You think your football team is, to use that most cliched of phrases, 'a club in crisis' dear blog reader? Are they reported to be over one hundred and fifty million pounds in debt, saddled with an expensively-assembled squad of overpaid cowardly mercenaries, with an owner who can't, seemingly, give the club away and looking forward to visits to Fleetwood and Accrington next year? Yes, dear blog reader, Blunderland were very relegated for the second season in succession on Saturday after Liam Boyce's late, late header gave Burton Albino's own survival hopes a huge lift. Burton were a goal down with five minutes to play after Paddy McNair's low first-half strike. Darren Bent scored against his old club to level from close range and Boyce's goal silenced the home support. The Mackem Filth did have the ball in the net in injury time but it was ruled out and ended their Championship status. Blunderland's tumble into the third tier caps a disastrous last two seasons on Wearside, having gone from ten years of Premier League stability to slide into the third tier for the first time in thirty years. Chris Coleman was brought to the club in November tasked with keeping the club in the Championship, inheriting a side bottom of the table with just one win. Despite making improvements in terms of performances, the former Wales boss was unable to turn form around with just five league wins since his arrival. And, in his post-match press conference, a bewildered-looking Coleman confessed that he had 'no idea' as to where the club go next. Apart from League One, obviously. And, to those Mackem supporters who, loudly, celebrated this blogger's beloved (though still unsellable) Magpies relegation misfortunes two years ago, a necessary reminder of the laws of Karma and the age-old truism that what goes around comes around.
Championship winners Wolverhampton Wanderings have had their relationship with super agent Jorge Mendes approved by the EFL, who deem him as 'not a relevant person.' Wolves were 'invited' to meet with the EFL over the close bond between club owners Fosun and Mendes, following criticism from Championship rivals. But the EFL have made 'a comprehensive review' of details provided by Wolves. And, they have concluded that 'there is no requirement' for Mendes to submit to the owners' and directors' test. As well as The Scum manager Jose Mourinho and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, Mendes acts for Wolves head coach Nuno and two of the club's fellow Portuguese players, Ruben Neves and Diogo Jota.
Dirty Leeds owner Andrea Radrizzani has said that the decision to go on a post-season tour of Myanmar was 'carefully considered.' The Championship side are scheduled to play fixtures on 9 and 11 May in the country, where families have fled their homes because of military operations. Shadow sports minister Doctor Rosena Allin-Khan called the trip 'morally corrupt.' However, Radrizzani said he believes that the trip can 'have a positive impact on the local community.' And, on his bank balance, obviously. Dirty Leeds are due to face a Myanmar National League All-Star team in Yangon and the country's national team in Mandalay. In those areas, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office guidance is to 'check travel advice before travelling.' The FCO advises against 'all but essential travel' in some other areas of Myanmar. Nearly seven hundred thousand of Myanmar's Rohingya Muslim minority have fled the country since August because of ongoing military operations in Rakhine. The United Nations described the issues in the Northern Rakhine province as 'a textbook example of ethnic cleansing.' Radrizzani said that he was 'aware' of the 'serious issues' in the country but that it was 'a beautiful place filled with incredibly warm and welcoming people.' He added: 'This was a carefully considered decision and we knew it would be controversial, but this is about people not governments. It has never been my intention, nor that of the club, to get involved in a political debate in Myanmar. However, if because of the tour we further highlight the ongoing serious issues in certain areas of the country, then maybe that is a positive thing.' U Ko Ko Thein, general secretary of the Myanmar Football Federation, told Myanmar Frontier that the tour would 'help us to showcase our passion for the game abroad.'
