Andy Greeves
I’ve never been the most patient of individuals and on the eve of watching Tottenham Hotspur in their first cup final in six years, frankly, I’m a mess.
I’ve often heard footballers talk about how they can’t sleep the night before a big match, or how the preparation for a game is much harder than actually playing. It’s the same for us fans. Ever since the final whistle sounded at White Hart Lane on Tuesday 22 January, the night we beat Arsenal 5-1 in the League Cup semi final, second leg, my mind has been focused on nothing other than Sunday’s final. I’ll take this opportunity to apologise to my girlfriend, my family, work colleagues and friends, who have had to endure my hyperactivity and constant cup final talk ever since.
While fans of Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United are all to used to playing regularly in cup finals in recent years, for Spurs supporters, it’s a far rarer experience. Especially for the younger generation of Lilywhites, who have been brought up on the tales of the double side of ‘61, the great European nights and FA Cup triumphs, yet never experienced such success for themselves. Spurs competed in just two finals in the nineties and including Sunday, have managed only a further two in the 21st century. For that reason alone, I think my hysteria ahead of the showdown with Chelsea is fully justified.
Football supporters often assimilate events in their own lives with that of their team. They can remember a certain year on the basis of what kit they were wearing that season or where they finished in the league. I’m the same and in the run up to the Carling Cup Final, I can help but indulge in some shameless nostalgia. My first Spurs final was nine years ago, when we beat Leicester City 1-0 at Wembley. The game was far from a classic and my predominant memories of the match itself are of Justin Edinburgh’s sending off for striking (or should that be stroking!) Robbie Savage’s hair and Allan Nielsen diving to head a stoppage time winner. Moreover, I remember the excitement in the build up to the match, seeing Wembley for the first time and jumping up and down with my dad when we scored. Sol Campbell captained the side that day and who would have thought at the time that, just two years later, he would be turning out for Arsenal instead. I’ve avoided watching too many replays of that game as the sight of Campbell holding the League Cup aloft in a Spurs shirt angers me, in light of his subsequent defection.
Back in 1999, I studying for my GCSE’s, I had massive crush on Britney Spears and thought my brick-sized Nokia 5510 mobile was the best thing since sliced bread. I was using fake ID to get into clubs, had a particularly shocking haircut, encrusted in five layers of wet look gel and unsurprisingly, I hadn’t really had a proper girlfriend. My one true love was Tottenham Hotspur and having started going to games at the beginning of the 90’s, I was already completely hooked by this date. My bedroom was covered in posters, I had a Spurs rug, lamp, bedspread, curtains… the list is endless. David Ginola was my idol and I’ll never forget watching him. One of the most natural footballers you could ever hope to see and a man who could bring life into the most ordinary of matches. To this day, the Frenchman probably rates as my favorite Spur, despite having also seen the likes of Lineker, Sheringham, Gascoigne and Berbatov ply their trade in the famous Lilywhite shirt.
By our next cup final appearance in 2002, things were a little different for both myself and Spurs. I was in my first year of university, handily enough in Cardiff, where the Worthington Cup Final against Blackburn Rovers would played. Glenn Hoddle was still enjoying a honeymoon period as manager of his beloved Tottenham Hotspur and in the semi-finals, we had delightfully beaten Chelsea 6-3 on aggregate. Having a cup final involving Spurs play in Cardiff in my first year their as a student seemed like fate. I could see the Millennium Stadium from the pitches I played football on in university and I lived just a 15 minute walk from town. As soon as we beat Chelsea in the semi-finals, up went the scarves and balloons in my student halls of residence. However, my build up to the big game was far from ideal, when a friend of mine delayed in posting our application for final tickets, ultimately meaning we would miss out. To say I was annoyed with my ‘friend’ is an understatement, in fact I’ve hardly spoken to him ever since.
From the feeling of total jubilation I had experienced only a few weeks earlier, when I was at the Lane to see us beat Chelsea 5-1 in the semi-final, second leg, I now had to resign myself to the fact I wasn’t going to the match. I cut a sombre figure, happy for my team, but ultimately devastated that I wouldn’t be at the Millennium Stadium. My friends, all supporters of other teams, cheered me up by offering to come and watch the game in a pub near the ground. They all promised to be Spurs fans for the day, despite their allegiances with the likes of Oldham Athletic, Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday. So the Sunday came, I donned my Spurs shirt and bought a programme as if I were heading to the match. I also brought a sign I had written with me which pleaded for a spare ticket and I had £150 in my wallet which I was prepared to part with to get in. I spoke to various touts who wanted £500-600 for one ticket, including Spurs season ticket holders and members that had travelled all the way to Cardiff, just to make a profit rather than go the game themselves. I was sickened by these individuals and despite the fact I wanted to go to the match more than anything, refused to negotiate with these types of characters.
Just as the game was about to kick off, a man approached me offering me a ticket in the Spurs end for £150. I bartered with him and got the price down to £120, at which point I swapped cash for ticket and dashed into the ground. I feel immense sympathy for the thousands of supporters that have missed out on tickets for this Sunday’s game, because nobody should have to pay over the odds to see their team, especially when it is their own so-called ‘fans’ that are ripping them off. Unfortunately, people with a similar attitude as mine will always be part of the problem, in that they will pay what it takes to see their team in a cup final, through love for their team.
After all the stress of getting a ticket, the match proved to be highly disappointing for me and the 30,000 odd Spurs fans that had made the journey to Cardiff. Blackburn won, what was a highly entertaining match, by two goals to one. But having been overriding favourites going into the final, this seemed and ultimately proved to be yet another false dawn for our long suffering supporters. It was also the beginning of the end for legendary players like Teddy Sheringham and Darren Anderton. Despite playing on to this day, the 2002 Worthington Cup Final was their last chance to win something for Tottenham Hotspur, having playing nearly 600 games for the north London club between them in their career. It was also my last opportunity to see Spurs play in Cardiff while living there, as I headed off to London upon graduating three years later.
So for myself, the team and all our great supporters, Sunday’s game is absolutely massive. The front of the official match day programme for the final reads, ‘For today, nothing else matters’. That just about sums it up. I’m preparing for the big day as if it were a wedding. My specially embroidered cup final shirt and scarf have been hanging outside my wardrobe for over a week now and my choice of jeans, footwear and pants has been planned with similar detail. It’s the first final I’ve experienced Spurs going into the game as underdogs., yet ironically, this is by far and away a better Tottenham team than graced the 1999 or 2002 games. It will be time for me to stop the nostalgia as I step out of my door on Sunday, for then, my focus will be entirely on the day. Such single-mindedness will be needed by all the players I’ll be cheering on, if we are to be successful. Old cliché I know, but you go to Wembley to win and this is what I want and believe Tottenham Hotspur can achieve against Chelsea.
Copyright Andy Greeves & Soccerphile.com
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Showing posts with label Chelsea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chelsea. Show all posts
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
World Soccer News
World soccer news: For week of December 20th
Soccer Crusaders: Crosses on shirts upset Moslems
Soccer is known for knocking down many barriers, except for those fortified in religious fanatism. One Baris Kaska, a Turkish lawyer from Izmir, filed a complaint against UEFA with the local court asking for the annullment of Inter Milan's 3-0 Champions League win over Fenerbahce on account that the "Italians wore a red cross on a white surface." For Kaska, a clear symbol of the Crusades.
"The cross reminded me of the bloody days of the past. In my opinion, the design of the shirt openly suggests the superiority of one religion," claims Kaska.
Naturally, the complaint has no chances of prospering since UEFA approved the design of Inter's reserve kit, inaugurated on the occasion of the Milan club's forthcoming centenary. Indeed, Inter had the sensitivity to ask Fenerbahce whether they would object to their using the crossed shirt at San Siro, and the Turks said no problem.
Barcelona, who sell tons of shirts in Islamic countries, have forestalled a possible customers' boycott by redisigning their coat of arms in the batches intended for Moslem markets. Instead of the city's patron saint St George's cross in the upper left corner, Barça's coat of arms on sale in Islamic states cointains an ordinary vertical red line on the white surface.
"They don't tolerate crosses, be it Barça's or another club's," said a Spaniard living in Saudi Arabia to the La Vanguardia daily.
"Barcelona's merchandise sells well, but it would not be the same if there was a red cross drawn within a white square."
John Terry six weeks out of action
Chelsea's captain and England international John Terry will spent at least six weeks on the sidelines after sustaining an injury during the London derby against Arsenal. The team doctors confirmed Terry broke three bones in his left foot.
The international defender tried to continue playing even after Eboué's rough tackle, but the pain was too strong, forcing him to abandon the pitch. Eboué apologized to Terry for the tackle before getting injured himself.
This has been yet another blow to the Blues, already without Ricardo Carvalho since the early stages of the season.
The brave skipper could return to action against Birmingham in late January and should certainly be ready for Fabio Capello's England debut against Switzerland at Wembley on February 6th.
Kaká's double triumph
The journalists who determine the winner of the Golden Ball in France Football's poll have a similar taste to that of the coaches and skippers of national teams taking part in FIFA's contest for the world's best player.
As a consequence, the same player has won the Golden Ball and the FIFA's award in the same season for the tenth time in 17 years. This year's double winner is Milan's Kaká, the fifth Brazilian to have unified the two most prestigious individual prizes in soccer.
That was not the end to Kaká's astonishing run of trophies: by winning FIFA's World Club Cup, the 25-year-old attacking midfielder has become only the second player to have won the set of soccer's most distinguished trophies. Just like Marco van Basten in 1989, Kaká has collected the Champions' League, the Supercup, the World Clup Cup and the Golden Ball. Van Basten could not win FIFA's player of the year award simply because it was not given before 1991.
Here are the ten double-winners since 1991, when FIFA started to award the prize for the top player of the year.
Golden Ball plus FIFA award
1992. Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1993. Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1995. George Weah (Liberia)
1997. Ronaldo (Brazil)
1998. Zinedine Zidane (France)
1999. Rivaldo (Brazil)
2002. Ronaldo (Brazil)
2005. Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2006. Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2007. Kaka (Brazil)
Inzaghi like Cruyff and Rijkaard!
