Cricket faces the threat of the biggest revolt in its history, with elite players ready to call for a breakaway from the International Cricket Council (ICC). Fica, the international players’ union, will demand far-reaching reform of the ICC, the global governing body it considers to be paralysed by the dominance of India’s Board of Control for Cricket.
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/ 7 December 2007
Even if Brian Barwick picks up the telephone to make the call almost every England fan is clamouring for, the Football Association might not end up with José Mourinho as the next national manager. But the FA’s chief executive would get detailed insight into what it will take to make England succeed from one of the most successful and intelligent managers.
Arsène Wenger may be going for a fourth Premier League title, but he continues to rethink and revise his methods. ”Success is paralysing,” says the Frenchman. ”If you don’t change anything, three years later you are suddenly not successful and you don’t know why. You want to repeat quality but also to improve quality, so you have to change.
Henri Bianchéri, the man who helped Arsène Wenger sign Thierry Henry for Monaco, on Wednesday declared his candidacy to fill the vacant director of football position at Arsenal. The Frenchman spent 19 years as Monaco’s general manager, where he was a key ally of Wenger during the latter’s seven-year spell in the principality, and he is keen to renew their association.
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/ 23 February 2007
Chelsea continue to make operating losses despite a pledge to have broken even by the end of the 2004/05 season. The revelation, declared in company accounts that announced an £80-million year’s loss to the City this week, puts in significant doubt the Chelsea board’s long-held target of becoming self-sustaining before 2009/10.
”I hate the play-offs when my team finishes third,” said David Sheepshanks. The Ipswich Town chairperson and Football Association board member has always been one of the most progressive of football’s power brokers but, if he was being entirely selfish, he might advocate a return to the pre-war days of election to the top division.
Frank Arnesen’s office is neatly arranged. Shelves lining the room display dozens of football reference books and scouting videos. A map of Great Britain is marked with little red flags denoting the location of each Premiership club. The Dane charged with restoring greatness to Tottenham has meticulousness in his method.
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/ 12 November 2004
To widespread applause, Martin Jol thumped his chest after delivering a rousing address to Tottenham’s shareholders. He had hit the right notes. Evoking the spirit of the recently deceased Bill Nicholson was always going to go down well, even though the Dutchman once referred to the first double-winning manager of the modern era as ”Jim Nicholson”.
Tottenham’s build-up to the season has been a maelstrom of bad results and bad news, with Robbie Keane providing the latest blow when he broke down with an ankle ligament injury in the 2-0 defeat at Rangers a week ago. Just more than a week remains before the televised season opener against Liverpool at White Hart Lane.
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s position as national coach would be untenable if he were the Italy manager. Though it is off-the-field matters that threaten Eriksson’s position as England manager, defeat in the quarterfinals in two successive international tournaments would already have cost him his job in more demanding footballing environments.