Football news

FIFA announced yesterday that they have opened an invitation to tender for media rights to the 2018 and 2022 World Cups in 44 European countries.

“This tender is designed to help FIFA identify and select the media entity in each territory that is able to operationally secure the transmission commitments re-quired by FIFA, as well as achieve FIFA’s overall objectives of reaching the widest possible audience and financial targets,” said Niclas Ericson, the Director of FIFA’s TV Division.

The invitation has been extended to a wide range of European countries, including Germany, Italy, Portugal, Holland and Turkey. The UK, France and Spain are not involved.

Poldi rules out Schalke switch

Cologne striker Lukas Podolski has poured cold water on Schalke’s ambitions to sign him by saying he cannot imagine switching to another German league club.

Podolski hit a late equaliser for Cologne in their 1-1 draw with Mainz on Tuesday, thus netting his 14th goal of the season.

There has been a maelstrom of interest around Podolski since Schalke revealed last week they are interested in signing him, but the striker effectively ruled out moving to another German club.

“I find it very difficult to imagine a change to another club in the Bundesliga,” he said.

“If I leave Cologne, joining a foreign club appeals to me in any case.”

Alvarez pays price for poor form

The Colombian Football Federation (FCF) terminated the contract of national team coach Leonel Alvarez after a poor start to their 2014 World Cup qualifying campaign.

“This is an unanimous decision, brought about because of the team’s recent results,” said FCF president Luis Bedoya.

“Sadly, we have decided to terminate Leonel Alvarez’s contract and begin the search for a new coach of the national team.”

Under Alvarez, Colombia have played three qualifiers, beating Bolivia 2-1 away and drawing 1-1 at home to Venezuela before losing 2-1 to Argentina, also at home.

Wenger hints at transfer raid

Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said the club may seek to strengthen their striking re-sources in next month’s transfer window ahead of the African Cup of Nations.

“We lose players like Chamakh and Gervinho to the Africa Cup of Nations so hopefully, touch wood, we do not get any injuries to our strikers,” Wenger said.

“But if an opportunity turns up in that department then we will buy,” Wenger was quoted as saying yesterday.

Juventus ready to offload Amauri

Juventus are open to selling out-of-favour striker Amauri to Tottenham during the January transfer window, general director Giuseppe Marotta has confirmed.

The Italy international, who joined Juve from Palermo in 2008, has not featured for the Serie A leaders this season and will be out of contract next summer.

When asked about speculation linking 31-year-old Amauri to the London club, Marotta told Sky Italia: “On our side there is the desire to facilitate this eventual transfer.

“We must discuss the needs of the player and hope to be able to satisfy him.

“We spoke to him last week and he wants to find a club as soon as possible. We just have to find the right channel.”

Mourinho praise after cup win

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho praised the pro-fessionalism of his players as they eased to a 2-0 win over Pon-ferradina in the first leg of their last-32 Copa Del Rey tie late Tuesday.

Real Madrid had their 15-game winning run ended by Barcelona last weekend, with Cristiano Ronaldo criticised for a poor display. But the Portuguese was back on song on Tuesday, rounding things off with a goal after Jose Callejon’s opener.

“We gave a serious per-formance and took an important step forward in the tie despite playing the return leg at home,” Mourinho said.

“All my men did their job.”

15 sentenced over match-fixing

A Zagreb court found 15 former players and officials guilty of fixing Croatian First Division matches and sentenced them to jail terms of up to 10 months.

In the first trial of its kind in the Balkan country, the 15 were found guilty of rigging eight matches and attempting to fix another three, the Zagreb county tribunal ruled.

The guilty group – from Croatia Sesvete, Varteks Varazdin and Medjimurje Cakovec clubs – will also have to pay back to the state some €165,000 that they had gained illegally.

The 15 were charged along with six other men who had reached a deal with the national anti-graft prosecutors before the trial opened.