Falcao: 'El Tigre' prowls for goals

(CNN) -- The tiger is one of wildlife's most endangered species, but there's one big cat which refuses to be tamed.

Meet Radamel Falcao -- or "El Tigre" as his friends nicknamed him after watching him terrorize defenders on the streets of Colombia as a child.

From making his professional debut at just 13 to running top-class defenders ragged, this is one Tiger who hasn't changed his stripes since bursting onto the scene in Europe with Porto and Atletico Madrid.

"I think that every person specializes in what they know best and as a young kid, I liked scoring goals," he told CNN.

"Later, I realized that's what I was best at and I went perfecting that aspect to give the best of myself to my team in the position I played, which was striker."

Constantly on the prowl for goals, the 26-year-old is one of football's most wanted transfer targets, with several top European clubs waiting to poach him from Atletico.

He moved to Spain in a 40 million ($53 million) deal from Porto in 2011, and scored 36 goals in his debut season in La Liga including two in the Europa League final against Athletic Bilbao.

His stunning hat-trick in the demolition of European champions Chelsea at the 2012 Super Cup Final underlined to those not au fait with Spanish football just how deadly he can be.

Atletico thrash Chelsea in Super Cup

Falcao then went on a streak which saw him score in 11 consecutive games for club and country between August and late October.

With 18 goals in La Liga this season, the vultures are circling the Vicente Calderon once again, with Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City all hovering.

But Falcao insists he is happy with life at Atletico and says he has no thoughts of moving on -- at least not yet.

"I have three years left on my contract with the club and my reality is that this contract ties me down for a few more seasons," Falcao said.

"Afterwards though, I don't know what's going to happen in the future as it's in the hands of the people responsible for deciding the future of the players on Atletico.

"I simply give the best of myself for the team, for this really good season that we're having. We have a lot of objectives/goals in our sight and I hope that we can achieve them."

Falcao has emerged as one of the world's top goalscorers since making the move to Porto from Argentina's River Plate in July 2009.

It was in Portugal that he came to prominence, scoring 34 goals including the winner in the final of the 2011 Europa League to help the club pull off a quadruple haul of trophies.

His goalscoring feats in the continent's second-tier competition, in which he scored a record 17 goals, earned him a move to Spain where he has led the line for Atletico with his predatory instincts causing havoc for defenses across Europe.

Can Falcao help Atletico Madrid reign in Spain?

It is a skill which he honed as a youngster, spending many hours on the practice fields in a bid to perfect the art of one of football's hardest arts -- scoring goals.

Ever since he ran around the streets barefoot, covered with scratches and blood, Falcao's desire has been to reach the very top.

His father played club football in Colombia, and there was never a doubt in Falcao's mind what he wanted to achieve in life.

Incredibly, he made his professional debut for Deportivo Pereira at the age of just 13, making him the youngest player to ever appear professionally in Colombian football.

At the age of 14 he moved to Argentina to pursue his dream of becoming a professional footballer. It was there that he flourished, establishing himself as one of the most exciting players at River Plate.

After overcoming a serious knee injury in 2006, he returned to lead River Plate to the Clausura title and earn a move to Europe with Porto.

It was the realization of a dream for a player which had begun life with one simple dream -- to become one of the best striker's on the planet.

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"Thanks to lots of training and hard work, I was able to succeed and be able to shine above other players of my age," Falcao said.

"This is work that took a long time, many years in terms of knowing the position, the development of my abilities and also the talent and potential that I was born with.

"Through lots of training, I went along perfecting it, along with knowing the team that I play with, both Atletico Madrid and my national team, which allowed my good development as a striker."

While league and cup success with Atletico remains his priority, the opportunity to lead Colombia into battle at the 2014 World Cup is high up on the agenda.

Falcao on fire as Atletico Madrid win Europa League

Colombia has not appeared at the World Cup finals since 1998, but is third in the South American qualifying section. The top four of the nine competing nations will automatically qualify for Brazil, while the fifth-placed team goes into a playoff against an Asia confederation side.

Falcao who has scored five goals in six qualifying games, wants the latest generation of Colombian talent to write their own records and emerge from the shadow of former great players such as Carlos Valderrama and Faustino Asprilla.

"We're forming quite a strong team and hopefully we can manage to qualify for the World Cup and for the next few World Cups and bring lots of other triumphs and victories home," he said.

"I don't like comparisons too much -- we simply want to write our own history and hope that it's important for our country."

Via: Falcao: 'El Tigre' prowls for goals

Altidore suffers racial abuse

(CNN) -- U.S. star Jozy Altidore has said he will "pray" for those who subjected him to racist abuse during a Dutch cup game Tuesday.

The 23-year-old American international was the target of racist chanting during AZ Alkmaar's 5-0 win at nine-man Den Bosch.

Referee Reinold Wiedemeijer suspended the game during the first half following "jungle sounds chanted at Altidore," according to AZ's official twitter feed. But AZ players, including Altidore, persuaded him not to.

Wiedemeijer asked host club Den Bosch to put a message over the public address system, warning the crowd he would stop the match if the abuse carried on.

The contest was also briefly stopped after the interval after home fans threw snowballs at the linesmen.

Time for football to tackle racism epidemic?

Altidore was adamant the game should not be stopped and in a post-match interview with Dutch television he explained his stance.

He said: "It's a bit disappointing that these things still happen at this time but what are you going to do?

"You just have to hope that these people find a way to improve themselves. You can only pray for them.

"I feel like as a football player that I have an obligation, to my team, to my club, to my family to not react to things like this.

"I want to show them that club stands better than that and that I was raised better than that than respond to such ridiculous behaviour.

"It's a bit disappointing because you would hope as human beings that humanity can grow from these types of times.

"But at the end of the day, it's still alive racism and all we can do is try and educate ourselves and the young kids coming up to be better than that.

"All I can do is pray for them and hope they become better people."

FIFA ready to hit racists hard

Altidore, who scored from the penalty spot during the contest, also insisted he would not rise to those who had insulted him from the stands.

He added: "I'm not going to fight them. They just have some issues and need some help. You can only pray for them and hope they get better.

"We were in a good rhythm and it was important for us to keep going. I think we started the New Year right and you have to look at the bigger picture."

AZ soccer director and former U.S. midfield player Earnier Stewart, also spoke of his disgust, telling Dutch television's Eredivisie Live: "It is terribly sad that this can happen for those involved and for lovers of football in the Netherlands.

"You hear that and wonder what on earth is going on.''

Stewart also revealed that Den Bosch officials are "ashamed'' of the fans involved. The club told fans to stop the chants over the public address system, but that failed to stop a small section of supporters.

Alkmaar player Viktor Elm added: "The fans that misbehaved towards Altidore should be ashamed.

"I, like everybody else, am really disappointed in these supporters. It is a bad time for professional football. It is not something I have experienced in my career before.

"Jozy handled it really well. He has not been tempted to respond. He was emotional after his penalty."

Boateng makes racism walkout vow

Meanwhile, in Italy, Lazio booked its place in the final of the Coppa Italia courtesy of a 2-1 win over Juventus.

With the tie poised at 1-1 following last week's first leg in Turin, Lazio took the lead through Alvaro Gonzalez's header.

The home side looked set for its first final since 2009, but Juventus grabbed a dramatic equalizer in the 91st minute when Arturo Vidal lashed home.

The tie looked destined for extra-time, but with just seconds remaining, Sergio Floccari netted a late winner to take Lazio through.

Vladimir Petkovic's side will now face city rival Roma or Inter Milan in the final.

Sink or swim for 'Super Mario'?

In the English Premier League, Manchester City endured a frustrating night as it was held to a goalless draw by bottom of the table QPR.

On a day dominated by speculation linking City striker Mario Balotelli with a move to AC Milan, manager Roberto Mancini might have hoped for a victory to concentrate on instead.

But his side was unable to find a way past a stubborn and determined Rangers defense, which managed to hold on for a precious point in its fight against relegation.

Instead, Mancini was left to focus on the impending departure of the enigmatic Balotelli, who is set to undergo a medical at Milan Wednesday before completing a move to Italy.

Mancini told Sky Sports News: "He had this big chance to come back to Italy and play for another top club like Milan.

"I hope Mario can continue to improve and show he's always ready because I think he can, if he works hard, continue growing and become one of the best players in the world.

"It's important for Mario to be in Italy with his family. I think that would be good for him."

Aston Villa's nightmare run of form continued with a 2-1 home defeat by Newcastle.

Villa, which had suffered consecutive defeats by a lower league opposition in its previous two matches, now sits in the relegation zone.

Villa embarrassed by third-tier Bradford

Paul Lambert's team has failed to win a Premier League game since December 15 and has taken one point from a possible 18.

On this occasion, it gave itself an uphill task after falling two goals behind early on to a Newcastle team also struggling at the wrong end of the table.

Papiss Cisse and Yohan Cabaye both scored within the first 31 minutes to give Newcastle a comfortable halftime advantage.

Villa pulled one back four minutes after the interval through Christian Benteke's penalty, but it couldn't prevent Newcastle from claiming a first away win of the league season.

