UEFA issue groundbreaking ban
FA refute Croatia charges
Relief for Dowie
—– In a ground-breaking decision, Wisla Krakow defender Nikola Mijailovic is banned for five UEFA matches for the racial abuse of Blackburn Rovers striker Benni McCarthy.
The Serbian was found guilty by European football’s governing body following the game that took place in Krakow on 19 October.
Piara Powar, spokesman for anti-racism campaigners Kick It Out, says: “It is the sort of sanction that people across Europe will think, ‘There is a message to be learned here’.
“The concern in the past has been that many incidents have gone unpunished.
“It is time we were able to demonstrate that racism is being challenged in European football.”
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—– The Football Association responds to UEFA’s charges of improper behaviour over incidents involving England fans at the Euro 2008 qualifier in Croatia earlier this month.
FA director of communications Adrian Bevington confirms they will “contest this as strongly as possible”.
He added: “It’s worth noting we’ve had a vast amount of communication and correspondence from England supporters who were in Zagreb on the evening and experienced some very difficult situations in the build-up to the game.”
England fans without tickets were able to break through a security cordon at the Maksimir Stadium which led to ‘concern’ among security guards.
The Croatian Federation also faces the same charge after police used batons on travelling fans.
—– The Queen is a late injury withdrawal from the official opening ceremony for Arsenal’s new Emirates Stadium because of a strained back muscle.
A spokeswoman at Buckingham Palace confirms there is no cause for concern for the 80 year-old monarch who has just returned from a three-country trip to the Baltic states.
In her absence, Prince Philip opens the £390million arena, where he is introduced to the Arsenal squad of players by captain Thierry Henry.
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