Is seeding the World Cup play-offs playing fair?

October 12, 2009

For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction and for every FIFA marketing slogan there is a subsequent decision that can make fans wonder if world football’s governing body is being serious.

“Fair Play Please” is the current favourite but how, exactly, does that square with the decision to make the European zone World Cup playoffs a seeded affair?

Nowhere in the acres of pre-qualifying regulations was there a suggestion that the playoffs would be seeded but now the good people of Zurich have realised that some of the biggest names in the game could be involved in the November home and away matches, the new rule has been presented as a fait accompli.

So the eight teams in the playoffs will be seeded according to their FIFA ranking — conveniently avoiding the prospect of France playing, say, Portugal and one of the continent’s big guns being forced to miss out.

Unsurprisingly, the decision was not welcomed by the likes of Ireland – into the playoffs but likely to be seeded in the “bottom half”.

Bosnia were too busy celebrating making the playoffs on Saturday to worry about their structure but wouldn’t they be right in thinking they deserve as much a chance of facing, say, Greece or Slovenia as Russia or France?

The nine group winners got their reward in automatic qualification. Shouldn’t the best eight second-place teams (Norway look set to be the unlucky ninth-best runners-up who will miss out altogether) be left to take their chances having, in some cases, overcome tough seeding in the group the first time round to make it this far?

The arrival of bright new teams, and the chance for unfamiliar players to make names for themselves on the biggest stage of all, help keep the World Cup fresh and exciting. If the rules just make it more likely that the Big Boys always make it, the worry must be that the game and the tournament will end up being the loser.

PHOTO: Ireland’s Liam Lawrence reacts after their 2010 World Cup qualifying soccer match against Italy at Croke Park Stadium in Dublin October 10, 2009. REUTERS/Darren Staples

Source

Tags: action there is an equal and opposite reaction, automatic qualification, big boys, big guns, Bosnia, Croke Park, cup playoffs, Darren Staples, dublin, equal and opposite reaction, european zone, fair play, fait accompli, France, governing body, greece, group winners, Ireland, Italy, Liam Lawrence, loser, Norway, portugal, runners, russia, unfamiliar players, World Cup, world football, ZURICH

Milan confirm ´colossal´ Kaka bid from Man City

January 16, 2009

ROME (AFP) – AC Milan revealed on Thursday that they had received a ‘colossal’ bid from Manchester City for Brazilian superstar Kaka and are considering the world-record offer.

Milan acknowledged for the first time the bid on their official TV channel.

Mediaset, the TV company founded by Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi, claimed City had bid 150 million euros (197.5 million dollars) for the former World Player of the Year and offered him a salary of 15 million euros (19.8 million dollars) a season.

"This is a delicate moment. There is an offer from Manchester City for Kaka and Milan are considering it," said Milan TV presenter Mauro Suma.

"Considering it doesn’t mean there’s been a decision or acceptance. This is not a definitive decision or a ‘fait accompli’, there are hours and days ahead."

Earlier in the day there had been conflicting reports over the state of play of City’s bid for the 26-year-old.

The club’s assistant manager Mark Bowen had told the BBC that a deal was "very close", but an Arabian business website insisted that talks had broken down.

City manager Mark Hughes, however, was quick to dismiss those reports telling a press conference: "I’ve seen these reports but you have to bear in mind that the people who are being given a platform to speak do not represent the owner (Sheikh Mansour) or (chairman) Khaldoon (Al Mubarak).

"In my opinion they should not be given a platform to say what they have because in this instance it is completely untrue because negotiations are still taking place."

"It would be naive to think I have not been involved in discussions over this transfer. I have had meetings about it and have had an input.

"It is impossible to say whether it will go through or not but we will let everyone know when there is something to say."

Reports in the Italian press backed up Hughes’s claim with the Gazzetta dello Sport claiming Milan had given City permission to talk to Kaka on Tuesday with City representative and notorious Iranian-born agent Kia Joorabchian making contact with Kaka’s father and agent Bosco.

Kaka himself was quoted as saying that he was happy to stay at AC Milan if the club did not want to sell him, but he has given every indication in the past that he would love to play in the English Premiership at some stage in his career.

He is already one of the best paid players in the world and his spokesman Diogo Kotscho said it would not be money that would prove decisive.

"It’s not impossible for Ricky (Kaka) to transfer to Manchester City as long as the English club demonstrates it is preparing to become one of the best teams in the world," he said.

"Even so it will be very difficult to reach agreement with Milan, but if Manchester City present a good project and prove capable of attracting other players of the highest level to become one of the best clubs in the world, like Milan, then we can begin transfer proceedings.

"The English championship is one of the best and Kaka would like to play in it. But I don’t know if it will be the right way forward."

Meanwhile, Kaka’s Milan teammate Clarence Seedorf said he’d be surprised if the Brazilian moved.

"These are Hollywood figures, it is clear that City is sending a message to the world; they want to become one of the big clubs in the world," Seedorf told Sky Sports News.

"It would surprise me if he leaves this month, but on the other hand, I don’t know what the personal motivations would be."

Written by: AFP

Tags: ac milan, Al Mubarak, arabian business, city representative, clarence seedorf, conflicting reports, definitive decision, delicate moment, English Premier League, fait accompli, gazzetta dello sport, hollywood, italian press, kaka, khaldoon, man city, manchester city, mansour, mark bowen, Mark Hughes, Mauro Suma, milan tv, Ricky, ROME, Serie A, silvio berlusconi, state of play, tv company, tv presenter, world player of the year

Milan confirm ´colossal´ Kaka bid from Man City

January 15, 2009