A round-up of today's other stories in brief
Defensive pair spared suspensions
CHELSEA DEFENDER Branislav Ivanovic will not face any suspension despite his red card in yesterday’s fiery Community Shield defeat to Manchester City. It was thought Ivanovic would be banned for three matches, starting with Chelsea’s opening Premier League fixture at Wigan next Sunday.
However, the FA changed their rules after the Amsterdam Tournament in 2006, when Manchester United pair Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney were both sent off against Porto. As the rule change covered all non-competitive pre-season fixtures Ivanovic will be free to play at the DW Stadium.
Meanwhile, John Terry will be able to play from the start of the Blues’ Champions League campaign. The England defender was sent off in last season’s semi-final second leg against Barcelona for an off-the-ball clash with Alexis Sanchez, but Uefa have partially upheld Terry’s appeal – having missed the final against Bayern Munich, he will now also miss the Super Cup clash with Atletico Madrid on August 31st, but the remaining sanction has been suspended for three years.
Balotelli ruled out with eye infection
Italy’s Mario Balotelli has been ruled out of this week’s friendly international against England due to an eye infection.
The Manchester City striker, one of the stars of Italy’s run to the final of Euro 2012, has been released by coach Cesare Prandelli after coming down with conjunctivitis.
The 22-year-old has been replaced in the squad for Wednesday’s match in Berne by Udinese front man Diego Fabbrini.
Teenage goalkeeper Jack Butland says it will be a “dream come true” if he makes his senior England debut against Italy in Berne. The 19-year-old Birmingham custodian could get the chance to feature on Wednesday after Joe Hart was ruled out with a back injury.
England manager Roy Hodgson opted against calling up a replacement for Hart, leaving Butland and John Ruddy as the only two remaining goalkeepers.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has also dropped out of Hodgson’s England squad. The winger reported for duty this morning but, after picking up an ankle injury in Arsenal’s friendly with Cologne yesterday, has immediately been released back to his club.
Scannell strives to regain career momentum
THE GREAT THINGS predicted of Seán Scannell four years ago when part of Giovanni Trapattoni’s first squad have still to unfold but the striker is keen to show his worth tonight for the Republic of Ireland Under-21s.
Scannell is set to win his first competitive cap under manager Noel King in their key Uefa qualifier against Turkey at the Showgrounds in Sligo (7.30pm), where a win would move them to within touching distance of a play-off for next year’s European Championships in Israel.
At 17, Scannell was the youngest member of Trapattoni’s squad in Portugal back in May 2008, but the recent signing by new Championship club Huddersfield Town hasn’t fulfilled that early promise.
“It feels like a ridiculous amount of time ago that I got that call-up and the experience of working with the manager was fantastic,” said Scannell.
REP OF IRELAND (probable): I McLoughlin (MK Dons); J Egan (Sunderland), S Duffy (Everton), N Canavan (Scunthorpe United), G Cunningham (Manchester City) — capt; A Barton (Coventry City), R Towell (Unattached), E O’Kane (Torquay United); R Brady (Manchester United), S Scannell (Huddersfield Town), A White (Leeds United).
John Toshack leaves Macedonia job after 12 months
Macedonia and their Welsh manager John Toshack parted company on Monday after the former Liverpool striker failed to comply with the demands of the Balkan country’s new FA chief Ilco Gjorgjioski, officials said.
The Macedonian Football Federation (FFM) and Gjorgjioski had asked the 63-year-old Toshack to live in the country and follow the progress of the country’s players.
“I was ready to honour the agreement I signed with the previous leadership when I took over 12 months ago,” Toshack told a news conference in Skopje.
“I understand the new president’s position and requirements but I can’t accept them and I wish him and the team the best of luck and success in the upcoming World Cup qualifiers.”
Mourinho more than just 'Special One' after Spanish win
REAL MADRID’S Jose Mourinho said that he should be labelled the “Only One” instead of the “Special One”, after becoming the only coach to win the top three leagues in European football.
Mourinho has won titles in Spain (once, with Real Madrid), Italy (twice, with Inter Milan) and England (twice, with Chelsea), as well as in his native Portugal (twice, with Porto).
“Like me or not, I am the only one who won the world’s three most important leagues. So, maybe instead of the ‘Special One’, people should start calling me the ‘Only One’,” Mourinho said in an interview with Portuguese TV channel SIC.
In an interview televised on Monday he explained that, as his career has progressed, he has become less selfish and less focused on his individual goals.
“Things have been going well for me, thank God. I am focused on others much more these days. The pleasure of winning with Inter Milan was seeing a club which had not won for 50 years winning again.
“That is what entices me more and more, instead of pursuing individual goals.”
