• Racist abuse set to be deemed as gross misconduct
• Premier League and Football League backing expected

Racist abuse will become a sackable offence for professional footballers next season, as part of significant changes being made to every Premier League and Football League player's contract.

Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, is behind the proposal that he hopes will send out a powerful message on the back of a season when racism on the pitch made an unwelcome return to English football.

Taylor told the Guardian that he believes the change in the standard players' contract will highlight how seriously the PFA views racism, and remove any ambiguity about the possible consequences for anyone found guilty of the offence. Racist abuse will now be deemed as gross misconduct and, although the decision of whether to terminate a contract will ultimately rest with the player's employers, Taylor pointed out that any club failing to act "could be held responsible for condoning [racism]".

The PFA will present the proposal to the Professional Football Negotiating and Consultative Committee, which includes the Premier League and the Football League, and Taylor is confident that it will be approved. "We're just about to bring it to the PFNCC, the body by which we bring the issues to the Premier League and Football League, and I don't see a problem with that being introduced," he said.

"It just highlights the point in the standard players' contract. It would say that racist abuse, if found guilty, will be classed as gross misconduct and a reason to terminate a contract. I feel it's important to highlight it, bearing in mind what has happened, and not mess about with it and not afford for anybody to be ambiguous about what the consequences are.

"I'm not saying it's ambiguous [now]. But just to really put it in there means there is no misunderstanding on how serious we take it. If any player is found guilty of racist abuse, the club and the player need to be aware that could be a solid reason for terminating the contract."

Racist abuse on the pitch has become an emotive issue on the back of two high-profile incidents last season. Liverpool's Luis Suárez was given an eight-match ban for racially abusing Manchester United's Patrice Evra at Anfield in October while the Chelsea captain, John Terry, will appear at Westminster magistrates' court on 9 July after he was charged with a "racially aggravated public order offence" following an altercation with Queens Park Rangers' Anton Ferdinand at Loftus Road, also in October. Terry denies the charge.

Although the PFA has worked hard to campaign against racism in football, Taylor acknowledges that this season has, in some respects, been a "reality check". He remains concerned that black players will "think twice" about lodging an official complaint because of "such intimidation with social networks" and because "there is so much abuse flying about", and for that reason feels it is vital the "football world" supports those who come forward. Taylor also revealed that he has been on the receiving end of "terrible abuse" for speaking out against racism.

As well as the change to players' contracts that will carry the threat of more severe punishments, Taylor accepts that there is a need to "re-address the education process, rather than just think about sanctions".

He explained that the PFA, working in tandem with the League Managers Association, are planning to bring in a new education programme that would lead to managers, all British and overseas players, and even directors and owners receiving training and advice in relation to racism and discrimination in football.

"Rather than just concentrate on the young apprentices as part of their curriculum, we want to introduce it to all senior players, and also that when players come in from abroad, to try and have an educational process for them and the owners of the club and management," said Taylor. "It will be part of the duty of [player liaison officers] introducing any player coming in from abroad to go through a list of things, particularly in the player's contract, where you see about racist abuse, code of conduct and what is expected in this country on racism and equality issues."

• Liverpool striker impresses during England training
• Daniel Welbeck remains a doubt for Euro 2012

If there is one thing we can take as a certainty, it is that Andy Carroll will find the centre-backs in Euro 2012 less obliging than the one lining up against him when England's players had their latest crash course in Roy Hodgson's style of management.

Gary Neville's last match for Manchester United was at West Bromwich Albion on New Year's Day 2011 and it ended with him locking himself in the toilet at half-time, in the frazzled state of mind that comes from "making Jerome Thomas look like Cristiano Ronaldo". In which case it was probably no surprise the latest member of Hodgson's coaching staff could be seen blowing out his cheeks and struggling for breath as he tried to keep control of a player who increasingly looks like he will lead England's attack while Wayne Rooney is suspended. "He [Neville] looked tired before we even started," Joleon Lescott volunteered at the end of a training match in which Carroll was the stand-out performer.

These were revealing moments by the side of Manchester City's pitch, if only for the frequency with which Hodgson halted play to pass on instructions. "Very hands-on," James Milner observed afterwards. Vocal, too. "You don't have to use short passes," the new England manager could be heard shouting at one point. "Not if you want to use your big man up front." Carroll put the ball past Joe Hart and Hodgson nodded his head appreciatively. "Well done, son."

By that stage Daniel Welbeck had already cried off because of an ankle injury that is threatening his involvement in the competition. Glen Johnson, nursing an infected toe, had also gone in for treatment and is doubtful for Saturday's friendly against Norway. Neville had pulled on his boots because, to put it bluntly, England did not have any spare defenders.

All of which meant that the back four Hodgson put together on one side – from right to left, Phil Jones, Phil Jagielka, Joleon Lescott and Leighton Baines – could easily be the defensive quartet that plays in Oslo. Behind them, West Ham United's Rob Green started before giving way to Hart and it may well be that Hodgson gives both goalkeepers time on the pitch. Green has not played for England since his mistake against the USA in the last World Cup and there are clear benefits of easing him back into the system in a friendly.

Hodgson's first-choice practice team, in a 10‑a‑side match, featured a midfield of Theo Walcott, Scott Parker, Steven Gerrard and Ashley Young, with Carroll playing on his own in attack. Welbeck looked forlorn as he made his way to the tunnel, having been restricted to some light exercises, and will have to prove his fitness to Hodgson next week if he is not to be replaced by Daniel Sturridge from the standby list. Even if Welbeck makes it, the indications are that Carroll is now in prime position to replace Rooney for the first two games against France and Sweden. Introduce Gareth Barry as a holding player alongside Parker, then move Gerrard forward into the position just behind Carroll, and this could feasibly be the first side of the Hodgson era, in a 4-2-3-1 formation.

It was probably inevitable in the circumstances that there was the sense of a team starting from scratch, at just about the same time the other Euro 2012 nations are putting the final touches to their own preparations. The Chelsea players do not report until Tuesday and it is perplexing that John Terry should be given time to recover from the Champions League final when he did not even play. Hodgson's first two training sessions have been largely based on the team's defensive cohesion, yet Gary Cahill and Ashley Cole are also missing and Johnson unable to take part. In other words, not one member of the back four who plays this weekend might be in Hodgson's team for the France game in Donetsk, now only two and a half weeks away.

On the plus side, Hodgson will be relieved just to start implementing his ideas. "He gets his point across, but he is calm with it," Lescott said. "He explains to you what he wants from the team and individuals and there are no grey areas."

Hodgson also used the opportunity to experiment with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in his favoured central midfield role. Mostly, though, he worked on the team's structure, getting things tight. "We are going to be very organised defensively," Milner said. "We have talked a lot in training about how the midfielders and defenders are expected to keep their shape. Then it's a case of using the ability we have going forward. We have good players who can get on the ball and express themselves."

Carroll certainly looks sharp and confident, even if there are obvious concerns about his lack of goals in Liverpool's colours. Too much can be read into a training session – particularly one when his opponent is 37 and in retirement – but there are signs of encouragement when it comes to the £35m striker. He did, to give him his due, end the season impressively and he has made an impression with his England team-mates. "It's nice to see him getting the media coverage and praise he deserves over the last few weeks," Lescott said. "He's had a good finish to the season and been called into the squad for a major tournament. So you'd think this is the best he's felt about himself for a while."

Look closely and you could also see Neville coaching Carroll, particularly in terms of his positioning. Carroll evaded him to put the ball beyond Hart again and there was the clear sense, with Welbeck back in the dressing room and Rooney nowhere to be seen, that England will go into the tournament with the Liverpool man suddenly promoted to the role of first-choice striker.

• Spaniard to meet Anfield owners, says Wigan chairman
• Wigan manager 'interrupted Carribean holiday' for talks

John W Henry and Tom Werner, Liverpool's principal owner and chairman respectively, have held talks with Roberto Martínez about the manager's job at Anfield and will travel to England next week to try to conclude the search for a successor to Kenny Dalglish.

The Wigan Athletic manager interrupted a holiday in the Caribbean to meet the Liverpool hierarchy in Miami on Thursday. Martínez is the first candidate on Liverpool's shortlist to undergo a formal interview with Henry and Werner but will not be the last, with the owners intending to speak to several managers in England next week.

Details of the Miami meeting were revealed by Wigan's chairman, Dave Whelan, who had set Martínez a deadline to decide on his future amid further interest from Aston Villa and also indicated the extent of the managerial change Fenway Sports Group envisages for Liverpool. Whelan claimed the next Liverpool manager will not be responsible for signings as FSG looks to install a director of football-type figure, expected to be Louis van Gaal, and limit the new man's influence to the football pitch.

Whelan said on Thursday: "I got a phone call this morning and Roberto was on his way to America. He's flown to Miami and is meeting Liverpool now, as we speak. I didn't ask him what he has decided to do but I told him I wanted it sorted out sooner rather than later. If it's yes to Liverpool, I will accept it and get on with life. But if it's no, I'll be delighted."

Martínez also remains on Villa's shortlist despite rejecting the Midlands club last summer and Whelan, who said he would demand at least £2m-3m compensation for his manager, added: "I would love him to stay, I hope he will stay but I told him I need an answer in the next seven days."

