Your guide to betting on soccer online

Soccer betting is getting increasingly popular among gurus and novices alike. The lure is too much, thanks to the numerous betting companies advertising on every online page you visit. Besides, people make a lot of money from betting, and it has become one of the best ways to obtain passive income. Today, as more soccer fans are being born around the world, the interest in betting has more than tripled over the past decade. The ground rules have changed, and everything has become so tempting. However, in light of all that, it is a field that should be approached with all the caution that you can afford.

In this article, we will guide you on how to bet on soccer online, the mistakes to avoid, and what to capitalize on to make winning easier.

Getting started

Whether you are a keen follower of soccer or not, winning on Betway is not a reserve for fans only. With the right approach, everyone is a winner. Since the start of online soccer betting with Betway, so many people have converted their small stake into large winnings, and it only seems to get better. If you’re also planning to get into the groove, there is no better time to do so than now. It begins with identifying a reputable bookmaker who you can create an account with right away. Betway is one of the best sites with the best odds, and a bottomless pit of markets.

It is not always smooth for newbies, especially with so many companies coming with irresistible joining bonuses. Understandably, it is easy to fall prey to the marketing gimmicks, but you should look at the bigger picture. The viability and credibility of the betting company should always be factored by all means.

Learn your way around

Even the biggest winners had their different experiences before they eventually became winners. Take adequate time to peruse the various markets on offer before making any further steps. What you may not know about online soccer betting is that there are more options beyond winning, losing, and drawing. Betway offers a variety of markets, most of which attract handsome odds and provide an even more probable outcome.

Bet responsibly

Responsible betting entails betting with money you can easily cope without after losing. The biggest mistake you can ever do is to place bets with money meant for other important projects. We all bet to win, but there are no guarantees in this industry, and anything can happen.

Winning formula

To this end, you are acquainted with the necessary information about betting; it is time to taste the waters. To maximize your chances of winning, analyze matches independently, based on the form of the team coming into the match, the most popular trends, for instance, the striking force and defence against other opponents. The more you learn about a team, the more chances you have of utilizing the numerous markets presented to you.

You can pick as many teams as your bookmaker may allow on a multi bet, but fewer options present higher chances of winning. For sites that offer in-play online betting like Betway, you’ll be better off watching match stats before placing a bet.

Final word

Betting on soccer online may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but with the above-simplified guide, you can quickly get yourself winning big. It is not an industry for everyone, but you can make it huge if you do it right.

Maradona candidate for FIFA presidency

Argentine football player and coach Diego Maradona says he will run for the presidency of the International Federation of Association Footbal (FIFA), a journalist close to the star says.

“He told me he would be a candidate for president of FIFA and authorized me to communicate it,” Uruguayan journalist Victor Hugo Morales tweeted.

Maradona has been a harsh critic of incumbent FIFA president, 79-year-old Swiss Sepp Blatter. Blatter is under considerable pressure from investigations into claims of corruption by the FBI and Swiss authorities.

The scandal, which has already led to charges against 18 senior FIFA officials, has forced Blatter to announce he would resign soon. He made the announcement just days after defiantly winning his fifth term as FIFA president in late May.

Blatter will stay acting president until a successor is chosen between December 2015 and March 2016 – and Diego Maradona could be that successor.

Maradona is one of the most controversial figures in the history of football. The 54-year-old has played for seven football clubs and Argentina’s national team.

He was also addicted to cocaine for almost two decades, which had him suspended for 15 months in 1991 after he failed a drug test. He overcame the addiction in 2005, but it caused him heart problems.

After retiring from the field, he managed several football teams, including Argentina’s national squad. His latest job was managing the Dubai-based club Al Wasl.

With Maradona as FIFA-president the organization will probably focus on being much more anti-European. Global soccer has been one of the most effective vehicles to promote multiculturlism.

Washington politicizes soccer

Washington’s attack on world soccer is following the script of Washington’s attack on the Russian-hosted Sochi Olympics. The difference is that Washington couldn’t stop the Olympics from being held in Sochi, and was limited to scaring off westerners with lies and propaganda.

In the current scandal orchestrated by Washington, Washington intends to use its takeover of FIFA to renege on FIFA’s decision that Russia host the next World Cup.

This is part of Washington’s agenda of isolating Russia from the World.

