18-05-2012 10:50 The architect of Germany’s 2010 dismantling of Argentina, Bastian Schweinsteiger is trying to do it again for Bayern Munich against Chelsea in this weekend’s Champions League final. Bastian Schweinsteiger videos on FIFA on YouTube: More highlights of the 100 best players from South Africa 2010 as selected by FIFA’s Technical Study Group: Match highlights from South Africa 2010: 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™ details for Bastian Schweinsteiger: Subscribe to FIFA on YouTube to stay updated on daily releases: More videos from FIFA on YouTube:

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Bastian Schweinsteiger – 2010 FIFA World Cup – Video

Fri, 18 May 20:25:00 2012

Manchester United right back Rafael has been called up by Brazil to take the place of injured Barcelona defender Daniel Alves.

Rafael was included in coach Mano Menezes’ squad for four friendlies taking place this month and next, the Brazilian Football Confederation said.

His inclusion brings to 18 the number of players in the 23-man squad within the under-23 age limit for the London Olympic Games, where Brazil will attempt to win the soccer gold medal for the first time.

Daniel Alves fractured his right collar bone during training with Barcelona on Wednesday and will be out of action for eight weeks.

The CBF said Menezes would be in Munich on Saturday for the Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Chelsea, on his way to Hamburg where his Brazil players will assemble for the friendly against Denmark on May 26.

Brazil also meet the United States in Washington on May 30, Mexico in Dallas on June 3 and Argentina in New Jersey on June 9.

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World Football – Rafael replaces Alves in Brazil squad

London, May 19 (ANI): Scot fans are being offered the chance to get up close and personal with the oldest football in the world.

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Footie fans get rare chance to 'handle' world's oldest football

This afternoon there is 90m up for grabs as Blackpool face West Ham in the Championship play-off final.

Then, tonight, Chelsea hunt for a 50m jackpot for beating Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

The matches will have a combined TV audience of more than 300m with the vast majority switching on to the action in Germany.

Last years winners Barcelona trousered more than 43m in prize money and TV revenue.

Chelsea will collect 7.6m in prize money if they win tonight or 5.5m as runners-up.

Their prize money pot already stands at over 11m 3.6m for reaching the semi-finals, 2.8m for the quarters, 2.5m for the round of 16, 2.02m for their three group wins and 675,000 for their two group draws.

90m TROPHY … bosses Holloway and Allardyce with the Championship play-off trophy

The Championship battle between Blackpool and West Ham at Wembley is expected to attract a 5m telly audience.

In addition to the winners jackpot today, both sides have already picked up 15.47m from the Premier League for parachute payments after being relegated last season.

CHELSEA striker Didier not bothered about speculation over his future

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Biggest day in world football

Sat, 19 May 11:00:00 2012

CFR Cluj staged a remarkable comeback to beat rivals Universitatea Cluj 3-2 and clinch a third Romanian league title.

Friday’s victory gave Ioan Andone’s men an unassailable three-point lead over Vaslui with one game remaining as CFR have the edge on head-to-head record over their closest title rivals.

Universitatea were on course to win the Cluj derby, which was ordered to be replayed after it was abandoned last week following a mass player brawl, when Marian Cristescu’s double put them 2-0 ahead with his second coming two minutes after the break.

Soon after that, however, Universitatea midfielder Adrian Cristea was sent off after his second bookable offence, allowing city rivals to stage a stunning comeback.

Gabriel Muresan opened CFR Cluj’s account in the 51st minute with a thunderous 35-metre free kick and Modou Sogou scored the equaliser 16 minutes later from close range.

In a remarkable end to the game, Ricardo Cadu converted a controversial 89th-minute penalty to seal the win.

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World Football – Cluj comeback seals title win

Like many developing countries across the world, football has become a popular sport seen to effectively imbue positive values on street children and bring their plight into the consciousness of the public as well.For the past couple of years, Tambayan Center for the Care of Abused Kids has networked with international and national organizations working to change the lives of street kids through football. And they are winning.

Last Friday, the two-week summer football clinic organized by the High Five Hope, a non government organization based in Manila, and Tambayan ended to give way to the opening of the first Summer Hope Festival.

This was held at the Tionko Football Field in Ecoland. The games, participated by street children coming from seven barangays, will end today.

The event is the first in the Mindanao region where eight teams from the boys division and two teams in the girls participated.

Bill Hilf, president and founder of High Five Hope, said that they have been running sports programs for street children in the Philippines and the results have been very positive. He said that this is the first time the organization sponsored the summer clinic in Davao City and with the enthusiastic response, he plans to make this an annual event.