Liverpool held informal talks with Martínez last weekend and still wish to speak to the Swansea City manager, Brendan Rodgers, who declined their offer of an interview last Friday due to reservations over the wide-ranging search being conducted by FSG and the potential ramifications at the Liberty Stadium. It is believed Rodgers would be interested if it was clear he was on a shortlist for the Liverpool job, and that is the case.

FSG has also made progress with Van Gaal, the former Ajax, Barcelona, AZ Alkmaar and Bayern Munich coach, who it believes can head the new management structure intended for Anfield. The 60-year-old is FSG's choice to replace the former director of football Damien Comolli, albeit under a different title and with different responsibilities.

The position is Van Gaal's to accept or decline. The Dutchman, who has also been linked with a coaching role at Lazio, is keen on a move to Merseyside and he may yet ask to be considered for the managerial vacancy at Liverpool.

Van Gaal would want greater control as a sporting director than Comolli ever had at Anfield and, in Whelan's view, FSG is prepared to grant it.

The Wigan chairman said: "My information is that the new Liverpool manager will not be given full responsibility of the football department. There will be somebody else signing players, and they might not necessarily be the choice of the manager.

"My advice to Roberto is to think very carefully about this, but Liverpool are a big club and I hope that they remain one of the big clubs. But I have to say from what I am hearing the new Liverpool set-up on the football side goes well beyond the norm even with a director of football."

Liverpool have confirmed Billy Hogan, formerly the managing director of Fenway Sports Management, as the club's new chief commercial officer and Jen Chang as their new corporate relations and communications director. Chang was previously the senior editor for football-related content at Sports Illustrated in New York and will take up his position on 11 June.

• Belgian central defender keen to try his luck at Spurs
• Tottenham keen to sort out Adebayor situation

Jan Vertonghen is ready to move from Ajax to Tottenham Hotspur having been impressed by the London club's personal touch and how they have made him feel central to their plans.

Daniel Levy, the Tottenham chairman, flew to Amsterdam on Monday for negotiations with the Ajax financial director, Jerome Slop, and the club's commercial director, Henri van der Aat. Spurs have offered €12m (around £9.6m) for Vertonghen, a central defender who has 12 months to run on his contract but Ajax value him at €15m. Levy, though, having wasted little time in moving for the 25-year-old, is confident of finalising an agreement and the player is attracted by the challenge at Tottenham and living in London.

"I have a preference for Spurs," Vertonghen said. "I've got the best feeling for that club and I'm a 'feeling person'. They already invited me and want to handle it quickly. They say I'm their only option, which I take as a compliment."

Rafael van der Vaart, Tottenham's Dutch midfielder who began his career at Ajax, has urged the club to sign Vertonghen and they appear poised to win the fight ahead of a clutch of rivals, including Arsenal. Vertonghen, a Belgium international, is rated among the best players in Holland's Eredivisie having overcome a slow start to enjoy an excellent season. His performances in the Europa League against Manchester United drew praise.

The captain of Ajax who plays on the left of the central-defensive pair, Vertonghen is a composed all-round defender with particular strength with the ball at his feet, a legacy of his upbringing as a midfielder. It was Martin Jol, the former Spurs manager, now at Fulham, who switched him to centre-half at Ajax.

Tottenham's options in central defence will be swelled by the return of Steven Caulker from a successful season-long loan at Swansea City. The 20-year-old will be assessed by the manager, Harry Redknapp, in pre-season. Redknapp also has Michael Dawson, Younes Kaboul and Ryan Nelsen for the position, plus Ledley King and William Gallas. King's contract expires at the end of next month and negotiations over fresh terms are planned. Gallas has one year remaining on his deal.

Levy is endeavouring to reach an agreement for the transfer of Emmanuel Adebayor from Manchester City. The striker, who spent last season on loan at Tottenham, where he scored 18 goals, has one year of contract remaining at City, which is worth £170,000 a week. They contributed £100,000 of his weekly wage last season.

Adebayor is not wanted at City but he is not inclined to take a pay-cut, making the sums difficult to balance for Levy, who operates a strict £70,000-a-week wage ceiling. Much will hinge on City's valuation of a player they paid £25m to take from Arsenal in July 2009 or whether they might be prepared to reach a settlement with him over the final year of his contract.

• QPR midfielder also fined £75,000 for actions against Man City
• 'Such behaviour tarnishes the image of football in this country'

Joey Barton has been banned for 12 matches and fined £75,000 by the Football Association, an unprecedented tariff that places his future at Queens Park Rangers in serious doubt. Before the ruling the club had already met to discuss options regarding their captain.

After finding the midfielder guilty of two charges of violent conduct in QPR's 3-2 defeat at Manchester City on the season's final day the chairman of the FA regulatory commission stated that Barton's behaviour "tarnishes the image of football".

For the two violent conduct counts Barton was handed an eight‑game suspension to follow on consecutively from the four matches he will already miss for being sent off in the game.

After receiving the red card for appearing to strike Carlos Tevez, Barton then kicked Sergio Agüero and attempted to headbutt Vincent Kompany. After the hearing, the regulatory commission chairman condemned the midfielder's actions, saying: "There are rules of conduct that should be adhered to, and such behaviour tarnishes the image of football in this country, particularly as this match was the pinnacle of the domestic season and watched by millions around the globe."

Barton admitted kicking Agüero but denied the charge involving Kompany and requested a personal hearing. However, the commission found against him. Barton now has leave to appeal, but his future at Rangers is also far from certain.

The FA statement said: "Barton accepted the charge of violent conduct against Agüero but denied the second breach of violent conduct against Kompany. The independent regulatory commission , however, found this second charge proved."

Barton's troubled season began when he was dismissed on 2 January in a 2-1 defeat by Norwich City at Loftus Road, before he compounded the incidents at the Etihad Stadium by later admitting on Twitter that he attempted to get one of the City players sent off too, claiming that a team-mate "suggested I should try to take one of theirs with me".

The midfielder has had a troubled history on and off the pitch. In December 2004 he was fined six weeks' wages for stubbing a lit cigar in the eye of a young team-mate during Manchester City's Christmas party. In May 2007 Barton was suspended by City after a training-ground altercation with Ousmane Dabo. He was charged with assault, and in July 2008 received a four-month suspended jail sentence. The FA also banned him for 12 matches, six of which were suspended and a £25,000 fine. Later that year he was arrested in Liverpool city centre after a late-night incident and later charged with common assault and affray, and in May 2008 was jailed for six months.

Paolo Di Canio's 11-match ban for pushing over the referee Paul Alcock in 1998 and Eric Cantona's nine-month suspension for attacking a spectator in 1995 are among the longest tariffs since the Premier League's formation.

• Doctor confirms diagnosis made by Irish medical staff
• Boost for Giovanni Trapattoni before Euro 2012

Shay Given, the Republic of Ireland goalkeeper, has been given the green light to resume training next week after visiting a knee specialist in London.

The 36-year-old flew back to Dublin on Thursday afternoon after a trip to England to consult a doctor who has treated him in the past. Given's specialist confirmed the initial diagnosis made by the Irish medical staff and approved their management of the injury.

A spokesman for the Football Association of Ireland said: "Shay Given is on his way back from visiting his specialist in London. The specialist has been in contact with the Irish medical team and agrees with their diagnosis and recovery management plan. Shay is expected to return to full training on Wednesday."

The development will come as a boost to the Ireland manager, Giovanni Trapattoni, who has found himself dealing with a lengthening injury list. Trapattoni did not expressly rule Given out of Saturday's friendly against Bosnia at the Aviva Stadium, but he indicated he would not risk one of his key men unnecessarily even if he wanted to play.

Trapattoni said: "I think he wishes to, but if he wishes and he has a problem... Our Euros begins in Poland, not at the Aviva or in Hungary."

Given's place is likely to be taken by Sunderland's Keiren Westwood, who has eight senior caps to his name.

• Officials to be tested for performance-enhancing substances
• 'We have to consider referees as part of the game,' says Fifa

Referees are set to be subject to drugs tests, Fifa's medical chiefs have revealed.

Match officials now have to pass stringent fitness tests and the world governing body's medical experts say they should also be tested to make sure they are not taking performance-enhancing substances.

Fifa's chief medical officer, Jiri Dvorak, told a conference in Budapest: "We have to consider referees as part of the game.

"We have started to discuss this and this is something for the future which will be discussed to include possibly an anti-doping programme for referees.

"We do not have an indication that this is a problem but this is something we have to look at. The referees are a neglected population."

Michel D'Hooghe, the chairman of Fifa's medical committee, added: "The referee is an athlete on the field so I think he should be subjected to the same rules."

Meanwhile, the World Anti-Doping Agency's director general, David Howman, told the Fifa medical conference that it may change rules to allow players from team sports who are banned for doping offences to return to training – though not playing – earlier. He said: "We are looking for ideas on how reductions for an early return to training can be done."

D'Hooghe said players in team sports were hit harder by drugs bans than individual athletes such as runners, who are still able to train and therefore return to competition as soon as their ban ends.

