Yes, says Jonathen Wilson

UEFA president MichelPlatini says he would be willing to move European soccer club competitions in order to allow the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be played in the winter.

FABIO CAPELLO was relieved to avoid the difficult Group B at Euro 2012 and content with England’s “balanced” Group D draw.

REALLY, it was a surprise that Giovanni Trapattoni was even in Kiev for yesterday’s Euro 2012 draw.

THE Republic of Ireland’s players were putting on a collective brave face yesterday after the draw for the finals pitted the Boys in Green against world and European champions Spain, Italy and Croatia.

THE cameras inside the Palace of Arts caught a rueful smile from Giovanni Trapattoni as Ireland’s European Championship destiny was unveiled in Kiev yesterday.

GIOVANNI TRAPATTONI has often been called a lucky general but the manager enjoyed little or no pot luck in Kiev last night, as Ireland were handed a daunting challenge in the draw for next summer’s European Championship finals.

THE Chinese government has a history of detaining dissidents, but putting the US Open golf trophy under lock and key sounds too bizarre to be true.

SHOWJUMPINGIRELAND (SJI) has decided that its regions can use their 2012 allocation of sports development funding for non-sporting activities, including administration.

NOT so long after establishing himself as a senior figure in the Munster squad, Donnacha Ryan is battling to stay there in the face of what he describes as “ferocious” competition.

THREE-time Major winner Pádraig Harrington revealed more delight in the efforts of Gareth Maybin than co-leader Rory McIlroy on the opening round of the UBS Hong Kong Open.

MIND your toes while I drop a name there, reader. I once had a good chat with Damien Duff — clang! — about music.

“GOOD news! We are all here together!”

ENGLAND will name a permanent head coach in time for next year’s summer tour to South Africa, with an interim appointment overseeing the RBS 6 Nations.

LEINSTER manager Guy Easterby has rejected claims that tomorrow’s RaboDirect Pro12 game against Cardiff Blues has been undermined by the Wales-Australia Test match on Saturday.

LUCIANO ORQUERA kicked all of Aironi’s points as they won their all-Italian meeting with Treviso in the RaboDirect PRO12.

PICK OF THE DAY

IRELAND senior men’s coach Paul Revington received a deserved early Christmas gift yesterday when he was named as one of world hockey’s best coaches for 2011.

MONDAY it’ll finish.

ARRESTS for football-related disorder in England and Wales hit a record low last season, official figures showed yesterday, raising hopes the “English disease” of hooliganism is now firmly in the past.