"I dedicate this win and the qualification
for the World Cup to all Argentinians except for the journalists,"
said Diego Maradona at a press conference after his team defeated
Uruguay to make sure of its place in South Africa.
He emphasized his love for the representatives of the press with
an unusual sexual offer.
"They are a group of people who do not deserve a dedication,
because they treated me like scum. You can blow me and blow me again,"
added Maradona, whose team came to the brink of elimination after
defeats to Paraguay and Brazil in the latter phase of the qualifiers.
Still, veteran Martin Palermo kept Argentina on track with an injury
time goal against bottom team Peru, before the gauchos finally clinched a spot among the best 32 teams with a historic win in Montevideo.
Maradona's vulgar outburst may well cost him the right to coach
Argentina next year in South Africa, because it is rumoured FIFA
is preparing another suspension for him, 15 years after an event
that shocked soccer fans worldwide.
In 1994 Maradona was kicked out of the World Cup after two games
after using an illegal performance-enhancing substance.
The Brazilian "Soccer King" Pele said he was glad Argentina
managed to qualify for the World Cup albeit in a dramatic fashion.
"I was not against Argentina. They are my friends. I said before
their game with Uruguay that the World Cup would not be the same
without them," said the three-time planetary champion after
Argentina's 1-0 win in Montevideo.
"I believe it's good for everybody who loves soccer that they
qualified and that the World Cup will not be deprived of their presence,"
concluded Pele in an interview for O Globo television.
England settled their two year old debt with Croatia in an unspectacular
fashion: by losing to Ukraine in a game decisive for Andriy Shevchenko
company.
The team responsible for barring England from the last European championships will now miss out on the World Cup while Ukraine will
take part in the play-offs as one of the second-placed teams in
the European zone.
Croatia hoped England, proud owners of a 100% record in the previous
eight games, would at least draw in Dnipropetrovsk, but were bitterly
disappointed as Fabio Capello's side lost 0-1 after being reduced to ten men as early as the 13th minute.
The legendary Croatian coach Tomislav Ivic said afterwards that
"England's game was 90% lies and 10% truth", expressing
bewilderment at Rio Ferdinand's error that lead to Rob Green's sending
off.
"England would have played a very different match if the result
had mattered to them," believes the former Ajax, Anderlecht,
Porto, Benfica, Marseille and Atletico Madrid coach.
Another eminent coach, Otto Baric, disagreed with Ivic saying that
England played quite honestly and that no blame could be laid on
Capello and his boys for Croatia's elimination.
A severely depleted Slaven Bilic side previously lost both games
to England by 1-4 in Zagreb and 1-5 at Wembley.
Bilic, expected to quit or be sacked, surprised everyone by claiming
he would like to stay on, and apparently the Croatian FA is willing
to extend his contract for another two years.
The Spanish Yellow Submarine, Villarreal, are languishing near
the bottom of the Primera Division without a win in seven games
and the club's management have tried to bring in Luis Aragones to
replace Ernesto Valverde on the bench, but the former Spain coach
has refused.
Valverde succeeded Manuel Pellegrini, hired by Real Madrid, but without success. Aragones, who led Spain to the European Championship win in Austria and Switzerland, is currently without a job after
quitting at Fenerbahce, but was not interested in Villarreal's offer.
The reason is apparently his reluctance to hold a job that requires
an everyday engagement. It is rumoured that the Portuguese FA would like to see Aragones as their national team's coach due to their
discontent with the work of the present incumbent Carlos Queiroz.
Russia has good chances of staging the 2018 World Cup, according to FIFA supremo Sepp Blatter after a meeting with Vladimir Putin in Moscow.
"(Russia's) offer looks very good to me, notably because of their serious plans to build new infrastructure," said Blatter.
Putin told Blatter Russia wanted to build at least ten new stadia
and showered FIFA's chairman with compliments.
"You are the person responsible for giving World Cups to countries outside of Europe and South America," said Putin to the Swiss.
The host to the 2018 World Cup will be determined in late 2010, and candidates include England, USA, Japan and the joint bids of Spain and Portugal and Belgium and Netherlands.
Legendary striker Paolo Rossi has announced he would become father
for the second time next January, when his companion Federica Capelletti gives birth to a daughter.
Next July Rossi will also mary Federica, a journalist by profession.
The European Golden Ball award winner in 1982 already has a 27-year-old son.
In 1982 Rossi led Italy to their third world title in Spain when he scored six goals in three games, against Brazil, Poland and West
Germany.