• Michel Platini says rule may be changed but only in three years
• 'In the next executive committee we can speak about it'

Uefa is prepared to review the controversial rule that caused Tottenham Hotspur to miss out on the Champions League in favour of Chelsea, the European governing body's president, Michel Platini, has said.

The Spurs manager, Harry Redknapp, branded the rule "unfair" after Tottenham finished fourth in the Premier League but saw their place in the Champions League taken by Chelsea as reigning European champions.

Platini said no rule change to the competition could be brought in for at least three years but that Uefa would be prepared to review the regulation.

Speaking in Budapest before the Fifa congress, Platini said: "We can always change the rules. We can always discuss the rules, but not during the competition.

"We have decided not to change the rules or regulations of the competition for three years. So in three years we can change, that means we will come back if you wish.

"Everything can be discussed, the rules, yellow cards, but not during the competition. Perhaps in the next executive committee we can speak about it. I can put that, but they may say no."

Redknapp claimed that Uefa should allow five clubs from one country into the tournament in the special circumstance of a club winning the Champions League but finishing outside of the top four in their domestic league, as happened with Chelsea. Uefa's current rule was introduced in 2005 when five English teams were allowed in to the Champions League after Liverpool won the tournament but finished fifth in the Premier League.

Platini said that he personally believed there should be a limit of four per country. He added: "I think so, but it is the matter of the executive committee, a matter for discussion. If you put more in one part you have to take out more from another part and because we always play with 32 teams, with the winner is 31, so we have to decide.

"Perhaps it could be for discussion in the future about the participation of more than four but for the moment it is not possible because the regulations are for four."

He rejected suggestions that Spurs were being unfairly punished. "No, they have not been punished, They know the rules, they should have been third and not fourth," said Platini.

Platini also spoke of his personal pleasure at his former club Juventus becoming Italian champions again only six years after being relegated following a match-fixing scandal. "It was a great team, they had problems, they paid – they went to the second division, they come back and now they are champions," he said.

"Welcome back – it's good for Italian football as they are the most popular team in Italy. On the outside I try to be neutral. In my heart you never know."

He also joked that if Juventus had been in Tottenham's position his view might have been different, saying: "If Juventus was the fourth team of Italy perhaps I will change the rule!"

The total lack of expectation can work in England's favour in Poland and Ukraine this summer. They will arrive as the most overcooked underdogs in sporting history

Football is a game whose followers believe in portents. "And no side have won a European Championship finals match on a Wednesday with a team made up of players whose surnames contain fewer than 62 vowels," the commentator will offer. "And the Croatians here, Danny Mills, can muster just 48 between them. And you have to ask yourself if that will be significant."

This is nowhere truer than when it comes to following England. Every event is sifted through for good omens. You can guarantee that at some point in the next fortnight somebody will offer: "Now, the city of Donetsk was founded by a Welshman named John Hughes. And the England goalkeeper Joe Hart was given his big break in the Premier League by another Welshman named Hughes. Mark Hughes! And what could that mean for England's chances, I wonder?" And they'll have a chuckle in their voice to imply they aren't actuallyserious. But you know deep down they are.

A few moments after the merciful conclusion of Fabio Capello's team's opening game at the 2010 World Cup – a performance so formless and dull that getting angry seemed an inappropriate response, like shaking your fist at custard – a friend called in a state of mild elation. While I had been struggling to break my hands free from the grip they had taken on the arms of the chair, my friend had been busy chiselling out uplifting facets in a manner not seen since the days when Steve McClaren was dynamiting positives from the apparently desolate surface of Middlesbrough's 7-0 defeat to Arsenal.

"This has got to be good for us in the long run," he tweeted dementedly. "I mean, we can't play that badly again, can we?"

His attitude illustrated the madness inherent in supporting the England football team. There is a seed of it in all of us. And while I laughed derisively at my friend's comment, somewhere inside it began to germinate, warmed by the sunny recollection of a similarly desperate game in Mexico 26 years earlier, when Ray Wilkins had been sent off for throwing the ball at the referee (arguably the only aggressive action with a ball in his entire international career), watered by remembrance of Gary Lineker's hat-trick in the next game against Poland, nurtured by the knowledge that in the chaotic universe of football even something as seemingly insignificant as the introduction of Steve Hodge into the starting 11 can result in a tidal wave of national rejoicing.

Luckily the game against Algeria – a yawning chasm of stultifying incoherence the like of which I have not experienced since my last double physics lesson in 1976 – sprayed Agent Orange all over it, saving me considerable psychological pain in the knockout stage.

And now here we are again. "The total lack of expectation is going to work in our favour, big time," is the opinion that has been thunderously gathering momentum in the national football Twittersphere since the announcement of Roy Hodgson's European Championship squad last week. Yes, it appears that England's biggest chance is having no chance at all.

This means that in the coming weeks Hodgson's key task is to keep an eraser handy so that he can maintain England's written-off status whenever somebody tries to use it as a reason to write us back in again. It will be a difficult job even for the venerable Roy, a man appointed, one suspects, largely for his ability to hurl a wet blanket over the sizzling barbecue briquettes of hype, which would likely have burned the shed down if Harry "He understands the mentality of the English footballer" Redknapp had been put in charge. Because when England play even normally sensible people such as David Pleat suffer temporary insanity blathering – as he did six years ago – that "I believe Steven Gerrard can be England's Churchill".

Ignoring the fact that England already has a Churchill – Churchill – this statement conjured pleasant images of the Liverpool dynamo wearing a bow-tie, sucking on a cigar and sitting in the hole behind a lone striker writing A History of the English Speaking People, but otherwise made altogether limited sense except as a signifier of the fathomless madness.

Hodgson has acted with obvious shrewdness in bringing in Gary Neville as his assistant. The former Manchester United man seems unlikely to excite anybody – except Liverpool fans, obviously.

As a right-back his trundling no-frills manner was neatly summed up in 2002 by the then BBC pundit Graeme Le Saux who informed us that "Gary is the sort of player you only really appreciate when he is not there". Strangely enough, this is also true of Le Saux's commentary.

Hodgson and Neville have their work cut out. Because the current fear in the England camp is that if national belief in the advantages of an absence of burgeoning presumption starts to accelerate, while faith in the abilities of a team unburdened by the "fear factor" rises (for in football there is no factor to fear, but the fear factor itself), and excitement over just going out there and playing our natural game on the off chance that with a bit of luck and a following wind we can maybe put a smile back on the face of the Three Lions spirals upwards out of control, England will arrive in Poland and Ukraine as the most overcooked underdogs in sporting history.

Although that could just work in our favour, if you think about it.

• Young Belgian made one Premier League start last season
• Striker felt unappreciated by André Villas‑Boas

Romelu Lukaku will find himself on trial for his place in the Chelsea squad that begins next season when he plays for the club during their close-season tour of the United States in July.

A little over 12 months ago the Belgium striker was among the most sought-after young talents in Europe, with Chelsea beating off heavy competition to sign him for £18m from Anderlecht. But, after a frustrating debut season in English football, in which he made 12 appearances in all competitions – four of them from the start – and scored no goals, Lukaku will need to impress Chelsea's new manager in the US, where the team will play four friendlies, or face being loaned out.

Lukaku, like everybody, is waiting to discover who the Chelsea owner, Roman Abramovich, appoints as the manager; Roberto Di Matteo, the Champions League-winning interim coach, travelled to Barbados on Thursday for a legends tournament, still in the dark over his prospects.

Lukaku had an axe to grind with André Villas‑Boas, Chelsea's manager at the start of the season who, he felt, used him to fill in the gaps in training matches. Yet the 19-year-old made two appearances under Di Matteo, the second of them his sole Premier League start in the largely meaningless final game of the domestic season against Blackburn Rovers.

He hopes the new season will bring him better luck and he remains determined to make the grade at Chelsea, the club he supported as a boy. But he is receptive to the notion of a loan and would not restrict himself to a rival in the Premier League.

Kevin De Bruyne, his fellow Belgium international, is in a similar situation. The attacking midfielder, who signed from Genk in January for £7m only to remain at the Belgian club for the second half of the season, where he found the form of his career, will seek to impress in the US. The 20-year-old is realistic about his chances of regular first-team football at Stamford Bridge and he is willing to go on loan to aid his development.

Lukaku and De Bruyne have seen how Chelsea's other Belgian, the goalkeeper Thibaud Courtois, has benefited from a loan. Courtois excelled for Atlético Madrid over the past season, establishing himself as a first-choice selection and finishing as a Europa League winner. Courtois wants to stay for another season at Atlético and he said after the Europa League final victory over Athletic Bilbao that he had Chelsea's permission to negotiate the extended arrangement.

• Fear of racism also keeps Theo Walcott's family at home
• 'It needs to be addressed,' says England's Joleon Lescott

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain's family will not travel to the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine due to their fear of being the targets of racists. The 18‑year‑old Arsenal forward is the youngest member of Roy Hodgson's England squad and his family's decision follows that of Theo Walcott's, his club-mate, who are not attending the tournament.

Joleon Lescott, the Manchester City defender, said: "It's a shame for some members of the squad that their families feel they can't go and it's a situation that needs to be addressed."

