Smith rules out second stint with Scotland
November 20, 2009
Walter Smith, the Rangers boss who had been regarded as one of the favourites to become Scotland’s next manager, on Friday ruled himself out of a return to the helm of the national squad.
Smith was in charge of Scotland between 2004 and 2007 and was credited with engineering a turnaround in the fortunes of a squad that had fallen to its lowest ever point in the world rankings under his predecessor Berti Vogts.
Smith left during the Euro 2008 qualifying campaign to return to Rangers on a three-year contract which is due to expire in January.
That has created uncertainty over his future but speculation that he might be tempted by a return to international football was quashed on Friday.
“When I left Scotland, we were in the middle of a qualifying campaign,” he said. “After making the decision to leave Scotland at that time, I don’t feel it would be right to go back and that is the situation.
“The matter is now closed as far as I am concerned.”
Smith was at pains to point out that he had not been approached by the Scottish Football Association about the vacancy created by the sacking of George Burley earlier this week.
“What I am doing is responding to press speculation in a bid to end it as I don’t think it is fair on anyone,” he added.
“The fact is, I left the Scotland job of my own volition. Sometimes when you get the sack, it is actually easier to go back. But when you make your own decision to leave then it isn’t that easy.”
Smith’s statement leaves Dundee United manager Craig Levein as the clear favourite to replace Burley, who was dismissed after 22 months in charge in which Scotland won just three of their 14 matches and failed to reach the World Cup qualifying play-offs.
GLASGOW (AFP)
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Fergie backs video scheme after Henry handball row
November 20, 2009
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson admits he would like to see video technology used to clear up controversial decisions — but cannot see the sport’s governing bodies adopting any new schemes in the near future.
The issue over whether football should embrace the technology available was re-ignited on Wednesday night when France’s Thierry Henry used his hand to control the ball before crossing for William Gallas to score the goal that ended Ireland’s chances of going to the World Cup.
There have been calls for the match to be replayed while others believe referees need to be able to rely on video evidence to ensure they get such key decisions right.
It is a point Ferguson agrees with. But the Scot fears that all discussion on the issue is futile because world football’s governing body, FIFA, are simply not interested in revolutionising the role of the referee.
He said: “The stance is that they prefer human decision-making rather than technology decision-making and until they change their mind there is nothing you can do about it – you have to convince them, nobody else.
“It is not a matter of asking every player and manager in the world their opinion because they will all share the same one, as I do myself, that technology can play a part and can help referees in a situation like the other night.”
Gallas?s goal sent France to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa with a 2-1 aggregate victory while Ireland have been left counting the cost of some extreme misfortune.
Ferguson added: “My thoughts were with (Ireland coach) Giovanni Trapattoni. He prepared a team that put in an absolutely magnificent performance. You couldn’t ask for better from a coach but it was taken away from him.
“It happens and it’s denied a couple of our players the great experience of playing in the World Cup finals and you’ll never get a better experience than that.”
MANCHESTER, England (AFP)
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FIFA opens disciplinary action against Egypt
November 20, 2009
FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Egypt following the violence before their World Cup qualifier with Algeria in Cairo last week, world football’s governing body said.
“According to the official reports received by FIFA, on 12 November, there were incidents affecting the Algerian team on its way from the airport to the hotel,” a statement posted on FIFA’s website said.
“Consequently, disciplinary proceedings have been opened against the Egyptian Football Association. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will decide on the case,” it added.
FIFA officials had already acknowledged that three Algerian players and the goalkeeping coach suffered injuries that “weren’t superficial” when their coach was attacked.
Egypt later won that match, leading to a tie in their group and a play-off in Sudan on Wednesday that Algeria won 1-0 to secure a berth in the World Cup finals.
The incidents and subsequent row over the play-off have triggered a diplomatic spat between the two countries.
Egypt also announced it was suspending its membership of the Union of North African Football Federations, complaining that Algerian fans had thrown stones at its fans in Sudan.
The Egyptian Football Federation wrote to its counterparts in Algeria, Libya, Morocco and Tunisia charging that its fans had come under sustained assault during the make-or-break qualification play-off on Wednesday, the state MENA news agency reported.
ZURICH (AFP)
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Bellamy: My career could be over in two years
November 20, 2009
Craig Bellamy fears he might have to put an end to his career within two years because of his injury-ravaged body.
“I know there aren’t four or five years ahead of me with the injuries I’ve had,” Bellamy told Sky Sports. “Maybe I’ve got one or two years at the most and it’ll be all over before I know it, so I’m just enjoying it.”