In the night's other games, Sunderland held Swansea to a goalless draw while Wigan came from two goals down to draw 2-2 at Stoke.

Via: Altidore suffers racial abuse

Progress cheers troubled Mali

(CNN) -- Mali's footballers brought some welcome relief to their compatriots when drawing 1-1 with the Democratic Republic of Congo to qualify for the Africa Cup of Nations quarterfinals.

The point in Durban enabled the West Africans to go through in second place, behind Group B winners Ghana who outclassed Niger 3-0 in Port Elizabeth.

On a day when French-led troops took hold of the historic city of Timbuktu as Mali authorities continue their battle to loosen Islamist militants' grip on the country's north, the team nicknamed the Eagles booked their place in the last eight.

Read: French-led forces in Mali take Timbuktu

Perhaps fittingly, the football success was also engineered with the help of a Frenchman as Patrice Carteron ensured his side progressed to a knockout clash against hosts South Africa.

Mali, who finished third at last year's Nations Cup, recovered from going a goal behind to Dieumerci Mbokani's third-minute penalty to draw level 11 minutes later through Mahamadou Samassa.

The Eagles could have taken the lead late on when substitute Cheick Tidiane Diabate hit the post before midfielder Seydou Keita was denied by Congolese goalkeeper Robert Kidiaba, 37, in stoppage time.

After Mali opened their Group B campaign with a 1-0 over group outsiders Niger, former Barcelona star Keita wore a T-shirt with the words "Peace for Mali" as he gathered his man of the match award.

At the 2012 finals, Mali's most decorated footballer -- who boasts three Spanish La Liga titles and two European Champions League medals among other trophies -- had broken down in tears as Islamists took control of the north of his country amidst fierce fighting.

During a news conference in South Africa earlier this month, the Eagles captain announced his desire for one of Mali's allies --- "be it France or our neighbors" -- to return order to the north of the country as quickly as possible.

He had also mentioned that the Islamist militants' ban on watching sports on television, among other measures such as outlawing music and smoking, meant that some people in the north would have been unable to gain relief from the conflict by following the Eagles in South Africa.

"Our country is in one of the most difficult moments of its history," he said after Monday's draw with the Congolese.

"Malians are regaining control of the north and our qualification will bring joy to the people. I am very proud."

While Mali will seek to reach the semifinals for the second tournament in a row against Bafana Bafana in Durban, Ghana will face high fliers Cape Verde in Saturday's first quarterfinal.

Read: Cape Verde have Nations Cup lift-off

The Black Stars, who are the second favorites to win the competition behind Didier Drogba's Ivory Coast side, beat Niger with goals from Asamoah Gyan, Christian Atsu and John Boye.

"We stepped up our game and won against a good Niger team," said Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah, a squad member when the Black Stars last won the Cup of Nations 31 years ago in Libya.

"We hope to do better as we progress in this competition."

Ghana were beaten in the semifinals last year by Zambia, who will look to book their berth in the last eight when taking on Group C leaders Burkina Faso on Tuesday.

In the day's other game, Nigeria's Super Eagles need a win against Ethiopia to be sure of avoiding early elimination from the finals.

Via: Progress cheers troubled Mali

Togo books quarterfinal place

(CNN) -- Togo booked its place in the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations for the first time in seven attempts following a nervy draw with Tunisia in South Africa Wednesday.

With the game level at 1-1, Tunisia's Khalid Mouelhi had a glorious opportunity to win the tie with 15 minutes remaining when his side was awarded a penalty kick.

But having already scored from the spot earlier in the game to cancel out Serge Gakpe's opener for Togo, Mouehli failed to repeat the feat as Tunisia's bowed out.

The achievement comes three years after two members of the Togo squad were killed in a deadly machine attack in the oil-rich enclave of Cabinda before the 2010 Nations Cup.

Captain Emmanuel Adebayor, who hid under a seat when the Togo team bus came under fire from separatists, revealed the team would hold prayers for the pair which lost their lives

"I'm thinking of them," he told reporters. "We're going to take five minutes to pray for them at the hotel."

"This is our first qualification, I'm very happy for the team and my country, I can't even begin to imagine what's happening back home!"

Africa Cup of Nations 2013: The teams

Togo will now go on to face Burkina Faso in the last eight, leaving Tunisia coach Sami Trabelsi to reflect on his side's failings.

Trabelsi told reporters in Nelspruit: "We did what we had to do, we dominated the play, but we lacked a bit of finishing.

"I'm not here to talk about the referee -- I'm here to talk about my team. Am I satisfied with the outcome? Not really."

Togo made the perfect start by taking the lead on 13 minutes when Emmanuel Adebayor's through ball sent Gakpe clear to fire home.

Cape Verde's 'Special One'

With Tunisia needing to win the game to advance, Trabelsi's men fought back and deservedly drew level when Mouelhi converted from 12-yards following a foul on Esperance midfielder Hichri.

Tunisia continued to look for that elusive winner after the break, but only the crossbar denied Adebayor from heading Togo back in front with 21 minutes remaining.

What can we expect from the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations?

The Carthage Eagles were given a real lifeline on 75 minutes when South African referee Daniel Bennett pointed to the penalty spot following a foul on Saber Khalifa.

Mouelhi stood up to strike the kick, but his effort hit the left post as Togo held out for the draw.

"This is huge for Togo -- the first time they have qualified for the quarterfinals," Togo coach Didier Six told reporters.

"We were the little team in this group, and we've made it. I think there will be a big party in Lome tonight."

Zambia dumped out of Africa Cup of Nations

Ivory Coast

Meanwhile, tournament favorite Ivory Coast came from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Algeria in Rustenburg.

Ivory Coast, which had already qualified for the last eight, will face Nigeria in the next round.

With his side already through to the next stage, coach Sabri Lamouchi made nine changes to the team to face an Algeria team without any chance of making the quarterfinals.

Ryad Boudebouz had a great early chance to give Algeria the lead but struck his seventh minute penalty against the post.

Algeria was awarded a second spot kick on 64 minutes and Sofiane Feghouli made no mistake before Hilal Soudani doubled his side's lead soon after.

But two goals in four minutes from Didier Drogba and Wilfried Bony saved embarrassment and ensured Ivory Coast finished the group stage unbeaten.

"I am proud of my boys because they refused to give up when two goals behind," Ivory Coast coach Lamouchi told reporters.

"I congratulate Algeria, who did not make it easy for us and are a team to watch in the future.

"The failure of all the north African teams to make the next round surprises me. I am most disappointed about the departure of Tunisia, which is where my family originates from."

Via: Togo books quarterfinal place

Cape Verde has lift-off at Africa Cup of Nations

(CNN) -- Its coach, Lucio Antunes, is an air-traffic controller, but not even he would have predicted that the tiny island of Cape Verde would soar into the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations Sunday.

The smallest ever nation to score and win at the tournament, Cape Verde defeated Angola 2-1 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa.

There are 10 islands -- with a population of just half a million -- which make up Cape Verde's archipelago.

But in its first ever appearance at the finals, where most were expecting it to fail, the 'Blue Sharks' have captured the imagination of the watching world with its fairytale story.

Mourinho mentors Cape Verde's 'Special One'

Antunes, whose side defeated the might of Cameroon in the qualifying playoff, had drawn with host South Africa and Morocco in its previous two group games.

And despite trailing 1-0 through an own-goal, the 'Blue Sharks' hit back with two strikes in the final nine minutes to see off Angola.

"My team and I dedicate this victory to the wonderful people of the Cape Verde Islands," he told reporters.

"Our objective at this tournament has been achieved. We wanted to reach the quarterfinals."

After earning independence from Portugal in 1975, Cape Verde had to wait 17 years before being able to play a competitive match.

But Antunes, who revealed before the tournament in an interview with CNN's Human to Hero series that he had received advice from Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho, has created a team which is keen to make up for lost time.

And it showed all its fighting qualities after falling behind in the 33rd minute when skipper Neves put the ball into his own goal.

That setback appeared to rouse Antunes' side and after Gege had headed home an 81st minute equalizer, Heldon popped up at the death to fire home a dramatic winner.

Africa Cup of Nations 2013: The teams

Cape Verde progresses to the last eight along with host nation South Africa, which claimed a 2-2 draw against Morocco in an entertaining game in Durban.

Issam El Adoua and Abdelilah Hafidi put the Atlas Lions ahead only for May Mahlangu and Siyabonga Sangweni to level and condemn Morocco to a fourth consecutive first round exit.

It means the host, which has only won a single game in the past nine years at the tournament, finishes top of Group A, much to the delight of coach Gordon Igesund.

South Africa finally up and running

He told reporters: "We feel very, very proud to have achieved our first objective. I must thank the players and the fans.

"Morocco was a very tough team. I do not want to point out mistakes, but we conceded two goals we should not have done. There are now two games to the final and I believe in my players."

Rival coach Rachid Taoussi said: "I am very disappointed with the result, but we fought with dignity and honor. I am satisfied. We did not lose a game and the tournament was a positive one for me."

