FOOTY FAIR

The UEFA Champions League is Back

2016-08-26T08:00:00.001-04:00

Get ready to take a frosty tall can of Heineken from the fridge, throw some pretzels in a dish, crank up the surround sound, quickly explain to your bored significant other how Ludogorets qualified for Europe and then settle down onto your well worn couch.

That's right ladies and gentlemen, the UEFA Champions League is back.

All eyes were on Monaco on Thursday for the draw and after a lot of backslapping, weak as cat piss jokes, glamorous people looking glamorous and balls coming out of pots, here is how the draw worked out:

Group A: Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, FC Basel, Ludogorets.

Group B: Benfica, Napoli, Dynamo Kiev, Besiktas.

Group C: Barcelona, Manchester City, Borussia Monchengladbach, Celtic.

Group D: Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, PSV Eindhoven, Rostov.

Group E: CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen, Tottenham, Monaco.

Group F: Real Madrid, Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon, Legia Warsaw.

Group G: Leicester City, Porto, Club Brugge, Dinamo Zagreb.

Group H: Juventus, Sevilla, Lyon, Dinamo Zagreb.

At a glance it looks like the four English clubs did fairly well on Thursday with Arsenal and PSG, baring a shock, getting out of Group A. fairy tale domestic champions Leicester are in a pretty even Group G with Porto, Brugge and Dinamo Zagreb, but will fancy their chances after avoiding any of the big dogs.

Manchester City will have their hands full with Barcelona, and will likely have wanted to avoid a "Battle of Britain" with Celtic, but they should emerge from Group C.

Tottenham, in the meantime will be fairly happy with how their Group E has shaped up.

Elsewhere, Group H containing Juventus, Sevilla, Lyon, and Dinamo Zagreb looks like the most competitive group. Behind the Turin giants it'll be a real battle between Sevilla and Lyon for the second spot, but don't overlook Dinamo Zagreb. The Croatia side are decent outfit and aren't usually pushovers at home.

Group F, with 2014 and 2016 Champions League winners Real Madrid coming up against Dortmund, Sporting Lisbon, Legia Warsaw should be another interesting group. Madrid will of course be the favourites to win the group, but behind them it will be fascinating to see if Dortmund under Thomas Tuchel can replicate their impressive domestic results in Europe or if they'll come unglued against Sporting or Legia.

One thing we call all agree on though, unless you support either of these two teams, is that it'll be nice to see someone finally stop Real Madrid and Bayern Munich from reaching the last four.

For the past five seasons, both clubs have made the Semi-Finals every year. Time for a change.

The Welsh Fan Who Slept Through His Country's Biggest Moment in Nearly Sixty Years

2016-06-13T16:08:00.000-04:00

It had been nearly sixty years, fifty-eight to be precise, since the last time the national side of Wales had taken to the pitch in the final stages of a major tournament.

In fact, it was a 17-year old kid named Pele that scored the last goal against them in a major finals when the Brazilian legend knocked the John Charles led Welsh side out of the 1958 World Cup quarter-finals in Sweden.

After qualifying for this year's UEFA European Championship's in France, thousands of excited Welsh supporters flocked to the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux on Saturday to take in their country's opening group match with Slovakia.

Y Dreigiau ("The Dragons") did not disappoint as a terrific Gareth Bale freekick put them ahead after ten minutes, and although Duda equalized for Slovakia on 61 minutes, a scuffed effort by Hal Robson-Kanu in the 81st minute proved to be the winner.

But one sorry Welsh fan, perhaps under the influence of a beer or two, missed all of it.

Falling asleep just after the national anthems, the Wales fan pictured in the tweet below failed to respond to any of the goals and even the efforts of Welsh rugby legend Shane Williams, who shook him by the scalp.

How upset is this guy right about now?

What happens when you’re drunk and sleep through the national anthem? Shane turns up and shakes you by the scalp. pic.twitter.com/MGFV1THEgh
— HuwTg (@apeo) June 12, 2016

Throwback Thursdays: Euro '96 - The Year Football Came Home

2016-06-09T08:00:00.000-04:00

Growing up in Canada as a displaced in Brit in the 1980's meant hiding my accent, while also taking special care to not slip up and utter any of the slangs my family still used. Because being different in small town Ontario at that time meant being teased or beaten up.

Besides small town prejudice, the biggest sport in Canada, hockey, had characters like Harold Ballard and Don Cherry mocking Europeans on TV or in print with not even thinly veiled racism about their supposed weak willed character. Simply put, on the school yards and likely elsewhere it wasn't always the most tolerant society back then.

Even though some of us played football, or soccer rather, in the school playground or with local recreational teams no one followed the professional game. I would get funny looks whenever I would wear a English club kit to school and people would poke fun at "that foreign sport with the sponsor's name on the front's of the jerseys".

Besides the World Cup, coverage of football over here was minimal with the FA Cup Final being the only club match broadcast in its entirety. Even that wasn't always shown live, but rather on tape delay.

In high school I met a guy who had just moved over from Scotland and finally I had someone to talk to about football, along with a buddy to swap issues of Shoot, Match and 90 Minutes with.

On a larger scale though, culturally things began to change around that time. Soccer Saturday launched on TSN in Canada and it started exposing more people to the game. Some pubs, which became my Saturday morning havens, started showing full matches on satellite.

Then one day I saw a video on Much Music called "Boys and Girls" by Blur.

Unlike most bands from the UK that appeared in videos over here or on our airwaves at that time, Blur didn't try to disguise their Englishness. They both celebrated it and poked fun at aspects of it. Other British bands with similar attitudes began to break at that time, and then along came the most English band of them all: Oasis.

Suddenly, for the first time in my life it was cool to be English. And I fucking liked being cool for once.

I spent the summer of 1995 in England and you could feel a vibe of optimism in the air that had seemed lacking when I had visited during the 1980's. The Conservatives looked like they were on the way out, British music ruled and the Premier League was on the cusp of becoming the greatest show on earth.

As for the national side, after England's failure to qualify for the 1994 World Cup in America there wasn't the expectation that they would do anything that special at the 1996 UEFA European Championships, even though they were hosting the tournament.

