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Malaysia launches Asian Cup advertising campaign

Stung by criticism for trying to simultaneously organise the AFC Asian Cup 2007 and a visit by Manchester United FC, Malaysian authorities have returned all their attention to the marquee regional football event. "There are no distractions now, so we are confident that we will be ready to be a fantastic host," Hamidin Mohamad Amin, head of Malaysia's logistics committee for the Asian Cup, told Associated Press. "Our preparations are in tiptop condition in the important areas such as ensuring security and suitable accommodation for the teams and foreign visitors."

Football Association of Malaysia's Assistant General Secretary, Noor Kefli Mohamad Sulong, said the AFC should not fret any longer about Malaysia's commitment to the Asian Cup, since promotional banners and posters adorn prominent streets and an advertising campaign has been launched.

"In our opinion, we are doing as much as we can to promote the Asian Cup," Noor Kefli told AP. However, he warned that the AFC should not expect full houses for the matches. He estimated that matches featuring Malaysia would probably draw up to 30,000 spectators, barely one-third the capacity of the 100,000-seat Bukit Jalil National Stadium where most of the matches will be played.

Officials sensed a lack of public enthusiasm recently when an Asian Cup Football Festival, featuring football clinics and other activities in a Kuala Lumpur park, attracted only about 400 people. "But the people's interest should improve later. Malaysians never really care about publicity campaigns. But when the time comes, they will still buy tickets to support the national team and the tournament," Noor Kefli said.

NFL targets 50 million fans from marketing in China

The major sports code in the United States, the National Football League, is withdawing from the European market to focus on brand development in Asia. NFL Europa, born 16 years ago as the World League of American Football, lost money, ran through television partners, narrowed its trans-Atlantic focus largely to Germany and finally was shuttered yesterday. “It had some useful purpose in developing players,” John Mara, the co-owner of the Giants, told Richard Sandomir of the New York Times. “And at least we were able to find out if there was interest in our product. And there was some.” The NFL’s strategy will include shifting the playing some of its own regular-season games overseas. “If we can present two or three games a year, and fans are engaged in that experience, we will grow exponentially overseas,” Mark Waller, the senior vice president of NFL International, said. The Giants will play the Miami Dolphins on 28 October at Wembley Stadium in London. “All the tickets we’ve put on sale so far for the Wembley game have been sold out,” Waller said.

An American Bowl preseason game in China as been scheduled.for August 2009 at the National Stadium of Beijing. Titan Media has been contracted to be the official sports media partner of the NFL in China and NFL International is presently establishing an office in Beijing and will partner with the city to build fan interest in American football prior to the 2009 flagship event. For now, the NFL is thinking small. It's been sponsoring a school-age flag league involving 5,000 players in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and an NFL game is shown weekly on China's state-run CCTV.

Gordon Smeaton, an NFL vice president, said the NFL is about to announce a "much broader distribution of games" in the country. It may also change viewing times and may add more live telecasts. He told AP the annual Super Bowl telecast drew up to 10 million viewers. "The audience for the weekly game, we're happy with a couple of million people watching the game," Smeaton said. "That's where we are." He hinted that the NFL might use China as a market to test new technology. He also talked up online games. "We see a day in the not too distant future when Korean NFL fans will be on line with Chinese fans in Shanghai, or with Indonesians or with Tokyo." The NFL's target in China is men, ages 16-30, who have traveled and are interested in foreign cultures. That's as many as 50 million people.

Small Indian youth team finds its way to Canberra

A small football club in Gujarat, India, is on the verge of making an impact in Australia. Set up by a Vadodara-based football fan C Sadanand in 1999, Providence Club built itself brick by brick, with players, mostly from a poor background, selling vegetables and making detergent powder to fund the team. And now the club set to go to Canberra to participate in the 17th Kanga Cup, a popular annual youth tournament. “Their years of struggle have paid off. The people of Gujarat will now know that there is football even in this state,” Hardev Jadeja, secretary, Gujarat State Football Association, told Swarup Kar Purkayastha of Indian Express.

Launched with about 15-20 players and no sponsor, the team started supporting itself first by selling vegetables door-to-door. Then the players started retailing through the Providence Super Store in Vadodara, also distributing sports goods before launching their own home-made detergent powder, which they called Team. Now, the club even conducts regular coaching programmes in Vadodara schools. “The club has struggled a lot. All the players used to stay together in a flat. In the morning, they would go to various factories for work, in the afternoon, they would go door to door to sell their products and in the evening practise football,” said Gulab Chauhan, a FIFA referee, based in Ahmedabad.

In 2000, Providence became runners-up in the Paulin Cup, a premier state tournament. It went on to retain the cup in 2001, 2002 and 2004 before the tournament was scrapped due to lack of sponsorship. But Canberra? Providence can thank a new Asian Fellowship program initiated by Capital Football for that, said Steven McIntyre, event manager, Kanga Cup. “We started giving fellowships to Asian countries this year. And the application of Providence was very impressive.”

The Mumbia-based Ashok Piramal Group and the Minister President of the All India Football Federation, Priyaranjan Dasmunshi, have reportedly agreed to provide the team with extra travel funds. The team will be captained by Akshay Mall of Baroda High School, while rest of the players are students at Tejas Schol, Rosary School, IPCL School, Don Bosco School and Vidyani School.

Notes on the early years of the AFC Asian Cup

"The Asian Football Confederation was the brainchild of Dato Tunko Abdul Rahman, the late Prime Minister of Malaysia and was established in Manila, the Philippines, in 1954," wrote Yasir Abbasher in Gulf News.

The 12 founding members thought of means of spreading and improving the game of football in Asia and organising the Asian Cup was the biggest step they saw to achieve their goals. In 1956 the first edition of the Asian Cup was held in Hong Kong with the participation of only seven teams. The finals were held in a round robin format and South Korea won the first two editions of the tournament.

Israel won the title when it hosted the 3rd Asian Cup in 1964 but was pushed out of the AFC before the 5th version of the tournament in Thailand in 1972 which, surprise, marked the first participation of the Arab teams in the qualifiers. Iran dominated the next three competitions from 1968 to 1976.

And as the membership of the AFC increased from 12 to 48 teams through the years, the Asian Cup competition has developed to include more teams in the preliminary qualifiers.The final stage teams were increased in 1996 from eight to 12 and then to 16 in the 13th version of the tournament in China in 2004.

Chelsea's exclusive Asian merchandising partner

Peter Kenyon, Chief Executive of English Premier League club Chelsea FC and Perhson Wong, Chairman of EZshopnet Ltd, today signed an exclusive merchandising partnership contract for the Asia Pacific region. The first project of the partnership is the development and operation of AP's first Chelsea FC online megastore - www.chelseamegastore.hk - which has been up and running since 1 June 2007. EZshopnet is also planning to put forward a series of promotions in order to further promote football culture among the public. Projects in the pipeline include setup of thematic bars and restaurants with Chelsea FC image and merchandises, joint venture with renowned chain stores at strategically important geographical locations and signing sub-licensing partners in different countries.

"The Asia Pacific region is one of the major areas that we are targeting to develop. We would like to promote the club's image and products more effectively among the fans and also the public via this partnership. With EZshopnet's valuable experiences in the local market and also in football businesses, we have full confidence in achieving unprecedented success in the region, " Kenyon said. "With the continual increase in demand for Chelsea FC merchandises among AP football fans, we are excited about finding such a competent partner who can offer a full range of manufacturing, sales and other related brand building support to us. This partnership will bring along the greatest benefits to all Chelsea FC fans," Ron Gourlay, Commercial and Venue Director of Chelsea FC, added.

Established in 1996, EZshopnet Limited is one of the largest direct mailing houses in Hong Kong. "We are much honored to be appointed as the club's exclusive merchandising partner to help foster Asia Pacific's football culture with Chelsea FC. With the growing popularity of football sports, we are confident that Chelsea FC's fans in the whole AP will feel much closer to this distinguished football club," Wong, said.

Malaysian tourism boss says MU decision "wierd"

After talks with Manchester United officials in London, Malaysia's Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor told Bernama news service that fans may have to wait next year to see the English Premier League champion play in Malaysia. "I've done my utmost. I apologise to MU fans in Malaysia. It looks like we have to wait next year," he said via teleconferencing with Malaysian journalists in Valencia and London after the meeting. MU, represented by relationship director Nick Humphreys and two other officials, Keith Impey and Nick Lockwood, explained that the club could not meet Malaysia's request as it did not want to face any action from the international football governing body, FIFA.

Tengku Adnan said he was disappointed with Asian Football Confederation , led by Mohammed Bin Hammam, for refusing to consider Malaysia's appeal for MU to be allowed to play in the country on 27 July. "What I find weird is that AFC allows the club to play in Japan, Seoul and Macau," he added. He said if AFC feared that MU's presence in Kuala Lumpur could have implications on the Asia Cup, then it should consider allowing the club to play in Johor Baharu or Penang.

MU cancelled its friendly match with Malaysia on July 27 after FIFA president Joseph S`Blatter and Bin Hammam refused to give the greenlight because it coincides with the Asia Cup. MU, in a message posted on its website, said the club would not come to Malaysia if there was a dispute. Meanwhile, Humphreys, who was present during the news conference in London, reiterated that it had always been MU's wish to play in Malaysia to show their appreciation to the local fans. "However, in this case, we have to listen to AFC. We have our law and regulation. It's really an unfortunate situation that we have to cancel the trip to Malaysia this year," he added.

Questions to AFC President Bin Hammam

QUESTIONS TO AFC PRESIDENT MOHAMED BIN HAMMAM ON

PROFESSIONALISM, WOMEN'S FOOTBALL AND ASIAN CUP

Portrayed as “high-handed”, “selfish” and “xenophobic” by Malaysian Manchester United fans for his convincing arguments that caused the club to cancel its Asian Cup-clashing commercial game in Kuala Lumpur, Asian Football Confederation two-term President Mohamed Bin Hammam is not a man of towering physique. Rather it is his quiet demeanour, steely concentration and occasional flashes of passion that illustrate the determination so often evident in his public statements.

To him, for instance, Man United’s scheduled game was not just a negative impact on the AFC’s tournament but also "immoral, unethical, and disrespectful" to Asian football, and “a kind of colonialism.” Mind you, two year’s earlier he’d already admonished Real Madrid for a China tour described by media as a “gold-digging” exercise. “European clubs have to remember that our national associations, players and fans look to them not as money-minded opportunists but as leaders and role-models in the game,” he warned.

But Bin Hammam is equally as blunt with issues within the Asian family where “face” is often given a reverence far above competency. While praising India’s prospects on a recent tour he pointed out antiquated club houses. "With the kind of facilities they have, India should not even dream of being in the World Cup for another 100 years," he quipped.

And on the management and marketing issues affecting next month’s Asian Cup: "With four countries this is a problem. It involves a lot of marketing and a lot of energy. You get something from one government, but not another. Most of them are amateurs hardly committed to their associations, maybe just an hour a day. We have to have commitment. If one country fulfils its obligation and another one doesn’t, this is no good to us."

The recently re-elected Asian leader (and continuing Chairman of the world football body, FIFA’s powerful development-focussed GOAL Program) shared coffee with Asian Football Business Review at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur and responded to our questions on three aspects of his football modernisation drive in Asia..


How serious are you about building Professional Leagues?

Bin Hammam’s planning for football in Asia commenced during his six years in the AFC Executive Committee, with time as Chairman of its Finance Committee and Vice-Chairman of its Development Fund, before standing for election as President and winning in August 2002. “I saw that there was scope for me to make changes,” he said, explaining why he stood for the top post.

One month later he introduced his Vision Asia concept which was inaugurated as the AFC’s long-term football development program at a congress in his home town, Doha, Qatar, in January 2003. In the program, Hammam identified 11 disciplines to be address by Asian football stakeholders wanting to catch up with their European counterparts: national associations, marketing, grassroots, coach education, referees, sports medicine; men's competitions, women's competitions, futsal; media, and fans.

“We learnt from the experiences of Europe and FIFA and then detailed what we were to do and how to do it, the next steps, in advance,” he said. This has resulted in fifteen current and ongoing projects in six countries, including China, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Iran and Oman. These are focussed on establishing new metropolitan and provincial-level clubs and leagues from the ground-up.

Ironically, in 2005 Bin Hammam was approached at a UEFA congress by the European confederation’s then Chief Executive, Lars-Christer Olsson. “He told me he wanted to introduce a plan of action for Europe and I said I was willing to help,” he recalled. “”Thank you,’ said Olsson, ‘can we call it Vision Europe?” I said, “why not!”

The drive for professional leagues, announced in 2005 for 2009, is part of the Vision Asia, step-by-step strategy.

“We are not pushing away the amateur side of the game in this program, he said. “Ninety-nine percent is played and enjoyed at the amateur level and only one percent is played at the top. What we must do is separate the amateur from the professional so that the elite can grow and be competitive. We know what happened in European football and what is successful but we have a culture gap in Asia.

“For instance, in our surveys of national associations we found two vocabularies. There would be talk of teams and not clubs and of tournaments and not leagues. Some would talk of having memberships in the thousands. Changing the culture means getting the professional terminology correct.. It means understanding professionalism and recognising the importance of commercialism. We have to change the mentality and accept that professional football has to be organised like a business. Revenue is necessary; it is our top priority," he reiterated.

The drive to professionalism is not expected to be accepted uniformly throughout the vast Asian confederation. Few nations currently have the level of professionalism that meets the AFC’s criteria. The “carrot” for improvement is participating in the ever-more popular Asian Champions League. In 2009, only clubs from countries with professional leagues will be able to participate in the ACL – even if that means they are drawn from five or six countries. Clubs from leagues that don’t qualify will be deemed amateur and streamed in the AFC’s two lower club competitions, the AFC Cup and the President’s Cup.

“The timetable is fixed,” the President confirmed.



How serious are you about building Women’s Football?

“We are definitely trying to enhance women’s football. I told the AFC Executive Committee, if we believe in women’s football then we must do everything to make it a success. If it’s just a luxury thing then we shouldn’t do it. So we are committed 100% to supporting development in the women's game in administration, coaching, players and grassroots,” Bin Hammam said..

“Women have a right to be involved in football. It is not a gift. They deserve it. Resources are still negligible, almost zero and funds are a major restriction. However we have made it possible for the AFC to finance it and to improve the standards. We’ve also set-up the criteria for all our member associations and everyone has to meet that criteria. .They have to build committees and clubs otherwise they’ll be left behind. Now Asia is leading the world in women’s youth football.,” he said.

He gave as examples North Korea and China coming first and second in last year's FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championship and China's Ma Xiaoxu named player of the tournament. He said there were now more senior and junior women's competitions in the region, “even in nations that used to disallow women's football previously." The AFC is raising its number of women executive committee members to at least four and, this year, there will be the first separate AFC awards night to further enhance women’s football.

“When women share the same environment as men at all levels, I can say that success for women’s football is achievable. And for the doubters, particularly when I launched the idea of allocating seats for women on the Executive Committee, it is being proven that when women are in the structure and with more clubs and leagues, there is better performance.

“And now, in women’s football, Asia is being discovered to be more liberal than Europe,” the President quipped.



How serious are you about restricting foreign teams visiting the region during the Asian Cup tournament?


Mohamed Bin Hammam sensed immediately we were referring to his successful campaign against Manchester United’s scheduled game in Kuala Lumpur and the AFC's silence on the English Premier League’s Barclays Asian Trophy being played in Hang Kong and the larger Peace Cup being played in Seoul, South Korea during the Asian Cup..

“We had agreements with the four host countries of this year’s Asian Cup that they would not promote any other football activity immediately before, during and immediately after the tournament. That was the issue.

“As for Manchester United, they took a lot of criticism for trying to keep their game in Malaysia but, when they became aware of Malaysia’s agreement with us, all credit to them, they did realise their responsibility.

“The Barclay Asian Trophy and any other events held outside of the four Asian Cup hosts were not big issues for us,” he explained.

“Really?,” we asked.

“Of course, in 2011 it will be different, the President assured. “In future we will insist there are no clashes with the Asian Cup. After all, it is only four weeks out of four years and we must protect Asia’s players and coaches during this important event.”

Hong Kong's Yeung now home at Birmingham City

English Premier League club Birmingham City has confirmed that “discussions are continuing” over a possible takeover after directors agreed to sell 29.9% of the club’s shares to Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung Ka-Shing. Directors David and Ralph Gold, David Sullivan, Karren Brady and Roger Bannister yesterday gave Grandtop International Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong investment firm Yeung partly owns, the right to buy the shares at the ordinary share capital of 61.331 pence.

But although he must have 30% of shares before being compelled to make an offer on the entire company, a statement to the Stock Exchange revealed that a further investment was still possible. “Shareholders should be aware that there is currently no indication at this stage that a formal offer will be made for the company as a whole but discussions are continuing with GIHL which may or may not lead to a cash offer being made for the company in due course,” the statement read.

The Golds and Sullivan have each agreed to sell 14.81% of the club’s shares to GIHL, with Brady agreeing to part with 0.23% and Bannister offering up 0.05%. Yeung has until 5pm on July 16 to take up the offer and has already paid the club a £1.09 million non-refundable deposit.

If GIHL did buy the maximum 29.9%, Yeung would instantly become the single largest stakeholder, taking over from the Gold brothers and Sullivan who currently own 78% of the shares between them. In the new arrangement the Golds and Sullivan would see their stake fall to 23.22% each.

Indonesia's stadium finally fixed, now for football

Workers have installed a sleek VIP box, bolted down 88,000 new seats and painted every wall, girder and fence in Indonesia's Soviet-era soccer stadium to prepare it for the final of the Asian Cup. Jakarta's Gelora Bung Karno Stadium will host group matches between South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Indonesia along with the July 29 final of the region's most prestigious soccer tournament.

"Everything is ready, new and gleaming, right down to the referees' changing room. We want to be the pride of Asia," John Halmahera, a football official who helped oversee the US$8 million renovations, told AP.

Gelora Bung Karno stadium was built in 1962 to host the Asian Games with money from the former Soviet Union, which was then trying to expand communist influence in Asia.Before the recent renovations, the first in the stadium's history, its official capacity was 100,000, though during big matches an estimated 200,000 reportedly could squeeze into its unnumbered benches. Authorities say that only those with tickets will be now be allowed in. Also banned are the hordes of vendors who used to walk freely in the stands hawking steamed peanuts and fried bean curd. "People may complain, but the new stadium must be safe and clean," said Halmahera. "The supporters must adapt."

"Many people put the team's current problems down to poor management at the country's national soccer association. The organization's current leader, wealthy politician Nurdin Halid, was convicted of corruption in 2005 but kept his role as soccer chief. The coach at the time, former English striker Peter Withe, told a reporter last year of his surprise at having to travel to prison for meetings with Halid, who was released last year," Associated Press commented.

Far East entrepreneur closing on Birmingham City

Hong Kong entrepreneur Carson Yeung has held intense day-long talks with English Premier League club Birmingham City major shareholders David Sullivan and David and Ralph Gold about buying their 78 percent equity in the publicly listed club. Yeung has had his people at St Andrew's going through the books at a cost of more than £100,000 but Ben Hunt and Stuart James reported in The Guardian that discussions had gathered momentum onky since Sunday when Yeung, who was reportedly introduced to the Blues by advisor Keith Harris, the executive chairman of Seymour Pierce Investment Bank, arrived in London.

According to James Nursey in the Mirror, Yeung pledged to lodge funds with Seymour Pierce, convincing Sullivan and the Golds to take him seriously after his previous interest in Reading and Sheffield had quickly cooled. Yeung, former chairman of Hong Kong Rangers FC, hoped to shake on an agreement with BCFC's stakeholders yesterday but the latter's legal team are still reviewing the draft agreement and insist a formal statement is made to the Stock Exchange before any deal is announced. At its current share price the company has a market value of about £36.34 million, wrote Helen Burggraf of Shares Reporter

Earlier this year, Birmingham City Chairman David Gold confided in Phil McNulty, the BBC's Chief football writer, just how precarious relegation from the Premier League can be to the fortunes of a club: "The Championship is a truly amazing division. A great spectacle and such a close race, but obviously we would like to go straight back up. The parachute payments are the key. You have two years, and once they pass - as clubs like Norwich and Ipswich have found - it becomes extremely difficult because you are competing against clubs that have been relegated, that have got Premiership players, and that have got financial muscle.

"All clubs will tell you it is vital to get back into the Premiership as early as possible, and certainly within those two years. Using crude, approximate figures, your turnover increases from £17 million to £50 million, which is a dramatic rise, but invariably the vast majority goes to agents and players. I think one of the most important things about returning to the Premiership is not the money, it is the pride for the fans, players, manager and board. If we get up, we will sit down and review the situation, listen to Steve Bruce, and then come to a decision depending on which players are available"

No prize money if Australia wins the Asian Cup

Australia will "pay to play" in next month's AFC Asian Cup 2007 as the Asian Football Confederation does not compensate any of the 16 finalists and the tournament offers no prize money. According to Val Migliaccio at Adelaide Now, Australia can make up for the lack of Asian Cup finances by winning the tournament which will see them qualify for the FIFA Confederations Cup 2009 in South Africa. The latter tournament should see the Socceroos earn at least $1.5 million in appearance money plus ongoing bonuses of around $500,000 for each win.