Lescott's family will also not be at the championship, though this was a decision reached before the recent exposés of Ukrainian hooligans with racist tendencies. "It was quite alarming to see the reports about the situation out there, but even before the reports, my family weren't going," the defender said. "Maybe if I'm playing and we get to the final, my family will want to go out there, but my main concern is that they have a good summer and if they're happy, I'm happy. And they're happy staying at home."

John Terry will deny a charge of racially abusing Anton Ferdinand, nine days after the close of Euro 2012. The Chelsea captain is not with England after being granted extra rest following the Champions League final but Lescott denied there will be any tensions within the squad when Terry does join up, despite the allegation.

"I don't think it will be any different because we were all in the squad for the Spain and Sweden games. I don't think there's going to be any animosity. We are all here for the same reason and that is to do well for England." He said that although he is a friend of Rio Ferdinand, Anton's brother, he would have no problem with Terry. "I'm a big fan of Rio and we've become good friends as well, but I was more focused on seeing my name in the England squad and I'm grateful that I was in."

Asked if he had spoken to Rio Ferdinand, who was not selected by Hodgson for Euro 2012, Lescott said: "We spoke after the league. He texted me to say congratulations, which was nice of him because obviously we'd beaten them so closely. Rio is a person I look up to and also the way he plays. He is a great player and has been a great one for England. He is probably one of the players I looked at most growing up. It's a shame he is not in the squad but it was the manager's decision."

James Milner, Lescott's club colleague, conceded that Hodgson's choice not to select Ferdinand was tough. "I'm pleased I don't have to make that decision," the midfielder said. "Rio's been a great player and still is a great player. It's a tough decision and Rio is one of a few who might've felt unlucky not to be in the squad. It's never easy leaving players out. It can only be a good thing for the country if the manager has to leave players of Rio's calibre out."

Milner also admitted to his own frustrations at having last started a match on 8 April – Manchester City's1-0 defeat at Arsenal. "You want to play as many games as you can and contribute as much as you can," he said. "But I've played a lot of games and it was a great finish to the season with winning the title and being selected for England for the Euros."

Milner added he did not worry whether he might miss out on Euro 2012. "It's down to the manager to pick his team. The manager changes and he might have a completely new opinion on you, as opposed to the old one anyway," he said. "As a player all I can do is work as hard as I can in training and play as well as I can when I get a chance. That's in my control and worrying about whether the manager will pick won't help. There's not a lot you can do. It's about the work you do in the gym and on the training field and on the pitch."

Click to enlarge, and debate the strip below the line. Keith Hackett's answers appear in Sunday's Observer and here from Monday.

Competition: win an official club shirt of your choice

For a chance to win a club shirt of your choice from the range at Kitbag.com send us your questions for You are the Ref to you.are.the.ref@observer.co.uk. The best scenario used in the new YATR strip each Sunday wins a shirt to the value of £50 from Kitbag. Terms & conditions apply.

For more on the fifty year history of You Are The Ref, click here.

• Torres reassured by talks with Chelsea hierarchy
• Striker excited by Spain's prospects at Euro 2012

The Chelsea striker Fernando Torres has put a difficult season behind him and is eager to be part of the European champions' future plans, the player said on Thursday following talks with the club's hierarchy.

Torres voiced his concerns after being left out of Chelsea's starting lineup for the Champions League final victory against Bayern Munich last weekend, saying he had been close to throwing in the towel.

"My goal was to talk to them at the end of the season, I needed to know what plans they had for me," Torres said in an interview published on his personal website. "We've talked and now I have no doubt what they expect of Fernando Torres. I just want to start next season as soon as possible."

The 28-year-old moved to Chelsea from Liverpool in January 2011 for £50m but has struggled to rediscover the scoring touch that made him one of the hottest properties in the market.

"It was a mental block, I felt really bad. I felt great on the pitch this season because I have become a more complete player, but the ball did not go in. I felt I was never in the correct position."

The news that striker Didier Drogba was leaving Stamford Bridge may have opened the door for a more regular place in Chelsea's starting lineup, but Torres did not see it that way.

"I can only wish him [Drogba] the best and I feel proud to have shared so much with him," Torres said. "I want to play with the best and he is one of the best. I do not understand why it has to be one or the other, and not both."

Torres was left out of the Spain squad for their last friendly against Venezuela in February, when the man called up in his place, Valencia's Roberto Soldado, scored a hat-trick, and the pacy forward's place at Euro 2012 looked to be in doubt.

However, the coach Vicente del Bosque brought him back into the fold on Monday, and he is likely to make the final cut when the world and European champions announce their 23-man squad for Poland and Ukraine on Sunday.

"I saw myself out [of the squad]," Torres added. "I never received a call with such enthusiasm. Spain has earned the role of being favourite and we have to accept it, but it is worthless because you have to prove it on the field of play.

"Three titles in a row is something no one has done before. If we can achieve that we will be a world reference because people will talking about this generation for many years to come."

The Barcelona manager's final game will be against the man to whom went for advice upon first considering a career as a coach in 2006

Marcelo Bielsa was there at the start and he will be there at the end. Back in October 2006, before Pep Guardiola took his first steps as a coach, one of the men from whom he asked advice was Bielsa. Should he really become a football manager and, if so, how? Together with his friend the film director David Trueba, Guardiola went to Argentina on what turned into a kind of pilgrimage, travelling 11 hours to seek the wisdom of the man they call El Loco. Late into the night they spoke. Guardiola and Bielsa connected.

Legend has it that Bielsa asked Guardiola: "Do you really like blood that much?" Guardiola presumably decided that he did, just not that much. He became a coach and the most successful coach in Barcelona's history. He has won 13 titles, including three successive leagues, two European Cups and two World Club Cups. But four years later, he bows out, exhausted. The football has taken its toll and so has everything else: the relentless demands, the public profile, the battles. The blood.

This has been a difficult season. It has also been Barcelona's least successful under their manager. They have won only the Spanish Super Cup, European Super Cup and World Club Cup. On Friday, in Guardiola's last game as coach, they could also win the Copa del Rey. The man against him – Marcelo Bielsa, is in his first season at Athletic Bilbao.

Johan Cruyff, Guardiola's greatest mentor, describes this as the end of an era. As farewells go, it is pretty well perfect. Two of the three clubs that have spent their entire history in the first division, the two with the most Copa successes in their history – 25 for Barcelona, 23 for Athletic. Two clubs with a special identity; Catalans and Basques facing each other in Madrid. Guardiola once admitted that he would love to coach Athletic one day; when Barcelona looked to replace him, Bielsa was one of the names on everyone's lips.

On Wednesday, Barcelona's sporting director Andoni Zubizarreta, a former Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper, noted: "Bielsa would adapt well to our club." Javier Mascherano and Alexis Sánchez have played under him at international level.

If there is currently a certain mutual admiration between the clubs, between the coaches it is even greater. When Guardiola announced his departure Bielsa described it as "a huge loss for football." Guardiola described Bielsa's arrival in Spain in similarly glowing terms. La Liga had become richer for El Loco's presence. "I would have liked to have played under him: he is different to everyone else," Guardiola said of Bielsa. "Under him, Barcelona are an innovative artistic expression that's generated a culture – a counterculture," says Bielsa of Guardiola.

In the aftermath of Barcelona reaching the Copa del Rey final, Guardiola became most alive when he was asked about the opponents that awaited. "You can see Bielsa's hand at Athletic," he said. "This will be a fascinating final." He was almost open-mouthed as he talked about them and the astonishing intensity, the purity of their performance. There is no speculation and no gamesmanship, just a relentlessness to their pursuit of the opposition's goal, a generosity of spirit that the Barcelona coach admires. There was a kind of wonder about Guardiola and the fact that he was speaking in English gave it even greater charm: "They run up, they run down, they run up, they run down, they run up, they run down â€¦"

When the two teams met at San Mamés earlier this season, it finished 2-2. Guardiola called it a canto al fútbol, an ode to football, a love song to the game. At the end, the two men embraced. "Your players are beasts," said Guardiola. "So are yours," replied Bielsa. It was moments like these which made the blood worthwhile. When the final whistle goes on Pep Guardiola's final game as Barcelona coach, they will embrace again. He has come full circle.

The PFA chief executive has had plenty of lows and the occasional high during a tumultuous season

Gordon Taylor's tenure as the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association spans four decades but it is no surprise to hear him talking about the last year as one of the most challenging. Two high-profile racism cases, Carlos Tevez's antics, the tragic loss of Gary Speed and Fabrice Muamba's cardiac arrest leave Taylor with plenty to ponder, and that is before we get to Joey Barton.

It is tempting to think Barton alone could keep Taylor's in-tray full. The 12-match ban handed out by the Football Association leaves Taylor back on familiar ground with his most volatile member. "I feel that it's like climbing Everest," Taylor says in relation to Barton. "We've nearly got to the top and then you slip down again. You've got to gather yourself together, hope the weather stays perfect and off you go again."

Taylor mentions several times that he often gets accused of defending the indefensible, although nobody could level that criticism at him when it comes to how he has responded to Barton's behaviour. He will, as ever, be at the end of the phone offering support when it inevitably rings, but Barton, as another player with a magnetic attraction to controversy discovered in the past, cannot expect his union leader's backing to be unconditional.