Via: Cape Verde has lift-off at Africa Cup of Nations

Liverpool suffers cup humiliation

(CNN) -- Liverpool, the 18 time league winner and five-time champion of Europe, was humiliated by third-tier Oldham 3-2 in the FA Cup, the most famous domestic cup competition in world football.

The Premier League club, which is owned by American businessman John Henry, was embarrassed by a team currently struggling towards the bottom of its own division.

On a freezing cold Sunday in the north of England, around 14 kilometers from Manchester, Oldham produced one of the greatest results in its recent history to defeat the seven time FA Cup winners.

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Facing the likes of $35 million man Luis Suarez and a whole host of international players, Oldham turned to a man who up until 18 months ago had given up on playing professional football to try his luck at university.

Matt Smith, 23, attended the University of Manchester where he gained a degree in International Management with American Studies while playing part-time amateur football.

But after completing his studies, he rejoined Oldham and etched his name into FA Cup folklore by scoring twice before dislocating his shoulder in an enthralling contest.

Leading 1-0 through Smith's third minute strike, Suarez equalized for Liverpool before Oldham scored two quick goals either side of the break.

First, Smith took advantage of some awful goalkeeping by Brad Jones to fire home his second with Reece Wabara heading Oldham into a 3-1 lead just minutes after the interval.

Sturridge joins Liverpool

Joe Allen, a $23.6 million signing, volleyed Liverpool back into the contest courtesy of a huge deflection, but Oldham held out for a famous victory.

It was a return to the glory days for the club, which reached the 1994 FA Cup semifinals where it was eventually beaten by Manchester United in a replay.

It was that year which also saw Oldham relegated from the Premier League -- a division which the club has not been able to return to since.

Oldham, which is managed by former Arsenal and Manchester City striker Paul Dickov, will now face Liverpool's Merseyside rival, Everton.

"I am left speechless by the result. We went out there wanting to battle together," hero Smith told reporters.

"We rallied and thoroughly deserved the win. We proved what we can do today and we will be looking to do the same against Everton."

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers, whose side is currently seventh in the Premier League, said he had no excuses following the defeat.

"The FA Cup was a competition we wanted to have a go at and there is no excuse," he told reporters.

"We put out a strong team capable of winning the game, but we didn't."

Hazard charged with violent conduct

Oldham's triumph capped a remarkable day of cup action in England where European champion Chelsea was fortunate to escape with a 2-2 draw at third-tier Brentford.

Brentford, which is less than 10 kilometers from its illustrious west London rival, had taken the lead twice, only for Chelsea to snatch an 83rd minute equalizer through $80 million striker Fernando Torres.

It was an impressive showing from minnow Brentford against defending champion Chelsea, which is unbeaten in its past 25 FA Cup matches.

Eden a Hazard to Chelsea's public image?

Brentford, which is managed by German Uwe Rosler, will now go to Stamford Bridge for a replay in a game which is estimated to earn it around $1.6 million.

The winner of that fixture will go on to play at Middlesbrough in the fifth round.

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There was also drama at Leeds where the first-tier side defeated eight time winners Tottenham Hotspur 2-1.

Leeds, which was relegated from the top-flight in 2004, now faces an away game at Premier League champion Manchester City.

Meanwhile, Luton Town, which became the first non-league side to ever beat a Premier League team following the 1-0 win at Norwich on Saturday, will play first-tier Millwall in the next round.

Manchester United will host Reading, while Arsenal will welcome Blackburn.

Via: Liverpool suffers cup humiliation

Death sentences in Egyptian riot case

(CNN) -- An Egyptian judge sentenced 21 people to death Saturday for their roles in a football game riot last year, a ruling that sparked deadly clashes between security forces and relatives of the convicted.

The Port Said football incident left 74 people dead and 1,000 others injured.

Soon after the sentencing in the nation's worst stadium disaster, protests erupted outside the prison in the northeastern port city. Clashes outside Port Said prison left at least 20 civilians and two soldiers dead and dozens injured, a hospital official told state TV.

The armed forces sent troops to secure public buildings and restore calm in Port Said, according to state media.

The fatal clashes started after some relatives attempted to storm the building to free their loved ones, Brig. Gen. Osama Ismail, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry, told state-run Nile TV.

Crowds outside the prison fired guns and hurled rocks at the security forces, who in turn used tear gas to disperse the crowd, Ismail said.

"There is a state of anger on the streets of Port Said, and the security forces are on high alert," Nile TV reported.

The sentences were handed down in a packed courtroom in Cairo as victims' relatives and those convicted wept.

"I thank God that justice is back in the courts of Egypt. Many mothers will sleep sound tonight knowing justice is served," the mother of Mustafa Issam, who was killed in the riots, told Nile TV by phone.

The sentences must be reviewed by Egypt's highest religious authority, who will return his opinion to the court March 9. On that day, an additional 54 defendants in the case will also be sentenced, the judge said.

Dubbed the "massacre at Port Said" by Egyptian media, the riot broke out on February 1, 2012, after Port Said-based Al-Masry defeated Cairo's Al-Ahly, 3-1.

When the clashes began, about 22,000 people were inside the stadium, which can hold up to 25,000 people. About 2,000 Al-Ahly fans were at the game, authorities said.

Fans from both sides bashed each other with rocks and chairs. Many of those who died fell from the bleachers during the melee inside the stadium, while others suffocated.

It was unclear whether intense sports rivalries or political strife sparked the riots, though witnesses said tension was building through the game with Port Said fans throwing bottles and rocks at players on the Cairo team.

During Egypt's revolution that ended with the toppling of Hosni Mubarak, football fans became a powerful force for political change, according to CNN contributor James Montague, who wrote the book "When Friday Comes: Football in the War Zone."

Even so, the riots occurred at a time when Egypt was struggling with a security vacuum following Mubarak's ouster.

In the hours after the riot in Port Said, protesters in Cairo chanted, "Down with military rule." At the time, the secretary-general of the Muslim Brotherhood party blamed Egypt's military for the deaths.

Egypt's interior ministry blamed fans for provoking police. Witnesses said police did little to try to quell the clashes.

Via: Death sentences in Egyptian riot case

UEFA confirms 13-venue Euro 2020

(CNN) -- The European Championships in 2020 will break new ground by being staged in 13 different venues across the continent, UEFA confirmed Friday.

Europe's governing body first revealed the idea last month, but it needed a meeting of its executive committee in Nyon, Switzerland to agree the package.

Being labeled the "Euro for Europe", the 24-team tournament will see the group stages and the subsequent last 16 and quarterfinal knock out matches played in 12 different countries.

The semifinals and final will be held at the same venue.

Previous championships have been staged in a maximum of two countries, with Ukraine and Poland hosting Euro 2012, won by Spain.

Euro 2016 in France will be the first with an expanded number of teams from 16 to 24.

Read: UEFA appeals Serbia sanctions

UEFA also announced the 10 stadiums for that tournament Friday, including the Stade de France in Paris

The 2020 tournament will mark the 60th anniversary of the first edition of Europe's premier international competition.

Under the new format, UEFA has promised to take traveling distances into account when allocating countries who have been selected as hosts to groups.

Bids to stage matches must be put forward by September this year, with the winners announced in September 2014.

Venues for the semis and final must be able to hold at least 70,000 spectators, UEFA said, but smaller 30,000-seater stadiums will be considered for group matches.

UEFA president Michel Platini made a stout defense of his plans when they were first floated.

"Countries that would never have had the chance to host the Euros will be able to participate in this festival of football," he said.

"The situation is difficult in Europe. It's hard to ask one country to invest in 10 stadiums like in Ukraine. There's also the idea of belonging to a European country. It's a great idea to mark the anniversary."

Platini also said that the tournament will return to its traditional format for 2024.

Via: UEFA confirms 13-venue Euro 2020

Galatasaray land Drogba deal

(CNN) -- Turkish giants Galatasaray have announced a deal to bring Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba back to European football following a short spell in China.

The 34-year-old striker, who is currently on international duty at the Africa Cup of Nations in South Africa, joined Shanghai Shenhua seven months ago.

"An agreement has been reached with Didier Yves Drogba of Shanghai Shenhua football team, starting from the second half of 2012-2013 season for a 1.5 year period," the Turkish club announced on its official website.

The club announced that Drogba is to be paid $13.5 million for the 18-month period, with an additional bonus of $20,000 for each match played.

The forward left Chelsea for China last June, a month after helping the Londoners win their first European first Champions League title.

His arrival marks the Turkish club's second significant signing this month after Dutchman Wesley Sneijder joined the 18-time champions from Italians Inter Milan.

Drogba, who had wanted to go on loan to Chelsea to keep fit for the Nations Cup, is currently preparing for Ivory Coast's final Group D game against Algeria on Wednesday as the West Africans seek to win the tournament for the first time since 1992.

Along with former Blues teammate Nicolas Anelka, the Ivorian failed to settle in China amid reports of unpaid bonuses, with both strikers now set to return to Europe.

This is despite the fact that Anelka had agreed a two-year contract with Shenhua which reportedly earned him over $300,000 a week, while Drogba was believed to have signed an even more lucrative deal.

Anelka, who is a 1998 World Cup winner, is currently in Italy as he seeks to negotiate a move to join reigning champions Juventus, which the club says will be for an initial five-month period with a view to a longer deal.

