International Football
FIFA BOSS PROPOSES 32-TEAM WOMEN’S WORLD CUP IN 2023
BY LIAM MORGAN
FIFA President Gianni Infantino is hoping to bring his preference for expansion to the Women’s World Cup as he claimed he wants the 2023 tournament to grow from 24 teams to 32.
Infantino said he would put the proposal to the FIFA Council and member associations for approval but warned the global governing body would have to “act quickly”.
The bidding process for the 2023 World Cup may have to be re-opened, Infantino said, to accommodate the possibility of an extra eight teams.
FIFA received nine bids for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, including a joint candidature from North and South Korea.
The FIFA Council is due to select the host at its meeting in March 2020.
The suggestion came as part of a five-point plan from Infantino as FIFA attempts to capitalise on the success of this year’s World Cup in France.
Infantino said the tournament prize money for 2023 would likely be doubled from the $30 million (£24 million/€26.7 million) on offer at the 2019 edition to $60 million (£48 million/€53 million).
The figure is still considerably less than the $400 million (£319 million/€356 million) prize pot for the 2018 men’s competition, where winners France pocketed $38 million (£30 million/€34 million).
The $30 million available at this year’s Women’s World Cup was also doubled from $15 million (£12 million/€13 million) in 2015.
The FIFA President raised the possibility of creating a Women’s Club World Cup and Nations League for national sides, which would use a similar format to the one used by UEFA in the men’s game.
“It’s a great thing, this World Cup, but then people forget, they do other things ‒ it is our job to make sure that they don’t forget and we don’t just say ‘see you in four years,’” Infantino said.
“That’s why I propose to the FIFA Council and to all our members ‒ who have to embrace the development of women’s football.
“We have already more than doubled the prize money for the World Cup this year, but we will double it again for the next World Cup ‒ I am very confident that we can do that.
“We will have to act quickly to decide if we are to increase it for 2023.
“If we do, we should reopen the bidding process to allow everyone to have a chance or maybe co-host.
“Nothing is impossible.”
Infantino has already overseen the expansion of the men’s World Cup from 32 to 48 teams for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The FIFA President failed with an attempt to grow the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to 48 nations because of diplomatic tension in the Gulf.
– insidethegames
International Football
German Thomas Tuchel becomes 3rd foreign manager for England
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
International Football
Factbox on England head coach Thomas Tuchel
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
International Football
Portugal call up same player named in England Under-18 squad
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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