Football news

Ex-Soviet neighbours Azerbaijan and Georgia have renewed their joint bid to host the European Championships in 2020.

A joint bid was initially announced in March but Azerbaijan pulled out because it was also bidding for the 2020 Olympic Games, leaving Georgia to lobby for the tournament alone.

But after Azerbaijan’s Olympic hopes were dashed when capital Baku was eliminated from the running last week, the energy-rich state decided to renew its joint tilt at Euro 2020 with Georgia.

UEFA has said it will choose the winning bid for 2020 in late 2013 or early 2014.

Dunga linked with Lazio move

Reports in Italy suggest that former Brazil coach Carlos Dunga has emerged as the new candidate for the Lazio hot-seat following the departure of Edy Reja.

Various coaches have been associated with the job at Lazio.

Among those listed are Gianfranco Zola, Roberto Di Matteo, Vincenzo Montella, Walter Mazzarri, Louis van Gaal, Didier Deschamps and Fatih Terim.

However, La Gazzetta dello Sport yesterday reported that Dunga, who played his football with Fiorentina in Serie A, is now the favourite.

Prince stunned by hijab knock-back

Evidence from FIFA’s medical experts on why the ban on Muslim women footballers wearing the Islamic headscarf or hijab should remain in place was deeply flawed and had no foundation, the campaign’s principal supporter said.

Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein, of Jordan, whose presentation to soccer’s law-making body IFAB six weeks ago saw the approval of the headscarf pending health and safety checks, said he was “shocked and disturbed” by the evidence presented.

“If it is true, I would accept it, but I believe it was without foundation,” he said. The IFAB comprises FIFA and the four British Home Associations.

Newcomer named in Russia squad

Russia coach Dick Advocaat sprang a surprise on Friday, naming uncapped CSKA Moscow defender Kirill Nababkin in the final 23-man squad for Euro 2012.

The 25-year-old right-back, who was not in the preliminary 26-man list announced by Advocaat two weeks ago, was added to the final roster after the Russians lost two defenders, Vasily Berezutsky and Roman Shishkin, to injury and illness.

“We had to call up Nababkin because we were short in defence. Nababkin could give us some cover,” Advocaat said.

Russia now have six defenders, although wingers Yuri Zhirkov and Dmitry Kombarov can also help out at the back if needed.

Barton’s QPR future yet to be decided

Joey Barton will discover in the next two weeks whether he has a future at QPR.

The club confirmed yesterday they would not appeal the 12-match ban handed down in response to his sending-off and subsequent actions in the defeat to Manchester City on the final day of the season.

An internal investigation is now under way at Loftus Road, and it remains to be seen what additional sanctions the club will impose on their captain, signed last summer on a lucrative four-year deal following a free transfer from Newcastle.

QPR are set to head out to Asia for a pre-season tour in mid-July, but whether Barton will be part of that travelling party is uncertain.

Hertha Berlin lose play-off appeal

Hertha Berlin’s appeal against the result of a relegation play-off was rejected by the German football association’s top tribunal on Friday ending a long court battle over a troubled second leg against Fortuna Duesseldorf.

The tribunal upheld a May 21 court decision that ruled there was no reason to replay the second leg that saw Fortuna triumph 4-3 on aggregate to gain promotion to the Bundesliga, sending the Berlin club down for the second time in three seasons.

The return leg in Duesseldorf, which finished 2-2, was interrupted twice for a total of about 30 minutes by a pitch invasion and flares.

Henry top earner

Thierry Henry has eclipsed David Beckham as the highest-paid player in Major League Soccer after Beckham took a pay cut to stay with the Los Angeles Galaxy this season, according to figures released by the player’s union.

Henry, 34, now tops the salary table earning $5.6 million (€4.5m) in 2012 playing for the New York Red Bulls. The figure for total compensation includes salary and some bonus payments guaranteed over the duration of a contract.

Henry’s Red Bulls team-mate Rafa Marquez is second at $4.6 million.

Beckham will make $4 million in total compensation this season, compared to the $6.5 million per year he made under his prior contract.