President Sepp Blatter is to be investigated by FIFA.World football’s ruling body has opened ethics proceedings against Blatter after Mohamed Bin Hammam, his rival in next week’s presidential election, claimed that the Swiss knew about alleged cash payments.
Bin Hammam and vice-president Jack Warner will also be at Sunday’s hearing to answer charges of bribery.
“I cannot comment on the proceedings that have been opened against me. The facts will speak for themselves,” Blatter said in a statement.
The ethics committee are bound by their rules to investigate any complaint by an executive committee member under article 16 of the ethics code.
Bin Hammam and Warner face allegations from executive committee member Chuck Blazer that they offered bribes at a meeting of the Caribbean Football Union earlier this month.
A file of evidence claims bundles of cash of up to US$40,000 were handed over to members of the CFU at the meeting in Trinidad.
In turn, Bin Hammam is effectively claiming Blatter was aware of some wrongdoing but did not report it, in itself a breach of the code.
The committee, chaired by Namibian judge Petrus Damaseb, will also be under pressure to decide whether Blatter will face any charges.
When Barry Ferguson left Ewood Park for a return to Glasgow in 2005 after spending just 16 injury blighted months at the club, many would have felt his time in England was tainted with the resent of what could have been. Many of the press labelled him a flop and that the retreat showed he could only showcase his considerable talent within comforts of home.
He had made his love for Glasgow Rangers abundantly clear so his return to Ibrox to join his current manager at Birmingham Alex McLeish hardly came as a surprise and after leading them to the 2009 Scottish Premier League title and a Scottish Cup double, it looked for all the world he would see out his career there. However, with the booze gate scandal whilst on international duty with Scotland continued to emasculate the admiration for his ability on the pitch, Ferguson decided it was time to move on.
This came concurrently with Birmingham City having been guided back to the Premier League by none other than Former Rangers boss Alex McLeish who had identified Ferguson as the man to hold his midfield together in the top flight – a year or so on and Barry Ferguson’s shot at Premier League redemption should be celebrated in the same incisive fashion by those who were quick to roll out a plethora of words vaguely linked to failure.
His move to St Andrews for a fee in the region of £1.2 million in July 2009 is now looking much more shrewd than in the initial instance and perhaps he should be more widely considered as one of the best signings for the money in the past few transfer windows.
Ferguson made more passes in the Premier League than any other player last season and his control of midfield has won him a place in the Blues fans hearts. The Scotsman keeps the game circulating, trying to get Birmingham passing the ball or sitting deep and breaking up opposition’s attacks.
Seeing Ferguson lose the ball has become a rarity and Birmingham fans’ love for him will have only intensified when he said he was loving life at Blues:
“I love it here. I have said plenty of times before I wasn’t enjoying my football during the last few months in Scotland. I made the decision with Rangers that I had to move on because I was going pretty stale up the road. I was playing the same teams week in, week out.”
“The manager gave me the opportunity to come down and I think I had to prove again that I could play at this level. I’m enjoying every minute of it. The boys are fantastic, everything about the club is great and I’m enjoying my football.”
“I have got another two years left on my contract now and hopefully I will see them out.”
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Whilst his job in midfield does not draw as many plaudits as a combative midfielder might, the fact that he was Birmingham’s players player of the season last term shows that Ferguson has dispelled any lingering critics as to whether he can prove himself at the elite level and this should be roundly admired instead of being understated.
It plain for all to see that a few pillars in the Barcelona foundation have been removed. The team have struggled in recent times in the league, allowing rivals Real Madrid to form a 10pt gap at the top of the league, and many are pointing to the fact that Barcelona are now a cup team for the remainder of the season. What hasn’t been as obvious, however, is Pep Guardiola’s growing displeasure at the Nou Camp. The youthful, energetic and inspiring manager is looking well past his age; the loss away to Osasuna on the weekend only highlighting the frustrations of a manager who possibly feels his hands are tied on a number of team selection issues—notably his inability to rest Lionel Messi. Guardiola has always said that February is the most difficult month for his team, but his insistence on not signing a long-term contract at the club may be about to work in his favour. Are there signs that the Barcelona manager has taken this group of players as far as he can, and is there a desire to test himself at another team; namely Arsenal.
