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FIFA PROPOSES MANDATORY MATERNITY LEAVE FOR WOMEN PLAYERS.

FIFA is set to introduce new regulations to protect the rights of women players, including mandatory maternity leave, world soccer’s governing body said on Thursday.

The reforms have been put forward by FIFA’s Football Stakeholders Committee (FSC) and will go to FIFA’s Council next month for approval.

While many players in Europe are already protected by employment law in their given countries, FIFA says its aim is to create “new global minimum standards” for female players all over the world, given the rapid emergence of new clubs and leagues globally.

The proposed rules include a mandatory maternity leave of 14 weeks, at a minimum of two thirds of the player’s contracted salary and a guarantee that “no female player should suffer a disadvantage as a result of becoming pregnant”.

The planned regulations also state that on their return to work after maternity leave, clubs must “reintegrate female players and provide adequate medical and physical support”.

Women players’ contractual rights were already covered by the existing regulations for all footballers but the changes are a bid to address specific concerns for female players and are viewed as a basic minimum that can be applied in all countries.

“As we try to accelerate the professionalisation of the women’s game, which is one of our strategic objectives, it is really important that we evolve and adapt the regulatory framework around the game at the same time. This is a very good example,” Sarai Bareman, FIFA’s Chief Women’s Football Officer, told reporters.

“We want to see more women being able to earn a living playing football whilst at the same time being able to have a family life and being mothers. It is important that we provide the necessary regulatory framework to protect those women,” she added.

The new regulations also seek to address problems for coaches working internationally.

Until now coaches’ contracts have been subject to the same regulations as players but FIFA wants to introduce specific language to deal with the rights of coaches.

“The aim is to protect contractual stability, achieve greater transparency and make sure that coaches also get paid on time,” FIFA said in a statement.

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UNL: WALES MOVE UP AS SCOTLAND MISS OUT.

Wales won promotion to League A with a 3-1 win over 10-man Finland in Cardiff that allowed them to top Group B4. Wales came good with goals from Harry Wilson, Daniel James and Kieffer Moore.

Teemu Pukki netted for Finland, who had left-back Jere Uronen sent off after just 12 minutes.

Winning their group also improves Wales’ chances of securing a place in the 2022 World Cup qualifying play-offs, as the two best group winners in the Nations League are guaranteed play-off places if they don’t make it via the usual route.

While Wales go up, Scotland missed out on promotion from League B, Group 2 after losing 1-0 in Israel, their second consecutive loss since clinching qualification for Euro 2020.

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UNL: BELGIUM. ITALY REACH NATIONS LEAGUE FINAL AS PHIL FODEN STARS IN ENGLAND WIN.

Romelu Lukaku extended his record scoring form and underlined his credentials as Belgium’s key attacker with a second-half double to help his team book their place in next year’s Nations League finals with a 4-2 home victory over Denmark on Wednesday, while unbeaten Italy also booked their last four berth with win over Bosnia.

Belgium, who finished five points clear at the top of League A Group 2, will meet world champions France and former World Cup winners Italy and Spain in the final four next October.

England salvaged their pride with a 4-0 demolition of 10-man Iceland in a dead rubber with Declan Rice and Mason Mount scoring in the first half and a late brace by Phil Foden to add to their team’s tally.

Also securing promotion to the top tier were Austria, Wales and Hungary from their respective groups.

The world’s number one-ranked side, Belgium only required a draw from their last League A, Group 2 game at home to Denmark behind closed doors in Leuven and took an early lead through Youri Tielemans.
Jonas Wind equalised for Denmark, but Lukaku scored double in the second-half and Kevin De Bruyne made sure of the victory for Roberto Martinez’s side after Thibaut Courtois allowed a Nacer Chadli back-pass to squirm under his leg and in for an own goal.

Italy secured first place in Group 1 with a 2-0 triumph in Sarajevo thanks to a goal in each half from Torino’s Andrea Belotti and Domenico Berardi of Sassuolo.

That ensured they finished a point ahead of the Netherlands, who came from behind to beat Poland 2-1 away with captain Georginio Wijnaldum scoring the winner after Memphis Depay’s penalty cancelled out Kamil Jozwiak’s opener.

Italy and Belgium join Spain and World Cup holders France in a final tournament which is expected to be held in Italy in October next year.

Before the finals, European national teams will start their 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign in March and then the delayed Euro 2020 is set to go ahead next June and July.

England have more than one eye on that tournament, with the semi-finals and final scheduled for Wembley, and Gareth Southgate’s team rounded out their Nations League campaign with a 4-0 win over Iceland.