Read: Falcao: Soccer's 'Tiger' prowls for goals

"Nicolas Anelka continued his medical ahead of a proposed transfer to Juventus," the club said on its official website on Monday.

"The French forward underwent a series of tests yesterday at Turin's Istituto di Medicina dello Sport and continued with further assessments this morning at the city's Clinica Fornaca di Sessant."

Now 33, Anelka briefly worked as a player-coach at Shenhua following the dismissal of coach Jean Tigana but is now looking to play in Serie A for the first time in his career.

The departure of two marquee signings will represent a major blow for the standing of Chinese football, which has sought to improve its image after a number of match-fixing scandals in recent years.

Founded in 1994, China's first professional football league boomed in its early years until fans fell away after a match-fixing and gambling scandal.

Despite attempts to clean up the sport, one of the country's leading referees -- Lu Jun, who officiated at the 2002 World Cup -- was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in jail in 2012 for his role in fixing matches.

During their time with Shenhua, Drogba and Anelka could only help the team finish ninth in the 16-team Chinese Super League.

Recently training with his first senior team, Paris Saint-Germain in France, Anelka will boost the offensive options of the Serie A leaders, with Spaniard Fernando Llorente due to join in the summer from Atletico Bilbao.

Read: Messi trumps Ronaldo with four-goal salvo as Barca cruises

In a separate development on Monday, the Turin club was handed a series of bans and fines following the aggressive behaviour shown to referee Marco Giuda after he refused to award a late penalty in Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Genoa.

Coach Antonio Conte was handed a two-game touchline ban and a $13,500 fine by Serie A officials, while defenders Leonardo Bonucci and Giorgio Chiellini were handed two and one-game bans respectively.

Club president Giuseppe Marotta was suspended from carrying out of any his functions until 18 February for challenging the officials in an "intimidating and insulting manner in their dressing room".

"Juventus are fined 50,000 euros ($67,250) for failing to control fans who spat in the faces and on the clothes of officials as they left the pitch," added the statement by Serie A's disciplinary body.

Via: Galatasaray land Drogba deal

Hazard charged for ballboy attack

(CNN) -- Chelsea's Eden Hazard was charged by the English FA with violent conduct Friday after his sending off for kicking a ball boy in his side's League Cup match at Swansea earlier this week.

Belgian international Hazard was already set to receive an automatic three-game ban, but a statement on the FA website said his actions "constituted violent conduct whereby the standard punishment that would otherwise apply was clearly insufficient."

Hazard has until January 29 to respond to the charge. The case will then go before an FA disciplinary panel who will decide on any punishment more than than three matches.

Hazard, signed by the European champions last summer, was shown red by referee Chris Foy in the 78th minute of Wednesday's match at the Liberty Stadium, with his side still trailing 2-0 on aggregate from the first leg.

Read: Hazard sees red after ball-boy incident

Hazard lost patience when the ball boy, 17-year-old Charlie Morgan, was slow to hand the ball back to him after it had gone out for a goal-kick.

Morgan fell to the ground as Hazard attempted to wrest the ball away from him before the 22-year-old Chelsea midfielder took more drastic action.

In attempting to work the ball from under his body, TV replays indicated Hazard had made contact with his boot.

With the winded ball boy left on the ground, Foy sent off Hazard, leaving Chelsea with 10 men for the remainder of the 0-0 second leg draw.

Read: Eden Hazard, right or wrong?

Swansea's achievement in reaching the League Cup final at Wembley where they will play fourth flight Bradford, was obscured by the post-match controversy surrounding the incident.

While Hazard has been widely condemned and has apologized to the ball boy, there has also been criticism for the youngster's time wasting antics.

This was also covered in the FA statement Friday as English football's governing body sent out general advice.

"The FA will remind all clubs of their responsibilities in ensuring ball boys and other personnel around the pitch act in an appropriate manner at all times and will liaise with competitions accordingly," it read.

Hazard received better news later Friday when South Wales Police announced they would be taking no further action after three official complaints had been lodged against him by separate members of the public.

"We can confirm there is no longer any police involvement in this matter," read a statement on their official Twitter feed.

The police also said that they had interviewed the ball boy and he did not wish to make any formal complaint.

Via: Hazard charged for ballboy attack

Drogba dropped as Ivorians advance

(CNN) -- Didier Drogba was dropped to the bench for the first time in his long international career on Saturday, but his Ivory Coast teammates took up the responsibility to win a place in the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations with a 3-0 win over Tunisia.

Togo's later 2-0 win over Algeria ensured the Ivorians went through, and meant the 1990 champions became the first nation to be eliminated.

Drogba handed over the captain's armband to Didier Zakora, having failed to impress in his team's opening Group D victory over Togo.

The 34-year-old former Chelsea star had complained of a lack of match fitness before the tournament started in South Africa, having not played since the end of the Chinese league season with his club Shanghai Shenhua in early November.

Read: Africa Cup of Nations team guide

Part of the Ivorians' "golden generation," Drogba is still waiting for his first AFCON title in six attempts, having lost in the 2012 final after a penalty shootout against Zambia.

However, he did come on as a replacement in the second half for his 92nd international appearance as Yaya Toure and another substitute, Didier Ya Konan, scored late goals to add to Gervinho's first-half opener.

"Why didn't I play Didier Drogba? Because it seemed to me that the 11 players I picked were the best to overcome this good Tunisian side," Ivory Coast coach Sabri Lamouchi told reporters in Rustenburg.

"My first satisfaction comes from the victory and the second from the content. We really entered this competition today.

"We caused a lot of problems for this very good Tunisian team and were never really threatened at any point."

Read: Mourinho mentors Cape Verde's 'Special One'

Arsenal striker Gervinho put his team ahead in the 21st minute with his second goal of the tournament, but the Elephants needed to wait until two minutes from the end before two-time African player of the year Toure curled in his second in two games.

Ya Konan, also dropped to the bench after starting against Togo, sidefooted home the third goal in the 90th minute.

Togo helped the Ivorians to go through to the knockout phase ahead of the final round of group games by beating Tunisia's north African rivals Algeria.

Captain Emmanuel Adebayor scored the opening goal in the 32nd minute to give his team hope of reaching the last eight for the first time, needing only a draw in Wednesday's match against Tunisia.

Read: Ethiopia's 'American boy'

The match was held up late in the second half when a goal post was knocked over after Algeria's Adlene Guedioura collided with the netting, meaning 13 minutes of added time were played.

Two minutes into that, Dove Wome struck on the counterattack to end Algeria's hopes of going through.

Adebayor has returned to international action after settling a dispute with national team officials.

Togo did not reach the finals of the 2012 tournament, having been reinstated in the qualifiers after initially being banned.

The squad broke rules by withdrawing before the 2010 event in Angola following a gun attack on the team's bus that left three people dead.

Via: Drogba dropped as Ivorians advance

Ball boy attack: Right or wrong?

Via: Ball boy attack: Right or wrong?

Ghana takes pole position

(CNN) -- Ghana, the four time champion of the African Cup of Nations, took a giant step towards qualifying for the quarterfinals following a 1-0 win over Mali in South Africa Thursday.

Mubarak Wakaso's 38th minute penalty was enough to separate the two teams in a game which the Black Stars dominated.

But the contest could have turned out in a very diferent fashion had Ghana goalkeeper Fatau Dauda been sent off for deliberately handling the ball outside of his penalty area.

Mourinho mentors Cape Verde's 'Special One'

The incident occurred with just eight minutes played in Port Elizabeth when Dauda clearly used his hands to field the ball and deny Mali a clear effort on goal.

The referee remarkably only produced a yellow card, a decision which was later criticized by Mali coach Patrice Carteron.

He told reporters: "The referee did not help us because he ought to have sent off the Ghana goalkeeper rather than just booking him for handling the ball outside his area.

"Ghana was better, especially in the first half, but we still have a game to qualify for the next round and so we will forget this match and focus on our next game."

After the early let-off, Ghana began to assert itself and came close to taking the lead when Emmanuel Agyeman Badu crashed a header against the post.

Africa Cup of Nations 2013: The teams

But Ghana didn't have to wait long for the breakthrough as Wakaso stroked home from the spot following Adam Tamboura's foul on Agyeman Badu.

Mali tried to force an equalizer after the break and Seydou Keita came close to connecting with Mahamane Traore's pass, but Ghana held out for the points.

"We were much more tactically disciplined in this game than against DR Congo, but I know we can do a lot better than we did today," Ghana coach Kwesi Appiah told reporters.

Captain Asamoah Gyan added: "It was a difficult game. We needed to win and now we have four points, but we need more to qualify to the next stage and so we will not underrate Niger."

The result leaves Ghana at the top of Group B on four points from its two games, one point clear of Mali going into the final round of games.

In the day's other game, Niger held on for its first ever point at the Africa Cup of Nations after holding Democratic Republic of Congo to a goalless draw.

"With such great players from Niger, you can only be proud of them," Niger coach Gernot Rohr told reporters.

"I'm very happy we have made some kind of history by collecting our first Cup of Nations point. We have made some progress in this competition after losing all three matches in Gabon last year."

