Rutashubanyuma
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Michezo magazetini leo...
Michezo magazetini leo...
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Rutashubanyuma
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Rutashubanyuma
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Cricket
Ruthless Pakistan fire into semis
Pakistan bowl out West Indies for just 112 before Hafeez and Akmal knock off total for resounding 10-wicket win.
Last Modified: 23 Mar 2011 14:16
Hafeez hit a half century as Pakistan reached their target without losing a wicket in the Bangaldesh capital [Reuters] Captain Shahid Afridi led from the front as Pakistan dismissed West Indies for a meagre 112 before completing a 10-wicket win to become the first team to go through to the World Cup semifinals.
Afridi captured four for 30 from 9.3 overs to take his total for the tournament to 21 and overtake former skipper Imran Khan as the leading Pakistan wicket taker at a single Cricket World Cup.
But his skills with the bat were not needed in Dhaka as openers Mohamed Hafeez, with 61, and Kamran Akmal's 47 guided Pakistan home.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the only batsman to defy the Pakistan attack on Wednesday, scoring an unbeaten 44 from 106 balls.
West Indies, the 1975 and 1979 champions, never recovered after losing their first three wickets with only 16 on the board.
Quarterfinal scorecard West Indies innings
D Smith lbw b Mohammad Hafeez 7
C Gayle c Afridi b Umar Gul 8
R Sarwan c Umar Akmal b Afridi 24
D Bravo lbw b Mohammad Hafeez 0
S Chanderpaul not out 44
K Pollard c Kamran Akmal b Afridi 1
D Thomas lbw b Afridi 0
D Sammy lbw b Saeed Ajmal 1
D Bishoo b Saeed Ajmal 0
K Roach c Younus Khan b A Razzaq 16
R Rampaul b Shahid Afridi 0
Extras: 11
Total: (all out, 43.3 overs) 112
FoW: 1-14 2-16 3-16 4-58 5-69 6-69 7-71 8-71 9-111 10-112
Pakistan innings
Kamran Akmal not out 47
Mohammad Hafeez not out 61
Extras: 5
Total: (20.5 overs) 113
After Darren Sammy had won the toss and elected to bat, Chris Gayle struck Umar Gul straight to Afridi at mid-off.
Devon Smith and Darren Bravo both fell lbw in the space of four balls to off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez, who had shared the new ball.
Experienced
The experienced Guyana pair of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chanderpaul took the total to 58 before Sarwan was caught by Umar Akmal off Afridi for 24.
Afridi then dismissed Kieron Pollard and Devon Thomas off consecutive balls
Sammy was dropped by Younus Khan at slip off Saeed Ajmal on one but lasted only one more ball before he was lbw to the off-spinner.
Two balls later, Ajmal bowled Devendra Bishoo for a duck.
Kemar Roach recorded his best one-day score of 16, helping Chanderpaul to add 30 for the ninth wicket.
Despite the defeat, the West Indies did earn some praise from former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar, who admired the vain rearguard action of Chanderpaul and Roach.
Almost three weeks after West Indies humiliated Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla National Stadium by skittling the co-hosts for their lowest ODI score of 58, the Caribbeans were in danger of slumping to their lowest ever World Cup total while tottering on 71-8 against Pakistan on Wednesday.
And Bashar said Bangladesh needed to learn how to fight in the face of collapse.
"This means Bangladesh have still go a long way to be competent enough in the world cricket," Bashar told reporters while visiting the press box at the stadium.
Considering West Indies were reeling on 16-3 in the sixth over against Pakistan, Bashar said their ability to prolong the innings was a
major achievement.
"After fall of three wickets for 16 (Ramnaresh) Sarwan and Chanderpaul played coolly despite the huge tension. They steadied the innings and did not go for big shots," he told the Reuters news agency.
"They showed that surviving for as long as possible should be their main goal. If batsmen can stay at the wicket some runs will come and that will help the team to avert the kind of humiliation we suffered that day (when Bangladesh fell for 58)."
Ruthless Pakistan fire into semis
Pakistan bowl out West Indies for just 112 before Hafeez and Akmal knock off total for resounding 10-wicket win.
Last Modified: 23 Mar 2011 14:16
Afridi captured four for 30 from 9.3 overs to take his total for the tournament to 21 and overtake former skipper Imran Khan as the leading Pakistan wicket taker at a single Cricket World Cup.
But his skills with the bat were not needed in Dhaka as openers Mohamed Hafeez, with 61, and Kamran Akmal's 47 guided Pakistan home.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul was the only batsman to defy the Pakistan attack on Wednesday, scoring an unbeaten 44 from 106 balls.
West Indies, the 1975 and 1979 champions, never recovered after losing their first three wickets with only 16 on the board.
Quarterfinal scorecard West Indies innings
D Smith lbw b Mohammad Hafeez 7
C Gayle c Afridi b Umar Gul 8
R Sarwan c Umar Akmal b Afridi 24
D Bravo lbw b Mohammad Hafeez 0
S Chanderpaul not out 44
K Pollard c Kamran Akmal b Afridi 1
D Thomas lbw b Afridi 0
D Sammy lbw b Saeed Ajmal 1
D Bishoo b Saeed Ajmal 0
K Roach c Younus Khan b A Razzaq 16
R Rampaul b Shahid Afridi 0
Extras: 11
Total: (all out, 43.3 overs) 112
FoW: 1-14 2-16 3-16 4-58 5-69 6-69 7-71 8-71 9-111 10-112
Pakistan innings
Kamran Akmal not out 47
Mohammad Hafeez not out 61
Extras: 5
Total: (20.5 overs) 113
After Darren Sammy had won the toss and elected to bat, Chris Gayle struck Umar Gul straight to Afridi at mid-off.
Devon Smith and Darren Bravo both fell lbw in the space of four balls to off-spinner Mohammad Hafeez, who had shared the new ball.
Experienced
The experienced Guyana pair of Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chanderpaul took the total to 58 before Sarwan was caught by Umar Akmal off Afridi for 24.
Afridi then dismissed Kieron Pollard and Devon Thomas off consecutive balls
Sammy was dropped by Younus Khan at slip off Saeed Ajmal on one but lasted only one more ball before he was lbw to the off-spinner.
Two balls later, Ajmal bowled Devendra Bishoo for a duck.
Kemar Roach recorded his best one-day score of 16, helping Chanderpaul to add 30 for the ninth wicket.
Despite the defeat, the West Indies did earn some praise from former Bangladesh captain Habibul Bashar, who admired the vain rearguard action of Chanderpaul and Roach.
Almost three weeks after West Indies humiliated Bangladesh at the Shere Bangla National Stadium by skittling the co-hosts for their lowest ODI score of 58, the Caribbeans were in danger of slumping to their lowest ever World Cup total while tottering on 71-8 against Pakistan on Wednesday.
And Bashar said Bangladesh needed to learn how to fight in the face of collapse.
"This means Bangladesh have still go a long way to be competent enough in the world cricket," Bashar told reporters while visiting the press box at the stadium.
Considering West Indies were reeling on 16-3 in the sixth over against Pakistan, Bashar said their ability to prolong the innings was a
major achievement.
"After fall of three wickets for 16 (Ramnaresh) Sarwan and Chanderpaul played coolly despite the huge tension. They steadied the innings and did not go for big shots," he told the Reuters news agency.
"They showed that surviving for as long as possible should be their main goal. If batsmen can stay at the wicket some runs will come and that will help the team to avert the kind of humiliation we suffered that day (when Bangladesh fell for 58)."
Rutashubanyuma
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Cricket
Sri Lanka hammer England to reach last four
Unbeaten centuries for Dilshan and Tharanga in 10-wicket win as Sri Lanka set up World Cup semi-final with New Zealand.
Last Modified: 26 Mar 2011 18:03
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Sri Lanka's Tillakaratne Dilshan scored an unbeaten 108 as his side reached the World Cup semi-finals [Reuters]
Openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga made merry against a listless England attack and powered Sri Lanka to a 10-wicket victory in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
Dishan (108 not out) and Tharanga (102 not out) both notched up their second centuries in the tournament and with it their second double hundred stand in the showpiece event.
The duo made the 230-run target look ridiculously easy and hardly broke a sweat as they took Sri Lanka home with all their wickets intact and 63 balls to spare.]
While England were left to digest their first ever 10-wicket defeat in the tournament, Sri Lanka set up a semi-final date with New Zealand.
"I think it is important to be confident but also realistic. It's a semi-final... It's a one-off. Everyone has got the opportunity to do well," Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said looking forward to Tuesday's semi-final at the same ground.
"They will come here and try to do well. They will be very hungry to get into the final and so are we."
Tharanga, who needed a runner towards the end of his innings after suffering from cramps, hit the winning boundary which also brought up his 11th ODI hundred.
The England bowlers looked utterly toothless on a slow pitch at the R Premadasa Stadium, which was supposed to help the spin bowlers.
But to his horror, captain Andrew Strauss found his two spinners -- Graeme Swann and James Tredwell -- to be the most expensive under an assault from the two batsmen.
"We couldn't get that breakthrough. We tried a lot of things. It was a very flat wicket and we were thoroughly beaten by a much better team today," Strauss said during the presentation ceremony.
"But over the course of the tournament our cricket hasn't been good enough. We have to be honest of ourselves. We didn't play well enough and that's why we are going home."
Earlier, Jonathan Trott rescued England from a poor start to help them post 229 for six as Sri Lanka missed a slew of easy catches to let them off the hook.
Trott (86) added 64 runs for the third wicket with Ravi Bopara (31) and 91 runs for the fourth with Eoin Morgan (50) to anchor England's batting.
Muralitharan scare
Sri Lanka went into the match with three frontline spinners -- Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath -- who made it tough for the batsmen to score with their tight line and length.
Morgan was dropped three times -- on 16, 33 and 34 -- while television replays showed he was also lbw to Lasith Malinga, a decision Sri Lanka did not appeal.
Mendis was the unfortunate bowler on the first occasion while an infuriated Muralitharan watched on as the left-handed batsman was spilled twice in the space off three deliveries.
The 38-year-old Muralitharan, who said he had recovered from a hamstring injury he suffered last Friday during a thumping 112 Group A win over New Zealand, again limped off on Saturday.
The world's most prolific bowler underwent some treatment while bowling the penultimate over of the England innings and left the field after completing the over.
"He's pulled up a bit stiff. He has a couple of days to recover. I am sure he will be fit for the next game. If not, we have got enough cover," Sangakkara said.
Sri Lanka hammer England to reach last four
Unbeaten centuries for Dilshan and Tharanga in 10-wicket win as Sri Lanka set up World Cup semi-final with New Zealand.
Last Modified: 26 Mar 2011 18:03
Send Feedback
Openers Tillakaratne Dilshan and Upul Tharanga made merry against a listless England attack and powered Sri Lanka to a 10-wicket victory in the World Cup quarter-finals on Saturday.
Dishan (108 not out) and Tharanga (102 not out) both notched up their second centuries in the tournament and with it their second double hundred stand in the showpiece event.
The duo made the 230-run target look ridiculously easy and hardly broke a sweat as they took Sri Lanka home with all their wickets intact and 63 balls to spare.]
While England were left to digest their first ever 10-wicket defeat in the tournament, Sri Lanka set up a semi-final date with New Zealand.
"I think it is important to be confident but also realistic. It's a semi-final... It's a one-off. Everyone has got the opportunity to do well," Sri Lankan captain Kumar Sangakkara said looking forward to Tuesday's semi-final at the same ground.
"They will come here and try to do well. They will be very hungry to get into the final and so are we."
Tharanga, who needed a runner towards the end of his innings after suffering from cramps, hit the winning boundary which also brought up his 11th ODI hundred.
The England bowlers looked utterly toothless on a slow pitch at the R Premadasa Stadium, which was supposed to help the spin bowlers.
But to his horror, captain Andrew Strauss found his two spinners -- Graeme Swann and James Tredwell -- to be the most expensive under an assault from the two batsmen.
"We couldn't get that breakthrough. We tried a lot of things. It was a very flat wicket and we were thoroughly beaten by a much better team today," Strauss said during the presentation ceremony.
"But over the course of the tournament our cricket hasn't been good enough. We have to be honest of ourselves. We didn't play well enough and that's why we are going home."
Earlier, Jonathan Trott rescued England from a poor start to help them post 229 for six as Sri Lanka missed a slew of easy catches to let them off the hook.
Trott (86) added 64 runs for the third wicket with Ravi Bopara (31) and 91 runs for the fourth with Eoin Morgan (50) to anchor England's batting.
Muralitharan scare
Sri Lanka went into the match with three frontline spinners -- Muttiah Muralitharan, Ajantha Mendis and Rangana Herath -- who made it tough for the batsmen to score with their tight line and length.
Morgan was dropped three times -- on 16, 33 and 34 -- while television replays showed he was also lbw to Lasith Malinga, a decision Sri Lanka did not appeal.
Mendis was the unfortunate bowler on the first occasion while an infuriated Muralitharan watched on as the left-handed batsman was spilled twice in the space off three deliveries.
The 38-year-old Muralitharan, who said he had recovered from a hamstring injury he suffered last Friday during a thumping 112 Group A win over New Zealand, again limped off on Saturday.
The world's most prolific bowler underwent some treatment while bowling the penultimate over of the England innings and left the field after completing the over.
"He's pulled up a bit stiff. He has a couple of days to recover. I am sure he will be fit for the next game. If not, we have got enough cover," Sangakkara said.
Rutashubanyuma
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Cricket
New Zealand stun South Africa at World Cup
South Africans slump to a 49-run defeat to extend their losing run at the knockout stages of the Cricket World Cup.
Last Modified: 25 Mar 2011 19:21
South Africa's defeat in the third quarter-final clears the way for New Zealand to advance to the semis [EPA] New Zealand have stunned South Africa in the quarter-finals of the Cricket World Cup to extend the Proteas' miserable losing run at the knockout stages of the competition.
The Kiwis pulled off a dramatic 49-run win over their highly rated opponents in Mirpur on Friday to reach the semi-finals for the sixth time.
South Africa have now lost all five of their knockout matches since first playing in the tournament in 1992.
The Black Caps, restricted to 221-8 after batting first, bundled out the Proteas for 172 in an exciting finish in front of 23,000 fans at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.
