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DECEMBER 2000 Serie A Transfer Rumours by Paul Mettewie I have read about this happening for about a month, and apparently things are getting hot now. But nothing official yet. Inter isn't going to get Pacheco in for another several weeks so they are short on strikers for the moment. With some big games in the next several weeks, they are looking to make some moves in the transfer window. Materazzi is being courted, but then everyone is after Perugia's big and talented defender (the Italian version of Jens Nowotny?) Also Inter is said to be *this close* to getting Georgatos to return to Inter but the possibility of Aimar coming is now very remote. I would think that Inter is looking at Romario as a short-term solution but that Romario wants to bite off as much Moratti money as he can and that may be where there are problems. Despite his undeniable brilliance at scoring goals, I would question bringing in a 35 year-old with a history of unrest and controversy into a club that sorely needs some egos that prefer to be quiet off the pitch. They already have enough prima donnas in other words! Also, Edmundo has apparently said he would not mind coming to Napoli, but only for four years or more. For such a volatile player of relatively advanced age this would be a major, major gamble for cash-shy Napoli. Also, Roma's president Sensi, swelled by visions of a scudetto, has allegedly offered 90 billion lira (about 45 million dollars or so) for *both* Buffon and Cannavaro. Tanzi is apparently listening to this old request since the money figure is now quite attractive, even when it involves removing the best Italian defender at present (with Nesta having played at very mediocre level so far) and a world-class keeper in Buffon. Milan apparently is looking at either Ronaldino Gaucho or Riquelme to step into the vacuum left by Boban and Leonardo. And they have obtained an option on Corrado Grabbi, a young up-and-coming Ternana attacker who was once in the Juve development channel and is now valued at 20 billion lira (10 million USD). Another possibility is Milan Rapajc, ex of Perugia and now on the outs at Fenerbahce. But Fiorentina (Terim) is also interested. Returning to Inter, I would not be surprised to see Pirlo and/or Cauet leave for Parma on some type of sale/load/partial ownership deal with the gialloblu' for the rights to Boghossian, whom Blanc has been championing. Paul 30 DECEMBER 2000 Inter's Saviour? Inter have signed 34 year old Romario from Vasco da Gama. He is expected to join after today's Joao Havalange Cup final between Vasco and Sao Caetano and could make his debut in next weeks Milan derby. 28 DECEMBER 2000 Barca After Cris by Irineu de Carvalho Bald central defender CRIS, partner to Gamarra in the Corinthians side that won the Brazilian League 98, is likely to be signed by Barcelona for 7.5 million dollars. CRIS now plays for Cruzeiro, which once again fell at the Brazilian semifinals - how consistent! - and stated that he'd rather play the Libertadores for Cruzeiro than joining Barcelona in the middle of the season. 27 DECEMBER 2000 Villa After Second Colombian Having signed Juan Pablo Angel for a club record £9.5 million, Aston Villa have now turned their attention to one of his Boca Juniors team-mates, midfielder Mauricio Serna. More Surgery For Knackered Shearer Newcastle United will lose captain Alan Shearer for three months after the striker had surgery to cure tendonitis on his knee earlier today. Zamarano Joins America Frustrated at a lack of first team opportunities Ivan Zamarano has left Inter to join Mexican team America. 25 DECEMBER 2000 The return of Lampinho Irineu de Carvalho There are some games that reinforce our taste for watching soccer games, and hopefully, we find one of those games now and then. This Sunday I watched Gremio vs Sao Caetano for the semifinal of the failed Joao Havelange Cup - the Brazilian league of 2000 if you will. That was the first time I have seen Sao Caetano game in my whole life. They exist under this current denomination for only eleven years, all of them in lower divisions. But because the Copa JH opened the Brazilian highest division to more than 100 teams, they are getting their first shot at glory. In the first leg, played at Palmeiras stadium, since Sao Caetano's stadium is being reformed to get ready for their first participation in the highest level of the Paulista League next year, there was an exciting victory by Sao Caetano 3-2. I have not watched that game. So in the second leg, all that Gremio had to do was winning 1-0 and qualify to the finals based on the away goal rule. GREMIO Now let's bash Gremio a little. They are one of the highest budget teams in Brazil, but their coach, Celso Roth, a disciple of Filipao Scolari, plays them like a small team in an ultra-defensive formation with 3 hackers + 1 utility player (Zinho) in midfield. Something like : Darnley Anderson Marinho "Thuram" Rodrigo_Costa Patricio Itaqui Anderson_Polga Carlos_Gaviao Zinho Ronaldinho_Gaucho Warley Now you can imagine how uncreative that team can get. Itaqui, AP and CG are three unskilled hackers, Zinho is 36 and slowing down, Warley