But during the long two and half years of friendlies before the tournament, manager Terry Venables had figured out a system to get the best out of the players he had available. He had devised a continental setup utilizing wing backs, as well a deep lying striker in Teddy Sheringham who would brilliantly play off of goalscorer supreme Alan Shearer.

Although none of us knew what to expect, at the height of Britpop anything seemed possible.

A few weeks prior to the tournament, comedians Frank Skinner and David Baddiel, in collaboration with indie pop group The Lightning Seeds, released an official single for the English national side entitled "Three Lions". Not only did the song cheerily mix pessimistic British humour with flashbacks to a glorious past and a dash of optimism for good measure, it was incredibly catchy and it ended up rocketing to number one on the British music charts. It was that sort of summer.

Although England's campaign got off to a slow start with a 1-1 draw with Switzerland, a 2-0 victory over the Auld Enemy (Scotland) seemed to send the hype machine into overdrive.

The match, which featured a penalty save by David Seaman and a goal for the ages from Paul Gascoigne, was capped off by Gazza's cheeky 'dentist chair' celebration which poked fun at the squad's drunken hi-jinks in the Far East prior to the tournament.

But up next came the Netherlands, a real test considering the quality of a squad largely made up of Ajax players who had won the UEFA Champions League a year earlier.

Venables side didn't just beat the Netherlands though, they destroyed them. In brushing aside the Dutch 4-1, they played arguably the best football in a competitive fixture in my lifetime and I'm including the 5-1 win in 2001 in Germany in that assessment.

A quarterfinal win over Spain on penalty kick's setup a meeting with Germany in the semi finals, and of course it would all end in tears when poor Gareth Southgate missed England's final penalty in another shootout.

Germany would go on to defeat the Czech Republic 2-1 in the final.

It had been a wonderful tournament for England though, as they had earned back some respect and had gotten an often divided country behind them.

Unfortunately, we didn't realize at the time that Euro 96 was the end of an era.

England, to date, would never again make it as far as a semi finals in a major tournament, Britpop would destroy itself with cocaine fueled overindulgence, New Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair would turn out to be a fraud for the ages who would toss aside the core values of the labour movement while also plunging Britain into the quagmire of Iraq, the economy would hit the skids, social issues that had probably always existed got a hell of a lot worse, and now Britain stands on the verge of leaving the European Union.

It's an uncertain time, and I guess I can't be blamed for thinking back with rose tinted nostalgia to that warm summer of 1996 when the Three Lions were briefly great and it was cool to be English.

5 Players to Watch at Euro 2016

2016-06-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

UEFA Euro 2016 kicks off in France on June 10 as 24 sides set their sights on landing the Henri Delaunay Trophy.

The following are five players to look out for this summer:

Gareth Bale (Wales)

As Wales make their first appearance in a major tournament in over 50 years, the player they will be counting on more than any other is the fleet footed Gareth Bale. Coming off of a second Champions League title with Real Madrid this season, Bale will be motivated to show that he can perform on one of international footballs biggest stages.

Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)

After making his tournament debut for Portugal at Euro 2004, Bale's club teammate Cristiano Ronaldo has at times seemed to be one man attacking force for his country. Whether or not he has the supporting cast to help him land an elusive title at international level remains to be seen, but one thing for certain it's that Ronaldo will be one of the biggest scoring threats in France this summer.

Paul Pogba (France)

The hosts have high expectations heading into the European Championships, and with one of their strongest squads in years it's easy to see why. But if there is one player who could really influence their progress this summer more than anyone it's Juventus midfielder Paul Pogba. Still only 23 years old, the quick and powerful Frenchman has been the subject of several lucrative transfer rumours over the past few months and you can probably increase his price tag by at least 10% if he leads his country to glory.

Harry Kane (England)

A classic centre forward in the mold of Alan Shearer, Tottenham's Harry Kane will be key to England's chances in France. Strong in possession, good in the air and with a terrific eye for goal, Kane is the type of natural finisher that the Three Lions have lacked for some time.

Robert Lewandowski (Poland)

Scorer of over 160 goals in all competitions for his club sides in Germany over the past five seasons, there is no doubt that Robert Lewandowski is one of the best strikers in the world. The Polish striker supreme led all goalscorers in Euro 2016 qualifying with 13 goals and will be relied upon again to provide his country's firepower in the tournament proper.

10 European Trophies that Were Won Yesterday

2016-05-22T08:09:00.000-04:00

May 21, 2016 was a true day of action in European football. From cup finals, to domestic league titles won on the last day, to the U17 Euros final match, this day had it all and we have put together a list of 10 trophies picked up yesterday.

Belarusian Cup (BATE Borisov 0 - 0 Torpedo Zhodino *)

After a 55 year history without a single trophy, Belarusian side Torpedo Zhodino managed to capture their very first by winning the domestic cup. After a 0-0 draw and despite missing 2 of their 5 penalty shots, the side that plays in a 3,000 capacity stadium managed to come away with the 3-2 PK win over the league's most successful club BATE Borisov.

Israel Ligat Ha'Al (Hapoel Be'er Sheva)

Hapoel Be'er Sheva captured the Israeli league title on the last day of action after winning their last match, coming in 2 points ahead of the league's most successful side Maccabi Tel-Aviv. This is Be'er Sheva's first title since 1976. The title also hands the club their first ever spot in the UEFA Champions League.

Ukrainian Cup (Zorya 0 - 2 Shakhtar Donetsk)

After claiming their 10th Ukrainian Cup on Saturday, Shakhtar is now sitting just one cup shy of all-time leaders Dynamo Kyiv who have won it 11 times. The 2-0 win over Zorya Luhansk was the product of Oleksandr Hladkyy's great performance as he scored both of Shakhtar's goals.

Russian Premier League (CSKA Moscow)

After an incredible season which almost saw minnows FC Rostov claim the Russian league title for the very first time, CSKA Moscow won their 13th Russian/Soviet title instead, confirmed by a 1-0 win away at Rubin Kazan on the last day of play. It is also worth mentioning, that after a 3-0 loss to Zenit and an unlikely 3-1 win by FC Ufa over Spartak Moscow, Spartak's rivals and storied Soviet club Dynamo Moscow was relegated for the first time in their Russian Premier League history.