"Asia's empty pockets are a stark contrast to the rich UEFA European confederation. UEFA handed out nearly $28 million to Greece for winning EURO 2004 while other nations were guaranteed $7.6 million just for qualifying plus a $950,000 bonus for each Group stage win," he wrote. The FFA is expected to fork out an estimated $500,000 for each Asian Cup clash with Socceroos wages apparently accounting for most of incurred costs. Socceroos are reported to be on at least $5000 a match at the Asian Cup plus payments from player-generated revenue.

Man Utd aims for 50 million on-line fans in 3 years

English Premier League club Manchester United is in talks with marketing groups including WPP, Publicis, Omnicom and McCann Worldgroup about a global strategic partnership to drive the club's digital fan base to 50 million users. "We are a football club and a global brand, a media phenomenon, but at the moment we are not doing enough for our fans," the MU Group Commercial Director, Lee Daley, told Mark Sweney of MediaGuardian.co.uk. "Our database is currently 4 million and we want to drive that to 50 million-plus globally within three years. Our future is community and content." He said the right partner "has to have global reach, it will be a network-based relationship and there has to be core strength in Asia. We are a global brand currently attached to local operating capability."

Daley, the former chief executive of Saatchi & Saatchi London, said that the club was set to complete research into its global audience that was likely to show a fan base which had grown from 75 million in 2003 to around 90 million due to the increased penetration of the Premier League on TV around the globe. The figures are likely to show that the MU fan base in China "has probably doubled" in the last four years. "The club has a remarkable following but for most fans there can never be a direct relationship of, say, going to Old Trafford," he said. "We need to figure out how to enhance the experience for the fans, increase the ways they can enjoy us. That is the aim of the strategic partnership I want to make."

Why Viduka shelved retirement for the Asian Cup

Australian and EPL club Newcastle striker Mark Viduka has revealed why he shelved his international retirement plans at the 11th hour and opted to play for the Socceroos at the AFC Asian Cup 2007. "I realised in that day-and-a-half I had to think about it properly, that I wanted to be part of this Asian Cup team and part of Australia," he told David Davutovic of Adelaide Now while in Singapore. "Initially I was in two minds. I didn't know whether to retire or not and I mentioned it to Arnie [Socceroo coach Graham Arnold] and I said 'it looks like I will go that way'. Then the next two days I had a good think about it and I just felt it meant too much for me to play for Australia, just to give it away like that. I made the decision myself."

Viduka said he'd considered retirement from international games because "I've got a lot on my plate at the moment with changing clubs, and that's how it came about. Newcastle is a big commitment - it's something you can't go into half-hearted and it was very difficult to juggle the two." However now he is very exited. "We have a good chance. I don't want to be too cocky (but) we're quietly confident. It's no good us yelling and screaming how good we are, we've got to show it. For us there's a big pride factor here - it's our first time in Asia and hopefully we can show how good we are.It's great, it's nice to be in camp with the boys again and playing for Australia again."

Blatter accepts responsibility for Mastercard deal

FIFA President Joseph S Blatter has insisted the responsibility for the Mastercard dispute which cost the world governing body £45million rests solely on his shoulders. Blatter was speaking after the appointment of former marketing chief Jerome Valcke to the post of FIFA General Secretary.Valcke, a leading light at sports marketing agency SportFive and French TV network Canal+ before joining FIFA, succeeds Urs Linsi after his contract was not renewed. The 46-year-old will assume the role of a chief executive and as such become one of the most powerful men in football.

Blatter defended the appointment and said Valcke had not been dismissed, merely suspended. "This is not the responsibility of Jerome Valcke, this is the responsibility of the President of FIFA. He was not sacked, he was suspended and he is still under contract with FIFA, " he said as quoted by Martyn Ziegler, PA Chief Sports Reporter.

He also confirmed that £15 million of the £45 million MasterCard compensation deal was to settle the trademark dispute over the two-globes symbols used by both parties."This is like a fish bone being removed from my throat," added Blatter. "Our partners were suing us since 2002 in over 30 disputes in various parts of the world concerning the trademark. This has been solved. It is quite a lot of money but I think it can be digested."

He also said the decision of a US appeal court to vacate the original court ruling was a "rehabilitation" of Valcke and the three other marketing executives. Valcke's new appointment means Blatter will pass on some of his day-to-day administrative tasks and concentrate more on strategic decisions.

10 years of change will make Indian football great

Baichung Bhutia, once dubbed the Maradona of India, took Indian football to new heights when he became the first Indian footballer to break into European football. On a visit to the neighbouring Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan as a brand ambassador for TMT Steel, the Indian captain, well-known to Bhutanese fans for his “bicycle kick”, said hard work and determination is the key to success in football. “You have to love the game, fight difficulties to succeed,” the Mohun Bagan FC striker told Ugyen Penjore of Kuense-Online.

The journey from school football in Tinkitam in Sikkim to Bury FC, then an English Second Division club, was full of challenges. “Coming to Kolkata was a different experience because I had to adjust to a new environment and life. But I worked hard,” he said. Baichung joined Bury in mid-season 1999. “I always wanted to play outside India for a long time. I have played at the highest level in India and it was important to prove and test myself outside India,” he said. “I was really happy to leave for England. It was a great moment.”

Lack of professional infrastructure is the biggest impeding factor to the development of football in the region he told Penjore. “Good football development programs like tournaments for Under 13, 15, 16 and school tournaments have to be organised more often. More emphasis must be given to grassroots level, they should be exposed to international competitions from an early age and training of the highest standard should be provided. If we take these steps I feel we can achieve international status. There are lot of changes being made in the Indian football and within the next 10 years India will be among the best footballing nations in Asia,” he said.

Vietnam photo competition to highlight Asian Cup

A photo contest called Asian Cup Moment will be held during the AFC Asian Cup 2007's Group B, Quarter-Final 3 and Semi-Final 2 hosted by Vietnam next month. Organised by Vietnam Sport newspaper and the Vietnam Football Development Company, the event is expected to attract photos from Vietnamese and foreign sports photographers competing for a cash-prize of US$1,000.

Qatar is only regional nominee for 2011 Asian Cup

If the Asian Football Confederation maintains the regional rotation for its prestigious Asian Cup, the tounament's 2011 edition will be played in the Middle East sheikdom of Qatar. India formally declined to nominate because it couldn’t come up with the required infrastructure in time and Iran, tipped to be interested, did not submit a bid by the deadline. However, the AFC, lead by former Qatar Football Association President Mohamad Bin Hammam, furious about the lack of assistance and infrastructure support by the four South East Asian hosts of the 2007 cup, is sure to test Qatar's capacity. Otherwise China or Australia might be invited to tender.

"Qatar’s submission must meet all the requirements stipulated by the AFC before it can be formally ratified as host. Otherwise the bidding process will be reopened," commented the Gulf Times. "However, it is highly unlikely that Qatar would fail the test because Doha successfully hosted the Asian Games last December, earning praise from the rest of the world for its world class facilities and organisational skills." Qatar has hosted the Asian Cup before in 1988 when it was won by Saudi Arabia. In the past the country has also hosted the West Asian Cup, the Arabian Gulf Cup and the FIFA Youth World Cup.

Football donation puts Aceh team in winning mood

Practice makes perfect, and that has certainly been the case for the Aceh football team on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Using 80 top-quality footballs provided by the United Nations Development Programme, Nike and MercyCorps, the team has practiced its way to success and recently won the qualifier in Jakarta for the National Sports Championships (PON).

The donation of the 80 footballs to the team was in partnership with MercyCorps Canada and Nike, and distributed by the Office for Youth Affairs and Sports (Dispora) Aceh. It’s part of UNDP’s ongoing donation of 50,000 footballs to community football clubs, barracks, schools and university clubs in 21 districts across Aceh, and it represents UNDP’s aim to resuscitate sports in Aceh post tsunami.

The Aceh football team’s final game saw them take a 3-0 win over the team from Palembang, South Sumatra. Their victory is a result of hard work from the team’s 25 players, all aged between 18 to 21. They were selected by the Aceh Football Association (PSSI) from different clubs across Aceh in March. Their success means that the team will compete at next year’s National Sports Championships in East Kalimantan, held once every four years.

Jafar Sidik, UNDP Livelihoods Programme Assistant, explained: “Having the right equipment when training for a sports competition is vital. UNDP donated the footballs for the team to increase their spirit in winning the competition, and as a means to help reduce tsunami-related trauma. UNDP remains serious about developing sports in Aceh, and it’s great to hear about the team’s success. We wish them all the best for next year’s big game!”

One of the team’s players is 18-year-old Agus Mulyadi. “I’m so happy to win this competition, as we had to beat six other football teams,” he said. “I dedicate this victory to my father. He died 10 years ago, but when he was alive we used to play in our village park. I promised him I’d be a good footballer, and take care of my sister and mother. So when I play, I play for him.

“Before joining the team, I played with my village soccer club for many years. I believe God opened a door for me to come to this soccer team through the tight series of selection games. When I first met the team three months ago, I knew it would be a great place for me to develop as a person. The other team members and I play soccer twice a day, so it challenged me to grow as a young professional soccer player as well. Having proper footballs to play with made a lot of difference.”

Qamaruzzaman Haqny, PSSI Secretary, said: “I’m so proud of Agus and the team, as they gave it their best throughout the competition. But the hard work is not over, as they still need to practice hard for next year’s national championship. We really appreciate and thank UNDP, Nike and MercyCorps for their support. Bravo for the team!”

African ministers emphasise sport's peace role

Ministers of Sport of the African Union met for the first time in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on 4-8 June and in their conference declaration committed to “use sport in promoting regional integration, visibility of Africa, employment creation, solidarity, peace, healthy lifestyles, and socio-economic development” and recognized “the need for the prioritization of sport in education curricula as all levels.” The ministers also cited the “supportive role of sport to achieve the Millennium Development Goals in African member states.”

The conference, held under the leadership of AU Commissioner for Social Affairs, Advocate Bience Gawanas, served as a catalyst for the harmonization of sport programs and activities on a continental basis in pursuit of development and peace. It also provided the foundation for mainstreaming sport into the AU programs in the coming years. Gawanas said that sports have been successful in addressing many of Africa’s problems, such as HIV/AIDS education and awareness, and that African athletes have created a positive image of Africa through their achievements. She pointed to challenges, including the need to promote greater participation by women and girls and persons with disabilities and to improve physical education in schools.

The ministers’ declaration committed to promote Sport for All, “including African women in sport and sport for physically, socially, and mentally challenged Africans, and the inclusion of sport programmes for youth in areas of conflict, and locations for refugees and displaced people.”

The UN New York Office of Sport for Development and Peace (UNOSDP), requested UN agencies and country offices to provide information on sport-related activities in Africa. The United Nations Development Programme, for example, uses sport in programs to promote peace, integrate and mobilize youth, accelerate the attainment of the MDGs, and improve health and the quality of life. UNESCO is working to widen university-level education in physical education, as well as promote traditional sports and utilize football for educational purposes. UN-HABITAT is using sport in effort to help make cities and communities in Kenya safer. The International Labour Organization cooperates with FIFA and the Confédération Africaine de Football in a campaign to raise awareness about child labour, and with the International Olympic Committee on youth skills development and women-oriented programs.

FIFA and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees have joined with the NGO Right to Play to organise football programs in refugee camps in Africa. UNICEF and FIFA have teamed up for the Unite for Children, Unite for Peace campaign, focusing on every child’s right to a peaceful world. The World Tourism Organization and FIFA have partnership to use tourism as a means of combating poverty and boosting development on the African continent. The World Health Organization, the Joint UN Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and FIFA have joined forces to address stigma and discrimination against people living with HIV/AIDS with a cartoon booklet for young people called “HIV/AIDS – Stand Up for Human Rights”.

Real Madrid Academy in Bali starts in controversy

Spanish Liga premier Real Madrid has signed a 3.5-year license agreement for the establishment of the Real Madrid Academy of Football Excellence in the Indonesian tourism province of Bali. According to the Indonesian Ambassador to Spain, Slamet Santoso Mustafa, the academy, accommodating 200 students aged 9-18 years under Real Madrid coaches, will be very beneficial for Indonesia. "Not only in the development of sport, especially football, but also in other aspects, such as tourism," he told Kompas newspaper correspondent Adi Prinantyo in Madrid.

The agreement with Real Madrid was signed by David Hatchwell, Vice President of the Spanish Excem Grupo and Peter Setiono, President Director of PT Real Indo Castle. Hatchwell told Kompas the first intake of 200 students would be selected by the Real Madrid process. According to Setiono, an Indonesian businessman with strong links to the banking, finance, telecommunications and power sectors, the academy will include two football fields, swimming pool, dressing room, fitness centre, physiotherapy centre, office complex and conference facilties.

Bali associates have confirmed that the Academy will be based at the Canggu Club, a newly completed, state-of-the-art sporting and leisure facility, in North Kuta. “The plan is moving forward. However, we haven’t decided how to run the academy or what it’s going to be like. On July 20, the project manager [Juan Murueta-Goyenawill] come here to discuss the details of the plan,” Canggu Club football coach Wolfgang Pical told the Bali Times.

He said planning had been underway for a year and a half and had gained all the necessary permits and other paperwork in both Spain and Indonesia. “The initial plan is complete. Through Juan, Real Madrid has acquired enough land near Canggu Community School to build two football pitches,” Pical said. “We are still waiting for many things. The reason why they choose Bali, I think, because their owner has a property here.”

However the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) has reporedly questioned the legality of the academy, claiming that the FA had never been involved in the talks. “Neither the central nor provincial office has been officially informed about the establishment of the academy; therefore Nurdin [Halid, PSSI Chairman] had asked me to find it out,” Made Sumer, head of the Bali Football Association, told reporters. He said that as an investor, the Spanish club must involve PSSI as the academy planned to be a training ground for young players. “This matter involves a bilateral relationship. The Spanish consulate should have informed the Bali government about this. If they don’t have a clear purpose, then it’s illegal,” he said.

Friendlies: Vietnam wins, Oman beats Indonesia

Asian Cup co-hosts Indonesia and Vietnam had mixed results in friendlies on Sunday. Indonesia was beaten at home by Oman 0-1 after missing a penalty. Almukhain Ahmed scored the only goal of the match early in the second half with a long-range strike. Vietnam won 3-0 over Jamaica. Le Cong Vinh put the home team ahead on eight minutes and Duc Duong added another in the 65th minute. Anh Duc made it three a minute from time to secure victory,.

North Korea qualfies for 2008 East Asian Cup

North Korea has qualified for the 2008 East Asian Football Championships by beating Hong Kong 1-0 on Sunday in the qualifiers. Earlier, Taiwan beat Macau 7-2 to clinch third place. Mongolia beat Guam 5-2 to finish fifth. Next February's tournament in Chongqing, China includes China, Japan and South Korea.

Official Song selected for AFC Asian Cup 2007

The Asian Football Confederation has announced that Tata Young's 'I Believe' will be the Official Song for the AFC Asian Cup 2007. The Thai pop diva will perform her hit number ahead of the opening match of between Thailand and Iraq at the Rajamangala Stadium in Bangkok on 7 July. Fans will also have the opportunity to meet her at the AFC Asian Cup 2007 Football Festival in Future Park Rangsit, Bangkok on 1 July.

Majority of Japan's Asian Cup squad miss training

Japan's Asian Cup preparations have reportedly gone from bad to worse after only 10 players turned up for the squad's training camp. Only eight of coach Ivica Osim's preliminary squad of 30 were able to practice on Sunday, with two players injured and 20 opting to stay with their clubs. "With J-League games taking place at the weekend, clubs and players were entitled to make their own decision about the camp, but the extraordinary number of stay-aways will have alarmed the Bosnian," Alastair Himmer reported for Reuters.

Osim has already slammed Japan's Asian Cup preparations as a joke, blaming the J-League schedule for a lack of time together with his players. He is partucularly upset that most of his players have club commitments before Japan's Asian Cup opener against Qatar on 9 July. The Asian Cup holders will assemble for a final three-day training camp before flying to Vietnam on 4 July for their Group B games in Hanoi.

Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura was one of the few players who braved the pouring rain, putting training ahead of a family get-together on his 29th birthday. "I don't know how many more birthdays I'll have as a Japan player," Nakamura was quoted as saying in Monday's Japanese media. "I just hope I can bring some creativity and experience to the side."

Brand Beckham still needs "Spice" for US market

Will the Beckham brand be successful in America? Married to a Spice Girl, good looking and a skilful soccer player - that is the verdict on David Beckham, following a large-scale survey undertaken in North America by the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre, University of London. In a study designed to determine whether or not the Beckham brand will be a success when the England star arrives in America, findings indicate that Mrs Victoria Beckham remains fundamental to the success of Brand Beckham. The study’s results indeed show that she is currently the most important feature of the brand. After the ex-Spice Girl, the player’s good looks, stylish clothes and football skills were then identified as the most important elements of the Beckham brand.

The research brings good and bad news for the former England captain, ahead of his move from Real Madrid to LA Galaxy. Under half of the people surveyed knew exactly who David Beckham is, what he represents and the products he endorses. Many of these people also identified the player as a trend setting, stylish, metro-sexual, Englishman. The bad news is that more than half of the people who responded either knew nothing, or very little, about him. In addition, Beckham and his brand were rated very weakly when people were asked if they thought he is a family man, patriotic, down-to-earth, caring or faithful.

It was also found that North Americans clearly like their sports stars to be free of scandal and controversy, successful, credible and charismatic. Moreover, it seems that sports celebrity brands are more likely to be successful when they are associated with golf, basketball, American football or ice hockey. Someone who appears to epitomise what North American’s look for in their sports stars is Tiger Woods. An overwhelming majority of those surveyed identified Woods as currently the most marketable sporting celebrity brand in America, people indicating that they like him because he is intelligent, hard working, well spoken and consistently successful.

“There is obviously a great deal of hype over Beckham’s move to Major League Soccer” said Birkbeck researcher Nick Burton, who headed up the study. “So, we decided to try and find out more about what the general public in North America knows and thinks about David Beckham. In particular, we wanted to get a sense of how successful Brand Beckham can be.”

Dr Simon Chadwick, a Director of the Birkbeck Sport Business Centre, believes the results: “bring mixed news for Beckham and his advisors. On the one hand, amongst brands that are successfully introduced into new markets there is often a level of awareness and expectation built up around them. In this respect, the Beckham brand already has some equity. However, in the American market, much of this appears to have been built on the back of Victoria, the Spice Girls, his good looks and a belief that he is a skilful footballer. If Brand Beckham is to have any longevity, David must strive to make the most of what else he has to offer.”

Chadwick continued: “This is not necessarily going to be easy. Americans not only identify more with personalities from sports other than soccer, they also like successful, eloquent, trouble-free, clean-cut types. David Beckham therefore faces the challenge of promoting such qualities if he is to maximise the chances of his brand being a success. At the very least, Beckham must do well in the games he plays for LA Galaxy and must be seen as a successful sportsman.”

Chadwick concluded: “America is a large and important sporting market. However, one cannot assume that it will be easy pickings for Beckham – he needs good advice, his brand needs careful management and it is unlikely that football alone will be enough for the Beckham brand to become as powerful as, say, the Tiger Woods brand.” Burton added, “I think Beckham will have to look beyond football if he is going to successfully establish himself in America.”

The Brand Beckham research study was undertaken in North America (the United States and Canada) in May and June 2007 using a 32-item questionnaire. Using a combination of random and structured sampling techniques, a total of 614 responses was generated and analysed. The research is part of a report about Brand Beckham that will become available in September 2007.

Vietnam officials on trial for football match-fixing

The Hanoi People’s Court will try seven Vietnam football referees and two regional sports leaders for bribery on Tuesday. Vu Tien Thanh, assistant coach of the disbanded East Asia Bank–Pomina Steel FC, and Le Van Cuong, former director of Can Tho sports department, are accused of giving bribes. Seven referees are accused of conspiring to fix the matches and will be tried for receiving bribes to manipulate the results of some football matches. According to Thanh Nien newspaper, the seven officials are: Luong Trung Viet, Le Van Tu, Truong The Toan, Pham Huu Loc, Hoang The Dung, Vu Trong Chien, and Nguyen Huu Thanh.

Indonesian paper questions Asian Cup preparations

The AFC Asian Cup 2007 will kick off in precisely two weeks but Indonesia's leading English-language newspaper has joined the chorus of regional concern about the four host football association's preparedness for the Asian Football Confederation's prestigous four-yearly event. The four group stages of the tournament will be held in Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia with Semi-Finals played in Hanoi and Kuala Lumpur and the Grand Final in Jakarta.