Perhaps the greatest act of revenge for Arsenal, a team who have had to deal with the Barcelona vultures circling for far too long, would be to give Barcelona’s star manager an exit route from a club where he feels his part in the success story of the past three years has been overlooked. Many Arsenal fans have already voiced their opinions and displeasure at Arsene Wenger, and would like nothing more than to see a replacement in the mould of Guardiola arrive in the summer. Suggestions that the Spanish manager is too far out of reach for Arsenal would be quite wide of the mark; he is a manager who likes to assert himself on a team and club and build something for the future in his image. The foundations are already in place at Arsenal: a stadium of the highest quality, excellent youth and training facilities, and a desire from the fans to see the Barcelona brand of football brought into the Premier League.
Not only would the club be looking to an extremely bright future in the hands of a manager who is not afraid to fine his star players for arriving late to training, but also for one who brings different ideas to the table and is more than willing to assert his authority on a group. Would players such as van Persie want to stick around now for a manager whose CV is as impressive as Guardiola’s?
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There have also been hints that Wenger himself feels his time at the Emirates is coming to an end. It’s clear from his transfer spending over the summer that he has shifted from his preferred route of buying for the future, instead picking up ready-made reinforcements for his squad. It’s also suggested that Wenger would like to take his family back to France and perhaps continue his career in his homeland. But more than anything, there is a sense that he can no longer quietly go about his job at Arsenal with the amount of pressure from supporters. This looks far from a man enjoying his job, while unwillingly allowing his best players to depart from the club when they too begin to get fed up of it’s stagnant nature. The potential loss of Robin van Persie in the summer may be all that she wrote for Wenger at Arsenal, as the chorus of boos and ‘You don’t know what you’re doing’ would echo even louder. It’s clear that the club need a change in direction and a manager that could take over for the long-term.
The convenience about Guardiola and Arsenal’s situation is that both are in a state where change is perhaps needed. Guardiola has been firm in his stance that he would step aside if he was no longer able to motivate his players at Barcelona. Lionel Messi’s stats for this season would certainly suggest otherwise, but he is looking a troubled player, lacking in that extra bit of ingenuity to finish off the many chances he continues to make for himself. The Madrid vs. Barcelona story and the high number of Clasicos over the past 18 months has also perhaps taken a lot out of Guardiola. His success in this fixture is not telling of the whole story, but rather a welcome distraction from the minds games and ugly side-shows that are frequent in these fixtures.
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Arsenal certainly need a new motivator and one who can reshape the team into another genuine title challenger. It would be a fitting end if Arsene Wenger could end his time at the club on a high; even if it was just to capture fourth for another season, the implications going forward would be significant and he would have truly left his mark on the club in a positive way.
Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo said he is not obsessed about breaking the La Liga goalscoring record this season.The Portuguese attacker has netted on 36 occasions for Jose Mourinho’s side in the league this term, and needs just three more to break the all-time record of 38 set by Athletic Bilbao’s Telmo Zarra (1950-51 season) and Real’s Hugo Sanchez (1989-90).
Most recently, Ronaldo hit a hat-trick in Real’s 4-0 win over Getafe at the weekend, and the former Manchester United attacker has just two league matches left to net three more goals to earn what would be an impressive achievement.
The Portuguese leads Barcelona ace Lionel Messi by five goals in the race for the Pichichi trophy, awarded to the golden boot winner in the Spanish top flight.
The 26-year-old, however, is not getting carried away with his achievements, simply putting his flurry of goals down to teamwork.
“I’m fighting to reach a very important mark, but I’m not obsessed about doing it,” Ronaldo told Real’s official site.
“I’m not thinking a lot about that (the record), I prefer to do my thing to help the team to win and if I beat the records then that would be good, but if I don’t to be honest I don’t care about that.”
“I just want to play to enjoy it and keep well myself.”
Ronaldo’s tally of 49 goals in all competitions has already broken the club record of 47 in a single season set by Real legend Ferenc Puskas in 1959-60.
As a former assistant manager, European Cup-winning captain and seven time league winner with Liverpool, former Reds defender Phil Thompson is better qualified than most to comment on the current crisis threatening to engulf Anfield.