Man-of-the-match Jacob Oram took two brilliant catches and captured four for 39 with his nagglingly accurate medium pace after the South Africans had appeared to be cruising to victory.
The South Africans had reached 108 for two shortly before the halfway point with their premier batsman Jacques Kallis well set on 47.
But Kallis was magnificently caught on the boundary by Oram off Tim Southee, JP Duminy was bowled for three and AB de Villiers run out two balls later for 35.
New Zealand, who had fielded tenaciously and bowled with spirit, piled on the pressure with Oram snapping up two more quick wickets.
Faf du Plessis, who was dropped by Oram on 29, hit the New Zealander for six off the next ball before holing out to Southee for 36. Morne Morkel (3) was the last man to fall as South Africa collapsed for 172 off 43.2 overs.
Jesse Ryder anchored the New Zealand innings with 83, his maiden World Cup half-century.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori praised his team's spirit.
"Every single bowler stepped up today, and probably it was the fielding that got us through," said Vettori.
South Africa, often regarded as the best team never to have the World Cup, have now lost in three semi-finals, two quarter-finals and once in the first round.
"There are no words to describe how I feel," skipper Graeme Smith said.
"We just have to take it on the chin. It was a very disappointing evening. I thought we bowled pretty well and at 100 for 2, we were sitting well, and then we lost too many wickets."
New Zealand will now meet the winners of Saturday's quarter-final between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo next Tuesday. Pakistan and India clash in the tournament's other semi-final.
New Zealand stun South Africa at World Cup
South Africans slump to a 49-run defeat to extend their losing run at the knockout stages of the Cricket World Cup.
Last Modified: 25 Mar 2011 19:21
The Kiwis pulled off a dramatic 49-run win over their highly rated opponents in Mirpur on Friday to reach the semi-finals for the sixth time.
South Africa have now lost all five of their knockout matches since first playing in the tournament in 1992.
The Black Caps, restricted to 221-8 after batting first, bundled out the Proteas for 172 in an exciting finish in front of 23,000 fans at the Sher-e-Bangla stadium.
Man-of-the-match Jacob Oram took two brilliant catches and captured four for 39 with his nagglingly accurate medium pace after the South Africans had appeared to be cruising to victory.
The South Africans had reached 108 for two shortly before the halfway point with their premier batsman Jacques Kallis well set on 47.
But Kallis was magnificently caught on the boundary by Oram off Tim Southee, JP Duminy was bowled for three and AB de Villiers run out two balls later for 35.
New Zealand, who had fielded tenaciously and bowled with spirit, piled on the pressure with Oram snapping up two more quick wickets.
Faf du Plessis, who was dropped by Oram on 29, hit the New Zealander for six off the next ball before holing out to Southee for 36. Morne Morkel (3) was the last man to fall as South Africa collapsed for 172 off 43.2 overs.
Jesse Ryder anchored the New Zealand innings with 83, his maiden World Cup half-century.
New Zealand captain Daniel Vettori praised his team's spirit.
"Every single bowler stepped up today, and probably it was the fielding that got us through," said Vettori.
South Africa, often regarded as the best team never to have the World Cup, have now lost in three semi-finals, two quarter-finals and once in the first round.
"There are no words to describe how I feel," skipper Graeme Smith said.
"We just have to take it on the chin. It was a very disappointing evening. I thought we bowled pretty well and at 100 for 2, we were sitting well, and then we lost too many wickets."
New Zealand will now meet the winners of Saturday's quarter-final between Sri Lanka and England in Colombo next Tuesday. Pakistan and India clash in the tournament's other semi-final.
Rutashubanyuma
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Sport
Villa saves Spain's blushes
France, Italy and the Netherlands also record wins in the Euro 2012 qualifying fixtures.
Last Modified: 26 Mar 2011 01:33
France, Italy and the Netherlands recorded victories in the qualifying fixtures [Reuters] David Villa has become Spain's leading goalscorer as the world champions came from behind to beat Czech Republic 2-1 and join three other heavyweights in taking charge of their Euro 2012 qualifying groups.
France, Italy and Netherlands also extended their leads at the top with wins ranging from the laboured to the convincing but it was Spain's near hiccup that caused the biggest stir on Friday.
The European champions were trailing to a first-half Jaroslav Plasil goal before Villa scored twice in four minutes to reach 46 goals for his country, two more than Raul, and send Spain six points clear of the second-placed Czechs in Group I.
"Villa is a boy with a lot of poise in front of goal," Vicente del Bosque, Spain''s coach, told a news conference. "Twelve points from four matches is the ideal position but we have to keep it up."
Spain's blushes were spared while France and Italy went some way to soothing their bruised reputations with Les Bleus beating Luxembourg 2-0 and the Azzurri sneaking a 1-0 win in Slovenia.
The two teams who contested the 2006 World Cup final were not at their most convincing though and were given a lesson in how to stamp authority over weaker opposition by 2010 World Cup
runners-up Netherlands who thrashed Hungary 4-0.
While a noisy Granada stadium cheered Spain''s fight back, there were few witnesses to Serbia's resilience in a 2-1 comeback win over battling Northern Ireland in a match played behind closed doors in Belgrade.
After miserable World Cup showings last year, France and Italy have been seeking to make amends and standing on top of Groups D and C respectively the future is looking brighter.
France took their time to settle against a Luxembourg team ranked almost 100 places below them and despite dominating possession they had to wait until the 28th minute before defender Philippe Mexes headed home.
They sealed the points and a four-point lead in their group 18 minutes from time when Yoann Gourcuff volleyed in after a Franck Ribery cross was deflected by a Luxembourg defender.
Much of the pre-match talk focused on the return of World Cup rebels Ribery and Patrice Evra but the pair had a quiet game apart from being booed by 2,000 of their own fans who had travelled across the border.
"They were subdued, just like the rest of the team," France coach Laurent Blanc told a news conference.
Also having a quiet game were Serbia, serving a one-match crowd ban imposed because of a riot their fans caused in a qualifier in Italy last year.
Quiet stadium
The 265 Northern Ireland fans allowed into the Belgrade stadium, the only supporters in an eerily quiet ground, were given something to cheer five minutes before the break when defender Gareth McAuley headed in a Chris Brunt cross.
However, two goals in nine minutes midway through the second half by Marko Pantelic and Zoran Tosic were deserved reward for dominant Serbia who leapfrogged the visitors into third place in Group C with seven points from five games.
Italy are the runaway leaders in that group with 13 points from five matches thanks to Brazil-born Thiago Motta''s 73rd-minute strike against second-placed Slovenia.
The Azzurri had plenty of chances, with Giampaolo Pazzini striking the woodwork, and were glad not to have paid for failing to convert more of their opportunities as Slovenia substitute Zlatan Ljubijankic also went close.
"This victory will help us rebuild confidence in Italian football," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli told reporters.
Netherlands, who like Spain have made a perfect start to qualifying, marched six points clear in Group E with 15 points from five matches after their demolition of second-placed Hungary in Budapest.
The visitors took an early lead thanks to Rafael van der Vaart's eighth-minute effort after he was set up by Wesley Sneijder before Ibrahim Afellay doubled the advantage with a powerful low drive on the stroke of halftime.
The Dutch then added goals through Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie to suggest they are likely to be even less forgiving when they host the Hungarians in Amsterdam on Tuesday.
In the day's other qualifier, Belgium sprang a surprise in Austria as Axel Witsel struck twice in a 2-0 victory that propelled his team into second place behind Germany in Group A. Euro 2012 qualifying continues on Saturday with 13 matches, including Wales against England and Germany at home to
Kazakhstan.
Villa saves Spain's blushes
France, Italy and the Netherlands also record wins in the Euro 2012 qualifying fixtures.
Last Modified: 26 Mar 2011 01:33
France, Italy and Netherlands also extended their leads at the top with wins ranging from the laboured to the convincing but it was Spain's near hiccup that caused the biggest stir on Friday.
The European champions were trailing to a first-half Jaroslav Plasil goal before Villa scored twice in four minutes to reach 46 goals for his country, two more than Raul, and send Spain six points clear of the second-placed Czechs in Group I.
"Villa is a boy with a lot of poise in front of goal," Vicente del Bosque, Spain''s coach, told a news conference. "Twelve points from four matches is the ideal position but we have to keep it up."
Spain's blushes were spared while France and Italy went some way to soothing their bruised reputations with Les Bleus beating Luxembourg 2-0 and the Azzurri sneaking a 1-0 win in Slovenia.
The two teams who contested the 2006 World Cup final were not at their most convincing though and were given a lesson in how to stamp authority over weaker opposition by 2010 World Cup
runners-up Netherlands who thrashed Hungary 4-0.
While a noisy Granada stadium cheered Spain''s fight back, there were few witnesses to Serbia's resilience in a 2-1 comeback win over battling Northern Ireland in a match played behind closed doors in Belgrade.
After miserable World Cup showings last year, France and Italy have been seeking to make amends and standing on top of Groups D and C respectively the future is looking brighter.
France took their time to settle against a Luxembourg team ranked almost 100 places below them and despite dominating possession they had to wait until the 28th minute before defender Philippe Mexes headed home.
They sealed the points and a four-point lead in their group 18 minutes from time when Yoann Gourcuff volleyed in after a Franck Ribery cross was deflected by a Luxembourg defender.
Much of the pre-match talk focused on the return of World Cup rebels Ribery and Patrice Evra but the pair had a quiet game apart from being booed by 2,000 of their own fans who had travelled across the border.
"They were subdued, just like the rest of the team," France coach Laurent Blanc told a news conference.
Also having a quiet game were Serbia, serving a one-match crowd ban imposed because of a riot their fans caused in a qualifier in Italy last year.
Quiet stadium
The 265 Northern Ireland fans allowed into the Belgrade stadium, the only supporters in an eerily quiet ground, were given something to cheer five minutes before the break when defender Gareth McAuley headed in a Chris Brunt cross.
However, two goals in nine minutes midway through the second half by Marko Pantelic and Zoran Tosic were deserved reward for dominant Serbia who leapfrogged the visitors into third place in Group C with seven points from five games.
Italy are the runaway leaders in that group with 13 points from five matches thanks to Brazil-born Thiago Motta''s 73rd-minute strike against second-placed Slovenia.
The Azzurri had plenty of chances, with Giampaolo Pazzini striking the woodwork, and were glad not to have paid for failing to convert more of their opportunities as Slovenia substitute Zlatan Ljubijankic also went close.
"This victory will help us rebuild confidence in Italian football," Italy coach Cesare Prandelli told reporters.
Netherlands, who like Spain have made a perfect start to qualifying, marched six points clear in Group E with 15 points from five matches after their demolition of second-placed Hungary in Budapest.
The visitors took an early lead thanks to Rafael van der Vaart's eighth-minute effort after he was set up by Wesley Sneijder before Ibrahim Afellay doubled the advantage with a powerful low drive on the stroke of halftime.
The Dutch then added goals through Dirk Kuyt and Robin van Persie to suggest they are likely to be even less forgiving when they host the Hungarians in Amsterdam on Tuesday.
In the day's other qualifier, Belgium sprang a surprise in Austria as Axel Witsel struck twice in a 2-0 victory that propelled his team into second place behind Germany in Group A. Euro 2012 qualifying continues on Saturday with 13 matches, including Wales against England and Germany at home to
Kazakhstan.
Rutashubanyuma
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Scotland coach Levein reflects on 'great week'
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Levein unfazed over ranking risk
Scotland head coach Craig Levein reflected on what he considered a worthwhile exercise following the 2-0 defeat to Brazil at the Emirates.
The friendly came after a five-day squad get-together in Spain as Levein prepares the resumption of competitive matches later in the year.
"I'm really pleased with the players," said Levein. "As a team I don't think we could've worked any harder.
"This has been a great week for us. They're a great group, really tight."
Teenager Neymar scored both of Brazil's goals in London, the second from the penalty spot after a foul by Charlie Adam, and Levein had few complaints about his team's performance, saying of Brazil: "They're a great side, aren't they?
"We won't play any harder friendlies than that, it's impossible, and we've come away from the game having learned that to play at this level, we have to improve.
"We have players who could play a lot better than they did today but I've no complaints whatsoever about the application.
I'm not so sure Lithuania or Czech Republic would've done any better against Brazil
Craig Levein
"We defended too near our penalty box for two thirds of the first half. But, in the second half, I thought we were better. We passed the ball a little bit better, we switched the play better.
"The good thing for me is we've got a bunch of players that are disappointed that they didn't get anything from this game.
"Charlie Adam is really, really disappointed with the way he played and it just shows you where he's come from. That's the level of expectation that he's got for himself. That tells you so much about the guy and how much that he wants to improve and learn.
"Obviously, we'd have loved to get a goal or a get a draw out of the game. But we didn't and a lot of that has to go down to the quality of the opposition that we played against."
Levein was also buoyed by the strengthening of relationships amongst the squad, helped in no small part by the retreat in La Manga.
"We've managed to spend a bit of time together and you could see how much they wanted to try for each other," Levein added on BBC Radio Scotland.
"This whole week was about bonding, getting together, understanding each other, getting to know each other. You saw that on the pitch, you saw that part of it.
"What you didn't see was some of our players playing to the best of their ability but that, for me, is something that's easy to get because I know these guys will improve and get better.
"I brought some younger players with us to savour the whole week, not just the game, and these are guys who I think will be international players in the future."
Scotland resume their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with back-to-back home matches against the Czech Republic and Lithuania in September.
"These are the games that are the important ones and we'll be ready for those," added Levein.
"We'll get Steven Naismith, Darren Fletcher, Jamie Mackie, Graham Dorrans and others back into the team. That's a quality group of players.
"I'm not so sure Lithuania or Czech Republic would've done any better against this team [Brazil]. The Czech Republic had one shot at goal against Spain the other night, Spain dominated the possession."
</p>
Levein unfazed over ranking risk
Scotland head coach Craig Levein reflected on what he considered a worthwhile exercise following the 2-0 defeat to Brazil at the Emirates.
The friendly came after a five-day squad get-together in Spain as Levein prepares the resumption of competitive matches later in the year.
"I'm really pleased with the players," said Levein. "As a team I don't think we could've worked any harder.
