Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop is not suggesting that the "unwieldy" Asian Football Confederation "should be broken up." But "it probably wouldn't surprise him if it collapsed." Gallop said that while the AFC was one of the only organizations in the region that was "totally Pan Asian, its size and diversity ensured that it was not always the most cohesive of structures." Gallop: "Whether that can ... stay as one is something for the future. It's a hard thing to get 46 nations working in one direction." The AFC stretches from the Middle East to Australia and includes southeast Asia, India, Central Asia and a "handful of former Soviet republics" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 3/17). ... The FA will contact League Championship side Reading and League One side Bradford to "seek their observations following the pitch invasion" after Monday's FA Cup quarterfinal replay at the Madejski Stadium. Reading fans "ran on to the pitch after the final whistle in their 3-0 win" over the Bantams, which secured an FA Cup semifinal with Arsenal at Wembley. A supporter also invaded the playing surface during the game and the FA will speak to both clubs to "collect their views" (PA, 3/17). ... Ligue 1 side Paris St. Germain player Serge Aurier has apologized for his comments about referee Björn Kuipers after his side's Champions League match against Chelsea. Aurier, currently out injured, is the subject of UEFA disciplinary action after "posting a video online in which he labelled the Dutch official a 'dirty son of a bitch' in response to the dismissal of Zlatan Ibrahimovic." Aurier will learn his fate on Thursday and "showed remorse for his outburst in a series of posts on his Twitter account" (PA, 3/17). ... Scottish Premiership side Aberdeen on Tuesday "offered to refund any fan" who cannot make the "rearranged clash" with Dundee. It was announced on Monday that the Premiership fixture would be brought forward from Monday to this Saturday "due to the Dons' international commitments." The rescheduling "has caused outrage among travelling Dons fans who now have to alter their plans for the Dens game at short notice." An Aberdeen statement said, "Any supporters who have bought a ticket for the Monday night and are now unable to attend will get a full refund" (Scotland DAILY RECORD, 3/17).
IN SPAIN: The "match-rigging scandal in Spain is getting bigger by the day." Spanish Football League President Javier Tebas said that Getafe President Ángel Torres told him that he had to "rescind the contracts of three players" because of the match rigging of the Getafe-Zaragoza game in '12. Tebas reportedly told police that Torres told him he "had no choice but to let three players go." In the police report, the following statement by Tebas can be found, "The president of Getafe, in informal conversations, confided that he had had to rescind the contract of three players because he suspected that they were involved in the pre-determination of match results in La Liga" (MARCA, 3/17). ... Torres has filed a compensation claim with the Jurisdictional Committee of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) against former coach Quique Sánchez Flores for "breach of contract." Torres has demanded €2M ($2.1M) from the Madrid-born coach, who "now has five days to present his case to the committee." Torres is also seeking €500,000 ($529,400) from Alberto Giráldez, Sánchez Flores' assistant (AS, 3/17).