Despite that grim outlook, Bellamy has been Manchester City’s most influential player this season, outplaying more expensive and illustrious team-mates like Carlos Tevez and Emmanuel Adebayor.
And although Bellamy admitted few City fans welcomed his €13.5m arrival in January, he claimed he has proved himself worthy of the investment and won over the doubters.
“The last few months have given me a huge sense of pride,” said Bellamy. “I think people have seen what I am as a player now.
“I’ve always got goals in my career, but am I a one-goal-in-two-games player? No, I’m not, but my career has been one-in-three, which isn’t too bad.
“When I signed here a few Manchester City fans weren’t sure because when Craig Bellamy’s name is mentioned people think ‘Do we really need this guy?’
“But I understand that. I’m not everyone’s cup of tea. I hear the owners Googled me. I’m sure they asked the manager ‘Are you really sure about buying this player?’
“I’m demanding and nine times out of 10, I’m wrong. A lot of money has been spent on me but the manager said to me ‘Even though players will be coming in, I still have a lot of faith in you’.
“Being with better players at a club like Manchester City, a club that really sees a big future, is a pleasure to be involved in.
“Everything at City has gone well for me from start to finish. It’s so professional here.”
Bellamy and City face Liverpool on Saturday, in what promises to be this weekend’s most promising fixture in the Premier League. Both clubs have to win to avoid any further problems since their recent bad results have seen them falling down the table.
Paul Haring
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Europe rocked by fresh match-fixing scandal
November 20, 2009
European football braced on Friday for more details on a fresh match-fixing scandal reportedly involving huge sums of money placed with Asian bookmakers on suspect matches in nine countries.
Police across Europe carried out raids and arrests on Thursday, with German prosecutors suspecting that players, coaches, referees and officials from high-ranking European football had been offered bribes to throw games.
According to press reports, 15 people were arrested in at least six European countries, with around 100 suspects in total, with matches in Turkey the main focus of investigation.
Prosecutors, who have been working in tandem with European football’s ruling body UEFA, were due to reveal more details at a news conference in the western German city of Bochum at 2:00 pm (1300 GMT) on Friday.
The Berliner Morgenpost daily cited one unnamed top investigator as saying the probe could result in “one of the biggest scandals in the history of professional football.
“This earthquake will shake the credibility of the sport for a long time,” the paper quoted the investigator as saying.
According to information from AFP subsidiary SID, matches in at least nine European leagues were being investigated for signs that they had been manipulated.
These included matches played in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Hercegovina, Croatia, Hungary, Slovenia, Switzerland and Turkey, SID reported.
Harald Stenger, a spokesman for the German Football Federation (DFB), said: “As far as the DFB knows, no German matches are affected.”
But the German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported that one of the games being scrutinised was a friendly between German side SSV Ulm against Fenerbahce Istanbul in July.
The Turkish side won 5-0, and investigators suspect that “certain currently unidentified SSV Ulm players” received more than 10,000 euros (14,900 dollars) to throw the game, the paper said.
Reports also said that the ring was believed to have placed enormous bets with Asian bookmakers, where limits on the sums that punters can gamble can be several times higher than in Europe.
Two of those arrested in Thursday included two Croatian brothers living in Berlin, Ante and Milan Sapina, who were at the centre of a match-fixing scandal that rocked Germany in 2004, newspapers said.
That case saw referee Robert Hoyzer sentenced to two years and five months in prison after admitting being paid 70,000 euros (104,000 dollars) by a Croatian mafia ring to throw games.
The matches concerned were mainly in the German second and third division, but a German Cup match between first division SV Hamburg and third division Paderborn and a first division match in Turkey were also affected.
Hoyzer was released after serving half of his sentence.
BOCHUM, Germany (AFP)
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Japan coach targets World Cup last-four spot
November 20, 2009
Japan coach Takeshi Okada has insisted that his squad’s target of a semi-final spot at next year’s World Cup remains unchanged no matter who may stand in their way, according to reports.
“Nothing will change,” he told Japanese media on Thursday when he was shown by journalists the complete list of 32 World Cup qualifiers and asked if he would still stick to the ambitious goal.
Asked which countries Japan, former Asian champions, want to avoid at South Africa 2010, he said “I don’t think about it at all.”
“We’ve got tougher as a team and moved forward little by little in the past year,” the coach said. “We may not look brilliant but we have more stable strength.”