"This has been a great week for us. They're a great group, really tight."
Teenager Neymar scored both of Brazil's goals in London, the second from the penalty spot after a foul by Charlie Adam, and Levein had few complaints about his team's performance, saying of Brazil: "They're a great side, aren't they?
"We won't play any harder friendlies than that, it's impossible, and we've come away from the game having learned that to play at this level, we have to improve.
"We have players who could play a lot better than they did today but I've no complaints whatsoever about the application.
Craig Levein
"We defended too near our penalty box for two thirds of the first half. But, in the second half, I thought we were better. We passed the ball a little bit better, we switched the play better.
"The good thing for me is we've got a bunch of players that are disappointed that they didn't get anything from this game.
"Charlie Adam is really, really disappointed with the way he played and it just shows you where he's come from. That's the level of expectation that he's got for himself. That tells you so much about the guy and how much that he wants to improve and learn.
"Obviously, we'd have loved to get a goal or a get a draw out of the game. But we didn't and a lot of that has to go down to the quality of the opposition that we played against."
Levein was also buoyed by the strengthening of relationships amongst the squad, helped in no small part by the retreat in La Manga.
"We've managed to spend a bit of time together and you could see how much they wanted to try for each other," Levein added on BBC Radio Scotland.
"This whole week was about bonding, getting together, understanding each other, getting to know each other. You saw that on the pitch, you saw that part of it.
"What you didn't see was some of our players playing to the best of their ability but that, for me, is something that's easy to get because I know these guys will improve and get better.
"I brought some younger players with us to savour the whole week, not just the game, and these are guys who I think will be international players in the future."
Scotland resume their Euro 2012 qualifying campaign with back-to-back home matches against the Czech Republic and Lithuania in September.
"These are the games that are the important ones and we'll be ready for those," added Levein.
"We'll get Steven Naismith, Darren Fletcher, Jamie Mackie, Graham Dorrans and others back into the team. That's a quality group of players.
"I'm not so sure Lithuania or Czech Republic would've done any better against this team [Brazil]. The Czech Republic had one shot at goal against Spain the other night, Spain dominated the possession."
Rutashubanyuma
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- Sep 24, 2010
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« Previous | Main
England ease pressure on Capello
Post categories: England, Euro 2012, Wales
Phil McNulty | 18:08 UK time, Saturday, 26 March 2011
Cardiff
England arrived in Wales braced for high-intensity combat more akin to the Premier League than a Euro 2012 qualifier. They were greeted instead by the international equivalent of a testimonial.
Fabio Capello needed relief after a fortnight in which his inter-personal skills as well as his judgement were picked apart following his decision to reinstate John Terry as England captain at Rio Ferdinand's expense.
It was provided in abundance by an efficient England performance that saw the game won inside 14 minutes courtesy of goals from Frank Lampard and Darren Bent, plus the unwitting assistance of a Wales side that threw a bucket of icy water over the fire and passion of Cardiff's magnificently atmospheric Millennium Stadium.
Wales were so poor that it provided heavy perspective for anyone tempted to heap excessive praise on England, but Capello rightly took huge satisfaction from three of his most significant selections.
Aston Villa's Ashley Young won Lampard's penalty and provided the second on a plate for Bent to ensure the mindless jeering of both national anthems was as hostile as it got, despite all the talk of this being the "derby" of international fixtures.
Jack Wilshere looked as at home with England as Capello said he would be, playing soundly and sensibly to repay the faith the Italian publicly places in him.
Young was not initially offered a professional contract by Watford - photo: Getty.
And Scott Parker, finally given the holding midfield role that looked to have eluded him forever when he missed out on World Cup selection for South Africa, was the glue that held Capello's new 4-3-3 formation in place, allowing Lampard and Wilshere to augment an attacking trio of Bent, Young and Wayne Rooney.
Terry returned to the role of captain as if he had never been away, but this was one of his easiest England tasks, with pantomime jeering prior to kick-off representing the full extent of his discomfort.
All in all a good day's work for Capello off the field and his players on it. And what of Capello's system, a departure for a coach seemingly inseparable from a 4-4-2 format? It worked a treat - although England will face more testing examinations than the one presented by Gary Speed's timid Wales.
Young won the man-of-the match award for an all-round effort that made a strong case for further inclusion, particularly if Capello sticks with this formula.
It was a display that brought particular pleasure to former England and Watford manager Graham Taylor, who gave an intriguing insight into Young's character from his time at Vicarage Road before moving to Villa Park.
Taylor, a BBC Radio 5 Live summariser at the Millennium Stadium, told me: "I know Ashley from my Watford days. I think he has things to offer. I think he has the pace, the delivery and now it is up to him.
"I was the manager when he was in the Academy, so I knew about this young boy we had. When I left he was in the process of coming through at youth level and it was decided by the people there that he wasn't going to be big enough or strong enough to hold himself in professional football.
"There was a youth team coach called Chris Cummins who was adamant that Watford should not let him go. They didn't offer him a professional contract, so Ashley asked Watford if they would they let him come in and train on a full-time unpaid basis with the youth team from the start of the season until December, also playing for them.
"He did it for nothing and they then realised that he had developed into their best player at youth level and they offered him a professional contract. They then sold him to Villa for £8.5m going up to £9.6m and if he moves on Watford get 15% of anything over that figure."
Taylor added: "It was a real sign of Ashley's character and the man that really needs a lot of praise is Chris Cummins, the youth development officer I brought in on a full-time basis. He stuck up for Ashley and thought he should be signed. He made them realise that they had probably made a mistake and offered him that contract."
Fabio Capello defends England tactics
And Taylor believes there is more to come from Young, who is expected to quit Villa in the summer with Manchester United and Liverpool in pursuit.
He said: "He's quick but he has to learn if you're shaping to cross don't always kid people because your centre-forward is making a run.
"Sometimes he doesn't look up enough when he's in that crossing position because he is more intent on tricking the full-back than seeing where his centre-forward is. There were two or three occasions in Cardiff where Darren Bent made runs to the near post and the ball wasn't delivered."
Taylor was equally impressed with Parker's contribution, a continuation of the impressive form he has displayed for West Ham United this season.
"Scott's father passed away recently," said Taylor, "so it was a tremendous performance just to be out there and what he did really pleased me.
"Parker was the holding midfield player and I really hope Fabio has seen this because he had him with him for the squad of 30 before the World Cup but never picked him. By all accounts he hardly spoke to him in training then and yet this boy has had a first class season for West Ham.
"He was very important to England in that three in midfield. I think it is now going to be very difficult for Gareth Barry and I think Capello may yet have this Gerrard-Lampard conundrum again because if you're going to play Gerrard in that formation you would play him in Frank Lampard's position.
"Parker was protecting the five more attack-minded players if the ball broke down as well as shielding his two centre-backs. I just thought to myself: 'Fabio, you might have found a formation with the right players in it.' The modern day parlance is a 4-3-3 and in international football I think you need three players in the middle of the pitch instead of two because against better teams you just get outplayed."
For all the pleasure England will gain, the loss was another blow to Wales' morale and to manager Speed's hopes of reviving their fortunes. Four losses and no points in qualifiers tell the painful story.
True Wales were robbed of their finest player, Tottenham's Gareth Bale, through injury - but there was more than a Bale-sized gulf between the sides and Speed faces a mammoth task.
Capello was not complaining, however, and the win means he can now move the agenda on from the contentious issue of captaincy to the business of qualifying for Euro 2012, a task made easier by the comfortable dismissal of Wales.
And as a former England manager well-acquainted with the unique pressures of the role, Taylor said: "Fabio will be very happy. It was a competent, professional performance, although it was against a very poor Welsh side when judged by international standards.
"They won in a comfortable manner and it will take pressure off the manager. Having been in that position myself, when the criticism comes from all around it does have an effect on the players, the authorities, everyone and it would only have increased had they lost.
"He has been getting criticism, some of it deserved because of his handling of the captaincy situation, but this win has taken the pressure off him and he can think about the Ghana friendly and the game in June against Switzerland, which is so important."
And that is exactly what Capello will have wanted after the soap opera that has accompanied his every move in recent weeks.
You can follow me at twitter.com/philmcnulty and join me on Facebook.
England ease pressure on Capello
Post categories: England, Euro 2012, Wales
Phil McNulty | 18:08 UK time, Saturday, 26 March 2011
Cardiff
England arrived in Wales braced for high-intensity combat more akin to the Premier League than a Euro 2012 qualifier. They were greeted instead by the international equivalent of a testimonial.
Fabio Capello needed relief after a fortnight in which his inter-personal skills as well as his judgement were picked apart following his decision to reinstate John Terry as England captain at Rio Ferdinand's expense.
It was provided in abundance by an efficient England performance that saw the game won inside 14 minutes courtesy of goals from Frank Lampard and Darren Bent, plus the unwitting assistance of a Wales side that threw a bucket of icy water over the fire and passion of Cardiff's magnificently atmospheric Millennium Stadium.
Wales were so poor that it provided heavy perspective for anyone tempted to heap excessive praise on England, but Capello rightly took huge satisfaction from three of his most significant selections.
Aston Villa's Ashley Young won Lampard's penalty and provided the second on a plate for Bent to ensure the mindless jeering of both national anthems was as hostile as it got, despite all the talk of this being the "derby" of international fixtures.
Jack Wilshere looked as at home with England as Capello said he would be, playing soundly and sensibly to repay the faith the Italian publicly places in him.
And Scott Parker, finally given the holding midfield role that looked to have eluded him forever when he missed out on World Cup selection for South Africa, was the glue that held Capello's new 4-3-3 formation in place, allowing Lampard and Wilshere to augment an attacking trio of Bent, Young and Wayne Rooney.
Terry returned to the role of captain as if he had never been away, but this was one of his easiest England tasks, with pantomime jeering prior to kick-off representing the full extent of his discomfort.
All in all a good day's work for Capello off the field and his players on it. And what of Capello's system, a departure for a coach seemingly inseparable from a 4-4-2 format? It worked a treat - although England will face more testing examinations than the one presented by Gary Speed's timid Wales.
Young won the man-of-the match award for an all-round effort that made a strong case for further inclusion, particularly if Capello sticks with this formula.
It was a display that brought particular pleasure to former England and Watford manager Graham Taylor, who gave an intriguing insight into Young's character from his time at Vicarage Road before moving to Villa Park.
Taylor, a BBC Radio 5 Live summariser at the Millennium Stadium, told me: "I know Ashley from my Watford days. I think he has things to offer. I think he has the pace, the delivery and now it is up to him.
"I was the manager when he was in the Academy, so I knew about this young boy we had. When I left he was in the process of coming through at youth level and it was decided by the people there that he wasn't going to be big enough or strong enough to hold himself in professional football.
"There was a youth team coach called Chris Cummins who was adamant that Watford should not let him go. They didn't offer him a professional contract, so Ashley asked Watford if they would they let him come in and train on a full-time unpaid basis with the youth team from the start of the season until December, also playing for them.
"He did it for nothing and they then realised that he had developed into their best player at youth level and they offered him a professional contract. They then sold him to Villa for £8.5m going up to £9.6m and if he moves on Watford get 15% of anything over that figure."
Taylor added: "It was a real sign of Ashley's character and the man that really needs a lot of praise is Chris Cummins, the youth development officer I brought in on a full-time basis. He stuck up for Ashley and thought he should be signed. He made them realise that they had probably made a mistake and offered him that contract."
Fabio Capello defends England tactics
And Taylor believes there is more to come from Young, who is expected to quit Villa in the summer with Manchester United and Liverpool in pursuit.
He said: "He's quick but he has to learn if you're shaping to cross don't always kid people because your centre-forward is making a run.
"Sometimes he doesn't look up enough when he's in that crossing position because he is more intent on tricking the full-back than seeing where his centre-forward is. There were two or three occasions in Cardiff where Darren Bent made runs to the near post and the ball wasn't delivered."
Taylor was equally impressed with Parker's contribution, a continuation of the impressive form he has displayed for West Ham United this season.
"Scott's father passed away recently," said Taylor, "so it was a tremendous performance just to be out there and what he did really pleased me.
"Parker was the holding midfield player and I really hope Fabio has seen this because he had him with him for the squad of 30 before the World Cup but never picked him. By all accounts he hardly spoke to him in training then and yet this boy has had a first class season for West Ham.
"He was very important to England in that three in midfield. I think it is now going to be very difficult for Gareth Barry and I think Capello may yet have this Gerrard-Lampard conundrum again because if you're going to play Gerrard in that formation you would play him in Frank Lampard's position.
"Parker was protecting the five more attack-minded players if the ball broke down as well as shielding his two centre-backs. I just thought to myself: 'Fabio, you might have found a formation with the right players in it.' The modern day parlance is a 4-3-3 and in international football I think you need three players in the middle of the pitch instead of two because against better teams you just get outplayed."
For all the pleasure England will gain, the loss was another blow to Wales' morale and to manager Speed's hopes of reviving their fortunes. Four losses and no points in qualifiers tell the painful story.
True Wales were robbed of their finest player, Tottenham's Gareth Bale, through injury - but there was more than a Bale-sized gulf between the sides and Speed faces a mammoth task.
Capello was not complaining, however, and the win means he can now move the agenda on from the contentious issue of captaincy to the business of qualifying for Euro 2012, a task made easier by the comfortable dismissal of Wales.
And as a former England manager well-acquainted with the unique pressures of the role, Taylor said: "Fabio will be very happy. It was a competent, professional performance, although it was against a very poor Welsh side when judged by international standards.
"They won in a comfortable manner and it will take pressure off the manager. Having been in that position myself, when the criticism comes from all around it does have an effect on the players, the authorities, everyone and it would only have increased had they lost.
"He has been getting criticism, some of it deserved because of his handling of the captaincy situation, but this win has taken the pressure off him and he can think about the Ghana friendly and the game in June against Switzerland, which is so important."
And that is exactly what Capello will have wanted after the soap opera that has accompanied his every move in recent weeks.
You can follow me at twitter.com/philmcnulty and join me on Facebook.