Thompson, currently a pundit on Sky Sports, recently revealed that he now refuses to watch the club he made over 300 appearances for, in protest of the club’s scheming American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks.
The duo have lumbered the club with a debt totalling around £350m during their disastrous three-and-a-half-year spell at the club, the majority of which must be paid back to lenders the Royal Bank of Scotland by October 6. Failure to do so will see the pair removed as owners and RBS take control of the increasingly deteriorating club. To prevent this, Texan billionaire Hicks is desperately seeking to secure more bank loans and raise the cash to buy-out his struggling partner Gillett and hang onto the club for another two years.
Life-long Liverpool fan Thompson, who stood on the Kop as a boy, is passionate about the club’s future and believes a boycott of the club is the best way to get rid of the Americans. He revealed:
“If you go and support the club, purchasing tickets, then you are supporting the owners, so no, I won’t do it.
“I am not going to go because the more money I put into the club the longer I could possibly keep them there.”
He certainly has a point. Continuing to watch the club boosts the coffers of the club’s much reviled owners through match day revenues. It is a Catch 22 situation for Reds fans who want to support their struggling side but not the finances of owners Hicks and Gillett. A mass boycott would intensify the global spotlight on the Americans; however a high number of fans have already parted with their cash in exchange for a season-ticket earlier this summer.
Thompson shares fans concerns over the current owners, the club’s high interest loan repayments and the ongoing sale of the club. Yet is a mass boycott what a Liverpool side struggling for confidence and form really need right now? The ownership saga is deeply affecting the players and hangs in the Mersey air on match days like a bad smell. Fans still believe they can help improve the club’s recent poor form by continuing to turn up on match days and support the side and will not want to abandon there club at such a critical stage in the club’s future.
The Reds now head into the international break in the relegation zone with six points from seven games following Sunday’s humiliating home defeat to newly-promoted Blackpool. By the time Roy Hodgson’s side travel to Goodison Park on 17 October for an electric Merseyside derby there should be fresh developments regarding the club’s ownership.
However it seems the damage has already been done and maybe such drastic action by the club’s supporters should have been taken months ago to force the duo into a quick sale. There have been sit-in protests and the lobbying of investment firm Blackstone, but more radical action may have been needed. Should Hicks somehow manage to refinance his loans and remain in charge at the club then the possibility of a boycott should certainly be examined.
In truth, fans may not need to boycott as it is unlikely the Americans will be in charge for much longer with Hicks struggling to find backers who will help him cling onto power at Anfield. It now seems likely that RBS, who have made millions from Liverpool and openly admitted that the loan they provided to Hicks and Gillett was too high for either of them to deliver on, will seize control of the club.
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Liverpool fans will hope RBS have the club’s best intentions at heart or supporters may yet turn their anger towards the banks who have so far refused to act on the crisis at Anfield which has hit a critical stage.
Would you boycott games at Anfield in an attempt to get rid of the club’s current owners? Leave your comments below-
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Ever since the Premier League announced the hare-brained scheme of playing a 39th fixture in different corners of the globe, it has become fashionable to knock the likes of Blackburn, Bolton or Wigan. It’s not easy to ‘sell’ those clubs as part of a ‘global brand’, they are quick to tell us. As if small-town Lancashire clubs have no real part in this brave new world – when in actual fact they are the hotbed of English football. It’s been sad to see that trio of clubs in the bottom three for much of the season and it would be very sad if they were wiped off the face of the Premier League.
When I was playing, Blackburn, Bolton, Burnley, Blackpool and Preston were all regular members of the top flight – and they often made up the majority of the England team. With Stan Matthews at Blackpool, Tom Finney at Preston and Bryan Douglas at Blackburn, they had three of the best dribblers of a football the world has seen, all playing within a few miles of each another. Those clubs all suffered a major downtown in the 1980s and early ’90s but they have defied the odds to play at the top level and the Premier League has been richer for them.
Blackburn’s season so far has been a staggering story. In all my years in football, I can never recall a manager suffering quite the level of abuse which has been piled on Steve Kean. I’m delighted to see that Kean has begun to turn things around in recent weeks and I can tell you that if a group of footballers do not believe in their boss they can use the mass protests as a convenient excuse not to perform. That hasn’t been happening at Ewood Park and it speaks volumes for Kean’s man-management abilities.