Yer actual Keith Telly Topping's beloved (though unsellable) Newcastle United winger Rolando Aarons has admitted affray over a brawl in a bar's VIP area. Bottles were thrown and weapons used when Aarons and his family and friends clashed with at least five men in Livello on Newcastle's Quayside. The twenty two-year-old, his mother Joan Jacob and four others were charged with violent disorder. However, prosecutors accepted guilty pleas to the lesser charge of affray. Newcastle Crown Court heard that the October 2016 fight happened at about 2am and lasted ninety seconds. Aarons and his group had been celebrating a birthday. CCTV showed the melee 'blew up out of nowhere,' Judge Edward Bindloss said. A member of the other group was the first to throw an item, he added and one man in that party suffered a 'nasty' head injury when door staff intervened. Aarons and his mother, both of Montagu Avenue, Gosforth, were charged along with his cousin Garfield White a serving prisoner formerly of Wordsworth Road, Bristol. Aarons' friends Kallum Phillips and Jamar Collins,also from Bristol, faced the same charge. Action against White's sister Sabrina, was dropped after it was accepted she had 'acted as a peacemaker.' The judge granted all defendants bail, except White, ahead of sentencing on 22 May. Aarons, who was born in Jamaica and raised in Bristol, joined The Magpies in 2012. He suffered several injury set-backs and has been loaned out to Hellas Verona in Italy during the current season.
One of FIFA's most senior executives, Fatma Samoura, has been reported to the organisation's powerful ethics committee. Samoura, who was appointed secretary general of football's world governing body by its president Gianni Infantino in 2016, is accused of alleged breaches of its ethics code relating to 'duty of disclosure, co-operation and reporting' and 'conflicts of interest.' The claims stem from allegations relating to Morocco's bid to host the 2026 World Cup. The North African country wants to host the tournament but is up against a North American joint effort comprising Canada, the USA and Mexico. Members of a FIFA World Cup evaluation taskforce - which recently visited the bidding countries - are said to have 'discovered' an 'undeclared family link' between Samoura and the former Liverpool forward El Hadji Diouf, who is working in 'an ambassadorial role' for the Moroccan bid. Both Samoura and Diouf are from Senegal. They are both now the subject of an ethics complaint. A senior - though anonymous - FIFA 'source' has allegedly told BBC Sport that the allegation is 'tenuous', while Samoura said she is 'fully aware of this upcoming complaint' and has 'a good idea who is conveying this message.' She added: 'The whole country of Senegal will laugh at FIFA Ethics because everyone in my country knows the origin of El Hadji Diouf.' The same alleged senior 'source', also alleges that Infantino 'encouraged' the evaluation taskforce to find evidence which could block Morocco's candidacy. It is claimed Infantino was 'motivated' to do this as he favours the rival North American bid given the enormous financial advantage it has over its African rival. In response to the allegation a FIFA spokesperson told BBC Sport: 'The bidding process for the 2026 FIFA World Cup has been designed to evaluate the bids against objective criteria and so avoid a return to the secret and subjective decisions of the past. The process is as fair, objective and transparent as it can get as demonstrated with the publication of the bid books, all bidding documents and the scoring system. The taskforce's assessment is guided by clear and objective criteria and its report will be made public to guarantee full transparency of the process. The FIFA president is not involved in this process and he will not take part in the vote of the congress. These are facts and not "maybe" or gossip. FIFA has been heavily criticised for how it conducted the selection of hosts in the past. It was our obligation to learn from this and leave no room for any doubt or subjectivity. Anyone criticising this approach should be able to say if they would prefer a return to the old ways. Allegations of a defamatory nature are unacceptable, especially when they come in a middle of a bidding process when calm, sense of responsibility and respect should prevail.' The evaluation taskforce - which recently visited North American and Moroccan cities - includes Samoura's two deputies, Marco Villiger and former AC Milan player Zvonimir Boban. Some Morocco bid supporters have suggested they are Infantino allies and that that raises questions over the taskforce's impartiality and independence from the FIFA administration. There are further concerns over claims the Morocco bid team were only told of some eligibility criteria hours before their bid document had to be submitted, potentially weakening their submission. The bidding process comes with FIFA facing a financial shortfall following years of dealing with expensive legal bills resulting from a US Department of Justice investigation into corrupt executives. It has also struggled to attract major sponsors to this summer's World Cup in Russia. In light of this, it is believed Infantino wants the North American bid to win given organisers' claims it will generate around five billion dollars in economic activity