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Football News 15/12/02

Switzerland/ Austria To Host Euro 2008

Euro 2008 logo.

Surprise, surprise the joint Swiss/Austrian bid was awarded the right to stage the 2008 European Championships by UEFA earlier this week. The joint bid won out over rivals bids from Russia, Hungary, Scotland/Ireland, Bosnia/Croatia, Greece/Turkey and a four-way Nordic bid from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
UEFA supremo Lennart Johanssen had to fend off criticism earlier in the month that he favored the Swiss/Austrian bid by suggesting in an interview that the Moscow theatre seige and recent hooliganism at the Panathinaikos v Fenerbahce fixture would disqualify the Russian and Greece/Turkey bids from consideration.
400,000 spectators are expected to watch the tournament in 8 new or refurbished stadia. It is the first time for Austria to compete in the European Championships and the second time for Switzerland since Euro 96 in England, providing neither country makes it to Portugal in 2004.
Under the slogan 'Football's best - close to you!' the tournament will kick off in Berne's Wankdorf Stadium, the venue of the 1954 World Cup final and the final game will be held at Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium on June 29. The other Austrian venues are Salzburg, Innsbruck and Klagenfurt, while the other Swiss stadiums are in the cities of Zurich, Basel and Geneva.
Over 7 billion viewers are expected to tune in to the event which will cost around US$ 114m to stage. The Swiss government will stump up around US$2.4 m in grants for the tournament. In Austria the hosting of Euro 2008 is expected to create around 3,000 to 4,000 jobs and generate approximately US$154m in tourism revenues. Euro 2000, co-hosted by Holland and Belgium, brought in US$18m and was the first finals to make money.

Ronaldo Named as World Player Of The Year

Real Madrid and Brazil striker, Ronaldo topped the poll with 26% of the votes in World Soccer Magazine's 'Player of the Year' awards. Bayern Munich's Michael Ballack was runner-up followed by Ronaldo's Real Madrid and Brazil team-mate, defender Roberto Carlos, who came in third. Ronaldo is also heavily in the frame to lift the FIFA World Player of the Year Award.

South America Seeks 5 World Cup Spots

The South American Football Confederation (CSF) has lobbied FIFA to increase its berths at the World Cup from 4 and a half to 5 slots. FIFA is also under pressure from Asia to increase its representation as well as Oceania for a guaranteed place. CSF President Nicholas Leos pointed out that South America had won nine of the 17 previous tournaments compared to Europe's eight and 17 of the players on the pitch in the recent Toyota Cup final were South Americans.
Asian Football Confederation boss Mohamed bin Hammam expressed confidence that Asia would be granted an extra slot bringing its total to five after some hard lobbying of FIFA.

Tattoo You

This week's David Beckham story concerns your man tattooing the name of second son Romeo on his back to add to first son Brooklyn. David promises us there is still room for more.

Summer Tourney in US

Manchester United, Juventus, Barcelona and Glasgow Celtic will take part in a pre-season tournament in the US in late July The four clubs will be hoping to expand their fan base and seek new marketing partners in the States.

Lineker Bid For Foxes Accepted

Leicester City's administrators have accepted an offer for the club, which has debts of over £30million, from a consortium led by former Leicester and England striker Gary Lineker.
The news could see Leicester, who are second in Division 1, emerge from administration in less than 2 months.
The new Lineker consortium hopes to avoid having to sell players to balance the books when the transfer window reopens in January, and are keen to retain Micky Adams as manager at the Walkers Stadium.

The bad financial news in European football continues apace, however, as Belgian side Mechelen has gone into liquidation with debts of over US$18 million. Derby County's financial woes may be eased slightly by Italian striker, Fabrizio Ravanelli, agreeing to take a 25% pay cut.
Fabrizio Ravanelli Signed Lazio Shirt

Nakata Wins The 'Japan Derby'

Parma's Hidetoshi Nakata won the so-called 'Japan Derby' last weekend when his Serie A club Parma beat struggling Reggina, who fielded fellow Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura. Of the 14,000 spectators who witnessed the 2-0 home win an estimated 1,000 were Japanese. Japan coach Zico was also in attendence.

