Fifa asks World Cup protesters for calm

Fifa general secretary Jerome Valcke has appealed to Brazilians to support next summer's World Cup, saying it would be the 'wrong time' to protest.

Fifa is concerned that civil dissent over the cost of staging the showpiece event could overshadow the tournament.

"It is a right to demonstrate. For them it's the best time - for me it's the wrong time," Valcke said.

He also told the BBC that delays in construction had made preparations for the tournament harder than expected.

 He said: "[It's] the wrong time [to protest] because it is a time where Brazil should enjoy a unique time, a time they have not enjoyed since 1950.

"A time where they have a national team who won the Confederations Cup - a team that is the potential winner of the World Cup 2014.

"So there should be support from all Brazil for the organisation of the World Cup.

"We are not asking [them] to support Fifa, we are asking [them] to support the World Cup. We are asking [them] to support an event they won five times already and they dream to win for the first time at home."

Many of the protesters say the event is a waste of money at a time when there is a squeeze on living costs in Brazil.

Some believe the public investment in the World Cup - almost £8bn - should have been spent on schools, hospitals and transport improvements.

 Brazil's three-time World Cup winner Pele supported Valcke's call for calm next year, saying: "It is nothing against the football, nothing against the players. This is a political problem but I think this is a good opportunity.

"Brazil has three very important events here - the Confederations Cup, the World Cup and the Olympic Games.

"I think the people should be very quiet and pay attention because this is a great moment for the country. It makes good publicity, investment, tourism. I think we have to be careful because it's a big opportunity."

Protests are not Fifa's only concern. There are also serious doubts about the stadiums.

On Tuesday, Fifa confirmed that three of the hosts - Curitiba, Cuiaba and Sao Paulo - would miss their completion deadline of the end of December. There are also serious doubts over a fourth - Manaus.

The Brazilian sports minister Aldo Rebelo claimed on Wednesday that all the stadiums would be handed over in January.

But in his interview with the BBC, Valcke seemed to contradict him, saying two of the four may not be finished until March.

 He said: "I will say that three stadiums will not be ready by the end of the year. One [will be ready] by the end of January 2014, and the two - between end of February and early March."

Asked whether there was any point in Fifa setting deadlines, he replied: "That's a good question. I agree, that's a good question.

"You are expecting that they understand what we need and that they will play the game by saying 'guys we are together' - and that's the disappointment."

Valcke rejected the suggestion that bringing the World Cup to Brazil had been too much of a risk but added that preparations here had been much tougher than the build-up to South Africa four years ago.

"It has been hard, I agree, and in a way I think that may be because in South Africa you had the feeling from the first minute that South Africa needed to show to the world that they can organise such an event.

"And there was a kind of support and national support and we had not as many problems we face in Brazil."

Pele said about the world cup 2014

"I think the people should be very quiet and pay attention because this is a great moment for the country”

Courtesy: David Bond

Source: http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25226491

Hoeness: Ronaldo can't beat Ribery to Ballon d'Or over 'one game'

The former West Germany international has lamented the fact that there has been a groundswell of support for the Portuguese because of his World Cup play-off heroics
Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness claims it would be unjust if Cristiano Ronaldo pips Franck Ribery to this year's Ballon d'Or on the back of "one game".

Ribery was considered the clear favourite for the prestigious Fifa award on account of the integral role he played in the Bavarians' historic treble success last season.

However, Hoeness now fears that the groundswell of support that accompanied Ronaldo's hat-trick in Portugal's dramatic World Cup play-off victory over Sweden in Solna in November could - wrongfully, as the 61-year-old sees it - tip the balance in favour of the prolific Real Madrid attacker.

"Ronaldo has, of course, contributed significantly to the fact that Portugal has qualified for the World Cup," the Bayern supremo told Sport Bild.

"But I would have absolutely no understanding of the situation if Franck did not win the Ballon d'Or after being named [Uefa's] Best Player in Europe. There is a whole year to be judged - not just one game.

"I feel that public opinion has shifted. But, in the meantime, for me, nothing has changed. There can be only Ribery as the winner [of the Ballon d'Or]."

Courtesy: Mark Doyle

Source: http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/3753/germany/2013/12/04/4454646/hoeness-ronaldo-cant-beat-ribery-to-ballon-dor-over-one-game

Ronaldo threatens to boycott Ballon d'Or

The Madrid star is unhappy with the Uefa chief's latest remarks, despite them being intended as a joke, and has hinted he will not go to the award ceremony
Cristiano Ronaldo has threatened to boycott the Ballon d'Or after accusing Uefa president Michel Platini of attempting to provoke him.

The European football chief joked that the award's voting deadline was extended for the sake of the Real Madrid forward, but some Spanish outlets claimed that the Frenchman was being serious with his remarks.

Either way, Ronaldo has taken the comments to heart and refused to respond to Platini, while suggesting he may not go to the ceremony on January 13 in Zurich and instead stay in Madrid or go to Portugal.

