Latest: Former Brazil World Cup winner turned Senator Romario has stated he tipped off authorities to the alleged ticket touting operation.

Pat Hickey, president of the Irish Olympic Committee who stepped side temporarily yesterday, was described recently as “Teflon Man” but he will need the slipperiness of an eel to slide out of his latest brush with controversy.

Claudio Ranieri has always been a modest man, as well as a family man.

Brazil - The home of countless footballing superstars, from Pele to Ronaldo, Ronaldinho to Neymar.

Correct us if we’re wrong here, but isn’t football’s silly season supposed to peter out once the season actually starts? Not so, it seems. Here we are with three games gone in the Premier League and the fluff is still overshadowing the important stuff. It’s almost as if a media that had to rely on the mad and mundane for the off-season finds itself unable to kick the habit.

He’s got silks and tekkers. His locker holds all the tricks. Standing 6’2", he’s the owner of your classic good-feet-for-a-big-man.

Three days on and the images from Belo Horizonte that stick in the mind are not those of David Luiz’s Sideshow Bob- standing-on-a-rake routine, nor Germany’s seven wonders, but instead it’s the youngsters and grown men crying in the stands.

Considering his face is plastered on every other billboard and features in all manner of television adverts, it may seem strange to call Pele ‘the invisible man’.

In Brazil he is Felipão; the world knows him as Big Phil.

For fans over a certain age following a World Cup, you’re never really watching just that World Cup.

Pele, the footballer, the man the world calls The King still lords it but has a mixed legacy in his own country

Fantasy football and grim reality are set to collide at the 2014 World Cup. Liam Mackey, in Rio de Janeiro, predicts the winner.

Away from the glitz and glamour of Costa do Sauipe, protests rage at the inequality encapsulated by the World Cup in Brazil — but few will listen to these grievances

Ajax have such a memorable past, as a football institution as well as serial winners, that it is easy to forget they have had their ups and downs.

After news today that the PGA Tour is to investigate an allegation that Vijay Singh may have used deer antler spray that was previously found to contain a banned growth hormone, we got to thinking about other unusual doping incidents in sport.

The president of the Olympic Committee of Ireland has refuted allegations by former Brazilian football great Romário that he had abused his position to ensure his son’s company got the contract to sell tickets for the Rio Olympic Games in 2016.

Alessandro Del Piero is set to confirm his move to Australian club Sydney FC this lunchtime, despite interest from Liverpool.

Gullit and Van Basten, Ronaldo and Rivaldo, Salas and Zamorano, Bebeto and Romario, Pele and Jairzinho, Torres and Villa, Klinsmann and Voller; some of the greatest strike partnerships of all time have been forged at international level and provided the World Cup and European Championship with so many memorable moments.

Lar and Fabio.

SO in London on Tuesday, it’s the boys in green versus the boys who will be going green.

GARY McALLISTER has revealed former Bolton manager Sammy Lee was his first choice to become his assistant at Leeds.

HE WAS the 11-year-oldWaterford kid who fell in love with Brazil watching them in the World Cup and then wore the canary and blue replica jersey on the street as he attempted to emulate his exotic heroes from the small screen.

Vasco da Gama striker Romario has revealed he has tested positive for banned substance finasteride.

Brazil have officially submitted their bid to host the 2014 World Cup.

Romario, playing his last game before retiring, signed off with a goal as Brazil beat Guatemala 3-0 in a friendly international.

Garforth Town have announced Brazilian World Cup legend Romario will play for them next season.

Legendary Brazilian striker Romario has announced he is to bring an end to his illustrious career, according to the newspaper O Globo.

THE search must go on for the key to that elusive consistent performance that will lead to qualification for the World Cup finals once Brian Kerr has assessed Ireland's unpredictable form against Faroe Islands at Lansdowne Road.

FULL-BACK Ashley Cole believes England have the best defence in international football. But Cole used to set his sights on emulating Brazilian striker Romario but was persuaded to play in defence for the Arsenal youth team.

REAL MADRID should be looking forward to a leisurely stroll towards a 30th Spanish league title after adding David Beckham to a line-up already boasting the game’s most destructive attacking force.

By James Whelan

By Bill George, Yokohama

Ronaldo declared that he was feeling no tension ahead of Sunday’s World Cup final as he revealed Brazil’s secret relaxation tactic - playing bingo.

England defender Rio Ferdinand has been snubbed by world governing body FIFA.

By Steve Black, Saitama

FIFA has announced the result of their ultimate Dream Team poll, which was voted for by on-line fans.

With totally blinkered vision, England need to hope for a Belgium win in Kobe on Monday.

The list of top goalscorers in the CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying campaign read like a ‘who’s who’ of Samba stars Rivaldo, Batistuta, Salas, even Paraguayan goalie Jose Luis Chilavert. But the name that finished alongside Argentina striker Hernan Crespo at the top of the pile has a less familiar ring to it : Ecuador's Agustin Delgado

Brazil boss Luiz Felipe Scolari has resisted popular pressure and excluded Romario from his World Cup squad.