U17 UEFA Euros (Portugal U17 * 1 - 1 Spain U17)

A 5-4 penalty shootout win after a 1-1 regulation and extra time draw over Spain handed Portugal their sixth U17 European title; their first since 2003. A 0-0 draw against Belgium in the group stages was Portugal's only non winning performance as Benfica's 17 year old José Gomes also picked up the Golden Boot with his tournament best 7 goals.

Scottish Cup (Rangers 2 - 3 Hibernian)

A cup final that was contested by two sides from the nation's second tier The Scottish Championship, Hibernian came out the unlikely winners, who despite their inability to secure promotion, defeated storied club Rangers who had in fact secured promotion back to the Premiership earlier in the season. Overcoming a 2-1 deficit in the last 10 minutes of the match, the "Hibs" celebrated their third Scottish Cup victory; their first since 1902.

Coupe de France (Marseille 2-4 Paris Saint-Germain)

There was no match for the side from the capital city this entire season, and it was no different in the Coupe de France final as departing star Zlatan Ibrahimovic picked up yet another trophy for his and PSG's collection after scoring twice in his side's 4-2 win over rivals Marseille. This is Paris Saint-Germain's record 10th cup win.

DFB Pokal (FC Bayern * 0-0 Borussia Dortmund)

In an emotional final match as the bench-boss of FC Bayern, Pep Guardiola's side gave their departing manager one last victory, overcoming Borussia Dortmund in penalty shootouts to claim the DFB Pokal. The contest could not be settled in regulation or extra time as neither club managed to score a goal, but the Bavarian side were the better from the spot, claiming the cup with a 4-3 PK win.

Coppa Italia (AC Milan 0-1a.e.t. Juventus)

After a tough start, Juventus won the Serie A title in fairly comfortable fashion. But the Coppa Italia final was a tightly contested match with AC Milan throwing everything they could at the champions in hopes of winning their first silverware since 2011. Scoreless after the initial 90 minutes, Milan's hopes were shattered as Juve's Spanish youngster Alvaro Morata put the champions ahead for good in the 110th minute, handing the "Old Lady" their 11th Coppa Italia win; their second in back-to-back seasons.

The FA Cup (Crystal Palace 1-2a.e.t. Manchester United)

As has been the case since legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson left the Red Devils, United's FA Cup final against Crystal Palace was not necessarily the smoothest of affairs. Having not won any silverware since Fergie left his post, the 2-1 extra-time victory was exactly what the club needed to release the tension however. 90th minute sub Jesse Lingard who came on for United's first goal-scorer Juan Mata put the decisive ball in the back of Palace's net in the 110th minute, securing a cup win United has not managed to achieve since 2004. With the victory United has tied Arsenal for most FA Cup wins with 12.

Cheating and Corruption in Football - Part 1 of 5: Anderlecht Buy Themselves an Official

2016-04-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

There's cheating, like throwing yourself on the ground to win a penalty, and then there's really using the "dark arts" to get one over on an opponent.

The following is the first in our series of five shameful tales of dishonesty in football:

Anderlecht v Nottingham Forest, UEFA Cup Semi-Final, 2nd Leg - 1984

Brian Clough's Forest side had put themselves in a good position in the first leg of their UEFA Cup semi-final in 1984, with a comprehensive 2-0 victory at the City Ground.

Clough though hadn't counted on the machinations of Anderlecht's president Constant Vanden Stock when they arrived in Belgium for the second leg.

The referee in charge that night in April was a Spaniard named Emilio Guruceta Muro who already had a bit of a poor reputation after a string of controversial decisions at home and abroad over the years. Forest's players and their famously outspoken manager weren't happy with his appointment, but were confident that they could hold on to their advantage and meet fellow English side Tottenham in the final.

There were a few borderline calls for free kicks not long after the kickoff, but nothing seemed that out of the ordinary even after Enzo Scifo had staked Anderlecht into 1-0 lead on the night on 20 minutes.

At the hour mark though Forest finally had a knife driven straight into their backs when Muro ruled that Kenny Swain had brought down Anderlecht's Kenneth Brylle for a penalty.

The problem was that Swain was at least three or four yards away when Brylle theatrically threw himself on the floor, and he was in an offside position to begin with.

With the penalty converted, and the aggregate score tied, Forest were up against it and the players began to fear that the fix was in.

With two minutes to go, Erwin Vandenbergh put Anderlecht up 3-0 on the night and ahead on aggregate, but there was one last twist in the tale.

Deep into injury-time, Forest won a corner that Paul Hart put away with a free header to seemingly win the tie. But before he could celebrate, that man Muro had blown for a foul.

What the foul was he never really explained to Forest's enraged players and with that the match, and Forest's involvement in the UEFA Cup for the season, was over.

Although Forest never staged an official protest at the time, they knew they had been cheated and Clough made sure to tell some of the equally baffled media of his suspicions.

Anderlecht for their part would lose the final on penalties to Spurs and for thirteen years the majority of the football world forgot about the controversy surrounding the Belgian side's run to the final.

The controversial Muro, who had few admirers in his native Spain either due to his suspicious handling of several big fixtures over the years, died in a car crash in 1987.

In 1997, under pressure from an alleged blackmail plot by someone close to the club, Anderlecht officials finally confirmed that they had arranged for a local gangster to pay Muro close to 20,000 pounds to fix the match against Forest in their favour.

The club were subsequently banned from European competition for one year, a fairly light punishment all things considered, and although several Forest players tried to take legal action against Anderlecht, their cases didn't make much headway.

5 Facts About the UEFA European Championships

2016-03-20T08:00:00.000-04:00

The 15th edition of the UEFA European Championships will be played in France this summer pitting Europe's best footballing nations against each other in what promises to be an interesting month long tournament.

To bring you up to speed on the history of a tournament that, with all due respect to the Copa America, is probably second only to the World Cup in terms of international interest, here are five essential facts:

The French Can Take Credit for this Tournament As Well

Like the World Cup and the European Cup (aka the UEFA Champions League), the idea for a European Championship of Nations was proposed by a Frenchman. In 1927, while acting in his role as secretary-general of the French Football Federation and a member of FIFA, Henri Delaunay pushed for the creation of a European Football Championship. Working with Jules Rimet, the man who was largely behind the creation of the World Cup, Delaunay strove for the next two decades to get his idea off the ground. Eventually the qualifying stages for the first European Championships kicked off in 1958, coming unfortunately three years after Delaunay's death. To acknowledge his role in the formation of this great tournament, the trophy is named after him.

