16 September - 31 September 2000
15 SEPTEMBER 2000
Chelsea Go Italian Again
Former Fiorentina and Atletico Madrid coach Claudio Ranieri is in negotiations
with Chelsea to fill the coaches position left by the departure of Gianluca Vialli.
Nilis Career In Doubt
Luc Nilis has undergone three operations on his double leg fracture sustained
following a clash with Ipswich 'keeper Richard Wright.
14 SEPTEMBER 2000
Baggio Chooses....
Brescia! Despite interest from Valencia, the MLS and J-League he will remain
in Italy as he is under the illusion he still has a chance of making Italy's
national squad.
Chelsea Will Stick To Foreigners
With Chelsea fans calling for the appointment of Terry Venables as new coach
the club insist on hiring a foreign coach. Managing Director Colin Hutchinson
said "We are a continental side playing football in England and this will be
reflected in the choice we make.". Unless Chelsea can tempt former French
national team coach Aime Jacquet out of retirement I cannot think of a quality
coach that is available. Gus Hiddink doesn't count!
13 SEPTEMBER 2000
Salas To Join Real?
"Am I joining Real? I wouldn't rule it out. It is normal that there are clubs
interested in me and I am taking every offer into account."
Lazio striker Marcelo Salas
12 SEPTEMBER 2000
Apologies for a lack of updates yesterday, I hade to make changes to every
single page on this site (over 600).
Vialli Sacked!
That's right Chelsea have sacked coach Gianluca Vialli due to their poor start.
The club have taken six points from their opening 5 games. Graham Rix,
reportedly the real coach (Vialli is said to pick the team, Rix sets out the tactics)
will take over but Chelsea may still appoint a big name coach. Poor results are
part of the reason Vialli has been sacked but I get the feeling many players
including Flo and Zola are probably not happy with Vialli's squad rotation
system and have taken their complaints to chairman Ken Bates and in Lebouef's
case to the press. On the transfer front West Ham have rejected Chelsea's bid
of £4 million for Paolo Di Canio. No idea where this leaves Savio, who was
expected to join Chelsea from Real Madrid this week.
Ipswich To Sign Karic Next Week
Ipswich are expected to complete the signing of 'The Beckham of the left'
Amir Karic from Maribor next week. Karic was one of the stars of Slovenia's
Euro 2000 campaign due to his laser precision crosses from the left wing.
Neville Blasts Foreigners
Gary Neville has hit back In response to criticism following England's pathetic
Euro 2000 campaign "It's the usual foreign idiots that play in this country that
you've never heard of until they come here and then they start bad mouthing
the English game.". These 'foreign idiots' must also be responsible for making
Neville look like a second rate defender.
Milan Sign Another Midfielder
Despite an appalling defence Milan have signed another midfielder, arguably
their strongest position, Uruguayan midfielder Pablo Garcia from Atletico
Madrid. Garcia qualifies as a European Union player as he holds a Spanish
passport.
11 SEPTEMBER 2000
Mpenza Cheats Death
Emile Mpenza had a miraculous escape when driving home from the league
game against Schalke, he fell asleep at the wheel and crashed but was unhurt.
9 SEPTEMBER 2000
Italian Super Cup by Paul Mettewie
Lazio 4
Inter 3
Scorers : 2' Keane (I), 33' & 39' Lopez (L), 47' Mihajlovic (L - pk),
61' Farinos (I), 75' Stankovic (L), 31' Vampeta (I)
It was an exciting game with a lot of spectacle. Outside of that, it made me
ill. :-(
The Italian Super Cup final had a record for goals scored and also featured zero
goals by an Italian. It further featured El Piojo Lopez undressing a Blanc-less
Inter defense and Vampeta having a triumphant initial game for the Nerazzurri.
Veron was superb and eventually won a great midfield battle with another Inter
novice, ex-Valencia midfielder Farinos.