"What we should see right now are hectic preparations in the field. But a reality check shows otherwise," the newspaper observed. "Promotional banners are overshadowed by ubiquitous banners and posters of running gubernatorial candidates at every city corner and in every public place. And the tournament does not appear to be a topic of conversation. The city is gearing up for the direct election for its governor and deputy governor, scheduled for Aug. 8. And Jakartans prefer talking about who they would vote for in the polls. But the election is not a justifiable excuse for a "business as usual" attitude with a major sporting event looming.

"Look at the sports related bodies, for example. The Office of the State Minister for Youth and Sports Affairs and the National Olympic Committee/Indonesia Sports Council (KONI) have taken a backseat and seem preoccupied by their own agendas and projects. In a country that claims to uphold the spirit of mutual help, the Indonesian Soccer Association (PSSI) has been left alone to deal with the enormous task of hosting the international tournament. Worse, PSSI has been distracted by its internal problems as top members of its disciplinary commission are embroiled in an alleged bribery case. Many preparatory works including ticketing, promotion and renovation projects for the stadiums have not been taken care of.

"Indonesia did not win by chance the honor and trust of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to host the Asian Cup. There have been costs paid and sacrifices made in order to win this privilege ... [but] there should be no more sacrifices squandered as the AFC has entrusted Indonesia to host the continent's best soccer players, some of whom play for the world's top-flight clubs in Europe. AFC has done everything possible to make the Asian Cup a success, including canceling English champions Manchester United's visit to Kuala Lumpur while the Asian Cup tournament is underway.

"Indonesia must recognize the AFC's trust in us. The Asian Cup should be our challenge to show the world we have the ability to organize such an event. It requires commitment from all the stake holders, including the community and the government. How the pledge would be manifested is another problem. This big event to be played-out in our front yard is a shot we cannot afford to miss. We could learn about good football and how to manage the sport as a profitable business. It would also be an opportunity to take a lesson from soccer clubs across the country -- clubs which have for years relied on the city for their financing. This may also become an opportunity to find the right formula to improve the performance of our national soccer team -- and at the same time we could learn how this sport can be a money machine. Our chance to win the Cup is remote, but the opportunity to become a good host is open."

World ban on head-gear upsets Scottish players

A Scottish women's team has reportedly been prevented from playing competitive matches because its players insist on wearing religious headdress during games. Zuby Malik, coach of Glasgow-based Ansar Women's FC, Scotland's first female Muslim football team, said this stand appeared to prevent the cub's registration with the Scottish Women's Football Association League. In March a meeting of the International Football Association Board, the guardian of the 'Laws of the Game', reviewed a decision by a Muslim Canadian referee to ban an eleven-year-old girl player because she refused to remove her hijab during a a tournament in Laval, Quebec. The girl’s team forfeited the game in protest after she refused and was sent off. The IFAB concluded that the issue was already covered by its Law 4 on Players’ Equipment and left the interpretation up to officiating referees.

According to Marc Horne in the Scotland on Sunday, the impact of the ruling on Ansar FC has sparked a backlash from the Muslim community in Scotland, with actor and TV presenter Atta Yaqub leading calls for the world-wide ban to be overturned in northern Britain. "It is appalling that people can be effectively banned from playing competitive football for observing their religion. Sport should be about promoting tolerance and understanding and this seems to fly in the face of this. Myself and many others have been trying to build bridges and get youngsters from ethnic minority backgrounds involved in sport." He added: "There was a feeling that football wasn't for them, and we have worked hard to change this, but this rule looks like undermining the progress we have been making."

Rimla Akhtar, of the Muslim Women's Sports Federation, commented that the ruling seems to be "bizarre and rushed" and "undermines all the good work that FIFA has been doing" and Zuby Malik added that "it is ridiculous that I will have to tell the girls that they won't be able to join the league because of this nonsensical ruling. The majority of the girls in our team wear the hijab and it is completely unfair to ask people to choose between their faith and sport. Quite rightly their religion will always come first."

Beckham's LA Galaxy asks Philippines for a 'date'

USA Major League Soccer club Los Angeles Galaxy has requested to be invited to visit Manila in December with its star David Beckham. A letter reportedly sent by Anschutz Entertainment Group Asia Managing Director Ed Cunningham to Philippine Football Federation President Johnny Romualdez last February inquired if the capital city of the Philippines could be one of the Galaxy’s stops in a proposed four-city Far East Asian tour. “We are looking to develop an Asian tour of the Galaxy with its new star in late 2007,” Cunningham reportedly wrote. “As the soccer authority in the Philippines, I would like to get your advice as to whether an event of the Galaxy with Beckham on the team will be of potential interest to your country.”

Romualdez told ABS-CBN News that it is not so easy to welcome Galaxy to the country with open arms. Although there was no mention of a fee, he estimated the Galaxy will ask to be paid at least US$500,000 for appearing on Philippine soil. Another problem is assembling a competitive team to play the Galaxy. The Philippine squad is an emerging force in Southeast Asia but not yet quite as tough as Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia or Malaysia. Romualdez said an option is to put together a South East Asian all-star team but that would entail additional expenses. Obviously, the PFF has better ideas on how to employ their resources for football development.

“We’re still awaiting word from AEG,” said Romualdez. “Nothing is certain, one way or the other. We’re not pursuing it because that would only up the price. Besides, we’ll be busy in December as we’re expecting a visit from the FIFA president to inaugurate the PFF’s new building." But Romualdez said Beckham’s celebrity status would surely fuel badly needed public interest in football.

Indian academy notices growing football trend

Four years ago, Anjali and Nirvan Shah, directors of the Premier Indian Football Academy, kick-started a football movement in Mumbai that gave children from elite families the opportunity to train with coaches of some of the best English clubs. A year later, they initiated the same training in India by bringing those coaches here with their modern training methods to give lesser privileged children the opportunity to experience the best. Today, reported Stanislaus D’Souza of the Times of India, they are overwhelmed by the growing numbers and demands for more international local camps with coaches from the Bobby Charlton Soccer School and Rangers (of the UK) and AC Milan tours.

"As both our sons played football, we wanted them to have better training exposure. So Nirvan went to England with a group of 12 kids in 2003 on a leisure-football trip," said Anjali. When the kids returned they were so happy with the experience and the coaching methods, that Nirvan decided to hunt for a football training school in the UK that specialises in training kids. "In 2004 we took 19 kids and the following month 15 more to the Bobby Charlton Soccer School," informed Anjali.

"Then we decided to bring the coaches of the Bobby Charlton Soccer School to India to cut down on costs so that more children can benefit. In October 2004, the director and assistant director of the BCSS were flown down. With the costs reduced now, 77 kids turned up at the camp held at the Varca ground in Goa. Today, over 500 children have trained at the BCSS, the Rangers Academy and the AC Milan Junior Soccer School. And over 1500 have gained from the training camps conducted by coaches of the BCSS in Goa, Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and Mumbai."

PIFA has now started training at five centres in Mumbai and the are demands are still growing to start centres. "I have noticed a growing trend in children taking to playing football. Of course, there are many among them who also play cricket but they are passionate about football too. Many are switching over from cricket," said Anjali, who is pleased her husband Nirvan gave up his more established business in printing and packaging and made football his priority.

Indian corporates "should be setting up academies"

Indian corporations are reportedly quietly meeting with All India Football Federation officials to discuss "the probability of taking over a few existing football clubs or to start new clubs of their own." According to Aabhas Sharm in the Business Standard, Mumbai-based promoter Osian’s taking over New Delhi Heroes FC could be the start of a healthy new trend. However, he suggested, the top priority for corporates, should be setting up academies for youngsters. "Most of the players actually doing well in the domestic league are foreign rejects from countries like Nigeria and Brazil. While they may improve the domestic game, to improve internationally, homegrown talent needs to be nurtured."

Nirvan Shah, head of Mumbai-based Premier India Football Academy, said that while there have been similar talking points doing the rounds, it ultimately boils down to how you take care of upcoming talent. “Corporate support is just the starting point for the development of the game and is extremely important but it should not be restricted to sponsorships only,” he told the Business Standard.

Dharm also wrote of the development that has to take place on a large scale. "For instance, the infrastructure is barely there. The grounds are in a terrible condition and spectators aren’t encouraged to come and watch. In addition to that, there is a need to spread the game across the country rather than have a few clubs in select regions of the country." Neville Tuli, CEO, Osian’s, agreed. “But the process will take time and a lot of nitty-gritties need to be taken care of,” he said.

AFC's Asian Cup Festival in Hanoi attracts 5,000

The Asian Football Confederation launched its AFC Asian Cup 2007 Festival in Hanoi, Vietnam, on Saturday and attracted a crowd of more than 5,000 to the city's My Dinh Stadium. "Football enthusiasts started making a beeline for the venue since afternoon to take part in the ball juggling and shooting contest while the entertainment-cum-interactive sessions began in the evening ... Noted Vietnamese singers presented their morale-boosting numbers in the presence of national team players and their Austrian coach Alfred Reidl," the AFC's website reported.

AFC Assistant General Secretary Alex Soosay, Vietnam Football Federation’s Deputy General Secretary Duong Nghiep Khoa and two Vietnam national team players along with their coach shared their views on the AFC Asian Cup 2007 in between the performances such as Tran Lapbegan's ‘Way to success’, My Dung’s feet-tapping number “Belief in success”, Ha Anh Tuan's "A peaceful day" and Thuy Trien Do's "Friendship".

Tim Cahill calls for Asian clubs to join A-League

Australian and English Premier League club Everton midfielder Tim Cahill is keen on seeing Asian teams drafted into Australia's domestic A-League, saying it would benefit everyone. "It would be great to see some sort of Australasian tournament," he told AFP. "You see the Champions League between the clubs. How about bringing some Asian clubs into the A-League. I think a lot of the boys will definitely support it. It will only make Asia stronger and Australia stronger and it will improve young kids and young talent out there."

The two-year-old A-League currently has seven Australian clubs and one, the new Wellington Phoenix FC, from neighbouring New Zealand, a member of the Oceania Football Confederation.

Vietnam "reeling" from Asian Cup snub to referees

Vietnam sports officials were reportedly "reeling" after the Asian Football Confederation announced that none of its referees had been invited to officiate in the AFC Asian Cup 2007 next month. "This is bad news and proves that no Vietnamese referee has impressed the AFC. In other words, Vietnamese referees have failed to secure the AFC’s confidence," Nguyen Van Mui, chief of Vietnam’s Board of Referees, told Vietnam Newsagency. However, AFC members defended their decision saying they chose referees because of their experience in the field. "All the referees who have been selected have proved their skills under intense pressure in the past," said Yoshimi Ogawa, AFC’s referee director.

Some 40 officials were selected out of a 60-country pool. None were selected from Vietnam or Indonesia therefore leaving only referees from Malaysia and Thailand to represent the four South East Asian host nations.

Australia's Asian Cup stars meet Singaporean fans

Arriving in Singapore to train for two weeks in the lead up to the Asian Cup, Australia's Socceroos quickly took time out to coach young players at a clinic conducted by the Football Association of Singapore. Among them were two of the Australian stars Tim Cahill and Mark Schwarzer, who also play in the English Premier League. The Singapore Lions will play against the Socceroos in a friendly next Saturday 30 June, as part of the National Stadium's closing celebrations. This marks Australia's entry into the AFC Asian Cup 2007, where they will take on Oman, Iraq and Thailand in Bangkok next month.

"It's new to us but it's a challenge that we're all looking forward to, because it's nice to actually go into a tournament having the respect already of your opponents," Schwarzer told Jacqueline Seng of Channel NewsAsia. "Whereas previously when we're going to other big tournaments, people see us as a team that should be brushed aside quite easily. And I think our performances at the last World Cup proved that you can't underestimate us. I'm not sure if we're outright favourites, but I think we're rightly one of the favourites. And I think that any one of the couple of teams can win the tournaments. I'm looking forward to that, as are the rest of the players in this squad."

Real Madrid rushes from Liga title to Peace Match

Within days of wining its 30th Spanish League title the superstars of Real Madrid visited West Asia for a brief 12-hour trip to play a “Peace Match” at Israel's National Stadium in Ramat Gan and train with mixed groups of Israeli and Palestinian children. The team may have just finished a long season which ended in Madrid being crowned champions in dramatic style only two days earlier, but the players showed no signs of fatigue as they romped to a 8-0 victory over a combined team of Jewish and Arab players from UEFA-member Israel and West Bank-based footballers from Asian Football Confederation-member Palestine on Tuesday evening.

The match, held in front of some 30,000 delighted supporters, was the third event of its kind organised by the Peres Centre for Peace to include a top Spanish football team. However, while the previous two games against Barcelona in 2005 and Seville in 2006 were played in Spain, this was the first time an entire squad of players from a top club had flown into Israel to show their support for the cause of peace.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday afternoon, Real Madrid president Ramon Calderon said it was his idea to play the game in Israel itself. “When Real Madrid was invited to participate in a Match for Peace not only did we not hesitate to accept to participate but we proposed to travel here to Tel Aviv and play here in your field,” Calderon said, addressing the president-elect and Peres Centre founder Shimon Peres. “Your offer is accepted with great enthusiasm by the people of Madrid. We stand here in Tel Aviv and offer ourselves to collaborate in other events.”

Recent surveys show Real Madrid to be the most popular football club in Spain with 32.8 percent interest followed by Barcelona with 25.7 per cent and dropping down to 5.3 percent for third-placed Valencia. Only 19.8 percent of the interviewees confessed to being "strong followers" of the Spanish national team.

Real Madrid's revenue will increase about 17 percent this year and next to maintain the club's status as "by far" the richest in football, President Ramon Calderon has told reporters in Madrid. Sales for the year ending June 30 will rise to 343 million euros (US$460 million), fueled by revenue from dozens of new VIP boxes at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium. Fiscal 2008 revenue will rise to almost 400 million euros as a seven-year, 1.2 billion-euro broadcast contract with Grupo Mediapro kicks in.

The club plans to sign an accord with a big American group on 17 July that will help it open shops selling team merchandise and promote team tours of the USA, Calderon said. "The American market is very important. They're playing a lot more soccer in states like California and Texas," he said as quoted by Bloomberg.

FIFA un-sacks its Visa-Mastercard chief negotiator

The world football body's settlement with MasterCard over forthcoming World Cup sponsorships appears to have wiped the slate clean for at least one of the FIFA marketing executives who'd been accused of improper practices and observed by a US Federal Judge as having "lied repeatedly". Four were subsequently sacked by FIFA President Joseph S Blatter. To avoid further court action in the USA and Europe, FIFA has subsequently now agreed to pay US$90 million to Mastercard Inc to discontinue its claims.

"FIFA has, first of all, resolved a problem. Secondly - much more importantly - has paved the way to a good, new partner [Visa] that will support it and its manifold activities efficiently all around the world," Blatter told media.

However it is reported that FIFA has now reinstated marketing chief Jerome Valcke who was one of those sacked in December following the US`court hearing. FIFA apparently insists that an Appeal Court order of a review of aspects of the December hearing "means the original ruling about his misconduct has been voided." Voila!

Thai owner to spice up first Asian-owned EPL club

English football fans may soon be getting a "taste" for Asia. With the 20 clubs of the English Premier League sucking hundreds of millions of dollars in revenue from Asian television, licensing and merchandising rights and tours and sponsorships, the tide has turned inscrutably with the imminent purchase of Manchester City FC by Thailand's ousted Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

According to Vidya Ram and Shu-Ching Jean Chen in Forbes, "if all goes according to the script detailed by Thaksin’s lawyer Noppadon Pattama, Thai pop stars will perform at the July 29 match between Manchester City and Real Madrid, spicy Thai food will be served to the stadium crowd and the game will be broadcast live back home in Bangkok." In the longer term, they wrote, the deal could bring Thai players to the Premier League.

Thaksin will invest in the club through a vehicle formed in the name of himself, his son Panthongtae and daughter Pinthongta and is reportedly negotiating with Sven-Goran Eriksson, the former manager of the English national team, offering him a three-year contract worth 2 million pounds a year and a transfer budget of at least 50 million pound (US$99.5 million) to take the helm of the club.

"The Asian people, especially in Thailand and China, like football very much. They watch almost every Premiership game that is broadcast live," he told James Ducker of The Independent (UK). "I am quite confident I can make Manchester City as popular in Asia as Liverpool and Manchester United in the next two or three years. I would also like to set up Academies in different parts of the world including China, Thailand and the Middle East."

Oceania: South Pacific Games lead to World Cup

Asian Football Business Review will feature regular articles on the under-reported Oceania Football Confederation for the interest of our wide readership, particularly those Kuwaiti leaders who have disclosed a passionate concern about Pacific football after Australia's exit to Asia. Our previously stated position is to encourage the OFC to join the AFC as a constituent regional group.

The 13th South Pacific Games, to be played in Samoa from 25 August to 7 September are stage one of the Oceania Football Confederation's qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup 2010. The top three countries from the 10-team tournament will advance to a four-team, round-robin which will include New Zealand. The winner of that four-country tournament will advance to a two-game playoff against the fifth-ranking team from the Asian Football Confederation's play-offs, with the winner advancing to the World Cup in South Africa.

Fiji, Tahiti, New Caledonia, the Cook Islands and Tuvalu will play in Group A while hosts Samoa will be in Group B, where they will take on the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Tonga and American Samoa.

FA fines QPR, suspends manager over China brawl

English Championship club Queens Park Rangers' assistant manager Richard Hill has been banned from football for three months and the club fined up to 40,000 pounds by England's Football Association for their part in a brawl with the Chinese U-23 Olympic team. A friendly match at the west London club's training ground on 7 February had to be abandoned after a late second-half clash in which one Chinese player, Zheng Tao, was knocked unconscious and suffered a broken jaw. QPR had pleaded guilty to a charge of failing to control their players and were punished with an initial 20,000-pound fine with a further 20,000 pound fine suspended until May 2008.

Hill, who was suspended indefinitely by Rangers in the wake of the incident, has been "suspended from all football and football management until September 30", after charges of violent conduct were upheld, AFP reported. He has 14 days to appeal. Hill could also face criminal charges as police are continuing to investigate his role in the incident. Seven members of China's squad were sent home following the clashes, which involved more than 30 players and members of the coaching staff on both sides.

K-League finally supports South Korean training

Korean national coach Pim Verbeek has won his battle with the K-League professional clubs to postpone matches this weekend so players can attend an Asian Cup training camp. In a compromise, the league games were rescheduled to 14 October and the Korean Football Association cancelled a national friendly scheduled for 13 October. "Under football regulations, players must report to the national team two weeks before an international tournament, which would be 23 June in this case," K-League secretary general Kim Won-Dong finally acknowledged.

South Korea, which made the World Cup semi-finals in 2002, have not won the Asian Cup since 1960 and are desperate to lift the trophy. "An impressive performance in the Asian Cup will do a lot of good for the game of football in this country, so the clubs have decided to grant Verbeek's wish and will have its players report to the national team by 9 am on 23 June," Kim confirmed.

Asia Pacific fastest growth in entertainment/media

According to PricewaterhouseCoopers' Global Entertainment and Media Outlook: 2007-2011, the global entertainment and media (E&M) industry is estimated to increase at a 6.4 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to $2 trillion in 2011. Entertainment and media (E&M) spending in BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries will account for 24 percent of global growth in the sector during the next five years with increase at a 14.7 percent CAGR (compound annual growth rate). Led by India and China, the E&M spending in BRIC is expected to expand from $127 billion in 2006 to $251.5 billion in 2011. That gain will be nearly three times the projected 5.5 percent compound annual increase for the rest of the world.

"The surge in broadband and wireless adoption is generating new digital revenue streams across multiple segments," explained PWC Global Managing Partner for E&M, Marcel Fenez. "Broadband growth is driving online advertising while the proliferation of next- generation wireless devices designed to play digital music, video games and receive TV programming is fueling mobile distribution. For example, Asia Pacific spending on distribution of television programming on mobile phones is expected to reach $6.5 billion in 2011 from just $26 million in 2006."

Asia Pacific will have the fastest-growing region during the next five years, with double digit increases in internet, TV distribution, casino and other regulated gaming and video games. Spending in Asia Pacific will average 9.6 percent annual growth, increasing from $297 billion in 2006 to $470 billion in 2011. India will be the fastest growing during the next five years at 18.5 percent CAGR while China will continue to record double-digit annual gains that will average 16.8 per cent CAGR.

Middle East/Africa (EMEA), the second largest market, will expand at a 5.5 percent CAGR to reach $617 billion in 2011. Led by Saudi Arabia/Pan Arab and South Africa, Middle East/Africa will continue to be the growth region, averaging 8.5 percent CAGR during the forecast period. TV distribution, Internet advertising and access spending and video games will be the fastest growth segments for EMEA, averaging double-digit CAGR during the next five years.