The Tournament Used to Only Feature Four Teams in the Final Stages

Unlike the present day European Championships, which for the first time ever will feature 24 nations this summer, the final stages of the tournament initially only included four finalists who had worked their way through two legged, home and away, qualifying rounds. The first tournament included 17 hopeful qualifying nations, with Czechoslovakia, the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia, and France making it through to the final stages hosted by the French. In the Semi-Finals, Yugoslavia edged past France in a 5-4 thriller, while the Soviet Union downed Czechoslovakia 3-0 in the other match. In the final in Paris, the Soviets outlasted Yugoslavia 2-1 in extra time to capture the first European Championship. The tournament would continue in this format until 1980 when it was expanded to include 8 finalists before going up to 16 teams at Euro 96 and then finally 24 this summer.

The Most Successful Nations Are Spain and Germany

With three titles apiece the most most successful sides in the history of the European Championships are Spain (1964, 2008, 2012) and Germany (1972, 1980, 1996). Spain are the only side to have successfully defended the Henri Delaunay trophy and will be looking to make it three in a row this summer.

Euro 2000 Was the Highest Scoring Tournament

After expanding to include sixteen sides in 1996, the most goals scored at a European Championships was 85 goals at Euro 2000. That tournament also holds the record of 2.74 goals per match, and featured 20 players that scored at least two goals. Featuring several standout matches in the group and knockout stages, including Spain's 4-3 thriller over Yugoslavia in the opening round and France's last gasp 2-1 win over Italy in the Final, this tournament is widely considered to be the best one ever.

Euro 2020 Will Be Hosted By Several Nations

In a move that banned former UEFA President Michel Platini announced as a "romantic" one-off event to celebrate the 60th "birthday" of the European Championship competition, Euro 2020 will be held in thirteen host cities across twelve different European countries. Set to be staged during the middle of 2020, the exact dates and how the tournament will look exactly is yet to be determined. The reaction to this proposal has been mixed to say the least.

What the European Super League Could Mean to Club Football

2016-03-07T08:00:00.000-05:00

Every summer the International Champions Cup (ICC) kicks off in North America which features clubs from the Premier League and other major European leagues, with sides from the MLS and Liga MX making up the numbers.

I've been attending ICC matches for several years, taking in matches in Toronto, Chicago, Washington DC and New York, and have seen the large enthusiastic crowds that these visiting giants draw.

Last week, Chelsea chairman Bruce Buck, Arsenal CEO Ivan Gazidis, Manchester City chief executive Ferran Soriano, Manchester United executive vice chairman Ed Woodward and Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre met in London on the pretence of discussing this summer's ICC, it's been leaked that the possibility of a European Super League was on the agenda.

Charlie Stillitano, the chairman of Relevant Sports the group that runs the ICC, confirmed that discussions have taken place regarding a major restructuring of the Champions League.

Essentially this restructuring would include invites to only the largest club sides in the world and entrance into the Super League wouldn't have anything to do with domestic league placement in the preceding season.

Stillitano, who one could argue is showing a rather stunning misunderstanding of the traditions of club football, had this to say to goal.com:

“What would Manchester United argue: did we create soccer or did Leicester create [it]?” Stillitano told SiriusXM. “Let’s call it the money pot created by soccer and the fandom around the world. Who has had more of an integral role, Manchester United or Leicester?

“I guess they don’t have a birthright to be in it every year but it’s the age-old argument: U.S. sports franchises versus what they have in Europe. There are wonderful, wonderful, wonderful elements to relegation and promotion and there are good arguments for a closed system.

“This is going to sound arrogant and it’s the furthest thing from it … but suddenly when you see the teams we have this summer in the ICC you are going to shake your head and say, ‘Isn’t that the Champions League?’ No, the Champions League is PSV and Gent.”

The last time a proposal like this was mooted back in the 1990's, UEFA scrambled to expand the number of club's in the Champions League. The expanded tournament, which allowed in more of the giants of European football as opposed to just the domestic champions, has gone on to be a massive money spinner for all involved. But apparently it isn't enough and one has to fear the outcome of all of this.

If there is no connection between domestic league standings and entrance into the top European competition, then football as we know it will never be the same. Clubs like Leicester City, who could well win the Premier League title this season, would not be rewarded for their terrific season with any glamorous European ties. Which hardly seems fair, or in the spirit of sporting competition.

Where does the greed stop?

Domestic Vs. European Titles (Quiz)

2015-11-13T08:00:00.000-05:00

Today's "True or False" FootyFair quiz takes a look at some European clubs that have actually won more titles in continental tournaments rather than their own domestic competition. The rules of the quiz are quite simple:

Answer "True" if you think the given club has indeed won more European than domestic titles, or "False" if you don't think they have.

There are 14 questions in total with half being true, while the other half being false.

Poll Maker

UEFA European Champions Quiz

2015-10-07T08:00:00.000-04:00

With the last few matches of the 2016 Euro qualifiers coming up in the next few weeks, we decided to test your knowledge of the tournament's fourteen previous winners. Since the inaugural tournament in 1960 a European champion has been crowned every four years and we will have another next summer.

Quiz Maker

How Well Do You Know European Champions? (Quiz)

2015-09-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

In today's quiz we challenge you to see how well you know the clubs that have won the most domestic league championships in 24 UEFA top leagues.

Poll Maker

What a Fall World Cup in Qatar Could Mean

2015-09-26T12:00:00.000-04:00

On a day when the Swiss attorney general opened criminal proceedings against FIFA president Sepp Blatter, the beleaguered football governing body confirmed that the 2022 World Cup will not be held in the summer after all.

In a move that will not shock anyone who is vaguely aware of the fact that it gets damn hot in Qatar in the summer time, FIFA announced that their showpiece tournament will begin on 21st November and the final will be played on 18th December – Qatar’s national holiday.

