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Weekly News 27 3 10
Weekly Soccer News, March 27, 2010
Mancini charged over Moyes incident
Manchester City's Roberto Mancini found himself a target of an FA disciplinary action for pushing Everton's coach David Moyes during a Premiership game won by the Toffees 0-2 at the City of Manchester Stadium.
The FA charged Mancini with "improper conduct" for supposedly assaulting Moyes because he was holding the ball in his hands a bit too long, while Everton were leading 1-0. The Italian considered Moyes was blatantly wasting time and he was probably right, but his reaction was a bit exaggerated, since there are other people in charge of punishing time wasting tactics. The two coaches had to be separated by the fourth referee Howard Webb before the referee Peter Walton sent both of them off.
Moyes, who was reprimanded by the FA, said he bore no grudge against Mancini.
"It was nothing really, and I have no problem with Roberto," claimed the Scotsman, adding the Italian had apologized a couple of minutes later after the incident.
Mancini has time until April 6th to present his defense and the disciplinary committee will study the case on April 13th.
Johan Cruyff named Barca's honorary president
The former Barcelona player and coach Johan Cruyff has been appointed the Catalan club's honorary president by Barca's Board of Directors, similar to the role Alfredo Di Stefano plays at Real Madrid.
The decision, approved unanimously, was proposed by the president Joan Laporta.
The Board considered Cruyff meets all requirements for the position as the man who took the club to a new level of success and prestige.
As a player, Cruyff led Barcelona to a League championship in 1973/74, after 14 barren years. As a coach, he multiplied that success by bringing four consecutive La Liga titles to Camp Nou and the club's first Champions League in 1992.
Two members of his "Dream Team" from the early nineties are today prominent personalities at Barcelona; Josep Guardiola as the current coach, and Txiki Begiristain as the sporting director.
"Cruyff inspired a new model and a form of understanding this club. This was a way of recognizing his importance," said Joan Oliver, Barca's General Director.
Cruyff (62) is currently the coach to the national team of Catalonia, which is allowed by the Spanish FA to play friendlies around the world.
Ronaldo shows fan the finger
Luis Ronaldo Nazario could not take what a bunch of Corinthians fans were shouting at him and reacted to the insults by raising his middle finger in the direction of the unruly supporters.
After Corinthians lost 0-1 to Barueri in the Sao Paulo State championship, Ronaldo and his mates were leaving the pitch when a group of about 20 fans booed the former "Il Fenomeno", calling him "fat".
The veteran striker responded with the obscene gesture, but he said his target was just one man.
"My gesture was directed to one fan alone, who insulted me morally. I would never do a gesture like that against all fans, who have supported me since my arrival," explained Ronaldo in a message published on the Corinthians' web site.
Forlan faces the fans who booed him
Another South American player who found it hard to accept the fans' unfriendly treatment is Atletico Madrid's Diego Forlan. After the ex-Manchester United player scored a goal against Athletic Bilbao in the Spanish Primera Division, he ran towards a stand from which he had heard the most boos and faced the fans with a furious facial expression.
From his moving lips one could read the words "Y ahora que?" (and now what).
"If the fans felt badly because of that, I'm sorry. I might have made a mistake, but I did it in the heat of the moment," said Forlan, whose finishing is not so impeccable as last year's, when he topped the Spanish scoring charts with 32 goals.
"The people have not been fair with me and I went out to defend myself. The fans have forgotten what I did last season. The people have the right to say what they want, and I have the right to respond," concluded a disappointed Uruguayan.
Alexander Hleb wanted by Manchester City
Former Arsenal star Alexander Hleb, currently on loan at Stuttgart from Barcelona, is on Manchester City's agenda. According to L'Equipe, the Abu Dhabi-owned club is interested in offering the Belarus international a four year contract.
The same report states Stuttgart will not use the buy-off option they have on the player, the circumstance which Roberto Mancini plans to exploit to lure Hleb. The Belarussian's contract with Barcelona expires at the end of June of 2012, but in his only season at Camp Nou he failed to fit in and his role in the team was marginal. If his transfer to City goes through, Hleb would return to England, where he grew as a player at Arsenal, playing with success between 2005 and 2008.
Police officers investigated for being too tough on players
A group of Brazilian policemen in the federal state of Rondonia are being investigated for an exaggerated use of force against two players of fourth division Genus.
The players refused to abandon the pitch after being sent off in a last week's game and the officers used tear gas in order to make them head for the dressing rooms.
"The Rondonia police are investigating the case for any irregularities in the officers' conduct," said a police spokesman.
"We have requested television footage in order to analyse the event."
The two players, sent off in the 64th minute, when Genus were losing 3-0 to Moto Esporte Clube, hesitated to leave the field and insulted the referee, who called the policemen on duty at the Aluizio Ferreira de Porto Velho stadium.
And as it turned out, they were only too eager to help.
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