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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Mihir Bose: Can Mourinho make us fall in love with Chelsea?

Jose Mourinho has nothing in common with Richard Burton. But the Portuguese, like the great Welsh actor, is about to discover what it means to go back to your first love. And, while not even the most devoted Stamford Bridge fan will argue that Chelsea is football’s Elizabeth Taylor, the way Mourinho has expressed himself in recent weeks, leading up to return, leaves no doubt that his great love for the west London club almost matches that of Burton for Taylor.

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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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John Yan: 足球考也要开始考级? Football As An Examination?

应试教育和考级模式,在中国社会当中的魔力有多大,足协领导们恐怕有着至深感受。在六一儿童节的校园足球推广活动上,体育总局副局长蔡振华和足管中心党委书记魏吉祥来到北京三高基地,关于校园足球的话题,在一个看似转暖的足球环境中,再度进入公共视野。

蔡振华的谈话内容,主要是正面集中于改善校园足球状况,包括六一节过后就将和包括教育部内在的相关部委进行沟通,为校园足球中体育教师、足球教练解决一些具体问题。并且”逐步形成和完善全国校园足球四级联赛”。这些肯定是校园足球的当务之急。足球专业出身的魏吉祥在座谈会上讲话,则吸引了更多媒体的关注。

在魏吉祥看来,校园足球的发展,需要在训练体系、宣教以及等级考试制度的建立有所突破,尤其是”等级考试的制度”。他想表达的意思,是让孩子们踢球也有奋斗目标,”像学习钢琴一样去学习踢球”。他的原话为:”是不是可以让孩子像学习音乐那样,建立一些等级考试制度,评分制度建立起来后,孩子有阶段性奋斗的目标……如果能从一级级的往上考,颠球20个一个级别,30个一个级别,虽然这样的评价机制不一定是专业的,但是可以促使孩子朝着更高阶段去奋斗,家长也会去支持一级级的系统化训练。”

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Lee Wellings: Summer loving for the Premier League

You’ve got to feel sorry for cricket. And golf. Tennis too. In fact any sport that isn’t football, and more specifically, the unstoppable English Premier League.

We are in the summer break in European football, where other sports usually enjoy their time in the sun, something that didn’t happen as normal last year when the London Olympics dominated in this part of the world.

But this time, the feverish anticipation of a new English Premier League (EPL) season is creating the headlines and the interest.

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