The finals will no doubt cause fixture chaos for leagues across the globe, but in particular for the powerful member leagues of UEFA.

The 28 day World Cup is four days fewer than usual, in attempt to mitigate the concerns of football leagues the world over, but whether or not that will assuage their fears remains to be seen.

According to FIFA's calendar, club sides must release their players for the finals on 14 November 2022, so only seven days before the first match.

Although not all of the major leagues have reported on when they will resume their league fixtures, the English Premier League is tentatively scheduled to resume play six days after the World Cup Final, on 24 December 2022.

The real possibility that some leagues may baulk at shutting down midseason and cause issues for FIFA remains a threat.

Considering Qatar won the right to host the World Cup on the basis of being able to provide the cooling technology to play the finals in the summer of 2022, this is the final proof anyone needed on how big a sham the World Cup hosting vote in 2010.

The foul stink of corruption continues to waft out of FIFA headquarters and, for now, Qatar continues to be one of the beneficiaries of it.

Throwback Thursdays: The 1955-1956 European Cup

2015-09-03T12:00:00.000-04:00

This week marks the sixtieth year since the kick off of the European Cup, the greatest prize in European club football.

The competition, which was rebranded as the UEFA Champions League in 1992, started off on 4 September 1955, with a match between Portugal's Sporting CP and Yugoslavia's Partizan. The first goal in European Cup history was scored by João Baptista Martins of Sporting CP with the match eventually ending in a 3-3 draw.

The competition came about thanks to the tireless work of Gabriel Hanot, editor of L'Équipe, who lobbied UEFA to create a continental club competition after reading reports from his journalists on the success of the Campeonato Sudamericano de Campeones in 1948 and also being irked by Wolverhampton manager Stan Cullis' claims that his side were "Champions of the World" after victories in several high profile friendlies.

Eventually UEFA saw the potential in Hanot's proposal and in the fall of 1955 a club competition for European nations finally got off the ground.

Sixteen teams participated in the first year of the European Cup: Milan (Italy), AGF Aarhus (Denmark), Anderlecht (Belgium), Djurgården (Sweden), Gwardia Warszawa (Poland), Hibernian (Scotland), Partizan (Yugoslavia), PSV Eindhoven (Netherlands), Rapid Wien (Austria), Real Madrid (Spain), Rot-Weiss Essen (West Germany), Saarbrücken (Saar), Servette (Switzerland), Sporting CP (Portugal), Stade de Reims (France), and Vörös Lobogó (Hungary).

Notably the English champions, Chelsea, were dissuaded from entering the competition by the Football Association who saw the European Cup as an unwanted distraction from league football.

The 1955-1956 final would be contested in Paris between Stade de Reims and Real Madrid. Madrid, led by the magnificent Alfredo Di Stefano came from behind to win their first of five straight titles by a final score of 4-3.

Which European Club Plays in this Stadium?

2015-08-19T16:00:00.000-04:00

Today's quiz follows the simple principle of correctly matching a football club to the image of their stadium. There is a trick however, as every stadium is a minimalist drawing created by designer Hugo Sousa. Enjoy!

Quiz Maker

The Round Table: What Would You Change About Football?

2015-04-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

Every weekend we go beyond the headlines and talk to real football fans about current topics or issues in the football world.

Today the group was asked what they would change about football at the moment.

On the round table today we were joined by:

Bramble
Luka
Parmar
Jay
Hawk
Iain (me)

If you could change anything about football at the moment, what would it be?

Jay:
Greedy players would be my first thought. Player's, much like society of today, seem to feel entitled to millions of dollars without having to put in the hard work every week. It may seem like an unrealistic change, but what's more realistic... FIFA/UEFA/FA/etc. being less corrupt moving forward, or players playing for passion rather than paychecks?

Luka:
A fourth substitute, designated for goalkeepers (so GK for GK only). And an additional substitute for extra time in cup ties.

Parmar:
Video technology for controversial initial calls by the ref/linesman for goals scored off "apparent offside" or the big one handballs or missed handballs inside the box. It's 2015 for fuck sakes and it's time our game comes into the times.

Parmar:
Add to that controversial "dives" in the box when a player is given a card for embellished when in fact he was fouled.

Iain:
Limited terms on how long FIFA officials can stay in office. Sepp Blatter has been in charge of the world governing body for 17 years now, the organization has been plagued by scandal and he's likely going to stay in power for at least another term. There needs to be a limit on how long he and other executive committee members, along with heads of National Associations can stay in office. More transparency would also be nice. For instance why did Qatar win the bid for 2020 for example? I think we all know why they won, but let's hear the exact reasons why they had a better bid than Australia or America.

Bramble:

Complete overhaul of FIFA's hierarchy Starting with Sepp ending with the professional administrator at the front desk. The office of FIFA stinks from on high to down low. Limit the amount of time someone can stay in office as these seemingly lifelong, Cesar-like dictatorship has proven nothing but bad fruit. Same said for England's FA, UEFA, Concacrap all the regional governing bodies.
This one may seem far fetched but the BIG, I guess, but it would be 14(?) clubs in the Europe Champions league, and it being an actual league instead of a tournament. Not sure on the in's and outs of how it would work but they for sure wouldn't be in their domestic leagues anymore unless relegated from the CL. Not only would that help domestic leagues by having the big boys gone for at least a season but it'd stop the Champions League from being the predictable mess it's become. Downside is teams like Liverpoop would be champions more (Laughs).
The big SC... SALARY CAP. The North American standard should be applied it'd bring teams to a more even keel and it'd force youth academy development again like the days of Yore. Also addresses what Jay said about player greed.
4th sub as stated by Luka.
Video tech as stated by SP.
Euro back to 16 teams.
World Cup goes back to 24 teams.
Some type of World Cup-like tourney for club teams. Not the current joke of a tourney in the Far East and Middle East. A month long tournament every two or four years.
Shorter seasons for the players sake. Or winter break, in England, for those that need it.

Parmar:

Isn't the FFP kinda of a soft cap though? You break it you pay a fine or penalty a la luxury tax in North America.

Bramble:

A more strict Salary cap, because clearly FFP isn't working. The leagues are just having the same champions over and over and over again. The Bundesliga has become a little bit more superior version of the Scottish Premier League. Or just look at the the Scottish League South, also known as La liga.

