support.
The 2018 tournament went to Russia, with the 2022 event heading to Qatar.
FIFA plans clampdown on friendlies
FIFA is planning to take greater control over international friendlies after a fake Togo team played in one game in September and seven penalties were awarded in two matches in Turkey last month.
Until now, FIFA have taken little interest in friendlies, allowing national associations to set up games where and when they want without intervention.
But on Thursday FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke said that, following the recent incidents which threatened the sport’s credibility, football’s governing body planned to tighten the rules.
“We have had problems with friendlies played in Turkey and also the match between Bahrain and Togo and we want to make sure these kind of matches cannot happen anymore without a clear indication to FIFA,” Valcke told reporters.
“We will strengthen our capabilities of intervening if we have the feeling there is a suspicion of match fixing, or whatever to protect football.”
“We would need a several types of information including the name of the referee. FIFA and the confederation will have the power to change the referee if we think he’s not the right referee to be in charge.
“In Turkey, there was a grey area.”
Seven penalties were awarded in two friendlies held one after the other in the Turkish resort of Antalya last month with Latvia beating Bolivia 2-1 and Estonia drawing 2-2 with Bulgaria.
All four federations complained to FIFA, who are investigating, and Bolivia cancelled friendlies this month against Finland and Bulgaria, also in Turkey.
Bahrain’s 3-0 win over Togo was quickly forgotten when it transpired that the African team was a fake.
Tchanile Bana, an assistant coach of the real team, was suspended for three years for taking the imposters to Bahrain.
Valcke said the new measures would first have to be approved by the FIFA Congress in May.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he took the threat of match-fixing, usually by illegal betting rings, seriously.
“We have 60 professionals working in our legal service, it is one of the biggest departments,” he said.
“Football has become a very attractive game for gambling and we have to protect it.
“You have to protect the game. We are a victim of our popularity and we must also take responsibility.”
Until now, FIFA have taken little interest in friendlies, allowing national associations to set up games where and when they want without intervention.
But on Thursday FIFA secretary-general Jerome Valcke said that, following the recent incidents which threatened the sport’s credibility, football’s governing body planned to tighten the rules.
“We have had problems with friendlies played in Turkey and also the match between Bahrain and Togo and we want to make sure these kind of matches cannot happen anymore without a clear indication to FIFA,” Valcke told reporters.
“We will strengthen our capabilities of intervening if we have the feeling there is a suspicion of match fixing, or whatever to protect football.”
“We would need a several types of information including the name of the referee. FIFA and the confederation will have the power to change the referee if we think he’s not the right referee to be in charge.
“In Turkey, there was a grey area.”
Seven penalties were awarded in two friendlies held one after the other in the Turkish resort of Antalya last month with Latvia beating Bolivia 2-1 and Estonia drawing 2-2 with Bulgaria.
All four federations complained to FIFA, who are investigating, and Bolivia cancelled friendlies this month against Finland and Bulgaria, also in Turkey.
Bahrain’s 3-0 win over Togo was quickly forgotten when it transpired that the African team was a fake.
Tchanile Bana, an assistant coach of the real team, was suspended for three years for taking the imposters to Bahrain.
Valcke said the new measures would first have to be approved by the FIFA Congress in May.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter said he took the threat of match-fixing, usually by illegal betting rings, seriously.
“We have 60 professionals working in our legal service, it is one of the biggest departments,” he said.
“Football has become a very attractive game for gambling and we have to protect it.
“You have to protect the game. We are a victim of our popularity and we must also take responsibility.”
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