Filippo Pippo Inzaghi has become the third European player to have scored a goal in all three finals of club cup competitions in the same cycle.
Before Pippo, only two Dutchmen achieved that distinction.
The first was Ajax' Johan Cruyff, who scored twice against Inter in the Champions' Cup, twice against Rangers in the Supercup and once against Independiente in the Intercontinental Cup in 1972 and early 1973.
Eighteen years later, Milan's Frank Rijkaard repeated the feat in the games against Benfica, Sampdoria and Olimpia of Asunción.
Milan's third hat-trick
AC Milan has joined for the third time the select group of the elite European clubs who won the three most important international trophies in one competitive cycle.
Before winning the World Club Cup by beating Boca Juniors 4-2, Milan collected the Champions' League at the expense of Liverpool (2-1) and the European Supercup against Sevilla (3-1).
The world's most successful club picked up their first two hat-tricks in 1989 and 1990 under the guidance of Arrigo Sacchi.
This elite group includes Ajax (twice), Porto, Juventus and Real Madrid.
Hat-trick of titles
1972. Ajax
1987. Porto
1989. Milan
1990. Milan
1995. Ajax
1996. Juventus
2002. Real Madrid
2007. Milan
Wanchope says goodbye in January
Paulo Wanchope, Costa Rica's top soccer export, will bid a final farewell on January 13th against Sweden in San José.
The gigantic striker, who announced his retirement last month, will play his final game at the national Ricardo Saprissa stadium, where he debuted for the national team back in 1996.
The former Derby County, West Ham and Manchester City player scored 45 goals in 73 appearances for Costa Rica and was the country's top scorer until Rolando Fonseca recently overtook him.
European leagues' top scorers
Kruno Lovrek, the leading scorer in the Croatian 1st Division, is the highest scoring player in all of Europe with 14 hits, a goal above a group of six players with 13 goals each. This group includes Celtic's Scott McDonald and Ajax' Jan-Klas Huntelaar alongside two other players from the Croatian League – Nikola Kalinic and Radomir Djalovic.
Only two strikers from the top leagues are present among the European top scorers: the French boy wonder Karim Benzema of Lyon and Juventus' David Trezeguet, both with 12 goals.
The Spanish number one is Sevilla's Brazilian Luis Fabiano with 10 goals, while both in the Premier League and Bundesliga the leading scorers are still within single digits.
Bayern's Klose and Toni, Hamburg's Van der Vaart and Werder's Diego have finished the first part of the season with nine goals on their account, like Arsenal's Adebayor, Manchester United's Ronaldo and Everton's Aiyegbeni.
1. Kruno Lovrek (Zagreb) – 14 goals
2.-7. Nikola Kalinić (Hajduk) – 13
Radomir Đalović (Rijeka) - 13
Jan-Klas Huntelaar (Ajax) - 13
Gheorghe Bucur (Politechnica T.) – 13
Scott McDonald (Celtic) - 13
Hakan Yakin (Young Boys) - 13
8-17. Karim Benzema (Lyon) - 12
David Trezeguet (Juventus) - 12
Oleksandr Hladki (Šahtar) – 12
Peter Graulund (Arhus) – 12
Juraj Halenar (Artmedia) – 12
Sanel Jahić (Željezničar) - 12
David Bunderla (Primorje) – 12
Dario Zahora (Domžale) – 12
Marek Zienczuk (Wisla) - 12
Pawel Brozek (Wisla) - 12
Argentina bought 1978 World Cup, says a mafioso
The former Columbian mafioso Fernando Rodríguez Mondragón has revealed new details of the scandal that allegedly took place at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina and that cost the Brazilians the title.
According to the ex-narco dealer, it was the then Argentinian vice-admiral, Carlos A. Lacoste, who masterminded the bribing of the Peruvian FA so that Argentina would beat Peru by at least four goals and qualify for the finals ahead of Brazil.
"My uncle and dad were called by the players' agent Carlos Quieto asking them to mediate between the Argentinian and the Peruvian FA's, since he was the Peruvian FA's president's friend," said Mondragón to terra.es digital newspaper.
"Two days before the key game, at the meeting in Lima, the Argentinian bought the favours of four players for 50,000 USD each, and their government gave Peru some grain free of charge," continued the infamous Guillermo Rodríguez Mondragón's son, promising to reveal all the names, amounts and other details of the scandal in his forthcoming book.
Lacoste was the chairman of the World Cup organizing committee, short lived president of Argentina and long-time FIFA vice-president.
Argentina won that World Cup by beating Peru 6-0 in the crucial semifinal group game and the Netherlands 3-1 in the finals.
All players involved have always rejected claims of foul play.
Copyright Ozren Podnar/Soccerphile
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Soccer Crusaders: Crosses on shirts upset Moslems
Soccer is known for knocking down many barriers, except for those fortified in religious fanatism. One Baris Kaska, a Turkish lawyer from Izmir, filed a complaint against UEFA with the local court asking for the annullment of Inter Milan's 3-0 Champions League win over Fenerbahce on account that the "Italians wore a red cross on a white surface." For Kaska, a clear symbol of the Crusades.
"The cross reminded me of the bloody days of the past. In my opinion, the design of the shirt openly suggests the superiority of one religion," claims Kaska.
Naturally, the complaint has no chances of prospering since UEFA approved the design of Inter's reserve kit, inaugurated on the occasion of the Milan club's forthcoming centenary. Indeed, Inter had the sensitivity to ask Fenerbahce whether they would object to their using the crossed shirt at San Siro, and the Turks said no problem.
Barcelona, who sell tons of shirts in Islamic countries, have forestalled a possible customers' boycott by redisigning their coat of arms in the batches intended for Moslem markets. Instead of the city's patron saint St George's cross in the upper left corner, Barça's coat of arms on sale in Islamic states cointains an ordinary vertical red line on the white surface.
"They don't tolerate crosses, be it Barça's or another club's," said a Spaniard living in Saudi Arabia to the La Vanguardia daily.
"Barcelona's merchandise sells well, but it would not be the same if there was a red cross drawn within a white square."
John Terry six weeks out of action
Chelsea's captain and England international John Terry will spent at least six weeks on the sidelines after sustaining an injury during the London derby against Arsenal. The team doctors confirmed Terry broke three bones in his left foot.
The international defender tried to continue playing even after Eboué's rough tackle, but the pain was too strong, forcing him to abandon the pitch. Eboué apologized to Terry for the tackle before getting injured himself.
This has been yet another blow to the Blues, already without Ricardo Carvalho since the early stages of the season.
The brave skipper could return to action against Birmingham in late January and should certainly be ready for Fabio Capello's England debut against Switzerland at Wembley on February 6th.
Kaká's double triumph
The journalists who determine the winner of the Golden Ball in France Football's poll have a similar taste to that of the coaches and skippers of national teams taking part in FIFA's contest for the world's best player.
As a consequence, the same player has won the Golden Ball and the FIFA's award in the same season for the tenth time in 17 years. This year's double winner is Milan's Kaká, the fifth Brazilian to have unified the two most prestigious individual prizes in soccer.
That was not the end to Kaká's astonishing run of trophies: by winning FIFA's World Club Cup, the 25-year-old attacking midfielder has become only the second player to have won the set of soccer's most distinguished trophies. Just like Marco van Basten in 1989, Kaká has collected the Champions' League, the Supercup, the World Clup Cup and the Golden Ball. Van Basten could not win FIFA's player of the year award simply because it was not given before 1991.
Here are the ten double-winners since 1991, when FIFA started to award the prize for the top player of the year.
Golden Ball plus FIFA award
1992. Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1993. Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1995. George Weah (Liberia)
1997. Ronaldo (Brazil)
1998. Zinedine Zidane (France)
1999. Rivaldo (Brazil)
2002. Ronaldo (Brazil)
2005. Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2006. Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2007. Kaka (Brazil)
Inzaghi like Cruyff and Rijkaard!
Filippo Pippo Inzaghi has become the third European player to have scored a goal in all three finals of club cup competitions in the same cycle.
Before Pippo, only two Dutchmen achieved that distinction.
The first was Ajax' Johan Cruyff, who scored twice against Inter in the Champions' Cup, twice against Rangers in the Supercup and once against Independiente in the Intercontinental Cup in 1972 and early 1973.
Eighteen years later, Milan's Frank Rijkaard repeated the feat in the games against Benfica, Sampdoria and Olimpia of Asunción.
Milan's third hat-trick
AC Milan has joined for the third time the select group of the elite European clubs who won the three most important international trophies in one competitive cycle.
Before winning the World Club Cup by beating Boca Juniors 4-2, Milan collected the Champions' League at the expense of Liverpool (2-1) and the European Supercup against Sevilla (3-1).
The world's most successful club picked up their first two hat-tricks in 1989 and 1990 under the guidance of Arrigo Sacchi.
This elite group includes Ajax (twice), Porto, Juventus and Real Madrid.
Hat-trick of titles
1972. Ajax
1987. Porto
1989. Milan
1990. Milan
1995. Ajax
1996. Juventus
2002. Real Madrid
2007. Milan
Wanchope says goodbye in January
Paulo Wanchope, Costa Rica's top soccer export, will bid a final farewell on January 13th against Sweden in San José.
The gigantic striker, who announced his retirement last month, will play his final game at the national Ricardo Saprissa stadium, where he debuted for the national team back in 1996.
The former Derby County, West Ham and Manchester City player scored 45 goals in 73 appearances for Costa Rica and was the country's top scorer until Rolando Fonseca recently overtook him.
European leagues' top scorers
Kruno Lovrek, the leading scorer in the Croatian 1st Division, is the highest scoring player in all of Europe with 14 hits, a goal above a group of six players with 13 goals each. This group includes Celtic's Scott McDonald and Ajax' Jan-Klas Huntelaar alongside two other players from the Croatian League – Nikola Kalinic and Radomir Djalovic.
Only two strikers from the top leagues are present among the European top scorers: the French boy wonder Karim Benzema of Lyon and Juventus' David Trezeguet, both with 12 goals.
