Three men have been charged following allegations of computer hacking and the sharing of private information at the English FA.
Dean Mohareb, 30, of Stockport, has been charged with perverting the course of justice and unauthorised access to computer data, while Liam Cliff, 18, of Manchester, and Vincent Rossi, 46, of Wilmslow have been charged with perverting the course of justice.
Mohareb, a Football League referee, is a senior member of the FA’s referees department in his role as national referee development manager.
He was first arrested over allegations that he hacked into a colleague’s email account in October last year. Police seized a number of electrical items from his home on that occasion.
Germany bonus
German players will get a bonus at next year’s World Cup in Brazil only if they reach the quarter-finals, with the country’s football federation (DFB) willing to pay out €300,000 each if they lift the trophy.
Players and the DFB agreed yesterday on what they said was a success-related bonus structure, the same as they had for last year’s Euro Championship in Poland and Ukraine, where they reached the last four.
Each player will get €50,000 if Germany reach the last eight, €100,000 for a semi-final spot and €150,000 for losing in the final.
Juve still chasing Man. United’s Nani
Italian champions Juventus have not given up hope of signing winger Nani from Manchester United next month.
Various reports have linked the Portuguese with Juve this season and Sky Sport Italia this week maintained the deal is back on the cards and a January move could happen.
According to these latest reports, United would be willing to release Nani on a six-month loan with an option for Juve to buy at the end of the season.
Nani is seeking more playing time ahead of the World Cup, as Portugal qualified after beating Sweden in the play-offs.
Everton Ribeiro is Brazil’s best player
Cruzeiro’s Everton Ribeiro has been named Brazil’s player of the year, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) said yesterday.
The attacking midfielder, who is being watched by Manchester United according to media reports, was Cruzeiro’s standout player as they ran away with Brazil’s Serie A title.
Cruzeiro dominated the end-of-season awards with their coach Marcelo Oliveira claiming the manager of the year prize and four players making the cham-pionship’s team of the season.
Goalkeeper Fabio, central defender Dede, and holding midfielder Nilton, all joined Ribeiro in the side.
Cannavaro linked with Inter move
Paolo Cannavaro is again being linked with a move to Inter after failing to command a regular place in Rafa Benitez’s starting formation at Napoli this season.
Cannavaro, the Napoli skipper, has only figured in four league matches this season prompting rumours that he could be on his way out as early as January.
However, the defender’s agent, Gaetano Fedele, yesterday said a move was not on the cards at the moment.
“Paolo must be proud to be linked with a great club like Inter,” Fedele said.
“Inter expressed an interest in him in summer. Yet, right now, everything is at a standstill. And we haven’t spoken about the transfer market over the past few days.”
Messi rehabilitation in Argentina
Lionel Messi will be in his native Argentina this weekend to continue his rehabilitation for a hamstring problem.
Messi, voted the world’s best player for the past four years, sustained the injury in Barca’s 4-1 win at Real Betis earlier this month and has been ruled out for the rest of the year.
The South American has already had treatment in Catalonia but will now return home.
A Barca statement read: “The first stage of his recovery is now complete, Leo Messi will be flying to Argentina, as scheduled, for the second phase of the process under supervision of the Club Medical Services.
“The latest tests on the player have shown that the recovery programme is going to plan.”
Austria action over match-fixing
Twenty current and former footballers in the Austrian league are being treated as suspects over match-fixing and up to 17 first and second division matches could have been manipulated in the last seven years, criminal investigators said.
The revelations came one day after the arrest of defender Dominique Taboga, who was released by first division SV Groedig two weeks ago over match-fixing allegations.
Altogether, six people are currently in custody in connection with the case, including former Austria international forward Sanel Kuljic and two Albanian citizens.
Investigators said that the 17 matches under suspicion inclu-ded nine in the top flight.