England Manager Sam Allardyce is "keen to the leave the door open for foreign-born players to enter the national team set-up" and has told British media he would have "no problem picking a player who qualified only through residency." Allardyce had earlier revealed he had hoped to call up Steven N'Zonzi, who has lived in England for six years, "but his attempts were thwarted by FIFA" because the Sevilla midfielder is ineligible after featuring for the France U21 side. He said, "Do you pick the best squad to win the World Cup, and if one or two of those are like N'Zonzi, do you do it? Or don't you and then suffer the consequences of not getting to the quarterfinal and failure? ... Surely if you're going to win something and that player is of the caliber to force his way into that side then you give him an opportunity?" (REUTERS, 8/30).
The Scottish FA issued "notices of complaint" to both Scottish Championship side Hibernian and Scottish Premiership side Rangers "over the crowd disturbance at the conclusion of last season’s Scottish Cup final." Almost as soon as the full-time whistle blew on Hibs’ 3-2 victory, fans "began invading the park." Some Hibs supporters "attacked and taunted Rangers players before the losing side left the field of play," while others made their way to the opposing end of the ground. Rangers fans "then also began invading the pitch, with fights breaking out among supporters on the park" (SCOTSMAN, 8/30).
The Asian Football Confederation issued a "strongly worded statement" opposing the Kuwait government’s intervention at the Kuwait FA and said that "it will not recognise the Kuwait government installed football body," its amended statutes or its member clubs. Kuwaiti police on Monday raided the KFA and Kuwait National Olympic Committee offices and "ordered all officials to leave and that force would be used to evict them if they refused to go" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 8/30).
The Hungarian Football Federation (MLSZ) views all three UEFA presidential candidates "as suitable for the position but sees the Slovenian FA president as the best long-term solution." MLSZ will be supporting Aleksander Ceferin as its preferred UEFA presidential candidate at the UEFA Congress in Athens this month (DAILY NEWS HUNGARY, 8/30).