Rutashubanyuma
JF-Expert Member
- Sep 24, 2010
- 219,508
- 911,249
- Thread starter
- #13,712
27 March 2011 Last updated at 01:30 GMT Share this page
Racism in Russian football: Zenit fans let side down
By Jamie Coomarasamy and Adrian Goldberg BBC News
A fan waves a banana (top right) at former Brazilian star Roberto Carlos
Continue reading the main story Related Stories
As Russia prepares to host the 2018 Football World Cup can the country's domestic game shake off its reputation for racism?
Last November, shortly before Fifa made its choice of World Cup hosts, the Russian Football Union adopted a seven-point memorandum on fighting racism.
It includes a commitment to producing anti-racist guidelines and establishing a website called Racism Offside.
The need for a strategy was underlined this week after a photograph was published showing a fan of the league champions, Zenit St Petersburg, waving a banana at Roberto Carlos. The former Brazilian star was captaining the visiting team, Anzhi Makhachkala.
We were attending the match as part of an investigation into allegations that Zenit - the only major Russian team to have never signed a player of African heritage - has fostered a culture in which managers have been discouraged from signing black players.
Those allegations were initially made in 2004 by Vlastimil Petrela, Zenit's then manager. He repeated them in a recent BBC interview:
"I wanted to hire a black player, but I could not," he said.
"I don't know why, but the management did not want it. Whenever I raised the issue, the answer always was, 'Zenit is not interested.'"
The 'Ultras' Zenit told the BBC that the officials in charge of hiring when Petrela was manager are no longer with the club, so they were unable to comment on his allegations, and Luciano Spaletti, Zenit's current coach, told the BBC he was free to sign any player he wished.
Petrela's successor at Zenit, the current Russian national coach Dick Advocaat, was quoted in 2008 as saying that the fans at the club would not accept a black player - although there has subsequently been some dispute about the content of the recording.
Advocaat's office told the BBC they were unable to contact him for a response.
Continue reading the main story Find Out More
Hear the full report on 5 live Investigates on BBC Radio 5 Live and Newshour on BBC World Service on Sunday 27 March at 2100.
What is clear, though, is that the leaders of the Ultras, a 5,000-strong group of Zenit supporters, are happy their club has still not signed an African.
Speaking at a genteel hotel in the Swiss capital Bern, before a recent Europa League game, one of the leaders of the Ultras said they did not start the tradition of not having black players, but "we are upholding it and we approve of it".
Another leader, who is an employee of the club, added: "We don't have a problem with black players. No black players - no problem."
The leaders - who did not want their names used - are not peripheral figures.
The Ultras have played an important role in Zenit's success, giving the club the kind of substantial and loyal fan-base which is rare in Russian football.
The Ultras have access to discounted tickets in a part of the stadium reserved for them.
A fan has to prove loyalty and commitment to the club at an informal interview with the Ultras' leaders in order to make the grade.
Intimidation There was no doubting the Ultras' commitment at the Anzhi Makhachkala match.
It may have been an early season game against modest opposition, but it felt - at times - like a cup final.
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Ghanaian footballer Draman Haminu, who plays for FC Lokomotiv, shares his experiences of playing in Russia
The Ultras' section of the ground was a sea of blue and white flags and the choreographed chanting lasted the entire 90 minutes, without a break, creating an intimidating atmosphere for the visitors.
That intimidation also took a different form. When one of Anzhi's African players touched the ball, at times a low rumble of monkey chants could be made out, coming from a small section of the crowd.
When the banana photo was published, Zenit released a statement condemning racial intolerance, and described the incident as a provocative act which had nothing to do with their regular fans.
One of the leaders of the Zenit Ultras concurred, although he told Sovietski Sport newspaper: "We do not consider a banana a racist symbol."
The club says that the culprit has now been found and banned from the stadium for life.
The Russian Football Union says it is taking no further action, because there was no official complaint from Anzhi Makhachkala.
Fighting prejudice Earlier this year, the Union did put forward the idea of docking points from clubs for racist fan behaviour. This remains at the proposal stage.
Zenit official Alexei Blinov: The tolerance campaign has not been effective enough
Speaking to the BBC before the Anzhi match, Zenit's head of fan relations, Alexei Blinov, said racism was a problem for world football, not just Russia - and maintained Zenit was at the vanguard of fighting prejudice.
"We started a tolerance campaign in this city in 2006, way before Uefa turned its attention to it," he said.
"We've organised a series of lectures in schools and colleges and we're part of Uefa's Show Racism the Red Card campaign."
When he was informed what the leader of the Ultras had told the BBC about not accepting black players, he said it showed the tolerance campaign had not been effective enough.
"Thank you for telling me this, I will talk to these guys. Next time you come, you will see these same guys showing a red card to racism," he said.
Ordinary Zenit fans at the Anzhi game said they had not heard about the club's tolerance campaign, but questioned whether one was necessary.
"We're not racist," said one, "so why would we need an initiative?"
But others beg to differ. Apart from a brief spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Nigerian player, Isaac Okoronkwo, has spent the past decade at teams in former Soviet republics.
He says that he was led to believe Zenit would not buy him because he was black.
Zenit officials say they are unaware of that case - and deny there is a race-based hiring policy.
They give a variety of reasons why the club has never signed an African player, ranging from their scouting policy to St Petersburg's cold weather.
They also point out that they have signed players from a variety of backgrounds, including two South Koreans and the Portuguese defender, Bruno Alves.
But, however swiftly Zenit has dealt with the banana incident, it has provided another example of the cloud that hangs over Russian football, as it prepares to welcome supporters - and players - from across the world.
Racism in Russian football: Zenit fans let side down
By Jamie Coomarasamy and Adrian Goldberg BBC News
Continue reading the main story Related Stories
As Russia prepares to host the 2018 Football World Cup can the country's domestic game shake off its reputation for racism?
Last November, shortly before Fifa made its choice of World Cup hosts, the Russian Football Union adopted a seven-point memorandum on fighting racism.
It includes a commitment to producing anti-racist guidelines and establishing a website called Racism Offside.
The need for a strategy was underlined this week after a photograph was published showing a fan of the league champions, Zenit St Petersburg, waving a banana at Roberto Carlos. The former Brazilian star was captaining the visiting team, Anzhi Makhachkala.
We were attending the match as part of an investigation into allegations that Zenit - the only major Russian team to have never signed a player of African heritage - has fostered a culture in which managers have been discouraged from signing black players.
Those allegations were initially made in 2004 by Vlastimil Petrela, Zenit's then manager. He repeated them in a recent BBC interview:
"I wanted to hire a black player, but I could not," he said.
"I don't know why, but the management did not want it. Whenever I raised the issue, the answer always was, 'Zenit is not interested.'"
The 'Ultras' Zenit told the BBC that the officials in charge of hiring when Petrela was manager are no longer with the club, so they were unable to comment on his allegations, and Luciano Spaletti, Zenit's current coach, told the BBC he was free to sign any player he wished.
Petrela's successor at Zenit, the current Russian national coach Dick Advocaat, was quoted in 2008 as saying that the fans at the club would not accept a black player - although there has subsequently been some dispute about the content of the recording.
Advocaat's office told the BBC they were unable to contact him for a response.
Continue reading the main story Find Out More
Hear the full report on 5 live Investigates on BBC Radio 5 Live and Newshour on BBC World Service on Sunday 27 March at 2100.
- Listen to the 5 live Investigates podcast
- Listen to the Newshour podcast
- Post comments on Facebook
- Send comments via Twitter
What is clear, though, is that the leaders of the Ultras, a 5,000-strong group of Zenit supporters, are happy their club has still not signed an African.
Speaking at a genteel hotel in the Swiss capital Bern, before a recent Europa League game, one of the leaders of the Ultras said they did not start the tradition of not having black players, but "we are upholding it and we approve of it".
Another leader, who is an employee of the club, added: "We don't have a problem with black players. No black players - no problem."
The leaders - who did not want their names used - are not peripheral figures.
The Ultras have played an important role in Zenit's success, giving the club the kind of substantial and loyal fan-base which is rare in Russian football.
The Ultras have access to discounted tickets in a part of the stadium reserved for them.
A fan has to prove loyalty and commitment to the club at an informal interview with the Ultras' leaders in order to make the grade.
Intimidation There was no doubting the Ultras' commitment at the Anzhi Makhachkala match.
It may have been an early season game against modest opposition, but it felt - at times - like a cup final.
Advertisement
Ghanaian footballer Draman Haminu, who plays for FC Lokomotiv, shares his experiences of playing in Russia
The Ultras' section of the ground was a sea of blue and white flags and the choreographed chanting lasted the entire 90 minutes, without a break, creating an intimidating atmosphere for the visitors.
That intimidation also took a different form. When one of Anzhi's African players touched the ball, at times a low rumble of monkey chants could be made out, coming from a small section of the crowd.
When the banana photo was published, Zenit released a statement condemning racial intolerance, and described the incident as a provocative act which had nothing to do with their regular fans.
One of the leaders of the Zenit Ultras concurred, although he told Sovietski Sport newspaper: "We do not consider a banana a racist symbol."
The club says that the culprit has now been found and banned from the stadium for life.
The Russian Football Union says it is taking no further action, because there was no official complaint from Anzhi Makhachkala.
Fighting prejudice Earlier this year, the Union did put forward the idea of docking points from clubs for racist fan behaviour. This remains at the proposal stage.
Speaking to the BBC before the Anzhi match, Zenit's head of fan relations, Alexei Blinov, said racism was a problem for world football, not just Russia - and maintained Zenit was at the vanguard of fighting prejudice.
"We started a tolerance campaign in this city in 2006, way before Uefa turned its attention to it," he said.
"We've organised a series of lectures in schools and colleges and we're part of Uefa's Show Racism the Red Card campaign."
When he was informed what the leader of the Ultras had told the BBC about not accepting black players, he said it showed the tolerance campaign had not been effective enough.
"Thank you for telling me this, I will talk to these guys. Next time you come, you will see these same guys showing a red card to racism," he said.
Ordinary Zenit fans at the Anzhi game said they had not heard about the club's tolerance campaign, but questioned whether one was necessary.
"We're not racist," said one, "so why would we need an initiative?"
But others beg to differ. Apart from a brief spell at Wolverhampton Wanderers, the Nigerian player, Isaac Okoronkwo, has spent the past decade at teams in former Soviet republics.
He says that he was led to believe Zenit would not buy him because he was black.
Zenit officials say they are unaware of that case - and deny there is a race-based hiring policy.
They give a variety of reasons why the club has never signed an African player, ranging from their scouting policy to St Petersburg's cold weather.
They also point out that they have signed players from a variety of backgrounds, including two South Koreans and the Portuguese defender, Bruno Alves.
But, however swiftly Zenit has dealt with the banana incident, it has provided another example of the cloud that hangs over Russian football, as it prepares to welcome supporters - and players - from across the world.
Rutashubanyuma
JF-Expert Member
- Sep 24, 2010
- 219,508
- 911,249
- Thread starter
- #13,713
Football tables
Get this content on your MOBILE
Hosts Poland and Ukraine qualify automatically. All nine group winners qualify. The second placed team with the highest number of points from matches against the first, third, fourth and fifth placed teams also qualifies. The eight remaining second-placed teams will take part in two-legged play-offs to decide the four remaining qualifiers.
European Championship Qualifying : Group A Table
Saturday, 26 March 2011 21:03 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Germany 5 5 0 0 17 1 16 15 2 Belgium 5 2 1 2 10 8 2 7 3 Austria 4 2 1 1 9 6 3 7 4 Turkey 4 2 0 2 6 6 0 6 5 Azerbaijan 3 1 0 2 2 9 -7 3 6 Kazakhstan 5 0 0 5 0 14 -14 0
European Championship Qualifying : Group B Table
Saturday, 26 March 2011 21:37 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Slovakia 5 3 1 1 5 4 1 10 2 Russia 5 3 1 1 6 3 3 10 3 Rep of Ireland 5 3 1 1 9 6 3 10 4 Armenia 5 2 2 1 9 4 5 8 5 FYR Macedonia 5 1 1 3 5 6 -1 4 6 Andorra 5 0 0 5 1 12 -11 0
European Championship Qualifying : Group C Table
Sunday, 27 March 2011 18:16 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Italy 5 4 1 0 11 1 10 13 2 Slovenia 5 2 1 2 7 4 3 7 3 Serbia 5 2 1 2 7 8 -1 7 4 Estonia 4 2 0 2 6 5 1 6 5 Northern Ireland 4 1 2 1 3 3 0 5 6 Faroe Islands 5 0 1 4 3 16 -13 1
European Championship Qualifying : Group D Table
Saturday, 26 March 2011 21:05 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 France 5 4 0 1 8 1 7 12 2 Belarus 5 2 2 1 3 1 2 8 3 Albania 5 2 2 1 4 4 0 8 4 Bosnia-Hercegovina 4 2 1 1 6 4 2 7 5 Romania 4 0 2 2 2 5 -3 2 6 Luxembourg 5 0 1 4 0 8 -8 1
European Championship Qualifying : Group E Table
Sunday, 27 March 2011 18:16 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Netherlands 5 5 0 0 16 2 14 15 2 Hungary 5 3 0 2 12 8 4 9 3 Sweden 3 2 0 1 9 4 5 6 4 Moldova 4 2 0 2 5 3 2 6 5 Finland 4 1 0 3 10 6 4 3 6 San Marino 5 0 0 5 0 29 -29 0
European Championship Qualifying : Group F Table
Saturday, 26 March 2011 21:36 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Greece 5 3 2 0 5 2 3 11 2 Croatia 5 3 1 1 8 2 6 10 3 Georgia 5 2 3 0 4 2 2 9 4 Israel 5 2 1 2 7 6 1 7 5 Latvia 5 1 1 3 4 7 -3 4 6 Malta 5 0 0 5 1 10 -9 0
European Championship Qualifying : Group G Table
Saturday, 26 March 2011 18:45 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 England 4 3 1 0 9 1 8 10 2 Montenegro 4 3 1 0 3 0 3 10 3 Switzerland 4 1 1 2 5 5 0 4 4 Bulgaria 4 1 1 2 1 5 -4 4 5 Wales 4 0 0 4 1 8 -7 0
European Championship Qualifying : Group H Table
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:52 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Norway 4 3 1 0 6 3 3 10 2 Portugal 4 2 1 1 10 7 3 7 3 Denmark 4 2 1 1 5 4 1 7 4 Cyprus 4 0 2 2 5 8 -3 2 5 Iceland 4 0 1 3 2 6 -4 1
European Championship Qualifying : Group I Table
Sunday, 27 March 2011 18:16 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Spain 4 4 0 0 12 4 8 12 2 Czech Republic 4 2 0 2 4 3 1 6 3 Scotland 4 1 1 2 4 5 -1 4 4 Lithuania 3 1 1 1 2 3 -1 4 5 Liechtenstein 3 0 0 3 1 8 -7 0
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Hosts Poland and Ukraine qualify automatically. All nine group winners qualify. The second placed team with the highest number of points from matches against the first, third, fourth and fifth placed teams also qualifies. The eight remaining second-placed teams will take part in two-legged play-offs to decide the four remaining qualifiers.
