World Soccer - October 2016

GLOBAL FOOTBALL INTELLIGENCE
“In the way it was
done, it’s a scandal”
Bernard Caiazzo, Saint-Etienne co-president, on
four Champions League places being awarded to
La Liga, Bundesliga, Premier League and Serie A
eight places will go to teams from leagues ranked
fifth to 10th. Only six teams will now come through
the play-offs.
There will no longer be automatic places for the
champions of leagues ranked 11th and 12th by
UEFA – Switzerland and Turkey in this season’s
competition
UEFA also announced changes to the way that
revenue is allocated to participating clubs. The TV
“market pool” will be reduced to 15 per cent of
prize money – down from 40 per cent – with
30 per cent now awarded based on a revised club
co-efficient, where bonus points will be awarded
for their “historical success” in past tournaments.
UEFA plans to establish a new subsidiary
company, UEFA Club Competitions SA, which will
“play a strategic role in determining the future and
the management of club competitions”. Half of
the group’s managing directors will be appointed
by the European Club Association (ECA), a further
sop to the interests of Europe’s biggest clubs.
The changes were agreed by the UEFA
Executive Committee, meeting in Monaco ahead
of the Champions League draw, even though
the European governing body has been without
a president since the departure of Michel Platini
last autumn.
Gavin Hamilton
HEROES
Real hero...goalscoring defender Sergio Ramos
SERGIO RAMOS
The Real Madrid centre-back has now scored
in his last three Finals, finding the net against
San Lorenzo in the 2014 Club World Cup,
Atletico Madrid in this year’s Champions League
showdown and Sevilla in the UEFA Super Cup.
LAS PALMAS
The Spanish side won their first two games of
the season to go top of the table when La Liga
broke for the international weekend. It was the
first time they had been there for 38 years.
NEYMAR
The Barcelona forward scored the winning
penalty to seal Brazil’s Olympic triumph.
ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC
Found the net for Manchester United against
Bournemouth to extend his record of scoring on
his debut in the Champions League, Serie A, La
Liga, Ligue 1 and now the Premier League.
Dream start...Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored at Bournemouth
VILLAINS
JASPER CILLESSEN
Conceded four times
for the first time in five
years as an Ajax keeper
– in what proved to be
his final appearance
before a move to
Barcelona. Russian side
Rostov scored the goals
in a 32-minute spell,
which earned them a
place in the Champions League group stage
for the first time.
Happier...better behaved Sporting Gijon supporters
SPORTING GIJON FANS
The club’s home game against Athletic Bilbao
was suspended for a minute by referee Clos
Gomez after supporters targeted the visitors’
Inaki Williams with racist abuse.
JOSE BAXTER
The former Everton and Sheffield United
midfielder will miss the entire 2016-17 season
after being banned for 12 months for failing a
drug test for a second time. The 24-year-old
is believed to have tested positive for cocaine
in February, having previously tested positive
for ecstasy in 2015.
ALBANIA
Farewell...Jasper
Cillessen let in four
The Football Association of Albania was fined
and sanctioned for fielding an ineligible player in
a friendly against Luxembourg in March. Albania
forfeited the game 3-0 after it was discovered
that Ergys Kace played when he should have
been serving a one-match suspension.
WORLD SOCCER 11