Could a Super Tax Ruin the French Football League?

French President François Hollande's plans for a 75% super-tax on the mega-rich, is causing major controversy after French football clubs said they would cancel all matches scheduled for the final weekend in November to protest at the levy.

The symbolic tax will last for only 2 years, aiming to claim 75% on income exceeding €1m (£850,000) a year. This has caused a headache for the Socialist government since it has been ruled un-constitutional by the French courts. In an attempt to avoid further embarrassment of a major policy U-turn, ministers redrafted the tax earlier this year to shift the burden from individuals to employers – this change in emphasis has spooked football clubs, which famously pay vast salaries even to bit-part players.

The clubs have argued that they are under intense financial pressures and are already losing money. It is believed the tax would results in a massive exodus of top players to rival leagues, effectively killing the domestic game. However, despite of the likely effect on the top French football leagues, 85% of the population are in favour of the tax and it being applied to football clubs.

Jean-Pierre Louvel, president of the Union of Professional Football Clubs (UCPF), announced on Thursday that the round of matches scheduled from 29 November to 2 December would not be played. He said: "It's a historic moment for French football. We're talking about the death of French football."

Football bosses estimate the tax would cost League 1 clubs €44m in the two years it would be in place. "How can you tax businesses that have been in difficulty over the last three or four years?" Louvel asked. "And why have they been [in difficulty]? Because the taxes we've been paying are too high. And people ask why we're not competitive with other leagues."

Defending champions Paris Saint-Germain - the biggest spending club owned by Qatari Billionaires - would be the worst hit with 21 salaries over 1 Million Euros, including the highest paid player in French football Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The other big clubs would also struggle including Lyon and Marseille.

French clubs have argued that the payroll taxes they pay were already the highest in Europe and that players' wages cost a third more than in Germany, England, Spain or Italy.

"Most of the clubs don't make money, they lose money, so how is it possible for the clubs to pay taxes when they don't have money left?" Saint-Etienne president Bernard Caizzo told the Associated Press.

Ligue 1 clubs combined registered a loss of €108m at the end of the 2011-12 season. Last year, French clubs paid about €700m in social charges and image rights, which was more than they received in television rights, the UCPF said.

Despite all this the 75% super-tax – a temporary measure aimed at forcing the wealthy to help drag France out of its economic crisis – remains popular with voters. Talks are due to continue with the clubs and the French government, the clubs hope to come to an arrangement before they lose all their top talent if they cannot afford to pay them.

England have made it to World Cup 2014 in Brazil!!

After a nervy 2-0 victory over Poland at Wembley last night, England have guaranteed their place at the World Cup in Brazil next year by topping group H with 6 wins and 4 draws. This is England's fifth successive World Cup finals appearance and overall Roy Hodgson can look back at a qualification job well done.

Now that qualification is over, we can look forward to the main event kicking off next summer. We decided to put together an essential guide to next years World Cup with all the information you will need:

Pre-Tournament Friendlies

Although England have avoided the play-offs, that November international break could be used so that Hodgson can test his players further. Friendlies with potential World Cup opponents Germany and Australia have been lined up.

England then have their last mid-season outing against Denmark pencilled in for Wednesday 5th March. This will by Roy’s last chance to assess the players before naming his 23 man squad on June 2nd, this is three weeks after the end of the Premier league season. After this the FA will no doubt have a host of pre-tournament games lined up, in a bid to get England adjusted to the climate and ready for the World Cup.

When will we find out the Draw?

The 6th December is the date England will find out their opponents in Brazil, will it be the group of death or a relatively easy route to the next round? However we all know that, if the past is anything to go by, a favourable draw is no guarantee of easy England victories.

At the last few tournaments England have been amongst the top seeds, meaning they avoided a lot of the bigger teams in the draw, this time due to being placed 17th in the Fifa world rankings they will have to face one of the world's best sides.

There will be four pots of eight teams, with pot one comprising Brazil and the top seven qualifiers from the Fifa world rankings.  Geography also plays a part in the whole process. Pots two, three and four will be split by regions, keeping teams from the same qualifying areas apart during the group stage.

The seeding will be announced on October 17th and the final draw will be screened worldwide on the 6th December.

Who’s there already?

Brazil have qualified as hosts, and will be joined by a total of 13 teams from Europe, five from Africa, four from South America, four from Asia, three from North and Central America and the Caribbean, with the remaining two places decided by inter-confederation play-offs.

The European teams  who have already  qualified include some who are likely to be among the favourites to progress in the tournament. Including Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, England and Spain. Plus the like of Russia, Switzerland, Bosnia-Hercegovina will be joining them. The final four places will be decided by play-off's in November.

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador and Chile are the South American teams to have booked their places in Brazil, while Australia, Iran, Japan and South Korea have qualified from Asia. Costa Rica, United States and Honduras are through from North and Central America and the Caribbean federation.

When does it start?

