SFA chief executive David Taylor says international football could be wiped out by Charleroi’s court case against Fifa, to be heard in March. The Belgian side are claiming compensation from Fifa after Abdelmajid Oulmers was injured playing for Morocco, who do not insure their players, against Burkina Faso. A favourable ruling could allow clubs to refuse to release players for internationals unless national associations accept responsibility for the players’ wages while they recover from injuries, meaning some players on high wages could be overlooked for selection. ‘You might as well forget about international football in the worst-case scenario,’ said Taylor. ‘It would undermine national team football altogether. There has to be respect shown by the court to the rules that sports bodies have made for themselves’
Confusion reigns in Roman’s empire
Hearts chairman Roman Romanov has refused to tell the club’s shareholders who decides on the signing of new players, the board or manager Graham Rix. The Tynecastle chairman, in answer to a shareholder’s query at the club’s agm, would only say: ‘We have a close working relationship.’ Meanwhile, Rix has been assured his position is safe until the end of the season. ‘In the summer we’ll sit down and analyse how good he’s been and make a decision,’ added Romanov
Thistle pursue compensation claim
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As reported here last week, Partick Thistle are to seek compensation for Finnish striker Jukka Santala after the loan striker left Rangers for FC Nordsjaelland on a free transfer on Friday. Partick were recently ordered by Fifa to pay Italian Serie C club AC Pistoiese £24,000 for a loan period spent there by former defender Adrian Madaschi before he moved to the Glasgow club from Atalanta
Marshall refused loan
Celtic keeper David Marshall has revealed he asked Gordon Strachan for a transfer window loan move. ‘I was told it wouldn't work for Celtic,’ said Marshall, who has not played since August after conceding nine goals in the first two matches of the season. Meanwhile, centre-back John Kennedy has ruled out playing before the end of the season after a fourth knee operation
Butcher distances himself from England job
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Terry Butcher has rebuffed suggestions he could be a contender to take over from Sven-Göran Eriksson as England manager. ‘I see Craig Brown put my name forward,’ said the Motherwell manager, who won 77 caps and captained England, ‘but I don’t think I’d be anywhere near the shortlist. Stuart Pearce and Arsène Wenger are the best candidates’
McLeish defends injured Hemdani
Rangers manager Alex McLeish insists midfielder Brahim Hemdani, left, is committed to the club despite making only 10 appearances this season due to injuries. ‘He is working hard,’ said McLeish.
Dodds retains management ambition
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Billy Dodds is limiting himself to playing duties at Partick Thistle until the end of the season, but insists his experience as assistant to the deposed Gordon Chisholm at Dundee United has not put him off management. ‘I saw the pressure he was under, but I’d still love to give it a go,’ said Dodds
Competition winners
The winners of our VIP Tennent’s Scottish Cup tickets competition were Elizabeth Royds of Cupar, Fife (Rangers v Hibernian tie) and John Samson from Edinburgh (Hearts v Aberdeen)