Saturday, 26 March 2011 21:03 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Germany 5 5 0 0 17 1 16 15 2 Belgium 5 2 1 2 10 8 2 7 3 Austria 4 2 1 1 9 6 3 7 4 Turkey 4 2 0 2 6 6 0 6 5 Azerbaijan 3 1 0 2 2 9 -7 3 6 Kazakhstan 5 0 0 5 0 14 -14 0
Saturday, 26 March 2011 21:37 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Slovakia 5 3 1 1 5 4 1 10 2 Russia 5 3 1 1 6 3 3 10 3 Rep of Ireland 5 3 1 1 9 6 3 10 4 Armenia 5 2 2 1 9 4 5 8 5 FYR Macedonia 5 1 1 3 5 6 -1 4 6 Andorra 5 0 0 5 1 12 -11 0
Sunday, 27 March 2011 18:16 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Italy 5 4 1 0 11 1 10 13 2 Slovenia 5 2 1 2 7 4 3 7 3 Serbia 5 2 1 2 7 8 -1 7 4 Estonia 4 2 0 2 6 5 1 6 5 Northern Ireland 4 1 2 1 3 3 0 5 6 Faroe Islands 5 0 1 4 3 16 -13 1
Saturday, 26 March 2011 21:05 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 France 5 4 0 1 8 1 7 12 2 Belarus 5 2 2 1 3 1 2 8 3 Albania 5 2 2 1 4 4 0 8 4 Bosnia-Hercegovina 4 2 1 1 6 4 2 7 5 Romania 4 0 2 2 2 5 -3 2 6 Luxembourg 5 0 1 4 0 8 -8 1
Sunday, 27 March 2011 18:16 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Netherlands 5 5 0 0 16 2 14 15 2 Hungary 5 3 0 2 12 8 4 9 3 Sweden 3 2 0 1 9 4 5 6 4 Moldova 4 2 0 2 5 3 2 6 5 Finland 4 1 0 3 10 6 4 3 6 San Marino 5 0 0 5 0 29 -29 0
Saturday, 26 March 2011 21:36 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Greece 5 3 2 0 5 2 3 11 2 Croatia 5 3 1 1 8 2 6 10 3 Georgia 5 2 3 0 4 2 2 9 4 Israel 5 2 1 2 7 6 1 7 5 Latvia 5 1 1 3 4 7 -3 4 6 Malta 5 0 0 5 1 10 -9 0
Saturday, 26 March 2011 18:45 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 England 4 3 1 0 9 1 8 10 2 Montenegro 4 3 1 0 3 0 3 10 3 Switzerland 4 1 1 2 5 5 0 4 4 Bulgaria 4 1 1 2 1 5 -4 4 5 Wales 4 0 0 4 1 8 -7 0
Saturday, 26 March 2011 20:52 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Norway 4 3 1 0 6 3 3 10 2 Portugal 4 2 1 1 10 7 3 7 3 Denmark 4 2 1 1 5 4 1 7 4 Cyprus 4 0 2 2 5 8 -3 2 5 Iceland 4 0 1 3 2 6 -4 1
Sunday, 27 March 2011 18:16 UK
P W D L F A GD PTS 1 Spain 4 4 0 0 12 4 8 12 2 Czech Republic 4 2 0 2 4 3 1 6 3 Scotland 4 1 1 2 4 5 -1 4 4 Lithuania 3 1 1 1 2 3 -1 4 5 Liechtenstein 3 0 0 3 1 8 -7 0
Rutashubanyuma
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Brazil show Argentina way forward
Post categories: Football
Tim Vickery | 09:06 UK time, Monday, 28 March 2011
Taking on Scotland at the Emirates was more than just another friendly for Brazil, more than the chance to return to winning ways after two defeats, and even more than a warm up for July's Copa America.
The game got to grips with one of the fundamental issues facing the five-time world champions as they prepare for triumph number six in front of their own fans in 2014.
"We need to learn to play against defensive sides," said Mano Menezes last July in his first press conference as coach of Brazil.
"If teams stay back we get irritated - but the opposition has every right to play defensively."
Menezes is weaning his team off what had become an excessive dependence on the counter-attack.
In the World Cup almost everyone will sit back and try to frustrate Brazil - hence the importance of trying out strategies to beat the likes of Scotland.
Brazil's Leandro Damiao has an effort stopped by Scotland goalkeeper Allan McGregor of Scotland. Pic: Getty
One of them - unveiled last month against France but curtailed after Hernanes' first-half red card - was high pressure marking, attempting to win possession deep in the opposition half.
At one point this nearly turned a goal-kick for Scotland into a goal for Brazil, and several times Menezes' men won the ball in dangerous positions.
With his team compact in Scotland's half, the virtues of Menezes' 4-2-3-1 formation started to appear.
The holding midfielder Lucas Leiva was able to pop up in attack as an occasional element of surprise.
There was also a constant quest to create two against one situations down the flanks, with Jadson and Daniel Alves down the right and, especially, with Andre Santos and Neymar down the left - the route of the latter's gloriously taken opening goal.
And, for the first time since the World Cup, there was a genuine old fashioned number nine. Absent through injury this time, Alexandre Pato scored in all three of Menezes' first games in charge. But for all his talent, it is debatable whether he is ideally suited to the central striker's role in a 4-2-3-1. He is more of a fluid runner than a penalty area presence.
The same is not true of Leandro Damiao, the 21-year-old who made his debut against Scotland. As recently as December, he was a substitute for Internacional in the Club World Cup.
Damiao's rise has been meteoric. He was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet against the Scots, provided a threat in the air and helped create space for Neymar.
It is way too early to know whether Damiao will be the long-term owner of the number nine shirt. What seems clear, though, is that a player of his type - which could still be World Cup striker Luis Fabiano should his return to Sao Paulo be a success - will always be in the thoughts of Menezes when he puts his team together.
But if Brazil are moving towards fielding an old style centre forward, Argentina are going in the opposite direction.
A 79,000 crowd was at the Meadowlands Stadium to see Messi - photo: Reuters.
Against the United States on Saturday, as in last month's meeting with Portugal, coach Sergio Batista selected his side without a target man.
Instead, in an imitation of the role he has been playing for Barcelona, Lionel Messi is being employed in a 4-3-3 formation as a false number nine, with freedom to roam between midfield and attack.
Either side of Messi, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria open up the field with their speedy flank play. Behind him, Ever Banega is the key link - the Xavi of Batista's South American Barcelona.
For the first 45 minutes against the US, Argentina were worthy of the comparison. They played some scintillating stuff, with Messi exchanging passes at breathtaking pace and angles with Banega and Lavezzi.
The US defended doggedly, but were held in a stranglehold, and were fortunate to be just one goal down at the interval. It was embarrassingly one sided.
But the final score was 1-1. Batista's men could not maintain their pressing for the full 90 minutes, and with more aggressive intent the US managed to carry the game into the Argentina half - at which point some long-standing defensive weaknesses were shown up.
Poor defending in the air and sub-standard goalkeeping helped the US equalise. It would have been greatly against the run of play, but the US could even have snatched a winner.
Batista must surely be reflecting on how such first-half superiority could not be turned into more goals. Does he need to rethink the balance of his attack?
A penalty-area specialist would surely have capitalised on those periods of Argentina domination when the ball kept flashing across the face of the goal. And indeed, the currently injured Gonzalo Higuain remains an important option.
Going back to a target man, though, would interfere with Batista's imitation of Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, since it would reduce the space available for Messi to cut through the middle.
But there is a figure in the Barcelona attack that Batista's side are not currently replicating. David Villa is not a traditional centre forward. He does much of his best work cutting in from the flanks. But he is a penalty-area operator - much more so than ether Lavezzi or Di Maria.
There is an obvious candidate to carry out the Villa role for Argentina - Sergio Aguero, a surprising omission from the current squad. Diego Maradona's son-in-law has the speed to work wide and the restricted space skills to be effective in the penalty area.
Aguero has not played for his country since coming off the bench to score against Spain last September. But the Atletico Madrid striker could have an important part to play in Argentina's Barcelona imitation.
Comments on the piece in the space below. Questions on South American football to vickerycolumn@hotmail.com, and I'll pick out a couple for next week.
From last week's postbag:
Q) Any idea what's happened to the Argentine defender Marcos Angeleri signed by Sunderland. I see he's only made a couple of appearances for the first team so far, after being picked by Maradona for the national side I had hoped for him to shine in the Premier League.
Gareth Williams
He was on the bench for Argentina against the US, called up after Pablo Zabaleta was forced out, and he may even play against Costa Rica on Tuesday. What concerned me, though, when he signed for Sunderland was his fitness. His biggest asset was his pace - that and versatility, because he started as a sweeper and then became a right back, so he could use that pace for defensive cover and to bomb forward.
But he suffered a serious knee injury, and so far he's offered no evidence of being the player he was before. Had he been fit, I'm sure Maradona would have taken him to the World Cup. The fact that he was left out was a cause of concern, a warning flag that he had not made a full recovery.
Q) I was wondering what seems to have been the motivation for Luis Fabiano's move back to Brazil. It seems especially unusual when you consider he had just signed a new contract with Sevilla, and he was being linked to big clubs (Man Utd, Spurs, etc) over the summer.
Bobby Smith Baker
A) After a very unhappy time early in his career with Rennes in France he said that he never wanted to know about northern Europe again! He's going back, I imagine, because Brazilian clubs are paying top money now, and with some big names returning the standard should be higher than for years. He had a happy spell with Sao Paulo in the past, and the club's medical facilities are top class. And if he's still keen, starring at home is a great way to win an international recall - as the column above argues, Brazil seem to have decided that they need a player of his type.
Post categories: Football
Tim Vickery | 09:06 UK time, Monday, 28 March 2011
Taking on Scotland at the Emirates was more than just another friendly for Brazil, more than the chance to return to winning ways after two defeats, and even more than a warm up for July's Copa America.
The game got to grips with one of the fundamental issues facing the five-time world champions as they prepare for triumph number six in front of their own fans in 2014.
"We need to learn to play against defensive sides," said Mano Menezes last July in his first press conference as coach of Brazil.
"If teams stay back we get irritated - but the opposition has every right to play defensively."
Menezes is weaning his team off what had become an excessive dependence on the counter-attack.
In the World Cup almost everyone will sit back and try to frustrate Brazil - hence the importance of trying out strategies to beat the likes of Scotland.
Brazil's Leandro Damiao has an effort stopped by Scotland goalkeeper Allan McGregor of Scotland. Pic: Getty One of them - unveiled last month against France but curtailed after Hernanes' first-half red card - was high pressure marking, attempting to win possession deep in the opposition half.
At one point this nearly turned a goal-kick for Scotland into a goal for Brazil, and several times Menezes' men won the ball in dangerous positions.
With his team compact in Scotland's half, the virtues of Menezes' 4-2-3-1 formation started to appear.
The holding midfielder Lucas Leiva was able to pop up in attack as an occasional element of surprise.
There was also a constant quest to create two against one situations down the flanks, with Jadson and Daniel Alves down the right and, especially, with Andre Santos and Neymar down the left - the route of the latter's gloriously taken opening goal.
And, for the first time since the World Cup, there was a genuine old fashioned number nine. Absent through injury this time, Alexandre Pato scored in all three of Menezes' first games in charge. But for all his talent, it is debatable whether he is ideally suited to the central striker's role in a 4-2-3-1. He is more of a fluid runner than a penalty area presence.
The same is not true of Leandro Damiao, the 21-year-old who made his debut against Scotland. As recently as December, he was a substitute for Internacional in the Club World Cup.
Damiao's rise has been meteoric. He was unlucky not to get on the scoresheet against the Scots, provided a threat in the air and helped create space for Neymar.
It is way too early to know whether Damiao will be the long-term owner of the number nine shirt. What seems clear, though, is that a player of his type - which could still be World Cup striker Luis Fabiano should his return to Sao Paulo be a success - will always be in the thoughts of Menezes when he puts his team together.
But if Brazil are moving towards fielding an old style centre forward, Argentina are going in the opposite direction.
Against the United States on Saturday, as in last month's meeting with Portugal, coach Sergio Batista selected his side without a target man.
Instead, in an imitation of the role he has been playing for Barcelona, Lionel Messi is being employed in a 4-3-3 formation as a false number nine, with freedom to roam between midfield and attack.
Either side of Messi, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria open up the field with their speedy flank play. Behind him, Ever Banega is the key link - the Xavi of Batista's South American Barcelona.
For the first 45 minutes against the US, Argentina were worthy of the comparison. They played some scintillating stuff, with Messi exchanging passes at breathtaking pace and angles with Banega and Lavezzi.
The US defended doggedly, but were held in a stranglehold, and were fortunate to be just one goal down at the interval. It was embarrassingly one sided.
But the final score was 1-1. Batista's men could not maintain their pressing for the full 90 minutes, and with more aggressive intent the US managed to carry the game into the Argentina half - at which point some long-standing defensive weaknesses were shown up.
Poor defending in the air and sub-standard goalkeeping helped the US equalise. It would have been greatly against the run of play, but the US could even have snatched a winner.
Batista must surely be reflecting on how such first-half superiority could not be turned into more goals. Does he need to rethink the balance of his attack?
A penalty-area specialist would surely have capitalised on those periods of Argentina domination when the ball kept flashing across the face of the goal. And indeed, the currently injured Gonzalo Higuain remains an important option.