The tournament open in Sao Paulo on 12th June and the group stages run until 26th June. That is 15 Consecutive days of football without a break, and then day three is the first in World Cup history to have four games running back to back!

The round of 16 matches take place from 28 June to 1 July, with two fixtures each day. The quarter-finals are on 4 and 5 July, also two a day, and the semi-finals on 8 and 9 July.

The World Cup final will be in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday 13 July.

What about Tickets?

There has been over 6 Million requests for tickets, almost double the total available. Some 96,780 requests were made from England. Tickets not allocated will be available on a first-come, first-served basis from 5 November. There will be further sets of tickets on sales on the 8th December and two more times in 2014.

What time do the games Kick-Off?

This World Cup is perfect for the working football fan, with three games per evening to take up your time. The early games kick off at 17:00 BST, followed by games at 20:00 BST and 23:00 BST. This could be one of the best World Cup’s yet for the European football fan.

What about Brazil?

Brazil are hosting their first world cup for over 50 years and the first one in South America since 1978. It almost seems ridiculous that one of the most passionate and dedicated football countries in the world has not hosted a World Cup for so long. The atmosphere is likely to be electric and one of the most memorable tournaments yet.

Brazil is the fifth biggest country in the world, so weather and conditions will vary greatly. However, this tournament takes place in Brazil's winter. Despite this humidity will still be a key factor, with that becoming less of a problem the further south you travel. Generally the tournament should not be as hot as people expect.

Six of the of twelve stadiums hosting the tournament are still being build. Brazils Maracana in Rio which will host the final, is one of the most iconic stadiums in the world up there with Wembley and the Nou Camp.

Crickets ‘Little Master’ Sachin Tendulkar Retires

Sachin Tendulkar has ended weeks of speculation regarding his Test retirement, by calling it quits and announcing that the 40-years old's 200th test in Indian colours will be his last. He will walk out to bat for India one last time, against the West Indies in November, which is likely to be held in Mumbai next month.

Tendulkar's retirement had seemed more likely after quitting limited overs cricket in December 2012 and facing increased pressure following poor batting performances. Tendulkar a man who has scored a record 51 test centuries, last recorded a century against South Africa in January 2011. It seems inconceivable that a batsman regarded as the best of his generation could face a dip in form. Tendulkar scored 15837 runs, hitting 67 fifties and even recorded an unbeaten 248. So it seems now is the perfect time to draw to a close one of the legendary sporting careers. 

In an emotional statement, Tendulkar said: "All my life, I have had a dream of playing cricket for India. I have been living this dream every day for the last 24 years. It's hard for me to imagine a life without playing cricket because it's all I have ever done since I was 11 years old. It's been a huge honour to have represented my country and played all over the world. I look forward to playing my 200th Test Match on home soil, as I call it a day. 

"I thank the BCCI for everything over the years and for permitting me to move on when my heart feels it's time! I thank my family for their patience and understanding. Most of all, I thank my fans and well-wishers who through their prayers and wishes have given me the strength to go out and perform at my best."

Tendulkar nicknamed the "God of Cricket" will be extremely hard to replace, former Test captain and opening batsman Sunil Gavaskar said : "It will not be easy to fill the gap left by Sachin. The No. 4 position will be a slot that will invite a huge amount of pressure. It will be a litmus test for anyone batting there. All big Test sides have had the best of batsmen batting at No. 4. For India, the position has been occupied by Tendulkar for almost two decades and it will be impossible to replace him overnight." Tendulkar’s first Test came against Pakistan at Karachi in November 1989. 

Even with his form and run scoring capabilities being called into question recently, Tendulkar is still breaking records. In a T20 Champions League match against Trinidad and Tobago in Delhi last weekend, Tendulkar reached a landmark 50,000 runs across all formats of competition cricket. Tendulkar was popular across the world, and in 1992 became the first overseas player to sign for Yorkshire, scoring more than 1,000 runs in the summer. 

The president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India, N Srinivasan, said: "He is without doubt the greatest cricketer India has produced. 

"In fact, one should really say he ranks among the top of all-time great sports persons in the world. No one has served Indian cricket as Sachin has. Tendulkar had a very important role within the Indian team, alongside fellow legends Dravid and Ganguly, providing a comforting air of experience and composure. Aiding the development of the often hot headed youngster fresh in to the team, with skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni stating the ‘little master’ knew how to handle the young guns. 

As the curtain falls on an amazing Test career, Tendulkar can be satisfied by his contribution to his sport, the esteem his colleagues hold him in and the respect he received from his opponents. Any sportsman would be proud of that legacy.

Former England captain Michael Vaughan tweeted:  "One of the greatest ever Sachin Tendulkar is retiring. One of my heroes and an absolute joy to play against."

England batsman Kevin Pietersen also took to Twitter  to dub Tendulkar: "Undisputed Champion of Cricket!"

And Shane Warne, the second-highest Test wicket-taker said: "Sachin Tendulkar is, in my time, the best player without a doubt - daylight second, Brian Lara third."