Parmar:

I would be ok with it, Chelsea has finally developed a good youth system with a bunch of promising players that are, or will be, ready to make the jump up. At the same time though if the Champions League remains as is you'd have the likes of Everton, Villa, Southampton, etc. in the CL if too much parity is created. Is there anything wrong with that? I guess not but then we will be right were the National Hockey League is and have managers and owners finding loopholes to circumvent the cap from pressure from the supporters and media.

Hawk:

Landmines and phasers.

Snipers, polar bears, bayonets, trap doors.

Thanks for checking out this week's Round Table.

FFN: World Cup to Expand to 64 Countries

2015-01-23T16:00:00.000-05:00

With Sepp Blatter due to stand for another term as FIFA President and without a suitable challenger in sight, you would expect the World Soccer Tsar to rest on his laurels, but that doesn't appear to be the case.
In an obvious move to chore up his power base among football's smaller nations, he today announced his ambitious plan to expand the World Cup to 64 teams in time for the 2026 World Cup.

While international footballing backwaters such as Gibraltar and Canada have lauded this move, a number of media outlets are crying foul over what they say can only dilute the quality of the competition.

In his statement today from FIFA Headquarters, Mr. Blatter had the following to say about the move:

"Football isn't the domain of a handful of countries. Why should a lack of quality professional players in a given nation always prevent them from taking part in the World Cup?

It's not the World Cup if it's only teams from Africa, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas. Surely there are small island nations that would like to take part in the tournament.

Like a 46 year old divorcee facing last call at the bar, we don't believe in turning anyone away. The number of teams competing, starting at 64, is a nice round number, but what's to say we can't expand on that in future years?

By showing their commitment to my vision, I can assure the various Football Associations out there that they can start booking flights to North Korea or wherever else the World Cup lands in 2026."

In other news several Football Associations from within UEFA are giving serious consideration to separating from World Football's governing body.

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Protest Banners (Gallery)

2014-12-30T20:00:00.000-05:00

Ajax fans protest the cost of their tickets for a Champions League match away to Manchester City

From rising ticket costs, clueless football associations, a seemingly crooked mob running FIFA, and the game being taken away from it's roots in some areas there are plenty of things to protest about at football these days.

The following are some of the more memorable banners from recent seasons that rail against some of the issues above, or simply vent supporters frustration at their club's management.

Crystal Palace fans hold up a banner opposing the proposed 38th Premier League game to be played abroad.

Manchester United fans continue to protest the controversial ownership of their club by the Glazer family.

Not everyone in Brazil welcomed FIFA this past summer.

Liverpool fans protest former owners Hicks and Gillette

Some Newcastle fans have been glad to see the back of Alan Pardew this week.

Birmingham City fans show their frustration of Carson Yeung's ownership of their club.

Legia react to UEFA's controversial decision to dump them out of the Champions League

PSV fans aren't impressed with the introduction of WIFI at their ground.

Ajax fans make a point about Manchester City's ownership.

FFN: UEFA Nations League the First Step in Replacing the World Cup?

2014-12-05T16:00:00.000-05:00

As UEFA released details on the new European football Nation League, that will run from September 2018 to November 2018, and with the Semi Finals and Final to be played in June 2018, many have been left questioning the wider implications.

With the Champions League style tournament involving 52 nations, and featuring six groups that are structured based on the respective countries strengths, the need for international friendlies in the 2018/2019 football has been virtually eliminated.

Sources from within FIFA are reporting that powerful member associations from outside of UEFA are not happy with this arrangement as it greatly affect their income potential in that period, with no dates against European clubs.

Countries such as Brazil and Argentina for example rely on high profile friendlies against European sides for income, so this loss of dates will be keenly felt. Sponsors such as Nike and Adidas are also reported to be monitoring the situation.

It has also been mooted that there may be more at play than this particular tournament in 2018/2019.

With the continuing scandal over the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup's to Russia and Qatar, several powerful footballing nations within UEFA questioning the direction of FIFA a suggestion has been made that the UEFA Nations League could be a pilot test for a power play against football's ruling body.

Taking the competition away from a single host and playing internationals in a league and then knockout format similar to the Champions League could be an attractive option for Football Associations that have grown tired of the corruption around the World Cup voting process.

Of course this would have go outside of UEFA to include countries from other member associations, but it is an interesting concept.

Speaking on the matter, a UEFA insider said that: "It's our goal to take power away from FIFA and bring back to within the confines of UEFA and other legitimate and associations like CONMEBOL for example."

When asked if the UEFA Nations League wasn't just a hair brained idea to make international football just that much more shit, the source responded, "Well I can't comment on that, but one thing I will say is that any money out of the pockets of FIFA into the coffers of UEFA is a big win in my book."

What a time to be a football supporter.

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San Marino Finally Avoid Defeat

2014-11-18T16:00:00.000-05:00

There are bad football teams and then there's San Marino.

Long time European whipping boys La Serenissima, have only ever avoided defeat five times in their 124 match history and since entering European Championship qualifying in 1990 they had never emerged from a European Qualifier unscathed.

Coming into last Saturday's match against Estonia this was about to change though as the plucky minnows fought their way to a 0-0 draw, thus ending an eye watering 61 match losing streak.

The one team answer to the "should there be a pre-qualifying round in Europe" question suitably celebrated the draw like they had won the World Cup.

It was with an understandable jubilation though that San Marino's players celebrated their first point in a competitive fixture since a 1-1 draw away to Latvia in World Cup Qualifying back in 2001.

Before today, San Marino have only drawn the aforementioned match against Latvia, picked up an unlikely 0-0 draw against Turkey in World Cup Qualifying in 1993, drawn Liechtenstein 2-2 in 2003 in a friendly, and then beat Liechtenstein 1-0 in 2004 for their lone victory.

Since beginning their international football life in 1990, San Marino's international record is 124 matches played, 1 win, 4 draws, 119 losses, 20 goals scored, 531 against.

Until the introduction of Gibraltar into UEFA in 2013, San Marino were the smallest nation in European international football with a population of only 30,000 people.