Sports increased 12 percent in 2006, the largest increase during the past five years, buoyed by the FIFA World Cup, the Winter Olympics, and the return of the National Hockey League in North America. Competition in the TV distribution market is fueling demand for TV rights fees, leading to record deals. Spending in the sports segment is expected to increase from $96 billion in 2006 to $124 billion in 2011, at a 5.2 percent CAGR.

Melbourne Victory may be penalised for fans' flares

Australian A-League Premiers and Champions Melbourne Victory could be stripped of points for the upcoming season due to the misbehaviour if its fans. Football Federation Australia officials are furious that illegal flares lit during the club's recent friendly injured a security guard. Police said 12 flares were lit during Victory's pre-season warm-up against the semi-pro Victorian Premier League state champion, with one hurled from the stands clipping South Melbourne player Andrew Bourakis. Four people from the 7,500 crowd are expected to be charged on summons with assault and behaviour offences.

"There's a range of sanctions open to us," FFA chief executive Ben Buckley said. "Melbourne games aren't the only games where we've had situations with flares, but in terms of the number of flares that go off, there's substantially more in Melbourne than anywhere else. We've been successful at curbing incidents at other cities but there seems to be an element in Melbourne that haven't got the message, and don't seem to want to get the message, that this isn't going to be tolerated. They're doing their club and the game a disservice."

Sam Edmund of the Herald Sun reported that the incident is a major blow for Victory, which threatened life bans for fans caught with flares. Chief executive Geoff Miles said he was disappointed the actions of a few were halting the growth of the club and the game. "There's a real strong sense from our supporter groups that this sort of behaviour is not a part of Melbourne Victory. We believed that flares were probably a distant memory but last night showed there's still a few people who want to try that," he said.

Samsung sponsors Malaysian national cheer squad

Samsung Malaysia Electronics Sdn Bhd and the Football Association of Malaysia today announced that the Samsung Famemas supporter group will proudly fly the Malaysian flag and lead thousands of football fans across the country in cheering the Malaysian national team forward at the AFC Asian Cup 2007. Approximately 1500 Samsung Famemas supporters and invited guests will be seated in the designated Samsung Zone at the Asian Cup stadium and will be provided with cheering accessories to root for the national team during each home match.

"Samsung is excited to bring a premier football competition to football fans in the region. This sponsorship reaffirms our commitment to engage the local communities by bringing true sporting culture closer to home,” Mr Min Yong Ho, Managing Director of Samsung Malaysia Electronics told media. “We have rallied the Samsung Famemas supporter group to boost the morale of the Malaysian football team as they pit themselves against Asia’s best. We will be there to shout-out our support for them at all home matches. We hope the experience of competing against Asia’s top talent in front of their home crowds will inspire Malaysian footballers to join the world’s elite."

Samsung will also host a booth at the Fan Village at Bukit Jalil Stadium, where it will organise a wide range of fun and interactive activities with opportunities for fans to win many prizes including mobile phones. From players to the fans, Samsung plans to celebrate the passion of everyone who contributes to the game.

Thai EPL fans: football, image and loving to bet

Thais, like most of South-East Asia, are nuts about football. Above all they are crazy about the English Premier League, which is broadcast throughout the season with repeats for top-up fixes during the week. But allegiances do not stray much beyond the "big four" of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool. Even Everton, whose shirt sponsors are Thailand's Chang beer brand, do not get much of a look-in.

What hope, then, for Manchester City? The Guardian's Ian MacKinnon tested public opinion in Bankok on the club's imminent acquisition by Thailand's exiled former prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra:

Certainly Sittisak Ruangcharoen, 25, a telecoms manager and Manchester United supporter, harbours suspicions about Thaksin's motives. "Not many care about Manchester City," he said. "I know he's interested in football, but I think it's just another business deal for him. Perhaps he also wants the attention since he was thrown out of power."

Although Dew Sumonchate, 25, a DHL courier service clerk, is a similarly devoted Manchester United fan she sees things through a different prism. "This is great, because it will make people around the world think differently about Thai people," she said. "They'll not think we're poor and backward if he pulls this off. My team's Man United, but at least it's the same city."

Nootari Unruan, 28, a Bangkok travel agent, dismisses all the fervour. She maintains that football fever in Thailand is false and about only one thing. "Thais like English football because they like to bet on the games. That's why they care."

Murdoch warns EPL about club TV rights 'disaster'

International media magnate and sports broadcaster Rupert Murdoch has warned the English Premier League not to return television rights to individual clubs. When the EPL was formed in 1992, it received a mandate from its 20 clubs to market fixtures, the league's lion logo and broadcasting rights on behalf of all clubs and has since emerged as the richest soccer competition in the world. "It could be a disaster, I believe, if they broke up the Premier League, and freed everyone to sell their own rights," Murdoch said in a Sky One documentary that will be broadcast next week. "We'd end up having to pay a lot of money for, say, the six best teams, and the other teams would have no money." Murdoch's BSkyB has held the live rights to the league since the inaugural 1992-1993 season, and paid a record 1.31 billion pounds last year to show two-thirds of televised matches from 2007 to 2010.

Singapore prepares tough squad for friendlies

Singapore coach Radojko Avramovic will be using upcoming friendlies against AFC Asian Cup finalists to test his squad for the South East Asian Games this coming December. His ASEAN Champion team will play Saudi Arabia on 27 June and Australia on 30 June. The Singapore U-23s will play Oman on 25 June and will also go up against Saudi Arabia on 28 June and Australia on 1 July.

Goalkeepers: Lionel Lewis (Home United), Hassan Sunny (Geylang United), Zaiful Nizam (Gombak United); Defenders: Aide Iskandar, Noh Rahman (both Geylang United), Baihakki Khaizan, Ismail Yunos (both Young Lions), Daniel Bennett, Shaiful Esah, Hafiz Osman (all SAFFC), Juma’at Jantan, Shahril Alias (both Home United), Precious Emuejeraye, Sevki Sha’ban (both Gombak United), Shariff Samat (Tampines Rovers); Midfielders: Erwan Gunawan, Hariss Harun, Isa Halim, Ridhwan Jamaludin, Tengku Mushadad (all Young Lions), Goh Swee Swee, Shahril Ishak, Shi Jiayi (all Home United), John Wilkinson (SAFFC), Ridhuan Muhamad, Mustafic Fahrudin (both Tampines Rovers); Forwards: Indra Sahdan (Home United), Agu Casmir (Gombak United), Ashrin Shariff, Masrezwan Masturi (SAFFC), Fazrul Nawaz, Khairul Amri (Young Lions).

North Korea to clash with Hong Kong for EAFF slot

North Korea and Hong Kong will play-off on Sunday for a spot in the East Asian Football Federation Championship next year. Following wins against Mongolia (7-0) and hosts Macau (7-1), North Korea took top place in Group A while Hong Kong negotiated its way past Taiwan on goal difference in Group B by beating Guam (15-1) after drawing with Taiwan 1-1. The EAFF Championship will be held in China from 17-24 February 2008.

Manchester City Board approves Thaksin takeover

Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand who was ousted last year by a military coup, lodged a formal £81.6 million bid yesterday to buy English Premier League club Manchester City. The club's board has announced it will endorse his bid. "Barring the unlikely scenario that he fails a 'fit and proper person test', he will get the chance to use some of his fortune (estimated at up to £2 billion) to revive a perennially underachieving club and challenge 'the big boys of English football," commented Nick Harris in The Independent (UK).

Thaksin therefore becomes the first Asian to acquire one of the 20 EPL clubs that receive so much revenue from sponsorships, merchandising, tours and television broadcast income from Asian markets.

Indonesia overcomes Jamaica in home friendly

Two goals by striker Bambang Pamungkas took Indonesia to a 2-1 victory over Jamaica Thursday in a friendly ahead of next month's AFC Asia Cup 2007. Coach Ivan Kolev said he was pleased with the performance of his side against a team more than 50 places ahead of Indonesia in the FIFA rankings. "They worked hard, they were united," he said as quoted by Associated Press.

Australians confident of first-time Asian Cup glory

Australia's national football coach Graham Arnold said anything less than a place in the final of next month's AFC Asian Cup 2007 will be a failure. He also welcomed bookmakers installing the Socceroos as favourites for the trophy in their first participation. "I want favouritism to be a positive, not a negative. I want people to give us the favouritism tag because we deserve it, " he said. "A pass is reaching the semi-finals, but I'll put pressure on myself by saying a failure is not making the final. In the big picture you have to get in the top four in Asia to get into the World Cup in 2010, so it's a good test for us.

"I walk past the trophy cabinet in Football Federation Australia every day and it's empty, so it would be nice to put something in it, he told AAP.

Goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is equally confident. "There's a high expectation from everyone concerned, and rightly from ourselves as well. If you look at the performance at the World Cup we're rightly No.1 in Asia. But that was 12 months ago and we have to back it up in this sort of competition. It's going to be a difficult competition and conditions are very harsh. But we've got enough quality to win the tournament."

Everton midfielder Tim Cahill's return to the squad from a broken bone in his foot will be delayed until the tournament, Arnold said. "I'm very positive, and really confident that I can come back and produce," Cahill told AFP.

Harry Kewell approves of plans to play him as a central striker, just behind spearhead Mark Viduka to boost Australia's strike power for the tournament. The Liverpool star more regularly plays as a left-sided midfielder, but said he relished the chance for a more central role when the Socceroos start their Asian Cup campaign against Oman in Bangkok on 8 July. "It's one of my favourite positions, I won't deny that, and I'm quite sure a lot of players love that position," he told the Herald Sun. "Once we know our opponents, once we sit down and we study them a little bit more, we'll know the formations to play," he said.

"If I am to play up front or behind or left side that's fantastic. I just want to be playing. I'm 100 per cent fit now and I'm raring to go. "I can't wait (to play for Australia). It's been a long time since the last game which was against Croatia. "I'm really looking forward to meeting up with the boys and getting this tournament off to a good start," he added.

India decides not to bid for AFC Asian Cup 2011

The All India Football Federation has withdrawn from the race to stage the Asian Football Confederation's 2011 Asian Cup tournament because it would not be able to meet the huge infrastructure requirements. "We are not making a formal bid," AIFF Secretary Albert Colaco told Reuters. "We tried to see if it would be possible," he said. "We need two international standard stadiums in each of the cities where matches will be played. It is very tough."

Qatar on Tuesday submitted its bid to stage the competition ahead of the Thursday deadline and is expected to be joined by three-times champions Iran, which hosted the tournament in 1968 and 1976.

Samsung pays Vietnam to beat Japan, UAE, Qatar

South Korean-based electronics giant Samsung has promised to make it worthwhile for the Vietnam football team to win matches at the AFC Asian Cup 2007 on home soil next month. Je Hyoung Park, director of the company's Vietnam operations told Thanh Nien newspaper it would give the team US$50,000 for each win. Vietnam is hosting and playing in Group B which includes Korea's arch rival Japan as well as United Arab Emirates and Qatar.

Mastercard drops two FIFA World Cups for $90m

FIFA appears to to have won its controversial battle to replace Mastercard with Visa as its financial card sponsor with MasterCard Inc's surprising annoicnement that it will accept a US$90 million settlement from FIFA to discontinue its sponsorship claims to FIFA's 2010 and 2014 World Cup tournaments.

MasterCard and football's governing body, the Federation Internationale de Football Association, have been fighting in court over MasterCard's right to the sponsorship. A US district judge ruled in December that FIFA did not honour its agreements with the credit card issuer when it awarded sponsorship rights to rival, Visa International Inc. However, in May, a US federal appeals court asked the lower court judge to review her ruling due to uncertainties over whether a 2006 contract was valid. MasterCard had served as the tournament's official sponsor since 1994.

Mastercard's Chief Marketing Officer Larry Flanagan said the decision to end the relationship with FIFA was based on "irreparable damage" to the company's trust in the organisation. He said MasterCard determined the sponsorship was "basically not worth it, based on the need to have an ongoing, collaborative relationship with the other party."

He said the settlement is in the best interest of shareholders, based on the cost of legal proceedings. The settlement resolves all litigation in the US and in Switzerland, where FIFA had wanted an arbitration panel to decide on the matter. MasterCard's general counsel Noah Hanft said the $90 million settlement payment represents half of the sponsorship amount.

Mini AFC Asian Cup 2007 Challenge in Bangkok

Sizzling Action? The Asian Football Confederation's launch of the Mini AFC Asian Cup 2007 Challenge on 23 June is designed to raise "football fever" in Thailand's capital city, Bangkok, a host of the continental tournament's Opening Ceremony and Group A round featuring Australia, Iraq, Oman and Thailand.

The mini event, sponsored by ING and supported by Nike, involves eight teams selected from Bangkok’s top universities: A - Thonburi University, Sriprathum University, Bangkok University, Phathumtani University; and B - North Bangkok College, Walaialongkorn University, Ratanabundit University, Rajchamongkol Phanakorn University After the round-robin, the first two teams of each group will advance to the cross over semi-finals. The winner of each semi final will meet for the final match.

Zheng says China will give all for "national pride"

China captain Zheng Zhi believes his team can confound its critics and make the final of the AFC Asian Cup 2007. "I know that the national squad have shown some indifferent form in the past few friendlies but we are still on the right track and I believe we will be fully prepared when the Asian Cup starts. I feel both confident and some pressure. The Asian Cup is a major continental tournament and we have to give our all to maintain national pride. I am hopeful of reaching the semi-finals or even the final and will be doing my utmost to help the national team achieve that goal," he said.

Zheng impressed during a six-month loan at English Premier League club Charlton last season and said he felt his time in England was extremely beneficial. "I improved a lot after playing in the Premier League," he said. "I am more used to physical games, I have more confidence when controlling the ball and my pace has improved. And that will also be an advantage for the national squad because I can contribute more to the team."

Japan coach warns of Australia in Asian Cup

Japan coach Ivica Osim believes Asia is benefiting from Australia's switch from Oceania to the Asian Football Confederation but has warned it will make his team's bid to win a third straight title at next month's Asian Cup more difficult. "I personally think that it's good for football in general. It's good for Australian football because they are moving to a better federation. It's good for Asian football because there is a team that is coming with a different style and is full of players that are playing in countries like England, the top country for football," Osim told media. "It gives us the opportunity to discover new things, to learn new things but then of course the fact that Australia is there means that there is more competition to be top. I think Australia is going to qualify from their group and aim to win it."

Japan could face Asian Cup Australia in the elimination Quarter Finals or later in the Cup Final of the 7-29 July tournament according to how the two nations finish in their respective groups.

Asia's 'booming' women's football is leading world

Women's football is booming in Asia on the back of increased efforts since China hosted the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Cup in 1991, Asian Football Confederation President Mohamed Bin Hammam told AFP. "The number of players has increased, the number of women coaches has risen, the number of administrators has increased, so we can say we are in a boom in the development of women's football. In many of our nations the level of support has been increasing. Today the participation from our member associations is from the Far East of Asia to the Far West of Asia, where nations used to disallow women's football previously," he said.

Bin Hammam added that Asia's young generation of women players were leading the world, with North Korea and China coming first and second in last year's FIFA U-20 Women’s World Championship and China's Ma Xiaoxu named player of the tournament. He said there were now more senior and junior women's competitions in the region, and the AFC was raising its number of women executive committee members to at least four. "I can say that the entire continent is 100 percent behind women's activities and football in Asia," he reiterated.

Malaysia needs improvement to match Cup rivals

Malaysia thrashed Cambodia 6-0 in a confidence-boosting friendly on Tuesday, but coach Norizan Bakar is looking for a big improvement to avoid home-town embarrassment at the AFC Asian Cup. "The positive thing is obviously the result," Norizan told the New Straits Times newspaper. "It is important that we get off on the right note in the first game of the final phase of training. Now we have to perform better against the United Arab Emirates. The match against Cambodia showed us that we have to take our chances well. We cannot afford to miss scoring chances when you are playing teams such as China, Iran and Uzbekistan, as they will not give you the time or space to move around."

Tengku Abdullah Sultan Ahmad Shah, Deputy President, Football Association of Malaysia, called on Malaysian fans to get behind the team, although they expected to come last in the group. "I hope it will be a memorable Asian Cup for Malaysian football as the success of the event will depend on how the players perform," Abdullah told the same newspaper. "I also hope the fans would be behind the team all the way."

Indonesia still hopeful of AFC Asian Cup success

Indonesia is hopeful of AFC Asian Cup success! "Indonesia remains optimistic that it will have a good performance at the AFC Asian Cup despite the fact that three of its best players are under the shadow of injuries," Nugroho Besus, the Secretary General of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) told AFP. Striker Boaz Salossa broke an ankle in last month's friendly win against Hong Kong and has been ruled out for four months. Forward Rachmat Rivai and defender Firmansyah were named in the squad despite their injuries.

Indonesia, a tournament co-host along with Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam, are in Group D with Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and South Korea and will play three friendlies, Jamaica in Jakarta on 21 June, Oman in Jakarta on 24 June and Nigeria in Palembang on 30 June before kicking off the tournament on 10 July.

"These trials are significant and Indonesia will continue to field its best players so that it can reach its peak performance at the AFC Asian Cup. The team will not play any warm-up matches abroad because our players need to get accustomed to the local atmosphere as the AFC Asian Cup will be held here," Nugroho added.

China SL club Dalan Shides sacks GM after loss

Eight-times Chinese champions Dalian Shide has sacked its General Manager Lin Lefeng after a 3-1 defeat to newly-promoted Zhejiang Lucheng left them fourth in the China Super League. "This season the club has failed to improve and has failed to attract foreign players," said a statement posted on the club's website quoted by Reuters. "The team has lost points to smaller clubs on many occasions, including a newly-promoted bottom-ranked club." Lin will be replaced by former China and Dalian midfielder Li Ming, who has been promoted from assistant coach.

New football pavillion at historic Sri Lanka ground

The new pavillion of Sri Lanka's historic Ceylonese Rugby and Football Club will be ceremoniously opened by the main sponsors of the building, the Football Federation of Sri Lanka President Hurley Silveira and the CEO of Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation David Griffiths. The main architect behind this project has been Manilal Fernando, Vice President of the Asian Football Confederation as well as the Chairman of Holcim Lanka (Pvt) Ltd who was instrumental in securing 40% of the funding of the total project cost, whilst HSBC and other sponsors of the CR & FC were able to obtain the balance funds needed immediately.

The new building includes a viewing deck that will seat 500 people, six corporate boxes, two state-of-the-art dressing rooms, and outside bar lounge for members and their guests, a lounge bar for members only, and finally a fine dining restaurant to serve members and their guests, the Daily News recorded.

Malaysian minister quiries role of foreign coaches

Malaysia's Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Azalina Othman Said has urged the country's national sports associations to stop relying too much on foreign coaches. “I feel that there is an over dependence on foreign coaches. Why are we taking so much time to produce good local coaches?” she said as reported by The Star. "Almost all the sports have high performance teams but the bigger teams have this tendency to hire foreigners. It was okay for a while but by now we should be looking at the local coaches.”

NZ to back A-League Wellington's road to CWC

New Australian A-League club Wellington Phoenix is unique in global football. It is the only club to be based in one continental confederation (Oceania) while playing in a professional league in another (Asia). It is also the only professional club in the world unable to qualify for the ultimate club championship, FIFA's Club World Cup. The reason is that the Asian Football Confederation will not allow Wellington to play in the Asian Champions League if it wins its way through to be the A-League's Premier or Cup Champion; nor will Oceania allow the club to participate in its O-League.

New Zealand Football, the New Zealand football body, now wants to clear a pathway for the club to participate through Oceania. "There are discussions going on, they're not very far advanced, but from a NZF point of view we want the best club to represent the country and the region," NZF chief executive Graham Seatter told Fred Woodcock of the Dominion Post.

He pointed out that Oceania could see itself cut from the CWC if it continues to be represented by amateur clubs. FIFA president Joseph S Blatter has said there is no room for amateur teams in such a prestigious tournament, has already halved the minimum prize money available to the O-League's champion in the CWC, down to US$500,000 and made the club, this year Waitakere United, play a preliminary qualifying match against the host nation's club champions.

"This region continually has to prove itself in order to compete in tournaments," Seatter said. "If Oceania sends teams in the future who don't compete to a certain level, and there is an enormous difference between an amateur side like Auckland City and the other teams at the Club World Cup, then we might not even get that preliminary game. We need to present the best level of competition in the region on the global stage, and if that is the Phoenix then they should be there."

He agreed the amateur NZFC clubs would have concerns with such a large incentive being taken away from them, but said it would be better in the long run - for both New Zealand and Oceania. "We don't want to lose that sort of revenue to the region if we get cut out altogether," Seatter said.

