16 March 2005 Referee's Chief Misses the Point The man who branded Jose Mourinho an enemy of football, UEFA referees' chief Volker Roth, has blamed the abuse of officials as the reason for a lack of officials at grass roots level : "The problem is that at grass-roots level fewer people want to become referees because they are only going to be discriminated against. Who is going to do that if you are going to get abused? It is difficult to get new referees when reporters, TV and coaches are constantly laying into them. Young people say 'I'm not going to do that." Of course the real problem is that FIFA and UEFA refuse to implement video technology and always leap top the defence of their officials even when they make glaring mistakes. Raul Ready for Sacrifice "If I have to sacrifice myself for the club and for the team to progress that's what I'll do. Now people are saying that three or four of us have to go (Figo, Beckham and Roberto Carlos) and I am one of them, though the club hasn't told me that." Raul Perez Defends Raul "I never said any Real Madrid player was on the market. They all are under contract and we are fond of all of them. Raul, as well as being an extraordinary player, has been in the first team for 10 years and is the skipper He is one of the most important in Real Madrid's history." - Real Madrid chairman Florentino Perez Luxemburgo Relaxed "I am not worried as regards whether I am going to stay on or not stay on at Real. My thoughts are entirely focused on the team finishing the season as it ought to. I have not forgotten about the league, even if many say it is a hopeless cause. I am sure I am going to be good Real Madrid coach." - Wanderley Luxemburgo 15 March 2005 Terry Promises Tears of Joy "This club has not seen enough trophies over the years. We've had the squad for the last few seasons and it is time we changed that,. The ultimate for players and fans is to win the title again 50 years on. If I'm the man to lift that trophy I will be in tears, I really will." - Chelsea captain John Terry Ronaldinho Investigated for Fraud French fraud squad detectives are investigating television channel Canal+ after learning that they paid €15 million into Ronaldinho's Swiss bank account. Ronaldinho was paid the money after joining Canal+ owned PSG in 1999. Platini Wants UEFA Presidency "I am going to bid for the UEFA presidency in succession to Sweden's Lennart Johansson. I want to spend time in a controversial world in an attempt to stop the controversy. I have sent a letter to UEFA to tell them I will be a candidate." Michel Platini Mourinho Sets Date for Peace Match Jose Mourinho has set March the 27th as the date for his two day trip to Israel. Mourinho will give a lecture to coaches, watch teams of mixed Israeli and Palestinian children play and also take part in a match between adults. 14 March 2005 Mourinho Threatens Legal Action "With regards to the declarations from Mr Roth (the chairman of the UEFA referee's committee who branded Mourinho an enemy of football) there's two ways out. He apologises or it goes to court." When questioned about Frisk's retirement : "It's a shame that Frisk has decided to leave football. If, as some people have suggested, this decision is linked to the criticism of his performance in the Barcelona game, it seems strange to me. There's similar criticism every day, all around the world, for managers, directors and players. It's a normal situation. A referee as experienced as Mr Frisk would not take such a drastic action if effectively his retirement was caused by the criticism of how he performed in Barcelona-Chelsea. If other reasons exist, I'm unaware of them and would like them to be made clear." Chelsea Condemn Death Threats A Chelsea statement read : "We would like to make it absolutely clear that both the club as a whole, and our manager and first-team coach Jose Mourinho, condemn any threats made to Mr Frisk, his family or friends which may have, in any way, influenced his decision to retire as a referee. If there is any evidence of such behaviour by Chelsea fans then we would totally disassociate ourselves from them and we would welcome any such evidence to be passed to us so we can investigate and take the appropriate action." Referees Chairman Brands Mourinho an Enemy of Football Volker Roth, chairman of UEFA's Referees' committee : "It's the coaches who whip up the masses and actually make them threaten people with death. We can't accept that one of our best referees has been forced to quit because of this. People like Mourinho are the enemy of football." Terry Flattered With Moore Comparisons "Nowadays people look at me as similar to Tony Adams, but a couple have said my style is similar to Bobby Moore. I hope I can do even a quarter of the things that man did. They tell me he was never quick. I wouldn't say I'm slow but I'm not lightning. I like to think I read the game really well and they say he was the same. My dad used to say if you can be two yards in front of people in your head, even lacking a yard of pace you'll get to the ball before them. That's where I think we relate a little. I honestly don't think that reading the game is something you can learn. If you're born with that knowledge you can add to it but if you're not, I really don't think you can. Bobby's mum still lived on the road at the top of mine and one of my best friends lived there too. So, basically we grew up on the same estate and he's an absolute legend back there. It's not a great part of the world but we're proud of where we come from and always want to better ourselves. We do that