He said that this activity is done to shine a light for these children in need and to show them that theres a different way to live.

We use sports as a way to show these kids these things (values of respect, teamwork, commitment) instead of putting them in classrooms to teach them about respect or making them go somewhere to learn about trust. The best way to learn about these life skills is to put them into practice, Hilf said.

The street childrens theater group, I Dream of Light (Idol), opened the festival with a dance presentation which was followed by a message from Hilf and a ceremonial kick off by Bill Hilf, Alma Doysabas of Tambayan and an official from the Davao Football Association.

Participating teams come from Barangays: 21-C, 22-C, 31-D, 76-A, Mintal, Tugbok Proper, and ANAKK Sta. Cruz.

The Davao Football Association took charge of providing technical support to this tournament.

Continued here:
More than just football

18 May 2012 Last updated at 19:22 ET By Huw Williams BBC Scotland reporter

As footballing history is made at Hampden, Scots fans are being offered the chance to get up close and personal with the oldest football in the world.

Made from cow leather and a pigs bladder, it was found behind panelling of the Queen’s chamber in Stirling Castle, which was decorated in the 1540s.

But it could be even older than that.

“There were four footballs bought for the Castle by the king (James IV) in the 1490s,” said Michael McGinnes, collections manager at the Smith Museum in Stirling.

“So it could be one of those balls, that has actually lasted through the years and was given to Mary (Queen of Scots) as a young child, to play with.”

Historians certainly know that the young Mary played football, and golf. She records games in her diaries.

And, Michael McGinnes said, the location where it was found makes the royal connection more likely.

He said: “It was in the Queen’s bedchamber. So you assume that anything in that area was a secure zone, and that Mary of Guise – her mother – wouldn’t have allowed anything in there that wasn’t meant to be there.”

All in all, then, you might expect this is to be one of the Smith Museum’s most precious objects. It is.

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World's oldest football up close

LONDON (AP) — England coach Roy Hodgson will issue his European Championship squad with a code of conduct after warning them not to imitate their rugby counterparts’ drunken off-field antics at last year’s World Cup.

English Football Association executives have sought advice from the Rugby Football Union to learn lessons from the New Zealand tournament where warnings against overindulgence went unheeded as the players’ conduct left the team in turmoil.

While the FA wants to ensure its squad is not caught in similar uncompromising situations, the Euro 2012 base will be in the center of Krakow in Poland after players were unhappy at spending the 2010 World Cup in South Africa at an isolated hotel.

“Adrian (Bevington, the England team managing director) has actually put together a document that we’ll take out with them especially in the light of what happened with the England rugby team,” Hodgson said. “We don’t want any repeats of those type of things.”

The most high-profile transgression by the rugby team was by captain Mike Tindall during a five-day break between games in Queenstown, where players attended a bar hosting a themed night featuring dwarf races.

Tindall, who is married to Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter, was caught on camera in a compromising situation with another woman during a boozy night out with teammates. The veteran player’s conduct overshadowed England’s World Cup campaign, which ended in the quarterfinals a month later.

Three other England players were also reprimanded for making sexist comments to a hotel worker and center Manu Tuilagi was detained by police after jumping off a ferry in Auckland harbor.

Hodgson knows his footballers will have to act more responsibly when they travel to Krakow at the start of June.

“My message will be a very simple one: Not only do I expect you to behave as adults, I’m going to demand that you behave as adults,” Hodgson said. “I’m going to demand that every time you’re in a public place then every time you do anything you shouldn’t then you’re not just letting yourself down you’re letting us all down because unfortunately the criticism will pile upon us all.

“So it’s a big responsibility and if there’s anybody here who can’t take that responsibility then he’s not going to play a big part in my thinking in the future.”

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Hodgson warns England team of off-field conduct

LONDON (AP) — England coach Roy Hodgson will issue his European Championship squad with a code of conduct after warning them not to imitate their rugby counterparts’ drunken off-field antics at last year’s World Cup.

English Football Association executives have sought advice from the Rugby Football Union to learn lessons from the New Zealand tournament where warnings against overindulgence went unheeded as the players’ conduct left the team in turmoil.

While the FA wants to ensure its squad is not caught in similar uncompromising situations, the Euro 2012 base will be in the center of Krakow in Poland after players were unhappy at spending the 2010 World Cup in South Africa at an isolated hotel.

“Adrian (Bevington, the England team managing director) has actually put together a document that we’ll take out with them especially in the light of what happened with the England rugby team,” Hodgson said. “We don’t want any repeats of those type of things.”