Carson Yeung confirmed as HK's Birmingham suitor

Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung Ka-Shing's bid to buy English Premier League club Birmingham City has been confirmed by his aide. "All you read in the newspapers is true," Sammy Yu, Yeung's right-hand man, was quoted as saying by the South China Morning Post. He said the tycoon had sent a representative to Birmingham to discuss a possible deal to buy the club. "But this is still in the discussion stage and no further details can be given," he added.

Yeung is chairman of Hong Kong Rangers FC and has been linked with takeovers of Reading and Sheffield Wednesday in the past. According to Hong Kong's Ming Pao newspaper, Yeung was part owner of the Macau casino Greek Mythology.

Birmingham owners David Sullivan and David and Ralph Gold are happy that Yeung has sufficient funds to buy them out if they decide to sell for around £50 million (US$99 million). But they need to be satisfied that such a move would take the club forward and that Yeung and any of his business partners would have the good of the club at heart.

Sullivan has made it clear on several occasions that he would be happy to sell his stake in the club after 14 years and he has become tired of the travelling from his Essex base to the Midlands. But it is understood chairman David Gold has more of an open mind about relinquishing his involvement in the Blues, whom he helped to rescue from major financial problems when linking up with them in 1993.

Brazilian National Championship's Asian launch

Asian football fans in Singapore may not have to wait long or pay prohibitive prices for regular supply of televised Brazilian National Football League Championship games. Clube dos 13, which represents 20 major Brazilian football clubs, has appointed ST Teleport, a Singapore-based, full-service teleport and satellite communications solution provider, as the “Official Carrier and Marketing Partner” of the Brazilian Football and Leisure Channel. The territory covers the entire Asia-Pacific region as well as Middle East and North Africa for the next five seasons starting from 2007.

"Football fans in the Asia Pacific and the Middle East have been fed a staple of the English Premier League, German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A and Spanish Primera Division for years. With this appointment, they now have a chance to experience real football, the stuff that led the Brazilians to five World Cup Titles! Now is the time for the viewers to enjoy the best football of the world with exceptionally good quality of production, transmission and commentaries in several local languages,” commented Philip Koh, Managing Director of ST Teleport.

The launch in Singapore follows the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Singapore Sports Council and the Football Association of Singapore on 6 February to forge a relationship of co-operation between the two countries. Delegations from Clube dos 13 and ST Teleport have travelled extensively to Hong Kong, Macau, Malaysia, United Arab Emirates, India, Japan and China to secure relevant broadcast deals with major broadcasting partners.

Clube dos 13's Singapore-based Brazilian football portal www.clube13.com.sg aims to showcase an interactive, world-class e-commerce portal in several languages - English, Arabic, Mandarin and Japanese and in the future extending to other Asian languages. In addition to news and information about Clube dos 13 and the 20 football clubs it represents, viewers of the interactive portal will have access to exclusive Brazilian football statistics, photo and video galleries containing highlights of Brazilian National Football Championship matches.

Online polls and online forums will be available in the future to further the interaction between fans and the football clubs. There will also be an e-commerce facility with multiple e-payment options to enable purchases of football memorabilia online. The portal will have a single infrastructure featuring a content management system that allows easy updating of content by different parties in various parts of the world, and also an analytical tool to analyse online visitor behaviour.

“This is the best way to bring Brazilian football closer to our Asia-Pacific and Middle East fans and friends. For many years, we realise and value the great support shown towards our national team and players. We want to share our league’s football culture and our country’s heritage with the rest of the world. After all our football clubs in Brazil are the birthplace of the best football players in the world,” Dr Fabio Andre Koff, the President of Clube dos 13, told Asian Football Business Review.

Clube dos 13 was founded in 1987 by the 13 leading football teams in Brazil and now manages the TV broadcasting and other marketing rights of the Brazilian National Championship as well as the interests of its 20 clubs: Corinthians, Palmeiras, Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo, Vasco, Fluminense, Botafogo, Grêmio, Internacional, Cruzeiro, Atlético Mineiro, Bahia, Coritiba, Goiás, Sport Recife, Portuguesa, VitÓria, Guarani and Atlético Paranaense.

Japan's Asian Cup squad dominated by J-League

Japan national football coach Ivica Osim shut the door on all but two overseas-based players when he announced his provisional 30-man roster for next month's Asian Cup. Celtic midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura and Eintracht Frankfurt striker Naohiro Takahara were the only non-J.Leaguers to make the team, which is aiming to win its third-straight continental championship at the 7-29 July tournament being co-hosted by Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia. Osim passed on Eintracht's Junichi Inamoto and midfielder Koji Nakata, who featured in Japan's friendlies against Montenegro and Colombia earlier this month. "I didn't leave them out because of how they played at the Kirin Cup. I didn't rate them either way, good or bad. I left them out for other reasons entirely: one, because Inamoto joined a new club and would rather be with them than us, and two, because Nakata hasn't found a new club yet. I'd like to find him one, but that's not my job."

Osim made use of a new regulation to include seven reserve players to take account of injuries. "We have more time to make selections. I must think about that as we have three more games in the J-League and players may get injured," he said. "Among the participating countries, Japan are the only one where a league competition is still being played and we don't have enough time to prepare. It's a big disadvantage."

Goalkeepers: Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi (Jubilo), Seigo Narazaki (Grampus),Yohei Nishibe (S-Pulse), Eiji Kawashima (Frontale); Defenders: Yuji Nakazawa (F Marinos), Keisuke Tsuboi (Reds), Akira Kaji (Gamba), Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Reds), Yuichi Komano (Sanfrecce), Hiroki Mizumoto (JEF); Midfielders: Shunsuke Nakamura (Celtic), Hideo Hashimoto (Gamba), Naotake Hanyu (JEF), Yasuhito Endo (Gamba), Kengo Nakamura (Frontale), Keita Suzuki (Reds), Yuki Abe (Reds), Yasuyuki Konno (F.C. Tokyo), Satoru Yamagishi (JEF), Yoshiaki Ota (Jubilo), Masahiko Inoha (F.C. Tokyo), Koki Mizuno (JEF), Keisuke Honda (Grampus), Akihiro Ienaga (Gamba); Forwards: Naohiro Takahara (Frankfurt), Ryuji Bando (Gamba), Seiichiro Maki (JEF), Ryoichi Maeda (Jubilo), Hisato Sato (Sanfrecce), Kisho Yano (Albirex).

Malaysian FA receives US$3.6 govt 'youth' subsidy

The Football Association of Malaysia has received RM 12.317 million (US3.6 million) from the National Sports Council to assist its football development programs during 2007. "I find that football is the most popular sport in our country and I foresee that with the signing of the agreement, the FAM and the NSC indirectly will be able to cooperate in a closer manner. Football is also one of the core sports and numerous joint committees have been set up. It is hoped that football will rise to a higher level," said Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, a witness to the agreemnent.

RM521,500 is allocated for the second-liner squad program, RM3 million for the respective State Football Academies, RM600,000 for coaching, RM280,000 for the development of women's football, and RM750,000 for the high-performance training program at Brickendonbury in London, England. Meanwhile, the elite U-23 squad will receive RM300,000 to prepare for the AFC Asia Cup 2007 and RM600,000 for preparation for the South East Asian Games.

FAM General Secretary Datuk Seri Dr Ibrahim Saad told Bernama that the allocation will be utilised in the best manner possible especially for the talent scouting programs at the grassroots level.

South Korean FA fights its K-League over players

South Korean national team coach Pim Verbeek has told the coaches of K-League clubs that he will follow KFA rules and take his 23-man Asian Cup to the island of Jeju to prepare for next week’s friendly against Iraq this Saturday morning. “It will be good if everyone can co-operate. We don’t have Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo or Seol Ki-hyeon and we need to train if we are to win the Asian Cup for the first time in 47 years,” Verbeek said.

The Chairman of the KFA’s technical committee Lee Yung-moo told reporters there would be no negotiation. “Verbeek told me that he has submitted to the K-League clubs in the past and got nothing in return. The teams we face in Group D have already started preparations. Saudi Arabia and Bahrain started two weeks ago, Indonesia started eight weeks ago. Every day we lose is frustrating for the coach, ” Lee said.

Unfortunately for the image of the country, many of the professional clubs are upset to lose key players while there are still scheduled league games. “It never changes, we always have this problem. In the future we will have to follow FIFA’s rules of releasing players rather than the KFA’s. Verbeek’s decision seems to be an emotional one," said Suwon Operations manager, Oh Kun-young. “I am sorry that the problem is being solved in this manner – it is hard to understand that this is the only way,” a spokesman for champion club Seongnam said. "Seongnam face Chunnam Dragons on Saturday which may explain why Chunnam coach Huh Jung-moo didn’t seem to upset about his loss," observed John Duersdon at goal.com.

“There needs to be more flexibility and the K-League and KFA have to come to a compromise but we have never not sent players to the national team,” Huh, himself, said.


UPDATE (19 June)

K-League President Kwak Chung-hwan sent an official statement to the national team on Tuesday requesting the players be allowed to take part in the 23 June fixtures before travelling to the camp on Jeju, said league spokeswoman Kim Ka-eun. "We decided to push all seven of our weekend games to that one day in consideration of the national football team, but now none of our main players can play," the statement read.

However national coach Verbeek is unlikely to compromise. "I only abided by the football association's rules, which say I can summon the players 14 days before the Asian Cup," Verbeek told local sports daily Sports Seoul. "One day may be nothing for them but it'll cost me three days with recovery and everything."

Schwarzer heads for UN work after Asian Cup

Australian and English Premier League club Middlesborough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer is looking forward to next month's Asian Cup for his country and also for his social responsibility commitments. "I've been doing little bits of training and keeping fit and will be right and raring to go come the 21st (of June) when we join up to start the preparation," he said

However he told Georgina Robinson of the Brisbane Times he is hoping his work with the UN's refugee agency will take him to Thailand straight after the Asian Cup, subject to club requirements.

"With my wife (Paloma) growing up in the Philippines ... the poverty and the slums and the problems they have there is enormous. It's just a way of trying to play a part and try to lift the awareness within the country and I don't think there's too many other better organisations to be involved in," he said.

FIFA funds football ground in small Indian state

The world football body FIFA has granted US$ 400,000 to the Sikkim Football Association for construction of a football pitch and a training centre at Gangtok under the Goal Project II scheme. Bhaichung Bhutia, who gave the small Indian state an identity both at the national and international levels, feels that the absence of football grounds has been the main hurdle in Sikkim’s path. "Besides the Palzor Stadium in Gangtok, where are the grounds? We need a couple of more where kids can train and play," Bhaichung told Times of India.

SFA President Tempo Bhutia said construction work is moving in the right direction. "Projects have been undertaken to ensure that the state produces more talent like Bhaichung. The government is keen to spread football in rural areas where camps for U-12 boys are being organised," he said. The Sikkim government, in order to fast track the project, has already donated four acres at Sichey near Indira Bypass, where construction will soon begin. Apart from that, FIFA has also laid emphasis on the construction of a football house below Norkhill Hotel. "The construction work is likely to be completed within one-and-half year," said Tempo.

Thailand recalls Senamuang to Asian Cup squad

Thailand coach Chanvit Phalajivin has recalled veteran striker Kiatisuk Senamuang for AFC Asian Cup 2007 duty, marking the Thai ‘Zico’s’ return to the continent’s premier football tournament in 11 years. The 33-year-old is currently recovering from an injury but expected to be fully fit before Thailand’s tournament opening game against Iraq on 7 July at the Rajamangala Stadium.

Goalkeepers: Kosin Hathairattanakul, Veera Kerdputsa, Narit Taweekul; Defenders: Suree Sukha, Kiatprawut Saiwaew, Patipan Petchpul, Punnarat Klinsukon, Jetsada Jitsawad, Niweat Siriwong, Prat Samakrat, Nattaporn Phanrit, Apichate Puttan, Kraikiat Beadtaku, Nattapong Samana; Midfielders: Datsakorn Thonglao, Suchao Nutnum, Therdsak Chaiman, Tawan Sripan, Jakkrit Bunkham, Nirut Surasiang, Hattaporn Suwan, Narongchai Vachiraban, Pichitpong Cheuichiew; Strikers: Kiatisak Senamuang, Teerathep Winothai, Teerasil Dangda, Sarayud Chaikumdee, Kwanchai Phuangprakob, Pipat Tonkanya, Sutee Suksomkit.

Indonesia misses key strikers in Asia Cup squad

Indonesian coach Ivan Kolev named his squad for next month's Asian Cup leaving out injured key strikers Boaz Salossa and Saktiawan. Boaz was injured in a friendly last month against Hong Kong and needs at least four months to recover, while Saktiawan was left out of the team on the very last day. "We are sorry for Boaz and Saktiawan. Once again, we have our 23 best players who are ready to give everything they can for Indonesia. That is the important thing," said Kolev.

Goalkeepers: Jendry Pitoy (Persipura), Marcus Horison (PSMS), Feri Rotinsulu (Sriwijaya FC)Defenders: Supardi (PSMS), Ricardo Salampessy (Persipura), Firmansyah (Sriwijaya FC), Charis Yulianto (Sriwijaya), Hary Saputra (Persis); Maman Abdurrachman (PSIS), M Ridwan (PSIS), Erol Iba (Persik); Midfielders: Ponaryo Astaman (Arema), Firman Utina (Persita), Mahyadi Panggabean (PSMS), Eka Ramdhani (Persib), Syamsul Chaerudin (PSM), Atep (Persija); Strikers: Ismed Sofyan (Persija), Ellie Aiboy (Arema), Bambang Pamungkas (Persija), Budi Sudarsono (Persik), Zaenal Arief (Persib), Rahmat Rivai (Persiter); Reserves: Achmad Kurniawan (Arema), Aris Budi Prasetyo (Persik), Bayu Sutha (Persib), Achmad Amiruddin (PSM), Achmad Jufriyanto (Persita), Legimin Raharjo (PSMS), Irsyad Aras (PSM).

Taiwan thrashes Guam, looks for 2008 qualification

Taiwan scored a convincing 10-0 victory over Guam in the East Asian Football Championship Preliminary Competition on Sunday, while host Macao was held a goalless with Mongolia in another match. Taiwan will play Hong Kong on Tuesday. "Hong Kong is a strong team in the group, but we are determined to win the game against them to advance into the final. We believe we can do it, and after beating Guam, we are more confident." Oshiaki Imai, the head coach of the Taiwan team, told Xinhua. North Korea will play Mongolia on Tuesday followed by Macao on Thursday. The winner of the tournament will qualify for the East Asian Football Championship in 2008.

Socceroos got players by keeping coaches in loop

Australian national coach Graham Arnold "might reflect that while coaching certificates, international playing experience and an apprenticeship under Guus Hiddink are perfect credentials for coaching the Socceroos, a crash course in the slippery skills of international diplomacy would also be valuable," wrote Michael Lynch in The Age. "As with all coaches from soccer's 'emerging world', Arnold has to tread a careful line when he is dealing with club managers to secure the release of players from the top clubs. Getting access to his key players for important matches and keeping the big clubs in England and elsewhere happy is now as much a part of the Socceroo coach's job as picking a team.

He and team manager Gary Moretti visited players in England, Switzerland, Italy and Holland. "Our players are always trapped in the middle. They want to play for the national team but they don't want to get offside with their employers, and we have to try to make things as easy for them as we can," Arnold said. "We are in a unique situation with this tournament because players will miss the whole pre-season with their clubs. That is particularly difficult if they are moving to a new team. The FFA made it possible for Gary and myself to go and talk to the coaches to get the availability right. We are not in the process of killing players' careers so we have to make sure that playing for the national team does not do that."

Arnold said visits by Asian coachs to Europe seem to be rare. "When Rafael Benitez says that we are the first national organisation that's ever visited them, then that broke down a lot of barriers straight away," the coach revealed, as he explained how Benitez and the Liverpool medical staff, in tandem with he and Moretti, came to an understanding about how the Socceroos could use injury-plagued winger Kewell in the tournament.

"The discussions were all about Harry Kewell and his welfare and health. That was first and foremost in our mind. A fit Harry Kewell is a huge advantage for both us and Liverpool. They own Harry and work with him for 48 weeks of the year. It was back to Liverpool and what they felt his fitness levels were. I saw him play and he looked fantastic. His motivation for the tournament is huge. He's desperate to be here, and that's a great sign. Sitting down with Rafael Benitez and showing them our match program and training program which pretty much fits perfectly in Liverpool's program (was very important) and the blessing was given," Arnold said, adding that it is all about keeping the club coaches in the loop.

Madrid bows to Brazil's FIFA right to call up players

After Spanish club Real Madrid apologised for not letting him train with his country, the Brazilian Football Confederation agreed to permit Robinho to play in the club's league title decider. Real will take the championship for the first time in four years if they beat mid-table Real Mallorca at home on Sunday.

"The CBF has released Robinho and Marcelo (who has been selected for the under-20 team) and they will report after Real Madrid's game on June 17," the Confederation said in a statement. "Real Madrid have recognised the rights of the confederation, backed by FIFA legislation, to call up the players and also the trouble they have caused the national team."

The Copa America, of which Brazil is the holder, starts on 26 June. The rules of world football's governing body FIFA allow national teams to call up players two weeks in advance.

Most Euro stars out of South Korea Asia Cup team

Middlesbrough striker Lee Dong-gook is South Korea's only English-based star named in Pim Verbeek's 23-man squad for next month's Asian Cup. Manchester United's Park Ji-sung, Lee Young-pyo of Tottenham and Seol Ki-hyun of Reading are all recovering from knee or ankle surgeries. "I still think that we have a very interesting selection,'' Verbeek told AP.

"I still think we have all the chances to go to the semifinal and I still think we have to go for winning the Asian Cup ... I think we all know that winning the Asian Cup is not easy. It's a big challenge, a lot of strong opponents, but the challenge is to go there and win it,'' he said.

South Korea Squad: Goalkeepers; Jung Sung-ryong, Lee Woon-jae, Kim Yong-dae; Defenders; Kang Min-soo, Kim Chi-gon, Kim Chi-woo, Kim Dong-jin, Kim Jin-kyu, Oh Bum-seok, Song Chong-gug; Midfielders; Kim Do-heon, Kim Jung-woo, Kim Nam-il, Kim Sang-sik, Lee Ho, Son Dae-ho; Strikers; Cho Jae-jin, Choi Sung-kuk, Lee Chun-soo, Lee Dong-gook, Lee Keun-ho, Woo Sung-yong, Yeom Ki-hun.

Uzbekistan Asian Cup squad's 6 overseas players

Uzbekistan coach Rauf Inileev has named a strong squad with six overseas-based players for the AFC Asian Cup 2007. Former AFC Player of the Year runner-up Maksim Shatskikh (Dynamo Kiev, Ukraine) will lead the Uzbeks in Group C against Iran, China and co-hosts Malaysia.

Goalkeepers: Pavel Bugalo, Ignatiy Nesterov, Gayrat Hasanov. Defenders: Hayrulla Karimov, Batyr Karaev, Asror Alikulov, Anzur Ismailov, Alexey Nikolaev, Islom Inomov, Vitaliy Denisov. Midfielders: Aziz Ibragimov, Azizbek Haydarov, Server Djeparov, Marat Bikmaev, Hikmat Hashimov, Mansurjon Saidov, Timur Kapadze, Ildar Magdeev, Ikbol Akramov. Forwards: Pavel Solomin, Ulugbek Bakaev, Alexander Geynrikh, Maksim Shatskikh. Reserves: Komoliddin Tadjiyev, Ilhomjon Suyunov, Victor Karpenko, Odil Ahmedov, Anvar Gafurov, Khamza Karimov, Jasur Khasanov.

FIFA backs four Football Houses in Pakistan

The world football body FIFA will continue its support to Pakistan and more football houses will be built to promote the football activities at massive scale, FIFA's Goal Project Development Officer for Asia Vernon Manilal Fernando told APP. Manilal, who is also one of the Vice Presidents of Asian Football Confederation, said he was impressed to see a superb football house built in Lahore and hoped that the Karachi's consultants, contractors will also show their ability in constructing a fine Football House. "Karachi project (football house) will be comprised 60-bed hostel, a library, audio video centre, gymnasium, and a training field. Pakistan is the only the country in the world that has been allotted four Goal Projects because of its growth in football," he said.

According to Pakistan Football Federation's Faisal Saleh Hayat football houses will also be built in Peshawar and Quetta. "It is just beginning of a journey and if similar efforts are continued without any self interest no matter Pakistan will emerge as a big football force in Asia in coming years," he added.

Malaysia warns of lack of co-host Asian Cup promo

Football Association of Malaysia General Secretary Datuk Dr Ibrahim Saad said FAM is committed to doing its part in the promotional efforts for the 16-nation AFC Asian Cup being hosted by Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia next month but has warned the Asian Football Confederation that there may be problems in other countries. "I just have one piece of advice for AFC. I have recently been to Indonesia and Thailand, and I think Malaysia is not the one with a problem. That’s all I’ll say," he said as reported by the New Straits Times.