Niger's Modibo Sidibe wasted his side's best chance on 10 minutes when he ran clear on goal only to fire his effort against the base of the post.

Fuad Ibrahim eyes Africa Cup of Nations chance

Dieumerci Mbokani went close for the Leopards, having his fierce effort well saved by Niger goalkeeper Daouda Kassaly.

West Bromwich Albion midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu then fired wide as Democratic Republic of Congo continued to pile on the pressure.

Niger's Kassaly continued to keep his side in the contest with a couple of outstanding saves, while at the other end, Moussa Maazou went close with a header.

Ghana, which last won the competition in 1982, will face Niger in its final group game on Monday with Mali taking on Democratic Republic of Congo.

Via: Ghana takes pole position

Eden a Hazard to Chelsea's image?

Editor's note: Alex Thomas is an anchor on CNN International's World Sport show, broadcast daily at 0500, 1700 and 2230 GMT. Follow Alex on twitter: @alexthomasCNN

(CNN) -- Seventy eight years after Gene Sarazen's albatross at The Masters became golf's "shot heard around the world" football has its own version, except there was no glory in Eden Hazard's kick heard all over the globe. And it has left another dent in the sport's battered image.

When Sarazen holed his second shot, over water at the par-five 15th, it helped him win the Augusta title and launch the tournament's global appeal.

In 1935, the news of Sarazen's achievement would have traveled far slower than the seconds it took Hazard's moment of madness to become a social media talking point across the planet.

Chelsea were trailing in their League Cup, generally regarded as the third competition in English soccer, semifinal second leg in Swansea, with less than 15 minutes remaining.

Read: Chelsea's Hazard sent off for kicking ball boy

The ball went out of play and, when a ball boy took his time retrieving it, Hazard went to fetch it himself. When the boy fell on the ball, the player tried to kick it out from under him and was sent off for violent conduct.

More astonishing than the incident itself was the debate about whether or not Hazard had done anything wrong. Many people tried to defend the Belgian international.

Let's quickly put that to bed. The 17-year-old ball boy was a child, a volunteer helping out at a professional football match, and he was kicked by an adult player. Hazard was wrong.

Now, that's not the same as saying there were no mitigating circumstances because there were. The ball boy later admitted he was wasting time and that was clear to see at the time.

Read: Eden Hazard - right or wrong?

Hazard was anxious to resume play with Chelsea's place in the competition under threat. He aimed his kick at the ball not the person. The teenager isn't a young child and wasn't badly injured.

Those are the only reasons why Hazard isn't facing the same nine-month ban given to Manchester United icon Eric Cantona who famously launched himself at an abusive fan with a kung fu-style kick in 1995.

Cantona's assault was deliberate and intended to harm whereas Hazard was merely trying to get the ball back. However, Cantona attacked another adult and after severe provocation. Hazard's impatience led to him kicking a minor and if the child had been seriously hurt the police would be investigating.

Chelsea inflamed the situation when the club's official Twitter account immediately defended the player, asking "Has football gone mad?" before later removing the tweet and apologizing.

Well, maybe it has but only because mega rich clubs seem to have lost touch with reality and give the impression they don't need to follow the rules of common decency that the rest of us try to live by.

What is a shame for the London team is that any adulation and respect which stemmed from their fairy tale European Champions League triumph last season has disappeared because of the defensive way they have reacted to criticism since then.

Chelsea's handling of the John Terry racism case and the accusations aimed at referee Mark Clattenburg was poor.

A possible persecution complex appears to be a culture at the club. The Terry and Clattenburg incidents happened before Rafael Benitez's arrival and yet the new manager has adopted the same mindset.

When a simple apology and show of humility would have killed the controversy, a complaint about a "Big Brother society" perpetuates the impression that Chelsea will only ever point fingers and never accept blame.

In this case, good sense did eventually prevail with reports claiming the boy was taken to Chelsea's dressing room, warmly greeted and he exchanged apologies with Hazard. South Wales police have confirmed they are not pursuing the matter.

Via: Eden a Hazard to Chelsea's image?

In defense of Sepp Blatter

Editor's note: James Montague is the author of When Friday Comes: Football, War and Revolution In The Middle East, a look at Middle East cultures and politics through the prism of football. Follow him on Twitter at @JamesPiotr

(CNN) -- There can't be many people whose image has sat side by side on a front page with Colonel Gaddafi, the now expired former dictator of Libya. But Sepp Blatter, the president of soccer's governing body FIFA, is one of the few to hold this dubious honor.

It was June 2011, and The Sun -- a British tabloid newspaper owned by Rupert Murdoch and known for its cheeky, salacious front pages -- ran one of its most memorable headlines.

"Despot the Difference," it screamed above a picture of Blatter and Gaddafi. "Two deluded dictators continued to cling on to power yesterday as their corrupt regimes crumbled around them."

The ire directed at Gaddafi was obvious. But Blatter? Soccer's administrator in chief had become one of the most hated men in Britain.

Blog: Time for football to tackle racism epidemic?

A series of corruption scandals within FIFA, his botched re-election campaign -- where his only opponent was barred from standing after another corruption scandal -- and the failure of England's bid to host the 2018 World Cup to attract any interest in FIFA's corridors of power (despite having the best technical report) led to an outpouring of incredulity. Blatter was deemed arrogant and elusive. He became public enemy number two, after Gaddafi.

Just over 18 months on and Blatter has fared slightly better than Gaddafi. But only just. This weekend he was vilified again for refusing to back the principle of AC Milan walking off the pitch when one of the Italian club's black players was racially abused by fans.

It was seized as another example of Blatter's buffoonery and came after comments he made in a 2011 interview with CNN when he seemed to suggest there was no problem with racism in soccer, at least on the pitch.

Read: Boateng makes racism vow

But is this foolishness, myopia or inelegance? I would say the latter of the three. His comments on the AC Milan incident were broadly correct. Whilst Kevin Prince Boateng should be applauded for his "Rosa Parks" moment, enshrining it in law would be highly problematic.

As James Lawton in the British newspaper The Independent wrote this week in a piece criticizing UEFA for its weakness on tackling racism: "Boateng has issued a significant threat, not just of uncomplicated outrage by black players, but situations which would create incentives for all kinds of connivance in the abandonment of vital matches in which one side had taken what looked like an impregnable advantage."

That soccer's governing bodies contributed to the situation by handing out paltry fines for previous transgressions is true too.

Sure, FIFA is not without its problems, but the sound bites tend to obscure a much wider, more important truth: Blatter's largely positive influence on the game, especially in the developing world.

Read: Fan group calls on club not to sign black players

Whilst he is parodied as an out of touch buffoon haphazardly directing affairs from FIFA's "Death Star" in Zurich, he has arguably done more in the modern era to spread the game globally than anyone else.

This year I interviewed Blatter twice. On both occasions he talked about soccer being more than just a game. That it was also an agent of social change. His first act when elected president in 1998 was to fly into the Gaza Strip and welcome Palestine to the soccer family.

It allowed the Palestinians to organize their own league, push for movement restrictions in the West Bank to be lifted, to build their own national football stadium, start a women's professional league and, in 2011, host their very first World Cup qualifier against Afghanistan.

Sure, the Afghan government were not happy, but the team traveled and played in the West Bank, the first time a team from Afghanistan had done so. It was defacto recognition of both sides of this seemingly intractable conflict.

FIFA became one of a tiny handful of international organizations to recognize the existence of Palestine, a full four years before a U.N. vote almost, but not quite, got to the same point.

The Palestinians have cleverly used soccer as a way of both flying their flag and as a dry run for building and maintaining important civic institutions. Blatter should take credit for kickstarting that movement.

The wider point here is that Blatter's tenure as FIFA president has been internationalist in tooth and claw. Under his watch the World Cup was hosted in Asia for the first time in 2002. It is a region that, in 50 years' time, will undoubtedly be the new power center of the world game.

Blatter championed Africa's first ever World Cup, in South Africa in 2010, a remarkable vote of confidence in a country barely two decades out of apartheid.

And, most controversially, Russia and then the Middle East will host their first World Cups in 2018 and 2022 respectively. No one should have been surprised by either move. Both regions are booming and have a deep love of the game. FIFA under Blatter has been aggressively expansionist and hosting a World Cup in England or even the U.S. would have added little new.

Soccer is, now more than ever, a global game and deserves to be shared across the world. Europe may now be the most successful region both in terms of money and success on the pitch but the balance of power is shifting, to South America, Asia, the Middle East and the new Europe.

Blatter recognized that shift and helped to drive it. Given that context it would be absurd to now think that the 76-year-old was someone unconcerned with the issues of racism.

Now there are a new set of pressing challenges. The rise in racism needs to be tackled with financial penalties so stiff that clubs would have no choice but to take the issue seriously.

Greater transparency within FIFA's decision making and finances need to be addressed. The corruption watchdog Transparency International cut its ties with FIFA in 2011 when two of its recommendations -- that the investigator charged with overseeing FIFA would be compromised if he was paid by FIFA and that he should be allowed to investigate old corruption scandals -- were dropped.

