International Football
BREAKDOWN OF WHAT RUSSIA 2018 TEAMS WILL GET
A breakdown of the $400 million World Cup prize money shows that the 2018 World Cup champion will get $38 million.
The world football governing body on Friday revealed that each of the 32 competing national federations in Russia will get at least $8 million, the same as in 2014 when the overall prize fund was $358 million.
At Brazil 2014, champions, Germany got $35 million and runner-up Argentina got $25 million. But at Russia 2018, the runner-up will get $28 million, a $3 million increase over the previous $25 million.
Similarly, the third- and fourth-place teams will each get a $2 million increase to $24 million and $22 million, respectively. Gernot Rohr told a popular French sports newspaper, L’Equipe that his target was to take the Super Eagles to the semi finals.
That way, Sports Village Square reasons that Nigeria may get a minimum of $22 million if the target is realized.
The quarterfinalists will each get $16 million, also a $2 million increase, and teams eliminated in the last 16 get a $3 million increase to $12 million. At Brazil 2014, Nigeria got $9 million for reaching the round of 16.
The prize fund comes from World Cup revenues that FIFA has projected to exceed $5 billion despite stalled sales of sponsorships amid Swiss and American corruption investigations.
According to AP reports, FIFA chieftain, Gianni Infatino explained the rationale behind the rise in prize money. “Today the doors are open, the revenues come in and the revenues will exceed the budget certainly,” he said.
Teams will also get $1.5 million from FIFA toward the costs of preparing for the tournament. That amount was the same in 2014.
FIFA also moved to unblock a $100 million fund from 2014 World Cup tournament revenues for host Brazil which has been frozen in fallout from corruption investigations.
FIFA promised the money in 2014 for “women’s and grassroots football, healthcare and social programs for underprivileged communities” in Brazil.
The fund was agreed to with Brazilian soccer leaders Jose Maria Marin and Marco Polo del Nero, who have both been indicted by the U.S. Department of Justice in a sprawling bribery and racketeering case.
Marin’s trial begins in Brooklyn federal court next month, and Del Nero has remained in Brazil to evade arrest while still president of the national soccer body.
Infantino said Friday a new entity would run the fund, and projects should start to benefit the country by early next year.
Also, FIFA has ended a years-long attempt to bring soccer peace between the Israeli and Palestinian federations.
The talks, begun by Infantino predecessor Sepp Blatter, tried to resolve the issue of teams from Israeli settlements on disputed land playing in Israeli competitions in apparent breach of FIFA statutes.
“We see there where our limits unfortunately are,” Infantino said, noting disputes in the region date back “10,000 years.”
“Football is not going to solve them either, I am afraid,” Infantino said.
Council members decided that “interference by FIFA in the (soccer) status quo in these territories … could have an aggravating effect on the current circumstances.”
Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.
The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
-Reuters
German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.
Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.
PLAYING CAREER
* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.
* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.
* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.
* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.
COACHING CAREER
* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.
* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.
* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.
* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.
* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.
* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.
* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.
* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.
* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.
* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.
* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.
* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.
* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.
* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
-Reuters
Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.
Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.
Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.
He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.
With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.
Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.
While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.
-Reuters
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