Coach Pierangelo Manzaroli, who was in the side the last time San Marino earned a competitive point, a 1-1 draw away to Latvia in World Cup qualifying in 2001, praised his side's effort.

"In recent months our workload has increased and the work has paid off," Manzaroli said.

"This result is a reward for the players and it will be an incentive to gain other good results sooner than in 12 years' time."

As for Estonia, they'll likely have their workload increased as a result of this as well, as their management cannot be happy with what has to be seen as an embarrassment.

Sporting Lisbon Demand a Rematch Against Schalke

2014-10-23T21:00:00.000-04:00

As Schalke 04's Eric-Maxim Choupo-Moting converted a last minute penalty to consign Sporting Lisbon to a 4-3 defeat, the Portuguese club were left seething in rage.

After coming back from two goals down to level the match at 3-3, it appeared that Sporting were on their way to a well earned point. This is until Russian referee Sergei Karasev awarded a penalty for what he saw as a handball by Sporting’s Jonathan Silva.

With the TV replays showing that the ball had clearly hit Silva's head, the aggrieved Lisbon side filed a complaint with UEFA.

It was in fact Schalke 04 who made this public though, as they announced the following statement:

"The green-whites [of Sporting] have demanded the match to be played again or alternatively to receive the bonus for a draw.

“Schalke 04 have been asked by Uefa for their position on the matter and will submit this shortly while taking into consideration the protection of the club’s own interests.”

If you read between the lines, that last sentence loosely translates to "tough shit Sporting!"

It would be a near unprecedented move for UEFA to replay the match just down to one side being affected by a blown call, especially if Schalke doesn't acquiesce to Sporting's request for a replay.

I'm not a betting man, but I'd put a fiver on this going absolutely nowhere.

The result, as it stands, leaves Schalke in second place in Group G with five points and Sporting Lisbon is in fourth in the group with one point.

San Marino – Who Are Ya?

2014-10-09T18:00:00.000-04:00

For several years I used to have a weekly kick about on a Sunday afternoon with my brother and a bunch of friends at a local high school.

One or two of the players were half decent, but the majority of us just played for the pure joy of it and perhaps to work off some of the beer and bad decisions from the night before.

We would play in rain or shine, snow or sleet, and always had a great time no matter how many guys actually turned up.

After one such kick about, that consisted of a few heavy tackles and one crazy goal I scored by accident from a ludicrous angle, the talk in the parking lot afterwards involved small sides like San Marino that find themselves as minnow like whipping boys in World Cup and European Championship qualifying.

We would joke around about how if we lived in San Marino, all we would need to do to get capped for the National side is turn up to the San Marino FA headquarters with a pair of boots.

Thoughts of playing at Wembley or the San Siro and getting pummeled sounded like a better prospect than slogging around a muddy field in Preston.

Today the butchers, bakers and candlestick makers of San Marino, who all have to hold down regular jobs besides playing international football, took on England at Wembley where they succumbed to a rather predictable 5-0 defeat against the Three Lions.

Why UEFA doesn’t see fit to hold pre-qualifying matches for sides like San Marino is anyone’s guess, but it’s likely down to financial reasons, and as a result guys who work at the post office can get to take on high priced stars at some of the finest stadiums in the world.

CONCACAF, for example, regularly holds a pre-qualifying round prior to final qualification for the World Cup, and one wonders if sides like San Marino would be better served if they had to play in a round like this.

In the meantime though, guys like me who have kicked a ball a few times can dream of "what if" we held a San Marino passport.

In the meantime, the following are a few of the San Marino players with their professions in parenthesis:

Simoncini (Accountant)

Della Valle (Shop Worker)

Buscarini (Student)

Coppini (Olive Oil Company Owner)

Cervellini (Lawyer)

Tosi (Office Clerk)

UEFA FFP Investigation Targets Monaco & Liverpool

2014-09-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

UEFA has launched an investigation into Liverpool and Monaco for alleged violation of the Financial Fair Play.

News articles coming out of England and Portugal are reporting that the two clubs are part of an ongoing investigation that has been launched into several European clubs for violation of the Financial Fair Play. Two other clubs that are involved in this investigation is Inter Milan and Roma.

UEFA will expect the clubs being investigated to provide information in regards to their finances to show that they have indeed follow the rules and guidelines put forward by UEFA, but in case of violation the clubs could be fined or even prevented from registering new players.

The major surprise to me is that there are only four clubs mentioned and none of them is Real Madrid. The Spanish giants have accumulated a debt of over 600 million this past season and have continue to spend well above their means this season, and are nowhere to found in any list regarding investigations launched under the umbrella of financial fair play.

If UEFA is going to be serious about this program and initiative, which I believe they should, they will have to look at all teams, and not just at those that seem convenient and easy to make an example off. The game needs this initiative, the domestic leagues need it, or we will soon have an upper class and a low class in European football, if we are not there already. I have absolutely nothing against a team spending money on players, as long as they don’t spend more than what they are earning, but that is not the case with many teams around Europe.

The clock is ticking and Platini has the right watch to be able to tell that it is time to put to action the plan that he had put forward. Financial fair play can’t be just a scare tactic or a lightning rod used to keep the “new rich” in line. It needs to be used across the board and implemented without pride or prejudice.

Spending Caps in Football

2014-09-14T18:00:00.000-04:00

Besides the obvious example of North America's MLS, the concept of spending or salary caps are foreign concepts in the world of football.

Scarred by the example of the North American Soccer League (NASL) which ceased operations in 1984 on the back of teams spending money on the players they couldn't afford and not being able to secure a solid TV deal, the MLS wisely put a tight salary cap in place to help ensure the young leagues survival.

This unique structure does not exist in the domestic leagues across Europe though, and wild spending has taken some clubs to the wall.

QPR manager Harry Redknapp, who had no problem splashing the cash at previous clubs Tottenham Hotspurs and even Portsmouth, said this week to reporters:

"To make it fair, we should be able to spend as much as Manchester United," Redknapp griped. "What is fair play? One team can spend €200 million, another team can spend €10 million?

"Fair play would be everyone having the maximum of €40 million to spend on their team and then have to bring in some players from the youth team. Seven teams are on another planet to the rest. You don't have to be a genius to pick the top seven teams — it will be almost certainly be the same seven as last year."