This Washington-orchestrated scandal stinks to high heaven. It seems obvious that the FIFA officials have been arrested for political reasons and that the recently overwhelmingly-reelected FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, was forced to resign by Washington’s threats to indict him as well. This can happen because Washington no longer is subject to the rule of law. In Washington’s hands, law is a weapon that is used against everyone, every organization, and every country that takes a position independent of Washington.

This clears the deck for Washington and its British lapdog to take over FIFA, which henceforth will be used to reward countries that comply with Washington’s foreign policy and to punish those who pursue an independent foreign policy.

The only hope for South America, Asia, and Russia is to form their own World Cup and turn their backs on the corrupt West.

It is astonishing that Russia, Asia, and South America so much desire to be part of the corrupt and immoral Western world. Why do countries wish to be associated with evil? Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, and perhaps Argentina and Brazil have learned that being in the Western orbit means putting their country under Washington’s control.

Putin, Lavrov, and China’s leaders say that being associated with the West is like being associated with the plague. Yet they still want to be associated with the West. Why do Russia and China think that their self-esteem depends on Washington’s approval?

FIFA is a Swiss-based organization. Yet the arrests of FIFA officials is based on a Washington-initiated “investigation” by the FBI. By asserting the universality of US law, Washington is asserting the authority of its police and prosecutors over sovereign countries.

Why did Switzerland, and why do other countries lay down in obedience to Washington’s assertion of the universality of its laws? Are the political leaders paid off or are they threatened with assassination or false indictments?

What explains that of all countries on earth only Washington’s law is universal, acknowledged and bowed down before in other countries? Is if fear of retribution?

Possibly, but one answer is that the entire point of being a leader of a foreign country is to be made rich by kowtowing to Washington. One year out of office and Tony Blair was reported to be worth $50 million. Where did the money come from? No one wanted to listen to Blair’s speeches when he was Prime Minister. Why did Americans pay him six-figure sums to give speeches?

Putin can become rich, too. All he needs to do is to turn Russia over to Washington.

Here we are in an orchestrated soccer scandal hyped to the hilt by the presstitute media while all the real scandals go unremarked.

For example, a number of the mega-banks in the West have pleaded guilty to felony charges and only suffered fines. As Finian Cunningham has pointed out, the money laundering and price-rigging by the “banks too big to jail” dwarfs the alleged criminality at FIFA. The Securities and Exchange Commission actually issues waivers to the banks for their criminal activity. One dissenting SEC commissioner accuses her colleagues of encouraging “recidivism” by the constant issue of waivers.

Washington itself cannot be believed as not a single significant statement out of Washington’s mouth since the Clinton regime has been true; yet, Washington still parades around as the arbiter of truth.

Saddam Hussein did not have weapons of mass destruction. Assad did not use chemical weapons. Iran did not have a nuclear weapons program. Russia did not invade Ukraine. But Washington convinced the world that its lies were true.

It is almost a certainty that politicians up in arms over unsubstantiated charges that FIFA took bribes have themselves taken bribes. Just look at the bribes given to Congress by corporations to vote fast track for TTIP.

Can anyone name even one leader of one EU country (other perhaps than Greece at the moment) who doesn’t take bribes from Washington?

According to Udo Ulfkotte, no one can name even one British or EU newspaper that doesn’t take bribes from the CIA.

How many UN votes are determined by Washington’s threats and bribes?

Whether or not FIFA decisions are tainted by bribery, the purpose of the “investigation” is to cast doubt on the decision to hold the World Cup in Russia. The World Cup is a global spectacle and conveys prestige on the host country. Washington intends to deny this prestige to Russia. That is what the “investigation” is about.

Dr. Paul Craig Roberts was Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Economic Policy and associate editor of the Wall Street Journal. He was columnist for Business Week, Scripps Howard News Service, and Creators Syndicate. He has had many university appointments. His internet columns have attracted a worldwide following. Roberts’ latest books are The Failure of Laissez Faire Capitalism and Economic Dissolution of the West and How America Was Lost.

FIFA’s Blatter resigns

Sepp Blatter has announced he is stepping down as president of FIFA, football’s governing body, and has called on a special congress to elect a successor. The news comes less than a week after Blatter was reelected as FIFA chief amid a bribery scandal.

Switzerland’s office of attorney general (OAG) said that it is not investigating Blatter in connection with the FIFA corruption probe.

“Joseph S. Blatter is not under investigation by the OAG. His announced resignation will have no influence on the ongoing criminal proceedings,” the attorney general is cited as saying by Reuters.

Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, who gave in to Blatter during the vote last Friday, will run in the new FIFA election for president, AFP reported.

Sepp Blatter has taken this step to save the organization, Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has told the Tass news agency.

The new congress will take place between December 2015 and March 2016, the chairman of FIFA’s audit and compliance committee, Domenico Scala, has said. He has taken the floor after Blatter.

Former Daily Show host, the very unfunny John Oliver made Sepp Blatter his personal White Whale, repeatedly calling out the FIFA President on his show with lengthy items detailing the FIFA corruption scandals.

On last Sunday’s show, Oliver begged FIFA sponsors – which include McDonalds, Adidas and Budweiser, to pull their support.

The Guardian as well as the Financial Times singled out South Africa. From The Guardian:

Blatter’s announcement comes after Fifa had admitted it paid $10million destined for the South Africa World Cup to an account controlled by the disgraced former vice-president Jack Warner. The payment followed a letter from the South African FA to Fifa secretary general Jérôme Valcke.

From the FT:

His resignation came at the end of another bruising day for Fifa, after one of his most senior lieutenants, Jérôme Valcke, was alleged to have had personal knowledge of a $10m payment at the heart of a US corruption probe.

Mr Valcke was the recipient of a letter from the South African football association on March 4, 2008, asking him to withhold $10m from the funding of the World Cup “operational budget” and for the money to be “advanced” to a fund controlled by the then “President of Concacaf”, Jack Warner.

The letter, which was shown on South African television, was confirmed by its South African signatory, Molefi Oliphant. “The copy is official,” he said. “That is the copy, you have it, so you can draw any opinion you want to. That is the correct letter,” he said.

SA soccer bid got clean audit from EY

Minister in the Presidency Jeff Radebe said that the claims that a South African official paid a bribe to FIFA to host the 2010 World Cup are untrue.

The awarding of the 2010 FIFA World Cup to South Africa is being investigated by the FBI.

The US Attorney General told a press conference on Wednesday that bribes were allegedly paid to FIFA officials to award the 2010 tournament to South Africa.

“As far as we were concerned, we received a clean audit report from Ernst and Young a reputable audit firm.

“There has never been a suggestion that anything untoward happened,” Radebe said.

Radebe was speaking at a post cabinet briefing in Pretoria on Thursday.

“I was also part of the local organising committee,” Radebe said laughing.

He reminded journalists that at the end of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, FIFA president Sepp Blatter said the event in South Africa was one of the best ever.

“About what came yesterday [Wednesday], the due process will take place,” he said.

Sports Minister Fikile Mbalula is expected to release a statement on the issue later on Thursday.

Source: eNCA

Clinton Foundation ties to corrupt FIFA uncovered

Both Bill Clinton and his family’s charity have been tied to soccer’s governing body, as well as Qatar’s disastrous World Cup bid.

And just like that, another Clinton Foundation donor is in the news.

The Clinton global charity has received between $50,000 and $100,000 from soccer’s governing body and has partnered with the Fédération Internationale de Football Association on several occasions, according to donor listings on the foundation’s website.

Several top FIFA executives were arrested Wednesday in Zurich and face corruption charges stretching back two decades, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Involvement with the embattled body extends beyond the foundation to Bill Clinton himself. The former president was an honorary chairman of the bid committee put together to promote the United States as a possible host nation for the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.

When the U.S. lost the 2022 bid to Qatar, Clinton was rumored to be so upset he shattered a mirror.

But apparently Qatar tried to make it up to him.

The Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee, partnering with the State of Qatar, “committed to utilizing its research and development for sustainable infrastructure at the 2022 FIFA World Cup to improve food security in Qatar, the Middle East, and other arid and water-stressed regions throughout the world,” according to the Clinton Foundation website.

The cost of the two-year project is not listed on the Clinton Foundation website, but the Qatar 2022 committee gave the foundation between $250,000 and $500,000 in 2014 and the State of Qatar gave between $1 million and $5 million in previous, unspecified years.

FIFA, which has never been a bastion of ethics, was heavily criticized for awarding the 2018 and 2022 World Cup to Russia and Qatar.

The Guardian reported in 2013 about “appalling labor abuses,” including possible forced labor and worker death on Qatar’s World Cup infrastructure projects. It is also considered to be too hot to play soccer in Qatar in the summer.

No Qatari officials have been arrested, but Swiss authorities announced Wednesday that they had opened criminal proceedings into the allocation of the Qatari and Russian World Cups. They have also seized documents from FIFA’s headquarters and gained access to the Swiss bank accounts of executives they suspect of “unjust enrichment” and money laundering.

