Coyle: ‘I have seen red cards for less’

January 21, 2010

Arsenal defender William Gallas will not face retrospective disciplinary action from the English Football Association following his late tackle on Bolton Wanderers’ Mark Davies.

As the referee Alan Wiley viewed the challenge as two players coming together at the time and so allowed play to continue, no separate disciplinary proceedings can be implemented, as the FA does not re-officiate matches.

Bolton coach Owen Coyle completely disagrees with the FA. “The second goal was the big turning point,” Coyle said. Bolton were 2-1 up when the incident occured. Directly after Gallas’ tackle, Fabregas produced the equaliser. Arsenal then went on to win 4-2.

“Clearly it was a foul, and closer to a red card. It was akin to assault and it changed the game,” the Bolton manager added.

“However, the fact is the referee has not seen it, and the lad is prostrate on the ground, and Arsenal being full of fair play, as we keep hearing, have carried on and scored an equaliser.

“That is hard to take. I don’t want to sit here and make excuses, but I have seen red cards for less.”

Tags: alan wiley, arsenal, bolton wanderers, coach, disciplinary action, disciplinary proceedings, english football association, fair play, game, lad, mark davies, Owen Coyle, red cards, referee, turning point, William Gallas, win 4

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)

Tags: 12 november, african football, berth, Cairo, counterparts, disciplinary action, disciplinary committee, disciplinary proceedings, egyptian football federation, football association, goalkeeping coach, governing body, match, news agency, world cup finals, world cup qualifier, world football, ZURICH

Should FIFA throw the book at Maradona for outburst?

November 13, 2009

Argentina coach Diego Maradona will appear in person before a disciplinary hearing at FIFA headquarters on Sunday to explain his foul-mouthed outbursts (plural) following the win over Uruguay in Montevideo last month.

The result, at the very end of an 18-match campaign, finally clinched Argentina’s place at the 2010 World Cup after they had looked in serious danger of missing out for the first time since 1970. Maradona “celebrated” with an expletive-laden tirade at the hapless touchline reporter who went to interview him.

If he had left it at that, he could perhaps have passed it off as a heat of the moment incident. Instead, he spewed out more obscenities — which he says were aimed at the media — at the post-match press conference, broadcast live on a number of networks in several countries.

FIFA quickly caught on and opened disciplinary proceedings for his unruly behaviour. These could result in a stadium ban which, if applied only to competitive games, would effectively rule him out of part or possibly all of Argentina’s World Cup campaign.

Maradona would basically be restricted to organising training sessions (which so far under his leadership have resembled playground kickabouts) and giving motivational speeches at the team hotel to his players.

Maradona said he was angry at non-stop criticism of his coaching and team selections, reports that he has fallen out with his coaching staff and suggestions that he is not up to the job.

The criticism came after he used more than 70 players and lost World Cup qualifiers to Bolivia, Paraguay, Brazil and Ecuador.

The Clarin newspaper also pointed out that when he was on the sidelines, Maradona was perfectly happy to publicly slag off his predecessors Marcelo Bielsa, Jose Pekerman and Alfio Basile.

Some media say they are tired of Maradona giving exclusive interviews to a few hand-picked chums and ignoring the rest, with the added insult that, when he does give a press conference, it is invariably cancelled or delayed.

What should FIFA do? And, if he is banned, should Argentina look for someone else who could actually coach the team from the dugout?

PHOTO: Argentina coach Diego Maradona celebrates after his team won its 2010 World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay in Montevideo October 14, 2009. REUTERS/Andres Stapff

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Tags: added insult, Andres Stapff, Argentina, bolivia, chums, diego maradona, disciplinary hearing, disciplinary proceedings, Ecuador, expletive, heat of the moment, Jose, jose pekerman, Montevideo, motivational speeches, obscenities, paraguay, predecessors, serious danger, team hotel, team selections, tirade, uruguay, world cup campaign, world cup qualifiers

Arsenal weigh up appeal against Eduardo ban

September 2, 2009

Arsenal will study UEFA’s justification for handing Eduardo a two-match European ban for diving before deciding whether to appeal against the verdict.

European football’s governing body opened disciplinary proceedings against the Croatia international for “deceiving the referee” after he tumbled theatrically to win a penalty in last week’s Champions League play-off against Celtic.

Despite there appearing to be no contact with Celtic goalkeeper Artur Boruc, referee Manuel Mejuto Gonzalez awarded the spot-kick, which Eduardo converted himself to set Arsenal on their way to a comprehensive 3-1 win and into the lucrative group stages.