The Spanish number one is Sevilla's Brazilian Luis Fabiano with 10 goals, while both in the Premier League and Bundesliga the leading scorers are still within single digits.
Bayern's Klose and Toni, Hamburg's Van der Vaart and Werder's Diego have finished the first part of the season with nine goals on their account, like Arsenal's Adebayor, Manchester United's Ronaldo and Everton's Aiyegbeni.
1. Kruno Lovrek (Zagreb) – 14 goals
2.-7. Nikola Kalinić (Hajduk) – 13
Radomir Đalović (Rijeka) - 13
Jan-Klas Huntelaar (Ajax) - 13
Gheorghe Bucur (Politechnica T.) – 13
Scott McDonald (Celtic) - 13
Hakan Yakin (Young Boys) - 13
8-17. Karim Benzema (Lyon) - 12
David Trezeguet (Juventus) - 12
Oleksandr Hladki (Šahtar) – 12
Peter Graulund (Arhus) – 12
Juraj Halenar (Artmedia) – 12
Sanel Jahić (Željezničar) - 12
David Bunderla (Primorje) – 12
Dario Zahora (Domžale) – 12
Marek Zienczuk (Wisla) - 12
Pawel Brozek (Wisla) - 12
Argentina bought 1978 World Cup, says a mafioso
The former Columbian mafioso Fernando Rodríguez Mondragón has revealed new details of the scandal that allegedly took place at the 1978 World Cup in Argentina and that cost the Brazilians the title.
According to the ex-narco dealer, it was the then Argentinian vice-admiral, Carlos A. Lacoste, who masterminded the bribing of the Peruvian FA so that Argentina would beat Peru by at least four goals and qualify for the finals ahead of Brazil.
"My uncle and dad were called by the players' agent Carlos Quieto asking them to mediate between the Argentinian and the Peruvian FA's, since he was the Peruvian FA's president's friend," said Mondragón to terra.es digital newspaper.
"Two days before the key game, at the meeting in Lima, the Argentinian bought the favours of four players for 50,000 USD each, and their government gave Peru some grain free of charge," continued the infamous Guillermo Rodríguez Mondragón's son, promising to reveal all the names, amounts and other details of the scandal in his forthcoming book.
Lacoste was the chairman of the World Cup organizing committee, short lived president of Argentina and long-time FIFA vice-president.
Argentina won that World Cup by beating Peru 6-0 in the crucial semifinal group game and the Netherlands 3-1 in the finals.
All players involved have always rejected claims of foul play.
Copyright Ozren Podnar/Soccerphile
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Sunday, December 9, 2007
Weekly Soccer News Roundup
Weekly soccer news
for week of December 9th
Ozren Podnar
Drug lords helped Argentina in 1978?
A drug cartel from Cali bribed the Peruvian national team in order to help Argentina qualify for the 1978 World Cup, claims Fernando Rodríguez Mondragón, the son of the jailed drug lord Gilberto in his forthcoming book.
At that World Cup celebrated in Argentina, the home team had to beat Peru by at least four goals in order to reach the finals on goals' difference ahead of Brazil.
The final result of the match in Mendoza was 6-0, for which Mondragón claims the Argentinians should thank his father and his uncle, who had paid off the Peruvians.
One of the Argentinian stars, Leopoldo Luque, said he and his mates did not spot anything strange in the Peruvia players' approach, except that they were very bad.
"Soccer players are not actors. When they are up to something weird, it becomes obvious very soon. In that game, we noticed nothing of the sort. We were just so much better," remembers Luque, who scored two goals, as well as Mario Kempes.
Mondragón also mentioned that his cartel attempted to sign Diego Maradona for América of Cali, but the deal failed to materialize due to superior offers that Maradona had from Europe.
"The transfer did not come to fruition, but a lasting friendship remained between both parties," wrote the mafioso's son in the book called "Son of the Chessmaster 2", after his father's nickname.
Syomin fourth Dinamo Kiev coach in a season
Russian Yuri Syomin has become the fourth Dinamo Kiev coach in the current season, by replacing the former Ukrainian international Oleg Luzhny. Previously coach to Lokomotiv and Dinamo of Moscow and of the Russian national team, Syomin has been given clear instructions as to what his mission is.
"This team must never again embarrass themselves in Europe," said the president Grigory Surkis, referring to Dinamo's dismal campaign in this year's Champions' League.
The most popular Ukrainian team started the season under Anatoly Demyanenko, who was soon replaced by Josef Szabo. Eventually, Szabo was succeeded by his assistant Luzhny, who was in turn sacked after five consecutive defeats in the international competition.
Policeman injured in fighting with Red Star ultras
A plain clothes policeman was severely bruised and burned in a clash with Red Star supporters during a Serb championship match against Hajduk Kula at Belgrade's Marakana stadium.
The incident started when the agent attempted to arrest a local fan for lighting a firecracker. Other fans came to their mate's rescue and overpowered the policeman even though he fired two warning shots in the air. One of the hooligans even scorched the fallen man with the firecracker, inflicting serious burns.
The riot police quickly intervened and rescued the agent, who was transported to a hospital in a stable condition.
Several fans were arrested and will be tried for attempted homicide, but surprisingly three of the Red Star officials were detained as well on suspicion of having failed to provide safety during the match and having enabled the hooligans to smuggle in the pyrotechnical material.
Within a separate police investigation, Red Star's secretary general Zoran Damjanovic was also brought in on charges of corruption and embezzlement relative to players' transfers, completing a dismal week for Serb soccer.
Giggs makes it a hundred
Manchester United's living legend Ryan Giggs scored his 100th Premier League goal in a match against bottom placed Derby County, helping the Red Devils move within a point of leaders Arsenal. United's 4-1 win coupled with a sensational Gunners' defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough means that the race for the Premiership title will be more exciting than thought during the previous weeks.
Giggs, the 34-year-old Welsh Wizard, has been a regular feature for Manchester United since 1991 and is the team's most successful player in history as far as the trophies are concerned.
Galatasaray want to retire Hakan
The best known Turkish international, Hakan Sükür, has been advised to retire at the end of this season in order to cede a place to the players of the new generation. The 36-old forward has been told that he would be undesirable in the future because, as Galatasaray vicepresident Adnan Polat said, of his inability to fit into the new scheme.
"We are in the process of creating a new team in which there will be no place for him. I have suggested to him that he should quit at the season's end. Should he fail to do this, we will terminate his contract," announced Polat.
The Galatasaray and Turkey legend, who scored over 200 goals for the club and 50 for the country, has no intentions of ending his career.
"I don't plan to abandon the soccer scene. I wish to play for at least two more seasons," said Sukur, who is still going strong and scores with an astonishing regularity.
Drogba undergoes emergency surgery
Didier Drogba was surprisingly operated on his knee on Saturday in spite of an agreement with Chelsea directors about postponing the surgery for the forthcoming week. The Ivorian forward will be back in action in about five weeks, but the Stamford Bridge faithful will not see him before the third week of February!
If Drogba recovers in time, he will take part in the African Cup of Nations in Ghana, and if Ivory Coast makes good progress Chelsea will remain deprived of their first-choice striker for over two months.
Drogba suffered from a long term problem with his knee, called degeneration of the meniscus, which he aggravated while representing his country.
Corinthians like Manchester and Valencia
Corinthians of Sao Paulo have become the latest in the string of big clubs to have
been relegated in spite of their glamourous tradition. The second most popular Brazilian club, supported by no less a person than the President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, went from winning the title in 2005 to going down at the end of this season.
The main reason for Corinthians' downfall is arguably the managerial chaos caused by the trials of the director Alberto Dualib and his associates for money laundering, embezzlement and other financial wrongdoings.
While the supporters of their principal rivals, Sao Paulo and Palmeiras, are currently ecstatic over their archrivals' plight, Corinthians' fans believe their beloved team will soon return as have most Brazilian greats relegated through results or FA rulings.
Relegated giants
Manchester Utd. (1974)
Tottenham (1977)
Milan (1982)
Lazio (1985)
Valencia (1986)
Sevilla (1996)
Fluminense (1998)
Atletico Madrid (2000)
Sampdoria (2000)
Botafogo (2002)
Leeds (2004)
Borussia M. (2007)
Forcibly relegated
Milan (1980)
Lazio (1980)
Bordeaux (1991)
Olympique Marseille (1994)
Fiorentina (2002)
Juventus (2006)
Note: year of relegation in brackets
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for week of December 9th
Ozren Podnar
Drug lords helped Argentina in 1978?
A drug cartel from Cali bribed the Peruvian national team in order to help Argentina qualify for the 1978 World Cup, claims Fernando Rodríguez Mondragón, the son of the jailed drug lord Gilberto in his forthcoming book.
At that World Cup celebrated in Argentina, the home team had to beat Peru by at least four goals in order to reach the finals on goals' difference ahead of Brazil.
The final result of the match in Mendoza was 6-0, for which Mondragón claims the Argentinians should thank his father and his uncle, who had paid off the Peruvians.
One of the Argentinian stars, Leopoldo Luque, said he and his mates did not spot anything strange in the Peruvia players' approach, except that they were very bad.
"Soccer players are not actors. When they are up to something weird, it becomes obvious very soon. In that game, we noticed nothing of the sort. We were just so much better," remembers Luque, who scored two goals, as well as Mario Kempes.
Mondragón also mentioned that his cartel attempted to sign Diego Maradona for América of Cali, but the deal failed to materialize due to superior offers that Maradona had from Europe.
"The transfer did not come to fruition, but a lasting friendship remained between both parties," wrote the mafioso's son in the book called "Son of the Chessmaster 2", after his father's nickname.
Syomin fourth Dinamo Kiev coach in a season
Russian Yuri Syomin has become the fourth Dinamo Kiev coach in the current season, by replacing the former Ukrainian international Oleg Luzhny. Previously coach to Lokomotiv and Dinamo of Moscow and of the Russian national team, Syomin has been given clear instructions as to what his mission is.
"This team must never again embarrass themselves in Europe," said the president Grigory Surkis, referring to Dinamo's dismal campaign in this year's Champions' League.