After a summer in which Manchester United have attempted to rebuild their side under Louis van Gaal, bringing in Ander Herrera, Angel di Maria, Radamel Falcao, Daley Blind, Luke Shaw and Marcos Rojo, the club has spent a staggering 190 million euros.

But with Manchester United's unstoppable revenue streams, with fans all over the globe, they are comfortably able to spend this money and not run afoul of UEFA's Financial Fair Play.

The Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations were put in place in 2011-2012 to essentially stop clubs from spending more than they earn in the pursuit of glory and then falling into financial ruin if this glory didn't either arrive or bring enough money back into the club.

A UEFA review of 655 European clubs in 2009 found that half of these clubs made a loss in the previous calendar year and that at least 20% of these clubs could be in financial peril.

In the past decade clubs like Fiorentina, Leeds United and Redknapp's former club Portsmouth became classic examples of sides that have spent beyond their means and then spiralled into the abyss to the point of almost going out of existence. In light of this, the logic behind FFP is sound.

If a club breaches the FFP rules, penalties could include fines, prize money for success in league or cup competitions being withheld, and transfer bans.

QPR themselves could be facing possible UEFA FFP sanctions after ending up with losses of over €80 million during the 2012-13 season, as they spent heavily in a vain attempt to stay in the Premier League.

Although the club was prompted back to the top flight at the first attempt, they may still be facing fines for spending beyond their income over the past few seasons and the threat of being kicked out of the League Cup, or worse, as early as next season if they don't address this problem.

It would appear that Mr. Redknapp would be better advise to sort out his own house before shouting over the wall at Manchester United.

Any Given Sunday: Euro 2020 a Marketing Wet Dream

2014-09-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

UEFA has announced the 19 countries that have placed a bid to host the Euro 2020, which will be held across 13 different countries.

The 19 countries are Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Scotland, Spain, England, Macedonia, Germany, Holland, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Wales, Republic of Ireland, Romania, Russia and Sweden. From these 19 countries, UEFA will pick the 13 that will eventually hold the games, knowing that London and Munich are the main runners to host the semi-finals and final that really leaves you with 11 spots for 17 countries.

Since the tournament will be hosted by cities it is interesting to see which cities from these 19 countries have placed their name in the hat, and some of them seem a bit surprising like Bilbao for Spain. You would think that either Madrid or Barcelona would be in the running, but instead it is Bilbao that is looking at hosting some of the Euro 2020 games. The other cities are Bacu (Azerb), Minsk (BLR), Brussels (BEL), Sofia (BUL), Copenhagen (DEN), London (ENG), Munich (GER), Skopje (MCD), Budapest (HUN), Jerusalem (ISR), Roma (ITA), Amsterdam (HOL), Dublin (R.IRL), Bucharest (ROM), S. Petersburg (RUS), Glasgow (SCO), Cardiff (WAL), Stockholm (SWE) and Bilbao (ESP).

From these 19 cities will come the 13, with Munich and London as a shoe in as I mentioned it leaves us with 11 cities from 17 possible choices. Now let the backstage deals begin.

If this was FIFA, I am sure the lineup of people with bribe envelopes in hand would already be sitting outside the head office in Zurich to ensure they don’t miss their turn. Since it is UEFA the lineup will perhaps be smaller and the deals will not be as visible to outsiders. They seem to be able to keep their dirty laundry in house a lot better than FIFA.

I like the concept of cities instead of countries hosting the event, but I am not sure the logistics of doing this will benefit the teams and the competition, and in the end these competitions shouldn’t be about maxing out revenue streams or sponsorship deals, but doing what is best for the sport and for the fans.

From a fan perspective I think the concept works. More cities are involved, more countries, there isn’t one single host nation, and it will be easier for regular fans to attend games near them vs travelling to one single country. So in theory this could be a winning concept for the average fan that wants to enjoy the Euro Cup. For the fan that wants to see his country play in as many games as possible this could post a logistic difficulty that travelling to one single country perhaps wouldn’t.

The other side is the logistics of teams playing in different countries and cities throughout the competition, almost eliminating the idea of them having a base camp at one location for the duration of the tournament. I wonder how that logistic aspect will be overcome, perhaps by grouping teams in geographical areas. That could be a solution, but I am not sure this allows players an environment in which they can prepare for games with minimal distractions and travel times.

These issues are never a concern of organizing committees, the maximizing of revenue at all levels is the main and only concern, from that perspective hosting a tournament over 13 different cities is a winning formula.

Russian Football Union Facing Possible Sanctions

2014-08-16T21:00:00.000-04:00

The Russian Football Union is risking FIFA sanctions after accepting Crimean teams into their Third Division.
With the conflict in parts of Ukraine continuing to dominate the headlines, three football teams from the annexed Crimea region have become an interesting side note to the story.

Football clubs can swap national jurisdictions, but only if both associations agree to the move. With Tavria Simferopol, SKChF Sevastopol and Zhemchuzhina Yalta playing in the Russian Cup this week, the Football Federation of Ukraine (RFU) was not prepared to sit ideally by.

Anatoly Konkov, the head of the RFU, has called upon FIFA and UEFA to issue sanctions against Russia. In a letter to these governing bodies, which was later posted on the RFU website, Konkov had this to say:

"We have witnessed the executive committee of the Russian football union illegally and arbitrarily embracing the Ukrainian clubs from the Crimea peninsula.

As the president of the Ukrainian national association, I am asking you to take all necessary actions to deal with the situation, including applying sanctions to the part that broke the regulations (the RFU).

Crimea is a part of Ukraine, that is why all football members fall into the jurisdiction of the Football Federation of Ukraine.

We are asking for your answer to clear up the 'Crimean issue' as soon as possible. The future of Ukrainian and world football depends on you."

Both FIFA and UEFA now have difficult decisions to make, as it appears certain that the Russian Football Union has broken the rules. The major clubs in Russia are fearing that their Champions Leagues places could be at risk, while the fact that Russia is scheduled to host the 2014 World Cup complicates things ever.

The Crimea region was annexed back in March, leaving these clubs in limbo and unless the football authorities in these two countries can come to an unlikely arrangement that is suitable for all parties, there may be a lot more of a fall out from this story.