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."

The Kings of the Comeback - We take a look at the greatest comebacks in sporting history.

This week in San Francisco saw the final race in the America’s Cup sailing event. The comeback by Oracle Team USA, featuring Brit Ben Ainslie, is rightly now considered one of the most remarkable comebacks in sporting history. Having been docked two points before the cup had even started, before falling 8-1 behind, an unbelievable run saw them draw into contention before clinching the cup in a dramatic winner takes all final race.

Is this the greatest comeback of all time? Here are some other contenders from over the years to reminisce over:

Dennis Taylor 


The bespeckled and quirky Taylor staged one of the greatest comebacks in snooker history. In the 1985 Crucible final, legend Steve Davis was at the top of his game and by the second session Taylor trailed 8-0. The comeback that ensued was truly epic, forcing it back to 17-17 frames each, Taylor took the nerve-tingly final frame. The famous finger-wag will go down as one of the most iconic celebrations in sport.

2012 Ryder Cup 

Known as the ‘Miracle of Medinah’ the European teams comeback against the Americans in Chicago, as they trailed 10-4 going into Sunday’s singles, was truly a miraculous performance. Jose Maria Olazabal’s men hushed the partisan team USA crowd and orchestrated an amazing recovery, Martin Kaymer sank the putt that saw the Cup gloriously returning to Europe.

Allez les Bleus 

The 1999 Rugby World Cup Semi-Final between France and New Zealand is often cited as the greatest game in its history. A rampant Jonah Lomu put the All Blacks into a dominant 24-10 lead and they looked set to play the game out to reach the final. However, France came back to defy all the odds and the favourites went spiralling out. In particular an exceptional performance from Christophe Lamaison, recording a 28-point haul, led Les Bleus to a 43-31 victory.


Botham's Ashes - Headingley 

England may have had an unprecedented run of Ashes success in recent years, but back in the 80’s it was another period of Australian dominance. In the 1981 Headingly test Australia were on the verge of going 2-0 up within four days. Then Ian Botham stepped up to bat, not leaving the crease until he had recorded a defiant innings of 149. England followed-on, forcing the the Aussies to bat again. Bob Willis then recorded sensational figures of 8-43 and England became the second ever test team to win after following-on. The confidence and glory gained from this victory led England to a 3-1 series victory.


Faldo the Masters Master

This could easily be labelled an amazing choke, but regardless the 1996 Masters saw a scintillating Faldo come back from six shots down to beat Greg Norman. As Norman crumbled in the final round, Faldo’s 67 saw the Englishman win by five shots and claim his third Masters title.







So, what is your favourite sporting comeback of all time?

The Great North Run - Great for Charity and Athletics....

The Great North Run the second biggest half marathon in the world was another runaway success this year, providing a welcome boost to the struggling local economy and raising an estimated £28m for charity.

The men's race featured one of the most dramatic finishes in the event’s history, which cemented the outstanding day in the public mind.

The race reached came to thrilling end when Britain's Olympic hero Mo Farah, the best long distance runner in the world, entered into an epic duel with Ethiopian rival Kenenisa Bekele which saw him lose out by one second at the last.

Mighty Mo commented after the last gasp sprint: "It was a great race. It was a great finish.

"I thought when Kenenisa went with a mile to go I thought the pace was just ridiculous!

"I thought I'd come back and close the gap slowly. I managed to close a little bit of it. But you know, you can't take away what he has. He has a great speed and it came down to the last 200m."

Their dual and breathtaking sprint finish is sure to be remembered for years to come. As will the sight of the near 56,000 runners who braved the awful weather forecasts and enhanced the reputation of this remarkable event, which was officially started by World 400m Champion Christine Ohuruogu and England Cricketer Graeme Swann.

David Hart, spokesman for organisers Nova International, said: “It was an incredible day – one of the greatest races in athletics history.

“It had probably the greatest finish of any Great North Run in recent years, the crowd were sensational, and it was a great day for the region and the 56,000 runners involved.

“Thankfully the weather didn’t turn out to be quite as challenging as had been forecast.

“A couple of people have been taken to hospital and are under observation, but overall it was a fantastic day and Nova, as organisers, are very, very proud of how it went.”

The race was not just about the professional athletes though, it boasted a variety of interesting and famous characters, from celebrities like former football star turned TV pundit Robbie Savage (alongside referee Graham Poll) and Spice Girl Mel C, to hordes of fun runners who took part to achieve personal race goals and raise huge amounts of cash for a range of worthy cause.

During the race an estimated 82,000 litres of water was drunk by parched runners.

From just 12,000 competitors at the first run in 1981, the event has now grown to more than 55,000 accepted entrants from more than 100,000 applicants.

F.A.O Greg Dyke: England have always been Rubbish...

When new F.A Chairman Greg Dyke was presented to the media last week, he spent much of his first press conference bemoaning the falling number of Englishmen playing football in the Premier League.

"The real challenge for us looking forward is that we've gone from 70% English players in the Premier League to 30% and it's still falling. If that continues, we won't have a chance in hell in future tournaments. We have got to stop that decline and we've got to get more English players playing at the highest level."