Going back to a target man, though, would interfere with Batista's imitation of Pep Guardiola's Barcelona, since it would reduce the space available for Messi to cut through the middle.
But there is a figure in the Barcelona attack that Batista's side are not currently replicating. David Villa is not a traditional centre forward. He does much of his best work cutting in from the flanks. But he is a penalty-area operator - much more so than ether Lavezzi or Di Maria.
There is an obvious candidate to carry out the Villa role for Argentina - Sergio Aguero, a surprising omission from the current squad. Diego Maradona's son-in-law has the speed to work wide and the restricted space skills to be effective in the penalty area.
Aguero has not played for his country since coming off the bench to score against Spain last September. But the Atletico Madrid striker could have an important part to play in Argentina's Barcelona imitation.
Comments on the piece in the space below. Questions on South American football to vickerycolumn@hotmail.com, and I'll pick out a couple for next week.
From last week's postbag:
Q) Any idea what's happened to the Argentine defender Marcos Angeleri signed by Sunderland. I see he's only made a couple of appearances for the first team so far, after being picked by Maradona for the national side I had hoped for him to shine in the Premier League.
Gareth Williams
He was on the bench for Argentina against the US, called up after Pablo Zabaleta was forced out, and he may even play against Costa Rica on Tuesday. What concerned me, though, when he signed for Sunderland was his fitness. His biggest asset was his pace - that and versatility, because he started as a sweeper and then became a right back, so he could use that pace for defensive cover and to bomb forward.
But he suffered a serious knee injury, and so far he's offered no evidence of being the player he was before. Had he been fit, I'm sure Maradona would have taken him to the World Cup. The fact that he was left out was a cause of concern, a warning flag that he had not made a full recovery.
Q) I was wondering what seems to have been the motivation for Luis Fabiano's move back to Brazil. It seems especially unusual when you consider he had just signed a new contract with Sevilla, and he was being linked to big clubs (Man Utd, Spurs, etc) over the summer.
Bobby Smith Baker
A) After a very unhappy time early in his career with Rennes in France he said that he never wanted to know about northern Europe again! He's going back, I imagine, because Brazilian clubs are paying top money now, and with some big names returning the standard should be higher than for years. He had a happy spell with Sao Paulo in the past, and the club's medical facilities are top class. And if he's still keen, starring at home is a great way to win an international recall - as the column above argues, Brazil seem to have decided that they need a player of his type.
Rutashubanyuma
JF-Expert Member
- Sep 24, 2010
- 219,508
- 911,249
- Thread starter
- #13,715
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Adriano struggling to find suitors after Roma departure
Post categories: Football
Tim Vickery | 08:47 UK time, Monday, 21 March 2011
When Roma signed Brazilian striker Adriano last year, the club directors may as well have lit their cigars with high denomination banknotes or poured their money down a rathole. They were quite happy to tear up his contract earlier this month and received no money in return.
This, though, is not the story of a player unable to adapt to life in a foreign country.
For a good five years, Adriano was a top-class striker in Italian football, a giant centre forward with a howitzer left foot that was also capable of surprising subtlety. And yet, at 29 and theoretically at his peak, he seems unlikely to play in Europe again. Only a very brave or foolhardy European club would give yet another chance to a player who has been wasting them for the last five years.
Adriano is an extreme example of one of the striking features of contemporary football - inconsistency at the top level of the game.
Adriano failed to make an impact at Roma after signing for the club amid much fanfare
His life story shows how great the gap has become from being a successful professional to relative anonymity. A poor kid from Rio's notorious Vila Cruzeiro favela, Adriano has earned fabulous sums of money through his skill on the football field, but this process has left him walking a tightrope that keeps getting narrower.
On the one hand, the rewards for playing top-class football are greater than ever before, meaning that so too are the temptations. On the other hand, with the physical development of the game, the sacrifices needed in order to shine are also at unprecedented levels.
For years Adriano was prepared to make those sacrifices and he paid a high price for his desire to break into the Brazil side. He played in the Confederations Cup in 2003 and '05, the 2004 Copa America and then the World Cup two years later. It is hard to think of many European players who would be willing to do the same, especially as in between these tournaments there were long flights home for World Cup qualifiers.
All of these tournaments ate into his time for rest and relaxation. It may seem an unlikely comparison, but Adriano was like a butterfly broken on the wheel of an over-crowded fixture calendar.
For all his physical strength, there is something of the lost, sweet-eyed child in Adriano. It became apparent after the premature loss of his father, whose death was hastened by the fact that he had a bullet lodged in his skull after being caught in the middle of a shoot-out.
Adriano has confessed that he was terrified by the thought of becoming the man of the family. And there was something else: his great motivations to play football were to make his father happy and, of course, to make money. Now, with his father gone and his bank balance bulging, what was the point?
The sacrifices of the life of an athlete, once part of his routine, were now an unbearable limitation. Why bother with training when he could drink, either to mourn the loss of his dad or to celebrate the fact that he could buy all the drink that he wanted.
Alex Ferguson says that, for a top-class player, every game is a statement of his own worth. It is a magnificent quote and, especially for the mentally fragile, a stressful way of life. Forced to put themselves on the line twice a week in front of an audience of millions, it is not hard to imagine why most players enjoyed the game more before they were professional - or why some choose to measure their worth in other ways, such as their nocturnal activities.
The tragedy, of course, is that their talent has a sell-by date. In a decade's time, someone like Adriano will be able to go where he likes, with whoever he likes to wherever he likes. But he will surely feel better about himself if he can legitimately believe that he took his footballing talent as far as it could go.
He has surely come to the end of the road in Europe, but that does not mean that Adriano will not be handed yet another opportunity to redeem himself. Things have not gone as he would have liked after he effectively forced his way out of Roma.
He expected that Flamengo of Rio would welcome him back with open arms - he came up through the ranks with the club, and came back in 2009 to help them to the domestic title.
Last year, though, before joining Roma, it was felt that he led the squad astray. Now they have a big time idol in Ronaldinho, and a coach (Vanderlei Luxemburgo) who is very reluctant to have his boat rocked.
There has been some talk of Corinthians, the Sao Paulo giants. The recently retired Ronaldo still has considerable influence with the club, and has apparently been using it to push Adriano's claims. Here again there is resistance, especially as Corinthians have recently - and with immediate success - brought back Liedson from Portugal. Three years ago Adriano spent some time on loan with Sao Paulo FC, but that door seems closed since the club have signed World Cup striker Luis Fabiano. Cruzeiro have been looking for a centre forward - but have just agreed a loan deal with Brandao of Marseilles.
Maybe Adriano made a simple miscalculation. Several years ago Brazilian football was so short of big names that he could dictate his terms. That is no longer the case. The economic boom and the strength of the currency are bringing some stars back across the Atlantic. Adriano has not been able to waltz back in to a major club.
Plenty could have changed, though, by the time the national championship kicks off in two month's time. Flamengo, for instance, could do with a target man, and at the weekend a group of supporters staged a demonstration in favour of Adriano.
If not them, some other big Brazilian club will find themselves under pressure for results and will go looking for Adriano - hoping against hope that they are signing the proven goalscorer, and not the proven troublemaker.
Please leave comments on the piece in the space provided. Send your questions on South American football to vickerycolumn@hotmail.com, and I'll pick out a couple for next week.
From last week's postbag:
Q) Just wondering if you could shed any light on a rumour I heard from an Argentinian friend on Riquelme's situation with Boca? He told me he had been sacked from the club for constantly being unfit. Is there any truth in this? He is a River Plate fan and perhaps it is just wishful thinking. How well is he playing in Argentina since his move back?
Craig McFarlane
A) I think we can destroy that rumour, since Riquelme played on Sunday, back after his latest injury. Boca lost again, though, 2-0 at home, and their situation is not good at all. Riquelme has indeed struggled for fitness for a while, but now he is back it is going to be fascinating to see how he gets on with latest coach Falcioni, who is not known for his use of number 10 playmakers.
Much as I enjoy watching him, I was never convinced by the decision to bring Riquelme back on a definitive basis in 2008 - it brought to an end a model which had worked very well for Boca for a decade.
Adriano struggling to find suitors after Roma departure
Post categories: Football
Tim Vickery | 08:47 UK time, Monday, 21 March 2011
When Roma signed Brazilian striker Adriano last year, the club directors may as well have lit their cigars with high denomination banknotes or poured their money down a rathole. They were quite happy to tear up his contract earlier this month and received no money in return.
This, though, is not the story of a player unable to adapt to life in a foreign country.
For a good five years, Adriano was a top-class striker in Italian football, a giant centre forward with a howitzer left foot that was also capable of surprising subtlety. And yet, at 29 and theoretically at his peak, he seems unlikely to play in Europe again. Only a very brave or foolhardy European club would give yet another chance to a player who has been wasting them for the last five years.
Adriano is an extreme example of one of the striking features of contemporary football - inconsistency at the top level of the game.
His life story shows how great the gap has become from being a successful professional to relative anonymity. A poor kid from Rio's notorious Vila Cruzeiro favela, Adriano has earned fabulous sums of money through his skill on the football field, but this process has left him walking a tightrope that keeps getting narrower.
On the one hand, the rewards for playing top-class football are greater than ever before, meaning that so too are the temptations. On the other hand, with the physical development of the game, the sacrifices needed in order to shine are also at unprecedented levels.
For years Adriano was prepared to make those sacrifices and he paid a high price for his desire to break into the Brazil side. He played in the Confederations Cup in 2003 and '05, the 2004 Copa America and then the World Cup two years later. It is hard to think of many European players who would be willing to do the same, especially as in between these tournaments there were long flights home for World Cup qualifiers.
All of these tournaments ate into his time for rest and relaxation. It may seem an unlikely comparison, but Adriano was like a butterfly broken on the wheel of an over-crowded fixture calendar.
For all his physical strength, there is something of the lost, sweet-eyed child in Adriano. It became apparent after the premature loss of his father, whose death was hastened by the fact that he had a bullet lodged in his skull after being caught in the middle of a shoot-out.
Adriano has confessed that he was terrified by the thought of becoming the man of the family. And there was something else: his great motivations to play football were to make his father happy and, of course, to make money. Now, with his father gone and his bank balance bulging, what was the point?
The sacrifices of the life of an athlete, once part of his routine, were now an unbearable limitation. Why bother with training when he could drink, either to mourn the loss of his dad or to celebrate the fact that he could buy all the drink that he wanted.
Alex Ferguson says that, for a top-class player, every game is a statement of his own worth. It is a magnificent quote and, especially for the mentally fragile, a stressful way of life. Forced to put themselves on the line twice a week in front of an audience of millions, it is not hard to imagine why most players enjoyed the game more before they were professional - or why some choose to measure their worth in other ways, such as their nocturnal activities.
The tragedy, of course, is that their talent has a sell-by date. In a decade's time, someone like Adriano will be able to go where he likes, with whoever he likes to wherever he likes. But he will surely feel better about himself if he can legitimately believe that he took his footballing talent as far as it could go.
He has surely come to the end of the road in Europe, but that does not mean that Adriano will not be handed yet another opportunity to redeem himself. Things have not gone as he would have liked after he effectively forced his way out of Roma.
He expected that Flamengo of Rio would welcome him back with open arms - he came up through the ranks with the club, and came back in 2009 to help them to the domestic title.
Last year, though, before joining Roma, it was felt that he led the squad astray. Now they have a big time idol in Ronaldinho, and a coach (Vanderlei Luxemburgo) who is very reluctant to have his boat rocked.
There has been some talk of Corinthians, the Sao Paulo giants. The recently retired Ronaldo still has considerable influence with the club, and has apparently been using it to push Adriano's claims. Here again there is resistance, especially as Corinthians have recently - and with immediate success - brought back Liedson from Portugal. Three years ago Adriano spent some time on loan with Sao Paulo FC, but that door seems closed since the club have signed World Cup striker Luis Fabiano. Cruzeiro have been looking for a centre forward - but have just agreed a loan deal with Brandao of Marseilles.
Maybe Adriano made a simple miscalculation. Several years ago Brazilian football was so short of big names that he could dictate his terms. That is no longer the case. The economic boom and the strength of the currency are bringing some stars back across the Atlantic. Adriano has not been able to waltz back in to a major club.
Plenty could have changed, though, by the time the national championship kicks off in two month's time. Flamengo, for instance, could do with a target man, and at the weekend a group of supporters staged a demonstration in favour of Adriano.
If not them, some other big Brazilian club will find themselves under pressure for results and will go looking for Adriano - hoping against hope that they are signing the proven goalscorer, and not the proven troublemaker.
Please leave comments on the piece in the space provided. Send your questions on South American football to vickerycolumn@hotmail.com, and I'll pick out a couple for next week.
From last week's postbag:
Q) Just wondering if you could shed any light on a rumour I heard from an Argentinian friend on Riquelme's situation with Boca? He told me he had been sacked from the club for constantly being unfit. Is there any truth in this? He is a River Plate fan and perhaps it is just wishful thinking. How well is he playing in Argentina since his move back?
Craig McFarlane
A) I think we can destroy that rumour, since Riquelme played on Sunday, back after his latest injury. Boca lost again, though, 2-0 at home, and their situation is not good at all. Riquelme has indeed struggled for fitness for a while, but now he is back it is going to be fascinating to see how he gets on with latest coach Falcioni, who is not known for his use of number 10 playmakers.
Much as I enjoy watching him, I was never convinced by the decision to bring Riquelme back on a definitive basis in 2008 - it brought to an end a model which had worked very well for Boca for a decade.
Rutashubanyuma
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Chelsea confirm pre-contract deal with Lucas Piazon
By Arindam Rej
Chelsea owner Abramovich has already spent heavily this season
Chelsea have agreed a pre-contract deal with Sao Paulo's Lucas Piazon but the attacking midfielder will not arrive at Stamford Bridge until January 2012.
Piazon, 17, cannot join until he turns 18 next January, meaning the transfer window in the same month is the earliest he can complete his move.
The Brazil youth international is "expected to join on a long-term deal", Chelsea said on Friday.
Chelsea have not disclosed the fee but reports have said it could reach £10m.
Yet to play for Sao Paulo, Piazon is currently with the Brazil Under-17 side at the South American Championship in Ecuador, where Brazil have won two and lost one of their opening three group matches.
