FA CEO Martin Glenn "tried to shift the blame for England's humiliating European Championship campaign on to media after he claimed it puts too much pressure on the national team." In an interview designed to reassure supporters that the FA is making sure it gets the right man to replace Roy Hodgson as England manager, Glenn revealed that "there was a culture of fear in the England set up," largely created by overly "passionate" media coverage. Glenn: "The British press, like it or not, are probably the most intensely passionate about the game in the world and that has a spill over effect. The consequence of which is people probably play not to make a mistake, as opposed to play to win" (London TELEGRAPH, 7/20).
LEG UP: The renaissance of a once struggling community football club "is almost complete thanks to crucial funding from the game’s elite." Preparation works start later this month "for a new pitch with a modern drainage system and a new club house for Wythenshawe Amateurs" after a £382,317 ($505,300) grant from the Premier League and FA.
The funding "was crucial" for the club to meet the £700,000 ($924,700) total cost of the scheme.
The club’s fund-raising drive "has been backed by star players" including former ManU players Danny Welbeck and Tom Cleverley as well as Man City player Fernandinho (MANCHESTER EVENING NEWS, 7/20).
NEW LOW: Serie A club Lazio fans' enthusiasm "reached a new low with only a handful of season tickets sold on the opening day of sale," according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The club "started selling season tickets on Monday, but the lines remained dead" as it registered only 11 completed applications by the end of the day.
Last year, a club record low of 12,800 season tickets "were sold for Lazio's league fixtures at the 72,698 capacity Stadio Olimpico and, on the evidence of Monday, a new record is likely to be set this season" (ESPNFC.com, 7/19).
RAISING THE STAKES: CONMEBOL confirmed a 72% increase in prize money for this year's Copa Sudamericana. There will be $13.4M more "on the line" than during the last Copa. This decision "was made despite Uruguayan business Global Sports' move to rescind its sponsorship of the tournament." A total of $31.8M will be distributed (OLÉ, 7/19).
