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Riyad Mahrez - Leicester City winger signs new contract.

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STARS IN EUROPE - GHANA - CLUB - Waris joins Lorient

Ghana forward Abdul Majeed Waris joins FC Lorient.

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STARS IN EUROPE - MALI - CLUB - Bakary Sako joins Crystal Palace

Bakary Sako joins Crystal Palace on a free transfer.

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STARS IN EUROPE - GUINEA - CLUB - Striker Pogba joins Partick Thistle

Mathias Pogba signs a one-year contract with Partick Thistle.

4 Aug 2015
STARS IN EUROPE - TUNISIA - CLUB - Leicester City sign Yohan Benalouane

Leicester City sign Yohan Benalouane and N'Golo Kante.

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STARS IN EUROPE - GABON - CLUB - Aubameyang extends deal

Dortmund forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has extended his deal 

3 Aug 2015
STARS IN EUROPE - IVORY COST - CLUB - Max Gradel on the move to Bournemouth

Ivory Coast forward Max Gradel has medical at Bournemouth.

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NATIONAL TEAM - MALAWI - COACH - Ernest Mtawali appointed as coach

Ernest Mtawali appointed as head coach of Malawi.

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STARS IN EUROPE - BENIN - CLUB - Rudy Gestede sign for Aston Villa

Aston Villa have completed the signings of striker Rudy Gestede

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STARS IN ASIA - IVORY COAST - CLUB - Didier Zokora joins FC Pune City

Ivorian Didier Zokora joins Indian side FC Pune City.

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FIFA - PORTUGAL - candidate Luis Figo wants World Cup with 48 teams

Luís Figo World Cup 2014

 

Luis Figo would consider a bigger World Cup if he is elected to replace Sepp Blater as Fifa president.

Releasing his manifesto at Wembley Stadium, the legendary Portugal midfielder said he would look at increasing the number of teams from 32 to 40 or even 48.

Figo, 42, is one of three candidates challenging Blatter in the election on 29 May.

He also proposed sin-bins and reverting to the old offside rule interpretation.

Dutch federation president Michael van Praag and Jordanian Prince Ali bin Al Hussein are also in the running to become head of football's world governing body.

Former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Inter Milan winger Figo, who played at two World Cups, said on Thursday that the current format could be increased to 40 teams or Fifa could stage two 24-team competitions simultaneously on two continents, followed by a knockout phase in one nation.

He said: "Both these options are feasible with an extra three to four days of tournament play.

If this expansion were to take place I believe that additional teams should come from non-European nations.

"We not only make sure that we include more countries from across the world, but also enable Fifa to raise significant increased revenues that can be used to invest in the growth of the game globally."

Figo, the 2001 Fifa world player of the year, also proposes:

•    Spreading half of Fifa's $2.5bn revenue over four years to associations to fund grassroots football.    

•    Redistributing $1bn of Fifa's $1.5bn cash reserves to the 209 national federations. 

•    Increased use of technology in the game, using sin-bins for unsporting behaviour.    

•    Reverting back to the previous interpretation of the offside rule, "where a player is judged offside whether directly involved in the play or not".


Blatter, 78, has been Fifa boss since 1998 and said in June 2014 that he intended to run for a fifth term.

He was criticised for Fifa's handling of Michael Garcia's report into alleged corruption during the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups.

 

 

21 Feb 2015
(BBC Sport UK)

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