Page 21 - Aruba Today
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SPORTS A21
Wednesday 20 January 2016
Infantino seeks regional World Cup if elected FIFA president
ROB HARRIS several countries to enjoy UEFA secretary general Gianni Infantino arrives at the Kongresshaus in Zurich, Switzerland. The
AP Sports Writer the honor and benefits,” In- World Cup could be spread across entire regions, emulating the continent-wide 2020 European
LONDON (AP) — The World fantino’s manifesto says. Championship, if Gianni Infantino wins next month’s FIFA presidential election. Infantino used his
Cup could be spread The first World Cup bidding manifesto, which was published Tuesday Jan. 19, 2016 to say FIFA should not limit the tournament
across entire regions, emu- after the Feb. 26 election to be being held in one or two countries.
lating the continent-wide is for the 2026 tournament.
2020 European Champion- The launch of the contest (Walter Bieri/Keystone via AP)
ship, if Gianni Infantino wins has been stalled since last
the FIFA presidential elec- year when FIFA was swept of the six confederations youth tournaments. tino said.
tion next month. up in a global soccer cor- will be handed $40 million The amounts are all within Infantino entered the race
The UEFA secretary general ruption scandal, which led to invest in development a four-year cycle. only after Platini, his boss
used his manifesto, which to Sepp Blatter announc- projects and their regional “If the target of 50 percent at UEFA, was initially sus-
was published on Tuesday, ing plans to quit before be- offshoots in Asia, Africa, the of distribution of FIFA’s in- pended by FIFA in Octo-
to say FIFA should not limit ing banned. Caribbean and Central come is reached, these ber before being handed
the tournament to be be- Infantino, who is Swiss, is America can request an- amounts will further in- an eight-year ban last
ing held in one or two coun- one of five presidential other $4 million to organize crease significantly,” Infan- month.q
tries. The 2002 World Cup candidates seeking votes
in Japan and South Korea from FIFA’s 209 member as-
was the only time the event sociations.
has been co-hosted. In an attempt to entice
Infantino, working along- federations, Infantino is
side Michel Platini at UEFA, also offering them a great-
spearheaded spreading er share of FIFA’s wealth,
Euro 2020 across 13 coun- saying a “proper risk anal-
tries.In November, Infan- ysis must be conducted”
tino told The Associated into whether the governing
Press of his plan to expand body requires cash reserves
the World Cup to 40 teams. as high as $1.5 billion.
Allowing several countries Each of FIFA’s members will
to stage matches in about be offered $5 million to in-
a dozen stadiums would vest in development proj-
ensure the tournament is ects and running costs — a
not limited to just a few huge increase on the $2.05
wealthy potential hosts. million per federation 2011-
“FIFA should investigate the 2014 — and another $1 mil-
possibility of organizing the lion, if required, for travel,
World Cup not only in one which would be attractive
or two countries but in a to small nations in remote
whole region, so enabling regions.Additionally, each
As trial was to start, settlement reached in MLB TV dispute
Associated Press In the past, viewers who cheapest version previ- the start of the 2017 season. a big win for baseball fans.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Just as ously available. The deal In most instances, a sub- Major League Baseball
a trial was to begin, Ma- didn’t live in their favored also calls for the cost of a scription to a team’s cable confirmed the settlement
jor League Baseball and a league-wide package to outlet is necessary to view but said it could not com-
group of its fans who had teams’ home markets had drop to $109.99. The agree- games online, though the ment further because “the
sued reached agreement ment provides other op- agreement contemplates process remains ongoing.”
Tuesday to expand the to buy access to every tele- tions to cable subscribers to eventually enabling some NBC Sports Regional Net-
menu of online packages regional sports broadcast fans to watch games on- works said in a statement it
for televised games and vised MLB game included networks. The league will let line without traditional ca- was pleased with the deal.
lower prices. a subscriber buy access to ble subscriptions. The trial had been sched-
The deal came weeks after in the national plan. a visiting team’s broadcast “We believe this settlement uled to start Tuesday in
baseball’s lawyers said for online. MLB also agreed brings significant change Manhattan federal court,
the first time the league was Lawyers for fans who filed to provide live local team to the sports broadcasting though officials indicated
going to let fans buy single- broadcasts over the Inter- landscape,” said Ned Div- last week a settlement was
team online TV packages. the class action lawsuit net for cable subscribers by er, a plaintiffs’ lawyer. “It is likely. q
in 2012 said MLB will offer
unbundled Internet pack-
ages for the next five years,
including single-team
packages for $84.99 next
season. They said that’s a
23 percent drop from the