The most popular Ukrainian team started the season under Anatoly Demyanenko, who was soon replaced by Josef Szabo. Eventually, Szabo was succeeded by his assistant Luzhny, who was in turn sacked after five consecutive defeats in the international competition.
Policeman injured in fighting with Red Star ultras
A plain clothes policeman was severely bruised and burned in a clash with Red Star supporters during a Serb championship match against Hajduk Kula at Belgrade's Marakana stadium.
The incident started when the agent attempted to arrest a local fan for lighting a firecracker. Other fans came to their mate's rescue and overpowered the policeman even though he fired two warning shots in the air. One of the hooligans even scorched the fallen man with the firecracker, inflicting serious burns.
The riot police quickly intervened and rescued the agent, who was transported to a hospital in a stable condition.
Several fans were arrested and will be tried for attempted homicide, but surprisingly three of the Red Star officials were detained as well on suspicion of having failed to provide safety during the match and having enabled the hooligans to smuggle in the pyrotechnical material.
Within a separate police investigation, Red Star's secretary general Zoran Damjanovic was also brought in on charges of corruption and embezzlement relative to players' transfers, completing a dismal week for Serb soccer.
Giggs makes it a hundred
Manchester United's living legend Ryan Giggs scored his 100th Premier League goal in a match against bottom placed Derby County, helping the Red Devils move within a point of leaders Arsenal. United's 4-1 win coupled with a sensational Gunners' defeat at the hands of Middlesbrough means that the race for the Premiership title will be more exciting than thought during the previous weeks.
Giggs, the 34-year-old Welsh Wizard, has been a regular feature for Manchester United since 1991 and is the team's most successful player in history as far as the trophies are concerned.
Galatasaray want to retire Hakan
The best known Turkish international, Hakan Sükür, has been advised to retire at the end of this season in order to cede a place to the players of the new generation. The 36-old forward has been told that he would be undesirable in the future because, as Galatasaray vicepresident Adnan Polat said, of his inability to fit into the new scheme.
"We are in the process of creating a new team in which there will be no place for him. I have suggested to him that he should quit at the season's end. Should he fail to do this, we will terminate his contract," announced Polat.
The Galatasaray and Turkey legend, who scored over 200 goals for the club and 50 for the country, has no intentions of ending his career.
"I don't plan to abandon the soccer scene. I wish to play for at least two more seasons," said Sukur, who is still going strong and scores with an astonishing regularity.
Drogba undergoes emergency surgery
Didier Drogba was surprisingly operated on his knee on Saturday in spite of an agreement with Chelsea directors about postponing the surgery for the forthcoming week. The Ivorian forward will be back in action in about five weeks, but the Stamford Bridge faithful will not see him before the third week of February!
If Drogba recovers in time, he will take part in the African Cup of Nations in Ghana, and if Ivory Coast makes good progress Chelsea will remain deprived of their first-choice striker for over two months.
Drogba suffered from a long term problem with his knee, called degeneration of the meniscus, which he aggravated while representing his country.
Corinthians like Manchester and Valencia
Corinthians of Sao Paulo have become the latest in the string of big clubs to have
been relegated in spite of their glamourous tradition. The second most popular Brazilian club, supported by no less a person than the President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva, went from winning the title in 2005 to going down at the end of this season.
The main reason for Corinthians' downfall is arguably the managerial chaos caused by the trials of the director Alberto Dualib and his associates for money laundering, embezzlement and other financial wrongdoings.
While the supporters of their principal rivals, Sao Paulo and Palmeiras, are currently ecstatic over their archrivals' plight, Corinthians' fans believe their beloved team will soon return as have most Brazilian greats relegated through results or FA rulings.
Relegated giants
Manchester Utd. (1974)
Tottenham (1977)
Milan (1982)
Lazio (1985)
Valencia (1986)
Sevilla (1996)
Fluminense (1998)
Atletico Madrid (2000)
Sampdoria (2000)
Botafogo (2002)
Leeds (2004)
Borussia M. (2007)
Forcibly relegated
Milan (1980)
Lazio (1980)
Bordeaux (1991)
Olympique Marseille (1994)
Fiorentina (2002)
Juventus (2006)
Note: year of relegation in brackets
Copyright Ozren Podnar & Soccerphile
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Sunday, November 25, 2007
No rush for England's poisoned chalice
"There are not many candidates because it looks a bit like a crocodile that opens the mouth and says: 'Jump into that.' Once he's in there, he's eaten. And once you have eaten four, five says: 'No, maybe I don't jump in there.'"
So went the words of Arsene Wenger, the best coach working in England at present.
In the old days, before the savaging of Bobby Robson and Graham Taylor by the tabloids and the realization that the real money and chances of success were to be found in the Premier League and not the international game, the nation’s best coach would have leapt at the chance of managing England.
Not any more. In the aftermath of Steve McClaren’s quick exit from Soho Square, the candidates for the top job have been scurrying into the shadows. Like schoolkids desperate for the teacher not to pick them to answer a tricky question, the candidates are doing their best to look at their shoes instead.
Aston Villa coach Martin O’Neill could probably have signed a contract the day after the Croatia fiasco had he wanted to, but yesterday appeared to shut the door. “It’s gone for me. It’s absolutely gone,” he said.
Reading’s Steve Coppell would appear to be the best English candidate working in the Premier League, but also realises his nationality counts against him this time.
So went the words of Arsene Wenger, the best coach working in England at present.
In the old days, before the savaging of Bobby Robson and Graham Taylor by the tabloids and the realization that the real money and chances of success were to be found in the Premier League and not the international game, the nation’s best coach would have leapt at the chance of managing England.
Not any more. In the aftermath of Steve McClaren’s quick exit from Soho Square, the candidates for the top job have been scurrying into the shadows. Like schoolkids desperate for the teacher not to pick them to answer a tricky question, the candidates are doing their best to look at their shoes instead.
Aston Villa coach Martin O’Neill could probably have signed a contract the day after the Croatia fiasco had he wanted to, but yesterday appeared to shut the door. “It’s gone for me. It’s absolutely gone,” he said.
Reading’s Steve Coppell would appear to be the best English candidate working in the Premier League, but also realises his nationality counts against him this time.
If the next leader of the Three Lions must be English, the options are fast disappearing beyond Coppell. Alan Curbishley now says he is no longer interested, Harry Redknapp’s colourful reputation surely precludes him and the FA are unlikely to go crawling back to the doors of two men they have previously fired – Glenn Hoddle and Terry Venables.
Almost certainly, the FA will pick another foreigner, following the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2001.
Jurgen Klinsmann is believed to be interested and would have little trouble adapting once again to London. Indeed, ‘Klinsi’’s articulate and popular persona would probably pull the fans and media onside from the start, in a way few recent England coaches have succeeding in doing.
But the German legend still lives in Santa Barbara, California, which entails a day’s commuting and eight hours’ jet lag to reach England. His refusal to accept the USA job is still clouded in mystery and a flood of criticism will be inevitable as soon as results get sticky with England. The risk that it could all end in tears just looks too great for FA chief executive Brian Barwick to approach him in the first place.
Fabio Capello is the only man to so far declare his candidacy. The 61 year-old has long had an eye on English football, perhaps since scoring for Italy at Wembley in 1973, and had expressed an interest in replacing Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford back in 2002.
Capello has fallen out with a number of high-profile players over the years, including David Beckham, Alessandro Del Piero and Ronaldo, but boasts a stunning coaching CV including seven Serie A shields (four with Milan, two with Juventus and one with Roma) and two La Liga titles with Real Madrid.
Milan’s unforgettable 4-0 demolition of Barcelona in the 1994 Champions League Final in Athens remains perhaps the apex of Capello’s coaching history.
The other big name still in the frame is Jose Mourinho. The recently-departed Chelsea coach is surely a little tempted, or else he would have publicly ruled himself out this week.
Instead, the mercurial Portuguese is playing a game of brinkmanship, aware that vacancies may pop up before the end of the year at Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid.
While Mourinho’s family allegedly are keen to resume their London life, one cannot help but wonder how coaching a discredited national team without competitive fixtures for another year can compare to leading one of the European club heavyweights.
It is hard to see how maverick personalities like Mourinho could enjoy the amount of down time this position entails, when a man of his calibre could surely walk into one of the top jobs on the continent over the next few months and before long cross swords again with the best in the UEFA Champions League.
A team booed off by its own fans as it lost embarassingly on a bleak and rainy winter’s night was no advert for the manager’s job.
And perhaps all speculation on on this issue is pointless as the fault lines in English football run too deep for any magician to swan in and wave a magic wand in the first place.
In the 1970s and ‘80s, the outstanding English club coach, Brian Clough, winner of two European Cups, longed to be picked as England manager.
But in 2007, for coaches of real talent from whatever country, the chance of supping nectar at the helm of a top European club outshines the poisoned chalice of the England manager’s job by some distance.
Can you blame them for avoiding the telephone after all they have seen recently?
Almost certainly, the FA will pick another foreigner, following the appointment of Sven-Goran Eriksson in 2001.
Jurgen Klinsmann is believed to be interested and would have little trouble adapting once again to London. Indeed, ‘Klinsi’’s articulate and popular persona would probably pull the fans and media onside from the start, in a way few recent England coaches have succeeding in doing.
But the German legend still lives in Santa Barbara, California, which entails a day’s commuting and eight hours’ jet lag to reach England. His refusal to accept the USA job is still clouded in mystery and a flood of criticism will be inevitable as soon as results get sticky with England. The risk that it could all end in tears just looks too great for FA chief executive Brian Barwick to approach him in the first place.
Fabio Capello is the only man to so far declare his candidacy. The 61 year-old has long had an eye on English football, perhaps since scoring for Italy at Wembley in 1973, and had expressed an interest in replacing Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford back in 2002.
Capello has fallen out with a number of high-profile players over the years, including David Beckham, Alessandro Del Piero and Ronaldo, but boasts a stunning coaching CV including seven Serie A shields (four with Milan, two with Juventus and one with Roma) and two La Liga titles with Real Madrid.
Milan’s unforgettable 4-0 demolition of Barcelona in the 1994 Champions League Final in Athens remains perhaps the apex of Capello’s coaching history.