Okada returned home after Japan beat Hong Kong 4-0 in an away Asian Cup qualifier on Wednesday when Algeria, France, Greece, Portugal, Slovenia and Uruguay became the last countries to qualify for the World Cup finals.
“In Europe and South America, powerhouses have qualified as expected. I think it will be a great competition,” said Okada, who guided Japan to a winless World Cup debut at France 1998 in his first stint as national coach.
His World Cup target has been widely seen as unrealistic as Japan’s best result yet was a last-16 spot in the 2002 edition they co-hosted with South Korea.
On Saturday, the Blue Samurai battled to a scoreless draw in an away friendly against South Africa when their lack of finishing power was laid bare.
In September, they were whipped by the physically stronger Netherlands 3-0 and battled from behind to beat travel-weary Ghana 4-3 in friendlies in Dutch cities.
But last month Okada’s Japan outclassed Hong Kong 6-0 in a home Asian Cup qualifier and easily beat visiting second-string squads from Scotland and Togo in friendlies.
TOKYO (AFP)
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Ireland asks FIFA for France World Cup replay
November 20, 2009
Angry Ireland called on FIFA to allow its World Cup playoff with France to be replayed, as a dispute over Thierry Henry’s blatant handball threatened to become a diplomatic row.
Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen said he supported the Football Association of Ireland’s request, and promised to raise the issue with French President Nicolas Sarkozy at an EU summit.
Video replays showed Henry used his hand to stop the ball going out of play in extra-time of Wednesday’s match, before he passed to William Gallas to head the goal for a 2-1 aggregate win which sent France to South Africa.
“The blatantly incorrect decision by the referee to award the goal has damaged the integrity of the sport,” the FAI said in a statement.
“We now call on FIFA, as the world governing body for our sport, to organise for this match to be replayed.”
After talks with Cowen on the sidelines of an EU summit in Brussels, Sarkozy said: “I told Brian Cowen how sorry I was for” the people of Ireland.
“But don’t ask me to substitute myself for the referee, or the French football authorities, or the European football authorities: leave me right where I am,” he told reporters.
“You’re going to start denouncing me as the hyper-president again,” he said, in reference to his reputation as a leader who is drawn to the limelight and seeks to get involved in as many international issues as possible.
Cowen, for his part, said that talking about the match “wasn’t the purpose of the meeting” between EU leaders.
However he said he believed after the chat with Sarkozy that “he would understand the sense of disappointment that the Irish people feel after the tremendous performance last night.”
“This matter’s going to be resolved by the sports organisations with responsibility for football, not in Brussels or anywhere else,” he said.
Asked whether he told Sarkozy the match should be played again, Cowen said: “No, I didn’t ask for a replay.”
Cowen also paid tribute to the French footballing public’s outpouring of sympathy for the Irish– turning on their own team.
He said they had been “making it clear in great numbers that there is a lot of disquiet about the manner of the goal.”
FIFA confirmed it had received a letter of complaint from the FAI, but refused to say when any decision would be made.
Ireland’s chances of forcing a replay appear slim.
The match in Paris was one of four playoffs on Wednesday which finalised the 32-nation line-up for South Africa.
The draw for next year’s finals is due to be made in Cape Town on December 4, leaving little time in a calendar already crowded by club matches.Related article: Who’s saying what
FAI chief executive John Delaney said his organisation had also written to the French Football Federation (FFF) asking for the playoff to be replayed, and urged FIFA to take action.
“If FIFA believe in fairplay and integrity… this is their opportunity to step forward,” a clearly agitated Delaney said.
“From the French FA’s point of view, they need to look at themselves and look at this situation.
“Thierry Henry’s their captain, he’s a wonderful footballer, but does he want to be remembered like Maradona was in 1986, does he want his legacy to be this handball?” he asked, referring to Diego Maradona’s infamous ‘Hand of God’ goal for Argentina against England at the 1986 World Cup.
France coach Raymond Domenech said he was stunned to see his team treated as guilty men in the aftermath of the handball scandal.
“I don’t understand why we have been judged guilty. On the pitch, I didn’t see the handball. Since then I have seen the video and it’s a mistake by the referee,” Domenech told www.lexpress.fr
“I don’t understand why we are expected to say sorry.
“We are not going to commit hara-kiri because the referee made a mistake and this time in our favour.”
Ireland coach Giovanni Trapattoni said he did not believe FIFA would grant a replay.