Hakan Sukur really was quite, quite..........mediocre. Suffice it to say that I have
seen no score higher than a "5" given to him in the initial press reports of the
game. Kataweb gave him a "4" and his nearly stationary, and almost brutally
inconspicuous game deserved it. On the other hand, Vampeta was everywhere
and created most of Inter's chances while Farinos and Seedorf contributed the
rest. Keane was quite good up front but he is still a young player and is learning.
Vampeta more than satisfied any expectations of him - he was great. Farinos,
expecially in the first half, was quite good as well. He is tough cookie and plays
to win.
Sukur - did I mention this - was awful. Of course it's early but even such absolute
newcomers as Vampeta, Farinos and Keane have shown, if not outright talent,
signs of it. Sukur has done none of this. A seemingly wasted buy and I am more
upset with Inter management than I am with the ex-Gala striker. I can't blame
him for picking up a big paycheck in Italy. I can blame Inter for thinking he is
worth it.
Lazio is a bitch of a team. And they are only going to get better. Crespo looks out
of shape and really wasn't much of a factor - fortunately for Inter since Lopez was
driving Cordoba insane with his speed and precise control. But when Hernan is in
form the attack will be almost the equal of a lethal midfield led by a Veron that is
every bit as good as he was at the start of last year and that means damn good.
Stankovic and Nedved were almost as impressive. But the Lazio defense looked
inattentive - maybe because they were lulled into overconfidence by the inept
play of Sukur. Only Nesta distinguished himself, although Mihajlovic did convert a
PK well (typical Sinisa - can't mark his shadow but the man still has a cannon for
a foot - if only Lazio could find a position where he didn't have to play defense!)
When the attack and midfield come together a bit more and Negro returns to the
defense, Lazio is going to be a nightmare to play.
As to Inter - no bulletin here but they are still not a team - the compliments run a
little thin after Vampeta, Farinos and Ballotta. Domoraud bravely attempted to
sub for the absent Blanc (back pains) but could not make up for the fact that
Lopez was undressing Cordoba and anyone else on the Nerazzurro defense.
Serena had a nice outside shot but can't defend anyone short of Sukur - and
since he is on the same team that is of no consolation.
It would also help if Inter could maintain a 50% healthy mark - Recoba and
Blanc become the latest in a long list of injured players. Brocchi as well. So
Vieri and Ronaldo and Zanetti won't be so alone in the whirlpool I guess. With
Zamorano, Pirlo, Cirillo and Ferrari at the Olympics that gives even a huge
roster like Inter problems.
Inter changed their medical staff management in response to charges that
players like Vieri and Ronaldo were being injured by improper training and
rehabilitation. Well - back to the drawing board there too it looks like.
Hmmmm......the season hasn't even started and Inter has already had two
disappointments - okay, one huge embarassment and one disappointment.
This leaves the scudetto race and the Italian Cup to go - gee, makes me
almost wish for summer again.
Paul
2002 World Cup Final
Will be held in Yokohama in Japan on 30 June 2002.
Zidane Extends Juve Contract
Zinedine Zidane has signed a new contract that 'ties' him to Juventus until
2005. Of course there is nothing to stop Zidane leaving when the current
transfer system is abolished.
8 SEPTEMBER 2000
Rejected
Hansa Rostock have sacked coach Andreas Zachuber. Rostock are bottom
of the Bundesliga and have lost all three matches without scoring a goal.
Savio Gets The Blues
Chelsea are expected to complete the signing of Brazilian winger Savio from
Real Madrid in the next few days for a fee of £7 million. A Real Madrid
spokesman said "We believe we have completed an initial deal with Chelsea
for Savio. The fee is agreed and there are a few loose ends to tie up but it
is a deal both sides are happy with."
Gregory Is At It Again
Aston Villa coach John Gregory has blasted Chelsea over their attempts
to sign captain Gareth Southgate - "I don't like Chelsea and I have never
liked Chelsea. I am disinclined to warm to them over the way they have
messed up my captain. They have delusions of greatness and are false
pretenders."