Piazon has so far scored twice, a winning goal against Venezuela and in Brazil's defeat by Paraguay.
He had been linked with a switch to Juventus before Chelsea made their move.
Blues owner Roman Abramovich has already spent heavily on one Brazilian this season, signing defender David Luiz from Benfica for more than £20m in January, with Spaniard Fernando Torres also arriving at Stamford Bridge, for £50m.
As well as Luiz, midfielder Ramires and defender Alex are the other Brazilians in Chelsea's first-team squad.
Sao Paulo, the club that produced Kaka, have already seen former players succeed in the Premier League, including Juninho at Middlesbrough.
Juliano Belletti was at the Brazilian outfit from 1996 to 2002 before playing for Chelsea from 2007 to 2010.
By Arindam Rej
Chelsea have agreed a pre-contract deal with Sao Paulo's Lucas Piazon but the attacking midfielder will not arrive at Stamford Bridge until January 2012.
Piazon, 17, cannot join until he turns 18 next January, meaning the transfer window in the same month is the earliest he can complete his move.
The Brazil youth international is "expected to join on a long-term deal", Chelsea said on Friday.
Chelsea have not disclosed the fee but reports have said it could reach £10m.
Yet to play for Sao Paulo, Piazon is currently with the Brazil Under-17 side at the South American Championship in Ecuador, where Brazil have won two and lost one of their opening three group matches.
Piazon has so far scored twice, a winning goal against Venezuela and in Brazil's defeat by Paraguay.
He had been linked with a switch to Juventus before Chelsea made their move.
Blues owner Roman Abramovich has already spent heavily on one Brazilian this season, signing defender David Luiz from Benfica for more than £20m in January, with Spaniard Fernando Torres also arriving at Stamford Bridge, for £50m.
As well as Luiz, midfielder Ramires and defender Alex are the other Brazilians in Chelsea's first-team squad.
Sao Paulo, the club that produced Kaka, have already seen former players succeed in the Premier League, including Juninho at Middlesbrough.
Juliano Belletti was at the Brazilian outfit from 1996 to 2002 before playing for Chelsea from 2007 to 2010.
Rutashubanyuma
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Wales remain positive despite defeat by England
New Wales captain Aaron Ramsey cut a dejected figure at the end
By David Dulin
BBC Sport Wales at the Millennium Stadium
Outplayed, outclassed, lacking quality, same old story, shocking, disgraceful, inept.
Those were some of the words and phrases used by pundits and supporters to describe Wales' performance in their 2-0 Euro 2012 qualifying defeat by England on Saturday.
Hope was the feeling going into the game and lots of talk of being positive, but within the first 14 minutes, all that had gone in front of a sell-out 68,959 crowd.
England took the game to Wales and new manager Gary Speed's young side buckled.
From then on it was more like a friendly and England did not need to get out of first gear as the gulf between the two sides became apparent.
While Wales changed things around in the second half and gave it a go - which is what supporters wanted to see from the off - the damage had already been done.
The fairytale start was not to be for Speed in his first competitive game in charge and for Aaron Ramsey wearing the captain's armband for the first time.
But while the inevitable disappointment is there and the inquest begins, the mood remains positive and looking to the future.
Wales have no chance of qualifying for next year's Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine having lost all four qualifying games and they prop up Group G.
But the message from the camp is be patient.
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Speed offers no excuses
"Obviously it's disappointing like all defeats are but with the young players we have it's been one of the most satisfying weeks I've had in Welsh football," said former captain Craig Bellamy.
"The attention to detail was brilliant. We couldn't have done any more off the pitch leading up to the game.
"The first 20 minutes we got blown away a little bit and we have to learn from that.
"But the mentality, especially the second half, we were still trying to do the right things because we're changing our way of playing and a lot of the young players kept that way of thinking and tried to do the right things.
"After defeats, you've seen me down because I don't believe there was much more going to happen next time.
"But I believe with the young players we have, this team will grow and this team will get better in the next few years.
"Sometimes with Wales, we've got to look towards a new era. We do have players who retire early and good teams rarely come and go.
"We've had to be a little patient but there is a real good group of players here. I've seen them in training and some of the boys who weren't playing today like Joe Allen who is an exceptional talent.
Welsh football for the first time in my time... is really on a high
Ex-Wales captain Craig Bellamy
"Welsh football for the first time in my time - with Mark Hughes we had a great time - but this is really on a high.
"Am I going see it? Of course I'm not. In six or seven years time I'm going to be watching like everyone else, but I'll remember this day and the education that these boys had today to take them on and move them forward as a nation and individual players."
And the players of the future include 20-year-old Arsenal midfielder Ramsey who has been chosen by Speed to succeed Bellamy as Wales captain.
"It was a special occasion for me but obviously the result has put a massive downer on it," said Ramsey.
"I'll bounce back from this and learn from it and hopefully we can continue to progress and become successful.
"Maybe that [result] was us getting used to a new approach to the game that we've been working on this week.
"But we'll carry on working on it and I'm sure we'll do better in the future. We created a few chances second half and we had a few more shots on goal. Overall it wasn't enough, we didn't do it on a regular basis.
"We need to start the game a lot stronger next time and create opportunities on a more consistent basis.
"Our aim is to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 so we're preparing for that now and this was another stepping stone in the right direction.
"We can take a lot from it and we'll learn from it.
"I want to say thank you very much to the fans because they were outstanding today even though we went two goals down in the early stages of the game, they stuck by us."
If Wales want to keep selling out the Millennium Stadium, they are going to need to show signs of progress soon, because while the message is to be patient, often that is what is lacking in football.
By David Dulin
BBC Sport Wales at the Millennium Stadium
Outplayed, outclassed, lacking quality, same old story, shocking, disgraceful, inept.
Those were some of the words and phrases used by pundits and supporters to describe Wales' performance in their 2-0 Euro 2012 qualifying defeat by England on Saturday.
Hope was the feeling going into the game and lots of talk of being positive, but within the first 14 minutes, all that had gone in front of a sell-out 68,959 crowd.
England took the game to Wales and new manager Gary Speed's young side buckled.
From then on it was more like a friendly and England did not need to get out of first gear as the gulf between the two sides became apparent.
While Wales changed things around in the second half and gave it a go - which is what supporters wanted to see from the off - the damage had already been done.
The fairytale start was not to be for Speed in his first competitive game in charge and for Aaron Ramsey wearing the captain's armband for the first time.
But while the inevitable disappointment is there and the inquest begins, the mood remains positive and looking to the future.
Wales have no chance of qualifying for next year's Euro 2012 tournament in Poland and Ukraine having lost all four qualifying games and they prop up Group G.
But the message from the camp is be patient.
</p>
Speed offers no excuses
"Obviously it's disappointing like all defeats are but with the young players we have it's been one of the most satisfying weeks I've had in Welsh football," said former captain Craig Bellamy.
"The attention to detail was brilliant. We couldn't have done any more off the pitch leading up to the game.
"The first 20 minutes we got blown away a little bit and we have to learn from that.
"But the mentality, especially the second half, we were still trying to do the right things because we're changing our way of playing and a lot of the young players kept that way of thinking and tried to do the right things.
"After defeats, you've seen me down because I don't believe there was much more going to happen next time.
"But I believe with the young players we have, this team will grow and this team will get better in the next few years.
"Sometimes with Wales, we've got to look towards a new era. We do have players who retire early and good teams rarely come and go.
"We've had to be a little patient but there is a real good group of players here. I've seen them in training and some of the boys who weren't playing today like Joe Allen who is an exceptional talent.
Welsh football for the first time in my time... is really on a high
Ex-Wales captain Craig Bellamy
"Welsh football for the first time in my time - with Mark Hughes we had a great time - but this is really on a high.
"Am I going see it? Of course I'm not. In six or seven years time I'm going to be watching like everyone else, but I'll remember this day and the education that these boys had today to take them on and move them forward as a nation and individual players."
And the players of the future include 20-year-old Arsenal midfielder Ramsey who has been chosen by Speed to succeed Bellamy as Wales captain.
"It was a special occasion for me but obviously the result has put a massive downer on it," said Ramsey.
"I'll bounce back from this and learn from it and hopefully we can continue to progress and become successful.
"Maybe that [result] was us getting used to a new approach to the game that we've been working on this week.
"But we'll carry on working on it and I'm sure we'll do better in the future. We created a few chances second half and we had a few more shots on goal. Overall it wasn't enough, we didn't do it on a regular basis.
"We need to start the game a lot stronger next time and create opportunities on a more consistent basis.
"Our aim is to qualify for the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 so we're preparing for that now and this was another stepping stone in the right direction.
"We can take a lot from it and we'll learn from it.
"I want to say thank you very much to the fans because they were outstanding today even though we went two goals down in the early stages of the game, they stuck by us."
If Wales want to keep selling out the Millennium Stadium, they are going to need to show signs of progress soon, because while the message is to be patient, often that is what is lacking in football.
Rutashubanyuma
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Nigeria beat Ethiopia in their Nations Cup qualifier
Uche shone on his return for Nigeria after his injury absence
Peter Utaka and Ikechukwu Uche scored two goals each to lead Nigeria to a 4-0 win over Ethiopia in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Sunday.
Utaka made it 1-0 inside the opening 35 seconds in Abuja.
He doubled the lead in the 53rd minute after a clear shot at goalkeeper Zerihun Derese's net.
Utaka was replaced in the second half by Uche, who found the net in the 78th minute and then sealed the win in injury time.
Ethiopia had chances but their profligacy in front of goal cost them dearly with Abebaw Bune, Fekru Tefera and Yared Showaatir the biggest culprits.
It was not a convincing, assuring and authoritative performance from Nigeria but Siasia will be happy with the three points gained.
In the other Group B match, Guinea salvaged a 1-1 draw against Madagascar in Antananarivo that keeps them top of the group with seven points.
The Bulls look set for a upset victory after Yvan Rajaonarimana gave the home side the lead 17 minutes into the game, but Djoulde Bah struck with ten minutes to go to earn the West Africans the draw.
Guinea top the group with seven points, while Nigeria are just behind with six.
Peter Utaka and Ikechukwu Uche scored two goals each to lead Nigeria to a 4-0 win over Ethiopia in their Africa Cup of Nations qualifier on Sunday.
Utaka made it 1-0 inside the opening 35 seconds in Abuja.
He doubled the lead in the 53rd minute after a clear shot at goalkeeper Zerihun Derese's net.
Utaka was replaced in the second half by Uche, who found the net in the 78th minute and then sealed the win in injury time.
Ethiopia had chances but their profligacy in front of goal cost them dearly with Abebaw Bune, Fekru Tefera and Yared Showaatir the biggest culprits.
It was not a convincing, assuring and authoritative performance from Nigeria but Siasia will be happy with the three points gained.
In the other Group B match, Guinea salvaged a 1-1 draw against Madagascar in Antananarivo that keeps them top of the group with seven points.
The Bulls look set for a upset victory after Yvan Rajaonarimana gave the home side the lead 17 minutes into the game, but Djoulde Bah struck with ten minutes to go to earn the West Africans the draw.
Guinea top the group with seven points, while Nigeria are just behind with six.
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Carling Cup final: Wenger backs 'destroyed' Arsenal duo
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Wenger blames nobody after Cup loss
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refused to blame his players after their 2-1 Carling Cup defeat by Birmingham.
A mix-up between goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and defender Laurent Koscielny allowed Obafemi Martins to stroke the ball into an empty net on 89 minutes.
"A little misunderstanding had a great consequence on the game and both players are destroyed. I blame no-one," Wenger told BBC Sport.
"When these things happen late in the game, there is no time to rectify it."
Arsenal have not won a trophy since beat Manchester United on penalties to lift the 2005 FA Cup.
That wait for silverware goes on, with Wenger admitting the latest setback was "very hard to take".
Both teams gave everything. Congratulations to them - they got the trophy
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger
The Frenchman added: "The players are disappointed but we have to pick ourselves up, that's what a team is about. It's a good opportunity to show our mental strength, which I think is great.
"We got what we expected from Birmingham. They are a team who fight very hard and cause a lot of problems from long balls.
"Congratulations to them - they got the trophy - but we have regrets with the way we conceded the [Martins] goal."
Wenger's reluctance to sign a keeper and a high-profile centre-back may again come under scrutiny following the mistake by summer signing Koscielny, 25, and Szczesny, 20.
Szczesny played in the 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Emirates on 16 February, when the Gunners came back from a goal down to win the first leg of the last-16 Champions League tie.
This team has great potential and there are still great targets to play for this season.
Cesc Fabregas
He has coped impressively with his rise to the Arsenal first team but the youngster, who spent a spell last season on loan at Brentford, was making only his 16th outing for the Gunners and was chosen ahead of the more experienced Manuel Almunia for the Carling Cup final.
"What can you say? You have to be positive because he [Szczesny] is a young boy. He has to pick himself up from that goal and hopefully he can do that," said Wenger.
The Gunners boss revealed striker Robin van Persie, who equalised for his side in the first half after Nikola Zigic had put the Blues ahead, suffered a knee injury after the break.
"We are in good positions everywhere but we play so many games and we can't go on losing players," added Wenger.
"We lost Cesc Fabregas in the week and now Van Persie is not in good shape after this game. It's a knee problem. We will have to assess it on Monday."
In the aftermath of Sunday's defeat, some of Arsenal's players, including club captain Fabregas, who was missing with an injured hamstring, used the social networking site Twitter to offer their apologies and ask for the fans' continued support:
Fabregas: "Congratulations to Birmingham. This team has great potential and there are still great targets to play for this season. Thanks for your support."
Van Persie: "I'm very sorry that we didn't bring Carling Cup back to north London! Thanks for your support today! Sorry again!"
Bacary Sagna: "Just feel ashamed... sorry."
Jack Wilshere: "All I can say is sorry to the fans. It hurts a lot I know but we must all stick together, still in three other comps! We have to move on! Sorry."
Wilshere was also not happy with one of the Birmingham players who shoved Koscielny's head down as they ran across the Gunners goal to celebrate with matchwinner martins.
Wilshere tweeted on Monday: "Well done to the BCFC player who slapped Koscielny on the head when they scored, very big of you!"