“It was a very difficult game. All the players were hearing messages that this is meaningless and there was nothing to play for but they did play for it,” Southgate told Sky Sports.

Birkir Mar Saevarsson was sent off for Iceland who, like Bosnia, are relegated and will compete in League B in the next edition.

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RANGERS DUO HANDED SEVEN MATCH BAN BY SCOTTISH FA.

Jordan Jones and George Edmundson are unlikely to play again this year after the Rangers duo were handed hefty seven-match bans as punishment for breaching Covid-19 rules.

The pair broke strict government guidelines when they attended an indoor house party earlier this month.

Northern Ireland winger Jones, 26, and 23-year-old English defender Edmundson were given two-week club suspensions and were also issued with fixed penalties by police officers called out to break up the early-hours get-together in Glasgow’s west end.

Now the Scottish Football Association has also taken action by charging the pair over the incident.

The seven-match bans mean Jones and Edmundson, who are not in Rangers’ Europa League squad, will not be free to return to domestic action for Steven Gerrard’s team until the December 30 clash with St Mirren.

But both players face an uphill struggle to win over their furious manager.

Jones’ part in this latest incident comes after he spent much of last season out of action with a knee injury sustained while he got himself sent off for a reckless challenge on Celtic’s Moritz Bauer in the opening Old Firm clash of the campaign.

Edmundson, meanwhile, has struggled to force his way past the likes of Connor Goldson, Filip Helander and Leon Balogun to claim a regular spot in his manager’s line-up.

The party took place just hours after Rangers had beaten Kilmarnock at Rugby Park on November 1. Neither player was involved in the game but they were both due to report to training the following day.

However, they were ordered to stay away from the club’s Auchenhowie base after Ibrox bosses were informed of the illegal gathering.

Under Scottish Government rules at the time, residents of Glasgow were prohibited from socialising inside homes with those from another household.

Officers called out to break up the party discovered the Rangers duo and a number of other revellers inside the residential flat.

Gerrard later told the duo that they had “badly let down their team-mates and the supporters of the club” with their actions, while Jones was left out of the Northern Ireland squad for last week’s Euro 2020 play-off with Slovakia.

The SFA took action after issuing notices of complaint which accused the players of breaching the governing body’s disciplinary rules 24 and 77, which cover requirements to comply with Covid rules and the failure to act in the best interests of the game.

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GUARDIOLA SIGNS TWO-YEAR CONTRACT EXTENSION WITH MANCHESTER CITY.

Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year contract with the Premier League club.

“Manchester City are pleased to announce that Pep Guardiola has signed a new two-year deal with the club,” City said in a statement. “The contract, which now runs to the summer of 2023, sees Guardiola’s commitment to City extended to seven years from his arrival in 2016.”


“Pep’s current five-year stay is already the longest commitment he has made to a football club since becoming a manager in 2008 – and this extension will see him overtake Joe Mercer and put him second on the Club’s list of longest-serving post-war managers.”

Ever since I arrived at Manchester City I have been made to feel so welcome in the club and in the city itself,” Guardiola said. “Since then we have achieved a great deal together, scored goals, won games and trophies, and we are all very proud of that success.”

The news will extinguish any hope that Barcelona had held of tempting the Catalan back to Camp Nou. Presidential candidate Victor Font had brought it up as a possibility he’d look in to, even though Guardiola himself has always played down the possibility of him returning to the club.

Born in Santpedor, Guardiola spent eleven years as a first-team player at Camp Nou before spending time in Italy, Qatar and Mexico.

As a coach, Guardiola built one of the greatest teams of all time at Barcelona between 2008 and 2012, winning three consecutive La Liga titles, two Copa del Reys, three Spanish Super Cups, two Champions Leagues, two European Super Cups and two Club World Cups.

Guardiola then spent a year in New York on sabbatical before a three-season stint in Germany with Bayern Munich. He joined Manchester City in 2016 and has won two Premier League titles, the FA Cup, three League Cups and two Community Shields at the Etihad Stadium.

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BARNSLEY MAKE BALOTELLI INQUIRY.

Former Italy striker Mario Balotelli could be moving to Barnsley as the Championship side enquire about his availability. Balotelli is a free agent after leaving his hometown club of Brescia in June 2020. The 30-year-old is currently training with Serie D side Franciacorta to maintain his fitness.

According to reports, discussions between Barnsley’s co-chairmen Chien Lee and Paul Conway and Balotelli’s representatives have taken place. Barnsley are currently 16th in the Championship, however, signing Balotelli could be a boost to their chances of survival.