AFC General Secretary Datuk Paul Mony Samuel on Wednesday accused FAM of leaving the promotional efforts solely to AFC but Ibrahim would not be drawn on whether his comments meant the other co-hosts were also not pulling their weight in promoting the Asian Cup.

"Malaysia is not a problem. We have started selling tickets for the Asian Cup, began a media advertising campaign on radio and television and put up banners. But whether it is enough to get the spectators to fill the stadiums I don’t know. We can promote it all we want but we can’t force the people to come. Ideally, we would also like to see full stadiums for Super League matches, but it depends on the fans," he said.

Australia 'bloody good life' for Sth American players

Australia's A-League coaches report that an influx of Latin American players into this season's competition will thrill fans and help secure the long-term strength of the league."They've got that real creativeness and flair which we probably don't have through our own players and maybe some European players don't have as much creativity as them," said Newcastle Jets coach Gary van Egmond, who gathered with his rivals and Football Federation Australia chief Ben Buckley for a coaching forum in Sydney. "Especially in the last third, they give us something a little bit different. I think it's excellent with the player recruitment now and the quality of players that are coming through and the number of South Americans and other European players," he told AAP.

Adelaide United coach Aurelio Vidmar said the trend would strengthen the league's future. "When I look at our competition, it's maybe a bit like the J-League when it first started or the Major League Soccer," Vidmar said. "South Americans are more or less flavour of the month and that's the sort of path our competition is going down as well. Obviously they put bums on seats, that's what we want. And it's very interesting to see how many player agents and how many DVDs you get during the week now. (Australia) is a really attractive base to come and play in now and if we can keep our head above water again this year, in two or three years it's really going to be thriving."

Vidmar said clubs were able to attract talent from Latin America without exceeding their salary caps or using their one allowed marquee player. "Maybe it's an affordability thing as well and the players from South America are willing to come here and it's a bloody good life for them as well," Vidmar said.

Indonesia plans 15-year target to make World Cup

The Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) has chosen a target date for the country to play in the FIFA World Cup finals. It is 2022, fifteen years away. According to the PSSI website, talented young players representing 28 clubs in this year's Medco U-15 festival will play a role in Indonesia's World Cup aspirations. "This festival is like a fresh air in local football, future stars would come from this festival. Indonesia now preparing their target to play in 2022 World Cup," it said.

Terrorist bomb hits football game in south Thailand

A bomb explosion at a football field in Pattani, southern Thailand, yesterday injured 14 policeman providing security at the game. The explosion came after 13 schools in neighbouring Yala province were set on fire overnight, heightening concern for the safety of teachers and students in the terrorist-plagued region.

Two local teams were playing a friendly football match at a public field in Yaring district when a bomb was detonated remotely by mobile phone, Pol Lt Somkiat Kanchanaporn told the Bangkok Post. Five policemen were severely wounded, and the others suffered minor injuries, Pol Lt Somkiat said, blaming Muslim insurgents for the attack. The wounded policemen were taken to a nearby hospital. The players and fans, mostly civilians, fled the scene in panic after the explosion, he said.

In Yala, 13 schools in five districts were burned on Wednesday affecting more than 3,000 students, many of whom were left without any classrooms to go to yesterday. Moderate to severe damage to buildings was reported in eight of the schools while the fires caused only minor damage to the other five, Yala governor Theera Minthrasak said yesterday. He said more schools would have been set alight if village defence volunteers and residents had not foiled further arson attempts. Police believe the attacks were carried out by more than 50 people working in small groups to break into and set fire to the schools.

Malaysia launches National Futsal Championships

Malaysia's Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has launched the National Futsal Championships to be held at the Malawati Stadium in Shah Alam on 10-12 August. He helped conduct the draw where 23 men’s teams were drawn into six groups and 22 women’s teams will compete in five groups before the top 16 men and top 10 women’s teams advance to the knock-out stages. Football Association of Malaysia General Secretary Datuk Dr Ibrahim Saad said the tournament will be used to select players for both the men’s and women’s national teams for the South East Asian Games being held in Bangkok on 6-17 December. "But if we feel the national futsal teams are not strong enough we will withdraw from the SEA Games," he said.

Sarawak are the notable absentees while Negri Sembilan will only send a men’s team to the championships which offer a total prize money of RM220,000. Both the men’s and women’s champions will take home RM50,000 while the runners-up, third and fourth placed teams will each receive RM30,000, RM20,000 and RM10,000 respectively.

Men’s Group A: Johor, Maybank, Terengganu, Selangor; Group B: Penang, Kelantan, Negri Sembilan; Group C: Maksak, Sabah, Perak, Utusan Malaysia; Group D: Kedah, Kuala Lumpur, TV3, Armed Forces; Group E: Felda B, Perlis, Pahang, Malacca; Group F: Felda A, Proton, Police, RTM.

Women’s Group A: Felda B, Pahang, Kedah, Utusan; Group B: Felda A, Johor, RTM, Armed Forces, Sabah; Group C: Maksak, Penang, Malacca, Proton, Kuala Lumpur; Group D: Selangor, Terengganu, TV3, Maybank; Group E: Police, Perlis, Kelantan, Perak.

Malaysia names its 30-player Asian Cup squad

Malaysia has named its 30-man preliminary squad for the 2007 Asian Cup. Coach Norizan Bakar has recalled striker Indraputra Mahayuddin after the 26 year-old recovered from an ankle injury. “It is players of such calibre that I am very interested in and Indra certainly fits the bill,” Bakar said. “Although Indra did not see much action in the Super League this season following surgery on his ankles, his return to active duty with Pahang in their last two league outings, indicates he has fully recovered.”

Malaysia’s build-up includes games against Saudi Arabia on 15 June and UAE six days later. The team has been drawn in Group C along with Iran, China and Uzbekistan.

The squad is Muhammad Shukor Adan, Mohd Fadzli Saari, Akmal Rizal Ahmad Rakhli, Mohd Safee Mohd Sali, Syed Adney Syed Hussain, Amirulhadi Zainal, Mohd Nor Farhan Muhammad, K. Nanthakumar, Shahrulnizam Mustapa, S. Subramaniam, Norhafiz Zamani Misbah, Rosdi Talib, Hairuddin Omar, Indra Putra Mahayuddin, Mohd Fauzi Nan, Azi Shahril Azmi, Muhamad Kaironnisam Sahabuddin, Azizon Kadir, Rezal Zambery Yahya, Muhamad Aidil Zafuan, V. Thirumurugan, Mohd Fauzi Shaari, Muhammad Khyril Muhymeen, Mohd Suffian Abdul Rahman, Muhammad Hardi Jaafar, Mohd Ivan Yusof , Nazrulerwan Makmor, Eddy Helmi Abdul Manan, Mohd Hamzani Omar, Ronny Harun.

AFC Exco meetings alongside Asian Cup games

A series of Asian Football Confederation Standing Committee meetings will take place in the month of July on the sidelines of the AFC Asian Cup 2007. The Organising Committee for the AFC Asian Cup 2007 will kick off the meetings on 6 July 2007, in Bangkok, a day before the continental showpiece of football commences with a match between co-hosts Thailand and Iraq. The AFC Futsal Committee will be the first to meet on 26 July in Jakarta, Indonesia , followed by four other AFC Standing Committee meetings. On 27 July the Organising Committee for the AFC Asian Cup 2007 meets again to review preparations for the Final Match, which takes place on 29 July in Gelora Bung Karno Stadium.

The decisions taken in these meetings will be ratified by the AFC Executive Committee on 29 July 2007. The AFC Executive Committee will also decide on the host country for AFC Asian Cup 2011.

Champions Youth Cup tickets priced to fill grounds

It will cost football fans only RM12 (US$3.50) a ticket to watch two matches of the G-14-backed Champions Youth Cup football tournament to be held in Malaysia from 5-19 August. "The success of the tournament depends mainly on the support of Malaysian fans to this youth development program," Jonathan Price, Chairman of the secretive UK Gifted Group told Malaysian media. "We are confident of attracting football fans to fill up the stadiums because it will present youth players from 14 of the greatest clubs in the world," he said as reported by Bernama.

The participants include AC Milan, AFC Ajax, Arsenal, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, CR Flamengo, Juventes FC, FC Internazionale, Manchester United, Paris St Germain, PSV Eindhoven, FC Porto, Qatar and Malaysia. While the teams are being represented by U-19 players, host Malaysia is allowed to field an U-20 team.

The tickets will be available from Monday at all Malaysia Super League stadiums as well as Watson's outlets in Kuantan, Alor Star, Malacca, Kuching and Klang Valley (the places the matches will be held).Ticket holders will also have the opportunity to win trips for two people per match (total 38 people) to watch Chelsea in the English Premier League next season. The tournament is being held in conjunction with Malaysia's 50th independence anniversary celebrations.

Terrorist bomb kills two Lebanese AFC Cup stars

Two players of AFC Cup Quarter Finalists Al Nejmeh of Lebanon were killed in a terrorist bomb blast which rocked the capital of Lebanon on Wednesday, killing 10 people. Defender Hussein Dokmak, 25, and playmaker Hussein Neim, 20, were driving back home after a friendly game through downtown Beirut when the blast ripped through their car. Both were killed on the spot. "Both players left the stadium after a friendly match in Dokmak’s car and were killed on the spot,” Al Nejmeh official Asaad Seblini told the AFC website. "Dokmak played for the first team while Neim was promoted in the beginning of the season from the youth to the first team."

Dokmak last figured for Al Nejmeh in a crunch AFC Cup 2007 final match day game against Muscat on May 8 which the Lebanese outfit won to qualify for the last eight. Neim was on the bench for this game. Al Nejmeh are drawn to play Mahindra United of India in the two-legged quarterfinals of the AFC Cup on 18 and 25 September.

Young Philippines and Singapore women's clash

The Philippines national women's football team will gamble with a mix of youthful talent but raw and inexperienced.when it takes on Singapore in back-to-back matches beginning Saturday at the PhilSports field in Pasig City. The games will be the initial test for the team since its formation two months ago. With an average age of 18, the women are trying to hone their skills for the Thailand South East Asian Games this December.

"We are actually in the exploratory stage," said co-manager Ernie Nierras of the decision to form a new team with emphasis on youth and speed."But based on what we have seen so far, we will have a stronger squad compared to the one we fielded in the 2005 SEA Games," she told the Asian Journal. The Philippnes finished fourth in the last biennial event behind champion Vietnam, Myanmar and Thailand.

Team officials admitted that odds are stacked against the young and inexperienced Philippine team, but team co-manager Cathy Rivilla stressed that this is a far better team than the old SEAG squad. Twenty-five-year-old Mariel Benitez, one of the few remnants of 2005 side, will be the skipper of a squad that includes Fil-Australian Nenita Dollente-Burgess.

China club wins A3 Cup from under-strength rivals

Shanghai Shenhua, the runners-up of the China Super League, beat under-strength Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan 3-1 to take the A3 tournament, which features the league winners of Japan, South Korea and China, as well as the runners-up of the host. CSL winners Shandong Luneng lost their final match to Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma of South Korea 2-1 to finish in the second. China Football Federation vice president Xie Yalong was in no mood of celebration, saying that "Shenhua won over league champions of both Japan and South Korea, but it does not mean the Chinese soccer has any upperhands over their peers of the two countries."

CSL manager Lv Feng said earlier that "the Chinese soccer market is still pre-mature. The income of last season was not much enough, clubs depend too much on shareholders' enterprise, and the audience remain unstable without much attraction to the young people" and Lang Xiaonong, secretary general of the CSL Committee, explained that "the lack of a soccer culture in China is the key to the current situation of the Chinese league."

FIFA seeks profiles of athletes' testosterone levels

Football's worldwide governing body FIFA is embarking on a testosterone-profiling study that its spokesman acknowledged is "a very sensitive matter" and that an anti-doping expert cautioned may not add useful information. The project - "Testosterone Metabolism in Different Ethnic Populations" - is aimed at determining whether natural levels of the male hormone are based on geography.

Theoretically, such information would be a tool in recognizing the introduction of synthetic testosterone for performance enhancement. "What we want to find out is whether there are any differences in testosterone levels in different populations," Andreas Herren, the spokesman for FIFA, told The Associated Press, "and the way their bodies work and what kind of testosterone levels they have naturally."

Football players will be tested from Asia and Africa, as well as sample groups of Caucasian, Hispanic and African-American players. Undertaking the study suggests that the current legal limit on testosterone levels, applied worldwide, could be adjusted according to a player's home region.

New CEO for FIFA's Singapore-based top licensee

Singapore-based Global Brands Group, one of the world’s leading independent, international brand management, retail and licensing company, has announced that Gary H. Schoenfeld has been named co-CEO and president. Schoenfeld’s primary responsibilities include the company’s retail, merchandising, and food and beverage initiatives as well as finance, human resources and information technology.

“I have tremendous passion for building brands, great teams and fantastic product that excites consumers in markets around the world,” Schoenfeld said. “As FIFA’s exclusive master licensee worldwide for at least the next eight years, we have an incredibly exciting opportunity to leverage the world’s most coveted championship and 100 years of unmatched heritage. The same can be said for our relationship with Disney in the emerging markets of Asia with 2.5 billion potential customers in China and India alone. I also have great respect and enthusiasm for the rest of our brand partners and the potential they each represent.”

Schoenfeld continued: “Our business model is centered around brand management and working with our partners to go far beyond traditional licensing. We are currently developing new retail platforms for FIFA, Disney and PGA TOUR that will further showcase their brands and create additional revenue opportunities that can be quite substantial and complementary to the rest of their business and the various product licensing initiatives which we are simultaneously pursuing.”

Concern over lighting of India's Ambedkar Stadium

The meeting between the All India Football Federation and the Delhi Soccer Association with the Municipal Corporation of India's capital city, Delhi, to discuss the lighting of the Ambedkar Stadium has been further delayed. "Floodlights are supposed to be installed at the stadium before the start of ONGC International Football tournament - which will feature five foreign teams besides hosts India - on 16 August. However, there seems to be no urgency on part of the officials concerned to get on with the job," commented Mohammad Aminul Uslam of the Times of India.

The meeting was put off as AIFF president Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi could not ttend. "We were informed in the morning that the meeting has been called off and we are yet to get the dates for the next meeting," DSA secretary NK Bhatia told the newspaper.

Myanmar football celebrities at 16th birthday party

Myamar millitary leader Gen Than Shwe’s football-loving grandson attracted the attendance of the country’s top football personalities for his 16th birthday party at Rangoon’s Sedona Hotel. "Even the newly-hired Brazilian coach of Burma’s national football side, Marcos Antonio Falopa, was there, together with members of his squad and some former top-ranking players," observed The Irrawaddy. The party in late May for Nay Shwe Thway Aung was organised by the chairman of the Myanmar Football Federation, Zaw Zaw, who is also a well-known businessman.

"Nay Shwe Thway Aung left off his usual Western party gear and turned up in a silver-colored longyi and a traditional red jacket. His favorite teams, Manchester United and Liverpool, play in red shirts, and those in the know said that he had made the color the theme of the evening," said the website.

"He’s Than Shwe’s grandson, remember, so of course no o­ne dared to confront him on the field," a Rangoon-based sports commentator told The Irrawaddy.

India's richest tycoon may bid for Birmingham City

Indian business tycoon Laxmi Mittal, who recently took over French steel giant Arcelor, is reportedly eyeing another grand acquisition, an English Premier League football club. The 56-year-old has emerged in media comment as a serious contender to buy Birmingham City FC that was promoted back to the top tier of the English system for next season. Mittal may face competition from an unnamed business magnate from the Far East, who may place a bid this week. Birmingham City owners David Sullivan and David and Ralph Gold may sell the club if the bid is more than £50 million.

"Birmingham City is an attractive proposition after making the top tier. If it went into the care of the world's fifth richest man, the Midlands club could be a power in English soccer, which is avidly followed by Indians. It is significant that Birmingham has a large Asian population," commented the Times of India. "The closest Indian connection to English soccer was when star striker Baichung Bhutia turned out for third-tier team FC Bury in the late 1990s. There are, of course, many Indian-origin players playing there," the newspaper said.

Thai junta disrupts Thaksin's Manchester City Bid

Ousted Thailand Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra's proposed US$197 million takeover of English Premier League club Manchester City faces another obstacle after it emerged that the Premier League would implement "fit-and-proper-persons" regulations if he was convicted of fraud in Thailand, The Guardian reported yesterday. The British daily quoted a source close to Thaksin reportedly admitting that the takeover was "on the ropes".

The daily said Thaksin had been granted 60 days to present evidence to an anti-corruption committee formed by the military-backed regime that overthrew the elected Thailand government to prove that his wealth had been earned legally. The committee will then refer its findings to the courts.

According top Thaksin's lawyer, Michael Goldberg, the exiled leader will "vigorously evaluate all international options to protect his rights and interests ... The junta is committed to finding means to circumvent any rule of law to persecute Dr Thaksin, his family, his friends and his business activities," Goldberg continued. "The junta's attacks on Dr Thaksin amount to an arbitrary interference with his privacy and his family, his private property, his business interests as well as his honour and reputation."

The Premier League introduced a "fit and proper persons test" in August 2004. Chief executive Richard Scudamore said at the time: "The fit and proper persons test puts football club directors in the Premier League under a far more rigorous test than ordinary company law." The fact that Thaksin might already have completed his purchase of Manchester City would not prevent "retrospective action" by the Premier League.

South Chinese to suit "sultry Asian Cup climate"?

China's national football coach Zhu Guanghu named a preliminary 30-man training camp list for the upcoming AFC Asian Cup. The roll includes most of the Europe-based stars like Manchester United forward Dong Fangzhuo, former Chalton midfielder Zheng Zhi, Sheffield United's Li Tie, Cottbus playmaker Shao Jiayi, Manchester City's Sun Jihai and Sun Xiang, who played for PSV Einhoven last season. Major players like Xu Yunlong and Du Zhenyu are in the last seven injury group. Four of Ratmir Dujkovic's U-23 Olympic team players are in the roster.

"I have chosen the strongest squad at hands. The aim of advancing to at least the last four has not changed. You may notice more players from southern cities are in the list. Because we have to find players who can get used to the sultry South East Asia climate much easier," said Zhu. Goalkeepers: Li Leilei, Yang Jun, Chen Dong, Zong Lei. Defenders: Du Wei, Sun Xiang, Zhang Yaokun, Li Weifeng, Sun Jihai, Zhang Shuai, Ji Mingyi, Cao Yang, Xin Feng, Xu Yunlong. Midfielders: Shao Jiayi, Li Tie, Zheng Zhi, Zhao Xuri, Wang Dong, Zhou Haibin, Zheng Bin, Mao Jianqing, Li Yan, Du Zhenyu, Tao Wei. Forwards: Han Peng, Dong Fangzhuo, Zhu Ting, Qu Bo, Wang Peng.

The Chinese team will regather in Beijing later in June, before heading for Hong Kong to have the last two warm-ups. On 1 July, China will challenge the FIFA World Stars team in the Reunification Cup and on 4 July will meet the Australian A-League premier and champion club Melbourne Victory. China is seated in Group C of the Asian Cup with Iran, Uzbekistan and co-hosts Malaysia.

Sacked S-League player appeals to FIFA

Former Engliosh Premier League club Charlton Athletic striker Kim Grant has lodged a complaint with football's world governing body FIFA and the Football Association of Singapore after being sacked by his S-League club Geyland United for swearing, the Today newspaper reported. Grant was sacked Tuesday after he used vulgar language at the cub's office on 5 June. "The vulgarity was targeted at the club ... it was unacceptable," Ong Yeok Phee, the club's General Manager said. Grant acknowledged he used strong language, but said he apologised for his behavior. According to the report, Grant said he swore because the club had only approved his leave application for 10 days, instead of the two weeks he had applied for.

Malaysians firm up Asian Cup hosting preparations

No longer having to be concerned with a commercial match fixture involving Manchester United FC, officials of the Football Association of Malaysia are working to ensure that its hosting of six Group C games, a Quarter Final and a Semi Final of the AFC Asian Games 2007 goes smoothly next month. The logistics committee, under the Local Organising Committee, inspected two official hotels in Kuala Lumpur, handpicked by the Asian Football Confederation, the Millennium and the Prince, which will house over visiting match commissioners and organisers and team members and officials. Rizal Hashim of the Malay Mail reported that the committee headed by the state of Selangor FA Secretary Hamidin Mohd, is "satisfied with the hotels’ preparation".

The committee includes FAM officials Ahmad Fuad Daud, E.R. Subramaniam, Rodzali Yaacob, Mej Azhar Ahmad, veteran A. Krishnan, and other representatives from the Immigration Department, the Police, Malaysia Airport Berhad, Customs and Health Ministry.

