England's Euro 2012 plans have been thrown into disarray after Fabio Capello stepped down as national team manager.
Capello's resignation came after he publicly disagreed with the Football Association's decision to strip John Terry of the England captaincy.
He spoke out against the FA on Italian state broadcaster RAI on Sunday and resigned after a meeting with the FA on Wednesday.

Soccer outside Europe has gained in popularity in recent years, with David Beckham making a high profile move to the MLS in North America, a transfer that transformed soccer into a sport with a widespread global profile and exposed a new generation of potential players to the game, but the latest FIFA tournament, the African Cup Of Nations, has failed to catch the public's imagination.

Over the years in the world of sport, there have been stories abound concerning the ways in which players and coaches have found themselves embroiled in controversy surrounding tax payments, with certain individuals keen to pay as little tax as possible, but one strange factor about all of these stories is the reason behind the tax evasion; for people who earn so much money, why would they risk getting into serious trouble with the tax authorities?

Cardiff City keeper Tom Heaton was the hero for the Bluebirds as they edged out Crystal Palace in an absorbing cup clash at the Cardiff City Stadium.
Heaton saved two penalties in the shoot-out to send Cardiff to the Carling Cup Final at the expense of Dougie Freedman's spirited Palace side.

Although you can't argue with the fact that David Beckham decided to turn down an awful lot of money and the lure of several major clubs in order to continue pursuing a career in the MLS, proving a number of soccer betting tips wrong in the process, that fact fades into insignificance when you realise that not only does Becks want to stick around because he enjoys playing in North America, but also because he has a vested interest in staying for the long term in order to take advantage of the clause in his contract that means he could become the owner of an MLS franchise once his deal expires.

Leeds United have signed MLS star Robbie Rogers on an 18-month contract from Columbus Crew.
The 24-year agreed personal terms on January 10 but had to wait for his work permit to be approved before he could become officially part of the squad at Elland Road.
Rogers was given a taste of football in England in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Newcastle last week but was unable to feature for the reserves because not all of his paperwork had been completed.

Once again there will be certain names talked about at this year's European Championships, with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and the other usual suspects likely to be grabbing the headlines.
However there are some lesser known players who be looking to impress on the big stage and really announce their presence on the international stage.

What a time to be a Tottenham Hotspur fan! Sitting third in the English Premier League and very close to being able to topple the current league leaders should they win this weekend at the Ethiad Stadium in Manchester, the chances are that some of the more hardened and cynical Spurs fans may well be thinking that something dodgy is going on!

Senegal striker Papiss Demba Cisse will team up with international team-mate Demba Ba at Newcastle United after signing from Freiburg for a fee thought to be around £10m.
Cisse has signed a five-and-a-half-year at the club and will wear the much-coveted number nine shirt. The 26-year-old will have to wait for his Newcastle debut due to his involvement in the Africa Cup of Nations.

Championship side Leeds United have accepted a bid from Norwich City for their club captain Jonny Howson.
The midfielder, who is out of contract in the summer, is a product of the Leeds academy and has made 225 for the club. The Leeds skipper is currently on the sidelines through injury, but it is thought he will open contract talks with the Canaries this week.

Manchester City could be without striker Mario Balotelli for four games after he was charged with violent conduct by the Football Association.
The controversial Italian appeared to stamp on Scott Parker's head during City's dramatic 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday and despite the incident going unpunished at the time, has been charged retrospectively.

There is a long way to go in the Premier League title race, but the battle between Manchester and north London this weekend could prove pivotal.
Top plays third and fifth plays second as competition at the top hots up. Manchester City put their 100 per cent home record on the line when they take on Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday, while cross-city rivals Manchester United travel to the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal just hours later.

Losing key players at any stage of the season is far from ideal, so when clubs lose in-form star men during the Africa Cup of Nations it must be particularly frustrating for Premier League managers.
The turn of the year is notoriously difficult for clubs – with injuries, suspensions and fatigue playing a part after a busy festive period.

Wrexham were denied a lucrative tie with Newcastle United after a heartbreaking penalty shoot-out defeat to Brighton in an enthralling FA Cup third-round replay.
Craig Mackail-Smith scored the decisive penalty after Peter Brezovan had denied Dean Keates to set up a fourth-round home clash against Alan Pardew's Newcastle.

Fernando Torres has certainly been putting in the hard work on the training pitch for Chelsea, with this hard graft appearing to pay dividends in recent games during which he has almost been able to capitalise upon the absence of Didier Drogba by displaying a few good performances up front, but Torres has still failed to win over the Chelsea fans by doing the one job that is expected of him: scoring goals.