The stain of corruption emanating from countries with poor records in transparency and openness is another issue. Why not publish the salaries and expenses of FIFA's leading members to combat that?

But, when his tenure is up, the same question will be asked. Will Blatter leave the game in a better place than he found it? The game has been spread further and deeper than ever before. There is much that still needs reforming in FIFA. But in Africa, Asia and the Middle East he'll be rightly feted for seriously taking the game to the world, no matter what the headline writers think.

Via: In defense of Sepp Blatter

FIFA ready to hit racists hard

(CNN) -- World football's governing body is threatening to take a more hard-line approach to racist abuse after FIFA president Sepp Blatter called for clubs to be punished with points deductions and relegation if they are found guilty.

Since AC Milan forward Kevin-Prince Boateng walked off the pitch in a friendly match earlier this month, both FIFA and Europe's governing body have faced criticism over their perceived leniency towards players being racially abused.

"It is not enough to give a fine," Blatter told FIFA.com. "Playing a game without spectators is one of the possible sanctions, but the best would be the deduction of points and the relegation of a team, because finally the club is responsible for their spectators."

Blatter's stance is something of a volte-face given two years ago he said racism did not exist in football and that any problems could be solved with a handshake.

But the 76-year-old, who has spent the past 15 years in charge of FIFA, has changed his view following a number of recent unsavory incidents.

Italy presses charges after AC Milan soccer racism

"It is a phenomena where football is a victim of our society," added Blatter.

"Discrimination and racism is everywhere in our society. We in football cannot be made responsible for what happens in our society.

"But nowhere in the world -- regarding all the problems you can have in your private life, in business, in politics -- can you solve a problem by running away.

"I agree with and support the movement of Boateng -- as I have said -- as it was a strong warning. It is now up to us to take the adequate steps.

"What I feel we should do is give instructions to our national associations and the confederations -- specifically to the disciplinary committees -- to be very strong."

The ugly face of racism has reared its head far too often over the past 18 months with several high-profile incidents catching the headlines.

Suarez fined, suspended over racist remarks

In December 2011, Liverpool striker Luis Suarez was hit with an eight-match suspension and $63,000 fine after being found guilty of racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra.

Last September, Chelsea captain John Terry was given a four-game ban and fined $347,000 for racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand.

Then in October 2012, England's Under-21 players were subjected to racist chanting during the European Championship qualifier in Krusevac.

The punishment of a $105,000 fine and the order to play one under-21 match behind closed doors handed out by UEFA's disciplinary commission was then appealed by the organization as it was seen to be too lenient.

UEFA appeals Serbia sanctions

However in an interview with French radio station RTL, UEFA president Michel Platini insisted the European governing body was in great shape to tackle racism.

"We have put rules in place with the referees in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League," said the Frenchman.

Earlier this month FIFA imposed a one-match spectator ban on Bulgaria for racist abuse by their fans of a Denmark player. It was the first time the body had imposed anything more than a fine for racism

Boateng makes racism walkout vow

Prince-Boateng walked off the field of play after being subjected to racist chanting by supporters during a friendly game at fourth-tier club Pro Patria.

Speaking to CNN in an exclusive interview following the incident, the Milan midfielder insisted he would walk off the field again if he was subjected to more racist chanting.

""If it happens again I'm not going to play anymore," he said.

"The referee said: 'Don't worry' but I said I do worry, it's not very nice.

"I was angry and I was sad, but it all came together and I said I don't want to play anymore. There were so many negative emotions that came up with me.

"I'm surprised we're still hearing these things in 2013. It's not the first time in my life that I've heard these things, but I'm 25 now and I've had enough this bulls***."

Boateng's decision to walk off the field was applauded by Platini, who told RTL: "I appreciated this very much. I also sent a message of congratulations to AC Milan's [vice-president] Mr Galliani. I found [the decision] a good thing to do."

Via: FIFA ready to hit racists hard

Real Madrid top of rich list

(CNN) -- About to play Manchester United in the Champions League as the competition moves to its knockout phase, Real Madrid landed the first punch on their English rivals after the Spanish team became the first club in any sport to pass the 500 million ($650.5 million) revenue mark in a single year, according to the annual Football Money League table.

United was left lagging in third place with revenues of $502.4 million, just under $111 million behind Real's arch rivals Barcelona ($613 million), as La Liga secured a one-two finish in a financial report produced by accountants Deloitte that does not take into account a club's debt in its calculations.

Read: Manchester United teams up with first two Chinese sponsors

The Spanish giants' dominance in the football finance stakes comes despite the perilous state of Spain's economy, in recession since 2009 with unemployment currently hovering at around 25%, according to the country's labor ministry.

Real, which has spent heavily in recent years in acquiring some of the world's leading players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria, won the domestic title last season and is chasing a record 10th title in the Champions League.

It is not often that United -- who lead the English Premier League by five points -- finish in third, though a raft of recent financial deals could give next season's Football League table a very different complexion.

"Manchester United continue to successfully leverage their global brand," Austin Houlihan, Senior Manager in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte, said in a statement.

Read: The man who saved Manchester United -- twice

"The new world-record seven-year shirt sponsorship deal with General Motors will double the revenues the club receives from its shirt partner in the first season of the new deal in 2014/15.

"This combined with new Premier League broadcast deals from 2013/14, which will deliver incremental distributions of between 20 million ($31.7 million) and 30 million ($47.5 million) per club, will help Manchester United push the two Spanish clubs above them, for a top two ranking," added Houlihan.

"Indeed the new Premier League deals could mean that half of the Money League top 20 are represented by English clubs in a few years' time."

Read: Malaga woes

For the fifth year in a row the clubs the Money League's top six clubs remained the same, with Bayern Munich in fourth, followed by Chelsea, with Arsenal in sixth.

Revenue among the top 20 grew 10% on the previous year to reach $6.37 billion.

"It is an impressive achievement for Real Madrid to have surpassed 500 million in revenue in a single year," said Dan Jones, Partner in the Sports Business Group at Deloitte.

"Real has led the way in the phenomenal rate of revenue growth achieved by the game's top clubs, with the double digit (10%) increase by the top 20 clubs representing continued strong performance in these tough economic times.

"The combined revenues of the top 20 clubs have quadrupled since we began our analysis in 1996/97.

"While eight of the top 20 clubs experienced a drop in revenue in 2011/12, in most cases this was due to less successful on-pitch performances in European club competitions, rather than wider recessionary impacts."

Read: Corinthians: Craziest fans in the world?

English champions Manchester City is the joint highest climber after moving up to seventh in the table, while FIFA World Club champions Corinthians of Brazil are the highest placed non-European club with revenues of $123.7 million.

The club's Premier League title win and its participation in the Champions League saw a 51% revenue growth to $452.6 million, the largest absolute and relative growth of any Money League club.

"The club's progress to the top of the English and European game means that they are set to remain a top 10 Money League club for the foreseeable future, and will look to push on ahead of the two English clubs immediately above them in the Money League, Arsenal and Chelsea, for a top five ranking," said Houlihan.

There is also good news for German club Borussia Dortmund, up to 11th from 16th, while Italy's Napoli climbed five places to 15th following its Champions League exploits last season.

There is only one new entry into the top 20 which is Newcastle United, which replaces Spanish club Valencia. The English Premier League has seven representatives in the top 20 rankings, five of which come in the top ten.

Fair play? Football clubs seek to beat financial offside trap

The likes of Everton, Aston Villa, Fulham and Sunderland are hovering just outside, but there is no doubt as to which club continues to dominate revenue within the EPL.

Deloitte's Football Money League list is based on a club's revenue from match-day revenue, television broadcasting rights and commercial revenue.

The need for clubs to maximize these three areas will become ever important with the introduction of financial fair play regulations by European governing body UEFA.

The report does not take into account the amount of debt which has been accumulated by each club.

According to an article published on the Real Madrid website on September 13 2012, "Net debt fell by 26.5% totaling 124.7 million ($166 million), i.e. 45 million less than in the previous period."

Meanwhile, a report on the Barcelona's official website from June 2012 stated that the club had outstanding debts of 320 million ($426 million).

Manchester United's gross debt fell to 359.7 million ($569.6 million) in the three months to 30 September 2012, down 17% on a year earlier, according to widespread media reports.

Facing the prospect of being punished with heavy fines and barred from European competition, they are desperate to make sure that generated revenues are equal or greater than expenditure.

Via: Real Madrid top of rich list

10-man Burkina Faso march on

(CNN) -- Ten-man Burkina Faso boosted their chances of reaching the quarterfinals of the Africa Cup of Nations Friday with a 4-0 trouncing of Ethiopia in Mbombela.

The superb victory, owing much to two-goal Alain Traore, left them in pole position in Group C after holders Zambia and Nigeria drew 1-1 in the early kick off in Rustenburg.

Burkina Faso were leading 1-0 through a first half Traore strike when they had goalkeeper Abdoulaye Soulama sent off in the second half for handling the ball outside his area.

But Traore, who plays for Lorient in the French League, struck minutes later with a blistering shot from just outside the area to all but sink Ethiopia's chances of getting back into the match with a man advantage.

