India’s football federation elections "do not violate any regulations, and there is no risk of any sanctions being imposed either by FIFA or the government," according to Sudipto Ganguly of REUTERS. An India official said that the All India Football Federation elections were held Thursday "as per the Indian FA constitution and it also did not violate the government’s sports code." The official said, “As far as the main clauses of the sports code are concerned, we are not violating them at all. Neither our president nor our treasurer have exceeded two terms and both of them are below the age of 70" (REUTERS, 12/20).

ManU Manager Alex Ferguson believes that the German Bundesliga "is threatening the Premier League's status as the most exciting league in the world," according to Simon Stone of the PA. For the first time since '99, more teams from the Bundesliga made it out of the initial group stage of the Champions League than their English counterparts. With Bayern Munich, Schalke and Borussia Dortmund all seeded for Thursday's knockout round draw, "they are well placed to make deep inroads in the competition." So, "with cheap ticket prices fueling" a football boom in the country, Ferguson believes that they "offer a genuine challenge to England's position." Ferguson said, "The crowds there are fantastic, and it is very cheap in relation to English football, which encourages supporter participation. The stadiums are great, and the games are good quality with a lot of goals. Germany is creeping up but ours is still the most exciting" (PA, 12/20).