BusinessDay 17 Dec 2017

C002D5556
46 BD SUNDAY
Sports
Sunday 17 December 2017
GODFREY OFURUM, Aba
FIFA suspends Brazilian
soccer president
FIFA has suspended Brazilian
soccer federation president
Marco Polo del Nero for 90
days while he is under an ethics
investigation.
Del Nero has remained in
power in Brazil despite being
charged by American authorities
with racketeering and money
laundering in 2015.
FIFA says Del Nero has been
provisionally banned from all
soccer activities as formal ethics
investigation proceedings are
conducted.
Del Nero fled Zurich in May
2015 when FIFA colleagues were
arrested, quit the executive committee
of soccer’s governing body
after missing meetings and was
then indicted in the United States
in December 2015. He has not
been extradited from Brazil to face
the charges.
FIFA threatens to expel
Spain from 2018 World Cup
2010 World Cup champions
Spain run the risk of
being kicked out of the
FIFA World Cup after
suspended president Angel
Maria Villar filed a complaint,
FIFA is investigating the situation
surrounding the Spanish FA
(RFEF) and has threatened La Roja
with expulsion from the World
Cup in Russia.
The complaint filed has suggested
there has been political
interference within the workings
of the RFEF and that is strictly
prohibited by FIFA’s regulations.
As such, the RFEF have received
a warning of possible exclusion
from FIFA competitions if it’s
Man United’s Eric Bailly faces 3-month layoff
Manchester United
defender
Eric Bailly will
have ankle
surgery and
faces up to three months on
the sidelines.
United boss Jose Mourinho
said that the centre-back may
need to go under the knife to
correct the problem, and he
confirmed on Friday that his
fear had been realised.
“He goes to surgery, the decision
is made,” Mourinho said.
“I don’t say [he’s out] for the
rest of the season but it’s for
the next two or three months.”
Ivory Coast international
Bailly has missed eight consecutive
matches, featured
most recently in the 1-0 Premier
League defeat at Chelsea
on November 5.
The 23-year-old sustained
the problem on international
duty but Mourinho said earlier
this week that he is satisfied
with his centre-back options
in Bailly’s stead.
He said: “I played Chris
Smalling and Phil Jones and
we had Victor Lindelof and
proven that political interference
has indeed taken place, a ban
which would include the summer
showpiece.
Kuwait have been involved in
a similar situation and were punished,
and furthermore Spain were
threatened by Sepp Blatter back
in 2010 before the South Africa
World Cup although there was no
evidence of wrongdoing proven.
FIFA considers that the Higher
Council for Sports in Spain has
meddled in the RFEF election
process and thus have activated
the protocol of investigating the
association immediately.
Experts in the matter feel as
though Spain has enough leeway
Daley Blind on the bench. Marcos
Rojo was injured against
Manchester City, but nothing
really big.
“During the whole season,
we’ve had problems with central
defenders but, because
to avoid a serious punishment,
however the move towards a new
election process is something that
could cause huge problems for the
association.
FIFA Article 13 states: “Each
member must manage their affairs
independently and ensure that
there is no interference by third
parties in their affairs.”
The Spanish government believes
a re-election is necessary
for two reasons - to end Villar’s
reign and also rebuild the legacy
of a tarnished football federation.
FIFA are uncomfortable with
such a process, especially given
Villar’s suggestions of political
involvement.
the number is four or five, we
manage always to have players
available.
“Chris Smalling is playing
amazingly well for seven or
eight matches in a row maybe,
so we are fine.”
Pep in the market
for a new defender
Pep Guardiola says he is in
discussions with Manchester
City director of football
Txiki Begiristain over potentially
signing a central defender in
January.
City’s first-team options in the
heart of defence include John
Stones, Nicolas Otamendi, Eliaquim
Mangala and captain Vincent
Kompany, who Guardiola
confirmed was likely to return
to fitness in the next few days.
Various newspaper reports
on Friday linked Man City with
a £70m move for Southampton
defender Virgil Van Dijk and
in April Sky Sports News exclusively
revealed he was one of
Guardiola’s six summer targets.
However, with Kompany often
sidelined through injury Guardiola
admits the league leaders could be
active in the upcoming transfer
window if there is a viable option
available.
“We just speak about January
transfer signings with the club
and Txiki because in the central
defender position we don’t have
many players, especially in this
situation,” said Guardiola.
“Vincent is always injured,
he fights a lot to be ready but
sometimes he is not able to be
fit consistently and we have just
three central defenders in that
moment for competition.
“Maybe we need one more
guy in that position, we are talking
about that but of course in
winter time it is so complicated.
“We don’t want to sign someone
for three or four months, we
want to sign them for years and
makes sure they are the right guy,
if this doesn’t happen we are not
going into the market.”
City surpassed Arsenal’s record
of 14 consecutive league wins
with their 4-0 drubbing of Swansea
on Wednesday night, but
Guardiola would not entertain
the idea his side could replicate
Arsene Wenger’s Invincibles
in 2003/04 by going the whole
campaign unbeaten.
“That is not going to happen,
that record belongs to Arsene
Wenger and his amazing Arsenal
in 2004,” Guardiola said.
“We are going to lose games,
today is a completely different intensity
so that is going to happen
[losing]. Now what is happening
is the exception and we would
like to send a message that it is
an exception, that it is not normal
what we have done.
“We are so happy, we are
going to fight to try maintain as
long as possible, but that is an
exception. People, teams, players
lose game and that is going to happen
[to us].”