France 1 Wales 1
July 9 – A rampant France booked their ticket to the quarter-finals with a commanding 4-1 win over Wales in St. Gallen on Wednesday night. Despite heavy rotation, the French side pulled no punches against the Euro debutants, delivering a dominant performance that sends a clear message to whoever awaits them next week.
June 30 – The French Government have denied accusations by FIFA that they were involved in the resignation of Jean-Pierre Escalettes as the President of the French Football Federation (FFF) following the national team’s disastrous performance at the World Cup in South Africa.
Sepp Blatter’s decision to re-open the file on goalline technology marks a stunning U-turn even by the standards of his undisputed mastery of football politics.
But before fans across the world get too carried away by the FIFA President bowing to global outrage following Frank Lampard’s “goal-that-wasn’t” for England, a little caution would be advisable.
June 30 – Former chief executive of the Football Association, Ian Watmore (pictured right), who controversially resigned in March, has a key new role trying to help cut Government waste, it was announced today.
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June 30 – Fox Soccer Channel has become an official partner of the United States bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup, it has been announced.
By David Owen in Johannesburg
June 30 – The 2010 FIFA World Cup pauses for breath for the first time these next two days.
June 30 – Nigeria have been suspended from international football for the next two years – by the country’s President.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
June 29 – Australia’s bid to host the 2022 World Cup has been fiercely defended following allegations published in the Sydney Morning Herald, claiming they had given pearl necklaces to the wives of the FIFA Executive Committee and offered an all-expenses paid trip to one of the voting members.
June 29 – The budget for preparations in Lviv for the 2012 European Championships have been doubled, it has been announced.
June 29 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter (pictured) has apologised to the Football Association over Frank Lampard’s disallowed goal against Germany, he revealed today.
By Tom Degun
June 29 – Secretary of State for Culture, Olympics, Media and Sport Jeremy Hunt (pictured), has been forced to apologise after suggesting that hooliganism was to blame for the Hillsborough disaster.
England’s World Cup chances were doomed by their manager’s failure to understand or inspire his players, a state of affairs which meant that the team which took to the field had a subsconscious wish to punish him by failing to do their best.
And that ambivalence was strongest of all in the former captain, John Terry, whom Fabio Capello had stripped of his position and publicly rebuked during the group stages.
June 28 – Jean-Pierre Escalettes (pictured) has resigned as President of the French Football Federation (FFF) in the aftermath of the French national team’s disastrous performance at the World Cup that was a national embarrassment.
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By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
June 28 – Wales, one of only four countries in the world that can decide whether goalline technology is introduced to avoid controversies like the one that has overshadowed Germany’s victory in the World Cup over England, said again today they were against it.
The line of questioning thrown at FIFA spokesman Nicolas Maingot the morning after the night before Frank Lampard’s already imfamous “goal-that-wasn’t” included the words laughing stock and embarrassment. You can understand why.
When football’s lawmakers ditched goal-line technology once and for all just over three months ago, FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke said he hoped the decision did not come back to haunt the organisation at the World Cup.
By David Owen in Bloemfontein
June 27 – I need to make one thing clear at the outset: England were beaten today at Free State Stadium by a much better team: the 4-1 scoreline did not flatter Germany.