He had also scored Burkina Faso's last-gasp equalizer against Nigeria in the opening match of the tournament in South Africa.

Traore then set up Djakaridja Kone for the third as the Ethiopia defense opened up again.

Jonathan Pitroipa rounded off the win with the fourth in stoppage time to make it a miserable evening for the Ethiopian fans who had made up the majority of a sizable crowd in the stadium.

It left Burkina Faso with four points from two games, with Zambia and Nigeria on two apiece. Ethiopia have just one point.

Read: Four-time champions Ghana on course for quarters

Zambia, who won last year's championship, looked headed for the exit door when they trailed Nigeria late into their game.

But they were awarded a controversial penalty, which was converted with considerable aplomb by Zambia goalkeeper Kennedy Mweene, lofting his effort into the roof of the net.

Mweene had been at the receiving end of a first half spot kick awarded to Nigeria, but watched on as Chelsea's Jon-Obi Mikel scuffed a feeble effort wide of the post.

Henri Richard's Zambia were encouraged by the miss, but it was Nigeria who struck first through Emmanuel Emenike in the 57th minute.

It looked enough to seal through crucial points until Davies Nkausu tangled with Ahmed Musa in the penalty area and the referee pointed to the spot.

Nigeria goalkeeper and captain Victor Enyeama was disgusted by the award and was well beaten by his counterpart, who regularly takes penalties South Africa Premier League club Free State Stars.

"That was one of the worst calls I've seen in the history of football," he told AFP.

The group will be decided next Tuesday with Burkina Faso taking on Zambia in Mbombela, while Ethiopia face Nigeria in Rustenburg.

Via: 10-man Burkina Faso march on

FIFA official: 'Match-fixing is a disease'

(CNN) -- Match-fixing is a "disease" that could kill football, a top official at the sport's world governing body told CNN on Wednesday.

Earlier this month FIFA handed lifetime bans to 41 South Korean players who had been involved in prearranging matches.

It followed December's suspension of the president of the South African Football Association ahead of an investigation into match-fixing in the country prior to it hosting the 2010 World Cup.

"I really think that it's a disease and a threat which is on a worldwide basis," FIFA's general secretary Jerome Valcke told CNN in an exclusive interview.

"It's not just about Africa. It is in Asia, it is in Europe, it is in North America, it is in Canada, it is in South America. It's all around the world that this match-fixing, or match manipulation, is active."

Read: Sympathy for the "devil" - In defense of Sepp Blatter

Valcke was speaking after European football chief Michel Platini branded match-fixing the greatest threat to the future of football in an interview with a French radio station.

Platini had warned that football is "dead" if the outcome of matches is prearranged, a statement Valcke echoed by saying the appeal of the sport lies in its unpredictability.

"If you know the end of the party, of the game, then definitely football is dead," he said. "That's the beauty of the game, you never know who will be the winner.

"It can be the team you think would win, but it can also be the other team, the opponent who can make it because it's just played on one goal. So that's why we have to protect football as much as we can."

Valcke warned that the fight against the highly lucrative match-fixing business could take 10 years, and urged anyone with knowledge of such activity to come forward.

In May 2011 FIFA announced it would donate over $25 million to Interpol over 10 years -- the largest grant the world police organization had ever received from a private body -- with a view to tackling corruption.

"When I was in Rome where we had this meeting with Interpol and 50 of the 53 of the European associations, I heard that the business of match manipulation per year is around 100 billion. I don't know it is in Euros or U.S. (dollars), but whatever, it is 100 billion, it's an amazing figure," Valcke said.

"I think it will be a very, very long fight and it will be very difficult to win. And if we want to win, it is all together. Also I told some media in South Africa, if you are aware of anything you should tell us. We have to fight all.

"All the people who love football should be together towards match-fixing. But it will not be a fight of one day as we have other fights which have been there already. And match manipulation will be another fight that will be there for the next decade."

Former Interpol director Ralf Mutschke replaced FIFA's former head of security Chris Eaton -- who joined a Qatar-based sports security consultancy -- in June last year, tasked with tackling the scourge of match-fixing.

In the past FIFA's own governance has been questioned. Corruption watchdog Transparency International cut its ties with the body in 2011 when two of its recommendations -- that the investigator charged with overseeing FIFA would be compromised if he was paid by FIFA and that he should be allowed to investigate old corruption scandals -- were dropped.

"There is no limit in what we have to do in order to make sure we can eradicate match-fixing one day in our game," Valcke said. "Or at least to make sure that match-fixing is not a threat anymore to our game."

Via: FIFA official: 'Match-fixing is a disease'

Messi sets up 'El Clasico' clash

(CNN) -- Barcelona will meet arch-rival Real Madrid in the semifinal of the Copa del Rey after Leo Messi fired the Catalans past Malaga Thursday.

The Argentina international scored his 40th goal of the season as Barca claimed a 4-2 win to prevail 6-4 on aggregate and set up two more 'El Clasico' games.

It will give Barcelona, which is top of La Liga, the opportunity to avenge its defeat by Jose Mourinho's men in the 2010 final.

Messi and Ronaldo ensure honors shared in 222nd El Clasico

With Real trailing Barca by 15 points in the league, Mourinho will be desperate to regain the trophy which Pep Guardiola lifted in his final game in charge at the Camp Nou last season.

But if the current Spanish champions are to triumph, they will have to stop Messi and his accomplices, who continue to prosper despite the absence of coach Tito Vilanova.

Vilanova, who is undergoing treatment for cancer, left deputy Jordi Roura in charge, but it made little difference as Barca continued its hot streak.

The statistics are frightening. Barcelona have now scored 100 goals in its 34 goals this season.

It is the fourth year in succession that Messi has reached the 40-goal mark, while his late header also made it 23 goals in his past 15 starts.

With the tie level at 2-2 going into the second leg, Barcelona made the perfect start when Pedro headed home after just eight minutes.

Messi leads Barcelona to new record

But Malaga fought back and Joaquin equalized four minutes later with a neat finish following wonderful interplay.

Although far from its fluent best, Barcelona picked up in the second half and Gerard Pique netted four minutes after the interval only for Roque Santa Cruz to pull Malaga level once again.

But Barca continued to look threatening and a wonderful flowing move ended with Cesc Fabregas threading the ball through for Andres Iniesta to stroke home.

There was still time for Messi's customary goal, running through the middle to head home Dani Alves' cross from close-range and kill off any hopes of a Malaga comeback.

More than a game: Austerity gives El Clasico new twist

In the night's other game, Atletico Madrid booked its place in the last four with a 1-1 draw at Real Betis to progress 3-1 on aggregate.

Diego Costa put Atletico ahead on the stroke of halftime with Jorge Molina scoring from the penalty spot late on.

Atletico will now face Sevilla in the semifinal.

Bilbao forward Llorente opens talks with Juventus

Meanwhile, Italian champion Juventus confirmed the signing of Spain forward Fernando Llorente.

The 27-year-old, who will arrive in Turin on July 1 when his current deal with Athletic Bilbao expires, has signed a four-year contract.

A statement from the club said: "Juventus can confirm that Spanish international striker Fernando Llorente will join the club on 1 July 2013.

"The 27-year-old has agreed terms on a four-year deal and will move to Turin when his Athletic Bilbao contract expires at the end of the current season."

Elsewhere, AC Milan has signed defender Cristian Zaccardo from Parma in a deal which has seen Djamel Mesbah go the other way.

Via: Messi sets up 'El Clasico' clash

Guardiola confidential: Mentor's insights

(CNN) -- Few can claim to have had a bigger impact on the glittering coaching career of new Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola than Juan Manuel Lillo.

Guardiola won a remarkable 14 trophies in his four years at Barcelona and regards the relatively unknown Spanish coach as his mentor.

Lillo took his first coaching job at the tender age of 16 and went on to manage 13 clubs in his 19-year career, including Mexican side Dorados Sinaloa, where Guardiola finished his playing career.

The pair met after Lillo had led lowly UD Salamanca to the top flight when he was still just 29 and a firm friendship began.

Read: Guardiola agrees three-year deal with Bayern

Ironically, an 8-0 Spanish league defeat by Guardiola's Barcelona lost Lillo his last coaching job, at Almeria, but the 47-year-old remains a keen student of the game.

CNN World Sport caught up with Lillo to ask him about his relationship with Guardiola and his thoughts on the Spaniard's move to the league-leading German Bundesliga club.

Do you think Guardiola will have a lot of success at Bayern? For example, another Champions League, a league title or two?

That's something no one knows, it's all up in the air. What I do know is that he will give them a playing style that will allow them to succeed and that he will help make those players into better people and better footballers. For me, that is what success is.

If the ball hits the post instead of going in the goal, no one knows. What I do think is that he will be able to take them to a level where they are always right there in a position to win.

But who knows if a Chelsea comes and sends you home despite you having them on their back heels next to their own goal for 70 minutes of the match -- that's football.

Do you think Bayern was a good choice?

Who am I to say what is a good or bad choice for someone else, but I think people will wait to see if it goes well or badly for him to say it was a good choice.