by working hard. Whether it is football, snooker, swimming or golf, I want to be the best and I hate losing." - Chelsea captain John Terry Del Neri Resigns Roma legend and 1982 World Cup winner Bruno Conti has become Roma's four coach of the season after Luigi Del Neri reigned following their weekend thrashing by Cagliari. Rudi Voller replaced Cesare Prandelli at the start of the season after he left to look after his sick wife. Voller only last a few weeks and was replaced by Del Neri who himself had been sacked by European Champions Porto without having played a single game because of his unpopular training methods and lax time keeping. Conti had been in charge of Roma's youth team which has produced some exceptional talent in recent years. Beckham Academy to Open at Millennium Dome David Beckham's football academy will open in the Greenwich Peninsula as part of the redevelopment of the massively expensive flop, the Millennium Dome, in the summer. The Millennium Dome was built to celebrate the new Millennium at a cost of over €1 billion. The dome was closed in December 2000 and has opened for exhibitions in December 2003 and December 2004. There will be two full sized pitches, indoor training facilities, classrooms and a dining hall. There are plans to open an academy in Los Angeles later this year. Former Manchester United coach Eric Harrison, who coached Beckham through the youth ranks, said : "They will get fantastic coaching, the facilities are magnificent, and it will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience." Dortmund Saved from Bankruptcy Dortmund have avoided bankruptcy after Molsiris, who own a 94% stake in the Westfalen Stadium, accepted their repayment plan and request to defer repayments of €15 million in each of the next two seasons. Haessler Retires Germany midfielder Thomas Haessler has retired at the age of 38. Haessler is the last active member of Germany's 1990 World Cup winning team. The tiny playmaker joined Juventus after the World Cup but was a flop and promptly sold at the end of the season to Roma. His performances improved greatly at Roma and he became a key player alongside fellow World Cup winner Rudi Voller and Giuseppe 'the price' Giannini. Haessler left Roma for Karlsruher in 1994 (aged 28) where he spent four seasons. Haessler was outstanding for Germany in Euro 96 but should have retired after leaving Karlsruher in 1998 aged 32, when he was well and truly past it. Haessler cited injuries for his decision to retire : "Yes it is true I am finally retiring. I am starting to feel the strains on my body after such a long career in football." Blind Takes Charge at Ajax Ajax have appointed former captain Danny Blind as coach following the resignation of Ronald Koeman. Blind spent 13 years at Ajax winning four league titles, three Dutch cups, the Cup Winners Cup in 1987, UEFA Cup in 1992 and completed an extremely rare hat-trick by winning the European Cup in 1995. Blind has run the Ajax football academy since 2003. 13 March 2005 Batistuta Retires "I am retiring as a professional footballer. Thank-you for all the affection that you have given me." - Gabriel Batistuta 12 March 2005 Cole's Agent Denies Meeting Ashley Cole's agent, Jonathan Barnett, has furiously denied claims made by Chelsea to a football league inquiry in the 'tapping-up' case. Chelsea are accused of an illegal approach to a player under contract (Cole) to another club but told the inquiry that Cole and his agent instigated a meeting with Jose Mourinho, Peter Kenyon (chief executive) and Pini Zahavi (Mourinho's key agent) at a London hotel. Barnett said : "I am happy to confirm, on the record, that the accusations levelled at Ashley are entirely false. Not only that, they are both appalling and offensive. For it to be suggested that I cynically set up a meeting with Chelsea and dragged them to it almost against their will is, quite frankly, ludicrous. When I gave my evidence to the inquiry I was respectfully reminded that the proceedings were confidential and I have respected that." Frisk Retires After Death Threats "The threats toward me have escalated the last few weeks after the Barcelona Chelsea game. It's not worth carrying on. My safety and the safety of my family goes before anything else. These last few weeks have been the worst of my life. I still say that what I did in Barcelona was correct (sending off Didier Drogba). Chelsea have supporters in many parts of the world, so all of them (death threats) didn't come from England. Soon it will be impossible to referee a Champions League match if the clubs can't accept defeat or a player being sent off." Anders Frisk Brescia Duo Released Brescia defender Daniele Adani and midfielder Roberto Guana has been released after returning late from training. The duo were given time off after being criticised by the clubs fans. Adani said "Leaving this jersey is a big sacrifice.", Guana added "It is a really big pain but leaving is the last gift we could give the club." 11 March 2005 Romario to Play Non League Football Legendary Brazilian striker Romario will come out of retirement to play for Garforth Town next season : A statement on the club's website, garforthtown.com, read : "Garforth Town is delighted to announce that Brazilian legend Romario will be making the move to The Marston's Stadium for the 2005-06 season." April Return for Recoba Alvaro Recoba has undergone surgery on an ankle fracture and will return to action sometime in April. Shevchenko Set for Roma Return "Shevchenko is doing well and I think he can be back to play against Roma next Sunday. He