Former Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Ricardo Teixeira has been banned from football for life and fined one million Swiss francs by FIFA.
Teixeira, a former FIFA executive committee member and once the son-in-law of ex-president Joao Havelange, was found guilty of bribery by world football s governing body.
FIFA s ethics committee had been investigating the 72-year-old Teixeira over allegations he was involved in bribery schemes, conducted during the 2006-2012 period, in relation to his role in awarding contracts to companies for the media and marketing rights to CBF, CONMEBOL and CONCACAF competitions .
In a statement released on Friday, FIFA said: In its decision, the adjudicatory chamber found that Mr Teixeira had breached art. 27 (bribery) o…
Lazio beat Roma 3-1 to win a Rome derby in Serie A for the first time since November 2012, boosting their slim hopes of qualifying for the Champions League and severely denting their rivals chances of catching league leaders Juventus.
Balde Keita scored a stunning five-minute hat-trick last time out against Palermo and picked up where he left off by opening the scoring, but Roma equalised through a hugely controversial Daniele De Rossi penalty after a blatant Kevin Strootman dive.
Luckily for Lazio, that contentious call made no difference as Dusan Basta and a second goal for Keita secured the points for the designated visitors at Stadio Olimpico.
Roma, who had Antonio Rudiger sent off late on, now face a near impossible task to catch Juventus, who can secure a s…
Verdict: Wolfsburg win
Best Odds:
Bookmaker:
Looking to make a return to winning ways this weekend, away day specialists Wolfsburg will make the trip to the Weserstadion on Sunday afternoon.
Werder Bremen
Starting with the hosts, while Werder Bremen might have shocked many across the Bundesliga with a stunning return from the enforced break, the former European giants came crashing back down to earth in midweek. Eventually hit with what was a 3-0 drumming against Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday night, Florian Kohfeldt s men saw their three-match unbeaten run come to an abrupt end at the Weserstadion. Opening the weekend still sat three-point adrift of safety and in a real battle to extend on their 52-year Bundesliga status, Kohfeldt has seen be voc…
Scotland capped off their Euro 2020 qualifying Group I campaign with a 3-1 win over Kazakhstan as John McGinn and Steven Naismith completed a second-half comeback at Hampden Park.
A drab first-half display saw Scotland who have been guaranteed a play-off place throughout qualification thanks to their performances in the UEFA Nations League fall behind to Baktiyor Zainutdinov s 34th-minute stunner.
However, McGinn s deflected free-kick restored parity within three minutes of the restart and the turnaround was complete when captain Naismith bundled home.
A third straight win was sealed in stoppage time McGinn sweeping home from a low cross to add gloss to a fine second-half display from Steve Clarke s side.
Clarke made no changes from the side that cla…
Fabio Quagliarella could win his first international cap since 2010 after beating Mario Balotelli to a place in Italy s squad for their opening Euro 2020 qualifiers.
Sampdoria forward Quagliarella is the top scorer in Serie A, having already netted 20 goals in the most prolific season of his career.
Roberto Mancini handed the 36-year-old a recall for a training camp in February and he is now in line to face Finland and Liechtenstein as the Azzurri commence their Group J campaign.
Marseille striker Balotelli is still absent, though, despite scoring five times in his last seven Ligue 1 games, with uncapped Cagliari attacker Leonardo Pavoletti, Juventus teenager Moise Kean and Lazio centre-forward Ciro Immobile preferred.
There are six Juve players se…
Substitute Gavin Whyte scored late on to earn 10-man Northern Ireland a 1-1 Nations League draw against Romania in Ian Baraclough s first game in charge.
Baraclough officially took over as head coach in June after Michael O Neill stepped aside and his tenure got off to a dramatic start at the National Arena on Friday.
George Puscas put Romania in front after 25 minutes and Josh Magennis was dismissed shortly before half-time to make the visitors task all the more difficult.
But a string of impressive saves from Bailey Peacock-Farrell kept Northern Ireland in the game and Whyte headed in four minutes from time to earn his side a point in their Group B1 opener.
It’s all over in Bucharest. Gavin Whyte’s later header secures a point in Ian Baraclough’s …
Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis is keen on bringing Edinson Cavani back to the club when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires in the summer, according to Italian outlet Il Mattino.
The 32-year-old striker spent three years in Naples before joining PSG for around €65 million in 2013, scoring 104 goals in 138 games in all competitions in their shirt. He has done well in France, having been a very important part of the team for the Ligue 1 champions, but he has lost his place to Mauro Icardi, who came from inter during the summer transfer window this year on a season-long loan.
Napoli haven t been doing that well in Serie A this season. They re currently sitting in seventh place, 17 points behind league-topping Inter, and there have been reports of heavy …
Rewind to June 2018 and Atletico Madrid s future looked secure. Antoine Griezmann and Lucas Hernandez had just signed new contracts.
The landscape has drastically changed since then. Star full-back Lucas will join German giants Bayern Munich, while talisman Griezmann – reportedly a target for Barcelona – has announced his intention to leave the Wanda Metropolitano.
News of Griezmann s imminent departure comes after captain Diego Godin revealed he will call time on his Atletico career amid links to Serie A side Inter.
With Griezmann, Godin and Lucas leaving, and doubts over Rodri, Saul Niguez, Diego Costa, Filipe Luis and Juanfran in Madrid, are Diego Simeone s Atletico – who are set to finish second in LaLiga after a run to the Champions League last 16 and …
Jude Bellingham s superb performances for Borussia Dortmund this season have not changed how in-demand he will be in the transfer market, according to the club s sporting director Sebastian Kehl.
Bellingham – who has been linked with Real Madrid, Manchester United and Liverpool, among others – bagged a brace during Saturday s 5-0 demolition job against Stuttgart in the Bundesliga to further an already scintillating season for the 19-year-old.
He has already ascended to a new level of responsibility this term, taking the captain s armband both domestically and in the Champions League for the Black and Yellow this season.
Bellingham s form is likely to further stoke the fires of a transfer battle for his future among several major suitors, but speaking after hi…
Franck Kessie s agent denied the Milan star has been offered to city rivals and Serie A champions Inter amid ongoing doubts over his future at San Siro.
Kessie is out of contract at the end of the season and the Milan midfielder is no closer to re-signing with the Rossoneri, despite voicing his desire to remain at the club forever .
There has been speculation linking Kessie with Inter, while the likes of Manchester United, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool and Arsenal have also emerged as options on a free transfer.
While downplaying the Inter reports, George Atangana warned Milan the 24-year-old Ivory Coast international requires a new deal that reflects his quality.
Shifting back into top gear ahead of
Alzando i giri in vista del Vero…