is no Einstein, I mean no Careca, and Ronaldinho Gaucho has to do everything. Notice that Gremio chose to play that way, because forward Paulo Nunes and midfield-forward Rodrigo Mendes were sitting on bench. SAO CAETANO But Sao Caetano is the most unexpected of the dark horses. First of all, their average age is 28. That is because their goalie Silvio Luis is 22 and midfielder Claudecir (more later on him) is 25. Everybody else is 27 or older. Now one would expect that a small team would play defensively. Wrong. Sao Caetano's defense is horrible. Therefore they play suicide attacking soccer. The formation looks like this : Silvio Luis Japinha Daniel Serginho(?) Cesar Adaozinho Claudecir Esquerdinha Ailton Vagner Ademar where only Adaozinho is a hacker, Claudecir and Esquerdinha are volantes with good skills, Ailton is a "trequartista", Vagner is a poor soul that can only run, Ademar is a rude shooter and Cesar on the left wing is Selecao material left full-back. Now the trivia : (1) ADEMAR, likely to be the top scorer in the Brazilian league, beating Romario, Franca, Edmundo and others, have never played in a first division in his whole career. He is 27 now, his shot reminds Roberto Carlos (2) CESAR, a former inmate, 27 (?) years old, humiliated Gremio's right wing for 90 minutes. Every Brazilian team with resources is after him. (3) CLAUDECIR, who looks like a NBA basketball player, has good feet, if he can keep up his game, Vampeta or Emerson will be in trouble in the Selecao. Now the game : With 5 minutes, Gremio scores in a defensive blunder of Sao Caetano. Coach Celso Roth orders their team to go defensive and hold to the tie. Sao Caetano dominates the midfield and loses a few goal scoring opportunities. End of first half. Roth sacks useless forward Warley and brings in Rodrigo Mendes with the mission to "compose the midfield". Sao Caetano now has total control of the game, with Claudecir, Cesar and Esquerdinha making back heel passes, tunnels and other tricks on Gremio's donkey trio (AP, CG and Itaqui). (Now some injustice) Ademar tries to dribble Gremio's excellent Marinho. Marinho makes a perfect tackle. The idiot wearing black, at 1 meter of distance form the incident calls it a penalty. Cesar scores 1-0. (End of injustice) Now Gremio has to score another goal to qualify. But where are their forwards? Ronaldinho Gaucho is nowhere to be found. Warley is on the shower room. Bingo! I do not remember Gremio taking a single shot on goal in the last 45 minutes of the game. Sao Caetano must have help the ball for 75% of the time, and scored their second and third goal with ease, a wonderful shot in the angle by Ademar, finishing a counter-attack, plus another penalty - this time a fair penalty due to a hand interception. Sao Caetano advances with 2 wins. Gremio's supporters applauded Sao Caetano players for long minutes. Lampinho was sitting on the bench at Sao Caetano. If the game got a little closer, he would replace hacker Adaozinho and would dribble Gremio's volantes for 15 minutes until the clock stopped. However that was not necessary. Sao Paulo 2001 by Irineu de Carvalho The project for Sao Paulo year 2001 seems to be unfolding quickly. The new coach is OSVALDO ALVAREZ, a.k.a. VADAO, which is a guarantee of tactically innovative football - he is the only coach in Brazil that consistently plays 3-5-2 with a libero. Some news from the transfer market at least suggest that changes will happen. BETO, the Horrible, is back to Flamengo, the prostitutes from Rio all went into debt in their credit cards. PIMENTEL, the Poor, is also headed the same way. Last but not the least, management only does not know where they will ship CARLOS MIGUEL, the Overpaid and AXEL, the Sh**er. One interesting deal seems to be at the making : striker FRANCA, the Forgotten, exchanged by Flamengo's DENILSON, the Rip-off. Meanwhile, SP is bargaining the price for striker MARCELO RAMOS, the Average, who had an average semester while on loan from Cruzeiro. But the bulk of new transfers are actually rejects returning from loans. Forward ARISTIZABAL, the Lazarus, seems to have raised from his grave injury, and now is #10 and captain for the Colombian national team. Striker REINALDO, the Cerebral, who is co-owned with that Roman team with jerseys the same color as girls underwear, had a good stint at Parana Clube and may be now good enough for SP's bench. The same can be said of volante SIDNEI, the Mean, coming back from Sport Recife. Therefore, the likely formation, assuming the Denilson-Franca swap and a 4 defenders line, will be : Rogerio_Ceni Belletti Celso_Ayala Rogerio_Pinheiro Gustavo_Nery Fabio_Simplicio Sidnei (Maldonado) Aristizabal Souza (Julio_Batista, Fabiano) Denilson Marcelo_Ramos (Ilan, Reinaldo) Interestingly, even with a low budget strategy, SP may have the captains of Brazil and Colombia (Rogerio Ceni and Ari), plus an important starter of Paraguay (Celso Ayala), plus two players with some marginal probability of playing at the Selecao (Belletti and Denilson), and a starter for the Chilean national team player on the bench, Maldonado, the Limited. However, I would not mind getting a top right-wing player. We have not had