Three-minute breaks on cards for concussion
Fifa’s chief medical officer is calling for three-minute breaks in matches when concussion is suspected. Pressure on football to protect players better came after the World Cup in Brazil where there were five concussion cases. A lawsuit is also being brought in the US chiding Fifa’s guidelines for players who receive serious head injuries. Michel D’Hooghe, the Fifa medical committee chairman, will now seek Uefa and Fifa approval. “If there is a suspected concussion we will ask the referee to stop the game for three minutes,” D’Hooghe told the Soccerex conference in Manchester. “The referee will allow the player to continue playing only with the green light from the team doctor – nobody else.”
Rival clubs to profit from Manchester City fine
Manchester City’s huge fine for breaching Uefa’s financial fair play rules is to be shared out around the other clubs in the Champions League. City were fined £50m for the FFP breaches but will have to pay only about £20m if they comply with the break-even rules in future seasons. The first tranche of payments from City, Paris Saint-Germain and Zenit St Petersburg will total £20m and will be split among the Champions League and Europa League clubs who did comply with the rules last season. A similar sum will be distributed to City’s rivals playing in this season’s European competitions. All in all Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur, Swansea City and Wigan Athletic are among those who are in line for a windfall of about £200,000.
Gary Rowett turns down offer of Blackpool job
The Burton Albion manager, Gary Rowett, has turned down an approach to take over as Blackpool’s manager, despite no official announcement that the current incumbent, José Riga, has left his post. The former Charlton manager was due to hold talks with the chairman, Karl Oyston, on Tuesday following reports that the relationship between the two had completely broken down after Riga apparently returned to Belgium last week to spend time with his family. However, Burton released a statement confirming they had given Rowett permission to hold talks with Blackpool on Monday but that he had decided to turn them down. “I have decided I will remain at Burton Albion for the foreseeable future. I feel as though it is not the right job for me at present,” said Rowett. Blackpool, who had to cancel a pre-season trip to Spain because they had only eight contracted players, are bottom of the Championship after losing all five games this season.
