Iceland are on the brink of reaching their first ever World Cup after recording a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Group I rivals Turkey in Istanbul.

Ryan McBride wasn't a household name across Europe, but now his passing is being marked, much like those of footballers who have died in similarly inexplicable circumstances, writes David Shonfield

Italy boss Conor O’Shea insisted there are still big days ahead for his current squad, despite the 63-10 hammering they took at the hands of his native Ireland in Rome on Saturday.

One French media outlet labelled him ‘the unknown Irishman’, and no-one is throwing his name into the list of Golden Boot contenders, but few players are so central to their team’s hopes in France as Kyle Lafferty is to Northern Ireland.

For all the well-wishes and patronising pats on the back Leicester have earned this season, Tuesday night may well have seen Man City and Arsenal fans anxiously thumb the Foxes fixture list for the very first time. Claudio Ranieri’s boys have stuck around much longer than expected.

Italy coach Antonio Conte is among 104 people whom a prosecutor has requested be brought to trial under match-fixing charges in a wide-ranging case that allegedly has its roots in Singapore.

Amid all the scandals assailing the sport, Liam Brady is hoping Barcelona and Juventus can provide football with a night to remember in Berlin.

The map of European football is changing and it’s time to celebrate the rise of the outsiders.

Leeds have announced the double signing of midfielder Tommaso Bianchi and striker Souleymane Doukara.

Palermo have confirmed that goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano has signed a season-long loan deal with Arsenal, with the Gunners having the option to make the deal permanent.

Juventus head coach Antonio Conte has won the Golden Bench award after being recognised as the Serie A coach of the 2011-12 season.

In football’s catechism of cliché it is customary to claim that some one-season wonder is “frighteningly good”.

It is usual in football for a crushing defeat to be followed by recrimination and the search for scapegoats.

West Ham co-owner David Gold claims the club will sue Brescia for money they say they are owed from the sale of striker Alessandro Diamanti from Brescia to Bologna.

Italian football president Giancarlo Abete has rejected the suggestion that football in Italy should be suspended for up to three years in a order to weed out match-fixing from the game.

Republic of Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni has described the latest match-fixing scandal to hit Italy as "devastating" and believes it further tarnishes the image of Italian football.

Lazio captain Stefano Mauri and former Genoa midfielder Omar Milanetto have been arrested by police in connection with a match-fixing probe in Italy.

Shay Given’s insistence on playing every and any game possible for his country is well-documented but Giovanni Trapattoni admits he would be “an idiot” to risk his first-choice goalkeeper against Bosnia this Saturday.

Fabrice Muamba admits he will “forever be in debt” to the doctors who saved his life after he was released from hospital yesterday, 30 days after being admitted following his horrifying cardiac arrest.

The parent club of Italian footballer Piermario Morosini, who died during a game on Saturday, will take care of his disabled sister, according to its captain Antonio Di Natale.

Several thousand people gathered outside Livorno’s Armando Picchi stadium yesterday to pay tribute to Piermario Morosini, the Livorno midfielder who died on Saturday after collapsing on the pitch during his team’s Serie B game at Pescara.

Given the extent of globalisation in football these days, distinct national traits are increasingly hard to define.

Italy 3 Estonia 0

Luigi Del Neri has parted company with Sampdoria just 24 hours after guiding the Genoa outfit to a fourth-place finish in Serie A.

Fulham have completed the signing of Stefano Okaka on loan from Roma until the end of the season.

Stefano Okaka’s agent believes the Roma striker could be on his way to Fulham by the end of the week.

ITALY’S goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon is famous for not giving anything away to opponents but Czech model Alena Seredova still laughs about their first date, when he invited her out to dinner but then confessed that he’d left his wallet at home.

JOSE MOURINHO’S ability to create controversy shows no signs of diminishing.

Empoli youngster Alberto Massacci claims he has signed for Barclays Premier League champions Manchester United.

Serie A clubs are on the verge of breaking away from the rest of the Italian football league and creating a new championship to be known as Lega Serie A.

JUVENTUS forward Alessandro Del Piero says his side will need to produce the perfect game to knock Chelsea out of the Champions League tonight.

JAMES McCARTHY is attracting attention from Serie A club Palermo and Serie B outfit Brescia.

EARLY ON in our interview at a Dublin hotel, Marco Tardelli offers an apology.

Former Manchester United midfielder Quinton Fortune is close to joining Serie B outfit Brescia.

THE Liverpool derby can be daunting prospect for any player let alone a newcomer, but Andrea Dossena is no stranger to needle matches.

David Balleri, one of five players referred to the Italian football federation’s disciplinary commission on suspicion of match-fixing, says he feels “angered” by the accusations made against him.

Italy’s football federation have charged Juventus, former general manager Luciano Moggi and a number of match officials in the second part of investigations into the 2006 match-fixing scandal.

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes the Bianconeri can challenge for the Scudetto next season if they strengthen the squad in the summer.

Rangers have taken Fulham midfielder Steve Davis on loan for the rest of the season but missed out on their main target on deadline day.

Brescia tonight signed up Rangers target Andrea Caracciolo.

Didier Deschamps has described the prospect of succeeding Sam Allardyce in the Newcastle hotseat as “an exciting challenge”.

AC Milan veteran Paolo Maldini is looking forward to his side renewing their rivalry with Juventus.

SEVILLA may have started their Primera Liga campaign with a convincing win, but the health of stricken Spanish international wing-back Antonio Puerta is the only thing the Andalucian club are concerned about at present.

Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes Champions League qualification should be the Bianconeri’s objective for the coming Serie A season.

Newcastle will host Juventus and Sampdoria in pre-season friendlies.

CLAUDIO RANIERI admitted the Juventus job was too tempting to turn down after being unveiled as Didier Deschamps’ successor.

WHILE everyone recalls with nostalgia that Trevor Francis was the first million-pound footballer, there may not be so many recalling with fondness in future the advent of the £10 (€14.60) match programme.

REAL MADRID beat Sevilla 3-2 in a topsy-turvy match at the Santiago Bernabeu to go second in La Liga.

Juventus sporting director Alessio Secco has played down speculation the Turin club will make a move to sign Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard in the summer.