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Original football stories and interviews from around the globe

Original football stories and interviews from around the globe.

World Football: 24/07/2010

24/07/2010

BBC World Service - World Football, 24/07/2010

What's the point to the Europa League? We examine whether it's a credible competition.

We're in Austria with Rapid Vienna to see how a club with a rich history in European football feels about the Europa League, when all the focus is on the Champions League.

What's the point to the Europa League?
European football has kicked-off it's news season, barely notice except among die-hard fans. 

We're in Austria with Rapid Vienna to see how a club with a rich history in European football feel about the new format and whether it a credible tournament, when all the focus is on the Champions League.

We'll also debate this with UEFA, who organise it and ask if the competition suffers from an identity crisis.

The next big football event is Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine. There have been fears that the host countries would not be prepared in time -- especially in Ukraine, which has been hard hit by the world economic recession and struggled to renovate its creaking Soviet-era infrastructure. But we're in Kharkiv, one of the host cities where there's a positive mood among the people.

Part of the Legacy from the World Cup was a promise to invest in grass roots football. The South Africa Football Association will receive over 130 million dollars and they've promised to start with the youth. We take a look at the issues.

Wim van Zwim the Dutch under 19 coach tells us why their youth development system is a success. He blames the wealth of the Premier League for England's failure to produce technically gifted players.

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