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I’ll readily admit that I don’t understand – or care to understand – this culture of unrealistic expectation which has sprung up among supporters of most clubs, fostered by the internet. I saw a couple of Arsenal fans crying and hugging one another after the defeat at Swansea last weekend – as if it’s their God-given right to beat a decent mid-table side away from home. This sort of culture certainly hasn’t helped Kean and although the Venky’s people who own the club are spectacularly naive in many ways, they have had the guts to stand by their manager, when most would have pulled the trigger.
These Lancashire clubs used to be owned by prominent local businessmen, who knew their clubs intimately and who instinctively understood what supporters expected and wanted. Bob Lord, the Burnley butcher, was the epitome of these owners, who did so much to make Lancashire football clubs punch above their weight. Dave Whelan, of Wigan, is very much of that old school. I played against him when he was a full-back at Blackburn but a broken leg in the 1960 Cup Final ended his career. It turned out to be probably the best thing he’s ever done, as he became a multi-millionaire in the sportswear trade.
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Wigan have been a remarkable successful story – they are now in their seventh successive season in the Premier League, despite a small support and none of the history of their fellow Lancashire clubs. You wonder whether their time is running out, but you have to admire the way their manager Roberto Martinez sticks to his footballing beliefs and I wouldn’t bet against them staying up. Bolton, like Blackburn, are enjoying an 11th straight season in the top flight but look to be in the most parlous state of all, in terms of finances and playing resources.
Personally I’d love to see all three stay up – if only to annoy those big-time chairmen who think that playing Bolton, Blackburn and Wigan is beneath them.
Last month former England manager, Sven Goran-Eriksson, told the BBC of his “big, big mistake” following fresh reports that he was deceived by an elaborate fraud in to taking the managerial post at Notts County in 2009. The Serious Fraud Office is investigating allegations that Russell King orchestrated an intricate scam which targeted Eriksson, Sir John Walker and the North Korean Government, and the claims that the current Leicester City boss assumed control of over half of a London investment bank without paying for any shares.
King acquired 49% of First London PLC’s shares in 2008 by falsely claiming he was managing billions of pounds for the Bahraini royal family, according to the BBC investigation. The program focussed on the astonishing deal that saw the Swede become director of football at the League Two side following a takeover which promised substantial investment from the Middle East. Of course no such cash injection materialised and the club were left with debts of over £7million as a result.
Eriksson’s error was just the latest in a series of controversial incidents which have coloured the career of the former Lazio, Sampdoria and Benfica manager, including much publicised affairs with Ulrika Jonsson and Football Association assistant, Faria Alam, as well as continuous and evident connections to Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea side whilst still in the England manager’s post. Sven never completed a move to Chelsea – the west Londoners instead appointed Jose Mourinho, and the merits of this decision remain unquestioned – but it could be argued that his prolonged existence in the England set-up, having signed a contract extension soon after revelations linking him to Stamford Bridge, is to blame for the relentless disappointments of the ‘golden generation’ throughout the previous decade.
It’s not that Eriksson is a bad manager, evidenced by a trophy haul which includes League and domestic cup wins in three different countries in addition to UEFA Cup, Super Cup and Cup Winners’ Cup triumphs, but that he was the wrong option to take England forward at a time when the country’s most talented crop were beginning to harvest. I don’t tend to agree with the likes of Arsene Wenger, Steve McClaren and Harry Redknapp that English nationality is a prerequisite for the ‘toughest job in football,’ especially seeing as modern international competition has allowed Brazilian-born Alessandro Santos (aka Alex) to make over 80 appearances for Japan and seen Dutchman, Guus Hiddink, manage five different nations.
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But the FA’s decision to appoint the Swede in 2001 was misguided on the basis that England required a coach willing to implement a philosophy, idea or identity to direct the likes of Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard, John Terry and Ashley Cole towards glory. Eriksson maintains an interesting reputation as he is fondly remembered in his home country for winning the UEFA Cup with Gothenburg in 1982, but is considered the ‘perdente di successo,’ or ‘successful loser,’ in Italy following a 14 –year pursuit of Serie A success, eventually achieved in his final season in charge of Lazio in 2000. It is worth mentioning that Eriksson benefitted from President, Sergio Cragnotti’s, £300million investment over the four seasons he was manager at the Stadio Olimpico and has never expressed a distinctive style at any of the nine clubs and 3 countries he has coached.
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His most significant characteristic has always been a close affinity to the large egos he has controlled, and was ruthless in omitting Robbie Fowler, Steve McManaman and Lee Bowyer from international duties because he deemed them all unruly influences, but Eriksson’s attention to detail throughout his five years in charge was justifiably criticised for apparently rarely researching the opposition before games or becoming acquainted with upcoming match officials and was a largely marginal figure during training sessions. His reluctance to make sweeping changes was often criticised in the context of making his best players feel secure about their status, but this was only detrimental in terms of his inability to mould said players in to a team that were aware of their roles. He was entrusted with the job of forming the most effective system for English football’s greatest ever collection of players and never applied it, or even demonstrated that he was searching for it. There wasn’t a plethora of English managers available at the turn of the century to replace Kevin Keegan, but in hindsight it is obvious that Eriksson was far from the most suitable option.
Football teams are dynamic, particularly at international level, and they decline and are reconditioned on a basis that may seem brutal but is natural and necessary. Eriksson’s appointment interrupted that cycle of renewal, and his successors, Steve McClaren and then Fabio Capello, failed to cure the ‘golden generation’ of the apathy that had been instilled over the course of the last decade. McClaren’s appointment was questionable on the basis that he was the individual most closely associated with the Eriksson regime, so that by the time Capello took England to South Africa last summer, the Italian faced the impossible task of reversing years of dispiritedness in a squad that was reaching its natural twilight in terms of average age anyway. The England manager’s position should always be decided by taking ability in to account ahead of nationality, but a knowledge of English players and traditions is vital, facets ignored by Eriksson to England’s long-suffering fans’ detriment, having wasted a generation of English talent the likes of which we are unlikely to witness again for decades.
If you think Sven Goran-Eriksson should umpire at Wimbledon this year, follow me on Twitter
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Transfer fees are often said to be outside the control of footballers. This truism can be applied to Manchester United’s Dimitar Berbatov who joined from Tottenham Hotspur in 2008 for £30.75 million. It was a considerable fee that was the subject of intense negotiations between the two clubs, only being settled on transfer deadline day. The talented Bulgarian has since admitted that the scale of the fee and the subsequent expectations placed on him were a concern. His form was sporadically effective but many felt the languid striker was not bringing enough to the team. Yet his improvement this season has been as fast as it has been inexplicable. Or has it? After all this is a player who prior to calling time on his international career, scored 41 goals in 69 appearances for Bulgaria. Nevertheless many would contend that his approach has been radically different and is that down to belief or work rate?
Berbatov has already scored six league goals this season and credited his improved performances to a rigorous summer fitness programme. However the former Bayer Leverkusen star has since discussed the impact of the fee which made him United’s most expensive player ever. Understandably Berbatov often struggled to reconcile that price tag with the expectations placed on him. “You start thinking it’s a lot of money and what’s going to happen if you don’t prove you’re good enough for that amount of money and if you don’t score enough goals.”
For most strikers it is only the hard currency of goals which earns widespread respect and admiration. In his first season at Old Trafford he notched up 9 goals in 31 league appearances which was followed by 12 the next season. This was far from spectacular but as a skilled ball player, Berbatov would invariably impress through his deft touches which prompted comparisons with Eric Cantona. It was a skill he employed to pivot past James Collins and assist Cristiano Ronaldo in their home victory over West Ham in 2008. His time in Manchester, however, has resembled an unfinished patchwork quilt featuring pieces of sublime skill and stunning goals which were too infrequent. Sir Alex Ferguson’s penchant for fielding one striker away in Europe and in big domestic ties restricted the rhythm of the Bulgarian. He started on the bench for all but one of their 2009-10 Champions League games.
Berbatov has not been seen as a natural candidate to play as a lone front man. He appears reluctant to race after a ball when played into space which creates a negative impression. “I need to feel the ball at my feet,” he once said. The size of the forward and his undoubted skill should allow him to fulfil both roles, playing from deep and receiving long balls directly. His goal at Goodison Park achieved just that as Paul Scholes’ ball over the top was met by a sprinting Berbatov who casually finished with the outside of his right foot. His varied and dazzling hat-trick against Liverpool was further evidence of his capabilities. His 84th minute header sealed the victory but it was his second which caught the eye. He received Nani’s cross with his back to goal, flicked the ball up on his knee and performed an audacious overhead kick which left Pepe Reina helpless. Ferguson said, “He has great talent. You can’t dispute the man’s ability – he’s a genius at times. Maybe it’s going to be his season now.” There is certainly a fluidity about his recent play, generally sitting deeper than Wayne Rooney but often switching roles to become the front man.
United’s record signing has revealed he held discussions with his manager in the summer, regarding his performances and the need to block out any criticism from outside the club. Suddenly the belief is there, his body language is less lethargic and he appears a more complete player. This is crucial given Rooney’s ongoing personal and injury problems, coupled with the relative inexperience of their new forward recruits. Berbatov has claimed that he is not fixated with his burgeoning goal tally: “You can stand around doing nothing and in the end the ball hits your knee and goes in the net. That doesn’t make me feel happy.” For the sake of United he may just have to become more altruistic.
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Chelsea target Willian has admitted that he is interested in a move to the Premier League club, and is eager to wrap up a switch from Shakhtar Donetsk before the end of the transfer market.
It has been revealed that The Blues have already had a bid for the Brazil international rejected by the Ukrainian side, with an improved offer expected to be lodged to try and change Shakhtar’s mind.
The midfielder is open to a move to Stamford Bridge, especially given the fact that there are a number of his countrymen already at the club.
“I wouldn’t have any fears about coming to England because I have played against English sides in the Champions League and studied the English game,” Willian told The Sun.
“To play in a league that is seen throughout the world would be good for my hopes of playing regularly for Brazil, especially with the World Cup
at home in two years’ time.
“That is my aim. I’ve worked hard for four years to establish myself in the national team.
“It has taken that long but now I feel I have a good relationship with the coach and I want to keep working hard, so I remain in the side.
“There are times when you look at your life and realise how lucky you’ve been.
“I’ve played for a great club in Corinthians and been successful. I moved to Shakhtar and that turned into a great move too.
“There was talk about Barcelona
and Arsenal
before but now Chelsea
are interested. If the next step of the adventure is England, then I would be excited by that.
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“I have friends in the Brazil side who play for Chelsea, like David Luiz and Ramires.
“I’ve known David since we played together in the Brazil Under-20 side and he talks about what Villas-Boas is trying to build at Chelsea.
“He and Ramires feel he wants a core of young players who can mature and grow together but also be successful,” he concluded.
Manchester United extended their lead at the top of the Premier League with Javier Hernandez once again the hero on the occasion. The Little Pea has arguably been the transfer find of the season as his goals have delivered some vital points this campaign.
At FFC this week we have seen a mixed bag of Manchester United blogs that includes room for an exodus at Old Trafford; Evra letting United down, while six reasons why Giggs deserves this honour.
We also look at the best Manchester United articles around the web this week.
*
The Greatest Premier League Goals Of All Time…YOU DECIDE!
Room for a mass exodus at Old Trafford?
The right time to cash in on him at Old Trafford?
United have earned the right to be selfish over any new deal
Is Mr Reliable starting to let Man United down?
What actually makes a BIG club then?
SIX reasons why Ryan Giggs deserves this honour
A Champions League travel guide to Schalke for Man United fans
Much, much more than just a bit part player at Old Trafford
Keeper set to snub Manchester United move
WHL or Old Trafford – who represents the best move for Diego?
*Best of Web *
Reds keeping options open – United Rant
Give Dimitar Berbatov a break! – The Busby Way
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United’s Potential Summer Signings Examined – Red Flag Flying High
Putting Players On Pedestals Is A Dangerous Game – The United Religion
Eric Cantona – Great but not the greatest? – Stretford End