However, there are plenty of hurdles in the way of this potential deal.

Mario Balotelli is represented by ‘super agent’ Mino Raiola who is known as a tough negotiator. Additionally, the Tykes will need to be able to cover Balotelli’s likely wage demands. As well as this, a drop into the Championship may not tempt Balotelli as he has played in the Premier League previously.

There have also been reports of interest from Watford after their relegation to the Championship.

If the deal does go through, it will be the third stint in England for the former Liverpool and Manchester City striker. Since leaving England in 2015, Balotelli’s career has been somewhat patchy, another potential deterrent to clubs.

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KOLASINAC TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS.

Arsenal defender Sead Kolasinac has tested positive for Covid-19 while on international duty with Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Kolasinac and team-mate Ibrahim Sehic have both been ruled out of Wednesday’s game against Italy after returning positive tests, the Bosnia and Herzegovina football federation confirmed.

Sead Kolasinac one of two Bosnia and Herzegovina players to return positive coronavirus tests; Arsenal team-mate Mohamed Elneny tested positive after arriving in Togo with Egypt squad; midfielder showing no symptoms and is now back in Cairo isolating.

The 28-year-old tested positive after arriving in Togo with the Egyptian squad ahead of their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Tuesday.

Elneny is showing no symptoms and is now back in Cairo isolating.

The news was confirmed by his agent on Twitter and the Egyptian Football Association on Facebook on Monday evening.

Arsenal are in contact with Elneny and the Egyptian FA and will provide further updates.

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QATAR TO HOST NEXT FIFA CLUB WORLD CUP IN FEBRUARY 2021.

The FIFA World Cup, originally slated for December, is taking place from February 1 to 11 in Doha, Qatar, the organizers said this Tuesday (17).

The championship will feature the six continental champions, including UEFA Champions League winner FC Bayern Munich, the first to qualify.

Liverpool beat Flamengo in the final match of the past edition of the FIFA Club World Cup. FIFA would not say whether fans will be able to attend the games next year.

It only said that “In line with FIFA’s International Match Protocol, FIFA and the host country will provide the required safeguards for the health and safety of all involved.”

An expanded, 24-team Cup was expected to take place next June and July in China, but the Covid-19 pandemic led to a change of plans. Tournaments including Euro 2020 and Copa America will be held a year later than planned.

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WCQ: BRAZIL BEAT URUGUAY 2-0 TO STAY TOP OF QUALIFYING GROUP.

First half goals from Arthur and Richarlison gave Brazil a 2-0 win away at Uruguay on Tuesday and maintained their 100% record in the South American World Cup qualifiers for Qatar 2022.

Brazil were missing a host of players through COVID-19 and injury, including talismanic striker Neymar, but they were too strong for their opponents, who have not beaten them since 2001.

Arthur got the opener after 34 minutes when his shot from outside the box was cruelly deflected past Uruguayan keeper Martin Campana and then Richarlison glanced a header into the net from a short corner seconds before half time.

Missing Luis Suarez after he tested positive for COVID-19, Uruguay hit the woodwork twice in the first half but their unlucky night was confirmed when the Video Assistant Referee convinced the officials to send off Edinson Cavani for a mistimed tackle on Richarlison at 71 minutes.

Uruguay kept battling and Martin Caceres saw his close shot hit the net with a quarter of an hour left only to be disallowed by the Chilean referee.

The win in Montevideo was Brazil’s fourth in a row in the qualifying stage and ensures they are the only side in the 10-team South American group to have won all of their opening matches.

The qualifiers will restart again in March 2021.

The top four teams in the group qualify automatically for Qatar 2022 while the fifth placed side goes into an interregional playoff.

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WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS: ARGENTINA SCORE TWICE TO EASE PAST PERU.

Argentina scored twice in the first half and were unfortunate not to score more in a dominant second as they comfortably beat Peru 2-0 in a World Cup qualifier in Lima on Tuesday.

The win extended Argentina’s unbeaten run to 11 games under coach Lionel Scaloni and means they stay second in the 10-team South American qualifying group for Qatar 2022, two points behind leaders Brazil.

Nicolas Gonzalez put the visitors ahead with an angled shot in 17 minutes following nice work from Giovani Lo Ceslo on the left flank and then Lautaro Martinez doubled their lead 11 minutes later when he ran on to a superb pass from Leandro Paredes and rounded the keeper to tap in.

Peru’s defeat extended their winless run to seven matches under coach Ricardo Gareca, the Argentine who guided them to their first World Cup finals in 36 years last time around in Russia.