The International Football Federations Thread

[Lineker]

Jerome Valcke has announced his potential candidacy to replace FIFA President Sepp Blatter.

[Plubby]

Can't find a more suitable world cup thread, but...

MISSSTTERRRRRR....KENNNEEDDDYYYYYY!

....(Josh) KENNNEEEDDYYYYY!!!

[Chris the Human]

Wahoo! Glad we got through there. I'm not sure I could have deal with a play-off against Uzbekistan and a play-off against the fifth placed South American team.

If we never have to play sudden death football against Uruguay again, it will be too soon.

[Lineker]

Talk about a jammy header!

[Plubby]

Look, I think it's fair to say that Iraq's centre-backs didn't exactly cover themselves in glory on that play.

[Lineker]

Plans to increase bans for first-time doping offenders to four years have been strongly criticised by the body that represents sportspeople in the UK.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) is in the process of updating the rules that govern sport's approach to drugs.

A key proposal is to double the standard two-year ban.

But the Professional Players' Federation (PPF) says it is draconian when many positive tests are for inadvertent use.

The PPF, an umbrella organisation representing 15,600 professional athletes, says the change in the rules - known as the Wada Code - should only apply to serious cases.

"It is deeply worrying that the new Wada Code is proposing four-year bans as a starting point for such a wide range of doping offences," said PPF general secretary Simon Taylor.

"Four years is career-ending in professional sport and needs to be reserved only for the most serious cases and not for stupid mistakes."

Taylor highlighted the cases of footballer Kolo Toure and cricket's Shane Warne as examples of sportsmen whose relatively minor offences were the result of ignorance rather than a genuine intention to cheat.

Toure was given a six-month ban in 2011 while Warne was suspended for a year in 2003.

[Lineker]

Cameroon Football Association suspended from Fifa for "government interference", meaning the country's team are barred at international and club level from playing football.

[Colly]

Poor Geremi.

[Lineker]

World Cup in Qatar 'impossible' in summer, says FA boss Greg Dyke

So, we've finally taken an official stance on it.

[Monkey D. Lars]

We are still up 0-1 against Portugal. 30 minutes left!

[therockbox]

[METALMAN]

What?

[brenchill]

That's a real mind fuck.

[Liam]

Yeah, I'm confused.

[DFF]

I was reading the wiki page for Euro 2016 qualifying earlier and noticed that Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were all included, with the throwaway line (without reference link) that all four join UEFA in January 2014. Has anyone else heard this? I don't remember anything being announced, and I can't find anywhere else that mentions it.

I mean, it could be just someone messing with the editing (it is wiki after all), but I do remember a few years back Uzbekistan wanted to switch.

[Baddar]

4 more teams to beat Wales.

[Colly]

Don't forget Gibraltar.

[DFF]

Don't forget Gibraltar.

I knew about Gibraltar - it was more that I'd not heard anything about the others transferring over.

[stokeriño]

I blame the Soviets.

[Colly]

I can't help but think (and I'm wary I should almost precede this point with 'I'm not racist, but...') that surely being in Europe should be a requirement for being in UEFA. I get the logic with Israel, but admitting yet more minnows from outside Europe just seems daft.