csconstantine.com

ZURICH (AP)—FIFA Vice President Michel Platini has raised the prospect of a walkout by Asian members in Wednesday’s presidential vote.

Incumbent Sepp Blatter is the only candidate in the election after Asian Football Confederation President Mohamed bin Hammam withdrew his candidacy before being suspended by FIFA over bribery allegations.

Platini, the president of UEFA, reminded members of European football’s governing body at a meeting in Zurich Monday of Asia’s protest at a 1999 congress over World Cup places.

“In ’99 Asia left, I don’t know if they will do that again. I think the election will go ahead but I don’t know,” Platini said.

Blatter is unconcerned about the 46 Asian members disrupting the meeting on Wednesday when world football’s 208 countries are due to vote.

“I have already faced that once and the Congress went on,” Blatter said. “They will be there I am sure.”

On Monday, the AFC canceled its caucus meeting scheduled for Tuesday morning without explanation. It is the only one of FIFA’s six confederations to skip the traditional pre-congress gathering.

Yousuf Al Serkal, an AFC vice president and close ally of bin Hammam said the Qatari had been “mistreated.”

“Bin Hammam is the right person who should have been elected to the presidency of FIFA from the point of view of change,” Al Serkal told The Associated Press. “Blatter has had his chance, it’s more than enough. There should have been changes for the benefit of football.

“Bin Hammam could have been the best to serve world football at this time. The way he was treated I think it was unfair. All the allegations were just from a report.”

A FIFA ethics panel said Sunday that there was sufficient evidence to further investigate allegations that bin Hammam as well as CONCACAF President Jack Warner offered $40,000 bribes to delegates at a Caribbean football association meeting earlier this month ahead of the election.

In a statement issued early Tuesday morning, the AFC backed bin Hammam and confirmed that its most senior vice president, China’s Zhang Jilong, will be acting president of the confederation.

“We, the members of the AFC Executive Committee, express our deepest concern at the latest developments within FIFA and that involves the AFC President Mohamed Bin Hammam,” the statement said. “We will be following the investigation as it takes its course. We hope the outcome of the investigation will be in the best interests of football in Asia and beyond.”

AP Sports Writers Michael Casey in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and John Pye in Brisbane, Australia contributed to this report.

Labels: Asian, could, members, Platini

Champions League holders Inter lock horns with German giants Bayern Munich on Wednesday evening and Inter playmaker Wesley Sneijder has singled out tricky winger Arjen Robben as the Bavarians' main attacking threat.

"Arjen is by far Bayern's most important player. We will have to do our utmost to make sure he doesn't get involved too much. He makes Bayern 50 per cent better with his presence," said Sneijder, according to Voetbal International.

"Bayern are a completely different team with Arjen. They really struggled without him, but they've returned to winning ways since his return. They score more goals now and Arjen has already been involved in a lot of goals again.

"We are determined to get a good result in the first leg. It's simply too dangerous to rely on a good result in the away game. We have a perfect team to play for a clean sheet and get a good result this way."

However, Bayern haven't lost a single game with Robben on the pitch in the 2010-11 campaign and Inter will have to be at their best to beat the German side.

Follow Goal.com on to get the latest soccer news directly. Check out Goal.com's

Labels: Arjen, Bayern, could, Difference, Goalcom, Inters, Munich, Robben, Sneijder, Wesley

The Eastlands outfit have spent lavishly to bring in top talent, paying enormous sums to land the services of their targets.

And the former Barca midfielder believes that with such spending, City are bound to overtake the Catalan club in due course.

"You cannot compare Barcelona with City right now because Barca are at the top and have top-quality players," Toure told The Sun.

"They have Leo Messi, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Dani Alves, who are fantastic. But we are still signing new players.

"In a couple of years we could be better than Barcelona. What we need to do is continue to work hard and improve with every game.

"I keep saying to my brother Kolo and my family that City have great players but we need to continue to work hard to become great."

Our  provides the best breaking news online and our  football fan community is unmatched worldwide. Never miss a thing again!

Labels: Barcelona, better, could, Goalcom, Manchester, Toure, years

JOHANNESBURG, Feb 18 (Reuters) - South African premier league leaders Orlando Pirates face possible sanctions and a heavy fine after a fan threw porridge at a match official at a match in Durban last month.

The Pirates are being charged with spectator misbehaviour and bringing the game into disrepute after one of their supporters lobbed a handful of stodgy porridge, which South Africans commonly eat with most meals, at the referee.

The incident came at the end of a comfortable away win for the Pirates.

In October last year, arch rivals Kaizer Chiefs were handed a suspended 500,000 rand ($72,630) fine after angry fans threw two plastic vuvuzelas and a cabbage onto the pitch during a cup tie to protest refereeing decisions.

The throwing of missiles onto the field by frustrated fans was a major problem in South African soccer for some time but has almost disappeared in recent years.

($1 = 6.884 South African rand)

(Reporting by Mark Gleeson in Cape Town; Editing by John O’Brien; To comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

For more soccer click on

Labels: attack, could, Pirates, plank, porridge, Reuters