‘Ideological wars’ are ‘the new bitterness’

So, FIFA have had their congress which by some – mainly FIFA – was called “historic”, and by others a “whitewash”, “irrelevant” or worse.

Under the rainy skies of the African island nation of Mauritius, 209 FIFA Members met and the individual delegates cast their electronic vote. Actually, they also cast their more traditional manual vote in a secret ballot that determined which one of three women candidates would be FIFA’s first elected Executive Committee (Board) member.

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FIFA reform process backed by Olympic frontrunner

thomas bach

By David Owen
June 9 – The frontrunner in the race for the most powerful post in world sport has backed FIFA’s reform process, saying world football’s governing body is “on the right track”. Thomas Bach, a German ex-fencer and Olympic gold medallist, is one of six candidates vying to succeed Jacques Rogge, as President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the organisation behind the Olympic Games.

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Women footballers had higher London 2012 injury rate than men

USA women

By David Owen
June 8 – An in-depth study of injuries across all sports at the London 2012 Olympics has found that women footballers faced a substantially greater risk of getting hurt than their male counterparts. The International Olympic Committee study, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, recorded 99 injuries among the 220 women who participated – a rate of 45%.

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Barça peace match scrapped but Peace Tour to go ahead

Sandro Rosell

By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
June 7 – Plans by Barcelona to stage a symbolic exhibition match against a joint Israeli-Palestinian team to try and heal the wounds between the two sides and promote Middle East peace have been ditched after no agreement could be reached between the various parties. 

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David Owen: Is Spain signposting the way to a European Superleague?

Carlo Ancelotti may be about to inherit a problem.

The former Chelsea manager is, as I write this, prohibitive odds-on favourite to succeed the new Chelsea manager José Mourinho in the hot seat at Real Madrid.

If he does, the Italian will be looked to by the Spanish club’s fans to deliver a 10th European Cup to the Bernabéu’s church-like trophy-room – and the first for more than a decade.

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