J.League side Vissel Kobe "appeared to back away" from reports of a deal worth €25M ($29.8M) annually to sign Andrés Iniesta.GETTY IMAGES
Numerous A-League clubs have "shown interest in signing" Andrés Iniesta, Football Federation Australia CEO David Gallop said. Iniesta has been "linked with moves to China, Japan and Australia since announcing he would not join another European side after leaving Barcelona." Australia's chances of "snaring such a big fish" with FFA's new $3M ($2.26M) war chest "appear slim." Yet Gallop revealed FFA "means business" and said that there are clubs "willing to top up any potential offer" (AAP, 5/10).
There has been a "significant drop" in the number of young men playing football in Ireland, according to a Sport Ireland report. The 2017 Irish Sport Monitor found that 22.6% of males between the ages of 16 and 19 are playing football, compared to a figure of 30.7% in '15. The report found that the four most popular participation sports are, in descending order: personal exercise (gym-related activities), swimming, running and cycling. Football placed fifth (RTÉ, 5/10).
The Scottish FA on Thursday revealed the list of Scottish clubs that have been awarded a license to play in Europe. Scotland will have one representative in the Champions League, Celtic, and three in the Europa League. Currently, they are Aberdeen, Rangers and Hibernian, although Motherwell will take the spot from the fourth-placed side in the Scottish Premiership should it win the Scottish Cup (Scotland DAILY RECORD, 5/10).
