A day after the Asian Football Confederation decided to scrap the ambitious Vision India programme in New Delhi and Tamil Nadu, the All India Football Federation expressed regret that the state associations failed to comply to the AFC norms.

A high-profile casualty is inevitable in Group G at the World Cup with Brazil, Portugal and Ivory Coast fighting for two places while North Korea concentrate on damage limitation.

India captain Baichung Bhutia added another feather to his cap, after he was given honorary life membership to the Portugal Football Players’ Association.

With the I-League crown already in Dempo’s bag, hosts Pune FC will take on Churchill Brothers in a penultimate round match for the runners-up place here on Thursday .
A victory over the visitors will mean that Pune FC will replace Churchill in the second place, which will be a credible achievement for the I-League debutants.

The second biggest sporting show of the universe after the Olympic Games — the football World Cup — will kick off at Johannesburg’s futuristic Soccer City Stadium on June 11.

A lawyer for Chelsea star Michael Ballack said he intends lodging a complaint against Portsmouth’s Kevin-Prince Boateng for the “intentional” tackle which ended the Germany captain’s World Cup hopes.

Juventus left-back Fabio Grosso was the shock victim as Italy coach Marcello Lippi cut two players from his pre-World Cup squad on Tuesday.

The Champions League is the ultimate for club sides.

Few pundits expect England to be overly troubled by any of their opponents in Group C.

Barcelona made it four league titles in six seasons as they retained the La Liga crown on the final day of the season with a 4-0 win over Valladolid on Sunday to finish three points ahead of arch-rivals Real Madrid.