The other big name still in the frame is Jose Mourinho. The recently-departed Chelsea coach is surely a little tempted, or else he would have publicly ruled himself out this week.
Instead, the mercurial Portuguese is playing a game of brinkmanship, aware that vacancies may pop up before the end of the year at Barcelona, Juventus and Real Madrid.
While Mourinho’s family allegedly are keen to resume their London life, one cannot help but wonder how coaching a discredited national team without competitive fixtures for another year can compare to leading one of the European club heavyweights.
It is hard to see how maverick personalities like Mourinho could enjoy the amount of down time this position entails, when a man of his calibre could surely walk into one of the top jobs on the continent over the next few months and before long cross swords again with the best in the UEFA Champions League.
A team booed off by its own fans as it lost embarassingly on a bleak and rainy winter’s night was no advert for the manager’s job.
And perhaps all speculation on on this issue is pointless as the fault lines in English football run too deep for any magician to swan in and wave a magic wand in the first place.
In the 1970s and ‘80s, the outstanding English club coach, Brian Clough, winner of two European Cups, longed to be picked as England manager.
But in 2007, for coaches of real talent from whatever country, the chance of supping nectar at the helm of a top European club outshines the poisoned chalice of the England manager’s job by some distance.
Can you blame them for avoiding the telephone after all they have seen recently?
The top job has now become “the impossible job”, as a previous victim Graham Taylor memorably noted, adding that his advice to any future encumbent of the cursed throne would be this:
“Win every game!”
(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
World Soccer News
World Soccers News for the week of October 24
Lehmann "humiliated" by Wenger
Arsenal's goalkeeper Jens Lehmann said he felt humiliated by being left out of the team in the past weeks and warned the coach Arsene Wenger that his patience had limits. The veteran goalkeeper has not played after committing a blunder against Blackburn on August 19th.
"I have taken all of this as a humiliation," said Lehmann to pay tv Premiere. "But I believe no player should be humiliated for a long time".
The beneficiary of Lehmann's situation has been the Spaniard Manuel Almunia, the first choice keeper ever since, with Lukasz Fabianski of Poland on the bench.
Sill, Lehmann has maintained his number one spot in the German squad, although the coach Joachim Löw has commented that the keeper should soon be back in action with his club if he wanted to keep his place in the national team.
"I am convinced I'll play soon. Almunia has not shown he can win games yet. I cannot recall him or Fabianski having won titles," added Lehmann, Oliver Kahn's successor at last year's World Cup in Germany.
Nagoya offers Stojkovic the coaching job
The recently resigned Red Star chairman, Dragan Stojkovic, could take over as coach at his old club, Nagoya Grampus8, where he played for eight seasons in the J-League.
"We have offered Stojkovic a coaching spot and we are expecting his reply. We see him exclusively as a coach, while we have not considered him as a possible director," said Nagoya's chairman Yoshihiro Fukunishi.
The former international and president of the Serb FA has accepted a role in Nagoya, but has not confirmed which position he will hold.
Recently he was quoted as saying by a German newspaper that he had quit Red Star because of "mafiosi" involved in the Serb soccer. Subsequently, Stojkovic denied ever using that exact phrase.
Sao Paulo close to Brazilian title
By beating Cruzeiro 1-0 with a goal from Jorge Wagner at their Morumbi Stadium, Sao Paulo have come extremely close to their second consecutive Brazilian league title. The triple world champions have a 13 points advantage over Palmeiras, while Cruzeiro have slipped to third, a further point adrift with only six rounds to go. Sao Paulo's coach Muricy Ramalho still warns his players and coach about relaxing.
"We must not suffer the fate of McLaren and Hamilton, overtaken by Ferrari and Kimi Räikkönen in the last race," said the wise coach.
Rogério Ceni in Guinness Book of Records
Sao Paulo's goalkeeper Rogério Ceni has found himself in the new edition of the Guinness Book of Records for 2008 as the top scoring goalkeeper in history, succeeding the Paraguayan José Luis Chilavert.
Curiously, the book prints ten month old statistical data, according to which Ceni scored just 66 goals. Although that figure also warrants Ceni the record, in the meantime the 34-year old goalkeeper has scored another ten goals.
"At least this guarantees my spot in next year's edition of Guinness," said Ceni, who scored 45 goals from free kicks and 31 from the penalty spot.
Drogba silences rumours over leaving Chelsea
Chelsea's forward Didier Drogba has denied the veracity of rumours which say he may be close to joining Juventus.
"If you are not happy somewhere, you cannot give a hundred percent. But, I am giving my one hundred percent because I'm feeling well here. I adore the fans. I believe they have shown me their respect and this is very important," the Ivorian told BBC Radio.
Drogba confirmed he was in permanent contact with his former boss, José Mourinho, and explained why he missed him.
"He was the one who brought me to England, the best league in the world. He was always behind me protecting me. (...) But, I am a Chelsea player and I'll stand by my current coach as well as by my teammates and the club."
The big African joined Chelsea from Marseille in 2004 on Mourinho's insistence.
Robinho: party, music and sex
Brazilian international Robinho is said to have organized a glamourous party in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate his masterful display against Ecuador during the World Cup 2010 qualifiers. According to the O Globo daily, Robinho, Ronaldinho and a couple of their teammates had a good time in a leading Rio disco after the 5-0 drubbing of Ecuador. Robinho supposedly covered all the expenses, including drink, music, women and 40 condoms which he shared among the guests.
Later Real's player claimed he was just an innocent participant, not the party organizer.
"It was a friend's party of which I was merely a reserved guest. I remind everyone I am soon to be married with my girlfriend, who is five months pregnant," said Robinho who was late in his return to Madrid and hence sidelined for the Espanyol game which Real duly lost 2-1 in Barcelona.
Alex Aguinaga says farewell with "tears from heaven"
One of the greatest players in Ecuador's history, Alex Dario Aguinaga, ended his playing career in an exhibition game in the country's capital Quito.
Throughout the match it was raining, which the local reporters described as "heavenly sorrow" over this popular midfielder's departure. Aguinaga featured for Ecuador in eight South American Championships and the first World Cup this country ever played in Japan and Korea 2002.
Aged 39, Aguinaga will join the board of directors of Necaxa of Mexico City, where he spent most of his career.
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Lehmann "humiliated" by Wenger
Arsenal's goalkeeper Jens Lehmann said he felt humiliated by being left out of the team in the past weeks and warned the coach Arsene Wenger that his patience had limits. The veteran goalkeeper has not played after committing a blunder against Blackburn on August 19th.
"I have taken all of this as a humiliation," said Lehmann to pay tv Premiere. "But I believe no player should be humiliated for a long time".
The beneficiary of Lehmann's situation has been the Spaniard Manuel Almunia, the first choice keeper ever since, with Lukasz Fabianski of Poland on the bench.
Sill, Lehmann has maintained his number one spot in the German squad, although the coach Joachim Löw has commented that the keeper should soon be back in action with his club if he wanted to keep his place in the national team.
"I am convinced I'll play soon. Almunia has not shown he can win games yet. I cannot recall him or Fabianski having won titles," added Lehmann, Oliver Kahn's successor at last year's World Cup in Germany.
Nagoya offers Stojkovic the coaching job
The recently resigned Red Star chairman, Dragan Stojkovic, could take over as coach at his old club, Nagoya Grampus8, where he played for eight seasons in the J-League.
"We have offered Stojkovic a coaching spot and we are expecting his reply. We see him exclusively as a coach, while we have not considered him as a possible director," said Nagoya's chairman Yoshihiro Fukunishi.
The former international and president of the Serb FA has accepted a role in Nagoya, but has not confirmed which position he will hold.
Recently he was quoted as saying by a German newspaper that he had quit Red Star because of "mafiosi" involved in the Serb soccer. Subsequently, Stojkovic denied ever using that exact phrase.
Sao Paulo close to Brazilian title
By beating Cruzeiro 1-0 with a goal from Jorge Wagner at their Morumbi Stadium, Sao Paulo have come extremely close to their second consecutive Brazilian league title. The triple world champions have a 13 points advantage over Palmeiras, while Cruzeiro have slipped to third, a further point adrift with only six rounds to go. Sao Paulo's coach Muricy Ramalho still warns his players and coach about relaxing.
"We must not suffer the fate of McLaren and Hamilton, overtaken by Ferrari and Kimi Räikkönen in the last race," said the wise coach.
Rogério Ceni in Guinness Book of Records
Sao Paulo's goalkeeper Rogério Ceni has found himself in the new edition of the Guinness Book of Records for 2008 as the top scoring goalkeeper in history, succeeding the Paraguayan José Luis Chilavert.
Curiously, the book prints ten month old statistical data, according to which Ceni scored just 66 goals. Although that figure also warrants Ceni the record, in the meantime the 34-year old goalkeeper has scored another ten goals.
"At least this guarantees my spot in next year's edition of Guinness," said Ceni, who scored 45 goals from free kicks and 31 from the penalty spot.
Drogba silences rumours over leaving Chelsea
Chelsea's forward Didier Drogba has denied the veracity of rumours which say he may be close to joining Juventus.
"If you are not happy somewhere, you cannot give a hundred percent. But, I am giving my one hundred percent because I'm feeling well here. I adore the fans. I believe they have shown me their respect and this is very important," the Ivorian told BBC Radio.
Drogba confirmed he was in permanent contact with his former boss, José Mourinho, and explained why he missed him.
"He was the one who brought me to England, the best league in the world. He was always behind me protecting me. (...) But, I am a Chelsea player and I'll stand by my current coach as well as by my teammates and the club."
The big African joined Chelsea from Marseille in 2004 on Mourinho's insistence.
Robinho: party, music and sex
Brazilian international Robinho is said to have organized a glamourous party in Rio de Janeiro to celebrate his masterful display against Ecuador during the World Cup 2010 qualifiers. According to the O Globo daily, Robinho, Ronaldinho and a couple of their teammates had a good time in a leading Rio disco after the 5-0 drubbing of Ecuador. Robinho supposedly covered all the expenses, including drink, music, women and 40 condoms which he shared among the guests.
