“I believe that the players of Barcelona are not playing as they have to with [Thierry] Henry. He is a player that needs to be in possession” - Robert Pires
Gabrielle Marcotti picks up on the story of how the “Italian FA held Inter Milan responsible for the behaviour of their Ultras, who displayed two ‘offensive’ banners during a recent Serie A match against Napoli. The Milanese club were fined about £20,000 and ordered to shut down the section of the San Siro where the more passionate Ultras sit for their next home match… One read: ‘Naples, the sewer of Italy.’ And the other read: ‘Neapolitans with cholera.’ Both are references to the fact that unsanitary conditions in some parts of Naples led to a cholera epidemic in 1973… It is hard not to see it as another step towards the antiseptic, sanitised, ‘football as just another form of entertainment’ brave new world.”
Having clearly bought himself a new pair of rose-tinted glasses, and possibly having drunk far too much in the last week, Alan Hanson emerged with the following critique of England. “England do not face elimination from Euro 2008 because of any tactical decision the Russia manager made last Wednesday. England spent much of the game in control but because of a penalty, awarded for a foul outside the box, and an error by Paul Robinson, they were beaten. At Wembley in September, Hiddink had overseen one of the worst performances you are ever likely to witness; there was no evidence of a master plan there.”
Patrick Nathanson tells the tale of the first Brazilian to play in England. “Mirandinha’s time in England did not end well. After kung-fu kicking Dave Beasant long before anyone had ever heard of Eric Cantona, Mirandinha fled back to Brazil and Newcastle got relegated.”
Mamady Sidibe, the Stoke City forward, has spoken of his harrowing experience when he was caught up in the violence following Mail’s match with Togo in the African Cup of Nations qualifier. Quote: “I was sitting in an ambulance outside the stadium, feeling dizzy because I was losing so much blood. Outside, the fans were smashing all the windows so I couldn’t be taken to hospital. The police moved me into an army ambulance but the crowd destroyed that as well.”
Michael Walker praises Avram Grant for his excellent start to as manager of Chelsea. “Valencia away: won. Bolton away: won. Middlesbrough away: won… So politically delicate and volatile is the atmosphere Grant was pitched into at Chelsea that for him to have emerged from six fixtures in total — five of which have been on the road — intact and even showing signs of stability, is a statement about his personal stickability. Only one has been lost, the first at Manchester United.”
Rob Hughes tells the tale of how “Ronaldinho was dropped by Barcelona after taking from Wednesday until Saturday to report back for training after Brazil’s 5-0 victory over Ecuador in a World Cup qualifying match in Rio de Janeiro. By disciplining his star, the Barcelona coach made room for Bojan Krkic Perez (pictured), just 17 years and 52 days old, who became the team’s youngest scorer in the Primera Liga.”