has no physical problems at the moment, as he has resumed training with running, shooting and pretty much everything a footballer needs to do. Now we have to see when he’ll feel ready to challenge an opponent for a header but I think he’ll be ready for Roma." - Carlo Ancelotti. England Line-up Friendlies in the USA England will play the US on the 28th of May in Chicago and then play Colombia on May the 31st at Giants stadium. Both games will kick-off in the afternoon for the benefit of the English television audience. Keegan Walks out on City Kevin Keegan has left Manchester City 15 months before the end of his contract. Keegan had planned to quit football at the end of next season having previously walked out on Newcastle and England. Keegan's assistant Stuart Pearce will take over until. It's rumoured that the clubs plans to sell prize asset Shaun Wright-Phillips, probably to Manchester United, and his frustration on the lack of funds is the reason for his sudden departure. Wor Kev's Coaching Career Kevin Keegan a former two time European football of the year with Hamburg and European Cup winner with Liverpool quit Newcastle in 1997 after five years having taken the club from Division Two into the Premiership. Newcastle blew what seemed an insurmountable 12 point to hand Manchester United the Premiership title in 1996. He quit the following season, having gained some revenge with a 5-0 thrashing of Manchester United. In 1998 he was appointed coach of Division One Fulham and got them promoted to the Premiership. He was named manager of England in 1999 but had left the post in 2000 following a first round exit at the European Championships and a defeat in a World Cup qualifying match against Germany at Wembley. In 2001 he was appointed coach of Manchester City then in Division one and, as he had done with Newcastle and Fulham, took them into the Premiership. Much maligned for his teams tactical naivety in defence at Newcastle, England and Fulham Keegan has, remarkably, developed into a fine coach at Manchester City. The team's defence is one of the best in the league and he has successfully resurrected the careers of Richard Dunne, Sylvain Distin, David James and Robbie Fowler while nurturing the immensely gifted Shaun-Wright Phillips. Queiroz Repeats Call for Winter Break. "It is important for English football to look at the goals it wants to achieve in the coming years and make the right decisions. Everybody agrees that the players need a break during the winter. The results are there for everyone to see. English football must follow if it is to provide similar kind of results. How we are going to do it is another discussion but the important thing is to do it." Carlos Queiroz, Manchester United Assistant coach Di Canio Fined Paolo Di Canio has been fined €10,000 by the Italian FA (FIGC) for making the Roman salute at the Rome derby against Lazio in January. Henry Denies Money Claims "I never said we need to spend big or blamed anyone for the Champions League exit. I was asked is it true we have over-achieved, and I said we have over-achieved because we have not spent as much as Tottenham or Birmingham. That's just a fact, it's not about blaming, that was a fact, that was my only answer. You twist what I said, I said you should ask the boss about that." - Thierry Henry 10 March 2005 Mourinho Fined €21,500 Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho has been fined over comments he made in a post match interview about referee Neale Barry after the clubs Carling Cup semi-final tie with Manchester United. Mourinho said after a half time chat with Alex Ferguson it was "whistle after whistle, fault after fault, cheat and cheat." Chelsea have also been fined €21,500 for their part in a brawl at the end of a league match against Blackburn last month. Blackburn were fined €14,300 after accepting the FA Charge of failing to ensure their players conducted themselves in an orderly fashion. Crespo Gets Phone Call From Mourinho "Mourinho rang me to congratulate me after my goals against (Manchester) United. He told me he does not intend to let me go in the summer and will keep a close eye on what I am doing at Milan." Henry Blames Lack of Money for Euro Failure "I'm not looking for excuses but we had to 'squeeze our teeth' for a little while if I can use that expression because of the new stadium because we did brilliantly last season, no-one noticed that no-one came and this season we have been missing some people in the starting line-up. What we did last year meant that there was expectation to do better which is normal but if you look at the money the club has spent we are not up there with even the likes of Tottenham or Birmingham. I'm not even talking about Manchester United or Chelsea." "The only people who can answer those questions are the board, I'm just trying to do my best on the pitch. It's up to the boss to see what he wants to do in the summer. We still have this season to finish. With the standard that we set last year it is a disappointing season but there is still the FA Cup to go and we will try to do better to improve our position in the league." 