Later Real's player claimed he was just an innocent participant, not the party organizer.
"It was a friend's party of which I was merely a reserved guest. I remind everyone I am soon to be married with my girlfriend, who is five months pregnant," said Robinho who was late in his return to Madrid and hence sidelined for the Espanyol game which Real duly lost 2-1 in Barcelona.
Alex Aguinaga says farewell with "tears from heaven"
One of the greatest players in Ecuador's history, Alex Dario Aguinaga, ended his playing career in an exhibition game in the country's capital Quito.
Throughout the match it was raining, which the local reporters described as "heavenly sorrow" over this popular midfielder's departure. Aguinaga featured for Ecuador in eight South American Championships and the first World Cup this country ever played in Japan and Korea 2002.
Aged 39, Aguinaga will join the board of directors of Necaxa of Mexico City, where he spent most of his career.
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Thursday, September 20, 2007
Mourinho Quits Chelsea
Jose Mourinho has quit his job as manager of Premier League Chelsea by mutual consent.
The decision follows three consecutive poor results for Chelsea, the latest a 1-1 home draw for the Blues with minnows Rosenborg in the Champions League.
Mourinho's relationship with Russian billionaire owner Roman Abramovich had deteriorated to such an extent that it seemed the Portuguese manager would leave at the end of last season. In the end he headed for the door with the new season barely a month underway.
Abramovich's money and Mourinho's undoubted talent as a coach saw Chelsea claim two English Premiership titles under Mourinho as well as various domestic cups and the unique record of the side never having lost a home league game under the self-styled "Special One."
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Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Mourinho calls it a day at Chelsea
Around an hour after midnight in England on Thursday, the news was broken that Jose Mourinho had left Chelsea after three years at the helm.
The Portuguese coach, who won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and League Cup at Stamford Bridge, but failed to get beyond the Champions League semi-final, quit the club "by mutual consent" following the Blues' disappointing 1-1 home draw with Rosenborg in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.
Relations between Mourinho and billionaire club owner Roman Abramovich had been tense for some time, and following the $60million signing of Andriy Shevchenko last season, allegedly arranged by Abramovich above Mourinho's head, rumors were fuelled that the former Porto and Benfica coach was on his way.
Mourinho in England was as opinionated and forthright as he had been in Portugal, but always stopped short of slamming his employer, despite everyone knowing he considered Abramovich his nemesis.
Their final parting, following a meeting to discuss Chelsea's lame tie with the Norwegian minnows, therefore comes as no surprise, but is still a shock given that arguably the best coach in England has bagged the annual sack race for 2007/08.
Mourinho will surface again at a big or ambitious club before long, as talent of his calibre is too good to sink without trace. But the big issue emanating from today's news, in a week when another anonymous Russian billionaire muscled his way into English football, is how the new breed of English club directors are seeking to impose their impossible dreams on the clubs they have splurged their wealth onto.
Managers and directors/owners have rarely seen eye to eye, but in this day and age the distance has widened intensely. When a coach as good as Mourinho is dispensed with, the fingers point inexorably towards a boardroom bust-up between one man oozing with football experience and another loaded with currency but with his head in the clouds when it come to the nitty-gritty of the sport.
A leader who wins five trophies in three years, including two domestic titles, half a century after the club's previous league triumph, and receives the acclaim of the football world for his achievements, is surely someone worth keeping.
But that is not taking into account a flush Russian with a passion for global fame and success but with questionable sense about the sport he has bought into, a game in which sustained perfection is as good as impossible for any team to achieve.
(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile
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The Portuguese coach, who won two Premier League titles, an FA Cup and League Cup at Stamford Bridge, but failed to get beyond the Champions League semi-final, quit the club "by mutual consent" following the Blues' disappointing 1-1 home draw with Rosenborg in the UEFA Champions League on Tuesday night.
Relations between Mourinho and billionaire club owner Roman Abramovich had been tense for some time, and following the $60million signing of Andriy Shevchenko last season, allegedly arranged by Abramovich above Mourinho's head, rumors were fuelled that the former Porto and Benfica coach was on his way.
Mourinho in England was as opinionated and forthright as he had been in Portugal, but always stopped short of slamming his employer, despite everyone knowing he considered Abramovich his nemesis.
Their final parting, following a meeting to discuss Chelsea's lame tie with the Norwegian minnows, therefore comes as no surprise, but is still a shock given that arguably the best coach in England has bagged the annual sack race for 2007/08.
Mourinho will surface again at a big or ambitious club before long, as talent of his calibre is too good to sink without trace. But the big issue emanating from today's news, in a week when another anonymous Russian billionaire muscled his way into English football, is how the new breed of English club directors are seeking to impose their impossible dreams on the clubs they have splurged their wealth onto.
Managers and directors/owners have rarely seen eye to eye, but in this day and age the distance has widened intensely. When a coach as good as Mourinho is dispensed with, the fingers point inexorably towards a boardroom bust-up between one man oozing with football experience and another loaded with currency but with his head in the clouds when it come to the nitty-gritty of the sport.
A leader who wins five trophies in three years, including two domestic titles, half a century after the club's previous league triumph, and receives the acclaim of the football world for his achievements, is surely someone worth keeping.
But that is not taking into account a flush Russian with a passion for global fame and success but with questionable sense about the sport he has bought into, a game in which sustained perfection is as good as impossible for any team to achieve.
(c) Sean O'Conor & Soccerphile
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Monday, January 8, 2007
FA Cup 4th Round Draw
FA Cup 4th Round Draw
The matches will be played on Friday 26, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 January.
Arsenal v Bolton
Barnet or Colchester v Peterborough or Plymouth Argyle
Birmingham City or Newcastle United v Reading or Burnley
Blackpool v Norwich City
Bristol City or Coventry City v Hull City or Middlesbrough
Cardiff City or Tottenham v Southend Utd or Barnsley
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
Chester City or Ipswich Town v Swansea
Crystal Palace v Preston North End
Derby County v Bristol Rovers
Leicester City or Fulham v Stoke City
Manchester United v Portsmouth
Queens Park Rangers or Luton Town v Blackburn Rovers
Sheffield Wednesday or Manchester City v Southampton
West Ham v Watford
Wolverhampton Wanderers or Oldham v WBA
The bookies favor in order
Chelsea
Manchester United
Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
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The matches will be played on Friday 26, Saturday 27 and Sunday 28 January.
Arsenal v Bolton
Barnet or Colchester v Peterborough or Plymouth Argyle
Birmingham City or Newcastle United v Reading or Burnley
Blackpool v Norwich City
Bristol City or Coventry City v Hull City or Middlesbrough
Cardiff City or Tottenham v Southend Utd or Barnsley
Chelsea v Nottingham Forest
Chester City or Ipswich Town v Swansea
Crystal Palace v Preston North End
Derby County v Bristol Rovers
Leicester City or Fulham v Stoke City
Manchester United v Portsmouth
Queens Park Rangers or Luton Town v Blackburn Rovers
Sheffield Wednesday or Manchester City v Southampton
West Ham v Watford
Wolverhampton Wanderers or Oldham v WBA
The bookies favor in order
Chelsea
Manchester United
Arsenal
Tottenham Hotspur
West Ham United
FA Cup DVDs
English Premiership Betting
Books on Japan
Tags
FA Cup soccer football football betting betting
Friday, October 20, 2006
Buffon to Chelsea
Juventus goalkeeper Gianlugi Buffon could be on his way to Chelsea as a replacement for Petr Cech, who is likely to miss the rest of the English Premiership season with a serious head injury sustained in last Saturday's match against Reading.
Back-up keeper Carlo Cudicini was also concussed in the same game and was forced to sit out Chelsea's mid-week Champions League win over Barcelona.
Buffon is presently playing in Serie B following his side's demotion to Italy's second tier following a corruption scandal at the club.
Italy's 28-year old keeper is considered one of the best in his position in the world.
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Soccer Football Goalkeeper Chelsea Juventus Buffon Petr Cech
Back-up keeper Carlo Cudicini was also concussed in the same game and was forced to sit out Chelsea's mid-week Champions League win over Barcelona.
Buffon is presently playing in Serie B following his side's demotion to Italy's second tier following a corruption scandal at the club.
Italy's 28-year old keeper is considered one of the best in his position in the world.
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Soccer Football Goalkeeper Chelsea Juventus Buffon Petr Cech
Friday, June 2, 2006
Shevchenko Joins the Chelski Brigade
Ukrainian goal-machine Andriy Shevchenko is the latest recruit to Russian oil tycoon Roman Abramovich's multi-million pound spending spree in West London.
Following the captures of German skipper Michael Ballack and one of the Dutch Eredivisie's most lethal marksman, Salomon Kalou, Chelsea's £31million snatch of the Milan superstar gives them an apparently awesome potential in the upcoming season.
'Sheva-gol' became a Serie A legend and the Berlusconi millions and a 10,000 signature petition were not enough to beat the Russian lucre. Losing their biggest star is a real defeat for Italian football, which fifteen years ago could pluck the best players from across the globe including England. The striker's insistence he was staying at Milan was also more proof that public pronouncements mean nothing - remember Real Madrid's "never, never, never," just before they signed David Beckham?
The much-reported factor was Shevchenko's American wife's desire for their child to speak English above all other languages.
Kristen Pazak joins an elite club of pushy footballers' wives, the queen of whom must be Danny Coster, wife of the hardly shy and retiring Johann Cruyff, but who successfully prevented him from playing in the 1978 World Cup after rumours of Dutch players partying around the pool with naked German girls in 1974.
Shevchenko, who grew up eighty miles from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, carries the weight of his nation's expectations at the World Cup finals. Ukraine were the most impressive of European qualifiers but are appearing at the finals for the first time.
This article is Copyright © Sean O'Conor and Soccerphile.com
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Following the captures of German skipper Michael Ballack and one of the Dutch Eredivisie's most lethal marksman, Salomon Kalou, Chelsea's £31million snatch of the Milan superstar gives them an apparently awesome potential in the upcoming season.