The most high-profile transgression by the rugby team was by captain Mike Tindall during a five-day break between games in Queenstown, where players attended a bar hosting a themed night featuring dwarf races.

Tindall, who is married to Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter, was caught on camera in a compromising situation with another woman during a boozy night out with teammates. The veteran player’s conduct overshadowed England’s World Cup campaign, which ended in the quarterfinals a month later.

Three other England players were also reprimanded for making sexist comments to a hotel worker and center Manu Tuilagi was detained by police after jumping off a ferry in Auckland harbor.

Hodgson knows his footballers will have to act more responsibly when they travel to Krakow at the start of June.

“My message will be a very simple one: Not only do I expect you to behave as adults, I’m going to demand that you behave as adults,” Hodgson said. “I’m going to demand that every time you’re in a public place then every time you do anything you shouldn’t then you’re not just letting yourself down you’re letting us all down because unfortunately the criticism will pile upon us all.

“So it’s a big responsibility and if there’s anybody here who can’t take that responsibility then he’s not going to play a big part in my thinking in the future.”

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Hodgson warns England team over off-field conduct

FORT MITCHELL Growing up, top-ranked wheelchair tennis player Emmy Kaiser played just about every sport.

Despite being born with Spina bifida, a birth defect affecting the spinal column, the Fort Mitchell native tried her hand at baseball, soccer, swimming, rowing and even dance. At the age of 5, Kaiser found her favorite when organizers at a local wheelchair tennis exhibition handed her a tennis racket.

It was love at first serve, according to 22-year-old Kaiser and the game has since taken her all over the world.

This week, Kaiser is in Asia representing the United States at the 2012 BNP Paribas World Team Cup, where the nations top wheelchair tennis players will compete against participants from around the globe. Often referred to as wheelchair tennis equivalent of pro tennis Davis Cup and Fed Cup competitions, the World Team Cup tournament brings the worlds best wheelchair tennis players together in one of the worlds premier tennis team events.

For Kaiser, a veteran player who has already competed at seven World Team Cup tournaments, it will be a familiar scene but still just as exciting as her first.

The best part is simply being a part of the U.S. team, she said.

We are in a way our own little family, and each person adds their own experiences to the team to make it great, said Kaiser. This year I am looking forward to the competition and playing with the team just like always, but this is the first time it will be in Asia. The culture is very different than anything I have ever experienced, so I am looking forward to seeing those differences.

This years competition will take place May 21-27 in Seoul, Korea, at the Seoul Olympic Tennis Center, home of the 1988 Summer Olympics. It will be the first time Asia will host the event, according to the United States Tennis Association, and more than 160 players and 52 teams from more than 25 nations are expected to participate.

The upcoming World Team Cup is not all thats on Kaisers mind, however. Shes also trying to qualify for the 2012 Paralympic Games a goal shes been working toward since she started playing the game.

Additionally, Kaiser just obtained a bachelors degree in psychology from Thomas More College and is headed to Ball State University this fall to earn her masters degree in sport psychology. She ultimately hopes to help other athletes as a sport psychologist, and hopes to one day coach a college wheelchair tennis team.

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Fort Mitchell woman in wheelchair tennis world cup

Soccer News of Saturday, 19 May 2012

Source: GNA

The national U-20 team, Black Princesses qualified for the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) U-20 Womens World Cup after a convincing 4-1 win over Tunisia on Saturday, at the Accra Sports Stadium.

The Princesses came from behind to score four goals in the second half to complete a double over the Tunisians and qualified on 7-2 goal aggregate.

The Ghanaians will be making their successive appearance at the biennial global championship but labored to snatch the ticket this time after surviving an earlier scare from the North Africans.

The Tunisians got off well for the match, delayed by the heavy downpour just before kick-off, forcing the Ghanaians into their half. The circuit passing of the Princesses did not help their cause allowing the Tunisians to dominate.

On 20 minutes, the Tunisians silenced the scanty crowd at the stadium with the opener through Imem Ben Mrad who headed home from Chaima Albassis corner-kick.

The Princesses struggled in search of their feet but the Tunisians managed to hang on to the lead at half time.

The hosts resumed the better side backed with the introduction of some fresh limbs including Beatrice Sesu. Three minutes into the half, Elizabeth Addo drew level by finishing off a through pass from Priscilla Saahene.

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Princesses qualify for World Cup in grand style

Wed, 16 May 21:23:00 2012

Fenerbahce trounced Bursapor 4-0 to win the Turkish Cup for the first time in 29 years, gaining some consolation for finishing runners-up in the league to Galatasaray.

