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Tuesday Kickoff: FAs wants FIFA election postponed, Scholes retires and more

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The weekend's events have caused the English and Scottish Football Associations to call for a postponement of Wednesday's scheduled FIFA presidential election.

FIFA executive committee members Mohammed Bin Hammam and Jack Warner were suspended after an ethics hearing on Sunday, and Bin Hammam withdrew his candidacy for FIFA president, leaving current president Sepp Blatter as the lone candidate in the race.

Blatter was cleared of any allegations by the ethics committee after charges from Bin Hammam put him in the spotlight; Bin Hammam appealed his suspension in light of the ethics committee's findings; and Warner has revealed an e-mail from FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke that uncovers Valcke's assertion that Bin Hammam, who headed Qatar's 2022 World Cup bid, bought the right to host the tournament.

England and Scotland want Wednesday's election to be postponed to "give credibility to the process" and so an "alternative reforming candidate" can enter the race, said English FA chairman David Bernstein.

Here a couple of other big items from around the soccer world this morning:

SCHOLES RETIRES

Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes has called it a career, retiring after 16 years at Manchester United. He will remain with the club in a different capacity, though, as he will join Sir Alex Ferguson's coaching staff.

Scholes 36, appeared 676 times for the Red Devils and scored 150 times in all competitions while being lauded by teammates and opponents alike. He won 10 Premier League championships and was a part of the 2008 UEFA Champions League title team.

REPORT: HOULLIER OUT AT VILLA

Gerard Houllier's stint as manager of Aston Villa is over after he and the club parted ways mutually, according to the Birmingham Mail.

Houllier's health is the reason for his departure, as his doctors and medical tests showed that it would be too risky for him to carry on as manager, according to the report. He had a heart scare toward the end of this past season that forced him out of action for the final few weeks.

The Birmingham Mail also says that Villa is expected to officially announce his departure on Wednesday.

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What's your stance on the FIFA elections after the weekend's findings? How do you rank Scholes' career? Who do you think would be a good fit as Villa manager, and what do you think Houllier's reported departure means for the Americans currently with the club?

Share your thoughts below.

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