'Sheva-gol' became a Serie A legend and the Berlusconi millions and a 10,000 signature petition were not enough to beat the Russian lucre. Losing their biggest star is a real defeat for Italian football, which fifteen years ago could pluck the best players from across the globe including England. The striker's insistence he was staying at Milan was also more proof that public pronouncements mean nothing - remember Real Madrid's "never, never, never," just before they signed David Beckham?
The much-reported factor was Shevchenko's American wife's desire for their child to speak English above all other languages.
Kristen Pazak joins an elite club of pushy footballers' wives, the queen of whom must be Danny Coster, wife of the hardly shy and retiring Johann Cruyff, but who successfully prevented him from playing in the 1978 World Cup after rumours of Dutch players partying around the pool with naked German girls in 1974.
Shevchenko, who grew up eighty miles from the Chernobyl nuclear reactor, carries the weight of his nation's expectations at the World Cup finals. Ukraine were the most impressive of European qualifiers but are appearing at the finals for the first time.
This article is Copyright © Sean O'Conor and Soccerphile.com
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Saturday, September 3, 2005
Player Focus - Michel Essien
Bizon iz Gane oborio rekord Chelseaja
Chelsea je usporio ritam dovođenja pojačanja. Vjerojatno ne zato što bi joj presušio izvor prihoda, već zato što je momčad već formirana i sada joj treba samo malo dotjerivanja. Jose Mourinho ocijenio je da je glavnina dotjerivanja potrebna u sredini terena pa je za 37,5 milijuna eura iz Lyona doveden moćni afrički vezist, 22-godišnji Michael Essien.
Reprezentativac Gane potpisao je s Chelseajem petogodišnji ugovor postavši najskuplja prinova u povijesti Chelseaja.
- "Želio sam njega, jer je on igrač koji će zaokružiti momčad već jaku na svakoj poziciji." - objasnio je Mourinho. - "Mislimo da je najbolji igrač kojeg smo mogli nabaviti za tu poziciju i da može igrati na bilo kojem mjestu u vezi. Mlad je, pun ambicije i ima profil igrača kakav nam je potreban."
Engleski je prvak lovio Essiena cijelo ljeto, ali je Lyon odbio ponude od 15, 24, 26, 31,5 milijuna eura. Odbio je čak i 31,5 milijuna plus Tiago Cardoso. Napokon je pristao na 37,5 milijuna eura, čime je Essien postao najskuplji igrač Chelseaja, za milijun skuplji od Didiera Drogbe, dovedenog prošle godine iz Marseillea.
- "Zaljubljen sam u Premiership. Mislim da mi neće biti teško priviknuti se, jer poznajem jezik i imam prijatelja u momčadi." - oduševljeno je pjevušio Ganac. - "Lyon me je želio zadržati, ali Chelsea je bila prejaka. Znam da bi mi Lyon povisio plaću, možda bi mi dao i više no što sam tražio, no volim Premier League. Već sam dugo priželjkivao igrati tamo, a Chelsea je postao jedan od velikih europskih klubova. Bit će to prava pustolovina za mene."
Kao Gerrard, Lampard, Ballack...
Novi trener Lyona, Le Guenov nasljednik Gerard Houllier, bio je žalostan zbog odlaska jedne od zvijezda momčadi. - "Smatram da je među šest najboljih srednjaka u Europi. Bili smo ga prisiljeni prodati mada nismo željeli, ali kad čovjek ne želi više igrati u klubu, ne preostaje drugo nego otvoriti mu izlazna vrata."
Houllier je uvjeren da Chelsea nije preskupo platila Essiena. - "Mislim da nije precijenjen. U Europi nema mnogo igrača poput njega. On je u klasi Gerrarda, Franka Lamparda i Michaela Ballacka."
Direktor francuskog prvaka Bernard Lacombe, stari lisac i nekadašnji centarfor Tricolora, sretan je kako se raspleo posao oko Essiena. - "Financijski, bila je to izvanredna operacija. Odšteta za Essiena je trećina našeg proračuna, a jednaka je cijelom budžetu nekih prvoligaških klubova. Međutim, za Michaela prelazak nije bio pitanje novca. Igranje u Engleskoj bio je njegov san."
Predsjednik Lavova Jean-Michel Aulas dodao je. - "S velikim žaljenjem ispraćamo Michaela. Željeli smo ga zadržati, ali ga nismo mogli prisiliti da ostane. Zadnja dva mjeseca nije više želio igrati u Lyonu. Za momčad, to je korak natrag, ali klub je napravio dobar posao."
Essienov je kolega iz obrane Lavova, Anthony Reveillere, dodao. - "Lyon je postojao i prije Michaela Essiena i postojat će nakon njega, no istina je da smo izgubili fantastičnog igrača.
Lyonov je bivši trener Paul Le Guen ovako opisivao svog mezimca. - "Nevjerojatan je. Volio bih da ga mogu koristiti istovremeno i kao srednjaka i kao braniča." Sličnim je riječima bio opisivan i Marcel Desailly, također rodom iz Gane, točnije - Accre. A Essien je rođen i odrastao u Accri. Proveo je djetinjstvo driblajući drveće, a ponekad se i zabijajući u njih, što je sudeći po njegovoj snažnoj građi moglo biti štetno i za drveće. Završio je gimnaziju 1998. u školi Svetog Augustina.
Karijeru je počeo u lokalnom klubu u Accri, Liberty Professionalsima. Priliku za prodor dobio je igrajući na Svjetskom prvenstvu do 17 godina na Novom Zelandu. Nastupom je privukao mnoge europske skaute te je dobio poziv na probu kod Manchester Uniteda. Dok je bio na probi na Old Traffordu, obijedili su ga da je navodno odnio previše besplatnih majica iz klupskog dućana. Ni Unitedovim se trenerima nije dopao, ali su mu ponudili kaljenje u svojoj podružnici, belgijskom Royal Antwerpenu. Essien je odbio te se neko vrijeme pritajio u stanu svog menadžera u Monte Carlu, ali mu je menadžer sredio transfer u Bastiju.
Tada 17-godišnji Essien u Bastiju se uključio igrajući na raznim pozicijama - na lijevom beku, desnom beku i kao stoper. Kad se jedan suigrač ozlijedio, dobio je priliku zaigrati u vezi i otkrio da je rođen za to mjesto. Kao Bastijin igrač, blistao je na Svjetskom juniorskom prvenstvu 2001. u Argentini, gdje je sa zemljacima dogurao do srebra, a iduće je godine na Afričkom prvenstvu debitirao i za seniorsku reprezentaciju Gane.
Rađanje "čudovišta"
Bastia se prometnula u jedno od iznenađenja francuske sezone profiliravši se kao kandidat za plasman u Kup UEFA, no to joj je izmaklo zbog pada forme u završna dva mjeseca. Essien je, igrajući svoj dotad najbolji nogomet, bio pogonska snaga momčadi. U ljeto je 2003. izazvao zanimanje Liverpoola i Evertona, no uskoro se našao u središtu natezanja između Lyona i PSG-a.
PSG je nudio 700.000 eura više, no Essiena je perspektiva igranja u Ligi prvaka privlačila Lyonu i nikako nije htio potpisati ugovor s Parižanima. Bastia nije imala drugog izbora nego transferirati ga Lyonu za 7,8 milijuna. Otočani ipak nisu bili očajni, s obzirom da su s Afrikancem ostvarili dosad najveći prihod, za 200.000 eura veći od onog koji su im donijeli prethodni rekorderi, Frederic Nee i Franck Jurietti.
U Lavovima, tada dvostrukim prvacima Francuske, Essien je postao "čudovište" od igrača. Igrao je kao defanzivni vezni te je bio jedan od najzaslužnijih za osvajanje Lyonovog trećeg uzastopnog naslova. Suigrači su ga prozvali "Bizonom", što je on komentirao riječima: - "Još nisam naišao na nekoga tko me može srušiti."
I 2005. je bio standardan član sastava koji je i četvrti puta zaredom postao francuski prvak, da bi ljetos zaključio da u Francuskoj ne može postići ništa što već nije te da bi ga ostanak u Lyonu ograničio u širenju obzora. Također je osjetio da bi mogao biti prikraćen i financijski, jer nije bez vraga što praktično svi veliki igrači iz francuske lige kad-tad presele na Otok ili u Italiju.
Chelsea je u trku za Essienom ušao u ožujku, ali je Aulas tada objavio da igrača nikako ne namjerava pustiti. Pritisak se Engleza nastavio, no kad je Lyon idućih mjeseci odbio pet uzastopnih ponuda Chelseaja, igrač je najavio štrajk radi slamanja uprave najvećeg francuskog kluba. U međuvremenu, Houllier je izostavio Essiena s prve tri ligaške utakmice, u iščekivanju neminovnog dogovora dvaju klubova.
U srpnju je Aulas izjavio da bi Chelsea morao platiti 45 milijuna želi li odvesti Essiena u London, na što je Chelseajev direktor Peter Kenyon otputovao u Francusku na pregovore. Kenyon je malo omekšao Aulasa, pred njegov susret na vrhu s Romanom Abramovičem, kada je konačno "skuhan" najveći transfer u povijesti kluba sa Stamford Bridgea.
Essien je u Francuskoj bio jedan od najtvrđih igrača, no spremno priznaje da je mamin sinek koji svakodnevno razgovara s mamom Abom u Gani. Tvrdi da prespava više od pola dana, "13 ili 14 sati u prosjeku", ali su mu utakmice obično prekratke, jer u 90 minuta ne uspjeva potrošiti svu energiju. Zna li se kakva trka vlada na susretima Premiershipa, Essien je vjerojatno dospio na pravo mjesto.
(Ozren Podnar)
Osobna karta
Ime i prezime: Michael Essien
Datum rođenja: 3. prosinca 1982.
Mjesto rođenja: Accra (Gana)
Pozicija: srednji vezni
Visina i težina: 180 cm, 77 cm
Karijera
1999/00 Bastia 0 - 0
2000/01 Bastia 12 - 1
2001/02 Bastia 24 - 4
2002/03 Bastia 29 - 6
2003/04 Lyon 34 - 3
2004/05 Lyon 37 - 4
2005/06 Chelsea
Uspjesi:
2 prvenstva Francuske (2004. i 2005.)
