The Qatar national football team will use the FA's national football center at St. George's Park in May "as its base for friendlies against European opposition." The venue in Burton will host the team ahead of a match against Northern Ireland at a Midlands venue on May 31 -- with other internationals also mooted (BBC, 3/11). ... Italian Referees' Association (AIA) President Marcello Nicchi has hinted that "goal-line technology will be introduced next term." Nicchi: "We're likely to see goal-line technology." The AIA head then said he hoped the move would signal "an end to controversy" (FOOTBALL ITALIA, 3/11). ... Chelsea fans were "planning to hand out a number of anti-racism banners and posters to be displayed" during Wednesday's Champions League match against Paris St. Germain at Stamford Bridge. Posters written in English and French were expected to be "handed out before kick-off, which says 'no racism at the Bridge, that's the way we like it'" (London INDEPENDENT, 3/11). ... Compilation of new football textbooks for Chinese primary and middle
schools "is scheduled for completion around the end of March, after the
Ministry of Education named the sport a compulsory part of the national
curriculum." The seven volumes are being compiled with input from football teachers
by state-managed publisher the People's Education Press. They are
"aimed at primary school students from grade three to six as well as
junior and senior middle school students" (XINHUA, 3/11).
IN SPAIN: The site of the finals of the Copa del Rey between Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao "has become the object of a continued controversy." Both initially expressed a desire to hold the game at Real Madrid's Santiago Bernabéu, but Real "decided not to allow its stadium to be used." The Basque Nationalist Party "has requested the option of playing the game outside Spain." A group of fans has opened a petition on Change.org to "gather signatures to support the match being played" at Millennium Stadium in Cardiff (LIBERTAD DIGITAL, 3/11). ... Starting in '15, the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) will distribute €120,000 ($126,600) in aid to women's footballers and Spain's two associations of women's footballers, the Asociación Española de Jugadoras de Fútbol 11 (AEJF1) and the Asociación de Jugadoras de Fútbol Sala (AJFSF). The agreement reached between the RFEF, the AEJF1 and the AJFSF is intended to "promote women's football through various activities and strengthen the development of women in football in all areas" (AS, 3/10).