and ticket revenue alone. The Swiss-Italian could yet face the prospect of being placed under an ethics investigation himself concerning the allegation he attempted to interfere in the 2026 bidding process although there is no evidence that a complaint has been made. The revelations come as the governing body is attempting to reform following a series of damaging political and financial scandals. It culminated in police dawn raids at a luxury Zurich hotel in May 2015, the extradition of FIFA executives to face trials in the US and the eventual deposing of Sepp Blatter as the organisation's long-serving president. The decision over whom to award the 2026 World Cup could also be plunged into doubt following the claims. The 2026 tournament is set to be the first World Cup to be allocated since the controversial decision to grant the 2018 edition to Russia and 2022 to Qatar. Those choices have been mired in controversy ever since and are the subject of several ongoing criminal investigations - for example, Blatter has suggested there was 'an agreement in place' for Russia to host the 2018 tournament before the vote took place. FIFA radically overhauled its voting procedures as a result of the Russia/Qatar process, taking power away from a small number of leading executives and placing it in the hands of its two hundred and eleven member associations. It also promised enhanced clarity, transparency and fairness when awarding its marquee event. Morocco's 2026 bid is gathering pace and is thought to stand a serious chance of winning the necessary one hundred and four majority votes needed for victory. A vote is scheduled to take place in Moscow on 13 June at FIFA's annual congress, with the North American countries and Morocco the only contenders.
Moscow Chelski FC goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois says that he and his father have initiated 'proceedings for libel and defamation' against ex-Belgium coach Marc Wilmots. In an interview with Qatar-based beIn Sports, Wilmots said that he was told Courtois' father had leaked team selections during the 2016 European Championship. Courtois said on Instagram: 'Mister Wilmots - not for the first time - reiterates publicly and intentionally [makes] accusations against my honour and my reputation.' He added: 'As well as my father, we decided together to file a complaint accompanied by criminal indemnification proceedings for libel and defamation.' Belgium number one Courtois has won fifty four caps for his country, who have been drawn in Group G alongside England, Tunisia and Panama at this summer's World Cup in Russia. Wilmots was dismissed as Belgium boss after their Euro 2016 exit to Wales.
Panathinaikos have been very banned from European competition for three years by the continent's football governing body after failing to pay their debts. Players at Greece's oldest club went on strike earlier this month in protest over unpaid wages from last year. The twenty-time Greek champions were given a suspended sentence by UEFA in December and told they had until 1 March to settle their unpaid bills. Having failed to comply, they have also been fined one hundred thousand Euros. Panathinaikos, who are currently seventh in Greece's top flight, had already incurred a three-point domestic penalty this season for failing to pay money owed to their former defender Jens Wemmer. The Athens-based club are the country's most successful side in European competition. They were European Cup runners-up in 1971 and reached the semi-finals of the same competition in 1985 and 1996, losing to Liverpool and Ajax respectively. This season, though, they were knocked out of the Europa League in the play-off round. The punishment handed down by UEFA's club financial control body represents another inauspicious moment for Greek Super League clubs this season. Last month, PAOK Salonika president Ivan Savvidis was banned for three years for coming onto the pitch with a gun during a top-flight game against AEK Athens.
Roma have condemned the 'abhorrent behaviour' of some of their fans after a Liverpool supporter was attacked before the Champions League semi-final. Two men from Rome were extremely arrested on suspicion of attempted murder after Wednesday's assault on Sean Cox who is in a critical condition. Roma said those involved at Anfield had 'brought shame on the club. There is no place for this type of vile behaviour in football,' a statement read. The victim, from Dunboyne in Ireland, has a head injury and is being treated in hospital. Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson said that the 'thoughts and prayers' of those at the club were with the injured fan. Roma said they were 'co-operating' with Liverpool, UEFA and the authorities. The attack happened outside a pub before kick-off, when about eighty Roma fans are thought to have used a side road to reach an area where Liverpool supporters had gathered. A Liverpool statement released on Wednesday asked those who had any relevant information to contact Merseyside Police. UEFA said in a statement that it was 'deeply shocked' by the 'vile attack. The perpetrators of this ignominious attack have no place in and around football and we trust they will be dealt with utmost severity by the authorities,' the statement read. Liverpool won the first leg of the tie five-two.