Just two minutes into the game in Ankara, Fenerbahce went ahead with their first attack as captain Alex de Souza, who was involved in all the goals, delivered a killer pass for Caner Erkin to score with ease.

Fenerbahce racked up several more chances, including one effort disallowed for offside, before Cristian Baroni unleashed a fierce strike from outside the box.

Bursapor were unable to break Fenerbahce’s dominance in the second half, and Brazilian Alex crossed for Semih Senturk to slot home a third from close range.

Senturk then turned provider for Alex to finish off a counter-attack in the 78th minute that sealed the game.

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World Football – Fenerbahce win Turkish Cup

Tue, 15 May 18:30:00 2012

Egyptian heavyweights Ahly and Zamalek and Tunisian rivals Esperance and Etoile Sahel can look forward to derbies after the draw for this year’s African Champions League but the matches are likely to be played in empty stadiums.

Egyptian heavyweights Ahly and Zamalek and Tunisian rivals Esperance and Etoile Sahel can look forward to derbies after the draw for this year’s African Champions League but the matches are likely to be played in empty stadiums.

The fear of crowd violence in north Africa, allied to the tenuous political situation following last year’s Arab Spring, mean authorities remain wary of allowing fans to attend matches in both Tunisia and Egypt.

Ordinarily, having holders Esperance and Etoile Sahel in the same group and Cairo rivals Ahly and Zamalek in another would have been greeted with eager anticipation.

They have a previous history of tense and passionate tussles in the group phase of the continent’s top club competition.

However, any enthusiasm at Tuesday’s draw is tempered by the fact that all four clubs have been forced to play behind closed doors this year.

That situation is unlikely to change before the Champions League gets underway in July.

Esperance and 2007 winners Etoile Sahel share an intense rivalry that has dominated Tunisian football for almost two decades. They are due to play each other in Group A twice in the space of three weeks in August.

In Group B, Ahly and Zamalek will resume a rivalry almost a century old towards the end of July. Their return group game is set for mid-September.

The rest is here:
World Football – Rivals drawn together in Africa

Bandar Seri Begawan – Brunei was one of the destinations selected by Allianz for their Football World Trip 2012 programme.

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Football World Trip Winner Visits Brunei

Wed, 16 May 22:05:00 2012

Opportunist goals by South Americans Evandro and Cristian Borja in each half gave Red Star Belgrade a 2-0 win over Borac Cacak in a lively Serbian Cup final.

The victory rescued an otherwise poor season for the 1991 European Cup winners, who saw bitter city foes Partizan clinch a record fifth successive league title last month with three games to spare.

Their nerves showed straight from the kick off as Marko Pavicevic’s second-minute shot from 12 metres cannoned off the underside of the crossbar after an error by Red Star defender Nikola Maksimovic.

Borac, who have been relegated to the second division, squandered another gilt-edged chance when Jovan Radivojevic missed a gaping goal after losing his footing, having rounded Red Star keeper Boban Bajkovic.

Brazilian midfielder Evandro then struck against the run of play, steering home a flick-on after a miscued cross from the left which allowed Red Star’s Croatian coach Robert Prosinecki to breathe a sigh of relief.

Striker Darko Lazovic twice came close against his former club in the second half before Colombian forward Cristian Borja took a loose ball in his stride and side-footed it past the keeper to send 15,000 Red Star fans into raptures.

Jubilant supporters invaded the pitch after the final whistle and stripped many of the players of their kits to celebrate Red Star’s first trophy under Prosinecki, who took over the debt-ridden club in 2010.

It was Red Star’s 24th national cup to add to 25 league titles and Prosinecki, a key player of the 1991 generation which tasted European glory, was upbeat after lifting the silverware.

“It was a spectacular final thanks to a jam-packed stadium, the fantastic atmosphere lifted us after a shaky start and I can only salute my players for finishing the season on a high,” the 43-year old told a news conference.

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World Football – Red Star win Serbian Cup

Wed, 16 May 21:47:00 2012

Brazilian midfielder Marcelinho scored twice in the second half as Ludogorets came from behind to beat Lokomotiv Plovdiv 2-1 and secure their first Bulgarian Cup.

Lokomotiv’s Dakson da Silva, who avoided punishment for a failed doped test on Tuesday, opened the scoring with a powerful diagonal shot midway through the first half.

But 19 minutes from time Ludogorets, playing their first season in the domestic top flight, were level when Marcelinho gave Lokomotiv keeper Ivan Karadzhov no chance with a precise shot from Emil Gargorov’s clever assist.

Seven minutes later, Marcelinho scored the winner from close range with Gargorov again the provider.

