FIFA has ruled out joint bids to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. President Sepp Blatter said FIFA's executive committee decided that as long as there was a viable individual bid, “double candidacies will not be accepted.” That will affect planned joint bids for the 2018 World Cup from Spain-Portugal and Netherlands-Belgium. Monday is the deadline to submit papers expressing an intent to bid and other potential bidders include England, Russia, Indonesia, Japan, Qatar, Australia, China, Mexico and the United States. Blatter made the announcement at the South American Football Confederation's annual congress on Thursday. The 24-man executive committee will vote on both hosts in December 2010. Japan and South Korea co-hosted the 2002 tournament but it was criticized as unwieldy and costly. “We have a long way to go, and we will hear all kinds of things,” Belgian bid leader Alain Courtois told AP Friday. “But the moment that counts is when we have the vote, not any time earlier. There have been so many statements from Blatter and there will be many more. We have to stay calm and keep pushing our joint bid.” In favor of the bids by Netherlands-Belgium, who co-hosted the 2000 European Championship, and Spain-Portugal, was that they were neighbors not separated by an ocean, and all used euro currency, eliminating much bureaucratic red tape. Blatter said FIFA and its confederations were likely to weather the economic crisis, but acknowledged he was worried for the hundreds of clubs around the world. “We have solidarity in football, which means that those who have more give to those who have less,” he said. “Football is strong – it doesn't have problems, it has solutions.” 1 match ban on Vidic FIFA has banned Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic for one Champions League match after he was sent off in the Club World Cup final. The Serbian defender will miss the first leg of United's round-of-16 clash with Inter Milan. The champions of England and Italy meet at Inter's San Siro stadium on Feb. 24, with the return at Old Trafford on March 11. World governing body FIFA enforced the punishment Friday because it organized the Club World Cup in Tokyo last month. Owen out for 6 weeks Struggling Newcastle confirmed on Friday that England international striker Michael Owen will be sidelined for up to six weeks with ankle ligament damage. Owen, who had scored 10 goals this season, limped off after just 19 minutes of Wednesday's 2-1 defeat by Manchester City at St James' Park. “It's a big blow and the injuries are mounting up,” Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear told the club website.
