Blatter regrets criticism

FIFA President Sepp Blatter said he regretted criticising Russian referee Valentin Ivanov for his handling of the heated second-round World Cup match...

BERLIN: FIFA President Sepp Blatter said he regretted criticising Russian referee Valentin Ivanov for his handling of the heated second-round World Cup match between Portugal and the Netherlands. 8220;I regret what I said about his actions in the match between Portugal and the Netherlands,8221; Blatter told reporters at FIFA8217;s daily news briefing. Ivanov set a World Cup finals record on June 25 in Nuremberg by sending off four players and handing out eight additional yellow cards. Blatter was quoted as saying that Ivanov should have yellow-carded himself for his poor refereeing performance. 8220;I consider that today the referee was not at the same level as the participants, the players. There could have been a yellow card for the referee,8221; Blatter said at the time.

Change on the cards

BERLIN: FIFA president Sepp Blatter said on Tuesday that it would consider changing the rules of the World Cup with a player suspended from playing after receiving three yellow cards in a round and not two as happens now. Speaking to journalists at FIFA8217;s daily briefing, Blatter said: 8220;In a competition like the World Cup it should perhaps be three yellow cards in the first round and three in the second.8221; He said there would be no change to the current rules in matches. Two yellow cards in a match will lead to a sending-off and there is no intention to change that, he added.

Terry leads the race

LONDON: John Terry is the favourite to take over the England captaincy, bookmakers said, after David Beckham quit the role. Terry, 25, who captained Chelsea to a second straight English Premiership title last season, is so far ahead in the betting that some bookmakers have stopped taking bets on the captaincy. Bookmaker William Hill have closed the book on the position after 95 per cent of the bets they took were placed on Terry. Terry was their 1/2 favourite, followed by Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard at 11/4, Frank Lampard and Gary Neville at 8/1 and Rio Ferdinand at 16/1.

Ronaldinho up in flames

RIO DE JANEIRO: Angry Brazilian football fans have destroyed a seven-metre tall statue of Ronaldinho following the team8217;s quarter final exit at the hands of France. The statue, made out of resin and iron, in the southern town of Chapeco in Santa Catarina state, was burnt in the night of Saturday to Sunday, after the Selecao8217;s 1-0 defeat to Les Bleus. The monument, depicting Ronaldinho with a ball, was inaugurated two years ago to celebrate the player8217;s first World Footballer of the Year award in 2004.

8216;Come On France8217; Portugal close to Scolari deal

LISBON: The Portuguese Football Federation is close to securing a new contract with coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, who led the national team to the World Cup semi-finals for the first time in 40 years, the President of the body said. Gilberto Madail denied a newspaper report which claimed that the federation and Scolari had already reached a deal which would see the Brazilian coach stay with the team until 2008 but he said 8220;there will be news8221; before the end of the tournament on July 9.