J.League/K.League

Real Madrid Reconsiders Shunsuke Nakamura

Nearly signed over the summer by Spanish giant Real Madrid, Reggina's Shunsuke Nakamura may yet wear the all-white strip of the Merengues. Real Sports Director Jorge Valdano recently confirmed that his club, which did sign an option to buy the contract of the former Yokohama F Marinos star, is actively monitoring Nakamura's progress at Reggina. On loan to the Serie A club for six months, Nakamura has scored five goals but struggled in the notoriously difficult Italian first division. Valdano continued: "We don't want to create expectation or pressure. [Nakamura] is just one of the players Madrid follows"

King Kazu's Father Nailed for Tax Evasion

Former Japan striker, national hero, and current Kobe Vissel forward Kazuyoshi Miura is now in the news for off-field trouble. Miura's father was investigated and found guilty of not paying income taxes by the Nagoya Tax Bureau. From 1996 until 1999, Miura's father hid roughly one hundred million yen ($830,000) in income taxes. He has admitted the charges and agreed to pay 40 million yen ($332,000) in back taxes and penalties. As the agent for his son and for many Brazilians who have come to play in the J.League, Miura senior excluded some of the income he earned from representing them in negotiations with various clubs. He understated his returns in the above three-year period. "I spent a long time in the United States being treated for diabetes and the filing period passed. I have worked with the tax authorities, and the arrears have already been taken care of "

Jubilo Coach Suzuki to Call it Quits

Suzuki.

The most successful manager in the history of the J.League announced that he will resign at the end of the current season. Jubilo Iwata's 47-year-old Masakazu Suzuki will hand over the reigns to first-team coach Masaki Yanagishita, and he will take over as general manager next year. Suzuki led Jubilo to a historic league double this season, winning both the first and second stages of the 2002 season. The team scored in every game and never lost on the road. Under his tenure, Jubilo has won 56 of 65 contests, which is the best winning percentage of any J.League manager ever.

J.2 side Shonan Bellmare have hired Ajam Boujarari Mohamed - 'Moroccan Samir' as their new coach. The 41-year-old served as Philippe's Troussier's assistant.

Toninho Resigns with Kashima

Former Brazil international Toninho Cerezo has resigned with Kashima Antlers. Although the Antlers ran out of gas at the end of the season, Cerezo's new contract is worth a reported 75 million yen ($612,000). The Nabisco Cup winners are laden with talent, much of which also plays for Japan, but up front Atsushi Yanagisawa et al have been unproductive.

Life After the J.League

2003 marks the 10th anniversary of the founding of the J.League. When an active player retires from professional football, what becomes of him? The J.League's Career Support Services (CSS) works to ensure that players succeed in post-football life. Created in June 2002, CSS arranges interviews for former J.League players, follows up their new careers, and provides limited training. According to a CSS poll, there are now 113 players who have retired from either the J1 or J2 professional leagues. Of those 50 are playing in the Japan Football League (JFL) and roughly 20 are coaching. Of the remaining 40 players, many are not earning enough to make a living. The CSS is targeting these athletes by trying to place them at sporting goods companies, sports schools, insurance sales, and some 120 types of work. The J.League also held a trial this week for 81 out-of-contract players at Tokyo National Stadium in an attempt to help them find new clubs.scouts from most of the 28 J.League teams turned up for the session.

Lopez Quits

Wagner Lopez, the Brazilian who became a naturalised Japanese and competed in the 1998 World Cup, has retired from his club Avispa Fukuoka. Lopez, who played 20 times for Japan, scored 69 goals in his J.League career.

SOUTH KOREA - The Suwon Blue Wings will meet the Pohang Steelers in the final of the FA Cup at Seogwipo World Cup Stadium on Sunday.
In the semi-finals, also held in Seogwipo, the Blue Wings beat the Taejon Citizen 1-0, while the Steelers won 2-1 against the Songnam Chunma. The holders, financially troubled Citizen, compounded a miserable season, in which they won only once in the K.League, by failing to make the final.

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