China league officials under questioning: report

January 21, 2010

The head of China’s scandal-rocked football association and two other top officials have been taken in for questioning amid a police probe into corruption in the sport, state media said Thursday.

Nan Yong, named to head the beleaguered Chinese Football Association a year ago, was taken in for “interrogation” by police in the northeastern city of Liaoning, Xinhua news agency said, quoting the Ministry of Public of Security.

Also taken in were CFA vice heads Yang Yimin and Zhang Jianqiang, it said.

The Soccer Daily reported the men were taken away on Friday.

The Xinhua report quoted the ministry saying the men were being questioned as part of efforts to stamp out match-fixing and other corruption in the sport but made no mention of whether the three were suspected of wrongdoing.

Officials at the CFA and the sports ministry refused comment on the whereabouts of the three officials when contacted by AFP Thursday.

Following widespread allegations of organised gambling, crooked referees and match-fixing earlier this decade, the CFA announced in late 2006 that it had set up a joint task force with police to root out corruption in the sport.

The arrests of at least 21 football and club officials have been announced since November, with police interrogating more than 100 suspects, according to press reports.

Besides the three CFA officials taken away by police, two other top association officials have also been told not to leave Beijing, the Soccer Daily said.

Corruption, on-field fights and other misbehaviour by players have plagued Chinese football for years, leading to dwindling attendance and frustration among fans and sponsors.

Dismal play by the national team, which failed to advance out of the early stages of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, has also led to widespread criticism of how the sport is managed in China.

BEIJING (AFP)

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Owen injury jinx strikes again as Barton ruled out

January 29, 2009

MANCHESTER (AFP) – Michael Owen is facing a two-month lay-off after the Newcastle striker’s injury jinx struck again during a 2-1 Premier League defeat at Manchester City.

The 29-year-old former England star, playing only his 62nd game for Newcastle since arriving from Real Madrid in a 16-million-pound transfer in August 2005, limped out of Wednesday evening’s clash after nineteen minutes after landing awkwardly following a challenge by City debutant Nigel de Jong.

Owen, out of contract at St James’s Park at the end of the season, left Eastlands on crutches and his injury was compounded by the loss in the second-half of Joey Barton with a foot injury.

A scan on Thursday morning confirmed that Barton had broken the fifth metatarsal bone in his right foot. Newcastle estimated that he would be out of action for at least eight weeks.

Newcastle manager Joe Kinnear, who was awaiting an update on the severity of Owen’s injury, admitted he could scarcely believe the extent of the club’s current misfortune.

"We only have one fit striker in Andy Carroll. Obafemi Martins has been out for ten weeks and he has been sorely missed, while we thought Mark Viduka would be back a couple of weeks ago before he broke down again."

Kinnear went on to bemoan Newcastle’s financial plight.

"The club owner, Mike Ashley, has lost two billion pounds of his fortune because of the credit crunch, so there is no money out there," he said.

"I’d dearly love to spend millions and I would love to do so, but I can see why people bottled this job because it’s a tough job."

Owen’s injury blow, which shattered his hopes of an England recall for next month’s friendly in Spain, overshadowed a win for City that was secured by goals from Shaun Wright-Phillips and Craig Bellamy prior to Carroll’s late consolation.

Robinho, playing for the first time since his arrest on Tuesday over an allegation of serious sexual assault, teed up Wright-Phillips’s opener and manager Mark Hughes praised the Brazilian for his performance.

He said: "I spoke to Robbie in the morning and he was very focused, looking ahead to the game and preparing as normal.

"After the conversation I had with him I had no qualms about putting him in because mentally he was in the right place and focused on the job in hand. He created the first goal with an intelligent ball and I thought his overall play was excellent."

Hughes, meanwhile, remains confident of securing the services of Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given and Blackburn striker Roque Santa Cruz before Monday’s transfer deadline.

He said: "Our understanding of the situation is that Blackburn are not prepared to release a striker before they get a striker in.

"That’s where we are at at the moment, but we’re hoping that can be resolved. On occasions we lack a bit of a physical presence up front, so that’s why we are trying to address that.

"I have also said for quite some time that we need an experienced keeper to complement the exceptionally talented keeper we have and the intention is still there to bring in an experienced keeper. Targets we have had for quite some time, we hope to conclude."

Written by: AFP

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Chinese FA ´appoints new head´

January 20, 2009

BEIJING (AFP) – Long-time administrator Nan Yong has been named head of the beleaguered Chinese Football Association and will be tasked with turning around the nation’s soccer fortunes, officials said.

Nan was named acting chief of the CFA in September last year, but was formally appointed as its head this month, the association said in a statement posted on its website Monday.

Nan, 46, served as a CFA vice-director over the last 10 years.

"After joining the Chinese Football Association, Nan Yong has all along been held in good esteem," the association statement said.

"During his 10 years at the association, Nan Yong has been seen as a top-level leader by CFA employees and by players."

He replaces Xie Yalong, who headed the CFA during the national youth team’s abysmal showing at the Beijing Olympic Games and China’s failure to survive early qualifying rounds for World Cup 2010.

Few Chinese sports officials have wanted to take the CFA hot seat because it is regarded as something of a poisoned chalice, state press reports have said.

When he stepped into the job in 2005, Xie inherited a professional league that was suffering huge problems with corruption and match fixing.

Those issues do not appear to be so much of a concern now but the domestic league is still plagued with controversies, while few spectators turn up at games.

And the national team has sunk to 104 in the world rankings.

Written by: AFP