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Tuesday Kickoff: Teixeira steps down, EPL to review medical policy and more

Ricardo Teixeira reuters

 

Former head of the Brazilian Football Federation Ricardo Teixeira has resigned from the FIFA Executive Committee, CONEMBOL announced late last night.

The move comes a week after Teixeira stepped down as chief of the Brazilian Federation and head of preparation for the 2014 World Cup. Tensions between Brazil and FIFA have been mounting in recent months as Brazil's legislature has been slow to enact FIFA-friendly reform laws and the construction of new stadiums have been dogged by delays and worker strikes. FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke was particularly pointed in expressing concern over FIFA's preparedness for the World Cup.

Teixeira cited "personal reasons" as the reason for his departure in a brief resignation letter to the other South American federation presidents. Teixeira served as head of Brazilian soccer for 23 years and was investigated for ethics violations in 2001 but was never convicted. Brazil has said they will act quickly to name a successor as FIFA's Executive Committee meets in Zurich next week.

Here are some more stories to kick off your Tuesday.

PREMIER LEAGUE TO REVIEW MEDICAL PROCEDURES

The English Premier League has announced a review of its medical procedures following the on-field collapse of Fabrice Muamba. Chief executive Richard Scudamore said the EPL will evaluate "every aspect of what happened and [see] if there are ways and means of improving. There are no guarantees but we will do whatever we can to improve."

The Premier League went through a similar review after Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech almost lost his life at Reading when a collision fractured his skull. There was widespread criticism of the Premier League for how the situation was handled and the incident oversaw wholesale changes to medical preparedness.

CERCI, BERTOLO BANNED FOR THREE GAMES

Fiorentina midfielder Alessio Cerci and Palermo midfielder Nicolas Bertolo will sit out the next three Serie A games after being sent off for violent conduct in games over the weekend.

Cerci was given his marching orders for kicking Juventus defender Paolo De Ceglie during Fiorentina's 5-0 loss while Bertolo was sent off for head-butting Lecce's Gennaro Delvecchio on Sunday. 

CELTIC RULES OUT MOVE TO ENGLAND

Scottish giants Celtic have emphatically dismissed suggestions that they might move to either League One or the Championship following the turmoil of their Old Firm rivals, Glasgow Rangers. Reports out of England had suggested that members inside the club were open to a move into the English pyramid, even if it was in the third tier.

Football League chairman Greg Clarke has called the suggestion "disrespectful" and said such a move would be resisted by both the Scottish and English FAs.

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What do you think of today's stories? Glad Teixeira's reign is over? Is there anything about the Premier League's medical policy you would like to see changed? Would you like to see Celtic move to England?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. seems to me the only way to make Scottish soccer profitable is for both Celtic and Rangers to join the Championship. Celtic would probly win promotion first try. Rangers maybe not…

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  2. No need to feel shame at all, as you bring up a perfectly valid issue. There’s a chance that screening could be an issue/recommendation which surfaces from this procedural review.

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  3. You are correct, the article states “chief executive Richard Scudamore has announced the Premier League will review its medical procedures … to ensure stricken players receive the best possible care”. Nothing is said about health screenings or prevention – which is too bad.

    The article also quotes Mr. Scudamore as saying “In some ways, [Muamba’s] life, if it is saved – and let’s hope it has been saved – is as a result of the things a lot of us put in place after what happened with Petr Cech”. So this review may just be an exercise in back-patting.

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  4. Oh, (hangs head in shame) I didn’t read the article. But, from the comments I have read from EPL coaches and officials (in 2 recent Fox Soccer articles), everyone seemed to think that the quick on-field response probably saved Muamba’s life. On the other hand, in one article Mancini was quite vocal that he thinks players should be screened every six months.

    Now I’ll try to be a good poster and read the linked article.

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  5. Its great that the EPL is going to review its medical policy, but they should probably wait to find out what brought on Fabrice Muamba’s heart attack before they mandate any new tests. I would imagine that EPL players are already run through a large battery of tests. It’s my understanding that certain heart conditions, like tachycardia (rapid heartbeat), only happen occasionally and are difficult to diagnose unless they’re actually happening.

    Hopefully Muamba can recover completely, and the attention this event has received will lead to more thorough testing (if possible) and better tests being developed. If a little EPL money leads to better cardiac tests being developed, that will (eventually) help the rest of us.

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  6. If it were to happen, Celtic would be taking the risk – biting the bullet financially for two years and hoping for back-to-back promotion.

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