China's Wuhan nominates for city women's football

Wuhan, one of China's pioneering Vision Asia cities, has expressed its keen interest in developing women's football. With Wuhan being one of the host cities for the FIFA Women's World Cup in September, and the Chinese Football Association nominating the city as a women's football designated cities, the time is ripe for kickstarting the development of women's football. An AFC team recently travelled to Wuhan to assess the current state of women's football and meetings with the Wuhan Football Association (WFA), City Education and Sports Bureaux gave a good insight into the level of commitment the city has for the women's game.

The AFC team discussed five key areas of football development - administration, clubs and competitions, coach education, referee education and grassroots and youth, the AFC website reported.

Discussions with the WFA, who already have a women's committee and a women's department in place, revolved around the present competition formats and ways to develop them further with the incorporation of clubs for women's senior and youth teams. The Jiang Han University Football Club also came forward with its full support by offering to discuss the possibility of hosting Female Coach and Referee Education Courses on their campus.

Vietnam's top clubs want V-League rules adjusted

A meeting of Vietnam’s top football clubs has asked the Vietnam Football Federation and V-League administrators to change regulations regarding foreign players, fan violence, penalties and officials’ bias. Le Van Minh, director of Binh Dinh sports department, proposed lengthening the period of time for registering foreigner footballers. He said that domestic clubs have difficulty recruiting foreigners who have little time to fly to Vietnam for tryouts. He also asked that the VFF to compile regulations concerning fan violence. Many feel that the current rules are unfair and don’t make clear enough distinctions between home and away team fans.

Regarding penalties on the field, Portuguese coach Henrique Calisto from Dong Tam Long An Club proposed that a player be suspended from playing the following match if he is booked with three yellow cards in three consecutive games, instead of two cards as it is now. Technical director Tran Binh Su from Hoa Phat Hanoi mentioned that unfair referees were a problem and asked the league to work out measures to deal with officials’ personal bias.

Duong Nghiep Khoi, head of VFF’s board of organisers, announced that he would report all the proposals and would consult with Asian and world football governing bodies before making decisions, Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

'Phenomenal' Australian support for Asian Cup win

Socceroos midfielder Mile Sterjovski said next month's Asian Cup had the potential to push Australian football to another level. With passion for the national team among both players and the public going from strength to strength, Sterjovski said victory in the Asian Football Confederation Championship wasn't out of reach."It is great, even before the World Cup the interest has been there, everyone wants to play for Australia whenever they can," he told Paul Zalunardo of the Illawarra Mercury. "The reaction we have been getting from the Australian public has been phenomenal."

Winless Australia enjoyed U-13 ASEAN festival

The coach of Australia's Northern Territory U-13 football side has declared the Asian Football Confederation's Festival of Football held in eastern Malaysia a major success despite his side not winning a game. The boys played nine games against nationally selected teams from member countries of the Association of South East Asian Nations.

"Morale was high from day one and we made sure they stayed like that," Richard Mitchell told ABC. "When every time we finished a game and we were on the bus there was a sing song on the way home. I suppose one of the highlights for the kids was that we got a police escort one time and there was cars up on the footpath to let us through and the boys just thought, that was just magic."

Vietnam's tough draw for final Olympic qualifiers

Vietnam, the first South East Asian nation to make it into the final round of the Asian Olympic qualifiers has been drawn against Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Teams in the final round will play a round robin home-away format from 22 August to 21 November for the final three Asian football slots in the Beijing Olympics 2008 in the following groups:

Group A: Iraq, DPR Korea, Lebanon, Australia
Group B: Korea Republic, Bahrain, Syria, Uzbekistan
Group C: Japan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Vietnam

Vietnam’s national coach Alfred Riedl said competition in any of the three groups is difficult and admitted to Thanh Nien newspaper that facing such strong teams will be a valuable chance for Vietnam to prepare for the South East Asian Games in December. Twelve of Vietnam's national squad competing in the AFC Asian Cup 2007 next month are U-23 Olympic representatives.

Match dates for AFC Final Round Qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympic

MD1 22 August 2007
MD2 8 September 2007
MD3 12 September 2007
MD4 17 October 2007
MD5 17 November 2007
MD6 21 November 2007

Quarter Finalists for AFC Cup 2007

Two-time defending champions Al Faisaly of Jordan are set for a re-match against Tampines Rovers of Singapore when they resume the defence of their AFC Cup title in September. The AFC Cup is the Asian Football Confederation's second-level club tournament. Quarter-Finals will be played over two matches with the first legs taking place on 18 and 25 September. The Semi Finals will take place on 2 and 23 October. The Final will be played over two legs on 2 amd 9 November.

QF1 Mahindra United (India) v Al Nejmeh (Lebanon)
QF2 Tampines Rovers (Singapore) v Al Faisaly (Jordan)
QF3 Sun Hei (Hong Kong) v Al Wihdat (Jordan)
QF4 Shabab Al Ordun (Jordan) v Singapore Armed Forces

Quarter Finalists for AFC Champions League 2007

AFC Champions League defending champions Jeonbuk Motors of South Korea have been drawn to play Japanese champions Urawa Reds in one of the 2007 Quarter Finals. The two-legged Quarter Finals take place on 19 amd 26 September with the Semi Finals played over two legs on 3 and 24 October. The Final will be played on 7 and 14 November.

QF 1 –Sepahan (Iran) X Kawasaki (Japan)
QF 2 - Seongmam (South Korea) x Al Karama (Syria)
QF 3 – Al Wahda (UAE) x Al Hilal (Saudi Arabia)
QF 4 – Urawa Reds (Japan) x Jeobuk Motors (South Korea)

Nike moves MU U-15 final to Manchester from KL

The 2007 finals of the Manchester United Premier Cup, the Nike-backed world U-15 boy's tournament, has been transfered from the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur, to Manchester in England. The announcement follow's Manchester United FC's cancellation of its commercial game against a Malaysia XI that was mistakenly scheduled for 27 July during the AFC Asian Cup 2007 which is being co-hosted by Malaysia.

“The sanction we had been granted for the MUPC World Finals by the Football Association of Malaysia was conditional on United successfully concluding their negotiations with the FAM and the Asian Football Confederation," Emma Savage, Global Sports Marketing Manager at Nike UK told Gemma Thompson of MU. “The only way that we can guarantee, at such short notice, the successful execution of the rournament is to bring it back to Manchester. Of course we are very disappointed not to be able see through the commitment to take the MUPC to Asia this summer, but we have every confidence that the 2007 MUPC World Finals will still be an exceptional tournament and experience for the 20 teams involved.“

Teams already qualified to join host team Manchester United inthe final 20 include Central United (New Zealand), Austria Wien (Austria), Sao Paulo (Brazil), Colo Colo (Chile), Shan Dong Luneng FC (China) Hertha Bsc (Germany), AS Roma (Italy), Gamba Osaka (Japan) Krylia Sovetov SOK (Russia), FC Barcelona (Spain), FC Basel (Switzerland) Everton (UK) and Valley United SC Blast (USA). National and Regional Qualification tournaments continue for the six remaining places until mid-June.

Africans to call up international stars in January

Famous European football clubs are expected to be hurting when the Afican Nations Cup begins in January 2008. Unlike the Asian Football Confederation's kind scheduling of its prestigious Asian Cup 2007 during Europe's football off-season, the African countries will be calling their stars for up to six-weeks FIFA-approved, national tream duty during the height of club compeition.

"There are more African players in England’s top division than from any other continent outside Europe.," noted Orion Assante at Sportingo. "Chelsea relied heavily on two Africans, Michael Essien and Didier Drogba, to prop them up last season. Arsenal’s defence relies heavily on Kolo Toure and Emmanuel Eboue. Losing them in January would deal a severe blow to the title aspirations of Chelsea and Arsenal, especially as none of their rivals will be similarly affected.

Interestingly Manchester United, whose pre-season summer commercial tour of the Far East is clashing with the AFC Asian Cup 2007, doesn’t have a single African player in its entire first-team squad.

Munich and Sao Paulo join China-HK celebrations

Tickets for the Hong Kong SAR 10th Anniversary Reunification Cup (celebrating the transfer of sovereignty of the former British Crown Colony to the Peoples Republic of China) go on sale at 9 am June 14 at Hong Kong Stadium. The extravaganza, featuring three football games, will be held at the stadium on 1 July.

The curtain-raiser at 12.20 pm is the China - Hong Kong Stars Cup between the All Stars Sports Association and the China All Star Soccer Team. It will be followed by German Bundesliga Champions Bayern Munich against four-time Brazilian League Champions Sao Paulo in the Lee Shau Kee Cup.

The main match pits the China National Team against the FIFA World Stars in the Henderson Reunification Cup. Ghana International Michael Essien is tipped to lead the 20-member FIFA teamr which will include former Japan player Nakata Hidetoshi.

According to Hong Kong government information, tickets for upper- and main-level seating are HK$60, and HK$20 for students and senior citizens. For enquiries call +852 2712-9122 or +852 2314-2112.

Zinedine confirmed for Jakarta's Asian Cup party

Former France national champion Zinedine Zidane will visit Jakarta on 6 July to contribute to the 8 July street event of Indonesia's AFC Asian Cup 2007 opening celebrations. “Football on street basically will from Senayan [sports precinct] to the National Monument. More than one hundred young player with at least 200 goal nets will join this event starting at seven in the morning until 10 pm. Zidane and Jakarta Governor Sutiyoso will also join this street action,” said Herman Ago, marketing manager of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI).

The Jakarta provincial government will also hold welcome party to celebrate the Asian Cup opening. "The event will be held in National Monument area as a garden party,” Ago confirmed.

Indonesia selling tickets for nine Asian Cup games

After one month of on-line ticket sales and with less than a month before the opening game kick-off, the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) has today announced that it has already sold "more than thousand tickets" for the nine AFC Asian Cup 2007 matches scheduled to be played in the archipelago nation of over 200 million football fans.

“More we close to the kick off, the tickets selling will be increase,” said ticketing LOC, Irawan Adjidarmo. Jakarta's 88,000 seat Gelora Bung Karno stadium will host five Group D fixtures, a Quarter-Final and the Asian Cup Final. The South Sumatran provincial city of Palembang will host one Group D fixture and the 3rd-4th play-off at its 37,000 capacity Gelora Sriwijaya stadium.

Japan's passion to blow Australia out of Asian Cup

Japan goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi has warned Australia that the defending Asian Cup champions are "burning" to avenge last year's humiliating World Cup defeat. "We definitely want Australia again. We are burning for revenge and that would be a very special game for us," Kawaguchi told Kyodo News. "This might be the AFC Asian Cup but just playing Australia has a special significance all of its own." Kawaguchi, a 31-year-old veteran of three World Cups, could not stop Australia's three-goal rampage in the final eight minutes for a 3-1 loss in Germany.

"The AFC Asian Cup is an important tournament for the team but especially for me personally," Kawaguchi told Kyodo. "In the previous two tournaments I was in really good form and hopefully with the right preparation that will be the case this time around." Kawaguchi, a former Portsmouth 'keeper who helped Japan win the last two continental cups in Lebanon and China, said: "We are the top team so players on the other teams will be fired up to beat us."

Japan could meet Australia in the last eight if they win Group B and the Socceroos finish second in Group A, or vice versa. Japan play Vietnam, Qatar and United Arab Emirates in the first round while Australia have been drawn against Iraq, Oman and Thailand.

Melbourne Victory takes-on China Asian Cup team

A glamour fixture against a full-strength China national team is the highlight of a pre-season Asian tour announced today by Australian A-League 2007 Premier and Champion club Melbourne Victory. The match on 4 July will be China’s final hit out before the upcoming AFC Asian Cup and provides Victory with an ideal preparation ahead of its A-League defence. The Asian tour will also feature the Lord Mayor’s Cup on 7 July, with Melbourne set to face sister-city rivals Tianjin Teda, who currently sit in sixth position on the China Super League ladder. Victory already boasts an impressive record against Chinese opposition, after defeating CSL side Changchun Yatai twice in the North Queensland Challenge Trophy last year.

“This tour is highly significant in that it establishes Melbourne’s credentials within an Asian context, both for our club and the city. It’s also a great opportunity to provide visibility for our sponsors in the Asian continent,” Victory Chairman Geoff Lord said.

As well as providing high-quality match practice for the upcoming Hyundai A-League season, Victory coach Ernie Merrick also sees the tour as valuable experience ahead of the 2008 AFC Champions League. “We see preparation as one of the fundamental keys to success,” Merrick said. “If you look at the difference between our inaugural season in the Hyundai A-League, compared to our second season, preparation was such an important factor. Not only did we have our squad assembled in good time, but we were also able to organise high-quality matches in a competitive environment. We’re expecting that our matches in China against a leading Super League team, and more particularly against the China national team, will provide even better preparation than last season.”

Victory CEO Geoff Miles said the club was proud to be given the opportunity to compete on the international stage and believed the Asian tour would assist the club in raising its international profile. “It’s very pleasing to be part of the Lord Mayor’s Cup,” Miles said. “We are naturally thrilled to represent Melbourne and Victoria internationally with our participation in this game in Tianjin, supporting Melbourne’s sister-city relationship. We are also keen to explore potential business and promotional opportunities that may be cultivated as we embark on our participation in the AFC Champions League.”

Korean EPL players give advice to youth players

Four South Korean football players who are playing in the English Premier League met with the “future” of the Korean football. Park Ji-sung (26, Manchester United), Lee Young-pyo (30, Tottenham Hotspurs), Seol Gi-hyun (28, Redding) and Lee Dong-guk (28 Middlesbrough) met with national youth soccer team players aged somewhere between 17 and 20 at a function at the Grand Hilton Hotel in Seodaemun-gu organised by the Korea Football Association.

“Don’t be afraid. I regretted major tournaments that I could’ve done better in. Only when you are free from fear can you realize your true potential,” Lee Young-pyo told young players who will compete at the World Cup Youth Tournaments in Canada from July 1 (those under 20) and in Korea from August 18 (those under 17).

“You should focus your energy on showing what you’ve got. Don’t dwell on your performance. Building experience while playing with world-class players is what really counts,” said Park Ji-sung. “As long as you do your very best, there’ll be no regrets,” said Lee Dong-guk. “You guys look confident about yourselves. That will help bring good results,” Seol Gi-hyun added.

"Their advice was very helpful,” said Park Joo-ho (Soongsil University), the captain of the U-20 squad. Kim Dong-cheol (Taeseong High School), the captain of the U-17 squad, told Donga news, “It was great to see stars I only ever saw on TV. I respect them.”

Late news: Jakarta allows Asian Cup street banners

With only weeks to go before the kick-off, the provincial government of Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta, has finally given permission for the Asian Football Confederation to display banners promoting the Asian Cup along the city's main thoroughfares. "We are allowed to display banners along Jl Thamrin, JlSudirman and Jl Gatot Subroto, where advertisements are usually banned," General Secretary of the Football Association of Indonesia (PSSI) and Local Organising Committee head Nugraha Besoes told The Jakarta Post. He said the provincial governor allowed the committee to display advertising banners in the streets because football is one of the country's favorite sports and the Asian Cup is an international event.

"Governor Sutiyoso has also supported the event by giving us a50 percent discount on advertisement tax for banners we display," he said.

Indonesia is co-hosting the 2007 Asian Cup with Malaysia,Vietnam and Thailand. The championship will kick off on 7 July in Bangkok, Thailand, and end on 29 July in Jakarta. "We may not have the opportunity to host the event again for another 20 years," Nugraha said astutely. A new media centre has been incorporated into renovations at the national stadium. "We have built an international-standard media centre and 800 seats in the stadium will be reserved for journalists," said LOC infrastructure head, Pung Harsono.

East Asian buy-out of Birmingham City FC tipped

The owners of English Premier League club Birmingham City have reportedly agreed to sell out in a £70 million deal to a "Far East-based businessman". According to Paul Smith in the Sunday Mirror (UK), co-owners David Sullivan and Ralph and David Gold have sanctioned the takeover. "Auditors representing the buyer will arrive at St Andrews this week to conduct due diligence after the club agreed to open their books. Key players in the deal have signed confidentiality agreements. It now seems certain that barring any unforeseen circumstances Birmingham will be in new hands in less than three weeks," Smith reported.

He wrote that Birmingham City insisted on seeing proof of funds from the buyer before they moved to the next stage of negotiations "and have already called an emergency board meeting for tomorrow."

UPDATE

Birmingham City FC co-owner and Chairman of the club's public company, David Sullivan last night made a statement to Birmingham's Sunday Mercury newspaper insisting that the club is unable to comment on the reports. "Under stock exchange rules, we cannot comment on these things. The club may or may not comment in response to the story next week - if we do, it will be via the stock exchange," he said.


UPDATE (11 June)

"It is understood that no firm offer has been received at St Andrew’s. A statement confirming the interest of a potential buyer is scheduled to be released by the club today," reported Russell Kempson in The Times. A source close to the club told him yesterday: "Conversations have taken place, but that’s as far as it has gone at the moment. There is no firm offer. As yet, there is nothing concrete."

David Sullivan, the club's co-owner and plc Chairman "has admitted to growing disillusioned with football, especially the huge drain of players’ wages, and that he would be willing to sell. David Gold, the club chairman, had considered buying him out, but would only sell – along with Ralph Gold, his brother and fellow co-owner – if it was 'in the best interests of the club'."

However, two weeks ago David Gold did concede that Birmingham was ripe for a takeover from abroad: "It wouldn’t surprise me at all if the club were approached by foreign investors. What’s happening in the Premier League is that, as the super clubs are being taken over, Birmingham will start to become the next iconic club. It bears the name of one of the greatest cities in Europe and, with the likes of Manchester United and Newcastle United having gone, you will find that, slowly, Birmingham is at the top of the pile. If I was an American billionaire, I cannot think who I would want other than Birmingham City. I don’t think foreign ownership is bad for football. It adds a different dimension. There’s no evidence that foreign owners are raping and pillaging the clubs, I don’t see them doing any harm. They’re not coming into football to make money. It’s all about the excitement of the Premier League."

UPDATE (11 June)

Birmingham City has confirmed to the Stock Exchange that it has received an offer of a potential takeover bid: "The directors have noted the recent movement in the share price and the press speculation and confirm that they have had an approach with regard to a possible acquisition of the issued share capital which may or may not lead to an offer for the company. Such discussions are at a very preliminary stage and the directors note that there is no certainty that a transaction will result from the approach."

U-23 players dominate Vietnam's Asian Cup squad

Vietnam coach Alfred Riedl has named a 23-man training squad including 12 players from the U-23 team for the AFC Asian Cup 2007. This follows the successful performance of the U-23 team which won South East asia's first ever spot in the third and final round of the Olympic qualifiers. The squad will begin practice on 18 June and will play two friendly matches – against Jamaica on 24 June and Bahrain six days later. Hanoi will host Group B matches for Vietnam, UAE, Qatar and Japan.

Goalkeepers: Duc Cuong (U23), Quang Huy, Hong Son; Defenders: Nguyen Van Bien (U23), Viet Cuong (U23), Phung Van Nhien, Quang Thanh, Nhu Thanh, Huy Hoang, Hung Dung; Midfielders: Vu Phong (U23), Cong Minh (U23), Minh Chuyen (U23), Mai Tien Thanh (U23), Dong Huy Thai (U23), Tan Tai, Tai Em, Minh Phuong, Duc Duong; Strikers: Anh Duc (U23), Cong Vinh (U23), Phuc Hiep (U23), Thanh Binh (U23).

Perth Glory’s pre-season preps move to Malaysia

Australian A-League club Perth Glory will prepare for the new season at a camp in Malaysia in June and will play four Malaysian Super League clubs for training runs, apparantly, as none are representing Malaysia in the AFC Cup, the continent's second level club competition and Malaysia's national team was recently well beaten by other A-League clubs Sydney and CC Mariners and also by the semi-pro NSW Premier League club Bankstown.

“We have had a big month on the training track but being able to get some match practise into the legs will be a huge benefit for all the lads,” Glory coach Ron Smith said. “The new owners gave an undertaking when they took over the club to make every resource available for us to prepare to our maximum and this trip is a result of their commitment to Perth Glory’s success this season,” he added.

The majority of Perth’s squad will travel to Malaysia on 18 June and return 1 July with the exception of Stan Lazaridis and Jason Petkovic who is still recovering from a broken leg. Coach Ron Smith has also invited several players currently trailing with the club as they battle it out for one of the few remaining spots on the club’s list. Recent signing’s Mate Dragicevic and Nick Rizzo will meet their new team mates for the first time as they join the squad from Croatia and Sydney respectively. “This will be terrific opportunity to play some really competitive games and gel as a team before the season proper gets underway,” defender David Tarka said.

Perth Glory's match days are: 23 June 5.00pm v Selangor PKNS at PKNS Field, Petaling Jaya; 26 June 8.45pm v Perak at Stadium Ipoh, Perak; 28 June 5.30pm v Penang at University Sains Malaysia, Penang; and 30 June 5.00pm v Police FC at Pulapol Ground, Kuala Lumpur.

