Austria s hopes of reaching Euro 2012 suffered a major blow after they went down 2-1 at home to Germany on Friday.
The hosts came in to the match in Vienna fourth in Group A, eight points behind leaders Germany and three back from second-placed Belgium.
With Joachim Loew s World Cup semi-finalists looking assured of top spot, the best Austria could hope for was second place and chance of qualifying through the playoffs.
Against the odds, they were level at 1-1 heading toward the final whistle and looked set to take a point from the match at the Ernst Happel Stadium.
But a late winner from Mario Gomez snatched yet another victory for Germany, who remain unbeaten in competitive matches against their neighbours stretching back to the 1978 World Cup.
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FIFA president Gianni Infantino has confirmed that video assistant referees (VAR) will be used at the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The VAR process has been trialled in domestic competition and at the 2016 Club World Cup, while it helped to correct two decisions in a high-profile international friendly between France and Spain in March.
And, reflecting on positive early results, Infantino has said the VAR system is a necessity in order to avoid errors at the highest level.
We will use video refereeing at the 2018 World Cup, because we ve had nothing but positive results so far, he said at a congress of the South American Football Confederation.
In 2017, when everyone in the stadium or at home can see within seconds if the referee made a mistake, we can t ha…
Wigan manager Shaun Maloney admitted he was determined to reach the third round of the FA Cup for chairman Mike Danson following a 1-0 win at York.
Maloney, who was a member of the Latics’ 2013 FA Cup final-winning team, is desperate to repay Danson with a money-spinning run in this season’s competition after he saved the club from financial ruin when he took over in the summer.
The Latics had to start their League One campaign with an eight-point deduction due to the off-pitch issues Danson inherited, meaning a good cup run would prove a perfect fillip given the handicap they were given in the league.
After Stephen Humphrys’ goal sealed victory at the National League outfit, Maloney said: “I am very happy to be in the third-round draw.
“The cha…
Tottenham claimed a dominant win at Old Trafford to pile the pressure on Erik ten Hag, as they beat 10-man Manchester United 3-0 on Sunday.
Micky van de Ven opened up United s defence with an excellent run to set up Brennan Johnson with just three minutes on the clock, and it never got better for United from then on.
Alejandro Garnacho struck the post before Bruno Fernandes received a straight red card in the 42nd minute for a late tackle on James Maddison, giving United a mountain to climb.
It was a challenge they were unable to overcome, with Spurs capitalising on their numerical advantage early in the second half through Dejan Kulusevski before Dominic Solanke tapped home a third, and it could have been more, if not for some big Andre Onana saves.
Ange…
Bordeaux will play in the third tier of French football next season after a proposed takeover by Liverpool s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) fell through.
The six-time French champions, who last won Ligue 1 in 2008-09, have spent the last two seasons in Ligue 2 after finishing bottom of the top flight in 2021-22.
They finished 12th under former Liverpool and Spain winger Albert Riera last term, but their long-term financial struggles came to a head when the Direction Nationale du Controle de Gestion (DNCG) recommended they be demoted to the Championnat National.
Bordeaux successfully appealed the same sanction in 2022 but after FSG withdrew from talks regarding a takeover, they have accepted the punishment ahead of 2024-25.
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FIFA has confirmed it will work with Qatar on an expanded 48-team World Cup in 2022 that will involve at least one more country hosting games.
Football s governing body has already approved the increase for the 2026 tournament and is investigating the possibility of instituting the change four years ahead of schedule.
The FIFA Council met in Miami on Friday and accepted a feasibility study that recommended the need for neighbouring nations to provide hosting support to Qatar.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: We came to the conclusion that, yes, it is feasible to move the World Cup in 2022 from 32 to 48 teams provided, of course, that certain conditions are met.
To be very clear, today we have a World Cup in Qatar of 32 teams and it is great l…
Dorival Junior will get things right despite Brazil s underwhelming start to the Copa America, believes left-back Guilherme Arana, as the Selecao prepare to face Paraguay.
Brazil were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Costa Rica in their opening Group D match on Monday, losing ground on Colombia, who started with a win over Paraguay.
While Dorival praised aspects of his team s performance in that match, he acknowledged more will be needed in the final third if the Selecao are to challenge for a 10th South American crown.
Atletico Mineiro full-back Arana, who played the full 90 minutes last time out, praised Dorival s approach as he opened up on the coach s reaction to the result.
As soon as we entered the dressing room, he praised our pressing aft…
Italy were beaten a few days ago by North Macedonia in the semifinals of the play-offs of the World Cup qualifications, which means the European champions will not be playing in Qatar. It ll be the second consecutive World Cup they ve missed.
It may have come as a great shock for a lot of people, but England midfielder and Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson rightly stresses the pressure the renowned football nations face with each qualifying process.
There is, however, a discernable air of gloating from the English press (not players) these days, clearly showing enduring pain from the defeat England suffered at the hands of the Azzurri in the Euro final at Wembley last year.
It does show how difficult qualification can be, sometimes take for granted and it s ex…
In what was the first Premier League contest of 2022, Arsenal and Manchester City certainly didn t disappoint in what turned out to be a real thriller at the Emirates on Saturday lunchtime.
While the Gunners might have taken a more than deserved 1-0 lead heading into the half-time break, it was Pep Guardiola s defending champions who eventually snatched a last-gasp 2-1 victory in north London.
Briefly extending their buffer at the top of the table to double digits, the Sky Blues will undoubtedly look back on Saturday s result if they re able to make it back-to-back Premier League titles this season.
In a meeting that saw huge controversy at both ends of the Emirates pitch, we have taken a look at the key talking points.
City show all of their resolve
Wa…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has warned that he will be even better in 2014 after his superb hat-trick in the Coupe de France on Wednesday.
Sweden international Ibrahimovic fired home his first goals of the year against Ligue 2 side Brest in a 5-2 win for PSG, with Thiago Motta and Ezequiel Lavezzi also finding the net in a comfortable victory.
Ibrahimovic enjoyed a stellar 2013 as he helped PSG to their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years, while also becoming the first man since 1990 to score 30 league goals in a season in the 2012-13 campaign.
The 32-year-old s treble at Brest saw him move 26 goals for the current season, and the former Milan and Barcelona man is confident of producing further strong performances.
I hope to improve my game and become even better in 2014, he …