one since... Juninho went to Boro !!!! I guess we will have to breed one. (I would not mind getting Euller of Vasco and Leonardo of Milan - it would not be too expensive and the team's profile would be totally changed for better). Just look at that : Rogerio_Ceni Belletti Celso_Ayala Rogerio_Pinheiro Gustavo_Nery Fabio_Simplicio Sidnei (Maldonado) Leonardo Euller Marcelo_Ramos Denilson (Franca, Souza) Wouldn't it make a big difference? Irineu France Round-up by Paul Bailey Passport Fraud Scandal Broadening Starting with Saint-Etienne's Brazilian forward Alex (playing with a Portugese passport) and Ukrainian keeper Maxym Levytsky (with a Greek passport), the passport scandal in France is reaching new proportions. The LNF (National Football League) is now asking all clubs to check the validity of their foreign (non-EU) player's passports. In addition, RC Strasbourg are calling on FIFA to ban their former Argentinian midfielder Diego Garay from playing in any league after hearing rumors that he was playing under a false Italian passport last season. D2 side Nancy have urged the FFF to deduct all points Strasbourg won in which they fielded Garay - which would leave Strasbourg in last season's relegation zone instead of Nancy, who are in favor of being reinstated into the top division. It should also be noted that a strong regional rivalry exists between Strasbourg (of Alsace) and Nancy (from the neighboring region of Lorraine). More Woes For Strasbourg On top of their involvement in the LNF's passport investigations, RC Strasbourg now face the possibility of disciplinary action after Nelly Viédot was injured when a firecracker thrown from the stands exploded in her eyes. A tribunal will be meeting next friday and expect to reach a verdict by 18 January. Strasbourg are hoping to escape with either a warning or a demand to play all their home games at a neutral venue (which would probably be in Colmar or Mullhausen), but may lose the game by a default score of 0-3. Serge Cayen, head of security for the club, speaking in an interview after the match, wanted to know how anyone was supposed to have found a firecracker 3cm long and 4cm in diameter among all the fans entering the stadium. Bastia To File Complaint Against Lillois Before the kickoff of the Lille - Bastia match, a brawl broke out in the player's tunnel when Bastia were denied access to the grounds. In the fighting that followed, Bastia president François Nicolaï received facial injuries that required hospitalization. The Corsican side are planning to file a complaint with the LNF against the Nordiste club, claiming that they are "incapable of insuring the safety of either the players or the management" thanks, Paul 23 DECEMBER 2000 New Signing For Inter With seven forwards already on the books including injured Ronaldo, Inter have signed another one, Pacheco from Penarol, for £3 million. Here's the remaining documentation from the European Commission. European Commission Statement to European Parliament Mrs Viviane Reding Member of the European Commission responsible for Education and Culture Commission's investigation into FIFA's transfer rules Statement to European Parliament Strasbourg, 7 September 2000 1. The Commission's approach to sport is laid out in its Helsinki report on preserving sport structures and maintaining the social function of sport within the Community framework. The report calls for the convergence of the endeavours of the sport movement, the Member States and the Community to make sure that sport continues to play its role as an instrument of education and inclusion based on fair play, equal opportunities and reward for merit also in its new economic environment. It is clear that Community law, and in particular the principle of non discrimination, the principle of free movement and the competition rules apply to sport. It is also clear that, as is emphasised in Declaration No 29 annexed to the Treaty of Amsterdam, the Community recognises the social significance of sport and the importance of the dialogue with the sport movement. It is in this spirit that the Commission, under the direct responsibility of my colleague Mario Monti, is dealing with certain competition cases relating to sport. The Commission recognises the autonomy of the sport movement to establish the "rules of the game" that are inherently necessary. The Commission accepts the specificity of sport in that the game requires a certain degree of competitive equality between players and clubs in order to ensure the uncertainty of results that is its essence. The Commission investigates only cases that have a Community and an economic dimension. 