UEFA president Michel Platini wants to ensure a European country wins the bid and is developing a strategy to make sure that happens.

England face stiff competition from inside Europe including Russia, a possible joint bid from Spain and Portugal and a Benelux bid.

Australia have already thrown their hat into the ring for 2018, while the USA and China may also follow suit so Platini and UEFA officials are keen to ensure the European countries do not end up splitting the vote and allowing a rival to win instead.

UEFA support is vital for England - eight of the 23 FIFA executive members who vote on the 2018 hosts are European and when UEFA backed Germany for 2006, England ended up with just two votes.

Platini told PA Sport: "We are going to try to find the best strategy so that a European country wins the bid in 2018.

"We are still far away from the decision - we have nearly three years to play with - but we want to adopt a strategy so that a European bid is successful."

Platini and England's UEFA and FIFA vice-president Geoff Thompson are currently inspecting developments in Poland and Ukraine for Euro 2012.

UEFA's executive committee will decide in September whether to proceed with the tournament in the eastern European countries or move them elsewhere.

If they opt for a move, then Spain are the most likely hosts as it would also persuade them to drop out of the race for 2018.

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Chelsea have not been as cute as Manchester United in their choice of player to promote their new kit.

United opted not to use Cristiano Ronaldo in light of the winger's desire to leave the club but Frank Lampard is still the face of Chelsea's new away kit despite the likelihood of him moving to Inter Milan.

Similarly, Arsenal have used Emmanuel Adebayor to launch their new home kit even though the striker has been making noises about moving to AC Milan.

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Jean-Marie Weber, the sports marketing 'fixer' found guilty of embezzlement by a Swiss court yesterday, continues to try to woo the great and good of sport.

Weber, former general director of collapsed marketing firm ISL/ISMM that arranged broadcasting and sponsorship deals for FIFA and the IOC, was in Vienna at the weekend pressing the flesh with leaders of UEFA's 53 national associations.

His presence at the Vienna Hilton, UEFA's base for the Euro 2008 final, raised some hackles, including those of ex-UEFA chief executive Gerhard Aigner.

Meanwhile yesterday's court case announcement was very much an anticlimax for those hoping fingers would be pointed at FIFA.

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Any football club looking for a bargain would do worse than have a punt on Rhys Griffiths, the firefighter who finished as the top goalscorer in Europe.

Griffiths, 28, scored 40 goals as Llanelli won the Welsh Premier League - the third season in a row he has broken the club's scoring record.

It meant that in the competition for the 'Golden Shoe' won by Cristiano Ronaldo, whose 31 goals gave him 62 ranking points, Griffiths was ranked ninth equal in Europe on 40 points alongside Karim Benzema of Lyon and Juventus' David Trezeguet.

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Manchester City's signing of Brazil striker Jo from CSKA Moscow has thrust the player's agent, Kia Joorabchian, back into the news again.

Jo, like Joorabchian's other high-profile clients Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, previously played for Brazil's top-flight side Corinthians.

Joorabchian's company MSI took over the club in 2004, when he promised "to build Corinthians into a team of galacticos," adding: "Everyone else who goes to Brazil goes there to trade players. They don't do anything constructive for Brazilian football."

Corinthians won the Brazilian championship that first season.

Three years later, their star names are all gone and Corinthians have been relegated.