Blatter demands fair play in AFC leadership row

April 17, 2009

SINGAPORE (AFP) – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has demanded all sides play by the book in an increasingly bitter battle for power inside the Asian Football Confederation.

The head of the sport’s world governing body made the comments as relations between AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam and his chief rival, Bahrain’s Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa, plummet.

Shaikh Salman, Bahrain’s Crown Prince, is challenging Bin Hammam for his seat on FIFA’s executive committee, with the winner decided at the AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur on May 8.

Qatar’s Bin Hammam, accused by his opponents of being a dictator, says he will step down as AFC chief if he loses the FIFA seat, despite his term not expiring until 2011.

The battle, which both sides claim to be winning, has become increasingly political among the powerful factions within the AFC’s 46 member nations, with Japan, South Korea, and Saudi Arabia all opposed to Bin Hammam.

On Wednesday, South Korea’s football association filed a complaint with FIFA’s ethics committee against the Qatari, accusing him of “groundless, bitter accusations.”

The row stems from remarks Bin Hammam made in a television interview in February, in which he blasted Korea Football Association chief Cho Jung-Yeon, saying he was ready to “cut Cho’s head off.”

Meanwhile, the ethics committee is reportedly probing claims by Bin Hammam that the Olympic Council of Asia, via its national Olympic committees, was trying to pressure national football associations to vote for Sheikh Salman.

Blatter, a long-time supporter of Bin Hammam, said all sides needed to start showing more respect and discipline.

“Football is a universal sport based on the fundamental principles of discipline and respect for opponents and the laws of the game… underpinned by the values of fair play and ethics,” he said in a statement.

“These principles and values must be applied not only on the field of play, but also in the administration and governance of football, particularly in the area of sports politics.

“And, of course, this includes elections to the governing bodies of football.

“As president of FIFA, it is my duty to remind all members of the Asian football community of the importance of these values in the run-up to the election scheduled for May 8 for the vacant Asian seat on the FIFA executive committee.”

Several key proposals made by Bin Hammam have proved to be controversial, and helped spark the move to oust him.

These include his plan to move the AFC headquarters out of Malaysia, a proposed 12-year marketing deal with World Sport Group and amendments to the AFC statutes that would consolidate his power.

Despite the move to unseat him, Bin Hammam believes he has the numbers to remain at AFC House, claiming this month that he has the support of 33 of the 46 members nations so far, with a two-thirds majority required.

Asia has four seats on the FIFA executive committee — South Korea’s Chung Mong-Joon as vice-president, Japan’s Junji Ogura from East Asia, Thailand’s Worawi Makudi from Southeast Asia, and Bin Hammam.

Bin Hammam’s is the only position up for election.

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City fall short as Germans shine in UEFA Cup

April 17, 2009

PARIS (AFP) – Ten-man English Premiership side Manchester City bowed out of the UEFA Cup on Thursday, falling short against Hamburg, who advanced to an all-German semi-final against Werder Bremen.

City came from behind to win 2-1 on the night, and Elano twice hit the woodwork, but Paolo Guerrero’s opener gave the hosts too much to do after the 3-1 loss in Germany as Hamburg advanced 4-3 on aggregate to delight coach Martin Jol.

“It’s a good experience for our team. To get to the semi-finals of the UEFA cup is fantastic,” he told ITV.

The historical omens had appeared to favour Jol, who while in charge of Spurs won six times in as many attempts facing City and was also unbeaten in four clashes against City’s former Blackburn boss Mark Hughes.

Hughes was sanguine in elimination.

“We produced a performance of real desire and commitment,” he said. “We got our noses in front after a poor start (but) it wasn’t quite enough.”

City ended the match down to ten men after skipper Richard Dunne was dismissed ten minutes from time for a second booking.

“We’re very disappointed. Now we’ve got to concentrate on finishing as high in the league as we can,” said City midfielder Stephen Ireland, as the club make a last-ditch bid to make next season’s revamped Europa League tournament.

Shorn of Craig Bellamy’s attacking guile and the width of Shaun Wright-Phillips, City rallied manfully and claimed the equaliser five minutes after Guerrero had shocked them with Hamburg’s goal on 12 minutes.

Elano netted from the spot after his snapshot struck Piotr Trochowski on the arm.

City came out full of fire after the interval and went in front five minutes after the restart with a neat Felipe Caicedo finish from Ireland’s pass.

Caicedo then ballooned over from point blank range before having an effort chalked off for offside.

But a third goal would not come in a frantic finale as City bowed out.

Aided by a brace from Diego, Bremen drew 3-3 away to Italy’s Udinese, to wrap up a 6-4 win overall while the other semi-final will be an all-Ukrainian affair after Dynamo Kiev swamping a poor Paris Saint Germain 3-0 after a goalless draw in France.

PSG goalkeeper Mickael Landreau handed the Ukrainians victory with two glaring errors which led to two of the goals.

Shakhtar Donetsk inflicted more Ukrainian punishment on French opposition as they won 2-1 at Marseille with Brazilian pair Fernandinho Luiz Rosa and Adriano on target for a 4-1 aggregate win.

Jol rated Werder Bremen as favourites to reach the final after the latter saw off Udinese.

With Udinese trailing 3-1 from the first leg they were forced to attack and Swiss star Gokhan Inler put them ahead on 15 minutes.

But Brazil playmaker Diego, a reported target for Juventus, responded with a sublime equaliser on 28 minutes, turning on the ball before firing into the top corner.

Fabio Quagliarella struck twice within eight minutes to level the tie but Diego then headed home just before the hour mark.

Although Diego then missed out on a hat-trick when Samir Handanovic saved his penalty on 72 minutes Claudio Pizarro poked home from close range to put the result beyond doubt.

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