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MADRID - Jose Mourinho had a nightmare first Clasico as champions Barcelona crushed his Real Madrid side 5-0 at Camp Nou on Monday to go two points clear of their bitter rivals at the top of the Spanish first division.

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Qatar used its final presentation to FIFA’s executive committee to promise ideal conditions for players to perform at their best in a World Cup and also for fans to be able to watch two matches a day.

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Qatar on Wednesday offered FIFA a “historic opportunity” to bring football’s World Cup to the Middle East in 2022, building dialogue across the religious divide and promising huge commercial benefits.

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APPIANO GENTILE, Italy - Plagued by injuries and struggling in Serie A, Inter Milan is looking for some relief by winning the Club World Cup.

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ZURICH - It will be great drama: football supremo Sepp Blatter announcing which countries — by bending over backward, by twisting arms and by offering who knows what else in promises and inducements — have won the right to host the World Cups of 2018 and 2022.

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MOSCOW - Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin accused England on Wednesday of trying to snatch the right to host the 2018 football World Cup through a coordinated smear campaign against FIFA executives.

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FIFA will choose the host nations for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups on Thursday. Following is a Q+A examining how the process will work.

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ZURICH - African soccer president Issa Hayatou said his conscience was clear on Tuesday after a British TV programme made bribery claims as he and the rest of FIFA’s executive committee prepared to choose the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts.

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Australia’s bid chairman fears the country’s hopes of staging the 2022 World Cup could suffer after Oceania were denied a chance to vote on the hosts when their banned president appealed his suspension by FIFA.

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