General Football Thread

[Colly]

I really am going to miss the ability to work from home in a few months. Ludicrously strong barca team playing against Al Sadd, I'm expecting a cricket score.

[IAceI]

2-0 so far at half time. Adriano with both.

Al-Sadd playing their usual ultra defensive style of football that saw them past Esperance in the last round. Looking to hit on the counter with Keita and Niang from the sounds of it.

Would imagine Barcelona will add a few more. Pep is probably bawling his eyes out at his players and telling them to rip Al-Sadd apart because of their 11 behind the ball and counter tactic.

EDIT: Villa has fracture/broken his left tibia apparently and could be out of the Euro 2012 Championships.

Edited December 15, 2011 by IAceI

[Lineker]

Italian police have arrested 17 people in connection with a match-fixing and betting investigation.

Those arrested include former Atalanta and Italy midfielder Cristiano Doni.

The arrests were carried out in several cities in Italy after an initial investigation by magistrates in the northern city of Cremona.

Those arrested and accused of match-fixing had contacts with criminal groups in Singapore and Eastern Europe, according to police.

"This is not the end - just a starting point," said Cremona prosecutor Roberto Di Martino, who claimed one suspect had admitted match-fixing had been ongoing for more than 10 years.

"Let's hope it's a starting point in cleaning up the beautiful game that is football," he added.

Di Martino also claimed that the investigation had uncovered match-fixing on a near-global scale.

"The shareholders are divided from the West, to the Far East, to South America and they arrange with their men how to change the outcome of football matches," he told a news conference.

The investigation was a follow-up to a previous one earlier this year by the football authorities, which led to suspensions and bans for several players, including Doni, who was banned from football for three and a half years by the Italian Football Federation's disciplinary committee.

Atalanta, who had been promoted to Serie A at the end of last season, were given a six-point penalty. Doni has maintained that he is innocent.

According to police, several other players and former players from Serie B were also arrested, as well as the manager of a seaside club and a former trainer of fourth division Ravenna.

Atalanta matches in Serie B were among those under suspicion, although three Serie A matches involving other clubs from the same period were also investigated by the operation, named 'Last Bet'.

The arrests come five years after a separate match-fixing scandal resulted in Juventus being relegated to Serie B for a season.

Penalties were also handed to Lazio, AC Milan, Fiorentina and Reggina over attempts to influence refereeing appointments.

[IAceI]

Worrying as ever in Italian football, especially now that it reaches Serie A. Matches involving Brescia, Bari and even Napoli I believe.

In lighter news.. bosh!

[Adam]

That is...wow. Unbelievable!

[Lineker]

Portugal great Eusebio is in hospital after displaying early symptoms of pneumonia, according to officials at his past club Benfica.

The Portuguese club said in a brief statement that Eusebio, 69, has been admitted to Lisbon's Hospital da Luz. It gave no further details.

The Portuguese Football Federation said it had no official information.

Eusebio scored 41 goals in 64 games for Portugal and has since been a football ambassador for Benfica and Portugal.

He was born in Mozambique when it was still a Portuguese colony, and became known as the "black panther" for his powerful performances in the 1960s for Benfica and the Portuguese national team.

Eusebio won 10 league championships, five Portuguese cups and one European Cup in his 15 years at Benfica and was Portugal's top league scorer between 1964 and 1973.

"Benfica wish a speedy recovery to the Black Panther," read the statement on the club's official website.

Wednesday's last-16 tie in the Dutch Cup between Ajax and AZ Alkmaar was abandoned after 38 minutes with Ajax leading 1-0 following a pitch invasion by a supporter.

An Ajax fan came onto the pitch and ran towards Alkmaar's Costa Rican goalkeeper Esteban.

The goalkeeper kicked the fan in retaliation after being kicked himself - but was given a red card for misconduct.

After he was dismissed, Alkmaar's furious coach Gert Jan Verbeek ordered his team to leave the pitch.

