July 11 – In search of knockout qualification, Italy and its manager Andrea Soncin have said their side can hurt world champions Spain, who have been in rampant form at Euro 2025.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 10 – World football’s leading medical expert has issued a stark warning against footballers being treated with anti-infammatory drugs, saying normal over-the-counter medications can have startling side-effects that could potentially wreck careers.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 10 – Sebastian Coe, Britain’s double Olympic 1500 metres champion and now the head of the committee organising the London 2012 Olympics, has blamed the Football Association and Fabio Capello for England’s failure to do well at the World Cup in South Africa earlier this year.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 10 – South African President Jacob Zuma has offered his country’s help to aid Russia’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 10 – West Ham United have revealed details of their plans for the Olympic Stadium if they take it over after the 2012 Games and have pledged to retain an athletics track in a newly reconfigured 60,000-capacity arena.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 9 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter is attend the opening match of the football tournament of the inagurual Summer Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, which will feature the Iranian girls team, whose participation had been in doubt over a row over what they could wear.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 9 – FIFA’s 2018/2002 World Cup inspection team rolled into Holland and Belgium today with the rank outsiders convinced they will not just be making up the numbers when the all-important vote is taken on December 2.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 9 – Sahara India Group, one of the groups interested in buying Liverpool, has pulled out of the race they announced today.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 9 – England manager Fabio Capello today apologised for the country’s dire showing at the World Cup, admitting that his players were both physically and mentally below-par.
August 9 – Heathrow Airport has signed up to become an official sponsor of England’s bid to hold the 2018 World Cup.
August 9 – Bayern Munich coach Louis van Gaal (pictured) has criticised FIFA President Sepp Blatter for not opening up to the use of technology in football.
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The 2010 World Cup is over.
FIFA’s 2018/2022 inspection team has hit the road.
With less than four months to go, the race to stage the next World Cup but one is finally steaming towards the top of the 24 FIFA Executive Committee members’ in-trays.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 8 – A warning from the Northern Ireland Government that they will not fund a £30 million ($45 million) redevelopment of Windsor Park has forced Raymond Kennedy to accept that he has to step down as the President of the Irish Football Association (IFA).
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 7 – Russia’s match against Bulgaria on Wednesday (August 11) has been moved from Moscow to St Petersburg because of health risks after acrid smog engulfed the Russian capital at a time that officials were hoping to showcase the country’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
August 6 – The Irish Football Association (IFA) is set upon a collision course with the Government after President Raymond Kennedy appeared to signal that he would not stand down next month as had been announced.
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The Liverpool take-over has long been one of football’s most curious soap operas but the latest twist with the Chinese Government, albeit through its investment arm China Investment Capital, seeking to buy the club, has something of a touch of Dallas combined with that of the East Enders.
Like the best of these soap operas it spins story lines which then turn out to be just that, nice tales that do not reflect reality.