"At Wimbledon at times I would represent Vinnie Jones, and I would sometimes go public with Vinnie and say that what he did was wrong. He did all sorts, and he would say: 'Yeah, but we're your members, you have to support us.' I said, 'Nobody is going to listen to me if no matter whether you're right or wrong, I say you're right.' How can anybody respect the PFA if we plainly see something that's bad for the image of the game and not appreciate that it is wrong."

It is put to Taylor that Tevez's conduct in Bayern Munich must have been hard to defend, although he argues there is a key difference between refusing to play and refusing to warm up, which is why he says he called for the four-week fine initially imposed by Manchester City to be reduced.

"I made my inquiries," Taylor says. "I don't mess about. I spoke to as many City players as I could on exactly what happened and not one ever said to me that he refused to play."

Did he not feel let down when Tevez flew back to Argentina? "Yeah, I did. But it didn't mean to say I fell out with him. It's like having a family, that's what I say to Joey Barton. I say, 'Joey, I'm not just a fair-weather friend and I don't pander to the media but sometimes I have to say it as it is.' And while I was prepared to defend Tevez, like I was with Kolo Touré, which I felt was a problem that shouldn't have happened with a genuine lad [he failed a drug test in March 2011 after taking one of his wife's slimming tablets], once Carlos had gone out there, I was upset because it wasn't doing him any good."

As it turned out, Tevez's case was nothing compared to the two race storms in October. Luis Suárez was subsequently found guilty of racially abusing Patrice Evra while John Terry will appear at Westminster magistrates' court on 9 July after he was charged with a "racially aggravated public order offence" following an altercation with QPR's Anton Ferdinand at Loftus Road. Terry denies the charge.

"To some extent, there was a feeling that on the field of play [racism] just wouldn't be an issue," says Taylor. "Now it has arisen it causes even more concern because of the backlash that there has been. Will it deter any of our black players from making complaints because there is such intimidation with social networks? It will certainly make them think twice.

"But we've got to have enough confidence in the system that it just needs players to stand up and be counted. Then it's up to the whole of the football world to support them.

"When any compliant is made against any player or a club, there seems to be a circling of the wagons – the rest of the world is wrong and they're right and it becomes a them and us situation. That is part of the complexity of a team and a manager needing his players to be loyal and to motivate them and to make them feel that, no matter what, they'll always support them. But sometimes the issues of right and wrong get clouded then.

"The same from our point of view. The Joey Barton situation is a good example. We feel we've encouraged him to have treatment and counselling with regard to anger management, and then something happens and people say, 'Are you going to support him?' I just felt what happened at City, in such a big game, was a backward step."

Taylor frowns as he recalls how Speed's sudden death left everyone at the PFA feeling "totally depressed and upset" before smiling at the memory of Muamba's miraculous recovery. "That was a real feeling of quiet satisfaction that a lot of things that we had helped to put into place with the co-operation of the clubs helped to save his life," he says. "So things like that more than compensate for the time when you've got your tin hat on and are getting battered."

• Hawk-Eye system will be active at Wembley match
• Final test before international vote on GLT on 2 July

England's friendly against Belgium on Saturday week will provide the biggest stage yet for the testing of goalline technology before the vote on 2 July to decide whether to introduce it. Despite the presence of the Hawk-Eye system at Wembley, match officials will not use it if any goalline incident occurs.

The data will, though, be examined by scientists monitoring the system. It will be the final live test of Hawk-Eye, for which the most prominent trial to date came at the FA Hampshire Senior Cup final at St Mary's on 16 May. If goalline technology is adopted it could mean the end of wrong decisions being made that have caused so much controversy in the game. Frank Lampard's disallowed "goal" in England's 4‑1 defeat by Germany at the last World Cup that would have levelled the match is among the more recent high-profile cases.

A statement from Fifa said: "Goalline technology will be tested at Wembley when England play host to Belgium on Saturday 2 June.

"Such tests, along with those being conducted for the GoalRef system in Denmark, could lead to the International Football Association Board approving the introduction of GLT at its special meeting at the beginning of July."

Hawk-Eye deploys six cameras in each goal to track the ball, with "triangulation" pinpointing where the ball is. When the ball crosses the line a radio signal is sent to the referee's watch to confirm a goal has been scored – the process takes less than a second, a key Fifa demand.

GoalRef features a microchip in the ball and low magnetic waves around the goal, with any change in the field on or behind the goalline determining if a goal has been scored. Again, this takes less than a second.

The Football Association and the Premier League have been among the most vociferous strong supporters of goalline technology, and Fifa acknowledged the FA had agreed to the tests at Wembley and St Mary's.

"Fifa would like to place on record its sincere thanks to the Football Association for their willingness to support the live match tests, a critical part of Test Phase 2 for goalline technology," the world governing body said.

The FA's general secretary, Alex Horne, said: "We remain committed to the introduction of goalline technology on the basis that it is accurate. We are in an intensive phase of testing and are delighted we can help FIFA by using our stadium at Wembley. We look forward to considering the results at the next meeting of IFAB."

On 10 March the FA had underlined its support for GLT: "Following last week's meeting of IFAB the FA would like to reiterate our strong desire to see goalline technology introduced as soon as possible. The FA has been a leading proponent of goalline technology for many years. We will continue to press for its introduction once further independent testing is complete later this year, so that anyone wishing to introduce the technology is able to do so at the earliest possible opportunity."

Geoff Hurst's second goal in England's 4-2 win over West Germany which won the 1966 World Cup is still debated regarding whether the ball crossed the line. Recent controversial cases include Juan Mata's strike in Chelsea's 5-1 FA Cup semi-final win over Tottenham Hotspur on 15 April and Clint Hill's header that clearly crossed the line when Queens Park Rangers lost 2-1 to Bolton Wanderers on 10 March.

The maverick midfielder struggled to live up to early hype but is now heading for the Euro 2012 finals

Bienvenue Romain Amalfitano. It won't be long before the new arrival at Newcastle United is being greeted everywhere he goes in Fryneside – a variation of Franglais specific to Tyneside and by necessity very well practised these days. The now well-worn path between Ligue 1 and Newcastle means that Amalfitano, a versatile young midfielder signed from Reims, will be warmly welcomed. He will also be expected to adapt quickly and brilliantly to his new surroundings. That is, after all, what we have come to expect, such is the success story of the club's scouting department, and the example set by Yohan Cabaye, Hatem Ben Arfa et al.

Is there a scouting system in the Premier League more respected than the one led by Graham Carr these days? While Norwich City are applauded for constructing a team on the cheap that has been able to slot into the Premier League, and Manchester City have clearly spent a lot of their millions well on established performers to take them to the title, the manner in which Newcastle have spotted and integrated players in the past couple of seasons, rocketing their market values as they go, must be making a fair few clubs feel sheepish.

It was not ever thus. The curious case of Hugo Viana was brought to mind this week when, on the same day that Amalfitano was unveiled by Newcastle, the Portugese maverick was recalled to his national team after an absence of almost five years.

Viana was brought to St James' Park with quite a fanfare in 2002. His signing was considered to be a thrilling coup. Sir Bobby Robson had used his contacts within Portuguese football to attract a youngster who burst on to the scene in his teens. He had spent one season in Sporting Lisbon's first team, and won the Young European Footballer of the Year award, when Newcastle pounced. A transfer fee of £8.5m for a 19‑year‑old was recognition of his precocious potential. Oddly enough, it was a year later that Cristiano Ronaldo moved, after a debut season in Sporting's first team, to Manchester United for another whopping fee.

Although Robson had high hopes for Viana, believing this left-footed artist could develop into the kind of player capable of adding real class and imagination to take the team up a level, his time on Tyneside was a disappointment. His two-season spell was mainly spent on the substitutes' bench, with cameos that flickered all too rarely.

Too much too young? Maybe. Viana was 19 when he came to England, but just as important, his game was languid. He needed more time and space on the ball than anyone in the Premier League was prepared to give him. He did not possess the athleticism to fight for the right to play. It was evidently not the right place for such an inexperienced ball player to flourish.

Viana left Newcastle for a season back on loan with Sporting, and was then signed by Valencia. That the fee had been squeezed down to £1.5m reflected how his stock had fallen. He found it a struggle, though, to impose himself at the Mestalla. There were injuries, spells out of favour, and loan periods to Osasuna and then Braga back in his native Portugal.

The return to his homeland, after seven years struggling to live up to the early hype, has given him the foundation to relaunch his career. Last season Viana was Braga's linchpin as they finished third in the league. He was one of the best performers in Portugal. The heights (and lengths) he is able to hit with his precision left foot were demonstrated when he managed to score from a free‑kick inside his own half against Portimonense – an extraordinary strike.

There was some regret that he had been overlooked for Paulo Bento's original squad for the European Championship. The debate in many ways summed up why Viana's career never quite took off as expected. The purists want him in as a creative spark. The realists wonder how a player without a ferocious work rate, a midfielder who does not naturally lend himself to tracking-back duties, can fit into the high-intensity pressing game that Bento favours. Without great pace, or much in the way of defensive instincts, they worry that he will not provide enough cover for the back four.