Alkmaar's technical director Earnest Stewart said: "Verbeek ordered the team off the pitch to control the situation and, in the dressing room, our players said they don't feel safe anymore on the pitch."

An Ajax official said that the police arrested a 19-year-old man.

"I saw that Esteban was attacked and that he defended himself," Ajax coach Frank de Boer said.

"I don't know how I would have reacted but I can understand Esteban with his South American temper. I understand the decision of Alkmaar because of all the emotion at that moment."

Alkmaar director Toon Gebrands said that the club would respect any decision taken by the disciplinary board of the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) but that the safety of his players was at stake.

[IAceI]

Eusebio Get better soon!

As for the second story, well, what the heck? The fact the goalkeeper was sent off seems ludicrous, I mean, you can understand that the referee can't send off the fan as well but use some common sense. I'd have hauled my entire team off as well.

And Frank de Boer wseemed to be doing so well with that quote and then just seemed to drop the ball and boot it into stratosphere by saying Esteban did what he did because he is South American. I'm sure Cruyff will pipe up with some ridiculous guff sooner or later as well, he usually does.

Edited December 22, 2011 by IAceI

[-A-]

What? The keeper gets the guy on the ground and continues to kick him as hard as he fucking can. The first kick you can excuse as self-defence, but he was just laying into the guy because he could.

[IAceI]

Well that's not exactly made clear in the article, is it?

[-A-]

Sorry, I didn't even read it

Here it is. Take a look at the advertising board in the background...

http://youtu.be/kvyHIDct-vs

Edited December 22, 2011 by -A-

[IAceI]

Hmm, obviously the goalkeeper is trying to hurt him there but I doubt those kicks would have done a great deal of damage unless his legs are made of glass. I suppose as the goalkeeper you have to wonder why an opposing fan is running straight for you.

Not much time to assess his intentions, whether he has a knife, whether he wants to shake your hand for saving a cat up a tree that day some years ago or what. Probably best to err on the side of caution and kick the fuck out of him.

[EddieG]

I know you're joking, but when he kicked him to the ground/made him fall, as a goalie, you walk away, there's obviously security/steward right behind him who's meant to deal with that, those kicks are not needed, and something he can be charged with for assault, as it's far past self defense.

[Lineker]

Red card has now been rescinded.

[Starvinho]

I agree, the kick to defend himself was all that was needed, there was no need to lay a couple in when the guy was down on the floor. The ref was well in his rights to send him off.

Edit:

Doesn't suprise me that the card was rescinded though.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Starvinho

[EddieG]

Turns out, the guy's had a 3 year stadium ban and never allowed another Ajax season ticket, for resistance against stewards earlier this year.

[Adam]

If it's even possible, I think the goalkeeper, his manager and the referee all did the right thing. I can see it from each point of view and I think I'd have done the same thing - I'd have tried to kick that idiot a bit more had I been the keeper, I'd have definitely sent him off if I was the referee, and there's a good chance I'd have pulled the team off if I was the manager.

[Colly]

If it's even possible, I think the goalkeeper, his manager and the referee all did the right thing. I can see it from each point of view and I think I'd have done the same thing - I'd have tried to kick that idiot a bit more had I been the keeper, I'd have definitely sent him off if I was the referee, and there's a good chance I'd have pulled the team off if I was the manager.

I know the Dutch are quite open minded, but I'm not sure how that would help in this particular situation. Fnarr fnarr.

I've no issue at all with the keepers actions, as far as I'm concerned pitch invaders are scum. WWE rules apply where even the ref can batter them as soon as they cross the line.

Edited December 22, 2011 by Colly

[Adam]

He said he didn't feel he and the team were safe, that's a simple and reasonable explanation in my opinion.

[Colly]

So if you were manager, and those eleven mature and burly men looked a bit nervy you'd pull them off to make them feel better?

[METALMAN]

Italian police have arrested 17 people in connection with a match-fixing and betting investigation.

Those arrested include former Atalanta and Italy midfielder Cristiano Doni.

CM 01/02 legend