Blatter strongly against Great Britain 2012 team

Great Britain’s chances of fielding a united football team at the 2012 Olympic Games were dealt a further blow yesterday when Sepp Blatter, the Fifa president, insisted that the team should feature only English players. Blatter said that playing a combined team would risk the four British associations losing their identities.

Blatter spoke with Scottish FA officials during his stay at Gleneagles for the International FA board meeting at the weekend. “The Scottish FA have said they would not play in a combined team,” Blatter said. “I said that is the best thing for them to do. If you put together a combined team the question will come up that there are four different associations, so how can they play in one team?

“If this is the case then why the hell do they have four associations, four votes and their own vice-presidency? This will put into question all the privileges that the British associations have been given by the Congress in 1946.”

City setting their hearts on Bulgarian teenager

Manchester City have offered a trial to Branimir Kostadinov, the forward who is yet to make his first-team debut for Heart of Midlothian. The 18-year-old, who will spend four days at the City of Manchester Stadium, scored in a 2-1 defeat against BV Cloppenburg, of Germany, in a friendly during the summer. He is quick and regarded as one of the most promising players in his native Bulgaria, for whom he has been capped at age-group levels, including the under21s.

He began his career at Slavia Sofia before joining Lask Linz four years ago. He joined Hearts two years ago after impressing during a trial and secured a two-year student visa to remain while waiting for international clearance. He attracted interest from Celtic during the summer.

Explore Football

• Premier League

• Football League

• Scotland

• European Football

• International Football

• TheGame

• Live Match Tracker

• The Fink Tank

• Fantasy Football