Austria bans vuvuzelas – but not because of the noise

July 17, 2009

The Austrian professional football league on Thursday imposed a stadium ban on the long plastic trumpet, the vuvuzela, which made such a noisy impression in last month’s Confederations Cup in South Africa.

But the league said the vuvuzelas were being banned not for the deafening and tuneless din they produce but because they might be used as missiles.

“Vuvuzelas can be used as projectiles. Furthermore, they can incite aggressive behaviour amongst other fans,” Austrian league spokesman Christian Kircher said.

Newly-promoted Wiener Neustadt had been counting on handing out 150 vuvuzelas to fans to make some noise during the league’s seasonal kick-off at home on Friday against Austria Carinthia.

The trumpets caused consternation among some in South Africa for the Confed Cup, with several non-African players and coaches calling for their ban.

But the president of world football’s governing body FIFA, Sepp Blatter, has given them his blessing, blasting the detractors by telling them Africa is about dance and music and that moaning about the instrument bordered on discrimination.

VIENNA (AFP)

Tags: aggressive behaviour, Austria, blatter, body fifa, Carinthia, Christian Kircher, confed cup, confederations cup, consternation, dance and music, detractors, discrimination, FIFA, governing body, kircher, missiles, Newly-promoted, professional football league, projectiles, Sepp Blatter, South Africa, trumpet, Vienna, vuvuzela, WC Qualifying South-Africa, wiener neustadt, world football

Wolves sign Serb Milijas

June 15, 2009

LONDON (AFP) – Newly-promoted English Premiership club Wolverhampton have signed Serbia midfielder Nenad Milijas on a four-year deal.

Milijas, 26, signed from Red Star Belgrade for an undisclosed fee and his contract is subject to him getting a work permit.

“We’re really thrilled to have started our summer recruitment with Nenad Milijas,” said Wolves chief executive Jez Moxey.

Milijas, the player of the year in the Serbian league last season, is considered a dead-ball specialist, and has used those skills to build up an impressive goal-scoring record from midfield.

“He scored 16 goals from 30-odd games for Red Star Belgrade last season from central midfield and is also a physical presence who can play in a variety of different positions as well as being left-footed which gives the team more balance,” Moxey added on the team’s website.

“He’s got plenty of experience but also at 26 years old is in the prime of his career.

“This is a big signing for us and we are absolutely delighted with it.”

Milijas, who won two Serbian league titles in three seasons at Red Star, has 10 caps for his country and Moxey admitted the work permit application will not be straightforward.

“We’re going to make a quite detailed application because he doesn’t quite fufil the criteria so it will probably go to appeal,” he said.

“But he has been a regular in Serbia’s senior international team for the last season as well as being a key member of the under-21 set-up before that.”