Since his comments there has been a media frenzy, many football journalists have jumped at the chance to get behind this view and add their foreigner blaming opinions to the debate. The most prominent statistic used to highlight this lack of English talent, is the fact that when the PL was launched in 1992, 75 per cent of players were English and now it is down to just 32%.

Which explains England's glorious World Cup victory in 1994.

On the surface Greg Dyke’s comments might seem sensible, the sort of everyfan schtick you are likely to hear at the pub before a game. However if you think about it with any level of insight, the idea that the foreign talent in the Premier League is diminishing the quality of the England team is clearly and obviously not true.

If we look at the history of the England team, apart from a glorious aberration on home soil in 1966, they have actually always been pretty average. Even when the league was full of a near 100% Englishmen we were not in fact world beaters. There is an argument to say that since the influx of foreign born stars, the England team has actually got better. In the 70’s and 80’s England often didn't qualify for major tournaments, since the advent of the Premier League the England team have regularly qualified and been consistent in getting to the knock-out phases, before going out to the first good team they have come across.

The elephant in the room is that England does not produce enough players of the required quality to surpass their foreign colleagues, if they were good enough they would of course be first picks. The idea that limiting the foreign players in the league will increase the quality of English players is nonsense, if they cannot compete at club level against these players they are unlikely to be better at international level. Not forgetting that the knock on effect of such a move would not only reduce the quality of the League, but is also likely to reduce the interest from fans around the world.

So what is the problem?

The coaching and education of young players is the key to this problem, the standard of grass roots coaching in this country is simply appalling. England just doesn't compare to countries like Spain, Germany, France, Italy, Brazil and even smaller nations. Grass roots football still has too much emphasis on kick and rush tactics, long balls and rewarding strength over technique. We have less qualified and professional coaches than these countries by a significant margin and have only just stopped our young kids from running around huge 11-a-side pitches at the age of ten!!

So next time an England team is being outplayed and knocked out at the first hurdle. Please remember, it is not the fault of the Dennis Bergkamp's, Eric Cantona’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s of this world. It is because we have only recently given up on our over reliance on prehistoric tactics and valuing strength over technique. England players also seem to show a genuine lack of composure, which manifests itself as our heroes being brave blood stained "warriors". Real composure and bravery is not a blood stained defeat, but risking a piece of skill or passing in a pressurised situation and not resorting to long ball tactics every time something goes wrong.

Quite simply, England need better players. Players with more quality and technique on the ball. Reducing the amount of good foreign players in the league will not improve this.

…And lets not get started on the fact that English players on the whole are scared to play abroad and generally seem to put a minimal amount of effort in to improve their game after they have “made it”.

“Not Good Enough” Dan Evans beats rival Tomic.

The British number three Dan Evans proved a particularly harsh critic wrong, by beating Benard Tomic yesterday at the US Open and the critic couldn’t have been closer to the Australian number one. Last year in Miami Tomic’s father John, told Evans that he was not even good enough to practice with the Australian.

The British number three won their second-round encounter by three sets to one and record the best win of his career, not only making Tomic’s father eat his words but highlighted the hard work and practice he has put into improving his game.

Post match, Evans recalled Tomic’s fathers comments when he was in Miami for qualifiers.

"I was there playing qualifiers," said Evans, 23. "His dad said I wasn't good enough to practise with him."

He added: "We went to practise, it was all booked, I got to the practice hut. His dad said: 'No, no, he's a qualifier, I'm not hitting with you'.

"So it was one of those. A bit embarrassing, but hey."

Tomic could do nothing to halt the rampant Evans after winning the first set, and the man from Birmingham agreed afterwards that it was the best win of his career:

"That's probably the best I've had to fight back," said the world number 179. "In the Davis Cup, I've always been pretty much up when I've won the matches."

Evans reward for reaching the third round of the Grand Slam for the first time,  is a guaranteed $60,000 and a draw against 19th seed, the Spaniard Tommy Rebredo.

Five-time US Open champion Rodger Federer could be next on the horizon if Evan’s manages to make it through to the fourth round. Federer himself was not ‘too good’ for Evan’s when he chose to practice with him before the match on Thursday

"It was amazing to hit with someone so good," said Evans. "I really enjoyed it, actually had a really good hit.

"It was a very good experience. He's a nice guy, was interested in what I did. It was good."

Tomic, ranked 52nd, said after the match "It shows you anybody can play in the top 250, a lot of guys can play. It's just a matter of consistency. The guys in the top 100 and top 50 are more consistent.

"He's playing well for the first time. This is his best result. He played very well against Kei. I knew if he beat Kei it was going to be difficult.

"I think I started well but just lost the concentration, lost my energy level. I couldn't execute my shots, go after my shots, and from then he took over."

Dan Evans magnificent rise in performance levels and subsequent victories, highlight the improvements that can be made with hard work and practice. Some may even argue Tomic’s fathers comments could have acted as the catalyst behind these improvement.