1 finale francuskog kupa (2002.)
1 Afričko prvenstvo do 17 godina (1999.)
1 bronca na Svjetskom prvenstvu do 17 godina (1999.)
1 srebro na Svjetskom prvenstvu za juniore (2001.)
Igrač godine u Francuskoj (2005.)
Copyright Soccerphile/Zri Sport
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Chelsea je usporio ritam dovođenja pojačanja. Vjerojatno ne zato što bi joj presušio izvor prihoda, već zato što je momčad već formirana i sada joj treba samo malo dotjerivanja. Jose Mourinho ocijenio je da je glavnina dotjerivanja potrebna u sredini terena pa je za 37,5 milijuna eura iz Lyona doveden moćni afrički vezist, 22-godišnji Michael Essien.
Reprezentativac Gane potpisao je s Chelseajem petogodišnji ugovor postavši najskuplja prinova u povijesti Chelseaja.
- "Želio sam njega, jer je on igrač koji će zaokružiti momčad već jaku na svakoj poziciji." - objasnio je Mourinho. - "Mislimo da je najbolji igrač kojeg smo mogli nabaviti za tu poziciju i da može igrati na bilo kojem mjestu u vezi. Mlad je, pun ambicije i ima profil igrača kakav nam je potreban."
Engleski je prvak lovio Essiena cijelo ljeto, ali je Lyon odbio ponude od 15, 24, 26, 31,5 milijuna eura. Odbio je čak i 31,5 milijuna plus Tiago Cardoso. Napokon je pristao na 37,5 milijuna eura, čime je Essien postao najskuplji igrač Chelseaja, za milijun skuplji od Didiera Drogbe, dovedenog prošle godine iz Marseillea.
- "Zaljubljen sam u Premiership. Mislim da mi neće biti teško priviknuti se, jer poznajem jezik i imam prijatelja u momčadi." - oduševljeno je pjevušio Ganac. - "Lyon me je želio zadržati, ali Chelsea je bila prejaka. Znam da bi mi Lyon povisio plaću, možda bi mi dao i više no što sam tražio, no volim Premier League. Već sam dugo priželjkivao igrati tamo, a Chelsea je postao jedan od velikih europskih klubova. Bit će to prava pustolovina za mene."
Kao Gerrard, Lampard, Ballack...
Novi trener Lyona, Le Guenov nasljednik Gerard Houllier, bio je žalostan zbog odlaska jedne od zvijezda momčadi. - "Smatram da je među šest najboljih srednjaka u Europi. Bili smo ga prisiljeni prodati mada nismo željeli, ali kad čovjek ne želi više igrati u klubu, ne preostaje drugo nego otvoriti mu izlazna vrata."
Houllier je uvjeren da Chelsea nije preskupo platila Essiena. - "Mislim da nije precijenjen. U Europi nema mnogo igrača poput njega. On je u klasi Gerrarda, Franka Lamparda i Michaela Ballacka."
Direktor francuskog prvaka Bernard Lacombe, stari lisac i nekadašnji centarfor Tricolora, sretan je kako se raspleo posao oko Essiena. - "Financijski, bila je to izvanredna operacija. Odšteta za Essiena je trećina našeg proračuna, a jednaka je cijelom budžetu nekih prvoligaških klubova. Međutim, za Michaela prelazak nije bio pitanje novca. Igranje u Engleskoj bio je njegov san."
Predsjednik Lavova Jean-Michel Aulas dodao je. - "S velikim žaljenjem ispraćamo Michaela. Željeli smo ga zadržati, ali ga nismo mogli prisiliti da ostane. Zadnja dva mjeseca nije više želio igrati u Lyonu. Za momčad, to je korak natrag, ali klub je napravio dobar posao."
Essienov je kolega iz obrane Lavova, Anthony Reveillere, dodao. - "Lyon je postojao i prije Michaela Essiena i postojat će nakon njega, no istina je da smo izgubili fantastičnog igrača.
Lyonov je bivši trener Paul Le Guen ovako opisivao svog mezimca. - "Nevjerojatan je. Volio bih da ga mogu koristiti istovremeno i kao srednjaka i kao braniča." Sličnim je riječima bio opisivan i Marcel Desailly, također rodom iz Gane, točnije - Accre. A Essien je rođen i odrastao u Accri. Proveo je djetinjstvo driblajući drveće, a ponekad se i zabijajući u njih, što je sudeći po njegovoj snažnoj građi moglo biti štetno i za drveće. Završio je gimnaziju 1998. u školi Svetog Augustina.
Karijeru je počeo u lokalnom klubu u Accri, Liberty Professionalsima. Priliku za prodor dobio je igrajući na Svjetskom prvenstvu do 17 godina na Novom Zelandu. Nastupom je privukao mnoge europske skaute te je dobio poziv na probu kod Manchester Uniteda. Dok je bio na probi na Old Traffordu, obijedili su ga da je navodno odnio previše besplatnih majica iz klupskog dućana. Ni Unitedovim se trenerima nije dopao, ali su mu ponudili kaljenje u svojoj podružnici, belgijskom Royal Antwerpenu. Essien je odbio te se neko vrijeme pritajio u stanu svog menadžera u Monte Carlu, ali mu je menadžer sredio transfer u Bastiju.
Tada 17-godišnji Essien u Bastiju se uključio igrajući na raznim pozicijama - na lijevom beku, desnom beku i kao stoper. Kad se jedan suigrač ozlijedio, dobio je priliku zaigrati u vezi i otkrio da je rođen za to mjesto. Kao Bastijin igrač, blistao je na Svjetskom juniorskom prvenstvu 2001. u Argentini, gdje je sa zemljacima dogurao do srebra, a iduće je godine na Afričkom prvenstvu debitirao i za seniorsku reprezentaciju Gane.
Rađanje "čudovišta"
Bastia se prometnula u jedno od iznenađenja francuske sezone profiliravši se kao kandidat za plasman u Kup UEFA, no to joj je izmaklo zbog pada forme u završna dva mjeseca. Essien je, igrajući svoj dotad najbolji nogomet, bio pogonska snaga momčadi. U ljeto je 2003. izazvao zanimanje Liverpoola i Evertona, no uskoro se našao u središtu natezanja između Lyona i PSG-a.
PSG je nudio 700.000 eura više, no Essiena je perspektiva igranja u Ligi prvaka privlačila Lyonu i nikako nije htio potpisati ugovor s Parižanima. Bastia nije imala drugog izbora nego transferirati ga Lyonu za 7,8 milijuna. Otočani ipak nisu bili očajni, s obzirom da su s Afrikancem ostvarili dosad najveći prihod, za 200.000 eura veći od onog koji su im donijeli prethodni rekorderi, Frederic Nee i Franck Jurietti.
U Lavovima, tada dvostrukim prvacima Francuske, Essien je postao "čudovište" od igrača. Igrao je kao defanzivni vezni te je bio jedan od najzaslužnijih za osvajanje Lyonovog trećeg uzastopnog naslova. Suigrači su ga prozvali "Bizonom", što je on komentirao riječima: - "Još nisam naišao na nekoga tko me može srušiti."
I 2005. je bio standardan član sastava koji je i četvrti puta zaredom postao francuski prvak, da bi ljetos zaključio da u Francuskoj ne može postići ništa što već nije te da bi ga ostanak u Lyonu ograničio u širenju obzora. Također je osjetio da bi mogao biti prikraćen i financijski, jer nije bez vraga što praktično svi veliki igrači iz francuske lige kad-tad presele na Otok ili u Italiju.
Chelsea je u trku za Essienom ušao u ožujku, ali je Aulas tada objavio da igrača nikako ne namjerava pustiti. Pritisak se Engleza nastavio, no kad je Lyon idućih mjeseci odbio pet uzastopnih ponuda Chelseaja, igrač je najavio štrajk radi slamanja uprave najvećeg francuskog kluba. U međuvremenu, Houllier je izostavio Essiena s prve tri ligaške utakmice, u iščekivanju neminovnog dogovora dvaju klubova.
U srpnju je Aulas izjavio da bi Chelsea morao platiti 45 milijuna želi li odvesti Essiena u London, na što je Chelseajev direktor Peter Kenyon otputovao u Francusku na pregovore. Kenyon je malo omekšao Aulasa, pred njegov susret na vrhu s Romanom Abramovičem, kada je konačno "skuhan" najveći transfer u povijesti kluba sa Stamford Bridgea.
Essien je u Francuskoj bio jedan od najtvrđih igrača, no spremno priznaje da je mamin sinek koji svakodnevno razgovara s mamom Abom u Gani. Tvrdi da prespava više od pola dana, "13 ili 14 sati u prosjeku", ali su mu utakmice obično prekratke, jer u 90 minuta ne uspjeva potrošiti svu energiju. Zna li se kakva trka vlada na susretima Premiershipa, Essien je vjerojatno dospio na pravo mjesto.
(Ozren Podnar)
Osobna karta
Ime i prezime: Michael Essien
Datum rođenja: 3. prosinca 1982.
Mjesto rođenja: Accra (Gana)
Pozicija: srednji vezni
Visina i težina: 180 cm, 77 cm
Karijera
1999/00 Bastia 0 - 0
2000/01 Bastia 12 - 1
2001/02 Bastia 24 - 4
2002/03 Bastia 29 - 6
2003/04 Lyon 34 - 3
2004/05 Lyon 37 - 4
2005/06 Chelsea
Uspjesi:
2 prvenstva Francuske (2004. i 2005.)
1 finale francuskog kupa (2002.)
1 Afričko prvenstvo do 17 godina (1999.)
1 bronca na Svjetskom prvenstvu do 17 godina (1999.)
1 srebro na Svjetskom prvenstvu za juniore (2001.)
Igrač godine u Francuskoj (2005.)
Copyright Soccerphile/Zri Sport
Bet with Bet 365
World Soccer News
Soccer betting tips
Soccer Books & DVDs
Tags
Soccer News soccer football J-League K-League Betting
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