The Premier League is to launch a charm offensive at its 20 clubs in an attempt to convince footballers that they should not take strike action, and that they should accept the deal being offered to the Professional Footballers' Association, as it is for "a reasonable amount".
Yesterday, it emerged that football authorities have offered the PFA a six-year deal for a share of television income worth just over £100 million sterling and are willing to extend it to 10 years. That package would be worth £167 million sterling to the PFA.
Over the next few days meetings will be held between Premier League officials and players. Letters will also be sent to players. Notices will also be posted on dressing-room walls and club noticeboards.
Chairmen at Premier League and Football League clubs will also address players as football authorities attempt to win the propaganda war against the PFA, which they have been losing over the past few weeks.
The PFA has issued notices to strike on the weekend of December 1st, warning that footballers will not play in matches where cameras are present.
Meanwhile, the European Commission are investigating the FA Premier League commercial broadcasting contracts, it emerged last night. The move follows a similar inquiry, already well advanced, into the way UEFA sell their broadcasting rights.
FAI CUP: The FAI Senior Challenge Cup has secured a new main sponsor and will be known as the FAI Carlsberg Cup this season. The Carlsberg brand name takes over from Harp Lager, who have been associated with the competition since 1988.
The second round draw for this season's competition takes place live on RT╔ television from the Citywest Hotel next Monday evening, November 26th.
FIFA RANKINGS: Ireland moved up two places in the latest FIFA rankings to 18th position, which could improve the Republic's seeding in the 2002 World Cup finals. Argentina edged ahead of Brazil for the first time since 1993, rising to second place behind world champions France.
FIFA Top 20: 1 France 811 pts. 2 Argentina 798. 3 Brazil 797. 4 Portugal 741. 5 Colombia 736. 6 Italy 735. 7 Spain 731. 8 Netherlands 722. 9 Mexico 713. 10 England 712. 11 Germany 710. 12 Yugoslavia 709. 13 Czech Republic 699. 14 Paraguay 694. 15 Romania 687. 16 Sweden 676. 17 Denmark 675. 18 Ireland 672. 19 Croatia 671. 20 Belgium 666, United States 666.
EURO 2008: Scotland's Euro 2008 bid team is continuing to keep its options open by registering proposals with UEFA for both a solo and joint hosting of the flagship championships.
And if a joint bid does materialise within the next four months it will be with the Republic of Ireland, and not Wales, it was confirmed yesterday.
It is thought that Ireland would offer two stadia by 2008 that would satisfy UEFA - Lansdowne Road and the planned 80,000 seater stadium on the outskirts of Dublin.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE: Top UEFA official Gerhard Aigner says the second group phase of the Champions League could be scrapped in order to scale down the number of matches. Aigner said he hoped the matter would be settled by a UEFA executive committee meeting on December 12th-13th at its Nyon headquarters.
MANCHESTER UNITED: Alex Ferguson's side have suffered another injury blow with the news that Ryan Giggs is out until the new year with a hamstring strain. The Welsh international has suffered a recurrence of the long-standing problem. "Ryan's pulled his hamstring and these things take around six weeks to heal," Ferguson said.
RANGERS: Dick Advocaat has rapped out a warning to Sunderland and any other interested party that midfielder Claudio Reyna is not for sale. The US captain was the subject of a reported £3.5 million sterling bid by the Wearsiders, which was rejected by Ibrox chairman David Murray.
Manager Advocaat insisted that Reyna was an integral part of his team for this campaign.
AUSTRIA: Otto Baric was yesterday fired as coach of Austria following the country's failure to qualify for the World Cup finals. Austria failed to book their ticket to Japan and Korea last week after suffering a humiliating 6-0 aggregate play-off defeat to Turkey.
BARCELONA: Spain's international midfielder Luis Enrique faces a five-week injury lay-off after straining a thigh in Tuesday's Champions League victory over Liverpool. A Barcelona doctor said Enrique suffered a recurrence of an old injury in the 14th minute of the Anfield clash won 3-1 by the Catalan side.
BAYERN MUNICH: Midfielder Hasan Salihamidzic suffered a serious knee injury in the 1-1 Champions League draw against Manchester United on Tuesday and will be sidelined for five months, the German club said yesterday. The Bosnian international injured his right knee in a tackle with United's Mikael Silvestre.
ROMANIA: Gheorghe Hagi will remain the Romanian national team's coach despite being held responsible for the team's failure to qualify for the World Cup finals, the Romanian Soccer Federation (FRF).
The powerful club bosses on the FRF's board, with whom Hagi had repeatedly clashed during his playing days, decided the former Romanian stalwart on the pitch should be given more time to prove himself as a coach.
URUGUAY: Leading striker Dario Silva is set to make a surprise return to the Uruguay team for the second leg of the World Cup qualifying play-off against Australia.
Silva had been expected to miss both legs after dislocating his shoulder against Argentina one week ago. "I'm going to play, it's certain," said the Malaga striker, who was Uruguay's leading scorer in the South American World Cup group with five goals.
