Michel Platini

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - France, World Cup winners in 1998 and finalists in 2006, missed out on a place in the eight top seeds for Friday's draw, announced by FIFA on Wednesday. FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke told a news conference the decision had been based on the world rankings and had no connection with the controversy over France's infamous "handball" goal against Ireland. The top seeds are hosts South Africa, holders Italy, Argentina, Brazil, England, Germany, Netherlands and Spain. France are left as the most dangerous floating team who could be drawn in the same group as any one of the top eight ... Read Full Story

David Beckham met UEFA president Michel Platini and admitted to being "star-struck" by the legendary Frenchman. Read Full Story

The European soccer governing body has selected a team of independent experts to monitor the finances at the top soccer clubs. UEFA said Wednesday that former Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene and eight financial and legal consultants have formed the Club Financial Control Panel. It can inspect accounts and recommend banning clubs from the Champions League. They include former Celtic chairman Brian Quinn, who was once the Bank of England's deputy governor. UEFA president Michel Platini wants the panel to help create "financial fair play" across Europe's 53 soccer nations. Platini believes high spending on player transfers and salaries can't be sustained, and wants ... Read Full Story

Armenian President President Serzh Sarkisian was set to make a landmark visit to Turkey Wednesday to attend a World Cup football game as the two nations pressed ahead with normalization efforts. Sarkisian was to arrive in the northwestern city of Bursa, just four days after Turkey and Armenia, backed by world powers, signed milestone deals aimed at ending decades of hostility. The outcome of the World Cup qualifier is of no significance as both Armenia and Turkey are already out of the running for the 2010 finals, but the political stakes are high. Wary that nationalist fans may spoil what is intended to be ... Read Full Story

Armenia's president paid a landmark visit to Turkey Wednesday, and jeering at the football match he attended showed the difficulty the two nations face in trying to overcome their bloody history. Serzh Sarkisian and his Turkish counterpart Abdullah Gul met "in an extremely positive atmosphere" ahead of the game, diplomats said, but there was loud booing of Armenia's national anthem at the stadium. Sarkisian flew to the northwestern city of Bursa just four days after Turkey and Armenia, backed by world powers, signed historic deals to end decades of hostility, establish formal ties and open their border. The protocols still need parliamentary ratifications to ... Read Full Story