2. As regards the current case of the FIFA transfer rules, I would like to recall that already in 1998, following a number of complaints, the Commission challenged the compatibility of the FIFA transfer rules with the competition rules and sent a statement of objections to FIFA. The Commission takes the view that the FIFA rules unduly restrict transfers. This is the case notably where these rules determine the conditions of transfers following the termination of a contract by a player even where the termination is in accordance with the terms of the contract and the national employment law, and where compensation duly warranted by these has been established and paid. 3. Contrary to what has been alleged in some press articles, the Commission has no intention to abolish the transfer system altogether, or to create a situation under which players may terminate contracts on the spur of the moment. The Commission is the guardian of the Treaty, and as such wishes to see a transfer system that respects both the principles of Community law and the specificity of sport. The current transfer system does neither. It restricts competition between clubs as well as the free movement of players. And it has not prevented the over-commercialisation of sport, the widening of the gap between the economically powerful and the economically less powerful clubs and the fact that players (and especially young players) become objects of speculation. 4. For a long time, the Commission has patiently waited for the FIFA to present alternatives to the present system, so that a mutually satisfactory and equitable solution can be reached by consensus. Both Mario Monti and myself have engaged ourselves in dialogue with the world of football. We have pointed out that in accordance with national employment law, some form of compensation will usually be justified should a player break his contract with a club in order to join a new club. We have pointed out that it is evident that in order to avoid disruption of championships, the Commission would be prepared to accept rules which require transfers to take place during specified periods only. And, most important, we have pointed out that the effort of training young people must be encouraged, so that compensation reflecting costs incurred by a club in training young people can be accepted unless this creates a situation of undue dependency between players and clubs. 5. Until very recently, there was no response. As is obvious, the Commission cannot wait indefinitely. That is the reason why both Mario Monti and myself made it very clear over the last few months FIFA must come forward with alternatives or accept the risk of a prohibition decision. 6. Both Mario Monti and I welcome the fact that this time, our appeal seems not to have fallen on deaf ears. As of last week, FIFA recognised that its transfer rules are not in conformity with Community law, and announced its intention to bring forward an alternative system. Since the details of this system have not yet been made public, nor indeed been finally decided, I cannot comment on it at this stage. But we hope that we will be in possession of a concrete proposal very soon. Mario Monti's services, in close consultation with my services, and those of Anna Diamantopoulou, are ready to examine them as quickly as possible. Our doors are always open for a fruitful and constructive dialogue. 7. Let me conclude by emphasising this Commission's commitment to the European model of sport and its values. The European Parliament has repeatedly stated that it shares this commitment and will say so, I believe, once again when adopting its report on the Helsinki report. The French Presidency has declared the same commitment on behalf of the Council. So we are in agreement. The Community acts with sport's best interest at heart for the good of the game and therefore, I am confident that with good will from all sides, a satisfactory solution is within reach. Football Transfers : Commission Underlines The Prospect Of Further Progress Brussels, 06 december 2000 The European Commission is currently studying proposals from FIFA to modify its rules on transfers and is holding further discussions with the football world with a view to reaching a satisfactory solution which preserves the specificity of football while respecting European Union law. The Commission recognises the specific character of sport and of football in particular, namely its cultural and social role, the need to protect young players, to encourage training, to ensure the stability of competitions and to strengthen solidarity between large and small clubs, including amateur clubs. The Commission in December 1998, following several complaints in 1997 and 1998, outlined its objections to the present FIFA system for international transfers. Contrary to what may have been understood, the Commission has never sought to abolish the existing transfer system but only that it should be modified in a way that respects Community law. On October 31 2000 proposals were received from FIFA and other parties in the football world to address the Commission's objections. The proposals represented a significant development after nearly two years of discussions with FIFA. The Commission welcomes the new constructive attitude of FIFA and its commitment to work with all members of the football family to try and find a compromise which respects EU law. This is in itself a very positive step. On certain aspects the proposals presented need to be clarified and completed and discussions are continuing with the different interested parties. The Commission is hopeful that a satisfactory solution can be found through this dialogue that has been set up recently with FIFA