“It is impossible to repeat the game,” the experienced Italian said.
He urged FIFA to explain how Swedish referee Martin Hansson, who failed to spot the incident, had been chosen for such a high-profile match, saying: “For this important game we needed a stronger referee, an important referee.”
Henry himself admitted handling, but said the responsibility for seeing the incident fell to the match official.
Trapattoni refused to blame the player, saying: “It wasn’t up to Henry to say ‘I touched it with my hand’.”
The Irish press were unanimous in their condemnation.
“We were robbed” said the Irish Star, “Le Cheat” added the Irish Mirror, while the Irish Sun splashed with the “Hand of the Frog”.
A Facebook page entitled “We Irish hate Thierry Henry (the cheat)” also drew hundreds of comments, including a call for an Irish boycott of French goods.
DUBLIN (AFP)
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African superstars await Nations Cup fate
November 20, 2009
African superstars Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o and Michael Essien will discover Friday who they face at the 2010 African Nations Cup in Angola.
A draw ceremony in the capital of the oil-rich south-west Africa state divides the 16 qualifiers into four groups from which the winners and runners-up advance to the quarter-finals.
Chelsea striker Drogba is the main source of Ivory Coast goals, Eto’o of Inter Milan serves a similar role with Cameroon and Essien, also from English Premiership table-toppers Chelsea, drives the Ghana midfield.
And with the top 10 football nations on the continent among those securing places, the stage is set for an intriguing January 10-31 tournament as Egypt seek a record third consecutive title.
Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast and Nigeria, all qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, are former African champions and potential winners of the first Nations Cup to be staged by a Portuguese-speaking country.
Even Angola, lowest ranked of the contenders at 21, dare not be dismissed given the record of hosts in a tournament first staged 52 years ago in Sudan and won by Egypt.
Egypt (2006) and Tunisia (2004) lifted the title on home soil, Nigeria (2000) came second, Ghana (2008) third and, significantly, apparent whipping boys Mali (2002) and Burkina Faso (1998) fourth.
Apart from the benefit of home support in one of the few African countries where basketball rivals football for popularity, Angola are automatically among the top seeds as hosts which generally delivers a kinder draw.
There is also the Manuel Jose factor. The charismatic 63-year-old Portuguese steered Cairo club Al-Ahly to four African Champions League titles and is hoping his formula works equally well at national-team level.
No Nations Cup line-up would be complete without a fairytale participant and this time it is Malawi, back for a second appearance 25 years after last competing.
After failing with a succession of foreign coaches, the ‘Flames’ turned to former national star Kinnah Phiri and a come-from-behind home draw against Ivory Coast secured an ultimately decisive point.
Another country back on centre stage after a long absence is Mozambique, a well-drilled team under Dutch coach Mart Nooij who defeated Tunisia and held Ivory Coast and Nigeria in Maputo.
The full Cup line-up includes Angola, Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Egypt, Gabon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Nigeria, Togo, Tunisia and Zambia.
Notable absentees are former champions Democratic Republic of Congo, Morocco and South Africa and Senegal with only the North African ‘Atlas Lions’ even managing to make the final qualifying round.
Angola have built stadiums in Luanda, Benguela, Cabinda and Lubango for the 32-fixture tournament with the opening match and final to be played at the 50,000-seater in the capital.
LUANDA (AFP)
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Australia boost football World Cup bid team: report
November 20, 2009
Australia has recruited successful German consultant Andreas Abold to orchestrate its bid for the 2018 and 2022 World Cup, reports said on Friday.
Abold, who leads a Munich-based events management team, was behind the successful World Cup bids from Germany (2006) and South Africa (2010) and will now help plot Australia’s bid, reports said.
“We will host the World Cup,” Abold told the Daily Telegraph.
“We are working with Football Federation Australia (FFA) on all the upcoming milestones, such as the FIFA inspection visit which we expect to be in your winter – and definitely the final presentation,” he said.
“At the very last moment you have to address your key messages to the 24 decision makers (on the FIFA Executive), and no one knows what will happen, which continents will be eliminated as it unfolds and which are still in contention.”
Abold said the message to be hammered home was that Australia was a safe pair of hands with a can-do mentality making for a tournament FIFA, the sport’s governing body, could be certain would be a success.
“I know there is a certain perception of Australia as a ‘no worries’ country and this is what we want to communicate to FIFA, who after all will be handing over their most valuable asset, the World Cup,” he said.
