Iraq international Nashat Akram has been refused a work permit to play for Manchester City.Sven-Goran Eriksson had hoped to sign Akram, a star of Iraq´s Asian Cup-winning side but it appears the 24-year-old cannot travel to the UK because of a technicality of immigration rules for footballers - which stipulate his national side must be in the top 70 of the FIFA rankings.City boss Eriksson told the club´s official website, www.mcfc.uk: "This is a big blow and a great disappointment to us."
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