However, Arsenal will not have much time to dwell on their defeat as they face an FA Cup fifth-round replay against Leyton Orient on Wednesday, with the winner drawn to play Manchester United in the next round.
The Gunners are also vying with United for the Premier League title.
If the Old Trafford side beat Chelsea on Tuesday, Wenger's team could be seven points behind their rivals going into their next top-flight game against Sunderland at the Emirates on Saturday.
Three days later, Arsenal will travel to the Nou Camp for the second leg of their Champions League tie against Barcelona.
</p>
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Wenger blames nobody after Cup loss
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger refused to blame his players after their 2-1 Carling Cup defeat by Birmingham.
A mix-up between goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and defender Laurent Koscielny allowed Obafemi Martins to stroke the ball into an empty net on 89 minutes.
"A little misunderstanding had a great consequence on the game and both players are destroyed. I blame no-one," Wenger told BBC Sport.
"When these things happen late in the game, there is no time to rectify it."
Arsenal have not won a trophy since beat Manchester United on penalties to lift the 2005 FA Cup.
That wait for silverware goes on, with Wenger admitting the latest setback was "very hard to take".
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger
The Frenchman added: "The players are disappointed but we have to pick ourselves up, that's what a team is about. It's a good opportunity to show our mental strength, which I think is great.
"We got what we expected from Birmingham. They are a team who fight very hard and cause a lot of problems from long balls.
"Congratulations to them - they got the trophy - but we have regrets with the way we conceded the [Martins] goal."
Wenger's reluctance to sign a keeper and a high-profile centre-back may again come under scrutiny following the mistake by summer signing Koscielny, 25, and Szczesny, 20.
Szczesny played in the 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Emirates on 16 February, when the Gunners came back from a goal down to win the first leg of the last-16 Champions League tie.
Cesc Fabregas
He has coped impressively with his rise to the Arsenal first team but the youngster, who spent a spell last season on loan at Brentford, was making only his 16th outing for the Gunners and was chosen ahead of the more experienced Manuel Almunia for the Carling Cup final.
"What can you say? You have to be positive because he [Szczesny] is a young boy. He has to pick himself up from that goal and hopefully he can do that," said Wenger.
The Gunners boss revealed striker Robin van Persie, who equalised for his side in the first half after Nikola Zigic had put the Blues ahead, suffered a knee injury after the break.
"We are in good positions everywhere but we play so many games and we can't go on losing players," added Wenger.
"We lost Cesc Fabregas in the week and now Van Persie is not in good shape after this game. It's a knee problem. We will have to assess it on Monday."
In the aftermath of Sunday's defeat, some of Arsenal's players, including club captain Fabregas, who was missing with an injured hamstring, used the social networking site Twitter to offer their apologies and ask for the fans' continued support:
Fabregas: "Congratulations to Birmingham. This team has great potential and there are still great targets to play for this season. Thanks for your support."
Van Persie: "I'm very sorry that we didn't bring Carling Cup back to north London! Thanks for your support today! Sorry again!"
Bacary Sagna: "Just feel ashamed... sorry."
Jack Wilshere: "All I can say is sorry to the fans. It hurts a lot I know but we must all stick together, still in three other comps! We have to move on! Sorry."
Wilshere was also not happy with one of the Birmingham players who shoved Koscielny's head down as they ran across the Gunners goal to celebrate with matchwinner martins.
Wilshere tweeted on Monday: "Well done to the BCFC player who slapped Koscielny on the head when they scored, very big of you!"
However, Arsenal will not have much time to dwell on their defeat as they face an FA Cup fifth-round replay against Leyton Orient on Wednesday, with the winner drawn to play Manchester United in the next round.
The Gunners are also vying with United for the Premier League title.
If the Old Trafford side beat Chelsea on Tuesday, Wenger's team could be seven points behind their rivals going into their next top-flight game against Sunderland at the Emirates on Saturday.
Three days later, Arsenal will travel to the Nou Camp for the second leg of their Champions League tie against Barcelona.
Rutashubanyuma
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Adel Taarabt - a mercurial talent
Post categories: Football
Paul Fletcher | 10:57 UK time, Monday, 21 March 2011
QPR manager Neil Warnock opted for "talented, exciting and frustrating" when asked to describe his captain Adel Taarabt in three words.
It is the first two qualities that saw the mercurial Morocco international named the Football League player of the year at an awards ceremony in London on Sunday.
The 21-year-old has undoubtedly been QPR's ace in the pack this season as they have built a nine-point lead at the top of the Championship with eight games remaining. He has scored 15 goals and provided at least the same number of assists (the exact figure is the subject of disagreement, with estimates ranging from 15 to 20).
But Taarabt is about so much more that statistics.
He is prodigiously talented; capable of the sort of tricks, turns and long-range strikes that few others would dare attempt, let alone execute. His body-swerves and the mesmerising changes in direction - all pulled off with exquisite close control saw him dubbed the new Zinedine Zidane when he first arrived in England after signing for Tottenham from French side Lens in 2007.
"Adel is the most talented player that I have had under my wing in my entire 30-year management career," said Warnock.
"Many QPR fans have been brought up on the likes of Rodney Marsh and Stan Bowles and, although Adel is not a club legend in comparison, he is similar in terms of ability."
Taarabt himself readily admits that many of his slaloming, weaving runs are purely instinctive. "I do not think about it, I just do it," he said. "It is a gift from God."
Warnock was so convinced about Taarabt's worth that he built a system to accommodate him. Rangers have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation this season, with Taarabt given a largely free role as one of the three forwards behind a lone striker, usually Heidar Helguson or Rob Hulse. Taarabt has virtually no defensive responsibilities (as the graphic below shows), with team-mates told that they will be fined if they pass to him when he is in his own half.
"We have got to have some restrictions or he would be taking goal kicks if we let him," added Warnock.
Holding midfielder Shaun Derry plays behind Taarabt and has the best view in the house to watch and admire his team-mate.
"There have been times this year when even though I have been playing in games I have felt like a supporter," said veteran Derry.
"When we have needed a bit of magic to get back into a game, he has given us a bright spark by either scoring or creating a goal.
"In this division you look for individual talent that can singlehandedly change games and you cannot look further than Taarabt."
He is viewed as a luxury player and although he is QPR's captain it is Derry who is the principal on-field organiser. Taarabt can also be frustrating when Rangers are attacking, ignoring the obvious and sensible pass, instead losing possession after trying to beat several opponents.
"You've got to kind of disregard him at times," added Derry. "He will be in the attacking third when we are defending for our lives and you cannot rely on him in that sense.
"You have to bite your tongue at certain times but he is the maverick in our team. I have never played with anyone quite like Adel - he is a one off."
Taarabt has a reputation as being slightly petulant and sulky, the spoilt little kid who will take his ball home if he does not get his own way. He angrily kicked a water battle after he was substituted at Ipswich earlier in the season. Against Hull in January he lazily wandered around the pitch, making it clear to everyone that he did not want to play and wished to be taken off.
Warnock's predecessors Jim Magilton and Paul Hart struggled to assimilate him into the Rangers team and could not cope with his perceived poor attitude. At Tottenham, former manager Juande Ramos did not even give him a squad number, while Harry Redknapp was happy to loan him to Rangers, with the move made permanent last summer.
He had played in every Championship match before missing Saturday's defeat of Doncaster after a family bereavement.
The way Warnock has created an environment that has allowed Taarabt to flourish is arguably one of the finer achievements of the straight-down-the-line, tell-it-like-it-is Yorkshireman.
"When you have got someone like Adel then as a manager you are tempted to focus on what he cannot do, whereas I have focused on what he can do," said Warnock.
"It has been a great challenge but I think we are both seeing the benefits of it, of having a little bit of perseverance and showing confidence in him."
Taarabt himself readily acknowledges a debt of gratitude to Warnock.
"I will never have a manager like him again," said Taarabt. "I do not have family over here but he is a manager who treats me like his son.
"[Before I signed] he was calling me every day saying that he wants to help make me one of the best players in the world. If I do not play so good for two or three games he tells me not to worry, that I will be playing the next game.
"He has given me confidence and changed my life."
Taarabt sounds like a young man who needs to be loved and reassured if he is to flourish - and it seems that Warnock is reaping the rewards for embracing the rare talent that he has at his disposal.
Derry, a steely, no-nonsense player, joined Rangers last summer and admits that in the earlier months of this campaign he would yell at Taarabt when the Moroccan was greedy or took a selfish option.
"I realised that to get on with him you have got to get him on his level and in the best possible sense he like an overgrown child - all he wants is to get ball and excite people."
Taarabt has excited Rangers supporters and neutrals alike all year - and Warnock is working on refining his talent ahead of what is looking increasingly likely to be a Premier League campaign next season.
Warnock expects to stick with the same 4-2-3-1 system but will change the parameters of Taarabt's role. This season Rangers have been able to largely deal with the times when Taarabt has needlessly squandered possession but the Premier League will not be so forgiving.
Taarabt has shown that he is capable of flourishing in the second tier but the top flight will present an entirely different challenge for the mercurial talent and his manager.
You can follow me throughout the season at twitter.com/Paul__Fletcher
Adel Taarabt - a mercurial talent
Post categories: Football
Paul Fletcher | 10:57 UK time, Monday, 21 March 2011
QPR manager Neil Warnock opted for "talented, exciting and frustrating" when asked to describe his captain Adel Taarabt in three words.
It is the first two qualities that saw the mercurial Morocco international named the Football League player of the year at an awards ceremony in London on Sunday.
The 21-year-old has undoubtedly been QPR's ace in the pack this season as they have built a nine-point lead at the top of the Championship with eight games remaining. He has scored 15 goals and provided at least the same number of assists (the exact figure is the subject of disagreement, with estimates ranging from 15 to 20).
But Taarabt is about so much more that statistics.
He is prodigiously talented; capable of the sort of tricks, turns and long-range strikes that few others would dare attempt, let alone execute. His body-swerves and the mesmerising changes in direction - all pulled off with exquisite close control saw him dubbed the new Zinedine Zidane when he first arrived in England after signing for Tottenham from French side Lens in 2007.
"Adel is the most talented player that I have had under my wing in my entire 30-year management career," said Warnock.
"Many QPR fans have been brought up on the likes of Rodney Marsh and Stan Bowles and, although Adel is not a club legend in comparison, he is similar in terms of ability."
Taarabt himself readily admits that many of his slaloming, weaving runs are purely instinctive. "I do not think about it, I just do it," he said. "It is a gift from God."
Warnock was so convinced about Taarabt's worth that he built a system to accommodate him. Rangers have lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation this season, with Taarabt given a largely free role as one of the three forwards behind a lone striker, usually Heidar Helguson or Rob Hulse. Taarabt has virtually no defensive responsibilities (as the graphic below shows), with team-mates told that they will be fined if they pass to him when he is in his own half.
"We have got to have some restrictions or he would be taking goal kicks if we let him," added Warnock.
Holding midfielder Shaun Derry plays behind Taarabt and has the best view in the house to watch and admire his team-mate.
"There have been times this year when even though I have been playing in games I have felt like a supporter," said veteran Derry.
"When we have needed a bit of magic to get back into a game, he has given us a bright spark by either scoring or creating a goal.
"In this division you look for individual talent that can singlehandedly change games and you cannot look further than Taarabt."
He is viewed as a luxury player and although he is QPR's captain it is Derry who is the principal on-field organiser. Taarabt can also be frustrating when Rangers are attacking, ignoring the obvious and sensible pass, instead losing possession after trying to beat several opponents.
"You've got to kind of disregard him at times," added Derry. "He will be in the attacking third when we are defending for our lives and you cannot rely on him in that sense.
"You have to bite your tongue at certain times but he is the maverick in our team. I have never played with anyone quite like Adel - he is a one off."
Taarabt has a reputation as being slightly petulant and sulky, the spoilt little kid who will take his ball home if he does not get his own way. He angrily kicked a water battle after he was substituted at Ipswich earlier in the season. Against Hull in January he lazily wandered around the pitch, making it clear to everyone that he did not want to play and wished to be taken off.
Warnock's predecessors Jim Magilton and Paul Hart struggled to assimilate him into the Rangers team and could not cope with his perceived poor attitude. At Tottenham, former manager Juande Ramos did not even give him a squad number, while Harry Redknapp was happy to loan him to Rangers, with the move made permanent last summer.
He had played in every Championship match before missing Saturday's defeat of Doncaster after a family bereavement.
The way Warnock has created an environment that has allowed Taarabt to flourish is arguably one of the finer achievements of the straight-down-the-line, tell-it-like-it-is Yorkshireman.
"When you have got someone like Adel then as a manager you are tempted to focus on what he cannot do, whereas I have focused on what he can do," said Warnock.
"It has been a great challenge but I think we are both seeing the benefits of it, of having a little bit of perseverance and showing confidence in him."
Taarabt himself readily acknowledges a debt of gratitude to Warnock.
"I will never have a manager like him again," said Taarabt. "I do not have family over here but he is a manager who treats me like his son.
"[Before I signed] he was calling me every day saying that he wants to help make me one of the best players in the world. If I do not play so good for two or three games he tells me not to worry, that I will be playing the next game.
"He has given me confidence and changed my life."
Taarabt sounds like a young man who needs to be loved and reassured if he is to flourish - and it seems that Warnock is reaping the rewards for embracing the rare talent that he has at his disposal.
Derry, a steely, no-nonsense player, joined Rangers last summer and admits that in the earlier months of this campaign he would yell at Taarabt when the Moroccan was greedy or took a selfish option.
"I realised that to get on with him you have got to get him on his level and in the best possible sense he like an overgrown child - all he wants is to get ball and excite people."
Taarabt has excited Rangers supporters and neutrals alike all year - and Warnock is working on refining his talent ahead of what is looking increasingly likely to be a Premier League campaign next season.
Warnock expects to stick with the same 4-2-3-1 system but will change the parameters of Taarabt's role. This season Rangers have been able to largely deal with the times when Taarabt has needlessly squandered possession but the Premier League will not be so forgiving.
Taarabt has shown that he is capable of flourishing in the second tier but the top flight will present an entirely different challenge for the mercurial talent and his manager.
You can follow me throughout the season at twitter.com/Paul__Fletcher
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