Source: The Daily Beast

Six top FIFA officials arrested for corruption in Zurich

Only hours before the start of Fifa’s Congress in Zurich, six senior Fifa officials have been arrested in early-morning raids by Swiss authorities – with 14 people understood to be facing corruption charges worldwide.

Officers carried out the dawn raid at the five star Baur au Lac hotel in Zurich, with the Fifa vice-president Jeffrey Webb understood to be among the six detained.

Sepp Blatter was not one of those arrested. Fifa’s spokesman Walter de Gregorio told the Associated Press: “He is not involved at all.”

The Swiss Federal Office of Justice said the officials were arrested pending extradition to the US on suspicion of receiving bribes totalling $100m.

The New York Times reported that the charges arising from an FBI inquiry include wire fraud, racketeering and money laundering, with the US Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch due to hold a news conference later on Wednesday.

NBC’s Bill Neely makes this observation after it emerged that the US charges relate to alleged offences connected to tournaments in the US and Latin America.

So far the names of four officials have been released: Eduardo Li, Jeffrey Webb, Jose Maria Marin and Eugenio Figueredo.

Webb and Figueredo are Fifa vice-presidents. Li was due to join the executive committee on Friday and Marin is a former member of the executive committee.

The New York Times says charges “were also expected against” sports marketing executives Alejandro Burzaco, Aaron Davidson, Hugo Jinkis and Mariano Jinkis.

It said José Margulies has also been charged for allegedly facilitating illegal payments.

Nazi chants at Dutch soccer game

“Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas,” sang a section of the home supporters of FC Utrecht towards the fans visiting from Amsterdam, a city historic in part for its Jewish community. “My father was in the commandos, my mother was in the SS, together they burned Jews, because Jews burn the best!”

The chant was caught on video and quickly circulated among Dutch media. FC Utrecht issued an apology as Jewish organizations demanded action by soccer authorities.

Anti-Semitism in European soccer appears to be getting worse. According to Kick It Out, a British organization originally devoted to combating racism, anti-Semitic incidents are up in the English Premier League. A Kick It Out study released last month revealed that there were 59 reported instances of anti-Semitism during the first half of this season. That was more than during the entire previous season. Anti-Semitism made up a third of the total instances of abuse, and was second in frequency only to racism.

One of this season’s worst episodes came when fans of the London club West Ham were caught on camera chanting “I’ve got a foreskin, how about you? F—— Jew” on their way to play Tottenham Hotspur, a team with a historically strong Jewish following.

Other recent incidents have included fans — and in several instances players — making Nazi-like salutes.

In a recent game between Bosnia and Austria. Bosnian fans took to the streets of Vienna in what was originally a pro-Palestine demonstration, but eventually disintegrated into chants of “Kill, kill the Jews” — also caught on video.

But Ronny Naftaniel, Chairman of the Dutch Jewish Humanitarian Fund, sought to draw a line between the chants — as insulting as they are — and anti-Semitism. Whether it’s West Ham vs. Tottenham or Utrecht vs. Ajax Amsterdam, he said such insults have more to do with local rivalries than true bigotry.

“It’s indeed very shocking what happened at the game between FC Utrecht and Ajax,” he said. “It’s something that happens twice or three times a year during games. And it looks as if no one is able to fight it. Of course, it has some deeper roots which go back to the fact that Ajax supporters, they expose themselves as Jews. They walk with flags with the Star of David and they call themselves ‘The Jews.’ So the problem is that then their adversaries act as if Ajax are the Jews and come up with the most insulting slogans.”

“For us Jews, we are disgusted,” he said. “But those people who do those slogans are not Nazis. They are not most of them fundamentalists whatsoever. They are supporters, hard core supporters, of those clubs.

“If these were hard core anti-Semites, it would be easier to combat it,” he said. “But it’s part of the football culture, and that is very tough to fight against.”

Supporters of the local team, ADO Den Haag, used to chant “Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas” whenever Ajax came to town, Naftaniel said. They even made a sickening sound, as if gas were slowly leaking into the stadium.

Source: Washington Post

UK teenager arrested after racist soccer tweet

A teenager has been arrested on suspicion of sending a racist tweet aimed at black Arsenal striker Danny Welbeck.coon

The post was made after Welbeck netted the winning goal during an FA Cup quarter-final clash against his former club Manchester United on 9 March.