An injury to Carlos Martins led to the phone call that invited Viana to step up from the list of reserves. Now the arguments between the purists and realists have real meaning as the debate moves on to whether or not he should be in the starting lineup in Poland and Ukraine. It has been a long time coming but Viana is at last back in the fold.

• Hull's chairman backs decision of son to dispose of Barmby
• Steve Bruce the favourite to take the reins at KC Stadium

Nick Barmby has lost his appeal against the decision to sack him as Hull City manager.

The Hull chairman, Assem Allam, has backed the verdict of the vice-chairman and his son Ehab Allam to dispose of Barmby's services this month.

Barmby was initially suspended on 30 April over comments made about the Championship club's finances and a lack of funds made available to strengthen during the January transfer window.

It was announced on 8 May that Barmby had been sacked after six months in charge of his hometown side, a decision the 38-year-old subsequently appealed.

However, that has been rejected by Assem Allam following an internal hearing between him and Barmby.

A full statement from Assem Allam read: "Having heard Nick Barmby's internal appeal and following a full review of the facts during a detailed and thorough meeting with him, I have decided to uphold the vice‑chairman's decision to dismiss Nick for the reasons previously stated.

"I would like to assure the club's supporters that this decision has not been taken lightly and all other options were explored before I decided to uphold the dismissal.

"However, as explained in the press statement given by the vice‑chairman, Nick's behaviour has led to the breakdown of trust and confidence with the board and I therefore felt I had no other option particularly given his senior position at the club.

"Nick was a fantastic player for the club and a local hero to the club's supporters.

"It is an extremely unfortunate end to a great period with the club although the club would like the supporters to remember Nick for his playing career and the part he played in the club's promotions."

Barmby first joined Hull as a player in 2004 and combined that with a coaching role at the KC Stadium in 2010 under the then manager Nigel Pearson.

The former England forward took over as player/caretaker manager in November 2011 following Pearson's move to Leicester City, announcing his retirement from the professional game in January before taking the reins on a permanent basis later that month.

The former Sunderland manager Steve Bruce is firm favourite to replace Barmby.

The Premier League clubs collectively made a loss of £361m in 2010/11 despite a £2.3bn income. How in debt are they and which clubs are making a profit? Find income and expenditure by club
• Get the 2010/11 data
• Get the 2009/10 data
• More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian

The Premier League season has drawn to a close once again but how have the clubs been operating financially? In 2010/11 the 20 top-flight clubs made a record income of £2.3bn but the latest published accounts show only five actually made a profit.

Television deals, especially a record £1.5bn from overseas broadcasters has meant the combined turnover of the clubs has increased to £2.3bn compared with £2.1bn in 2009/10.

David Conn has written:

Of the other clubs, 14 made losses, totalling £463.4m. Manchester City, in the third year since Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan of Abu Dhabi's ruling family bought the club and began to pour in money to acquire a team capable of winning the Premier League, lost £197m, the greatest financial loss in the history of football.

Chelsea lost the next highest amount, £68m, bankrolled by their owner, the Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who loaned £94m to the club during 2010‑11. Liverpool, documenting the first eight months of ownership by John Henry's Fenway Sports Group, lost £49m.

The graphic below shows each Premier League club's net debt.

You can find a visual comparison of each club's turnover against its wage bill here.

The table below shows turnover plus income from sources such as gate/matchday and TV and broadcasting as well as net debt for each club and wages as a percentage of turnover.

You can also download a spreadsheet containing additional accounts details including losses, profits and owners' financial contributions for the 2010/11 and 2009/10 seasons.

What can you do with the data?

Data summary

Download the data

• DATA: download the full spreadsheet

More data

More data journalism and data visualisations from the Guardian

World government data

• Search the world's government data with our gateway

Development and aid data

• Search the world's global development data with our gateway

Can you do something with this data?

• Flickr Please post your visualisations and mash-ups on our Flickr group
• Contact us at data@guardian.co.uk

• Get the A-Z of data
• More at the Datastore directory
• Follow us on Twitter
• Like us on Facebook

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving

BARTON STINK

As any fan of psychosomatic illnesses will tell you, Stendahl Syndrome is a condition in which the sufferer is driven to a state of hallucinatory confusion by exposure to large amounts of art. Pity poor Joey Barton then because after Big Sunday Paper took him to an art gallery the other day, the aesthetic feast around him forced the midfielder into a bad trip. Before he knew it, Joey thought he was England's Brave John Terry in a Big Cup semi-final and spent QPR's final game of the season booting as many innocent bystanders as he could. Either that or he's a bit of a fool. But any man that lays into Alan Shearer is worthy of the benefit of the doubt so we're labelling this one under S for Stendahl.

Unfortunately Barton failed to plead temporary insanity and the FA has banned him for 12 matches. "There are rules of conduct that should be adhered to, and such behaviour [waging total war on Man City] tarnishes the image of football in this country, particularly as this match was the pinnacle of the domestic season and watched by millions around the globe," droned an FA statement, pleading us all to think of the children. Especially the ones in countries who stump up loads of money for TV rights. Despite the fact that the midfielder might as well have not been there for half of QPR's games last season, Barton's lengthy absence casts doubt on his future at Loftus Road.

PFA chief Gordon Taylor reckons Barton needs professional help. "I'm not saying I won't support him because he does need that help but it's recurring and he's getting to the later stages of his career and it does get very exasperating and frustrating," sighed Taylor, telling Barton for the hundredth time to finish his greens and tidy his room. "We should be including with some of these penalties that during this period the player has to undergo anger management and look to deal with the problem that you've had to prevent it happening in the future."

A lesson there to all of you who haven't already been driven insane by the beauty of the Fiver's prose.

HOAX OF THE DAY

"CNN Reports from Tampa – Malcolm Glazer dies in hospital at 2am local time following 3rd massive stroke. #mufc #glazer #RIPMalcolmGlazer" – bored Manchester United fan @Danny_McMullan decides to waste a few seconds of his 185 Twitter followers' time.

"Malcolm Glazer has died in Tampa: wonder is this will promt flotation or sale?" – bored football journalist Rob Shepherd doesn't bother tuning in to CNN to see if it's true and tweets his concern about the financial implications the news could have on Manchester United to his 4,023 Twitter followers.

"WHAT A DAY FOR TELLING LIES ON THE INTERNET" – bored Manchester United fan @danny_mcmullan realises the internet really is full of gullible saps.

FIVER LETTERS

"Re: Venky's confusion (yesterday's bits and bobs). I had to marvel at the Blackeye Rovers owner's unique approach to attracting new sponsors. To have the foresight to completely mismanage a club over an 18-month period in order to engineer a PR opportunity that sets up a sponsorship with a top, household brand takes real business brains. I have helpfully mocked up the new shirt sponsors and attached" – Steven Taylor.

"Further to yesterday's bits and bobs, can I perhaps suggest that Federico Santander simply ensures that he and his Racing Club team-mates simply win their next game if he wants to prevent Giovanni Moreno being shot by his own fans. Either that or he should start getting a lift to and from training with a different team-mate" – Chris Duffy.

Send your letters to the.boss@guardian.co.uk. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver.

BITS AND BOBS

Goal-line technology is to be tested at England's friendly against Belgium at Wembley on 2 June, although if there are any close calls only the scientific geeks in white suits monitoring the system will know the results – the referee will not be informed.

Dave Whelan will give Roberto Martinez seven days to decide if he wants to stay at Wigan or move on. "It is dragging on a bit but I only care about one thing – that is the future of Wigan Athletic," said the man who has publicly let it be know that Martinez is up for grabs two seasons in a row.

Shanghai Shenhua caretaker manager Nicolas Anelka says he is against the appointment of former World Cup-winning Argentina player and Olympic gold-medal winning manager Sergio Batista because – and you'll like this – he's never heard of him. "I don't know this coach. If that is going to happen, there is a huge problem," he Alan Shearer-d.

Six hundred inmates have been shifted out of prison cells in Poland to make room for potential pwoper nawty hooligans when Euro 2012, erm, kicks off.

Referee Howard Webb reckons players who roll around on the floor screaming like big Jessies when they are not knacked could harm other footballers. "If players cry wolf too many times, then there is a possibility that maybe we will not react in the way we need to do," he peeped.

And Proper Blogger, [Pope's O']Rangers Tax Case, has deservedly won the Orwell prize for blogging.

STILL WANT MORE?

Jonathan Wilson knows so much about football that we once hooked him up to a big computer to try to teach it some things but he had so much knowlege, it overloaded, then got really hot and caught fire. Honest. Here he is discussing Juan Roman Riquelme

Hazard! Tevez! Neymar! Bale! Falcao! We have no idea where any of these players and 45 others just like them are going to be playing their football next season but that has not stopped us from speculating.

And watch Falcao win our scissors kick from a corner goal of the week competition and get geared up for Norway v England with this week's instalment of Classic YouTube.

SIGN UP TO THE FIVER

Want your very own copy of our free tea-timely(ish) email sent direct to your inbox? Has your regular copy stopped arriving? Click here to sign up.

