The Premier League has rejected a request from Manchester City to delay the start to their 2025-26 campaign to allow for more recovery time after the Club World Cup.

As 2022-23 Champions League winners, City are one of two English clubs – alongside Chelsea – to have secured a spot at FIFA s first 32-team Club World Cup, which will be held in the United States next year.

The tournament s expanded format has proven extremely controversial, provoking widespread criticism for denying players rest time during the off-season.

Players union Fifpro has started legal proceedings against FIFA over the scheduling of the tournament, claiming the fixture schedule has become unworkable .

The Club World Cup is set to run from June 15 to July 13, with players involve…

The President of the United Arab Emirates Football Association has insisted Qatar will host the 2022 World Cup alone.

FIFA President Sepp Blatter had said it was possible Qatar could share some of the tournament s matches with other countries in the region, but UAE Football boss Mohamed Khalfan al-Rumaithi said he expected all games to be held in the host nation.

Nobody came out from Qatar and said we will do that. We are happy for Qatar. Qatar delivered a good file and I think they will go solo for it. They will go solo and they can do it solo, al-Rumaithi told Reuters.

Qatar won it by their file and it was fair competition.

Today I read in the news that Mr Blatter said that only the Qataris can decide if the region want to participate in this. But …

Twente defender Douglas has decided against applying to FIFA for a special dispensation to represent the Netherlands at Euro 2012.

The Brazilian-born central defender received his Dutch passport in November and was hoping to receive clearance from world football’s governing body to be eligible for selection for Bert van Marwijk s side.

But the 24-year-old and his agent have decided not to apply because they feel he would not be granted permission to represent his adopted country.

FIFA regulations state that a passport is not enough for a player to be able to represent his new country, they must also have lived there for at least five years and the former Joinville man has only resided in the Netherlands since the middle of 2007.

Ultimately, we conclud…

Cole Palmer made Premier League history as Chelsea beat Brighton 4-2 in a six-goal thriller at Stamford Bridge.

Palmer became the first player to score four goals before half-time in a single Premier League game, helping Enzo Maresca’s side record their fourth straight victory in all competitions.

Brighton took an early lead through Georginio Rutter s header, but were powerless as Palmer took command of the contest.

His remarkable quadruple came in the space of 20 minutes including a penalty and free-kick with Carlos Baleba s strike to make it 3-2 swiftly cancelled out by Chelsea s talisman.

Nicolas Jackson and Palmer went close after the break for the hosts, who also had a Marc Cucurella goal disallowed for offside, but they held out for another victor…

A host of European football s heavyweights were in action on another day of high drama at Euro 2020 on Saturday.

The stand-out result was Germany s thumping 4-2 win over holders Portugal at the Allianz Arena in Munich, which featured yet another landmark strike from Cristiano Ronaldo. 

In the same group, tournament favourites France were held to a surprise draw by Hungary, while, in Group E, Spain s stuttering start continued with a 1-1 draw against Poland.

Using Opta data, Stats Perform takes a look at some of the best facts from across the day s action.

 Respect.

Ronaldo  Kroos

— UEFA EURO 2020 (@EURO2020)

Portugal 2-4 Germany: Holders give Die Mannschaft a helping hand

Portugal made some unwanted history as they…

Pia Sundhage was left emotional after guiding Sweden to the final of the Rio 2016 women s football tournament on Tuesday.

Sweden provided the shock of the competition when they knocked out two-time defending champions United States who were coached by Sundhage in 2008 and 2012  in the quarter-finals on penalties last week.

They were the underdogs once again when they tackled hosts Brazil in the semi-finals, but held their nerve to seal a second shoot-out win. 

Now Sundhage is on the verge of winning a third straight Olympic gold medal as a coach, and she could not be prouder of her players.

It is very emotional. I have been to the Olympic finals in Beijing [2008] and London [2012] but then I had a team everybody expected to do well, she said.

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Germany coach Joachim Loew insisted Tuesday it is too early to say who will win Euro 2008 despite strong opening performances from the Germans, Portugal and the Netherlands.

After his side opened their Euro 2008 campaign with an impressive 2-0 win over Poland on Sunday, Germany are living up to their pre-tournament billing as co-favourites.

But Holland hammered world champions Italy 3-0 in Geneva on Monday while Portugal enjoyed a 2-0 win over Turkey on Saturday leaving Loew insisting it is too soon to say who will be crowned champions of Europe in Vienna on June 29.

We can t put teams up on a pedestal yet, it is too soon, insisted Loew at Germany s Euro 2008 base in Tenero.

Portugal were impressive in the first game, we had a satisfying result and t…

Formerly a Chief Editor at the largest sports site in Serbia Sportske.net, Milos Markovic is an avid football writer who contributes to a variety of online football magazines – most prominently Soccernews.com and Futbolgrad.com. His feature articles, editorials, interviews and match analyses have provided informed opinion and views, helping the football aficionados keep up to date on relevant events in world football.

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Following Wednesday s UEFA Champions League play-off games, all 32 participants in this year s competition are known. Here is an overview.

England: Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal

Spain: Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Atletico Madrid

Italy: Internazionale, Milan, Juventus, Fiorentina

France: Bordeaux, Marseille, Lyon

Germany: Wolfsburg, Bayern Munich, Stuttgart

Russia: Rubin Kazan, CSKA Moscow

Romania: Unirea Urziceni

Portugal: FC Porto

Netherlands: AZ Alkmaar

Scotland: Rangers

Turkey: Besiktas

Ukraine: Dynamo Kyiv

Belgium: Standard Liege

Greece: Olympiakos

Israel: Maccabi Haifa

Switzerland: Zürich

Cyprus: APOEL

Hungary:…

Bless the late-season schedule that gives us Saturdays full of NFL football. The Indianapolis Colts and Arizona Cardinals will conclude a Week 16 Saturday slate as the home Cards look to halt a two-game skid, while the Colts will want to build off their win last week vs. New England.

Is Jonathan Taylor going to make an MVP push in a plus matchup? Can Kyler Murray rebound after a disastrous game against the Lions last week?

Find out in our free player props and predictions for Colts vs. Cardinals.

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