Football is by no measure India's most popular sport. Cricket rules the roost on the subcontinent and every young Indian boy or girl with an interest in sport wants to become the next Mahendra Singh Dhoni or Yuvraj Singh rather than follow in the footsteps of such paupers as Messi, Rooney or Henry.

Title over sex, booze and holidays Numerous English soccer fans would be willing to renounce to sex, alcohol and holidays if that was to guarantee success of their favourite teams. The poll conducted by Virgin Money from a sample of 2500 fans showed that sex and alcohol would be the first victims the fans would be ready to sacrify for the sake of their teams' results. Next in line people would dispense with are time with family and summer holidays. The most willing to renounce pleasure for success are Newcastle United followers provided that would give their team a Premiership title. Such an attitude is likely a result of a 38-year wait since the Magpies' last trophy, the Intercity Fairs' Cup won in 1969.

Platini seeks help from politicians Michel Platini, UEFA's president, has launched a desperate plea to the leaders of all European countries asking them for help in the battle against ruthless soccer capitalists. "A serious threat hangs over the development of European football. (...) Money has never been the ultimate objective of football: the main purpose has always been to win trophies. For the first time we may be entering an era in which financial profit alone will be the measure of sporting success," wrote Platini in his letter to the only people who could stop several dozen tycoons from bringing all the best world's players to several dozen West European clubs leaving the rest with nothing.

Did Nastase take the money? Dinamo Bucharest's Valentin Nastase has been accused by a Romanian daily, Fanatic, of having been paid by Lazio Rome to cause a penalty in favour of the Italians in their recent Champions' League preliminary tie. The penalty early in the second half enabled Lazio to draw level and start a turnaround on the way to a 3-1 away win. While the Italians qualified with a 4-2 aggregate score, Nastase has to defend himself. "I am being massacred from all sides. I have sent a note of denial to all Romanian newspapers, but they don't want to print it. I have sued the paper that published the lie. I'm not interested in money, only in truth and an apology," said the former Genoa, Palermo, Bologna and Ascoli player.

Matches to be played from August 27 Birmingham City v Hereford Bristol City v Manchester City Bristol Rovers v West Ham United Burnley v Oldham Athletic Cardiff v Leyton Orient Carlisle v Coventry City Charlton Athletic v Stockport County Derby County v Blackpool Luton v Sunderland Middlesbrough v Northampton MK Dons v Sheffield United Newcastle v Barnsley Nottingham Forest v Leicester Peterborough v West Bromwich Albion Plymouth v Doncaster Portsmouth v Leeds United Rochdale v Norwich City Sheffield Wednesday v Hartlepool

World Football News 05/22/2007 Romário's suspect record Romário da Sousa Faria has finally accomplished his lifetime goal. In the Brazilian championship match against Sport Club, the veteran scored a penalty for Vasco becoming the second Brazilian after Pelé with a 1000 goals. "I thank God on heaven," said an elated Romário when the game was interrupted so that he could be honoured. As the jubilant striker was running the lap of honour around the field of Sao Januário stadium, his mother Dona Lita put on the shirt with 1000 printed on the front, and the ball with which the legendary goal was scored ended in the hands of Romarito, one of his sons.

World soccer news 05/11/2007 Levski Sofia top European defences There is no doubt now: the best soccer is played in countries where attack rules over defence. Only one club from the top-leagues - Chelsea - feature among the best defending teams in a list ruled by Bulgarian, Czech, Ukrainian, Romanian and Serbian squads. By far the best defence this season is that of Levski Sofia, who have conceded just 7 goals in 26 games, 0.27 goals per game. The Bulgarian leaders also head the best goals difference chart with an amazing 79-7 (+72!) ratio.

World Soccer News 05/04/07 European soccer leagues Twenty two titles awarded No less than 22 league championships throughout Europe have been resolved to date, including those in the countries where the competitions are played within a calendar year. League titles have been decided in France, Italy, Holland, Scotland and Greece, while dramatic outcomes are expected in Spain, Germany, Poland and Czechia. The most dramatic finish occurred in Holland, where AZ Alkmaar under Louis van Gaal had all the trumps in their hands to win the league for the first time in 26 years. Of the three clubs going into the last day even on points, AZ had by far the best goal difference and needed any win away to lowly Excelsior to clinch the title. On the other hand, PSV were in the worst position having let slip an eight point advantage over AZ and ten points' over Ajax in the past two months.

World news roundup 04/17/2007 It's D-day for Euro 2012 UEFA's Executive Council will declare the host of the 2012 European Championship on Wednesday, April 18th, in Cardiff. The three candidates are Italy, Croatia/Hungary and Poland/Ukraine, with the Italians as hot favourites on paper – that is, if UEFA's leaders forget about a seemingly endless string of scandals and violent incidents that have hit calcio over the past 11 months. Franco Carraro, the same man who presided over the Italian FA when the damning discoveries were published as to how various top-clubs "worked" with the referees' organization in order to have the "most suitable" refs appointed for their games, is still a member of the Executive Council.

4/07/07 Weekly World News English fans targeted in Italy and Spain When English fans travel abroad, there is a likelihood of trouble, only they are not always to blame. At Stadio Olimpico in Rome truncheon-wielding police carried out a fierce intervention against Manchester United followers during the Roma-Manchester United Champions' League clash. The following day the police in Seville turned on Tottenham supporters with similar aggression on the occasion of the Sevilla-Spurs UEFA Cup duel. Both English clubs claim their fans were unjustly targeted, and the supporters themselves say they are shocked at the police brutality.