IT'S ON. BIG BOUT IS ON

• Hawk-Eye system to be monitored without referee's input
• If successful, go-ahead could be announced on 2 July

Goalline technology is to be tested at England's friendly against Belgium at Wembley on 2 June.

The Hawk-Eye system will be installed at the national stadium for the match, which will be Roy Hodgson's first home game in charge of England.

If there are any close calls, however, only the scientists monitoring the system will know the results – the referee will not be informed.

If the tests are successful, the go-ahead for technology is expected to be given on 2 July.

It will be the final live test for the Hawk-Eye system and follows a previous test during the Hampshire FA Senior Cup final at Southampton's St Mary's Stadium on 16 May.

Another system, called GoalRef, is being tested in the Danish Super League. All the tests are being monitored by officials from EMPA, the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology.

Fifa said in a statement: "Such tests could lead to the International Football Association Board (Ifab) approving the introduction of GLT at its special meeting at the beginning of July.

"Only the EMPA observers, Ifab and Fifa representatives at Wembley will have access to the GLT system readings.

"Therefore, should a goalline incident occur at this or any of the "test" matches, the system will not be utilised by the match officials. It means the GLT system will have no influence on the outcome of the matches in which the system is being tested.

"Fifa would like to place on record its sincere thanks to the Football Association for their willingness to support the live match tests, a critical part of Test Phase 2 for goalline technology."

• Referee speaks for first time about Muamba's cardiac arrest
• Webb says other players should be deterred from crying wolf

Howard Webb has spoken for the first time about the match in which Fabrice Muamba collapsed and warned players that feigning injury could risk tragedies taking place in the future.

Webb, who said Muamba's heart attack and recovery had had a lasting impact on him, warned that referees may be reluctant to stop the game if they believe that a player is "crying wolf" – and any delay could have been fatal for the Bolton midfielder.

England's top official was refereeing the Tottenham versus Bolton FA Cup match in March when Muamba fell to the ground after suffering a cardiac arrest.

Webb, at the Fifa medical conference in Budapest, said: "I turned and saw Fabrice Muamba lying face down on the floor with no one else nearby – this was clearly a major concern and clearly something more than a normal injury.

"The fact that he wasn't rolling around screaming in agony, the way he went down with no contact, meant immediately it was serious. And it was not only me – the players recognised it. You see William Gallas's reaction – an opposing player – immediately waving to the bench to come on.

"If the game had not been stopped within 20 or 30 seconds, that might have made a difference to his chances of recovery. One of our obligations as a referee is to try and observe fair play and keep the game flowing when we can. But, if players cry wolf too many times, then there is a possibility that maybe we will not react in the way we need to do based on what we saw there.

"If we come under criticism for stopping the games too many times for doctors or physios to enter the field of play then referees might be inclined not to stop the game.

"I'm not saying it's a particularly big problem but I have seen games stopped where players weren't as seriously injured as they would have you believe and that is an issue when you are dealing with something as serious as this."

Webb said like many of those at White Hart Lane, the incident had had a profound effect on him. "The sensation I got was that the crowd was pushing with [Bolton doctor] Jonathan Tobin and his colleagues to get Fabrice Muamba's heart going," he said.

"It was amazing, absolutely astonishing. It was just the most unbelievable crowd reaction I have ever experienced in football and thinking about it now makes me feel emotional.

"It just puts things into perspective. The game is important, the result is important and it does affect people's livelihoods, we are reminded of that on a regular basis – but without life there is no football at all."

Webb said he had had little hope initially that Muamba would pull through. "There was a numb sensation about what you'd witnessed, what you've seen," he said. "We thought it was a slim hope that he would pull through.

"No news was good news as I was going back up the motorway, toward to the north of England, back home. I was listening to the bulletins. The next morning, still no news and we thought: 'Wow, this is maybe a good sign.' That he has made the recovery he has now is an unbelievable miracle."

A global survey by Fifa showed 84 footballers have suffered sudden cardiac arrests on the pitch during the last five years. Fifa's medical committee chairman, Michel D'Hooghe, said Muamba's collapse highlighted the need a defibrillator to be available at every match.

• 'It's proven that there's no animosity in the squad'
• Lescott surprised at omission of Rio Ferdinand

The England defender Joleon Lescott has insisted there is no animosity within Roy Hodgson's squad ahead of the European Championship in Poland and Ukraine.

England are preparing for a friendly match against Norway in Olso on Saturday, with the players taking part in an open training session at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium on Thursday.

It had been suggested that divisions would appear following the selection of John Terry, as the Chelsea defender faces a July court date for allegedly racially abusing Rio Ferdinand's brother, Anton, during a Premier League match last year. Terry strongly denies the charge.

Lescott, who was part of the City side that clinched the league title at Eastlands, claims there will be no problem when Terry joins the squad with the Chelsea players after a break following their success in the Champions League, although admitted his surprise at Rio Ferdinand's omission.

Asked whether there is any animosity in the camp, Lescott said: "No definitely not. It's proven that there's no animosity in the squad. We're all professional, we know what we're here to do and that's to play for our country in a major tournament."

On Ferdinand, he said: "I was surprised, Rio's a great player and he's been a great player for England. It was a shame that he wasn't in the squad but it was the manager's decision.

"He's one of the players I looked up to growing up and he's one of the players you wanted to emulate."

The 29-year-old revealed that his family would not be travelling as spectators to Eastern Europe this summer, but that their decision was not due to the threat of racism. Theo Walcott's family will not be attending the Championship for fear of racist attacks.

Asked if possible crowd trouble would be a problem, Lescott said: "I'm more concerned about my family and they won't be out there. As a player you tend to get on with it and if things are said in a crowd you deal with it afterwards.

"It's a shame we are talking about it, I think we always will be, it's a touchy subject for some to talk about. I think if you address it pretty early I don't think it will be as much of a problem. In this country on the whole I think we are stepping in the right direction."

Lescott and his club-mate James Milner believe their domestic success with City this season, and Chelsea's victory in the Champions League final, will boost confidence in the England camp.

Milner said: "Our players are going to the tournament high on confidence. Winning is a habit and you want to get into those habits of winning trophies and get into that winning mentality.

"Players have had a taste and had a good season, others are at clubs that haven't won the Premier League or Champions League but have had good seasons individually or positive seasons with their clubs. It's only a good thing for us as a team going out there to Poland."

• Van Gaal linked with position of technical director at Anfield
• 'He has a great track record and has the experience,' says Kuyt

The Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt believes his compatriot Louis van Gaal has the ideal experience to be a success at Anfield.

The 60-year-old Dutchman has been heavily linked with the new technical director role introduced by owners Fenway Sports Group, although reports in the Netherlands suggest he would be more interested in the vacant manager's job.

Kuyt, currently on international duty preparing for Euro 2012, gave his backing to the former Ajax and Bayern Munich manager.

"It is not usual for players to speak about candidates, but he is a Dutchman, has a great track record and has the experience that the club could put to good use," the 31-year-old told De Telegraaf. "At the moment, Liverpool have no coach or technical director.

"Each club benefits from structure. You look at the Dutch national team and see that consistency and clarity are important."

Kuyt seemed destined to be leaving Anfield this summer after his starting opportunities were reduced significantly last season, but has hinted he may be open to staying with a new manager coming in to replace Kenny Dalglish.

"The focus is entirely with the Dutch team, but before our training camp I spoke with my agent and discussed what I wanted and I am not thinking about it until I can decide," he said.

"I think it's important there is someone who has confidence in me. And there must be a genuine chance that I'm going to play as many matches as in the first five years."

Boca Juniors' No10 is notoriously difficult to work with, but in the quarter-final of the Copa Libertadores he again proved his worth

Juan Román Riquelme never changes. He is the eternal question at the heart of Argentinian football, the solemn-faced representative of a romanticised former age constantly rebuking the present for not being quite as graceful, quite as thoughtful, as he is.

He can be frustrating. He can drift around the field like a bored ghost. He is politically manipulative. Martín Palermo admitted his decision to retire last season was in part prompted by the fact that he could not stand occupying the same dressing room as Riquelme any longer. Riquelme's complaints about the pragmatic style Boca Juniors tend towards under Julio César Falcioni almost prompted the coach to quit in February, despite having ended a three-year trophy drought by winning the Apertura three months earlier.

And yet he remains a wonderful footballer capable of turning games in the blink of an eye. On Wednesday night, Boca's Copa Libertadores quarter-final against Fluminense looked to be heading for extra-time. The Brazilians, trailing 1-0 from the first leg, had levelled with Thiago Carleto's deflected free-kick – a strike from 30 yards that clipped Diego Rivero on the edge of the wall, turned away from goal and then curled wickedly back inside the post to confound the Boca keeper Agustín Orión, who seemed to think the ball was heading wide.

The rest of the game had been awful: Fluminense had controlled possession, Edinho and Jean running the midfield – itself partly the result of Riquelme's solipsistic approach, but had created very little – testament to the defensive resolve Falcioni has instilled. It was difficult to see any outcome apart from penalties.

