Newsdesk - Facebook Rubbishes England Sponsorship Claims; Egypt FA Chief Ousted

(WFI) Facebook has distanced itself from reports that it is set to become the next sponsor of the England football team, describing reports linking it to a Football Association deal as “bizarre".

A longstanding sponsorship agreement with Nationwide building society is set to expire later this month, and the social networking site, along with mobile phone companies O2 and Orange, and the bank Santander, were named on a shortlist of companies pitching to take over their deal.

But in a statement released to the Press Association, Facebook rubbished the speculation.

“Facebook is not in talks with the England football team regarding sponsorship,” a spokesman said.

“I don’t know where it has come from but it is not true. It’s bizarre. We obviously work with lots of different brands and the FA have used the Facebook platform and the England team have a page.

“We’ve obviously been talking to them about those sorts of things, just like any other brand.”

England have just five weeks until their next international match, and risk going into the friendly against Hungary at Wembley on Aug. 11 without a major sponsor.

“Nationwide's sponsorship of the England team has been extremely successful over 11 seasons and has significantly raised the profile of our organization,” said a Nationwide spokesman.

“Our current sponsorship deal ends at the end of July and it is unlikely to be renewed.”

Court forces out Egypt FA chief
Egypt’s most successful ever football association chief, Samir Zaher, has been forced out from his long-running presidency after Egypt’s Supreme Court ruled he was ineligible for his seat.

Zaher was re-elected president in December 2008, but faced a long-running court battle with one of his vanquished rivals, Osama Khalil, a former Ismaili player and coach.

Khalil sued to prevent Zaher from running for the elections after he was previously charged with issuing bounced bank cheques.

After an 18-month-long case the court sided with Khalil, ruling that Zaher "did not deserve" the president's seat.

Zaher’s Supreme Court appeal was turned down.

It brings to an end the rule of the most successful president in the federation’s history, with Egypt’s national team winning four Africa Cup of Nations – including this year’s prize – under his watch.

EFA vice-president Hani Abu Rida is to become interim president until elections are held within three months.

Collina to become European referees boss
Pierluigi Collina, the Italian who refereed the 2002 World Cup final, is to become UEFA’s new head of referees.

Collina, who retired abruptly five years ago, has been chosen to head an 11-member committee, under auspices of the UEFA technical committee. His fellow members will include which will also include France’s Marc Batta and Scotland’s Hugh Dallas.

“I’d like to thank those who first had the idea to bring me back to the world of refereeing,” Collina was quoted by La Gazetta dello Sport.

“[UEFA President] Platini came up with the role that UEFA have offered me. It is very important because it will mean coordinating referees in Europe and selecting them for European competitions.”

Collina was previously Serie A’s referee chief selector, an important role given how the integrity of the country’s was brought into question by the 2006 Calciopoli scandal.

Marcello Nicchi, president of the Italian referee’s committee, will now succeed Collina, taking on both roles.
Nicchi used his appointment to call on FIFA to bring in technological assistance for referees.

“Technology for phantom-goals? It is very welcome. We don’t expect anything less. It would only help the work of referees,” he said.


By INSIDER’s James Corbett.

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