“Our strategy is to say that in Australia you have a safe pair of hands — we know exactly how to deliver and that you can rely on our guarantees.”
Abold said Australia’s home within Asian football gave it a serious selling point.
Australia’s bid was given a glowing endorsement this week by FIFA executive committee member Jack Warner, who said the country has an “excellent chance” of hosting the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
Australia is up against a joint bid from Spain and Portugal, with England, Japan, China, the United States and Russia also seeking the 2018 tournament, while Belgium and the Netherlands are mulling a joint bid.
FFA chairman Frank Lowy has said previously that Australia’s prime objective was 2018, with 2022 a possible second prize.
FIFA’s executive committee will make a decision in December 2010 on which country will host the 2018 tournament.
South Africa will host the next World Cup in 2010, followed by Brazil in 2014.
SYDNEY (AFP)
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Bordeaux, Lyon look to restore French pride
November 20, 2009
League leaders Bordeaux and closest rivals Lyon will hope to restore French football’s battered reputation on Saturday, as league action returns to focus minds away from World Cup controversy.
Three days after Thierry Henry’s handball helped steer France past Ireland and into the World Cup finals, champions Bordeaux, who signed off before the international break with a 2-0 defeat at Lille, host a Valenciennes side who are the most prolific team in the division.
Philippe Montanier’s men have not lost since a 3-2 defeat at Nice on October 3 and have scored a league-high 23 goals in their 12 games to date.
“The France team will need a rest,” said a jocular Montanier, in reference to the mid-week exertions of Bordeaux’s French international midfielders Yoann Gourcuff and Alou Diarra.
“It’s understandable: Gourcuff and Diarra will need a rest on Saturday.”
Bordeaux coach Laurent Blanc, whose side travel to Turin to face Juventus in the Champions League on Tuesday, conceded that both players needed rest.
“Yoann Gourcuff came off with an adductor muscle problem,” he said.
“We will see what it is. For Alou, playing 120 minutes in those conditions is psychologically very difficult.”
Lyon, a point behind Bordeaux in second place, travel to Grenoble, who picked up their first point of the season in a 0-0 draw at Monaco last time out but are still 11 points adrift of safety at the foot of the table.
Third-placed Auxerre are the league’s in-form team and will look to extend their winning streak to seven matches when they welcome fourth-placed Monaco to the Stade l’Abbe-Deschamps in Saturday’s evening game.
Montpellier, promoted from Ligue 2 last season and riding high in sixth place, visit Lille on Sunday, while 10-time champions Saint-Etienne will hope to put further daylight between themselves and the relegation zone when they host fifth-placed Lorient.
The top flight’s biggest match was taking place on Friday when Marseille and Paris Saint-Germain were meeting in a re-arranged league fixture at the Stade Velodrome.
The original match was postponed at short notice on October 25 after an outbreak of swine flu at the Parisian club and Marseille midfielder Benoit Cheyrou says the ensuing wait has served only to motivate his side.
“It was a strange feeling to be told on the day of the game that it had been called off,” he said.
“But that’s just the way it was and we didn’t get to have our say in the matter. It just means we’ll be even more motivated for Friday.”
Marseille’s last league outing saw them snatch an incredible 5-5 draw at Lyon after coming back from 4-2 and then 5-4 down, and victory over PSG would take them to within three points of Bordeaux.
“It’s always a special game and we’re ready to do everything to take the three points,” said Cheyrou.
“It’s the first game of a big run for us as we’ll be playing every three days until Christmas.”
PSG are without suspended skipper Claude Makelele for the trip to the south coast, but swine flu victims Mamadou Sakho, Ludovic Giuly, Jeremy Clement and Loris Arnaud have all returned to full fitness.
Antoine Kombouare’s side are currently 13th in the table after a stuttering start to the season but victory on Friday night would move them level on 19 points with eighth-placed Marseille.
“We’re going to go there in the right frame of mind to play well,” said Sakho. “We know there are a lot of things that go on around a match like this, but we just have to concentrate on what happens on the pitch.”
Fixtures
Friday (2000GMT)
Marseille v Paris Saint-Germain
Saturday (1800GMT unless otherwise stated)
Bordeaux v Valenciennes, Grenoble v Lyon, Lens v Nancy, Rennes v Le Mans, Auxerre v Monaco (2000GMT)
Sunday (1600GMT unless otherwise stated)
Nice v Toulouse, Saint-Etienne v Lorient, Montpellier v Lille (2000GMT)
PARIS (AFP)
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