and the other interested parties in a constructive spirit. The FIFA proposals currently being examined form a good basis for discussion. The Commission will continue the dialogue with the interested parties with a view to reaching a solution as soon as possible. The Commission recognises the validity of FIFA rules insofar as they aim at preventing one club luring away players from a competing club during the course of the championship to ensure the smooth running of the competition. Moreover, the Commission considers that stability of contracts is very important in this sector. But FIFA rules should also be, of course, compatible with the basic principle of free movement of workers. The Commission welcomes proposals for FIFA rules on training compensation fees designed to protect both the training of young players and the clubs that train them, in particular small and amateur clubs. Talks are underway on how these innovative proposals might work in practice. As far as severance fees not related to training are concerned, the Commission considers that EU competition law does not apply where these are established between clubs and players exclusively in accordance with applicable national law, as opposed to the present situation of these being governed by FIFA rules. Alternatively, if FIFA is to continue to set common rules, then these must be based on transparent and objective criteria in conformity with EU law. The Commission encourages FIFA to hold further discussions notably with the international players' union FIFpro with a view to finding a negotiated compromise that reflects the mutual basic rights and obligations of both players and clubs. Alternatively, such negotiations could be held at national level. 22 DECEMBER 2000 Official Responce From The European Commission! I will post the remainder of the documentation tomorrow. Dear Sir, Thank you for your email about the transfers issue. Unfortunately, I will not be able to give you a detailed answer to your question. The matter of transfers is currently being examined by the Commission under the Community rules on competition. You will no doubt understand that in order to respect the rights of the parties directly concerned, the Commission has to observe the rules on confidentiality specific to this type of procedure. I should nevertheless like to stress the following points: * First of all, the Commission has reiterated its acknowledgement of the importance of sport in the Helsinki Report on Sport adopted in December 1999 and is fully aware of how special sport is and its value in social and educational terms, in other words its uniqueness. * Nevertheless, the Commission is the guardian of the Treaty and thus has an obligation to deal with the complaints submitted to it. This is what happened with regard to transfers, when the complainants contested the traditional rules of the FIFA in the light of Community legislation on competition and freedom of movement. The Commission had a duty to examine the arrangements in question. * It is not within the Commission's remit, nor does it have any intention, to impose a system of transfers on the world of football. * The Commission's role is quite simply to ensure that the system of transfers complies with Community law. Subject to this reservation, the Commission respects the right of the sports movement to organise itself and to lay down its own rules. * The Commission has always stressed its attachment to dialogue. It welcomes comments from all parties involved in football, including those not directly involved in the procedure. The Commission has met with the FIFA and the UEFA delegations and all the representative talking partners who have wanted to express their opinions. The Commission's view is that dialogue and mutual understanding are the keys to the solution of the current problems. * The Commission hopes that the solution found, with due regard for Community law, will respect the interests of the football community and everyone within. As you know, the Commission on 31 October 2000 received proposals from the football world on reforms to the transfer system. These are currently being examined in the departments of the three Commission members concerned, namely Mr Monti, responsible for Competition, Mrs Reding, responsible for Education, Culture and Sport, and Mrs Diamantopoulou, responsible for Employment and Social Affairs. The Commission is not therefore in a position to take a stand on these proposals for the time being. However, I herewith enclose the copy of a Commission press release dated December 2000 and of an address by Mrs Reding on 7 September 2000 before the European Parliament. These two documents will provide you with useful information on the Commission's approach in this area. You can also consult the European Commission's Internet site (sports unit of the Education and Culture DG) at the following address : http://europa.eu.int/comm/sport/index_en.html. There you will find all the information the Commission has published on the matter of transfers. I thank you most sincerely for your contribution to the debate and for your keen interest in Community activities. Yours faithfully, Sports Unit Villa Sign Angel Aston Villa have signed Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel from River Plate for £9.5 million. He will join Villa pending a medical and work permit. 