Footy Speak

There will be no action this weekend due to an International break. But before going on this week’s break, Arsenal’s defeat through Manchester United is still afresh. There have been accusations from Arsene Wenger and Arshavin that Manchester United played anti-football, to break Arsenal’s free flow passing football. To add to Wenger’s frustration, Eduardo was banned for two matches by Uefa for diving in a Champions League qualifier match against Celtic.

Wenger also stated that, to play football the way United played against them, was a bigger crime than Eduardo’s diving. Such tactics can ruin the fun of the beautiful game, he believed. The good news for Wenger, was that his two key players, Nicklas Bendtnar and Denilson have successfully signed contracts with Arsenal. The details are not known but it is to be believed that the contracts will keep the two 21 year olds, at Emirates for at least another five years.

There was also sad news from the Manchester City camp, as they lost their best defender on the last day of the summer transfer window. The new summer arrivals forces 29 year old Richard Dunne, an Irish player, to leave the club for Aston Villa.

England were again the top spenders for the 2009 summer transfer window with a total spending of $715.1 million. Spain came second with $676.6 million, of which $355 million were spent by Real Madrid alone.

FIFA’s rulling committee, chaired by President Joseph S. Blatter, will decide on Saturday and Sunday, 30-31 May 2009, in Nassau (Bahamas), which 12 Brazillian cities will be hosting matches at the 2014 World Cup (20th World Cup of FIFA). This meeting is the second meeting of the year and the agenda features a wide range of topics that also include; preparations for the FIFA Confederations Cup’09 in South Africa, aswell as the preparations for the 59th FIFA Congress.

Still, the top agenda of the Executive Committee is the choice of host cities in Brazil.  At the beginning of the year, a FIFA funded inspection team, visited all seventeen cities of Brazil. Last year,  in December, the executive members came to the conclusion that the matches should be spread across twelve staidums instead of the previously decided ten. The capacity of  all potential stadiums is a minimum of 40,000 spectators.

The final match of the 2014 World Cup will be held in Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro. The stadium has the capacity to hold at least ninety thousand fans.

The cities which showed interest were: Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Rio de Jaaneiro, Porto Alegre, Brasilia, Belem, Campo Grande, Cuiaba, Curitiba, Fortaleza, Florianopolis, Goania, Manaus, Natal, Recife/ Olinda (sharing a single stadium), Rio Branco and Salvdor.

Brazil won the right to host the World Cup on October 30, 2007. After 1950, this is the second time the country is the host to the World Cup, and fifth to host it twice after; Mexico, Italy, France, and Germany.

Other important topics of the agenda that will be discussed in the meeting are:

• An update on the agenda of the FIFA Congress will be given.  This will be taking place on 2nd and 3rd of June in Nassau.
• A report of the inspection tour will be submitted and also preparations for FIFA Under-17 World Cup this year in Nigeria will commence.
• Updates of the other FIFA competitions’ preparations taking place this year and also next year.
• A review of pending cases will also be made in relation to the member associations.
• Receive reports on other meetings of the committee since the last FIFA Executive Committee this year in March in Zurich.