Riquelme, now 33, had been the one positive from a creative point of view. He found an unsympathetic referee in Enrique Osses – whose handling of a game littered with dives was generally excellent – and did not win a free-kick until the 53rd minute, something he celebrated by making an uncharacteristic charge back towards his own corner flag to make a tackle – executed cleanly and artfully, almost as though he were demonstrating he could defend, if only he could be bothered – a minute later.

His movement, often so subtle it is hard to readily detect, had begun to drag the Fluminense defence around without really threatening, largely because Boca's midfield was so determined to sit deep and protect the back four that it broke forward only very occasionally, leaving the front two of Tanque Silva and Darío Cvitanich (and then the perennially frustrating Pablo Mouche) isolated and easily marked.

But then, two minutes into injury time, Riquelme headed a ball down to Mouche, took the return and as Rivero at last broke from midfield, curled an exquisite ball into his path with the outside of his right foot. Rivero's first touch was superb and he hit a low shot across Diego Cavalieri.

The former Liverpool goalkeeper got a hand to it and turned the shot on to a post, from where it rebounded back across goal. It might have bounced in off the near post but Cavalieri reacted superbly and flicked the ball away. Unfortunately for him, it bounced back into the six-yard box where Silva, a man whose every goal unleashes a wave of relief, stabbed in from close range.

It was only his fourth goal since joining Boca from Fiorentina in January, but significantly his third in three games. He is still a long way from being the bustling leader of the line he was at Vélez Sarsfield but there are at least signs he is getting there, almost as though the scrap he had last month – when he got off the team bus to confront Tigre fans who had been verbally abusing him – has refocused his mind.

Silva's debut for Boca came in the Valentine's Day goalless draw away to the Venezuelan side Zamora that prompted the clash between Falcioni and Riquelme. In the month that followed, Boca drew at Union, lost at home to Fluminense in the group stage of the Libertadores and lost 5-4 at home to an Independiente team who had lost their previous four games in the league. It seemed then that the tightly-drilled unit Falcioni had put together in the Apertura, when they had conceded only six goals in 19 games, had collapsed. It was not difficult to see the tensions between Riquelme and Falcioni as the cause.

To an extent, the two are just the most recent embodiments of an ongoing debate that lies at the heart of Boca's philosophy. This was the club where Diego Maradona became a star, so it understands the attraction of a No10, the tradition followed by Riquelme; but Boca's must successful spell came in the early 2000s, when they won three Libertadores titles in four years under Carlos Bianchi, a pragmatic coach from the school of Victorio Spinetto.

The sense is that relations between Riquelme and Falcioni remain uneasy, but for now a truce holds. Boca have gone back to the highly effective, stifling football of the Apertura; the Independiente game aside, they have conceded only eight goals in 14 league matches, Sunday's 2-0 win at Racing taking them top of the Clausura, head of a clutch of five teams separated by two points with four games remaining. It has been a scrap, but over the next month Boca could complete an unprecedented treble.

An 87th-minute goal from Paulinho gave Corinthians a 1-0 aggregate win over Vasco da Gama in their Copa Libertadores quarter-final on Wednesday night. Because of a Copa Libertadores rule that states that if two sides from the same nation reach the semi-final they must play each other, Corinthians will face Santos, the reigning Libertadores champions, in the last four if they can overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit against Vélez. If Vélez win, however, they will play Boca.

Thursday night's other quarter-final sees Universidad de Chile host Libertad after a 1-1 draw in Paraguay in the first leg. The winners of that game will play Boca if Santos beat Vélez, or Corinthians if Vélez beat Santos.

• Martínez under consideration for manager's job at Liverpool
• 'I still believe Roberto will be here next season,' says Whelan

The Wigan chairman, Dave Whelan, is preparing to set a deadline for Roberto Martínez to decide his future after admitting the club is currently in limbo.

The Spaniard is one of the leading contenders for the vacant Liverpool manager's job and has been given permission to speak to the Anfield club.

But with the Liverpool owners, Fenway Sports Group, continuing their widespread trawl of the best available talent, formal interviews are unlikely to be scheduled until next week.

Martínez is currently on a Caribbean holiday but, on his return next week, Whelan will give him a timescale to make a decision – although with FSG in control of the process it may be one he is not capable of making.

"Roberto will be in Barbados until next Tuesday, and I will then set a seven-day deadline by which time I will expect a decision," said Whelan. "Until he gets back it's all quiet on the western front.

"I appreciate everyone is in limbo at the moment and there will come a time soon when we'll need an answer one way or the other. It is dragging on a bit but I only care about one thing – that is the future of Wigan Athletic. Nothing else matters.

"It's important we sort this out properly, one way or the other, so we can move forward in preparation for the new season."

Martínez's name also continues to be linked with the vacancy at Aston Villa, a club he turned down 12 months ago.

Although he remains one of the front-runners to replace Kenny Dalglish at Liverpool, Whelan has not given up hope of hanging on to his manager. "I must stress to our supporters that I am by no means resigned to losing Roberto to Liverpool or any other club," he told the Wigan Evening Post.

"He may go, he may not go. That will be up to Roberto and I will respect his decision either way. But it is not a foregone conclusion. Not at all. Hand on heart, I still believe Roberto will be here next season."

• Johnson pulls out of open training session ahead of friendly
• Liverpool's Martin Kelly could replace him against Norway

Glen Johnson sparked a fitness concern ahead of England's friendly with Norway this weekend when he failed to play any meaningful part in an open training session on Thursday morning because of an infected toe.

The Liverpool defender missed training at Manchester City's Etihad Stadium on Wednesday but was in the group that arrived at the stadium the following day.

However, Johnson lasted only a matter of minutes before he headed down the tunnel for further treatment on what was described as "a minor injury" by the FA on Wednesday.

Even though Johnson's injury is hardly long-term, there must be a doubt over his availability for the Norway friendly in Oslo on Saturday. And that could mean a first cap for his Liverpool team-mate Martin Kelly.

With the four-strong Chelsea contingent – including three of the seven defenders named in his 23-man Euro 2012 squad – plus Wayne Rooney, all missing, Hodgson will have to draft in someone to make up a defence that is virtually certain to include Phil Jones, Joleon Lescott and Leighton Baines.

Hodgson does have the option of selecting James Milner at right-back. However, Phil Jagielka has made senior appearances for England in that role.

The presence of Kelly is more intriguing, though, as he was added to the standby list of players on Tuesday as a direct result of the doubt over Johnson.

The former England coach Fabio Capello was a big fan of the Merseyside-born defender, although he has still to win a senior cap.

In a small-sided match, Hodgson actually lined Jagielka up alongside Lescott, with Jones in the full-back role, with the new coach Gary Neville a central figure in the other team.

Neville's presence was the most obvious example of the new broom that has swept through England since they secured qualification for this summer's finals in Poland and Ukraine last October.

The former Manchester United man was expected to become the link between Hodgson and his players, although Capello's successor is evidently going to be a more central figure as he took charge of training, which his predecessor preferred to observe.

Danny Welbeck, who has not played since injuring his ankle during the Manchester derby on 30 April, completed a solo session, although that did not look too strenuous and he is unlikely to figure this weekend.

A look at the players who will be on the shortlists of all the major clubs across Europe this summer – in no particular order – from Eden Hazard to Carlos Tevez

Joey Barton has been banned for an unprecedented 12 matches and fined £75,000 by the FA. But do you think it is justified?

• Chinese club reportedly considering Sergio Batista
• 'If that is going to happen, there is a huge problem'

Shanghai Shenhua's player-coach, Nicolas Anelka, says there would be a problem if the Chinese club replaced him with the former Argentina manager Sergio Batista.

The local media in China has reported that struggling Shanghai will name the 49-year-old former Argentinian midfielder as manager, with Anelka reverting back to a sole playing role.

The Frenchman, who was kicked out of the 2010 World Cup for comments directed at the then coach Raymond Domenech, was unhappy at the prospect.

"I don't know this coach. I haven't heard anything about this from the club. I have only learnt this from the media," Anelka said.

"If that is going to happen, there is a huge problem of communication between me and the club, because of the language barrier. I am not aware of anything that is happening.

"I am a coach but also I am a player before anything. If something happens and I am not aware of it, you should know that I am a player and that would be a problem in the future because I will still be here."

Much was expected of Anelka when he signed a two-year deal worth a reported $300,000 (£240,000) a week with Shanghai in December, but the club has struggled this year and sit 14th in the 16-team league, one point and one place above the relegation zone after 11 games.

The much-travelled former Arsenal, Real Madrid and Fenerbahce striker has scored just two goals this season and took on coaching responsibilities last month when his compatriot, the former France international Jean Tigana, was sacked after four months in charge.

Results have not improved under Anelka's guidance with Shanghai slumping to a 1-0 loss away to Henan Jianye at the weekend, but the Frenchman said a new coach was not the solution.

"I would be very disappointed if it happens like that. Because from the start, I tried to improve the club. I did that to help the coach and I don't get any extra money for this second role that I am doing," he said.

"I am the coach today and I try to do my best. We have very, very young players and we are working hard and we will try to improve the level of the team and help push up the club."

Shanghai have been strongly linked with a move for Anelka's former Chelsea team-mate Didier Drogba, who announced he was leaving the Champions League winners this week. However, the Frenchman said he had heard nothing from the Ivorian striker.