The slur was one of a number of messages posted in the aftermath of Welbeck’s return.

Tweeted by user @angeIsleftfoot, the offending message was posted after Welbeck’s decisive role in Arsenal’s 2-1 Quarter Final victory at Old Trafford.

Officers in Manchester with specialist training in social media identified the user and passed on the information to Wiltshire Police, who confirmed they have now made an arrest.

Welbeck was shown the door by United boss Louis van Gaal last year, who claimed he was not good enough.

The 15-year-old boy, from the Salisbury area, was arrested on suspicion of racial abuse and released on bail until 13 April, Wiltshire Police said.

English football fans push black off train

A recent video shows a black man in Paris forcefully pushed off a subway train by rowdy British Chelsea fans headed for a match with Paris Saint-Germain. An investigation into their identities is underway.

“We’re racist, we’re racist and that’s the way we like it” – this is the phrase they chanted during the incident, seen here in amateur video footage taken at the Richelieu-Drouot station and obtained exclusively by the Guardian.

The black man tried to squeeze past them several times, before being given a hard shove.

It is somewhat ironic that Chelsea is “a Jewish-owned football team where the majority of players are black and foreign,” as the club fan magazine’s editor David Johnstone pointed out, expressing his shock at the incident. He added that “I think the majority of Chelsea supporters are as disgusted by what’s happened.”

French police had to use tear gas on British supporters on the day, shortly before the game, local reports indicate.

Italian coach complains about too many black players

Former Italy and AC Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi has made headlines across the peninsula by stating that there are too many black players in Italian youth teams.

The comments come on the same day after Inter claimed the Viareggio Cup over Hellas Verona and will no doubt cause a stir for the next few days regarding the the ongoing battle against racism in the country.

“Italy is without dignity, there is no pride: it’s not possible to see a youth team with 15 foreigners,” Sacchi stated while speaking at a ceremony in Pistoia as reported by Sportmediaset.

“Watching the Viareggio Cup I must say there are too many black players, even in the Primavera.

“I am not racist, my history as a coach speaks for itself starting with Frank Rijkaard, but our football must show some pride.”

Source: forzaitalianfootball.com

Celtic’s Aleksandar Tonev given seven-match ban for racist insults

Celtic have backed Aleksandar Tonev after the winger was suspended for seven matches for using “offensive, insulting and abusive language of a racist nature” against Aberdeen defender Shay Logan.

The 24-year-old Bulgarian, on loan from Aston Villa until the end of the season, was handed the hefty ban at a Scottish Football Association’s disciplinary tribunal hearing at Hampden Park on Thursday for the incident which took place in the Premiership clash between the two teams at Celtic Park on 13 September.

Aleksandar Tonev
Aleksandar Tonev

The Parkhead club immediately released a statement on their official website, saying they had accepted Tonev’s claim of innocence and confirming the player will appeal the decision.

A Celtic spokesperson said: “Racism has no place in football and, as a club for all people, Celtic absolutely abhors racism of any kind.

“This was a very unfortunate case, but the club has accepted Aleksandar’s explanation that he did not say the words that were alleged to have been said and that he is not a racist. We are, therefore, very disappointed by the outcome today and can confirm that Aleksandar will be appealing this decision.”

Two years ago, then Celtic manager Neil Lennon stated that any form of racist behaviour at the club was “an instant sackable offence” – a view with which his successor Ronny Deila appears to concur, although he too backed his player.

Speaking at the club’s Lennoxtown training complex before the verdict was announced, the Hoops boss said: “I have spoken to him. He said it was not true and I believe him. Of course we don’t want racism at Celtic – that is the total opposite as what we want to be as a club. That is not acceptable.”

The original hearing date of 9 Octoberwas postponed as Tonev, who joined Villa last summer, was on international duty with Bulgaria.

The former CSKA Sofia and Lech Poznan player was making his belated Celtic debut, after arriving at Parkhead in the summer with a groin injury, when the incident took place. Logan immediately spoke to referee Bobby Madden and skipper Mark Reynolds before informing manager Derek McInnes.

Fourth official Crawford Allan and Celtic were also made aware of the allegation by the Dons management team.

Show Racism the Red Card (SRtRC) Scotland campaign manager Vicki Burns said: “SRtRC welcome the news that the SFA investigation has now concluded. The length of the ban for Aleksandar Tonev shows how seriously the SFA are taking the issue of racism.

