FA Urges Premier League Clubs Not to Play Friendlies After Season Ends in May: Nightly Soccer Report

The English Football Association has called on Premier League clubs to give England a boost in the World Cup next summer by not sending Premier League teams on post-season tours in May, like many of the top Premier League clubs did last summer.

The 2013-14 Premier League season ends on May 11, and Hodgson has an England training camp scheduled for May 19-25 before England play a friendly at Wembley on May 28. After that match, England fly out to the United States for two friendlies (one against the United States in either Boston or DC, and another against an opponent TBD to be played in Miami).

Last May, Premier League clubs including Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham played friendlies immediately after the season ended. England manager Roy Hodgson has pleaded with Premier League clubs to give the players a rest.

Here are tonight’s world soccer news headlines:

Premier League

• Football Association urges Premier League clubs to give England a World Cup summer boost — The Telegraph
• Manchester United case shows how far hooligans will go to skip bans — The Independent
• Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger vindicated in his move to buy from the Bundesliga — The Telegraph
• Tottenham Hotspur place £6.5m price tag on Jermain Defoe — The Times
• West Ham manager Sam Allardyce left in the dark over Andy Carroll’s return from injury — The Independent
• Steven Gerrard talks to FC about Liverpool, Suarez, the title chase by Roger Bennett — ESPN FC
• Police warn of problems controlling hooliganism — The Independent
• Michael Laudrup calls for referees to face questions over controversial decisions — Wales Online
• Academy sackings boost Brendan Rodgers’ influence at Liverpool — The Independent
• Gaston Ramirez demands Southampton showdown talks as Inter Milan and Napoli wait in wings — The Mirror
• Everton’s and Liverpool’s next phases owe much to influence of Swansea — The Guardian
• Next Crystal Palace manager: Eagles and Tony Pulis still to agree deal as talks with ex-Stoke boss stall — The Mirror
• Arsenal will welcome back Theo Walcott against former club Southampton at the Emirates Stadium — Telegraph
• Hull manager Steve Bruce tells fans to ‘respect’ name change — Off The Post
• Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup careful over Michu comeback — BBC Sport
• Southampton will stay out of January transfer market, says Pochettino — The Guardian
• Liverpool 51 Everton 16. (That’s the number of post-war seasons finishing higher) — Sporting Intelligence

International soccer

• Adrian Mutu banned from Romania team after comparing manager to Mr Bean — Pies
• Croatia defender Joe Simunic fined for ‘pro-Nazi chants’ — ESPN FC

MLS

• Beckham’s agreement for discounted MLS expansion team expires at year’s end — SBJ
• MLS veteran goalkeeper Kevin Hartman announces retirement after decorated 17-year career — NY Red Bulls
• Houston Dynamo accepting refundable deposits for potential NWSL expansion team — Pro Soccer Talk

Serie A

• Why Internazionale’s new owner was happy to invest outside Indonesia — The Guardian

The Nightly Soccer Report is tomorrow’s news today. It’s often tomorrow morning’s worldwide newspaper headlines that are published the night before. We do all the work for you, combing the Internet and aggregating the news for you. Read The Nightly Soccer Report on World Soccer Talk every night before bed, so you can stay on top of all the news that matters.