General Football Thread

[EddieG]

However, the club/company (think it's Cruyff who said Ajax isn't a football club anymore, but a business.) is run by a guy who's known for his inability to succesfully run a company.

[Lineker]

Fabio Capello's Russia reign starts off with a 1-1 draw with Ivory Coast.

[IAceI]

Max Gradel even scored! Capello out.

Oh and Ron-Robert Zieler just got sent off for Germany. The first time a German goalkeeper has been sent off in an international match. Messi missed the penalty.

[Lineker]

Emanuele Pesoli of Serie B side Verona has ended his hunger strike protest after four days.

The 31-year-old had also chained himself to the gates of the headquarters of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in Rome.

The defender was protesting about his three-year ban for match-fixing, imposed last week.

Pesoli met with FIGC vice president Demetrio Albertini and is due to meet FIGC president Giancarlo Abete.

"I've ended my protest partly because of what Albertini said to me, and partly because of president Abete's involvement," said Pesoli.

"I will meet Abete on Friday at the FIGC. I was also advised by my doctor, who urged me to eat something this morning.

"I'm weak, a bit tired, my blood pressure's not great and I've lost a few pounds.

"It shouldn't be a problem to resume (the protest). My health's not been too badly compromised, it's more a case of mental scars."

Pesoli has been banned after a probe into illegal betting on matches while he was at Siena, a club he left in July.

Juventus manager Antonio Conte has been suspended for 10 months for not reporting match-fixing when he was in charge of Siena, then in Serie B, in the 2010-11 season.

Pesoli was one of several players, coaches and officials to be banned by the federation last Friday in the latest scandal to engulf Italian football.

In May, police searched more than 30 homes, including those of players, trainers and officials of clubs in Serie A, Serie B and lower divisions.

Lazio captain Stefano Mauri, 32, was held along with former Genoa midfielder Omar Milanetto, while officers visited Italy's pre-Euro 2012 training camp to question left-back Domenico Criscito, 25.

[Monkey D. Lars]

Stekelenburg and Nigel de Jong be ashamed 3 mistakes by them and we lose 4-2 to Belgium

[Lineker]

Vertonghen scored!

[EddieG]

Stekelenburg and Nigel de Jong be ashamed 3 mistakes by them and we lose 4-2 to Belgium

2 goals in 1 minute, answered by 3 goals in 5 minutes, absolute pisstake of a game.

[Lineker]

Has anybody else seen and taken up that offer Sky are doing of three months free of ESPN? Is there an obligation to subscribe after said three months?

[stokeriño]

I think you need to cancel a month in advance, so do so two months in and you're fine?

[Lineker]

Thanks.

Freddie Ljungberg has finally called it a day!

[Guest Owned by Quickquid]

Thanks.

Freddie Ljungberg has finally called it a day!

Shouldn't that be Shimizu S-Pulse's Freddie Ljungberg or Sweden's Freddie Ljungberg or Formerly Arsenal's Freddie Ljungberg?

[Lineker]

…fuck off you prick.

[Summers]

…fuck off you prick.

[Herr Matzat]

The german season is kicking of right now. I am sure a chanel in england will be covering the game live, i am in fear of a heavy beating by Dortmund.

[Lineker]

Sven-Goran Eriksson has been appointed technical director at Thai club BEC Tero Sasana.

The former England manager will be officially unveiled on Monday.

It is the 64-year-old Swede's first job since leaving Championship side Leicester City last October.

Eriksson will take charge of strategic planning and support the coaching staff at the two-time Thai champions, who finished fourth in domestic competition last term.

Eriksson's first match after taking over from Belgian Robert Pro Kruger is Saturday's home game against Chainat.

Eriksson managed Lazio and Sampdoria before leading England to three straight consecutive international quarter-finals from 2001-2006. He has since worked at Manchester City,

Mexico, Ivory Coast and Notts County.

Meanwhile, Argentina Larry Zbyszko Diego Maradona has been confirmed as Dubai Honorary Ambassador of Sports less than two months after being sacked as coach of United Arab Emirates side Al Wasl.

[King Ellis]

I thought Giant Gonzalez was the Argentine Larry Zbyszko?

[Rafael]

Brazil with a crappy exhibition beat South Africa 1-0. Neymar was booed all over the place when he came off.

[TCO]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aaQCDL0fLQ

Papiss.

[Starvinho]

THIS African Nations Cup qualifier was moved to AVOID violence — but it did not stop these players from scrapping at full-time.

With Libya still recovering from civil war, their clash with Algeria was moved to a neutral venue in Casablanca, Morocco.

However, after Algeria substitute Soudani scored a late winner, things turned sour.

Algeria’s Islam Slimani could be seen karate-kicking Libya’s Mohamed El Mughrabi in the back after the final whistle.

And other players and staff also got involved as the ugly scenes escalated.

Soudani’s goal gives the Algerians a crucial lead heading into the second leg on Wednesday.

This winner of the tie will automatically qualify for the African Nations Cup early next year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jsfJZdASko

[Guest Owned by Quickquid]

CBC has apparently dug up a Canadian connection to the match-fixing BIZNESS. I've bolded my favourite bit from their press release.

GAMBLNG, GRAFT AND GOOOOOAAAAALL! CBC NEWS EXPOSES AN INTERNATIONAL SOCCER GAME-FIXING SCANDAL AND ITS CANADIAN CONNECTION

September 10, 2012 – The “beautiful game” has been given a black eye by organized crime: international soccer matches fixed…millions of dollars “won” from online services taking bets on winners, losers, points and spreads.

On Wednesday, Sept. 12, CBC News presents a special investigative report revealing the Canadian connection.

Senior investigative reporter Diana Swain (@swaindiana) looks at a gang from Germany responsible for manipulating games in top professional soccer leagues all around the world—and reveals stunning wiretap evidence of how players were paid to fix a Canadian Soccer League (CSL) game played in Trois Rivieres, Que.

Why would anyone want to fix a CSL game? Who took the bribes? Who reaped the windfall? And how did they—almost—get away with it?

Tune in Sept. 12 and find out on THE NATIONAL (10 p.m./10:30 NT on CBC-TV; 9 and 11 p.m. ET/PT on CBC News Network), WORLD AT SIX (6 p.m./6:30 NT on CBC Radio One), CBC NEWS AT SIX TORONTO (6 p.m. on CBC-TV) and CBCNews.ca. Plus, special reports will also air on CBC News Network and other CBC local supper hour newscasts.