"I think that [Platini] was trying to provoke me," the 28-year-old told reporters in Madeira, where he is enjoying a few days' rest and preparing for the opening of his own personal museum. "I will not respond.

"On the day of the Ballon d'Or ceremony I may be in Spain or in Zurich... or in Madeira."

The Portuguese winger has missed the last two games for his club having picked up a thigh injury in November, after starting each of the Blancos' opening 18 games this season.

He is currently the bookmakers' favourite to win the upcoming Ballon d'Or, ahead of fellow frontrunners Franck Ribery and Lionel Messi.


Courtesy: Miles Chambers

Source: http://www.goal.com/en-india/news/3870/fifa-ballon-dor/2013/12/04/4453621/platini-tried-to-provoke-me-ronaldo-threatens-to-boycott

BCCI discusses restructure in sharing of ICC revenue

A changed revenue-distribution model for the ICC was one of several issues discussed between Cricket Australia chairman Wally Edwards and BCCI president N Srinivasan in Singapore last week. Edwards is also head of the ICC governance committee and his meeting with Srinivasan happened to be part of his regular rounds of talks with ICC executive board members. The BCCI is understood to be in favour of a sharing of ICC revenue that better reflects the size of its financial contribution to the game, rather than an equal split among all Full Member nations.

The Singapore discussions were said to have taken place over a middle ground between current practice and BCCI's informal stand on the subject.

Srinivasan was in Singapore for an IPL franchise-owners workshop. Along with being BCCI president and therefore member of the IPL governing council, he is also owner of the Chennai Super Kings IPL franchise.

Neither CA nor the BCCI made any formal statement about their stand on the subject of ICC revenue distribution until Tuesday. At the sidelines of the ICC awards announcement function in Mumbai, BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said the issue was the "legitimate right" of the BCCI and was still under discussion. "This legitimate right issue has been put up before the Full Members of ICC. It is nothing but a just and fair right that we are asking for. It is not any muscle flexing." Patel told PTI. Srinivasan had put up the issue for the "first time in the history of the BCCI as a Full Member of the ICC. He has worked out very good details and very good options," Patel said.

"President Srinivasan, since last year, was looking into the financial details of ICC. He has made a private study about what could be the contribution of the BCCI into the revenue stream of ICC. On the basis of that, some formulae have been discussed among us. His own acumen as a businessman has also helped us." On the home front, the BCCI hands out 70% of its annual revenue to 27 of its affiliates in equal proportions.

Cricket Australia's own views on the subjects are not yet known in the public domain. It has however changed its own financial-revenue distribution in 2012 as part of a raft of governance changes including the move towards a fully independent board of directors. From each state receiving an equal share, revenue is now distributed on a basis of need, as decided by CA's board.

The discussion between Edwards and Srinivasan also covered matters including the vast disparity between dividends received by lower ranked Full Member countries and the top Associate nations like Ireland and Afghanistan.


Courtesy: Daniel Brettig

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/696059.html

Alastair Cook, MS Dhoni lead ICC Test, ODI teams

Alastair Cook and MS Dhoni have been named captains of the ICC's Test and ODI Teams of the Year. Dale Steyn was included in the Test side for the sixth successive year, while Dhoni made the ODI line-up for the sixth consecutive year as well. Performances between August 7, 2012 and August 25, 2013 were considered by a panel chaired by former India captain Anil Kumble, also the ICC cricket committee chairman.

 ICC Test Team of the Year (in batting order)
Alastair Cook (capt), Cheteshwar Pujara, Hashim Amla, Michael Clarke, Michael Hussey, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni (wk), Graeme Swann, Dale Steyn, James Anderson, Vernon Philander, R Ashwin (12th man)

ICC ODI Team of the Year (in batting order)

Tillakaratne Dilshan, Shikhar Dhawan, Hashim Amla, Kumar Sangakkara, AB de Villiers, MS Dhoni (capt & wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Saeed Ajmal, Mitchell Starc, James Anderson, Lasith Malinga, Mitchell McClenaghan (12th man)

Hashim Amla was named in the Test side for the fourth straight year, while Cook made an appearance for the third year on the trot.

"It is always tough to decide on the Test and ODI teams of the year, with so many worthy candidates to consider based on the players' performances between 7 August 2012 and 25 August 2013," Kumble said. "The selection panel had a lengthy debate on all the top performers during the performance period and a number of combinations were considered.

"The selectors did utilise a vast amount of statistics from the period under observation, but we also took into account other factors like the opposition, pitch conditions, match situation and the like. But when you have only 12 places to fill from a big group of world-class players, there will always be a few who will miss out. In the panel's expert opinion, it has selected the best Test and ODI teams based on performances over the past 12 months."

The other members of the panel were former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis, former England captain Alec Stewart, former South Africa batsman Graeme Pollock, and former New Zealand women's player Catherine Campbell.

Courtesy: ICC news, ESPNcricinfo

Source: http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci-icc/content/current/story/695999.html