“While it’s always sad to see players banned, the decision is in line with bans in football over recent years for similar incidents and I think this sends out a clear message to players and fans.

“Racism has to be taken seriously and there is no room for racism in Scottish football or society.” – The Guardian

Ebola: South Africa rejects offer to host 2015 Africa Cup of Nations

Sports authorities of the South African Republic followed the steps of Morocco and also decided against hosting next year’s Africa Cup of Nations biennial football championship, citing concerns over the outbreak of deadly Ebola virus in West Africa.

“The possibility of holding the Africa Cup of Nations is excluded,” South African Sports Minister Fikile April Mbalula said.

South Africa already hosted the Africa Cup of Nations in 2013 in place of Libya, which was torn by the war at that time. “Our budget is incapable of holding the championship in 2015,” Mbalula said. “This is totally impossible.”

Mbalula also said that on top of everything, his country was “facing the task of fighting Ebola.” “We are not immune to it,” the South African sports minister added.

Morocco earlier claimed that it made the decision to cancel hosting the 16-nation football tournament, scheduled to run between January 17 and February 8 next year, as it wanted to avoid holding an event involving countries where Ebola cases were registered, as well as to prevent the expansion of the deadly virus.

Issa Hayatou, the president of the African football’s governing body CAF, arrived in the South Africa Republic last Thursday in order to find a solution to the emerged problem concerning the hosting country.
The CAF earlier stated that it had no plans of postponing or changing the championship’s date of January 17-February 8.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported last week that the Ebola epidemic was spreading geographically and the death toll exceeded the figure of 4,500, while the number of probable and suspected cases exceeded neared 9,000.

Source: ItarTass

Racism in English football is ‘right in your face’

‘ The lack of black and ethnic minority figures in the dugout and the boardroom (is) overt’ – Jeffrey Webb

Racism in English football is overt according to Fifa’s vice-president Jeffrey Webb.

The head of Fifa’s anti-racism task force has said that discrimination in English football is “right in front of your face” and backed calls for the introduction of the Rooney Rule.

Jeffrey Webb, the Concacaf president and Fifa vice-president, said the lack of black and ethnic minority figures in the dugout and the boardroom was overt but that no one wanted to deal with the problem.

Jeffrey Webb
Jeffrey Webb

The Professional Footballers’ Association chief executive Gordon Taylor recently said that racism was a “hidden problem” in English football, making his own call for the Rooney Rule to be introduced.

Webb responded: “I don’t know how it could be hidden. You have 92 clubs, you have two coaches of colour. How many board members or executives are in various club positions or at the FA, in Uefa? So, it’s not hidden.

“It’s hidden from a discussion standpoint. No-one wants to deal with it. No-one wants to deal with it from a commercial standpoint.”

Webb said that he had recently spoken to Eddie Newton, the Chelsea youth coach who has been linked with a move to Schalke 04 with Roberto Di Matteo, who had described his frustration at being unable to secure an interview.

“I hosted a dinner a few months ago, last time I was here. I met a young guy coaching at Chelsea, assistant coach, won a Champions League final, doing well,” said Webb.

“Can’t even get an interview. Eddie Newton. I’m not talking about getting a job, getting an interview. That’s not hidden. That’s right in front of your face.”

Taylor’s intervention kicked off a renewed debate within English football about whether the Rooney Rule should be introduced.

The Kick It Out trustee Garth Crooks hit out at the Football League chairman Greg Clarke for not raising the issue at their summer meeting, while the Football Association and the Premier League have also faced questions over their stance on the issue.

Webb said the Rooney Rule, which would force clubs to ensure that at least one person from a BME background was included on each interview list, should not be necessary in the modern age, but it was.

“In this day and time, in this era, in this century, should we really be having to mandate opportunities for qualified individuals? Sadly, the answer is yes.”

Webb said the pressure for change needed to come from club owners and from fans.

“It has to come within. It has to come from the clubs. It has to start with clubs. It has to start with ownership,” he said. “And, of course, the fans have to demand that there is opportunity, that there is equality. And, unless we have that, don’t expect any changes.

“How many American owners do we have from English Premier League clubs in the UK? So, why have certain standards here and then, of course, in the US, in the NFL leagues, where you live, where you conduct business, you live by different standards?”

Webb also said that Fifa faced a “huge, huge challenge with Russia” ahead of the 2018 World Cup given the prevalence of racism in football there and said that action “must start with education, must come from the top down”. – The Guardian