21 DECEMBER 2000 Palermo Ready For Europe Boca Juniors striker Martin Palermo is being linked with a move to two of Europe's er top clubs - Napoli and West Ham! March Return For Ronaldo Ronaldo recently completed his first training session following knee surgery and is now scheduled to return in March. ENIC To Take Over in New Year Investment company ENIC are expected to complete their takeover of Tottenham in February. Keane Joins Leeds Leeds have signed striker Robbie Keane from Inter on loan until the end of the season with a view to a £12 million move. Leeds have first refusal on the Republic of Ireland international when his loan spell ends in July. Villa Give Up On McCarthy Having failed in their attempts to sign Benni McCarthy from Celta Vigo, Aston Villa have now targeted River Plate's Colombian striker Juan Pablo Angel. Angel has scored 17 goals in 17 games and is valued at £10 million. ENIC To Take Control of Tottenham Investment company ENIC are holding talks with Tottenham over buying a 27% stake in the club from current Chairman Alan Sugar. ENIC have stakes in several football clubs World-wide. 19 DECEMBER 2000 Figo Wins Ballon D'Or As we reported last week Luis Figo been awarded the Ballon D'or - European Footballer of the Year award. Based on the votes of European journalists here are the top five : PLAYER CLUB & COUNTRY VOTES Luis Figo Real Madrid/Portugal 197 Zinedine Zidane Juventus/France 181 Andriy Shevchenko Milan/Ukraine 85 Thierry Henry Arsenal/France 54 Nesta Lazio/Italy 39 Rivaldo Barcelona/Brazil 39 17 DECEMBER 2000 EC and FIFA Agree On New Transfer System The European Commission originally told FIFA/UEFA that changes must be made to the transfer system following the Bosman ruling. Typically the football bodies sat on their backsides and did nothing until earlier this year when the European Commission threatened to outlaw the current system. According to the Sunday Business newspaper the EC and FIFA have reached an agreement over the new system which will take effect from next season : The Bosman ruling whereby a player can leave for no fee at the end of his contract will NOT apply to players under 23 years of age A percentage of the transfer fee for young players will go to the club that developed that player The transfer window will be open from May to August 16 DECEMBER 2000 Keane To Leave Inter "Inter are evaluating offers from some English clubs interested in Keane. Negotiations could come to a conclusion during the Christmas break.". Inter President Massimo Moratti Not So Sweet For Sugar Tottenham Chairman Alan Sugar has said he will sell his 40% share in the club in the new year following continued pressure from the clubs supporters. Two seasons ago Sugar claimed if Tottenham did not win the league championship within two years he would quit as chairman. Better late than never. France Round-up by Paul Bailey ESTAC Religious Wars Algerian internationals Farid Ghazi and Rafik Saifi look likely to leave their club -Troyes - after a row over their religious beliefs. Neither played in last week's 2-2 draw against Auxerre after a disagreement with coach Alain Perrin over their observance of Ramadan, during which Muslims normally fast during the day. Perrin claimed that the players refused to play against Auxerre, while the Algerians say Perrin ordered them not to fast. Troyes president Daniel Vacelet is standing behind Perrin, stating: "I'm not afraid to say that the players have not been at their best, mentally or physically, this season. If they are looking for reasons to leave the club, we will not stand in their way." Another Brazilian in France? The French paper "Le Parisien" printed an article suggesting that PSG have signed a pre-contract with Grêmio's Brazilian international Ronaldinho Gaucho, with the possibility of finishing a full contract as early as some time next week. Apparently, television corporation Channel Plus - one of PSG's sponsers - have agreed to help sponser the transfer. ETA Threaten Lizarazu French international Bixente Lizarazu received a letter from the Basque seperatist group ETA on Monday. The letter was sent to members of Lizarazu's family, who live just north of the Spanish border in the Basque region, and accuses Lizarazu of working for Basque oppressors : "You have been well paid to wear the shirt of an oppressor with money stolen from the Basque people and Basque region. Given these enemy payments, ETA is writing to you because it has big economic needs to continue its fight. A non-response on your behalf could lead to a response against you and your belongings." Confirmed by German police, the letter was condemned by both French Prime Minister Lionel Jospin and mainstream Basque politicians in Spain, including Josu Jon Imaz, spokesman for the Basque regional government. I'm unfamiliar with "Le Parisien", so would there be any chance of getting confirmation from one of the Brazilian correspondants concerning the rumor that Ronaldinho is going to sign with PSG? thanks, Paul Bailey |