Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/649887
52 maltatoday, SUNDAY, 6 MARCH 2016 Sport FOOTBALL 2026 World Cup bid must be 'bullet-proof', says Infantino Suarez returns to Uruguay squad after biting ban FIFA must make the 2026 World Cup bidding process "absolutely bullet-proof " because the entire organisation's credibility is at stake, new president Gianni In- fantino said on Friday. Infantino, elected Fifa boss last week, hopes to start 2026 bidding within three months after it was delayed by the wide-reaching cor- ruption scandal that rocked the governing body last year. "We have to get the 2026 bidding process absolutely right," Infan- tino told the BBC. "It's certainly the commitment that I want to give; that I will do everything I can to make sure that this happens because I think that the credibility of FIFA is, as well, at stake here. "We need to make sure that we do everything we possibly can, not only to prevent strange things to happen around bidding processes but also to prevent the perception that strange things could happen. "We need to make sure that bid- ding process that we put in place is absolutely bullet-proof." Every World Cup bidding pro- cess since 1998 has been the sub- ject of allegations of corruption and bribery. The awarding of the 2018 and 2022 finals, to Russia and Qatar respectively, is being probed by Swiss authorities. On Friday, a report into the bid for the 2006 World Cup awarded to Germany found no evidence of vote-rigging but was unable to ex- plain a $10 million payment by the country's bid chief Franz Becken- bauer to a company owned by Mo- hammed Bin Hammam. Qatari Bin Hammam, a former president of the Asian Football Confederation, was banned from all soccer-related activity for life in Dec. 2012 for integrity issues. Infantino reiterated his posi- tion that the 2018 and 2022 World Cups needed to go ahead, regard- less of investigations. "I am a pragmatic person," he said. "FIFA needs to deliver two World Cups, one in two years and one in six years, for decisions which have been taken six years ago. "There has been a lot of specula- tion and a lot of allegations but not one single fact, in six years. "At some stage we have to say 'let's focus on working'. I want to work and help Russia and Qatar host the best World Cups ever, as we always say." New FIFA president Gianni Infantino URUGUAY striker Luis Suarez is set to play his first competitive international later this month since being banned for biting an opponent at the 2014 World Cup after he was called up on Friday for qualifiers against Brazil and Peru. Barcelona's Suarez was suspend- ed for nine games after biting Ita- ly's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in Brazil. He was among 28 players named in Oscar Tabarez's squad to face Brazil away in Recife on March 25 and Peru in Montevideo four days later, the Uruguayan FA an- nounced on Friday. Uncapped Genoa midfielder Diego Laxalt and Manchester United right back Guillermo Vare- la were called up for the first time. Uruguay are second in the 10-team South American stand- ings behind Ecuador with three wins in four games. The top four qualify automati- cally for the 2018 finals in Russia while the fifth-placed team goes into an intercontinental playoff against a team from the Oceania zone. Barcelona's Suarez was suspended for nine games after biting (above) Italy's Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup in Brazil. Louis van Gaal aims for Man Utd improvement against West Brom MANCHESTER United manager Louis van Gaal expects an im- proved performance from his side against West Brom. Darren Fletcher's consistent, im- pressive West Brom performances have made Van Gaal happy rather than regretful. It is just over a year since the 32-year-old midfielder ended his long association with United to start a new challenge at the Haw- thorns. Fletcher made 342 appearances after joining the Reds as a trainee in 2000 but moved on last Feb- ruary after failing to become a regular under Van Gaal – a route to the West Midlands followed by fellow academy graduate Jonny Evans in the summer. Both have swiftly settled into life at the Hawthorns at a time when their former club could have done with their experience, nous and quality. United have been forced to blood youngsters to patch up their injury-hit side, but Van Gaal appears happy with the situation that his team and former players find themselves in. "Jonny is a big loss for every team," Van Gaal told MUTV. "I'm very sorry that he cannot play (on Sunday due to a hamstring inju- ry). I'd like to see him again and I'll also see my ex-captain Darren Fletcher. I'm happy that Darren is playing so often, because that was our aim also when we spoke about his departure. It's not always easy to say things to the players about it being better for them to go, but when you see players like Jonny and Darren playing so regularly, it's good for players. I'm very hap- py for them." Fletcher's exit and a string of in- juries have seen the average age of United's starting line-up brought down dramatically. Juan Mata was the Reds' oldest player against Watford on Wednesday and the 27-year-old stand-in captain led by example, with his late free-kick securing a fourth straight victory. "It was not difficult," Van Gaal said of giving the Spaniard the armband in the 1-0 win. "I have an elder group of players with whom I'm talking about as- pects of things - training sessions, meetings or how we have to ap- proach players and so on. Juan is a member of that group with the three captains - (Wayne) Rooney, (Michael) Carrick and (Chris) Smalling - and (Bastian) Schwein- steiger as well, so it was an easy choice for me." Carrick is likely to return against West Brom having been rested in midweek, while Van Gaal is hop- ing to have Smalling back from a shoulder complaint. Phil Jones, Antonio Valencia and Marouane Fellaini may also be involved in the squad to face a West Brom side that the United boss is wary of. "We should be more confident, but it's always dependable on re- sults," he said. "Of course, the atmosphere has been raised so it is better, but every opponent in the Premier League is difficult to beat and we have to beat West Bromwich Albion. We're still points behind (the top three teams) and we have to close that gap.We have to be patient but we also need to move the ball more quickly. When you do that, you create more chances. We have to improve that against opponents like West Brom, be- cause that is the only way you can score." Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal and assistant Ryan Giggs