Tiny Goa state may lead India's youth development

As India seeks the right method to groom football talent in order to realise its dream of qualifying for FIFA World Cup 2014, its small state of Goa appeared to be heading in the right direction when its youth team lifted the Manindra Dutta Ray Trophy in the National U-21 Championship at the Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Guwahati recently. The champion side benefited from the support from professional clubs like Sporting Clube, Salgaocar SC, Dempo SC and Churchill Brothers, who sent their talented young recruits to represent the state, Amitabha Das Sharma reported for Sportstar.

Ask Savio Barreto, the coach-cum-manager of Goa, about this, and he promptly points out to the success of its multi-tier selection system that begins at the village level. "We have put in place the Professional League system a long time back. It has ensured that each team participating in the tournament appointed at least two players from the youth or the under-19 level," he told Sharma.

Goan Football Association Secretary Savio Messias made a special flight to get to the final. "His presence clearly underlined the importance that the GFA attaches to age-group events. In sharp contrast was the attitude of the tournament's patron, the All India Football Federation. It gave the championship a short shrift. Tournaments like these generally have observers and selectors from the national body, but in Guwahati none were visible," Sharma observed.

Final: Goa 2 (Milagres Gonzalves 35 - penalty, Gabriel Fernandez 85) bt Punjab 1 (Lalhalmtharamama 7). Semifinals: Punjab 2 (Baljit Singh Sahni 57, Satwant Singh 101) bt Assam 1 (Mintu Boro 30) in extra-time. Goa 2 (Kevin Lobo 77, Milagres Gonsalves 90+1) bt Bengal 0.

AFC promotes pre-Asian Cup Festival in Malaysia

The Asian Football Confederation today kicked off the first of a series of festivals in Malaysia to promote the Asia Cup being held in four South East Asian nations (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia) during 7-29 July. The Asian Cup Football Festival, held in collaboration with the Football Association of Malaysia, kicked off at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa with Ball Juggling, Blind Folded Penalty Kick, Face Painting, Q&A Contest, Street Soccer and Playstation contests.

"It's just the beginning," FAM Assistant Secretary-General Noor Kefli Md Sulung told Bernama newsagency. He said festivals will also be held at Dataran Shah Alam on 24 June and Dataran Merdeka on 7 July and will be exopanded to include a football workshop handled by former national players like Dollah Salleh and Azman Adnan.

"Today's promotion has more or less drawn the interest of local football fans to enliven the Asia Cup," Noor Kefli said. The sale of tickets for matches in Malaysia, meanwhile, was "quite slow but smooth especially through the internet", he said. "The biggest purchasers are supporters from Iran and Australia especially for the quarter-final and semi-final matches," he added.

Thailand team offered big bonus for Asian Cup final

The Football Association of Thailand has announced big financial incentives for its national football team's success in the AFC Asian Cup tournament next month. FAT is offering a bonus of Bt 18 million if the team makes it to the Cup Final being played in Jakarta on 29 July. "Winning the Asian Cup is a huge task, but if the team advances to the quarter-finals, they will get a special bonus of Bt 3 million cash," FAT president Worawi Makudi said. "If they continue their fine run to reach the semi-finals, they will receive Bt 5 million. If they make it to the final, a special bonus of Bt 10 million will be awarded," he publicly confirmed.

Thailand's Asian Cup squad left for intensive training in Germany on Thursday. They are due to return on 25 June in preparation for a warm-up match against Qatar on 30 June. National head coach Chanwit Polchivin said before the team's departure that the 23-day training stint would sharpen their skills. "Training overseas will be beneficial. There, we will focus on special tactics and gaining strength and stamina," he said. "The competition is one of the toughest. I want my players to concentrate throughout each game and show good teamwork. We need to build the physical strength of each player."

Iran announces squad for AFC Asian Cup 2007

Iran's squad for the AFC Asian Cup 2007 will commence training on 11 June in Tehran. The country is drawn in Group C, playing in Kuala Lumpure alongside China, Malaysia and Uzbekistan. Goalkeepers: Hasan Roudbarian, Vahid Taleblou, Mehi Rahmati; Defenders: Mohamad Nosrati, Rahman Rezaei, Seyed Jalal Hosseini, Hadi Aghili, Amir Hossein Saeghi, Hadi Shakouri; Midfielders: Freydun Zandi, Alireza Nikbakht Vahedi, Satar Zareh, Mehdi Mahdavikia, Hossein Kaebi, Javad Kazemian, Morteza Asadi, Ebrahim Sadeghi, Iman Mobali, Javad Nekounam, Andranik Teimourian, Mohamad Nouri, Masoud Shojaei, Maziar Zareh, Hossein Badamaki, Kianoush Rahmati,Ali Karimi; Strikers: Vahid Hashemian, Reza Enayati, Rasoul Khatibi, Mehdi Rajabzadeh.

Brazilian football promotes in India and on UK TV

Clube dos 13, an umbrella organisation of Brazil's top 20 clubs, is reportedly finalising agreements to telecast Brazilian football matches in India. Clube dos 13 President Fabio Andre Koff, who accompanied Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to India this week, held talks with Information and Broadcasting Minister and All India Football Federation President Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi on promoting football in India. New Delhi's ambassador to Brasilia, Hardeep Singh Puri told IANS that an agreement is expected on allowing Brazilian football matches to be telecast in India. Koff and his team will send the draft of the proposed Memorandum of Understanding from Brasilia later this month and, once AIFF clears it, the agreement can be implemented as early as next month.

The football telecasts are part of a broader pact to develop the sport in India including football clinics, coaching and nurturing of Indian talent, specifically the youth and exchange of coaches. Cruzeiro, one of Brazil's top clubs, is also engaged in talks with football authorities to train Indian players at their academy in Brazil. The club is also planning to set up an academy in India but talks are at a nascent stage, sources said.

In the United Kingdom, Brazilian distributor Globo TV Sports has licensed the weekly sports magazine show Footbrazil to Sky Sports for broadcast, reported World Screen. Currently airing in more than 90 countries, Footbrazil is a weekly magazine program transmitted via satellite, with material in English prepared especially for the international market. It covers behind-the-scenes, training, standings and player profiles for the Serie A Campeonato Brasileiro.

Thaksin to buy English club to inspire poor Asians

Thaksin Shinawatra, Thailand’s ousted Prime Minister who is bidding a reported US$197 million for English Premier League club Manchester City, said he hoped to inspire poor Asian children by owning an English football club. “In getting involved in the football club in England or in the Premier League, we will allow another window open for the younger generation in Asia. That is what I think,” the exiled former leader told AFP. “Anything that we can do to provide opportunities to younger generations in Asia, we should do it,” he said.

Thaksin, whose great-grandfather was an impoverished Chinese immigrant, said that in Thailand “there are still many poor but talented” children. He said that in the West, sports “provide opportunities for the gifted young generation to have an opportunity to show themselves, to make themselves a millionaire.”

After being ousted by a military coup in September last year, the wealthy businessman has spent much of his time in London in between travelling around the world. However Thaksin is now in Tokyo to be a visiting professor of business and economics at Takushoku University. "I’ve tried to find myself a job by employing myself as a chairman of a football club, but it’s not quick enough,” he said with a laugh. “The university is quicker by employing me as a visiting professor.”

Will Villa become Midland's football brand in Asia?

English Premier League club Aston Villa may have taken steps towards becoming the West Midland's football worldwide brand after Chief Executive Richard FitzGerald attended the Western Asian Dubai International Sports Conference where he gave a presentation on executive managers' responsibilities as well as ’selling’ Villa. "Premiership football is hugely popular in Asia but only the ‘big four’ of Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have really tapped into the market there," reported local newspaper Express & Star under the heading "Villa plan to take on big four."

FitzGerald, who was invited to attend by Dubai Sports Council General Secretary Dr Ahmad Al Sherief, said that while there was "no real agenda" to his visit it was "about building contacts for the next 12 to 18 months, and agent relationships, both in the short and the long term. This is also potentially the place for a mid-season break. A lot of teams come here and play reasonably lucrative friendlies. And a lot of global companies who we could become partners with are here,” he said.

"It is about getting our brand out there. The message is that we have Martin O'Neill and we have ambitions. And we are going to say that we are doing things properly. It was well received. I think Aston Villa is a well-known brand anyway. We are not top, top yet in terms of the Premiership but this was just about reminding people. I think people were intrigued, but of course it is all about the football and what happens on the pitch. But the Premier League is perceived as high value," he told Bill Howell of the Birmingham Mail.

In his article England's Goal Rush, on the Premiership's global thrust, Time magazine's Adam Smith commented that "building a brand in Asia and other foreign markets may not seem such a stretch, even for relatively small clubs." He added that analysts are impressed: "If a club hasn't got a high profile or heaps of cash, building relationships in the local market is a cost-effective way to build brand awareness and suit longer-term Asian sensibilities," he quoted Geoffrey Gold, CEO of Football Dynamics Asia, East Asian-based consultants.

Improving the level of football a priority for China

Nick Mulvenney of Reuters reviews the problems of China's Super League (extracts):

A CSL team owner last year pithily summed up the league's problems as: "match throwing, gambling, corruption, biased reporting, strikes, rude crowds, violence, drugs, prostitution, debts, giving up, falling levels and the failure to qualify for the World Cup".

The CSL knows it faces an uphill battle to restore the name of the domestic top flight, where average crowds have dropped from 23,000 in 2000 to 10,000 last year. "First we must improve the level of the football," CSL general secretary Lang Xiaonong told [a] conference in Beijing last month."We must make it more exciting and more entertaining for fans. Frankly speaking, in 1996 and 1997 the football wasn't that good but we had a lot of fans and a lot of advertising."

But at that time we had not opened up the football industry to the outside world so fans did not know much about the high level of European football. That is not the case anymore and European football is very popular in China, with page after page of coverage devoted to it in sports newspapers. Matches are shown live on national television and Manchester United, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Liverpool will all play in greater China this year, while Chelsea are planning a trip in 2008.

Lang said the CSL generated 930 million yuan ($121.4 million) in revenue last year, with sponsorship accounting for 72 percent of the total and ticket sales a paltry 4.5 percent. Nine clubs were profitable, while six made a loss, he added ... China has found it hard to eradicate the memory of the 2003 "black whistle" scandal, which resulted in one of the country's top referees being jailed for 10 years for taking tens of thousands of dollars in bribes.

Australia's Socceroos want "to be the pride of Asia"

Football Federation Australia has named the 23-man squad that will represent Australia at the AFC Asian Cup 2007. "Australia was united as never before in their support of the Qantas Socceroos at the World Cup last year and the AFC Asian Cup will provide another opportunity for the country to get behind their national football team at a major event on the world stage," said FFA CEO Ben Buckley. "It's an honour for us to be playing in such an historic event and we will continue to give the team all the support they need to achieve success."

National Coach Graham Arnold said selecting the final 23 players had been a difficult task. "I have worked closely with the players and their clubs to manage the difficult balance between full time jobs in the clubs, for whom July is an exceptionally important time, and the players absolute desire and commitment to play for Australia in a tournament where although their is no financial reward as there was at the World Cup, their is the real possibility of some silverware. Since I was given the opportunity to coach the Qantas Socceroos I have worked hard to build depth with a view to the Asian Cup and also the 2010 World Cup qualifiers. This squad is reflective of the need to continue to build depth but we also want to win the tournament. We want to be the pride of Asia," he said.

The squad will assemble in Singapore on 21 June and play Singapore on 30 June. Australia will play in the Asian Cup's Group A in Bangkok along with Oman, Iraq and co-hosts Thailand.

Socceroos squad: Goalkeepers: Mark Schwarzer (Middlesbrough, England), Brad Jones (Middlesbrough, England), Michael Petkovic (Sivasspor, Turkey); Defenders: Lucas Neill (West Ham, England), Brett Emerton (Blackburn Rovers, England), Michael Beauchamp (Nuremberg, Germany), Michael Thwaite (Wisla Krakow, Poland), Mark Milligan (Sydney FC, Australia), Patrick Kisnorbo (Leicester City, England); Midfielders: Mark Bresciano (Palermo, Italy), Harry Kewell (Liverpool, England), Tim Cahill (Everton, England),Vince Grella (Parma, Italy), Mile Sterjovski (Basel, Switzerland), Luke Wilkshire (Twente, Holland), Jason Culina (PSV Eindhoven, Holland), Carl Valeri (US Grosseto, Italy), Nick Carle (Newcastle Jets, Australia), David Carney (Sydney FC, Australia); Forwards: Mark Viduka (Middlesbrough, England),John Aloisi (Alaves, Spain), Archie Thompson (Melbourne Victory, Australia), Brett Holman (NEC Nijmegen, Holland).

Kiosks open in four cities for Asian Cup ticket sales

The second phase of AFC Asian Cup 2007 ticket sales is underway, exactly one month prior to the 7 July kickoff in Bangkok. Tickets are now available on a first-come-first-served basis at select kiosks in key locations in the four host countries of Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam. The online sale of tickets started on 24 April and "to date has received an excellent response," stated the AFC website. Fans can continue ordering tickets online via www.afcasiancup.com.

"The second phase of ticket sales signals a decisive phase in the build-up to Asia's premier national team competition," said Clare Kenny Tipton, AFC's Assistant General Secretary and Director of Marketing and Communications. "The online sale of tickets last month was a milestone development in promoting the game to fans in Asia and worldwide and we expect a robust sale of tickets through the kiosks."

The four local ticketing agents are: Indonesia - Axcess Ticketing Sdn Bhd (Stadium Utama Gelora Bung Karno, Pintu X-XI, Jakarta); Malaysia - Tickets2u (1st Floor, Wisma FAM, Jalan SS 5A/9, Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya Selangor). Thailand - Thai Ticket Master (27th Floor, Maleenont Tower 3199 Maleenont Tower, RamaIV rd., Klongton, Klongtoey, Bangkok 10110). Vietnam - Ale (5th Floor, VFF Building, 18 Ly Van Phuc, Ha Noi).

Fans are advised to note that no other ticketing agencies, other than the four appointed, are authorised to sell AFC Asian Cup 2007 tickets and AFC is not bound to honour in any manner tickets purchased by anyone through unofficial and unauthorised vendors.

Singapore clubs dream of Champions League 2009

Singapore football clubs are anticipating the aprroval of the Asian Football Confederation allowing the 2008 S.League and Singapore Cup champions to join the AFC Champions League 2009 from the second-level continental club competition, the AFC Cup. The Champion's League offers a US$500,000 prize purse for the winners as well as a slot in the FIFA Club World Championship.

Over the last two days, a team of officials from the Asian football body's Pro League Ad-Hoc Committee have been surveying Singapore's stadiums to assess their suitability. At least two stadiums will have to meet AFC standards such as having 5,000 capacity, roofs over part of the spectator seats, doping control rooms and separate seating and a lounge for VIPs.

"We will work together with all our stakeholders to ensure that we meet the criteria set by the AFC. It will be a huge boost for football here if we play in the AFC Champions League," S-League CEO Winston Lee told Jose Raymond of Today. "It will be great for ASEAN champions Singapore to be in the AFC Champions League," Gombak FC chairman John Yap agreeed. "I am very confident that with the support of the Singapore Sports Council, our football venues will be made to meet the criteria set by the AFC."

Vietnam TV rejects 'expensive' English Premiership

Vietnam Television (VTV) has announced it will be stopping free-to-air broadcasting of English Premier League football matches due to price negotiation failures. "For months, VTV negotiated with ESPN Star Sports, the owner of exclusive broadcast rights of EPL across Asia – to retain live coverage on its channel for the leagues three upcoming seasons, 2007-2010. But the Singapore-based agency pushed the price up too high for Vietnam ... VTV and Ho Chi Minh City Television, two of Vietnam’s largest television stations, told the media they will not buy the rights from any exclusive intermediary in Vietnam, suggesting that prices come too high through third parties," Thanh Nien newspaper reported.

VTV managing vice director Tran Dang Tuan later revealed that the possibility of reaching a contract with ESPN Star Sports is not completely closed. He said his agency is willing to do business on the basis of a fair contract and confirmed that VTV will not participate in a bidding war.

Vietnam makes history by joining Olympic final 12

The Vietnam national men's U-23 football squad has made hisory by becoming the first team from South East Asia to make it to the final round of the Olympic qualifiers by stunning fellow ASEAN member Indonesia 2-1 on Wednesday night. Australia, Uzbekistan, Syria, Bahrain and Qatar also won their way through to the AFC Final Round Qualifying for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games joining Japan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, Iraq and South Korea. In the draw to be held at AFC House in Kuala Lumpur on 13 June, the 12 teams will be split into three groups of four each and the final round will run through 22 August to 21 November with only the group toppers representing Asia at the Beijing Olympic Games next year. Hosts China qualify automatically.

Paraguay coaches run training program for Taiwan

Four Paraguayan football coaches, Gustavo Alcibiades Blaires Ucedo, Ramon Duarte, Julio Vera Torres and Guido Armoa, have started a 10-day training program in Taiwan's eastern county of Taitung to develop more professional grassroots coaches. The coaching clinic is the result of collaboration between the Embassy of the Republic of Paraguay and the Ministry of Education and National College of Physical Education and Sports of the Republic of China (Taiwan's official name). Paraguay is currently 25th in the FIFA global ranking while Taiwan sits at 167th. The South American country boasts seven World Cup appearances and has advanced to the final sixteen on three occasions. According to a MOE statistics, there are more than 600 football teams of all levels in Taiwan although more than 500 of them are primary school teams.

Japan invokes "kamikaze option" for Asian Cup

Japan coach Ivica Osim is trying to instil the daring spirit of the kamikaze in his players ahead of their tilt at a third straight Asian Cup next month. The kamikaze were Japanese pilots trained in World War II to make a suicidal crash attack, especially upon a ship.

According to AFP, the Bosnian employed what he called a “kamikaze” line-up of five midfielders, including Celtic star Shunsuke Nakamura, behind Eintracht Frankfurt striker Naohiro Takahara, for their match against Colombia on Tuesday. “It was a dangerous option. Still, the kamikaze option worked in part. We managed to survive,” Osim said after Japan held the Latin American side to a scoreless draw.

“I think coach Osim wanted to try many things and I tried to answer him with my plays,” said Nakamura, the 2004 Asian Cup most valuable player. "It is becoming clearer which direction the team are going. I am beginning to know the timing for giving what I have,” he added. “It’ll be great to win the Asian Cup for the third straight time. The level of Asia is rising but Japan must get ahead of them. As you know, it will be a battle of pride.”

Naohiro Takahara has also warned that Australia's arrival in the AFC Asian Cup has made his country's bid for a third straight title more difficult. "To me, Australia's inclusion seems out of place and it will make things more difficult," he told AFP. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Japan crashed to physically tough Australia's three-goal rampage in the final eight minutes for a 3-1 loss in their opener.

It is not known whether Socceroos coach Graham Arnold will invoke the 'Kokoda Spirit' if Australia meets Japan during the quarterfinals or later in the Asian Cup. In the 1942 Battle of Kokoda in the mountains of New Guinea, Australia's part-time militia halted the Japanese imperial army's advance through Asia for the first time.

Hammam opens AFC U-13 Festival of Football

The Asian Football Federation is impressed with the quality of football displayed by players in the AFC's Under-13 Football Festival which the Malaysian state of Sabah is hosting. Thanking the organisers, AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam said: “It’s my first visit to this beautiful city and I would like to thank Sabah for hosting this event. I would like to announce that we will organise this event for two more years in Malaysia. As part of AFC’s Vision Asia project, the AFC U-13 Festival of Football gives us a great opportunity to see the future stars of Asia. These young players will represent their country again within two years’ time in AFC U-16 Championship and could also represent their national teams if they continue to work hard. AFC is proud that over 1000 players take part and over 150 coaches and referees graduate from this event. Be proud of yourself and show your discipline, which reflects our great Asian culture. The future is Asia and you are the future,” he told the young players.

"The standard of Asian football is certainly moving in the right direction," Hammam said at the press conference after officiating at the opening. He described the 30-minute match between Malaysia and Australia which the former won 4-0 as very entertaining with good display of skills and football flair. "There's a lot of talented players and they are also very entertaining," he said.

Ill Maradona delays Asian tour again until August

Argentine football legend Diego Maradona has postponed his Asian commercial tour, including a trip to Vietnam, for the second time to have more time for recovery from alcoholism. Organisers of the tour told Thanh Nien newspaper that the 46-year-old would now be in Vietnam 3-5 August and play a match against Vietnamese stars. “Maradona wishes to send his apologies to Vietnamese fans and assures there will be no more changes,” Luis Maria Lestani said. The trip to Vietnam had first been planned for 1-3 June and then put off to 16-18 June.

No replacement for Man United's Malaysian game

English Premier League club Manchester United has confirmed that it will not replaced i