Brazil to sue FIFA over temporary stands

It’s never been a match made in heaven, but Brazil’s relationship with FIFA is heading to the divorce courts before it has even been consummated,

Brazilian prosecutors are suing FIFA for reimbursement of public funds spent on temporary structures in stadiums that will host next year’s World Cup.

Prosecutors’ offices in five states say they’re seeking reimbursement of £66 million. They say that money was spent on temporary structures in or near stadiums during the Confederations Cup, the warm-up tournament to the World Cup.

The prosecutors say that because the structures don’t serve the public interest, the Brazilian taxpayers shouldn’t be expected to pay for them.

FIFA said in a statement Wednesday that paying for the ”complementary structures” is the responsibility of the ”owners of the stadium” and not FIFA.

Expect this one to run and run.

Lazio given stadium reprieve

UEFA will permit Lazio to open its stadium to spectators after ordering it closed for a Europa League match as a result of racist chanting by fans.

UEFA say its appeals committee ruled that Lazio need close only the Curva Nord section of the Stadio Olimpico when Apollon of Cyprus visits on November 7.

Lazio was prosecuted for “racist behaviour” by fans and an offensive banner when it hosted Legia Warsaw on September 19.

Fans “performed racist chants against the Slavic people,” according to monitors at the match from anti-discrimination group Fare.

Lazio were repeatedly punished by UEFA last season over their fans’ behaviour, which presumably, was one of the reasons European football’s governing body decided to opt for the stadium ban. The decision to ease that sanction does not exactly send out a message of zero tolerance.

Goal of the Day

Neat build up by Napoli and the ball reaches Duvan Zapata who scores against Marseille with a curler from the edge of the area.

Quote of the Day

“Liverpool wore those T-shirts supporting Suarez, which I thought was the most ridiculous thing for a club of Liverpool’s stature. I think Kenny was falling back on the chip on the shoulder. The problem I felt was there was no Peter Robinson at Liverpool. He would never have allowed the situation to be handled like it was. The young directors there idolised Kenny and there was no-one to say: ‘Hey, behave yourself, this is out of order, this is Liverpool Football Club’.”

In one of the more vitriolic sections of his new autobiography, former Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, has little time for the way Liverpool handed the Luis Suarez ‘racism’ incident.

UEFA to investigate Ajax fans behaviour

UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Ajax after the Dutch club’s supporters were involved in clashes during their Champions League match at Celtic Park.

The governing body have accused the Dutch side of being responsible for “crowd disturbances and throwing of objects” during the match, a contravention of UEFA Disciplinary Regulation 16.

Ajax’s case will be heard by the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body on November 21.

Police Scotland said on Wednesday that they would be reviewing CCTV footage after fans were caught on camera ripping out seats and throwing them at their Celtic counterparts.

No arrests were made by the police during the match.

Ferguson gets a dose of his own medicine

If you can’t take it, they say, don’t dish it out. And, in his new autobiography, Sir Alex Ferguson has certainly dished plenty out, so he can’t complain at being subjected to quite a grilling from Channel 4 newsreader Jon Snow.

Unlike many in the footballing journalistic community, Snow owes Ferguson no favours and equally, he is in no position to benefit from his enduring patronage. So, he was able to speak the recently-retired Manchester United manager with a frankness few scribes have managed down the years.

Ferguson’s management style has often been described as dictatorial, but few people have compared him to an actual dictator, as Snow does, when he likens Ferguson to Joseph Stalin – a man responsible for the deaths of 20 million!

Here’s the excerpt in question:

Sir Alex Ferguson: “Yeah but you have to deal with things as they are at the time. The most important thing about being manager of Manchester United is not losing your control. Manchester United cannot afford for the players to control the club. It wouldn’t be Manchester United. And I’ve said that time and time again to the directors over the years.”

John Snow: “So control is all.”

Sir Alex Ferguson: “It’s not all but it’s really, really important. You have to have control if you want to stay in a job.”

John Snow: “Sounds a bit Stalinist.”

Sir Alex Ferguson: “Jesus Christ!”

John Snow: “I know you’re left of centre but…”

Sir Alex Ferguson: “That’s a bit extreme. The control means the players will respect that, they know who the manager is. If it goes the other way they will have a different view of the manager, they’ll think you’re weak and I don’t think I’ve ever been weak.”

You can read the full transcript of Ferguson’s interview with Snow here.

Further feedback to Ferguson’s book came from his former United skipper, Roy Keane.

The Scot wrote about Keane: “The hardest part of Roy’s body is his tongue. He has the most savage tongue you can imagine.

 “He can debilitate the most confident person in the world in seconds. He was an intimidating, ferocious individual.”
Keane, now working as a pundit for ITV Football, was asked about Ferguson’s attack.
Here is his response: