Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sports. Show all posts
Hal Bodoh Yang Dilakukan Mario Balotelli (Tidak Bisa Memakai Baju Sendiri)
Ini merupakan hal terbodoh yang dilakukan oleh seorang pesepak bola profesional,tidak bisa memakai baju sendiri. Silahkan disimak video dari Mario Balotelli ini.
José Mourinho’s egotism never likely to be sated
José Mourinho rather likes himself. You may have noticed. It is not just that he takes himself terribly seriously, but that his personality demands we do so also. His pronouncements are issued with the lofty imperiousness of a philosopher, his jokes with the hauteur of a monarch.
When he celebrates — as he did again in the wake of Inter Milan’s Champions League triumph over Bayern Munich on Saturday — he does so with a keen eye for the theatre of his own aggrandisement. It all says “me, me, me”. It all says “I am the Special One”.
When he uttered those immortal words soon after taking up the Chelsea job, we marvelled not so much at his impudence as at his conviction. This was not somebody spouting off for effect or to conceal his insecurities; it was somebody revelling in his innermost certitude. We all regard Mourinho as a great manager, but even as he has grown in our estimation over the months and years, we have been certain of just one thing: Mourinho’s estimation of himself is even higher.
José Mourinho’s Real Madrid move confirmed despite discrepancies
The last legal obstacle preventing José Mourinho from becoming coach of Real Madrid was removed yesterday afternoon. The former Chelsea manager is expected to sign his new contract on Monday morning and be presented at the Bernabéu at 1pm local time.
Massimo Moratti, the Inter Milan president, received Florentino Pérez, his Real counterpart, yesterday afternoon in Milan. At issue was the €16 million (£13.6 million) release clause in Mourinho’s contract with Inter, which had two years to run.
On Wednesday Pérez announced that it was a “private matter” between Mourinho and Inter, and that Real were not prepared to pay any of it. The Portuguese was quoted in Marca, the Spanish sports daily newspaper, urging Pérez “not to pay” the agreed amount.
Jose Mourinho admits he is humbled by magnitude of Real Madrid job
Who was that polite and humble man, and what has he done with José Mourinho?
Bombast, arrogance, theatricality: the Mourinho hallmarks were absent yesterday when Real Madrid unveiled their new coach. The European champion began life at the Bernabéu by playing down expectations and paying due deference to the club’s size and history, as if awestruck by the magnitude of his new job despite his infinite self-belief and vast success.
Mourinho’s best line was not about himself, but the club. “I believe that not to coach Real leaves a void in a coach’s career,” he said. Not quite on the self-aggrandising scale of “I’m European champion and I think I’m a special one,” the words he famously used to mark his arrival at Chelsea six years ago — fresh, as now, from winning the Champions League.
Aaron Ramsey signs new Arsenal deal
Aaron Ramsey has signed a new long-term contract with Arsenal.
The 19-year-old midfielder joined the Gunners from Cardiff City for £5million in the summer of 2008 and is currently recovering from a broken leg he suffered against Stoke City in February.
“I’m very happy here at Arsenal, it’s a great club and I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here,” Ramsey said. “Every player wants to play in a team where they can play football and I feel that this is the way it should be played, so that’s one of the reasons I signed a new contract.”
Ramsey, who scored four times from his 29 appearances last season, had establishing himself in the Arsenal midfield before a tackle by Ryan Shawcross left him with fractures to the tibia and fibula in his right leg.
Theo Walcott left out of England’s World Cup squad
Theo Walcott is the shock omission from England’s 23-man World Cup squad after Shaun Wright-Phillips was preferred by Fabio Capello.
The Arsenal forward, who scored a stunning hat-trick in England’s qualifying match against Croatia in Zagreb, learned his fate by telephone this lunchtime, having been in contention to start as first-choice right winger in South Africa before poor performances in warm-up matches against Mexico and Japan forced Capello into a rethink.
Manchester United in need of summer surgery
James Ducker
Manchester United have already tied up deals for Javier Hernandez, the Mexico striker, and Chris Smalling, the England Under-21 defender, who will move to Old Trafford from Chivas and Fulham respectively on July 1.
Given the struggles of other emerging young players Sir Alex Ferguson has signed in the past three years, however, United supporters remain uncertain about what to expect from Hernandez and Smalling, neither of whom have much pedigree to talk of as yet.
Ferguson said last week that he plans to sign “two more players at the most”, but whether or not that is true, there is a growing feeling among fans that United need another goalkeeper, midfield player and striker to help address the weaknesses that have been exposed during the course of an inconsistent campaign.
Even if United win a record fourth successive Barclays Premier League title, in addition to the Carling Cup secured in February, seven league defeats so far, elimination from the Champions League quarter-finals at the hands of a modest Bayern Munich team, defeat in the third round of the FA Cup by Leeds United and a dependence on Wayne Rooney make it clear that some surgery is required.
Here, timesonline takes a look at who might come and go at Old Trafford this summer.
GOALKEEPER
Edwin Van der Sar has been one of Ferguson’s best signings of the past five years, the Dutchman’s form between the posts underlining what a mistake the United manager made by failing to sign him earlier as a replacement for Peter Schmeichel.
But Van der Sar turns 40 in October, and with next season expected to be his last at the club, Ferguson needs a world-class goalkeeper he can rely upon.
Tomasz Kuszczak coped admirably with a makeshift defence in front of him when Van der Sar was out injured and then on compassionate leave because of an illness to his wife during an eight week period between the end of November and middle of January, but the Pole does not instil enough confidence in his team-mates to be considered a regular No 1 and is prone to mistakes.
Ben Foster was supposed to be the heir apparent to Van der Sar, but the 27-year-old has endured a dreadful season. He has not started a game since October 3, when errors in the 2-2 draw at home to Sunderland prompted Ferguson to tear into a goalkeeper who had boldly proclaimed would become England’s No 1 for years.
A series of other blunders have raised serious questions about his ability to keep goal for a club of United’s stature, and despite appearing to be certain to go to the World Cup earlier in the season, his inclusion in Fabio Capello’s squad for South Africa now seems unlikely.
Gary Bailey, the former United goalkeeper, revealed this week that Foster’s stock has fallen so low at Old Trafford that he was even training apart in some sessions from the other players.
Ferguson has ran the rule of Hugo Lloris, the Lyon and France goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, at Schalke 04, and Igor Afinkeev, the CSKA Moscow No. 1.
Lloris did not look convincing in Lyons' 1-0 defeat away to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final last night – he probably should have done better in dealing with Arjen Robben’s deflected strike - and the prospect of signing a left-footed French goalkeeper may evoke memories of Fabien Barthez for United supporters.
But Lloris, 23, is highly regarded and is thought to be Ferguson’s first choice. United, however, have had little success trying to prise players away from Lyons in the past. Michael Essien, Mahamadou Diarra and Karim Benzema have all fallen through their grasp in recent years and Ferguson must decide if he is prepared to run the risk of a fourth humiliation.
Neuer, 24, would be a cheaper alternative and, at 6ft 4½ inches, certainly cuts an imposing figure. He is expected to go to the World Cup with Germany. Afinkeev, 24, impressed against United in the Champions League this season but there are reputedly concerns about the Russia goalkeeper’s handling from crosses out wide.
Possible ins: Lyon’s Hugo Lloris, who would cost around £15 million, possibly more, or Manuel Neuer, of Schalke, who would fetch around £10-£12 million.
Possible outs: Ben Foster
DEFENCE
United appear to be increasingly hopeful that Nemanja Vidic will stay, even though it had seemed near certain the Serbia defender would leave in the summer. Vidic is contracted to the club until June 2012 and United are likely to insist he signs a new deal, rather than let his present one run down. Real Madrid, AC Milan and Barcelona are all interested in the player.
The importance of keeping Vidic is heightened by the continuing fitness problems of Rio Ferdinand, who has already suffered three minor injuries since returning in January from a four-month lay-off with a chronic back problem that the defender conceded left him walking “like a hunchback”.
Gary Neville has yet to been given a new one-year deal, but given his solid form and consistent inclusion in recent weeks that cannot be discounted by any means. If he stays, and with Wes Brown, John O’Shea and Rafael Da Silva to call upon, Ferguson is unlikely to be in the market for a right back. Fabio Da Silva is expected to be given more opportunities at left back next season, although Patrice Evra is probably the best guaranteed starter after Rooney.
United have been persistently linked with Simon Kjaer, the 21-year-old Palermo and Denmark centre-half, and are expected to move at some point for Jack Rodwell, the young Everton player who is comfortable in midfield or defence. United would probably prefer to wait another year, but with Chelsea and Manchester City also circling, their hands could be forced this summer.
Possible ins: Jack Rodwell, of Everton, although he would cost at least £20 million. Simon Kjaer at Palermo would be a cheaper alternative at around £15 million.
Possible outs: Nemanja Vidic, Gary Neville
MIDFIELD
Anderson may well have found himself surplus to requirements this summer but for a ruptured cruciate knee ligament that could rule out the possibility of selling the Brazilian. Unless his form and attitude improves markedly next season, though, he may be on borrowed time anyway.
Owen Hargreaves has not played for the first team for 19 months and it is anyone’s guess as to whether he will ever make a successful return. The England midfield player is about to enter the final year of his contract having made just 25 starts since joining United in a £20.2 million deal from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2007, and with little resale value now given his plethora of injury problems, Ferguson must hope he can regain at least part of his fitness and play a role of sorts next term.
Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have each been given another season, but the future of Michael Carrick remains uncertain. The England midfield player’s form in the big games especially has been poor, notably the Champions League final against Barcelona last May, the first leg of this season’s Round of 16 tie against AC Milan in the San Siro and both legs of the quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich.
He did not feature against Chelsea and has not played since the second leg against Bayern, having been omitted from the 18-man squad against Blackburn Rovers and an unused substitute against Manchester City. Should a suitable offer come in, it is not unfeasible that Ferguson may sell. Zoran Tosic, the Serbia winger who has been on loan at Cologne since January, may also leave, having failed to convinced since his £6.3 million move from Partizan Belgrade.
United have been monitoring Jamer Milner, the £20 million rated Aston Villa and England midfield player, and have been linked with a move for Joe Cole, the Chelsea winger, who is out of contract at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season. Marek Hamsik, 22, the highly-rated Napoli and Slovakia attacking midfield player, has been on United’s radar for some time. Ferguson has also been a long-term admirer of David Silva, the Valencia winger.
Possible ins: James Milner from Aston Villa or Marek Hamsik from Napoli, both of whom would cost in the region of £20 million; Joe Cole is available on a free transfer from Chelsea at the end of the season.
Possible outs: Michael Carrick, Anderson, Zoran Tosic
ATTACK
United’s dependence on Wayne Rooney, who has scored 34 goals this season, has been obvious for all to see. The recruit of a world-class striker to ease the burden on Rooney has to be high on Ferguson’s agenda.
Mame Biram Diouf, Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck all remain raw and not all can be guaranteed to make the grade, while it remains to be seen how Michael Owen recovers from his hamstring operation.
The main question surrounds the future of Dimitar Berbatov, who has been routinely overlooked for the biggest games and has yet to get close to justifying his club record £30.75 million fee.
AC Milan and Bayern Munich have been linked with moves for the Bulgaria forward in recent weeks, but United would do well to recoup even half of what they paid for him and it is unclear if Ferguson is prepared to take a big financial hit on the player, especially as his departure would leave him needing to sign two new strikers, not just one.
Talk is rife of Ferguson going back in for Karim Benzema, the France striker who rejected the chance to move to Old Trafford in favour of joining Real Madrid last summer. Edin Dzeko, the Wolfsburg forward, and Luis Suarez, the Ajax striker, have also been linked with the club. Dzeko’s lack of pace is thought to be a concern, however.
Oscar Cardozo, the Benfica striker, is another name in the frame, although David Villa’s age – he turns 29 in December – is likely to be thwart the prospect of a move for the Valencia and Spain striker, unless Ferguson breaks with his policy of not signing players over the age of 26, or with little resale value, as he did with next to no success with Berbatov.
Possible ins: Karim Benzema from Real Madrid, Edin Dzeko at Wolfsburg
Possible outs: Dimitar Berbatov, Danny Welbeck
Manchester United have already tied up deals for Javier Hernandez, the Mexico striker, and Chris Smalling, the England Under-21 defender, who will move to Old Trafford from Chivas and Fulham respectively on July 1.
Given the struggles of other emerging young players Sir Alex Ferguson has signed in the past three years, however, United supporters remain uncertain about what to expect from Hernandez and Smalling, neither of whom have much pedigree to talk of as yet.
Ferguson said last week that he plans to sign “two more players at the most”, but whether or not that is true, there is a growing feeling among fans that United need another goalkeeper, midfield player and striker to help address the weaknesses that have been exposed during the course of an inconsistent campaign.
Even if United win a record fourth successive Barclays Premier League title, in addition to the Carling Cup secured in February, seven league defeats so far, elimination from the Champions League quarter-finals at the hands of a modest Bayern Munich team, defeat in the third round of the FA Cup by Leeds United and a dependence on Wayne Rooney make it clear that some surgery is required.
Here, timesonline takes a look at who might come and go at Old Trafford this summer.
GOALKEEPER
Edwin Van der Sar has been one of Ferguson’s best signings of the past five years, the Dutchman’s form between the posts underlining what a mistake the United manager made by failing to sign him earlier as a replacement for Peter Schmeichel.
But Van der Sar turns 40 in October, and with next season expected to be his last at the club, Ferguson needs a world-class goalkeeper he can rely upon.
Tomasz Kuszczak coped admirably with a makeshift defence in front of him when Van der Sar was out injured and then on compassionate leave because of an illness to his wife during an eight week period between the end of November and middle of January, but the Pole does not instil enough confidence in his team-mates to be considered a regular No 1 and is prone to mistakes.
Ben Foster was supposed to be the heir apparent to Van der Sar, but the 27-year-old has endured a dreadful season. He has not started a game since October 3, when errors in the 2-2 draw at home to Sunderland prompted Ferguson to tear into a goalkeeper who had boldly proclaimed would become England’s No 1 for years.
A series of other blunders have raised serious questions about his ability to keep goal for a club of United’s stature, and despite appearing to be certain to go to the World Cup earlier in the season, his inclusion in Fabio Capello’s squad for South Africa now seems unlikely.
Gary Bailey, the former United goalkeeper, revealed this week that Foster’s stock has fallen so low at Old Trafford that he was even training apart in some sessions from the other players.
Ferguson has ran the rule of Hugo Lloris, the Lyon and France goalkeeper, Manuel Neuer, at Schalke 04, and Igor Afinkeev, the CSKA Moscow No. 1.
Lloris did not look convincing in Lyons' 1-0 defeat away to Bayern Munich in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final last night – he probably should have done better in dealing with Arjen Robben’s deflected strike - and the prospect of signing a left-footed French goalkeeper may evoke memories of Fabien Barthez for United supporters.
But Lloris, 23, is highly regarded and is thought to be Ferguson’s first choice. United, however, have had little success trying to prise players away from Lyons in the past. Michael Essien, Mahamadou Diarra and Karim Benzema have all fallen through their grasp in recent years and Ferguson must decide if he is prepared to run the risk of a fourth humiliation.
Neuer, 24, would be a cheaper alternative and, at 6ft 4½ inches, certainly cuts an imposing figure. He is expected to go to the World Cup with Germany. Afinkeev, 24, impressed against United in the Champions League this season but there are reputedly concerns about the Russia goalkeeper’s handling from crosses out wide.
Possible ins: Lyon’s Hugo Lloris, who would cost around £15 million, possibly more, or Manuel Neuer, of Schalke, who would fetch around £10-£12 million.
Possible outs: Ben Foster
DEFENCE
United appear to be increasingly hopeful that Nemanja Vidic will stay, even though it had seemed near certain the Serbia defender would leave in the summer. Vidic is contracted to the club until June 2012 and United are likely to insist he signs a new deal, rather than let his present one run down. Real Madrid, AC Milan and Barcelona are all interested in the player.
The importance of keeping Vidic is heightened by the continuing fitness problems of Rio Ferdinand, who has already suffered three minor injuries since returning in January from a four-month lay-off with a chronic back problem that the defender conceded left him walking “like a hunchback”.
Gary Neville has yet to been given a new one-year deal, but given his solid form and consistent inclusion in recent weeks that cannot be discounted by any means. If he stays, and with Wes Brown, John O’Shea and Rafael Da Silva to call upon, Ferguson is unlikely to be in the market for a right back. Fabio Da Silva is expected to be given more opportunities at left back next season, although Patrice Evra is probably the best guaranteed starter after Rooney.
United have been persistently linked with Simon Kjaer, the 21-year-old Palermo and Denmark centre-half, and are expected to move at some point for Jack Rodwell, the young Everton player who is comfortable in midfield or defence. United would probably prefer to wait another year, but with Chelsea and Manchester City also circling, their hands could be forced this summer.
Possible ins: Jack Rodwell, of Everton, although he would cost at least £20 million. Simon Kjaer at Palermo would be a cheaper alternative at around £15 million.
Possible outs: Nemanja Vidic, Gary Neville
MIDFIELD
Anderson may well have found himself surplus to requirements this summer but for a ruptured cruciate knee ligament that could rule out the possibility of selling the Brazilian. Unless his form and attitude improves markedly next season, though, he may be on borrowed time anyway.
Owen Hargreaves has not played for the first team for 19 months and it is anyone’s guess as to whether he will ever make a successful return. The England midfield player is about to enter the final year of his contract having made just 25 starts since joining United in a £20.2 million deal from Bayern Munich in the summer of 2007, and with little resale value now given his plethora of injury problems, Ferguson must hope he can regain at least part of his fitness and play a role of sorts next term.
Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have each been given another season, but the future of Michael Carrick remains uncertain. The England midfield player’s form in the big games especially has been poor, notably the Champions League final against Barcelona last May, the first leg of this season’s Round of 16 tie against AC Milan in the San Siro and both legs of the quarter-final defeat by Bayern Munich.
He did not feature against Chelsea and has not played since the second leg against Bayern, having been omitted from the 18-man squad against Blackburn Rovers and an unused substitute against Manchester City. Should a suitable offer come in, it is not unfeasible that Ferguson may sell. Zoran Tosic, the Serbia winger who has been on loan at Cologne since January, may also leave, having failed to convinced since his £6.3 million move from Partizan Belgrade.
United have been monitoring Jamer Milner, the £20 million rated Aston Villa and England midfield player, and have been linked with a move for Joe Cole, the Chelsea winger, who is out of contract at Stamford Bridge at the end of the season. Marek Hamsik, 22, the highly-rated Napoli and Slovakia attacking midfield player, has been on United’s radar for some time. Ferguson has also been a long-term admirer of David Silva, the Valencia winger.
Possible ins: James Milner from Aston Villa or Marek Hamsik from Napoli, both of whom would cost in the region of £20 million; Joe Cole is available on a free transfer from Chelsea at the end of the season.
Possible outs: Michael Carrick, Anderson, Zoran Tosic
ATTACK
United’s dependence on Wayne Rooney, who has scored 34 goals this season, has been obvious for all to see. The recruit of a world-class striker to ease the burden on Rooney has to be high on Ferguson’s agenda.
Mame Biram Diouf, Federico Macheda and Danny Welbeck all remain raw and not all can be guaranteed to make the grade, while it remains to be seen how Michael Owen recovers from his hamstring operation.
The main question surrounds the future of Dimitar Berbatov, who has been routinely overlooked for the biggest games and has yet to get close to justifying his club record £30.75 million fee.
AC Milan and Bayern Munich have been linked with moves for the Bulgaria forward in recent weeks, but United would do well to recoup even half of what they paid for him and it is unclear if Ferguson is prepared to take a big financial hit on the player, especially as his departure would leave him needing to sign two new strikers, not just one.
Talk is rife of Ferguson going back in for Karim Benzema, the France striker who rejected the chance to move to Old Trafford in favour of joining Real Madrid last summer. Edin Dzeko, the Wolfsburg forward, and Luis Suarez, the Ajax striker, have also been linked with the club. Dzeko’s lack of pace is thought to be a concern, however.
Oscar Cardozo, the Benfica striker, is another name in the frame, although David Villa’s age – he turns 29 in December – is likely to be thwart the prospect of a move for the Valencia and Spain striker, unless Ferguson breaks with his policy of not signing players over the age of 26, or with little resale value, as he did with next to no success with Berbatov.
Possible ins: Karim Benzema from Real Madrid, Edin Dzeko at Wolfsburg
Possible outs: Dimitar Berbatov, Danny Welbeck
Pakistan's World Cup stitch-up
Through choking traffic and crude streets, pastoral scenes and fields of wheat, there is a journey to be made in the heart of the Punjab that will take you to the very soul of the beautiful game.
For a country some have come to see as the world's leading exporter of terror, it is a glimpse into all that is possible when you consider that for decades now Pakistan has also been a leading exporter of hand-stitched soccer balls.
This is no cottage industry, in a typical year Pakistan produces almost half of the world's hand-stitched gems. In a World Cup year like this one, as demand explodes, that portion edges up to almost 70 percent.
The craft here has been handed down for generations and now hundreds of stitching halls dot the agricultural landscape of this region.
"A good player will play with this ball, it makes me feel good, it brightens our country's reputation and that makes me feel proud," says one young man as he continues stitching about six to eight balls a day.
That will earn most of these workers anywhere from six to 10 dollars a day, as much as double Pakistan's minimum wage.
Khawaja Masood Akhtar is the owner of the aptly named Forward Sports. For almost two decades he has won big-brand contracts against the odds and is currently a prime supplier for Adidas.
"The ball stitched in Pakistan will definitely be of a higher quality," said Akhtar. He adds that he has great admiration for the stitchers that craft his perfectly rounded balls.
"It's hard work -- you need very strong upper body strength to do that, and this is not easy. They are doing the job by hand but it looks like some machine," adds Akhtar.
For years now, Forward Sports has been binding the tradition of craftsmanship with the demands of research and development. Their goal here is to not just meet, but surpass FIFA standards.
Balls are poked repeatedly and pressed for hours to test water resistance. Then they are heat-tested to simulate how they will be after two years.
And then there is the shooter machine, where a ball is kicked repeatedly by a shooting machine more than 3,500 times. The stitching string is stressed, there is even a machine that simulates headers, all of it part of the struggle in keeping Chinese manufacturers from dominating the game.
"Without competing with China no one can stay nowadays in the industry. Things are very simple you have to exactly do what your customer needs," said Akhtar.
Akhtar chuckles when this reporter points out the official World Cup ball will come from China this year. He admits, it does bother him a bit.
In fact, China with its massive production scale and low currency is the threat here, not the Taliban. And yet the stigma of terror is one more thing to overcome.
"It hurts in a big way, because it stops a lot of people from abroad ... because especially from the U.S. people don't want to travel here. Many big brands have a travel ban," says Akhtar.
But Pakistan is still in the game. Forward Sports says it has worked hard to keep up with tougher quality standards and lower prices, and it says it has eradicated child labor from the production pipeline.
"We are not those kind of people, we are honest, we do good work here, the world knows our product. We make products not war," said one long-time employee.
This industry defies Pakistani stereotypes but there is no pretending the game sparks passion here. That is reserved for cricket; it's the business of the game that takes all the glory here.
For a country some have come to see as the world's leading exporter of terror, it is a glimpse into all that is possible when you consider that for decades now Pakistan has also been a leading exporter of hand-stitched soccer balls.
This is no cottage industry, in a typical year Pakistan produces almost half of the world's hand-stitched gems. In a World Cup year like this one, as demand explodes, that portion edges up to almost 70 percent.
The craft here has been handed down for generations and now hundreds of stitching halls dot the agricultural landscape of this region.
"A good player will play with this ball, it makes me feel good, it brightens our country's reputation and that makes me feel proud," says one young man as he continues stitching about six to eight balls a day.
That will earn most of these workers anywhere from six to 10 dollars a day, as much as double Pakistan's minimum wage.
Khawaja Masood Akhtar is the owner of the aptly named Forward Sports. For almost two decades he has won big-brand contracts against the odds and is currently a prime supplier for Adidas.
"The ball stitched in Pakistan will definitely be of a higher quality," said Akhtar. He adds that he has great admiration for the stitchers that craft his perfectly rounded balls.
"It's hard work -- you need very strong upper body strength to do that, and this is not easy. They are doing the job by hand but it looks like some machine," adds Akhtar.
For years now, Forward Sports has been binding the tradition of craftsmanship with the demands of research and development. Their goal here is to not just meet, but surpass FIFA standards.
Balls are poked repeatedly and pressed for hours to test water resistance. Then they are heat-tested to simulate how they will be after two years.
And then there is the shooter machine, where a ball is kicked repeatedly by a shooting machine more than 3,500 times. The stitching string is stressed, there is even a machine that simulates headers, all of it part of the struggle in keeping Chinese manufacturers from dominating the game.
"Without competing with China no one can stay nowadays in the industry. Things are very simple you have to exactly do what your customer needs," said Akhtar.
Akhtar chuckles when this reporter points out the official World Cup ball will come from China this year. He admits, it does bother him a bit.
In fact, China with its massive production scale and low currency is the threat here, not the Taliban. And yet the stigma of terror is one more thing to overcome.
"It hurts in a big way, because it stops a lot of people from abroad ... because especially from the U.S. people don't want to travel here. Many big brands have a travel ban," says Akhtar.
But Pakistan is still in the game. Forward Sports says it has worked hard to keep up with tougher quality standards and lower prices, and it says it has eradicated child labor from the production pipeline.
"We are not those kind of people, we are honest, we do good work here, the world knows our product. We make products not war," said one long-time employee.
This industry defies Pakistani stereotypes but there is no pretending the game sparks passion here. That is reserved for cricket; it's the business of the game that takes all the glory here.
England’s leading clubs weaker, says Fabio Capello
Fabio Capello said last night that the failure of English clubs in the Champions League this season was inevitable after they became “obviously weaker” by failing to invest in their squads when their overseas rivals were strengthening last summer.
Defeats for Arsenal and Manchester United in last week’s quarter-finals ensured that there is no English team in the last four of the Champions League for the first time since 2003, with Chelsea eliminated in the first knockout round and Liverpool falling at the group stage.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti dismissed talk of a power shift in European football, but Capello agrees with Uli Hoeness, the Bayern Munich president, that the economic climate — unfavourable tax conditions in England, the weakening of the pound against the euro and the financial circumstances at certain clubs — has damaged the Premier League contingent.
“It is obvious that the financial crisis has affected the English clubs in Europe after years when they have been among the biggest spenders,” Capello, the England manager, said. “Compared to the previous season, all the clubs have sold important players. Some went overseas and others moved to Manchester City. They [the so-called ‘Big Four’] got obviously weaker.
“In my experience, if a club is at the top, it should buy one or two high-level players every year to remain at the top, given that the opposition is getting stronger. The clubs that spent most last summer are now semi-finalists — Barcelona, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich. Only Real Madrid and Manchester City spent more than these clubs. Florentino Pérez [the Real president] had to bring his club back into the frame. Inter bought six new players.”
Capello’s frequent references to City’s financial strength extend to an increasing regard for the Manchester club and, in particular, for Adam Johnson, the winger they signed from Middlesbrough in January.
Johnson has long been regarded as an outside bet for England’s squad for the World Cup finals this summer, but Capello has indicated for the first time that the 22-year-old’s impressive form has brought him under serious consideration, particularly after the injury to David Beckham and concerns about the fitness of Aaron Lennon.
When asked which young English player had impressed him most this season, Capello said: “Johnson. He has come up from the Championship, where he played in a different position, and done well. Now it’s important he gets some international experience.”
Capello has few concerns about the fitness of Ashley Cole, who is soon to be fit for Chelsea after a rapid recovery from his broken ankle, and Wayne Rooney, who aggravated his ankle injury by playing for Manchester United against Bayern in the Champions League quarter-final, second leg last week.
• The FA will hold a meeting on Monday in an attempt to resolve the problem of the much-maligned pitch at Wembley Stadium. Representatives of the Institute Of Groundsmanship will attend the meeting and be asked to co-operate with whatever action is chosen, whether it means relaying the pitch before the FA Cup Final on May 15 or finding a longer-term solution. The pitch will be examined after the rugby union game between Saracens and Harlequins on Saturday.
Source
timesonline.co.uk
Defeats for Arsenal and Manchester United in last week’s quarter-finals ensured that there is no English team in the last four of the Champions League for the first time since 2003, with Chelsea eliminated in the first knockout round and Liverpool falling at the group stage.
Sir Alex Ferguson and Carlo Ancelotti dismissed talk of a power shift in European football, but Capello agrees with Uli Hoeness, the Bayern Munich president, that the economic climate — unfavourable tax conditions in England, the weakening of the pound against the euro and the financial circumstances at certain clubs — has damaged the Premier League contingent.
“It is obvious that the financial crisis has affected the English clubs in Europe after years when they have been among the biggest spenders,” Capello, the England manager, said. “Compared to the previous season, all the clubs have sold important players. Some went overseas and others moved to Manchester City. They [the so-called ‘Big Four’] got obviously weaker.
“In my experience, if a club is at the top, it should buy one or two high-level players every year to remain at the top, given that the opposition is getting stronger. The clubs that spent most last summer are now semi-finalists — Barcelona, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich. Only Real Madrid and Manchester City spent more than these clubs. Florentino Pérez [the Real president] had to bring his club back into the frame. Inter bought six new players.”
Capello’s frequent references to City’s financial strength extend to an increasing regard for the Manchester club and, in particular, for Adam Johnson, the winger they signed from Middlesbrough in January.
Johnson has long been regarded as an outside bet for England’s squad for the World Cup finals this summer, but Capello has indicated for the first time that the 22-year-old’s impressive form has brought him under serious consideration, particularly after the injury to David Beckham and concerns about the fitness of Aaron Lennon.
When asked which young English player had impressed him most this season, Capello said: “Johnson. He has come up from the Championship, where he played in a different position, and done well. Now it’s important he gets some international experience.”
Capello has few concerns about the fitness of Ashley Cole, who is soon to be fit for Chelsea after a rapid recovery from his broken ankle, and Wayne Rooney, who aggravated his ankle injury by playing for Manchester United against Bayern in the Champions League quarter-final, second leg last week.
• The FA will hold a meeting on Monday in an attempt to resolve the problem of the much-maligned pitch at Wembley Stadium. Representatives of the Institute Of Groundsmanship will attend the meeting and be asked to co-operate with whatever action is chosen, whether it means relaying the pitch before the FA Cup Final on May 15 or finding a longer-term solution. The pitch will be examined after the rugby union game between Saracens and Harlequins on Saturday.
Source
timesonline.co.uk
Liverpool and United beware: there are worse owners out there
In the final episode of the first series of The Office, Tim, the company’s witty but hopelessly unambitious everyman, tries to explain why, at the age of 30, he has settled for his existence as a sales rep at Wernham Hogg, Slough’s premier paper merchant.
“If you look at life like rolling a dice, then my situation now, as it stands, may only be a three,” Tim says. “If I jack that in now, go for something bigger and better, yeah, I could easily roll a six. I could also roll a one.”
That scenario keeps coming to mind when considering the supporters’ desire for a change of ownership at English football’s two most successful clubs, Liverpool and at Manchester United.
Both clubs are run by carpetbaggers for whom the clubs seem to represent no more than a licence to print money — but just suppose that the next owners have even less regard for the clubs’ future.
Right now, to use Tim’s scale, United are on a two. The debts, £715 million and counting, are horrific, but the Glazers do at least have one thing in their favour: a non-interventionist approach that stems from a lack of ego.
Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr have been calamitous at Liverpool, but at least their debts are far smaller than United’s.
So they, too, are probably on a two — with the succession of ne’er-do-wells at Portsmouth at the bottom of the scale.
It is an unnerving thought, but when the time comes to sell up — surely imminent in the case of Hicks and Gillett — the fate of the club will be in their hands. Or indeed that of the banks.
There will be no informal “fit and proper person’s test” of the type David Moores, the former Liverpool chairman, tried so unsuccessfully to apply to Hicks and Gillett. It will simply be a case of looking to maximise profit.
A “source close to Hicks” was quoted yesterday as saying that he wants a “quality long-term investor not someone trying to make a quick profit”.
Sorry, but this does not quite ring true. If Liverpool’s wellbeing was what mattered most, he would not have gone near the place.
Ditto the Glazers at Manchester United, where debts of £715 million exist simply to keep them in situ.
Are there worse owners than this lot out there? Potentially, yes.
Whatever a good owner is — and the benevolent chaps in charge of Chelsea and Manchester City are not exactly running models of economic sustainability — there are far more examples of the opposite.
Better the devil you know? Absolutely not. But just imagine that either one of them were taken over next time by someone with the ego of Hicks, the wealth of Gillett and the heart of the Glazers. Because if they exist, it is quite feasible that these owners will find them.
“If you look at life like rolling a dice, then my situation now, as it stands, may only be a three,” Tim says. “If I jack that in now, go for something bigger and better, yeah, I could easily roll a six. I could also roll a one.”
That scenario keeps coming to mind when considering the supporters’ desire for a change of ownership at English football’s two most successful clubs, Liverpool and at Manchester United.
Both clubs are run by carpetbaggers for whom the clubs seem to represent no more than a licence to print money — but just suppose that the next owners have even less regard for the clubs’ future.
Right now, to use Tim’s scale, United are on a two. The debts, £715 million and counting, are horrific, but the Glazers do at least have one thing in their favour: a non-interventionist approach that stems from a lack of ego.
Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr have been calamitous at Liverpool, but at least their debts are far smaller than United’s.
So they, too, are probably on a two — with the succession of ne’er-do-wells at Portsmouth at the bottom of the scale.
It is an unnerving thought, but when the time comes to sell up — surely imminent in the case of Hicks and Gillett — the fate of the club will be in their hands. Or indeed that of the banks.
There will be no informal “fit and proper person’s test” of the type David Moores, the former Liverpool chairman, tried so unsuccessfully to apply to Hicks and Gillett. It will simply be a case of looking to maximise profit.
A “source close to Hicks” was quoted yesterday as saying that he wants a “quality long-term investor not someone trying to make a quick profit”.
Sorry, but this does not quite ring true. If Liverpool’s wellbeing was what mattered most, he would not have gone near the place.
Ditto the Glazers at Manchester United, where debts of £715 million exist simply to keep them in situ.
Are there worse owners than this lot out there? Potentially, yes.
Whatever a good owner is — and the benevolent chaps in charge of Chelsea and Manchester City are not exactly running models of economic sustainability — there are far more examples of the opposite.
Better the devil you know? Absolutely not. But just imagine that either one of them were taken over next time by someone with the ego of Hicks, the wealth of Gillett and the heart of the Glazers. Because if they exist, it is quite feasible that these owners will find them.
Is there really hope on the horizon for Liverpool?
At last, light appears at the end of the Liverpool tunnel. Royal Bank of Scotland will back a six-month refinancing package in the summer but only to push ahead the sale of the club. Yet another investment bank — Barclays Capital — has been appointed to look for buyers. Reports said that it is impressed by, among other things, progress on the construction of a fine new stadium. Really? I think I might buy a lottery ticket next week in the hope of impressing Barclays with my vast wealth.
There is no stadium in Stanley Park. Anyone who attended the match against Benfica on Thursday knows that there is not even a single red brick on the site. There is planning permission tucked away in the Anfield vaults; that’s all.
So whatever Barclays’ prospective buyers agree to pay — and the weekend talk suddenly restored Liverpool’s worth to the £500 million that the more determined of the Dubai bidders deemed slightly excessive in early 2007 — will have to be topped up with £300 million for a home grand enough to allow the club to compete more fairly with their London and Manchester rivals.
Only if the Dubai lot, headed by Sheikh Mohammed, come back on the scene is there likely to be much cause for rejoicing. Liverpool will never be fit for the Champions League again until that stadium is rising in the park and the scale of finance the project requires would appear to rule out inhabitants of the real world, or Merseyside equivalents of the Red Knights (they could be dubbed Crimson Counts).
There is, however, an interesting coincidence here. Amanda Staveley, the City high-flier who was said to have received a £20 million fee for arranging Barclays’ bailout by the Abu Dhabi royal family last year, had earlier helped the Dubai bidders for Liverpool and was also involved in the Abu Dhabi takeover of Manchester City. So, if I were a Liverpool fan, I’d be feeling cautiously optimistic.
If, on the other hand, my name were Hicks or Gillett, I’d be marvelling at how the system had come to my rescue. What possesses banks to get so heavily involved in football when there is serious and much bigger business out there? I suppose executives find it glamorous and publicity-generating. If only they were using their own money — rather than your savings and mine.
Things were so simple in the days before David Moores came to the conclusion that big-time football had outgrown his fortune and sold out. No wonder Uefa realised, however belatedly, that something had to be done about the pressures on ownership.
Still at Anfield, though, you can experience unforgettable nights, such as Thursday. It was like a rebirth: ethereal. So dazzling that you floated out and peered through a gap in the fence round the adjacent building-site — just in case the new stadium had suddenly materialised.
Source
timesonlie.co.uk
There is no stadium in Stanley Park. Anyone who attended the match against Benfica on Thursday knows that there is not even a single red brick on the site. There is planning permission tucked away in the Anfield vaults; that’s all.
So whatever Barclays’ prospective buyers agree to pay — and the weekend talk suddenly restored Liverpool’s worth to the £500 million that the more determined of the Dubai bidders deemed slightly excessive in early 2007 — will have to be topped up with £300 million for a home grand enough to allow the club to compete more fairly with their London and Manchester rivals.
Only if the Dubai lot, headed by Sheikh Mohammed, come back on the scene is there likely to be much cause for rejoicing. Liverpool will never be fit for the Champions League again until that stadium is rising in the park and the scale of finance the project requires would appear to rule out inhabitants of the real world, or Merseyside equivalents of the Red Knights (they could be dubbed Crimson Counts).
There is, however, an interesting coincidence here. Amanda Staveley, the City high-flier who was said to have received a £20 million fee for arranging Barclays’ bailout by the Abu Dhabi royal family last year, had earlier helped the Dubai bidders for Liverpool and was also involved in the Abu Dhabi takeover of Manchester City. So, if I were a Liverpool fan, I’d be feeling cautiously optimistic.
If, on the other hand, my name were Hicks or Gillett, I’d be marvelling at how the system had come to my rescue. What possesses banks to get so heavily involved in football when there is serious and much bigger business out there? I suppose executives find it glamorous and publicity-generating. If only they were using their own money — rather than your savings and mine.
Things were so simple in the days before David Moores came to the conclusion that big-time football had outgrown his fortune and sold out. No wonder Uefa realised, however belatedly, that something had to be done about the pressures on ownership.
Still at Anfield, though, you can experience unforgettable nights, such as Thursday. It was like a rebirth: ethereal. So dazzling that you floated out and peered through a gap in the fence round the adjacent building-site — just in case the new stadium had suddenly materialised.
Source
timesonlie.co.uk
Wayne Rooney favourite to pick up player of year awards
Wayne Rooney has been installed as the overwhelming favourite to land the PFA player of the year award following the release of the shortlist today.
The Manchester United forward has been selected on a shortlist of four - cut from its usual six - that also includes Cesc Fabregas, Didier Drogba and Carlos Tevez.
Rooney, who has scored 34 goals for United this season and emerged as their outstanding player, has also has also been nominated for the young player of the year award for players who were aged 23 or under at the start of the season. Rooney turned 24 in October.
Fabregas, James Milner and Joe Hart have also been named on the shortlist for the young player award, which Rooney won in 2005 and 2006. Bookmakers have installed Rooney as 25-2 on to win the main award with Tevez second favourite at 9-1.
Source
timesonline.co.uk
The Manchester United forward has been selected on a shortlist of four - cut from its usual six - that also includes Cesc Fabregas, Didier Drogba and Carlos Tevez.
Rooney, who has scored 34 goals for United this season and emerged as their outstanding player, has also has also been nominated for the young player of the year award for players who were aged 23 or under at the start of the season. Rooney turned 24 in October.
Fabregas, James Milner and Joe Hart have also been named on the shortlist for the young player award, which Rooney won in 2005 and 2006. Bookmakers have installed Rooney as 25-2 on to win the main award with Tevez second favourite at 9-1.
Source
timesonline.co.uk
We've blown it, Arsène Wenger admits
Arsène Wenger conceded last night that Arsenal’s title challenge had been all but wiped out by a damaging defeat against Tottenham Hotspur and a “goal in a million” from Danny Rose on his Barclays Premier League debut.
A superb tenth-minute volley from Rose, 19, put Tottenham on course for a 2-1 win at White Hart Lane that left Arsenal six points adrift of Chelsea and two behind Manchester United with only four matches remaining.
Wenger believes that Arsenal have left themselves with too much to do, even if he pointedly suggested that Chelsea, unconvincing 1-0 winners over Bolton Wanderers the night before, had needed good fortune to seize control of the championship race.
“There is too much to do to win the title,” the Arsenal manager said. “It’s very, very unlikely now, but we will continue to fight until it is mathematically impossible. You never know, but even a point would not have been good enough tonight.
“We lost a game we couldn’t afford to lose in the title race and that shows we are not mature enough. If you want to win the title, this is the kind of game you can’t lose.
“I believe Chelsea and Manchester United can drop points. Chelsea come here on Saturday and if Tottenham want to fight for fourth place, you never know. If you look at the Chelsea game on Tuesday, I don’t think they were exceptional, but they had the luck that you can see as well.”
Tottenham’s win, with Gareth Bale scoring the second goal and Heurelho Gomes making a series of superb saves before Nicklas Bendtner pulled a goal back with five minutes to go, was their first in 21 attempts against their neighbours in the league since November 1999, when George Graham was in charge at White Hart Lane.
It also puts them back into serious contention for Champions League qualification, just one point behind Manchester City, who are fourth.
Wenger admitted that Rose’s spectacular 29-yard shot had set the tone for a difficult evening. “It was a goal in a million and it gave Tottenham confidence,” the Arsenal manager said.
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, said: “It was an amazing goal, a great volley. I gave him his big chance and he responded well tonight, but he tweaked his ligament just before half-time and had to come off.
“He’s got a great left foot and that was a wonder of a strike from him. He’ll never forget that, that’s for sure.”
Redknapp remained guarded about Tottenham’s chances of beating City and Liverpool to fourth place — an ambition that was aided by Aston Villa’s 2-2 draw with Everton, which all but takes the Midlands club out of contention.
“We’re still in there,” Redknapp said. “It’s going to be hard but we’ve won six out of our last seven league games so we’re in good form. We’ve got another very difficult game against Chelsea, but we beat them here last year so we can do it again.”
Wenger was delighted by the form shown in the closing stages by Robin van Persie on the striker’s return to action after five months out with ankle ligament damage, but he also lost Thomas Vermaelen, the central defender, early in the game because of a calf strain that is likely to rule him out of at least two of Arsenal’s remaining matches.
Sol Campbell, the former Tottenham captain, was subjected to verbal abuse throughout by the home crowd, while Wenger was also the target of vile chants, audible on television, as he stood on the touchline.
Source
timesonline.co.uk
A superb tenth-minute volley from Rose, 19, put Tottenham on course for a 2-1 win at White Hart Lane that left Arsenal six points adrift of Chelsea and two behind Manchester United with only four matches remaining.
Wenger believes that Arsenal have left themselves with too much to do, even if he pointedly suggested that Chelsea, unconvincing 1-0 winners over Bolton Wanderers the night before, had needed good fortune to seize control of the championship race.
“There is too much to do to win the title,” the Arsenal manager said. “It’s very, very unlikely now, but we will continue to fight until it is mathematically impossible. You never know, but even a point would not have been good enough tonight.
“We lost a game we couldn’t afford to lose in the title race and that shows we are not mature enough. If you want to win the title, this is the kind of game you can’t lose.
“I believe Chelsea and Manchester United can drop points. Chelsea come here on Saturday and if Tottenham want to fight for fourth place, you never know. If you look at the Chelsea game on Tuesday, I don’t think they were exceptional, but they had the luck that you can see as well.”
Tottenham’s win, with Gareth Bale scoring the second goal and Heurelho Gomes making a series of superb saves before Nicklas Bendtner pulled a goal back with five minutes to go, was their first in 21 attempts against their neighbours in the league since November 1999, when George Graham was in charge at White Hart Lane.
It also puts them back into serious contention for Champions League qualification, just one point behind Manchester City, who are fourth.
Wenger admitted that Rose’s spectacular 29-yard shot had set the tone for a difficult evening. “It was a goal in a million and it gave Tottenham confidence,” the Arsenal manager said.
Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, said: “It was an amazing goal, a great volley. I gave him his big chance and he responded well tonight, but he tweaked his ligament just before half-time and had to come off.
“He’s got a great left foot and that was a wonder of a strike from him. He’ll never forget that, that’s for sure.”
Redknapp remained guarded about Tottenham’s chances of beating City and Liverpool to fourth place — an ambition that was aided by Aston Villa’s 2-2 draw with Everton, which all but takes the Midlands club out of contention.
“We’re still in there,” Redknapp said. “It’s going to be hard but we’ve won six out of our last seven league games so we’re in good form. We’ve got another very difficult game against Chelsea, but we beat them here last year so we can do it again.”
Wenger was delighted by the form shown in the closing stages by Robin van Persie on the striker’s return to action after five months out with ankle ligament damage, but he also lost Thomas Vermaelen, the central defender, early in the game because of a calf strain that is likely to rule him out of at least two of Arsenal’s remaining matches.
Sol Campbell, the former Tottenham captain, was subjected to verbal abuse throughout by the home crowd, while Wenger was also the target of vile chants, audible on television, as he stood on the touchline.
Source
timesonline.co.uk
Liverpool’s debt may stop Rafael Benitez from fulfilling contract
Rafael Benitez intends to see out the remaining four years of his contract at Liverpool but his future could be decided by the club’s financial position, according to his agent Manuel Garcia Quilon.
Quilon also claimed an unnamed Chinese investor was interested in buying out co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett and keeping Benitez on as manager, but if that did not happen then a solution to the club’s current financial restrictions would have to be found to prevent Benitez considering his future.
“The intention of Benitez is to fulfil the contract that he has with Liverpool until 2014 but it’s true that the club is subject to fluctuations in their financial situation,” said Quilon.
“They could influence the future of the club and therefore Benitez as well. The Chinese have an interest because they have called Rafa and told him that their condition for buying the club is that he continues as coach.”
Quilon said Benitez remained a potential candidate for some of the top jobs in Europe, including the roles at Juventus and Real Madrid with which he has been linked this week, but that there had as yet been no discussion about him leaving Liverpool.
“For now (Real) Madrid have not made a move to sign him,” he told Spanish newspaper AS.
Source
timesonline.co.uk
Quilon also claimed an unnamed Chinese investor was interested in buying out co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett and keeping Benitez on as manager, but if that did not happen then a solution to the club’s current financial restrictions would have to be found to prevent Benitez considering his future.
“The intention of Benitez is to fulfil the contract that he has with Liverpool until 2014 but it’s true that the club is subject to fluctuations in their financial situation,” said Quilon.
“They could influence the future of the club and therefore Benitez as well. The Chinese have an interest because they have called Rafa and told him that their condition for buying the club is that he continues as coach.”
Quilon said Benitez remained a potential candidate for some of the top jobs in Europe, including the roles at Juventus and Real Madrid with which he has been linked this week, but that there had as yet been no discussion about him leaving Liverpool.
“For now (Real) Madrid have not made a move to sign him,” he told Spanish newspaper AS.
Source
timesonline.co.uk
Bankers threaten to seize control of Birmingham City
Seymour Pierce, the investment bank, is threatening to take control of Birmingham City unless they are paid £2.2 million in fees before May 27.
The bank, which is run by Keith Harris, won a High Court judgement against Carson Yeung’s Grandtop investment company last month. City announced their intention to appeal after Yeung claimed he had not used Seymour Pierce for his takeover of the club last year.
However, Seymour Pierce claimed Yeung had agreed to pay it a £2.2 million “success fee” when the Hong Kong businessman took advice on buying Birmingham in 2007. Last month the company sued to recover the fee it said it was owed.
“Seymour Pierce can take a charge over the shares of Birmingham City and do what they need to do with them to recover the money it is owed, so that means they could potentially sell them to another owner,” Neil Bennett, a spokesman for Seymour Pierce, said. "Seymour Pierce advised Carson Yeung and his company, which was then called Grandtop and is now called Birmingham International Holdings, a Hong Kong company, and they advised them on the takeover of Birmingham City and they were due to pay Seymour Pierce a success fee for £2.2 million.
"They didn't pay it. Seymour Pierce has gone to court , and won the High Court case. The Hong Kong company was given 14 days to pay the money. That expired on Monday. They haven't paid so in effect they are in contempt of court and Seymour Pierce has taken the necessary steps to effectively take control of Birmingham City to recover the debt.
"It is very regrettable, very regrettable indeed, that Seymour Pierce has had to go to these lengths to get the fee but a contract is a contract and Seymour Pierce needs to be paid for its work."
Bennett added that Seymour Pierce had done all it could to recover the money prior to taking legal action.
"There have been very lengthy contacts both with Carson Yeung and his legal advisors, but it's sort of past the point of contact," he said. "The money was due to be paid on Monday. They haven't paid it. They're in contempt of court. It's a serious issue."
The club now faces an uncertain future as Seymour Pierce could put it up for sale in order to recover its money, unless Yeung pays up. Bennett added: "Everything that Seymour Pierce has done, everything that Keith Harris as chairman has done, in football has been both to promote the industry and protect the interest of fans, so Seymour Pierce will do everything it could to ensure Birmingham City is looked after, but at the end of the day it is owed a significant amount of money and will do everything it can to recover it."
Birmingham are yet to comment, but a statement issued by Birmingham International Holdings said they intended to appeal.
"The company is seeking leave from the Court of Appeal to appeal this decision and there will be an announcement as and when appropriate," the statement said.
However, Bennett sounded sceptical about their chances of success.
"They're on fairly thin ice," he said. "They were refused leave to appeal by the High Court, so to actually appeal they have to first of all get permission from the Court of Appeal to appeal, so that's a fairly convoluted process. Whether they're given that permission or not, the money was due to be paid by court order on Monday, they failed to pay it so they are now in contempt, so Seymour Pierce can take a number of measures to recover the money they're owed."
A hearing is now due on May 27 when Seymour Pierce could formally take control of the club. However, Bennett said there was still time for Yeung to solve the problem.
"This can be resolved very quickly by Carson Yeung and his company sending their cheque for two and a half million pounds to Seymour Pierce," he said. "Otherwise the process will proceed rather remorsefully, and during the summer break there could be a change of owner at Birmingham City which I don't think would be in anyone's interests."
Source
timesonline.co.uk
The bank, which is run by Keith Harris, won a High Court judgement against Carson Yeung’s Grandtop investment company last month. City announced their intention to appeal after Yeung claimed he had not used Seymour Pierce for his takeover of the club last year.
However, Seymour Pierce claimed Yeung had agreed to pay it a £2.2 million “success fee” when the Hong Kong businessman took advice on buying Birmingham in 2007. Last month the company sued to recover the fee it said it was owed.
“Seymour Pierce can take a charge over the shares of Birmingham City and do what they need to do with them to recover the money it is owed, so that means they could potentially sell them to another owner,” Neil Bennett, a spokesman for Seymour Pierce, said. "Seymour Pierce advised Carson Yeung and his company, which was then called Grandtop and is now called Birmingham International Holdings, a Hong Kong company, and they advised them on the takeover of Birmingham City and they were due to pay Seymour Pierce a success fee for £2.2 million.
"They didn't pay it. Seymour Pierce has gone to court , and won the High Court case. The Hong Kong company was given 14 days to pay the money. That expired on Monday. They haven't paid so in effect they are in contempt of court and Seymour Pierce has taken the necessary steps to effectively take control of Birmingham City to recover the debt.
"It is very regrettable, very regrettable indeed, that Seymour Pierce has had to go to these lengths to get the fee but a contract is a contract and Seymour Pierce needs to be paid for its work."
Bennett added that Seymour Pierce had done all it could to recover the money prior to taking legal action.
"There have been very lengthy contacts both with Carson Yeung and his legal advisors, but it's sort of past the point of contact," he said. "The money was due to be paid on Monday. They haven't paid it. They're in contempt of court. It's a serious issue."
The club now faces an uncertain future as Seymour Pierce could put it up for sale in order to recover its money, unless Yeung pays up. Bennett added: "Everything that Seymour Pierce has done, everything that Keith Harris as chairman has done, in football has been both to promote the industry and protect the interest of fans, so Seymour Pierce will do everything it could to ensure Birmingham City is looked after, but at the end of the day it is owed a significant amount of money and will do everything it can to recover it."
Birmingham are yet to comment, but a statement issued by Birmingham International Holdings said they intended to appeal.
"The company is seeking leave from the Court of Appeal to appeal this decision and there will be an announcement as and when appropriate," the statement said.
However, Bennett sounded sceptical about their chances of success.
"They're on fairly thin ice," he said. "They were refused leave to appeal by the High Court, so to actually appeal they have to first of all get permission from the Court of Appeal to appeal, so that's a fairly convoluted process. Whether they're given that permission or not, the money was due to be paid by court order on Monday, they failed to pay it so they are now in contempt, so Seymour Pierce can take a number of measures to recover the money they're owed."
A hearing is now due on May 27 when Seymour Pierce could formally take control of the club. However, Bennett said there was still time for Yeung to solve the problem.
"This can be resolved very quickly by Carson Yeung and his company sending their cheque for two and a half million pounds to Seymour Pierce," he said. "Otherwise the process will proceed rather remorsefully, and during the summer break there could be a change of owner at Birmingham City which I don't think would be in anyone's interests."
Source
timesonline.co.uk
Juventus give Rafael Benítez ten-day deadline over job
Juventus have given Rafael Benítez ten days to decide whether or not he wants to be considered for the manager’s job at the Italian club when it becomes vacant at the end of the season.
The Liverpool manager is only 12 months into a five-year contract at Anfield, but Juventus are hoping to take advantage of his frustration at the lack of financial backing afforded to him by Liverpool since committing his long-term future to the club.
Benítez would prefer to remain at Liverpool, particularly having secured several of the club’s top stars, including Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina and Steven Gerrard, on lengthy contracts. But Juventus are ready to test his desire to stay on Merseyside by offering the substantial transfer budget that he is seeking, but at this stage seems unlikely to get, from Liverpool.
The ultimatum from Juventus follows a survey in Marca, the Spanish newspaper, that suggested Benítez is the manager most Real Madrid supporters want to replace Manuel Pellegrini, who is expected to leave the Bernabéu at the end of the season.
Benítez topped the poll, marginally ahead of José Mourinho, the Inter Milan coach, with Fabio Capello, the England manager who has twice managed Real, a distant third.
Despite criticism of Benítez mounting during a season in which Liverpool have failed to deliver a title challenge and look likely to lose their top-four status, the club’s hierarchy has shown no indication that it is looking to dispense with his services.
Dunga, the Brazil coach, and Massimiliano Allegri, the coach of Cagliari, are also on the Juventus shortlist and should Benítez not indicate an interest in the job, the Turin-based club are ready to end their interest in him.
Torres could be available for Liverpool’s Barclays Premier League match against West Ham United on Monday after the knee injury that forced him to miss Sunday’s goalless draw with Fulham was described as “not serious” by Dr Ramón Cugat, the specialist treating him in Spain.
The Liverpool manager is only 12 months into a five-year contract at Anfield, but Juventus are hoping to take advantage of his frustration at the lack of financial backing afforded to him by Liverpool since committing his long-term future to the club.
Benítez would prefer to remain at Liverpool, particularly having secured several of the club’s top stars, including Fernando Torres, Pepe Reina and Steven Gerrard, on lengthy contracts. But Juventus are ready to test his desire to stay on Merseyside by offering the substantial transfer budget that he is seeking, but at this stage seems unlikely to get, from Liverpool.
The ultimatum from Juventus follows a survey in Marca, the Spanish newspaper, that suggested Benítez is the manager most Real Madrid supporters want to replace Manuel Pellegrini, who is expected to leave the Bernabéu at the end of the season.
Benítez topped the poll, marginally ahead of José Mourinho, the Inter Milan coach, with Fabio Capello, the England manager who has twice managed Real, a distant third.
Despite criticism of Benítez mounting during a season in which Liverpool have failed to deliver a title challenge and look likely to lose their top-four status, the club’s hierarchy has shown no indication that it is looking to dispense with his services.
Dunga, the Brazil coach, and Massimiliano Allegri, the coach of Cagliari, are also on the Juventus shortlist and should Benítez not indicate an interest in the job, the Turin-based club are ready to end their interest in him.
Torres could be available for Liverpool’s Barclays Premier League match against West Ham United on Monday after the knee injury that forced him to miss Sunday’s goalless draw with Fulham was described as “not serious” by Dr Ramón Cugat, the specialist treating him in Spain.
Keajaiban di Rumput Hijau (1950)
Amerika Serikat bertemu Inggris di Grup 2 Piala Dunia 1950 di Brasil. Menurut Soccer Digest, duel kedua negara yang terjadi pada 29 Juni 1950 di Estadio Independencia (Belo Horizonte) itu dikenal dengan "Miracle on Grass".
Sebelum mereka bermain, masing-masing tim mengalami nasib bertolak belakang di laga perdana. Inggris menang atas Chile dua gol tanpa balas, sedangkan AS takluk 1-3 dari Spanyol.
Menjelang Piala Dunia 1950, Inggris mengakui diri mereka sebagai 'Raja Sepakbola'. Pasca-Perang Dunia II, mereka mencatat rekor 23 kemenangan, 3 kali seri dan hanya 4 kali kalah.
Sementara itu, AS menelan kekalahan berturut-turut di tujuh pertandingan internasional terakhir mereka (termasuk Piala Dunia 1934 dan Olimpiade Musim Panas 1948). 'Negeri Paman Sam' hanya mampu menjaringkan dua gol dengan kebobolan 45 kali.
Bursa taruhan mempertegas keunggulan telak Inggris. Mereka menaruh 3:1 Inggris bisa menjuarai Piala Dunia sedangkan AS 500:1.
Inggris diperkuat pemain terbaik di dunia saat itu, Stanley Matthew. Berbeda dengan AS yang terdiri atas pemain semi profesional yang kebanyakan dari mereka punya pekerjaan lain.
Sebut saja, Walter Bahr seorang guru SMA, yang lain ada sebagai pengantar pos dan pencuci piring. "Kami tak punya kesempatan," ujar pelatih AS Bill Jeffrey kepada pers.
Babak Pertama
Inggris memulai kickoff babak pertama. Dalam 12 menit Inggris bisa menciptakan enam kali tembakan yang mengarah ke gawang Frank Borghi. Namun, tak satupun gol.
Peluang pertama AS didapat pada menit ke-25, ketika kiper Inggris Bert Williams menepis tendangan salah seorang pemain AS. Kemudian tercatat tiga kali Inggris melakukan serangan balik bertubi-tubi di menit 30, 31 dan 32, tapi tetap gagal mengubah skor. Mortensen dua kalu melambung di atas tiang gawang dan sundulan Tom Finney ditepis Borghi.
Pada menit ke-37, Walter Bahr (AS) mengumpan bola berjarak sekitar 25 yard, tapi Williams bergerak membelokkan umpan tersebut. Akan tetapi, muncul Joe Gaetjens yang menyundul bola muntahan sehingga tak mampu dijangkau kiper Inggris. AS memimpin 1-0 hingga turun minum.
Babak kedua
Banyak peluang dimiliki Inggris untuk memenangkan pertandingan kala itu. Salah satunya tendangan bebas langsung Mortensen berhasil diselamatkan Borghi.
Dengan sisa delapan menit, Charlie Colombo menjatuhkan Mortensen dengan tekel keras. Para pemain minta tendangan penalti, namun wasit menilai masih sedikit berada di luar kotak. Sundulan Jimmy Mullen masih bisa diblok Borgi.
AS akhirnya memenangkan pertandingan setelah Inggris tak bisa membuat gol dari sekian banyak kesempatan yang diperoleh para pemainnya. Inggris kemudian kalah 0-1 di pertandingan terakhir grup melawan Spanyol sehingga gagal lolos ke putaran final four.
AS yang kalah telak 2-5 dari Chile juga tak mampu melanjutkan kejutannya di Piala Dunia. Mereka selanjutnya tak pernah lolos kualifikasi Piala Dunia hingga 1990.
Bek kanan AS, John Souza, terpilih masuk tim All-Star 1950 versi majalah olahraga Brasil Mundo Esportivo. Dia menjadi satu-satunya pemain AS yang masuk jajaran Tim Terbaik Piala Dunia sebelum Claudio Reyna pada Piala Dunia 2002.
Sebelum mereka bermain, masing-masing tim mengalami nasib bertolak belakang di laga perdana. Inggris menang atas Chile dua gol tanpa balas, sedangkan AS takluk 1-3 dari Spanyol.
Menjelang Piala Dunia 1950, Inggris mengakui diri mereka sebagai 'Raja Sepakbola'. Pasca-Perang Dunia II, mereka mencatat rekor 23 kemenangan, 3 kali seri dan hanya 4 kali kalah.
Sementara itu, AS menelan kekalahan berturut-turut di tujuh pertandingan internasional terakhir mereka (termasuk Piala Dunia 1934 dan Olimpiade Musim Panas 1948). 'Negeri Paman Sam' hanya mampu menjaringkan dua gol dengan kebobolan 45 kali.
Bursa taruhan mempertegas keunggulan telak Inggris. Mereka menaruh 3:1 Inggris bisa menjuarai Piala Dunia sedangkan AS 500:1.
Inggris diperkuat pemain terbaik di dunia saat itu, Stanley Matthew. Berbeda dengan AS yang terdiri atas pemain semi profesional yang kebanyakan dari mereka punya pekerjaan lain.
Sebut saja, Walter Bahr seorang guru SMA, yang lain ada sebagai pengantar pos dan pencuci piring. "Kami tak punya kesempatan," ujar pelatih AS Bill Jeffrey kepada pers.
Babak Pertama
Inggris memulai kickoff babak pertama. Dalam 12 menit Inggris bisa menciptakan enam kali tembakan yang mengarah ke gawang Frank Borghi. Namun, tak satupun gol.
Peluang pertama AS didapat pada menit ke-25, ketika kiper Inggris Bert Williams menepis tendangan salah seorang pemain AS. Kemudian tercatat tiga kali Inggris melakukan serangan balik bertubi-tubi di menit 30, 31 dan 32, tapi tetap gagal mengubah skor. Mortensen dua kalu melambung di atas tiang gawang dan sundulan Tom Finney ditepis Borghi.
Pada menit ke-37, Walter Bahr (AS) mengumpan bola berjarak sekitar 25 yard, tapi Williams bergerak membelokkan umpan tersebut. Akan tetapi, muncul Joe Gaetjens yang menyundul bola muntahan sehingga tak mampu dijangkau kiper Inggris. AS memimpin 1-0 hingga turun minum.
Babak kedua
Banyak peluang dimiliki Inggris untuk memenangkan pertandingan kala itu. Salah satunya tendangan bebas langsung Mortensen berhasil diselamatkan Borghi.
Dengan sisa delapan menit, Charlie Colombo menjatuhkan Mortensen dengan tekel keras. Para pemain minta tendangan penalti, namun wasit menilai masih sedikit berada di luar kotak. Sundulan Jimmy Mullen masih bisa diblok Borgi.
AS akhirnya memenangkan pertandingan setelah Inggris tak bisa membuat gol dari sekian banyak kesempatan yang diperoleh para pemainnya. Inggris kemudian kalah 0-1 di pertandingan terakhir grup melawan Spanyol sehingga gagal lolos ke putaran final four.
AS yang kalah telak 2-5 dari Chile juga tak mampu melanjutkan kejutannya di Piala Dunia. Mereka selanjutnya tak pernah lolos kualifikasi Piala Dunia hingga 1990.
Bek kanan AS, John Souza, terpilih masuk tim All-Star 1950 versi majalah olahraga Brasil Mundo Esportivo. Dia menjadi satu-satunya pemain AS yang masuk jajaran Tim Terbaik Piala Dunia sebelum Claudio Reyna pada Piala Dunia 2002.
Gol Tercepat Piala Dunia (2002)
Striker legendaris Turki Hakan Sukur mencetak gol terkilat di sejarah Piala Dunia hanya dalam 11 detik. Rekor yang belum terpecahkan ini terjadi dalam partai perebutan juara ketiga Piala Dunia 202 melawan tuan rumah Korea Selatan pada 29 Juni di Daegu World Cup Stadium.
Rekor dimulai saat bek Hong Myung-Bo ingin mengumpan bola ke kiper Lee Won-Jae. Tiba-tiba Ilhan Mansiz sukses mencuri bola operan.
Rekor dimulai saat bek Hong Myung-Bo ingin mengumpan bola ke kiper Lee Won-Jae. Tiba-tiba Ilhan Mansiz sukses mencuri bola operan.
Mansiz kemudian meneruskan aliran bola ke Hakan Sukur yang berdiri di dekatnya. Tinggal berhadapan langsung dengan Won-Jae, penyerang yang ketika itu membela Parma (Italia) itu menembak bola dengan kaki kanannya.
Gol pemain kelahiran 1 September 1971 itu lalu membuka kran gol Turki hingga menang 3-2 sehingga memastikan negaranya meraih juara ketiga. Hakan Sukur sebenarnya tidak pernah mampu menyumbang satu gol pun sejak Turki mulai berlaga di putaran final PD.
Sebelum gol 11 detik Sukur, rekor gol tercepat Piala Dunia dibuat Vaclav Masek dalam 15 detik di pertandingan babak pertama ketika negaranya Cekoslovakia bertemu Meksiko di PD 1962.
Waw 11 detik...kick off lari dan gol....secepat 11 detik.
Rekor dimulai saat bek Hong Myung-Bo ingin mengumpan bola ke kiper Lee Won-Jae. Tiba-tiba Ilhan Mansiz sukses mencuri bola operan.
Rekor dimulai saat bek Hong Myung-Bo ingin mengumpan bola ke kiper Lee Won-Jae. Tiba-tiba Ilhan Mansiz sukses mencuri bola operan.
Mansiz kemudian meneruskan aliran bola ke Hakan Sukur yang berdiri di dekatnya. Tinggal berhadapan langsung dengan Won-Jae, penyerang yang ketika itu membela Parma (Italia) itu menembak bola dengan kaki kanannya.
Gol pemain kelahiran 1 September 1971 itu lalu membuka kran gol Turki hingga menang 3-2 sehingga memastikan negaranya meraih juara ketiga. Hakan Sukur sebenarnya tidak pernah mampu menyumbang satu gol pun sejak Turki mulai berlaga di putaran final PD.
Sebelum gol 11 detik Sukur, rekor gol tercepat Piala Dunia dibuat Vaclav Masek dalam 15 detik di pertandingan babak pertama ketika negaranya Cekoslovakia bertemu Meksiko di PD 1962.
Waw 11 detik...kick off lari dan gol....secepat 11 detik.
Escobar Bunuh Diri, lalu Mati (1994)
Bek Kolombia Andres Escobar tewas tertembak di luar bar 'El Indio' di wilayah suburban kota Medellin. Diberitakan, pembunuh meneriakkan kata "Goool!" (ala komentator Amerika Selatan tiap terjadi gol) setiap menembakkan satu butir peluru. Tercatat, 12 peluru diarahkan ke sang pemain.
Gol bunuh diri pemain kelahiran 13 Maret 1967 ke gawang Amerika Serikat di Piala Dunia 1994 menjadi motif pembunuhan karena si penembak kalah berjudi. Sang pelaku pembunuhan Humberto Munoz Castro menaruh uang banyak pada Kolombia di bursa taruhan soal timnas mana yang lolos dari fase penyisihan grup. Muncul pula asumsi lain bahwa kematiannya karena akibat dari pertengkaran di bar.
Munoz ditangkap pada Juni 1995 dan divonis 43 tahun penjara. Sebelumnya ia bekerja sebagai guru di sebuah sekolah dasar. Pada 2001 hukumannya dikurangi menjadi 26 tahun. Dalam sebuah keputusan yang kontroversial, pada 2005 Munoz dibebaskan karena berperilaku baik selama di tahanan.
Escobar masih sangat dikenang oleh rakyat Kolombia, khususnya penggemar Atletico Nacional. Saudaranya, Santiago, melatih sejumlah klub Kolombia.
Seram nih teman-teman jangan sampai terlalu mengecewakan banyak orang. Bisa berakibat fatal ^^
Gol bunuh diri pemain kelahiran 13 Maret 1967 ke gawang Amerika Serikat di Piala Dunia 1994 menjadi motif pembunuhan karena si penembak kalah berjudi. Sang pelaku pembunuhan Humberto Munoz Castro menaruh uang banyak pada Kolombia di bursa taruhan soal timnas mana yang lolos dari fase penyisihan grup. Muncul pula asumsi lain bahwa kematiannya karena akibat dari pertengkaran di bar.
Munoz ditangkap pada Juni 1995 dan divonis 43 tahun penjara. Sebelumnya ia bekerja sebagai guru di sebuah sekolah dasar. Pada 2001 hukumannya dikurangi menjadi 26 tahun. Dalam sebuah keputusan yang kontroversial, pada 2005 Munoz dibebaskan karena berperilaku baik selama di tahanan.
Escobar masih sangat dikenang oleh rakyat Kolombia, khususnya penggemar Atletico Nacional. Saudaranya, Santiago, melatih sejumlah klub Kolombia.
Seram nih teman-teman jangan sampai terlalu mengecewakan banyak orang. Bisa berakibat fatal ^^
Tangisan Gascoigne di Turin (1990)
Paul Gascoigne mencuri perhatian dunia dengan pesonanya di Piala Dunia 1990, mulai dari tubuhnya yang gemuk namun lincah, aksi briliannya di tengah lapangan, sampai tangisannya di babak semifinal.
Bertanding melawan Jerman (Barat) pada 4 Juli di Stadion Delle Alpi, Turin, Inggris tertinggal lebih dulu oleh gol Andreas Brehme. Top skorer Piala Dunia 1986 Gary Lineker menyamakan skor ketika waktu normal tersisa 10 menit. Hasil imbang selama 90 menit mengharuskan kedua tim menjalani babak tambahan.
Gascoigne, yang sudah mendapat kartu kuning saat Three Lions mengalahkan Belgia 1-0 di babak perdelapan final, melanggar pemain Jerman Thomas Berthold. Saking kerasnya pelanggaran, wasit Jose Roberto Wright (Brasil) mengganjar kartu kuning kepada Gazza, panggilan Gascoigne. Komentator BBC John Motson kala itu mengatakan, "Dia tidak akan main di final apabila Inggris memenangi laga semifinal ini."
Tiba-tiba terlihat Gazza berlinang air mata layaknya tangisan seorang anak kecil. Dia tahu kartu kuning menghilangkan kesempatan dia tampil di Olimpico, Roma.
Tak ada gol di babak perpanjangan waktu, memaksa adu penalti digelar dan Inggris menyerah 3-4 setelah tendangan penalti Stuart Pearce dan Chris Waddle gagal. Rakyat Inggris ketika itu memang sadar peluang lolos dari hadangan tim kuat Jerman sudah pudar setelah Gazza dipastikan absen.
Tangisan di menit 99 itu diakui merupakan momen terberat yang memberatkan dalam pribadi Gazza. Banyak yang menganggap lelaki kelahiran 27 Mei 1967 itu sebagai sosok pemain yang lemah dan cengeng. Tapi, sebagian lain menilai momen itu menujukkan Gazza mempunyai jiwa patriotisme yang tinggi kepada Inggris.
Nama Gascoigne termasuk dalam tim All-Star Piala Dunia 1990 karena penampilannya yang luar biasa di lini tengah. Dia kembali ke Inggris dengan sebuah kegilaan dari para penggemarnya yang terkenal dengan sebutan Gazzamania.
Lima tahun kemudian, muncul iklan televisi Walker Crisps yang terinspirasi dari pertunjukan Gazza yang menangis di semifinal. Iklan tersebut juga menampilkan Lineker, rekannya di timnas yang juga pernah sama-sama dengan Gazza memperkuat Tottenham Hotspur.
Bertanding melawan Jerman (Barat) pada 4 Juli di Stadion Delle Alpi, Turin, Inggris tertinggal lebih dulu oleh gol Andreas Brehme. Top skorer Piala Dunia 1986 Gary Lineker menyamakan skor ketika waktu normal tersisa 10 menit. Hasil imbang selama 90 menit mengharuskan kedua tim menjalani babak tambahan.
Gascoigne, yang sudah mendapat kartu kuning saat Three Lions mengalahkan Belgia 1-0 di babak perdelapan final, melanggar pemain Jerman Thomas Berthold. Saking kerasnya pelanggaran, wasit Jose Roberto Wright (Brasil) mengganjar kartu kuning kepada Gazza, panggilan Gascoigne. Komentator BBC John Motson kala itu mengatakan, "Dia tidak akan main di final apabila Inggris memenangi laga semifinal ini."
Tiba-tiba terlihat Gazza berlinang air mata layaknya tangisan seorang anak kecil. Dia tahu kartu kuning menghilangkan kesempatan dia tampil di Olimpico, Roma.
Tak ada gol di babak perpanjangan waktu, memaksa adu penalti digelar dan Inggris menyerah 3-4 setelah tendangan penalti Stuart Pearce dan Chris Waddle gagal. Rakyat Inggris ketika itu memang sadar peluang lolos dari hadangan tim kuat Jerman sudah pudar setelah Gazza dipastikan absen.
Tangisan di menit 99 itu diakui merupakan momen terberat yang memberatkan dalam pribadi Gazza. Banyak yang menganggap lelaki kelahiran 27 Mei 1967 itu sebagai sosok pemain yang lemah dan cengeng. Tapi, sebagian lain menilai momen itu menujukkan Gazza mempunyai jiwa patriotisme yang tinggi kepada Inggris.
Nama Gascoigne termasuk dalam tim All-Star Piala Dunia 1990 karena penampilannya yang luar biasa di lini tengah. Dia kembali ke Inggris dengan sebuah kegilaan dari para penggemarnya yang terkenal dengan sebutan Gazzamania.
Lima tahun kemudian, muncul iklan televisi Walker Crisps yang terinspirasi dari pertunjukan Gazza yang menangis di semifinal. Iklan tersebut juga menampilkan Lineker, rekannya di timnas yang juga pernah sama-sama dengan Gazza memperkuat Tottenham Hotspur.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