Personally, I think it was a good choice because they have quite a few players that have that criteria and quality he looks for in various positions.

They have already had success playing a similar style and have tasted what it can bring them, and finally they have the money to be able to go out and get the players that they currently lack to be able to play his way.

We're also talking about one of the most important clubs of all time, that has a long history and currently has a very strong squad. I think they're a really good team and that both of them made a good choice.

What did you see in Pep the first time you saw him play?

The first time I saw him play, it made me so ecstatic that he could always keep the entire team in his head and know what to do in each situation to benefit the whole team. And he was so young when he did that! That ability to make everyone around him better...

Knowing all that, did you think he would be a good coach?

You've got to remember that I've always seen a coach that used to play, never a player that used to coach. Saying that, similar to a guard in basketball or a center back court player in handball, he was a rigorous organizer.

What emerged from his playing days was a man concerned with the collective. He's a very involved manager; it has something to do with his personality, I think.

He's a very good person. He's the type of person who thinks of solidarity, of the needs of everyone else, so of course his style of play was like his personality.

Did his success at Barcelona surprise you?

People forget he worked his way up from the second team at Barcelona. They didn't have the first-team players, but it was still a difficult category with a lot of nuances. He earned his marks there and then went on to win titles.

Winning a title sometimes obviously requires a bit of luck -- if luck isn't with you, you won't win anything -- and he also had players like Messi.

With people like that it makes it that much easier, but regardless, the merits of Pep are that he gave them a style, a criteria of play. He gave them an order ... he's given them lots of things that allowed them to succeed.

Do you think part of his decision to choose Bayern was because of the stability it offers as opposed to, for example, Chelsea?

I don't know if Pep made his decision thinking in the negative aspects of other clubs. Knowing him a bit, I think he made this decision solely because of what he liked at this club rather than what he didn't like at another club.

Pep follows his heart a lot, so if he liked this club, he liked it, that's it. He didn't stop to think "in this place, there's this. In this other place there's that." No. I don't know if Chelsea even came to him, we just know that Bayern made a move for him.

Do you think if he has a lot of success at Bayern, he would go to another country/club for another challenge?

I don't know, we have to wait and see. What I will say is that he's the type of person who just because things are going well, he won't necessarily stay there. And if things are going badly, he won't necessarily leave just because things are bad.

Via: Guardiola confidential: Mentor's insights

AVB: Pep perfect for Bayern

(CNN) -- Tottenham Hotspur manager Andre Villas-Boas has told CNN that Bayern Munich is the perfect club for all conquering coach Pep Guardiola to promote his football message.

Guardiola signed a three-year deal with the German giants last week after masterminding an incredible 14 trophies in four seasons with Barcelona.

After deciding to take a year away from the game citing exhaustion, the 42-year-old will return to football in July aiming to add to his two European Champions League triumphs.

And while Villas-Boas, who led Portuguese side Porto to four trophies in his first season as coach aged just 33, was surprised at Guardiola's decision to go to Germany, he thinks it is the perfect vehicle for his counterpart to extol his pure footballing principles.

Read: 'Pep will make Bayern's team better players and people'

"I think in Bayern he will find the right setup to continue, not only to promote his message of football, which is immense, but the way he believes in this game and the way he has changed the nature of the game," he told CNN.

Villas-Boas knows all about the pressure at the highest level of management. After swapping Porto for English club Chelsea in 2011 he was sacked by Russian owner Roman Abramovich after just nine months in charge.

Having swapped west London for north, joining Tottenham in July 2012, the 35-year-old is trying to rebuild his reputation, leading his new club to fourth place in the English Premier League.

Speculation was rife that Guardiola would head for England to coach either Villas-Boas's former club Chelsea, Arsenal or Manchester United.

And Villas-Boas says he was shocked when Bayern announced Guardiola would take over from current coach, Jupp Heynckes, at the end of this season.

"I was so surprised that I asked my media adviser from Tottenham if it was true," he added.

"Obviously it's a big, big club, one of the biggest clubs in the world, in a league where we didn't maybe expect Guardiola to go to.

"There's a great respect from all managers towards Jupp Heynckes and what he has achieved in his career."

Guardiola won La Liga, the Spanish Cup and the European Champions League in his first season as Barca manager in 2008-09.

He went on to retain the Spanish League title twice more and add another Champions League triumph in 2009-10.

In his final season Barca only managed to win the Spanish Cup before Guardiola stunned world football by saying he needed time away from the game. His assistant, Tito Vilanova assumed the reins.

Villas-Boas is convinced Guardiola can add to his reputation as one of the finest coaches the game has seen with more trophy-laden years at Bayern,

"Guardiola is obviously going to become one of the greatest managers in football," he said. "He's won, I think, 14 trophies in 16 (competitions) and he's had such an amazing career."

Via: AVB: Pep perfect for Bayern

Assou-Ekotto speaks his mind

African Voices is a weekly show that highlights Africa's most engaging personalities, exploring the lives and passions of people who rarely open themselves up to the camera. Follow the team on Twitter.

London (CNN) -- On the pitch, he is known as a combative defender whose marauding runs down the left flank have helped him establish himself as one of football's most enterprising fullbacks.

Off the pitch, however, Tottenham Hotspur left back Benoit Assou-Ekotto is far from your ordinary top-level footballer.

Opinionated and strong-minded, Assou-Ekotto's surprisingly candid views have often been at odds with the monotonous, if not pretentious, rhetoric that often surrounds the beautiful game.

The French-born Cameroonian international has famously admitted that he's playing the sport just for the money on offer. He's grabbed headlines by saying every player is driven by riches and has openly criticized badge-kissing peers of "hypocrisy."

The refreshingly open, yet soft-spoken, player describes football as a "very, very, very good job," but says there are more important things in life. He shies away from the celebrity lifestyle favored by many of his English Premier League colleagues and has few friends within football.

"For me it's very important to have a normal friend and not only friends in football because you can see the reality and the difficulty of the life, [which] you can forget as your job is a very good job," he explains.

Watch video: Assou-Ekotto on race relations in France

Is he concerned whether some of his comments can be seen in a negative way? "I'm honest and I say what I think," says Assou-Ekotto, who is known as much for his frank comments as his eye-catching hairstyles. "If you don't like, I don't care -- I know how I speak maybe will not help me, but I don't care and I have too much confidence in me."

With a French mother and having grown up in the city of Arras, northern France, Assou-Ekotto, 28, could have played for the French national team.

But he turned his back on "Les Bleus," opting instead to play for the country of his father's origin. He says he's no turncoat -- he just never had an emotional connection with Europe, unlike his strong Cameroonian roots.

"I have more feeling with Cameroon and Africa," he explains.

Assou-Ekotto says that his decision to play in Africa does limit his earning potential at club level in Europe. He claims African players don't earn the same wages as other players, partly because they have to play in the Africa Cup of Nations. The tournament, which is usually held every two years, takes many of the continent's top football stars out of action for their club teams at a critical period in the European domestic season.

See: Africa Cup of Nations 2013 team guide

"When you make a choice and play for an African [national] team, the football will be more difficult for you because you have the Africa Cup of Nations and there's not a club [that] wants their footballers to travel one month out in the middle of the season," he says. "A French player or an English player or a Belgium player or a Spain player would be all the time more expensive as an African player -- it's like that, it's a reality."

Yet, for Assou-Ekotto, the choice to represent Cameroon's "Indomitable Lions" was easy to make.

"I prefer to be proud to play for my country, even if my football will be more difficult, [than] to play for France and don't have a feeling," he says.

See: NBA boss finding Africa's basketball stars

Assou- Ekotto, who joined Tottenham from French outfit Lens in the summer of 2006, comes from a fine footballing pedigree. His older brother Mathieu played top-flight football in Belgium, while his dad, David, left Cameroon for France as a teenager to play professionally. Assou-Ekotto's footballing education came from watching matches with his dad, who was an astute mentor, passing on the nuances of the sport.

"Every weekend when I was about 10 I go with him to see football and to play football and then I said, it's a good job," remembers Assou-Ekotto. "I said, okay, I will focus only on the football."

Disinterested with learning in the classroom, Assou-Ekotto dropped out of school at the age of 16 to pursue his sporting ambition. But although his gamble has paid off, Assou-Ekotto says today he regrets not completing high school.

His view on the importance of education has prompted him to start BA32, a foundation promoting the idea of teaching youth in a practical and interesting way, focused on encouraging children across the globe to learn more about mathematics, science and technology.

"When I make this foundation [it] is to give the opportunity to a young boy to understand that the education and the school is very important because you know when you are young you don't see the real problems of the life; to sleep under the roof you have to pay every month," he says. "I think it is more easy to pay this kind of stuff when you are clever and when you have a good job."

Assou-Ekotto is keen for his philanthropy, rather than his sporting success, to be his lasting legacy.

"I prefer to be remembered about what I will do after football because every weekend about 40,000 people enjoy with me and my team but I hope to help more than 40,000 people after football over the world," he says. "People need help and that will be more interesting for me. People [will remember me] not just as a footballer, because I am not just a footballer."

Teo Kermeliotis also contributed to this report.

Via: Assou-Ekotto speaks his mind