More Moaning From Ex-Arsenal Star
"I'm relieved to have finished with so called English fair play. It's a
utopia. They confuse fighting spirit with violence."
Emmanuel Petit
Man United Offer Shares To Players
In an attempt to lure the best players in the World because Man United are
tight fisted instead of multi-million pound contracts the club are
considering offering new players shares in the club. I can really see that
tempting the likes of Rivaldo to Old Trafford or that convincing Beckham to
stay at the club when he is offered £5 million a year from Milan or Barcelona
when the transfer system is scrapped. Man United have loaned defensive
liability Henning Berg to former club Blackburn Rovers.
Sorin Deal Collapses
Napoli have pulled out of a deal to sign Argentinean left back Sorin
from Cruzeiro. Valencia are thought to be interested in signing him.
BRAZIL ROUND-UP by Irineu de Carvalho
Rebuilding Corinthians
After the massive fire sale of talent in the last few months, WCC champion
Corinthians is slowly upgrading their team from "inexperient and fragile" to
"experient and regular".
New signings are :
SCHEIDT, defender, former Gremio and Brazilian National team, from Celtic
Glasgow, on a loan until December 2001.
PEREIRA, midfielder, former Sao Paulo and Perugia, captain of the Brazilian
squad that won the WC U-21 in 1993 in Australia, from Colo-Colo of Chile,
for 3 million dollars.
DJAIR, midfielder, former Botafogo, Lazio, Fluminense, Cruzeiro, Sao Paulo,
Internacional etc, from Botafogo.
MULLER, forward, former Sao Paulo, Palmeiras, world champion in 1994, from
Cruzeiro.
Another player likely to sign in the next few days is midfielder and right full-back
ROGERIO, of Palmeiras, Libertadores champion in 1999, young player with a
few caps for the Brazilian national team.
Therefore, their squad must look like (3-5-2) :
MAURICIO (crap)
SCHEIDT FABIO LUCIANO ADILSON
ROGERIO DJAIR EDU RICARDINHO ANDRE LUIS
MARCELINHO CARIOCA LUISAO
With MULLER, PEREIRA and upcoming forward EWERTHON sitting on the bench,
or (4-3-3) :
MAURICIO (crap)
ROGERIO SCHEIDT FABIO LUCIANO ANDRE LUIS
DJAIR (PEREIRA) EDU RICARDINHO
MARCELINHO CARIOCA LUISAO MULLER (EWERTHON)
It is not too bad... With the exception of Edu, a fancied young midfielder with a
price tag of 10 million dollars, and shame-goalie Mauricio, all Corinthians'
starters in the 4-3-3 formation are capped at the Brazilian national team.
(However it has been quite a while without Andre Luis and Muller wearing
the Brazilian jersey - all the others were capped in the last 2 years.)
Loads of responsibility will be on Ricardinho's shoulders, but Muller and Djair
add a lot to the experience pool. Scheidt also cannot be worse than the current
Fabio Luciano - Adilson partnership. Now they just need to get a decent goalie
in order to be a strong candidate for at least a top 8 position in the Brazilian
championship.
Irineu
7 SEPTEMBER 2000
Latest Comments From the European Commission
"The commission wishes to see a transfer system that respects both the
principles of community law and specificity of sport. The transfer system does
neither. It restricts competition between clubs."
EC Education and Culture commissioner Viviane Reding
£47 Million Boost For Arsenal
Granada Media have purchased a 5% stake in Arsenal and also invested
£47 million. Granada recently purchased a 9.9% stake in Liverpool and paid
the club £20 million for internet rights i.e. the rights to show Liverpool's
matches over the Internet.
Kewell Out For 3 Months
Leeds playmaker Harry Kewell is out for three months following surgery on an
achilles tendon injury.
Club Rankings
Below are the latest international club rankings by the IFFHS. The site is
currently down but for an explanation of system go to :
http://www.zdf.de/sport/IFFHS/content.html
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