The dive caused a storm of controversy and UEFA took action against Eduardo on Tuesday. Arsenal are understood to have made a 19-page submission to UEFA ahead of the hearing, which clearly made little impact on the panel.

The Gunners have three days to lodge an appeal against the suspension which, if upheld, would rule Eduardo out of the Champions League group matches away at Standard Liege on September 16 and at home to Olympiacos on September 29.

“The club is disappointed with UEFA’s decision to suspend Eduardo for two Champions League matches starting with Standard Liege on September 16,” a statement from Arsenal read.

“We have been informed that we will receive a ‘reasoned decision’ from UEFA by Thursday of this week.

“Once we receive UEFA’s rationale, we will make a decision on the next steps.

“We have been deeply frustrated by the perfunctory and apparently arbitrary process that UEFA has followed in this instance.

“We believe it is imperative that UEFA’s explanation for its decision provides clear and comprehensive standards that will be consistently enforced.

“It is also critical that UEFA provides specific details of the processes it plans to adopt in reviewing all games under its jurisdiction.”

LONDON (AFP)

Tags: AFP, arsenal, Artur Boruc, champions league group, controversy, croatia, disciplinary proceedings, Eduardo, football, Goalkeeper, Gonzalez, governing body, group stages, gunners, jurisdiction, Liege, london, Manuel Mejuto, page submission, september 16, september 29, standard liege, suspension

Chelsea faces UEFA disciplinary on June 17

May 22, 2009

GENEVA (AFP) – UEFA said Friday that Chelsea as well as Didier Drogba and Jose Bosingwa will face European football’s disciplinary body on June 17 following incidents in the Champions League tie against Barcelona.

The governing body said it had started disciplinary proceedings against the London club over the “improper conduct of players and the throwing of missiles by their supporters”.

Drogba and Bosingwa also face proceedings “for being in breach of the principles of sportsmanship by insulting the referee by making offensive comments,” UEFA added in a statement.

Drogba faces potentially severe sanctions over his confrontation with Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after Barcelona’s injury-time goal sent the London side crashing out of the Champions League semi-final last month.

His case was further aggravated by him screaming an obscenity into a television camera about the official.

UEFA examined both the referee’s and the delegate’s reports before it decided to refer the case to its Disciplinray and control Body.

The club and both players have until May 29 to file their submissions in the case.

Tags: Barcelona, champions league, CHELSEA, confrontation, delegate, didier drogba, disciplinary body, disciplinary proceedings, Drogba, governing body, improper conduct, injury time goal, Jose, jose bosingwa, league tie, london, london club, missiles, obscenity, offensive comments, referee, sportsmanship, television, television camera, tom henning, Tom Henning Ovrebo, uefa, UEFA Champions League

Sampdoria humiliate Mourinho´s out of form Inter

March 5, 2009

ROME (AFP) – Inter Milan’s recent run of poor form continued on Wednesday as an admittedly under-strength side were soundly beaten 3-0 by Sampdoria in their Italian Cup semi-final, first leg clash making it a long shot that the Serie A leaders reach their fifth successive Cup final.

Inter, who were second best in a Champions League last 16 first leg match with Manchester United last week and then were held 3-3 by AS Roma last weekend, went down to goals from badboy Antonio Cassano and a double by strike partner Giampaolo Pazzini.

Inter coach Jose Mourinho, with a mind towards this weekend’s tough Serie A match with fifth-placed Genoa and next week’s Champions League match at Old Trafford against United, had decided to rest players such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Julio Cesar and Christian Chivu.

Their replacements could not handle it and a disastrous error by Colombian defender Nelson Rivas, who had a catastrophic first-half against United before being withdrawn by Mourinho at half-time, let in Cassano, who made no mistake and shot past Francesco Toldo in the ninth minute.

Padalino then added a double through a header and then a shot three minutes from the break to wrap up victory for Sampdoria.

Inter’s night hardly got better after the break as talented young striker Mario Baslotelli had to go off injured in the 52nd minute having collided with a post.

Inter could not even take advantage of Sampdoria being reduced to 10 men on the hour as defender Daniele Gastaldello was sent off.

Mourinho, who is subject of disciplinary proceedings after making inflammatory remarks following the draw with Roma, took defeat in his stride.

"We conceded a ludicrous first goal and a second off a rebound," said the Portuguese. "When not everybody is there (as in first choice players), the team is obviously not of the same calibre.

"But I decided I had to make changes because it is not humanly possible for them to play every match."

Lazio came from behind on Tuesday to beat Juventus 2-1 in their Italian Cup semi-final, first leg after second-half goals from Macedonian forward Goran Pandev and Tommaso Rocchi cancelled out Marco Marchionni’s opener on 34 minutes.

Written by: AFP