9 March 2005 Augenthaler Extends Contract Leverkusen coach Klaus Augenthaler has signed a contract extension until June 2006. Augenthaler, who won the World Cup with Germany in 1990, was appointed Leverkusen coach in May 2003 and saved the club from relegation. Maradona Recovering after Surgery Diego Maradona is recovering after undergoing gastric bypass surgery to remove his massive beer gut. Surgeon Eduardo Bolanos told Argentinean radio station Mitre : "He is a perfect patient. He has an excellent temperament and he collaborates fully. He should return to his ideal weight. Diego is the type of person who can return with a minimum of effort to 80 kg. He will be able to re-find a normal rhythm of life." Maradona's weight had ballooned to 120 kg (264 lbs) or close to 19 stone. Balic Goes Back on Quit Threat Konyaspor striker Elvir Balic has gone back on his decision to retire : "I made a wrong decision because my child was sick. I thought it over and decided to return to football." Chelsea Deny Racism Claims Barcelona striker Samuel Eto'o claims a Chelsea steward called him a money at the end of their Champions League defeat : "He called me a monkey. I understood it. He called me a monkey and I am very angry." "The other players told me the security guards insulted Eto'o and called him a monkey. That's when the problems started." - Carles Puyol Barca coach Frank Rijkaard and star player Ronaldinho were involved in a heated exchange at full team. Ronaldinho was also heard shouting "You're all racists." It's claimed Chelsea scout Andre Villas started the problems when he blew kisses at Rijkaard, Rijkaard then had to be restrained by stewards. Rijkaard said : "Some guy came forward and insulted our bench and I don't want to say what I think of him. I am always bitter when I lose and I am even more bitter because of all the lies they told before this game." UEFA director of communications William Gaillard said : "There have been allegations that a Chelsea steward called Eto'o a monkey. We will be looking into this matter but need evidence. We can't just accept his word." Chelsea's response : "Chelsea utterly refutes any racist comments were made by any of its permanent or match day staff. Chelsea has an excellent record of supporting anti-racism campaigns and condemns all forms of racism." Ferguson Praises Milan "What Milan have is something special. We play a lot of European games and when you play away from home you have to learn to tolerate the histrionics by that I mean looking for fouls and free-kicks but Milan were perfectly professional. For example, when the 90 minutes was up, Cafu ran to take a throw-in, there was no time-wasting, even though they were 1-0 up. With that professionalism and spirit they can win the competition. Cafu must have two hearts, he did so much running and as for Maldini if he continues to play for another five years I'm quitting." Stam Extends Contract Jaap Stam has signed agreed a one-year contract extension to his Milan deal which will keep him at the club until 2007. Champions League Post Match Comments PSV vs Monaco "We played an exemplary match, although we were under a bit of pressure in the first half. We didn't play enough of the ball in the first half although we managed to get some corners. We came here also to try and score and not just to defend. In the second half we wanted to score another goal and Beasley came up with it thanks to a superb pass from Cocu. That proved fatal for Monaco, but it was a great result for us. We must be the team with the smallest budget of all the qualified teams." - Guus Hiddink "We created chances in the first half, but the players just didn't take them." Didier Deschamps Arsenal vs Bayern Munich "I never thought that we wouldn't win. Even when it was clear that Roy Makaay would not be playing. We are far too strong anyway. We have shown in the last few games that we are very solid in defence and I was sure we could do it. Of course, we got a bit nervous after the goal went in but we played a good controlled game and deserved to get through." - Felix Magath "It's frustrating of course but I feel we lost against a good side who are a strong team and full of confidence at the moment. They slowly took over. We scored at the right moment but we never got in there and got the chance to score the second goal. We gave everything but we lost to a very good side and over the two legs you cannot say that they did not deserve to go through. It was in the away leg that we lost the tie. The way we gave the goals away in the first game killed us." Arsene Wenger Juventus vs Real Madrid "It is never an easy business defeating Real Madrid and so that was a special feeling. I think it is the first time I have celebrated like that but now I've done it, I'd like to try it again. It was a very tough game for both teams. We played well and gave them very few chances. It was really an excellent performance from us. We gave away little and were also dangerous, which hasn't always been the case of late. It's a great result for us, to come back from a 1-0 defeat in Madrid and turn it around here was always going to be difficult but we played with intelligence, spirit and quality." - Fabio Capello "It was tight throughout and it was the kind of match that we could have won and gone through. Zidane had a problem at the start of the game and it got progressively worse but it was a tactical decision." - Vanderlei Luxemburgo Leverkusen vs Liverpool "I'm very proud because we have played a very good first half and after that we played with great control and made it very difficult for them. At the end we took off players with yellow cards like Hamann and Carra so it was a good night. We did a good job as a team we worked hard and stayed compact." - Rafa Benitez "Over the two games Liverpool fully deserved to go through. We wanted to do something here so much but it was too difficult with five players missing. We missed two chances in the first half and as soon as they scored their first goal it was over." - Klaus Augenthaler