Referee Stanislav Todorov interrupted the game for few minutes early in the second half after Lokomotiv fans lit dozens of flares and threw them on to the pitch.

“I want to thank these guys with all my heart and soul because they’re writing history,” delighted Ludogorets coach Ivaylo Petev told reporters.

Ludogorets, playing in Bulgaria’s third division two years ago, are based in Razgrad – a town with a population of less than 35,000 people.

They have the chance of a domestic double as they are second in the league standings with 64 points, two behind CSKA Sofia with two games remaining.

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World Football – Ludogorets clinch first Bulgarian Cup

Thu, 17 May 02:46:00 2012

FC Basel continued their domestic dominance by winning the Swiss Cup, beating FC Luzern in a penalty shoot-out after a 1-1 draw to clinch their second double in three seasons.

Basel have won the Swiss Super League for the last three seasons and, in addition to Wednesday’s triumph, they also claimed the Cup in 2010.

Only Sion’s Cup win last season denied them a hat-trick of doubles.

Rank outsiders Luzern, whose last title was 30 years ago when they won the Cup, looked sharper in the first half when they created several chances but failed to take them.

Basel were more clinical and went ahead 10 minutes after halftime when Benjamin Huggel was left unmarked and headed in from six metres.

Croatian defender Tomislav Puljic levelled 12 minutes later with another header after he was also left unmarked at a corner.

Basel goalkeeper Yann Sommer was the hero in the shootout as he saved spot kicks from Moshe Ohayon and Florian Stahel to give his side a 4-2 win on penalties.

Basel coach Heiko Vogel has yet to lose a domestic match since taking over in mid-October, Wednesday’s result taking his unbeaten run to 26 matches.

His only defeats have been in the Champions League against Benfica and Bayern Munich, although the latter was an emphatic 7-0 reverse.

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World Football – Basel win Cup to continue dominance

The Netherlands won their second straight Euro U17 championships with a 5-4 penalty shootout win over Germany in Ljubljana, Slovenia.

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World Football – Netherlands win Euro U17

Wed, 16 May 19:28:00 2012

The Bulgarian Football Union have forwarded on claims of match-fixing to the Sofia City Prosecutor’s Office after Slavia Sofia striker Nikolay Bozhov said coach Martin Kushev gave money to a referee.

Bozhov said a fixture between Kaliakra and Slavia Sofia on April 7 was fixed when Kushev approached the referee at halftime and offered him a bribe to influence the outcome of the game.

Slavia Sofia scored two late goals during the game to snatch a 2-1 win over Kaliakra sparking claims of corruption, which Kushev denies.

In a letter addressed to local media Bozhov wrote: “On the following day, one of my team mates brought us together in the bathroom and explained us that we should collect 6,000 levs ($3,900)for him (Kushev) because he gave the sum to the referee at halftime to ‘overturn’ the match.

“He warned us that these things should not reach the ears of (Slavia president) Ventseslav Stefanov.”

A statement on the BFU’s website said they had passed on Bozhov’s letter to the prosecutor’s office for further investigation.

“The BFU’s ethic commission believes that, according to Mr Bozhov’s statement, there’s a crime under the penal code of Bulgaria and we ask you to make inquiry into the case,” the BFU said.

Kushev has categorically denied any wrongdoing.

“It’s absolute nonsense,” Kushev told local media. “I’m shocked and I have no explanation why he (Bozhov) did all that.

Link:
World Football – Prosecutor to investigate Bulgarian bribery

Wed, 16 May 19:26:00 2012

Diego Maradona could return to international football as the Argentine is being considered for the vacant United Arab Emirates head coaching job.

The new President of the UAE Football Association, Yousuf Al Serkal, said on Wednesday the 51-year-old was among the leading candidates for the position.

Maradona, who won the World Cup as a player in 1986 and coached his national side to the quarter-finals of the 2010 edition in South Africa, is currently working at the Al Wasl club in Dubai.

“As Maradona is within the family of UAE football, we can’t neglect or overlook such a name,” Al Serkal said.

“We will have to consider him.

“Whether we like it or not, his name will always be a great influence (but) we have a few names including Mahdi Ali, our local coach of the Olympic squad.”

The UAE has been without a head coach since Srecko Katanec was sacked last year following successive defeats in their opening 2014 World Cup qualifying matches.

Maradona is in the middle of a two-year deal with Al Wasl and while the club has failed to win any silverware since he took charge, he has led them to the Gulf region’s Champions League semi-finals.

Maradona said last week he was “happy and proud to have been linked with the national team job.”

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World Football – Maradona tipped to become UAE coach