Rio de Janeiro, March 19 (IANS) World football governing body, FIFA will introduce a rule that allows teams to make a fourth substitution during extra time at this year’s Olympic Games here.
In a statement issued on Friday, FIFA said the initiative would also be tested during the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan and the Under-20 World Cup in Papua New Guinea later this year, reports Xinhua.
The announcement comes after the proposals were backed by the International Football Association Board (IFAB), the game’s law-making body.
“Following the recent decision by the IFAB to allow experimentation with a fourth substitution in extra-time, the FIFA executive committee agreed for such experiments to be conducted this year at the Olympic football tournaments, the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Papua New Guinea and the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan,” the statement said.
The Olympic Games will be held in Rio de Janeiro from August 5 to 21.
MSN the best I’ve played with: Barcelona’s Alves
Rio de Janeiro, March 19 (IANS) FC Barcelona defender Dani Alves has described the Catalan football club’s forward trinity of Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar as the best he has played with.
The trio — dubbed MSN by European media — have already scored 106 goals between them this season and they look set to surpass the 122 they netted in 2014-15, reports Xinhua.
“There have been other incredible trios but I haven’t seen any as good as this one,” Alves told Brazilian news portal Globoesporte on Friday. “I think they are the fastest and the most furious; the best I’ve played with.”
Alves suggested that Messi, who won a record fifth Ballon d’Or trophy in January, deserved to be ranked alongside Pele as the greatest player in history.
“If you take Messi and put him in that era maybe he could compete with Pele,” the 32-year-old said.
“But they are different eras and I think every great player was important in their time. Comparisons are never ideal, whether that be with Messi, Pele or other players.”
Alves also revealed his desire to finish his career in Brazil, either with his first professional club, Bahia, or Sao Paulo, the team he supports.