Author Archives: Christopher Davies

Beckham hopes for another year at Galaxy

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DAVID BECKHAM’S chances of returning to the Barclays Premier League in January were hit after he admitted he wants to play one more year in Major League Soccer.

Beckham’s four-year deal with the Los Angeles Galaxy ends in November. Spurs and Queens Park Rangers are keen to offer the former England captain a chance to return to English football this winter while the midfielder is keen to play for Great Britain in the 2012 Olympics.

If Beckham, 36, plays a fifth MLS season, which begins in March, he would almost certainly rest during December and January.

He said: ‘I’d like one more year with the Galaxy. I feel fit and want to help the Galaxy win the championship.’

The Galaxy became the first team to clinch a play-off berth with their 1-0 win over Colorado Rapids.

Robbie Keane was only a substitute after totting up 13,000 air miles on Republic of Ireland duty.

‘It’s tough,’ said Beckham. ‘I did it for a few years and it is difficult coming back and going straight into a game.’

While Barclays Premier League clubs are often critical of the heavy schedule of English football the Galaxy are focused on trying to get through the next three weeks without injuries or undue fatigue. Between the MLS schedule and CONCACAF Champions League matches, the Galaxy won’t have anything longer than a three-day break in mid-October, two weeks before the playoffs begin.

‘THEY’RE OUT TO GET ME’ CLAIMS MOURINHO

JOSE MOURINHO believes there is a campaign against him and accused UEFA of giving Arsene Wenger preferential treatment over his touchline ban.

The Real Madrid coach, currently serving a two-game Champions League touchline ban, is no stranger to controversy, having totted up more than £200,000 in fines during his career plus several suspensions.

He said: ‘What is a serious offence for one person is not serious for another. There are certain regulations for one and the rest.

‘UEFA did not accept my appeal so I was not able to go to the bench for the Champions League semi-final [against Barcelona] last season. Yet they accepted the appeal of another coach [Wenger] punishing him two days after a crucial game for his team.

‘I have to live with this.

‘There is a campaign against me and it is well organised. I almost enjoy it, though, because it motivates me. I like new motivations.’

Mourinho was delighted that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson spoke positively of him last week.

The former Chelsea boss said: ‘He is the most historic coach in world football in my opinion. To hear what he said was humbling.’

NFL HARD LINE ON DRINK-DRIVING WOULD NOT BE WELCOME HERE

ENGLISH football will no doubt be hoping the Football Association do not adopt the policy of the National Football League in relation to drink-driving.

The NFL suspended Baltimore Ravens offensive line coach Andy Moeller for two games for violating the league’s personal conduct policy, also fining him £30,000..

The suspension stems from Moeller being found guilty of driving while impaired by alcohol. In the NFL, personnel are not paid while under suspension so Moeller’s ban would have also cost him around £100,00 in wages.

Imagine the reaction of managers, coaches and players found guilty of drink-driving if they also received an unpaid sporting ban. Yet anything that helps to reduce the offence should be welcomed.

Christopher Davies

The Road to Brazil starts…in Trinidad

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ONE DOWN…831 to go. Belize 5, Monserrat 2 (att 150) was never going to knock Alex McLeish or Luka Modric off the back pages but the game was significant as it was the first 2014 World Cup qualifier.

The road to Brazil started at the Ato Bolden stadium in Trinidad because there is no suitable venue in Monserrat, an island near Antigua which was almost destroyed by the 1995 reawakening of La Soufrière volcano. Deon McCauley claimed a small slice of history with the first hat-trick of the 2014 campaign.

Monserrat coach Kenny Dyer, who had a spell with Dagenham and Redbridge in the mid-90’s, remains confident ahead of the second leg in Belmopan on Sunday.

However, the smart money would be on Belize (formerly known as British Honduras) to finish off the job. Monserrat have only ever won two games since their first international in 1991 and in 2002 they earned the ignominious and unofficial distinction of being the worst team in the world when they were beaten by the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan to go bottom of the FIFA rankings.

*For the serious anoraks, Bhutan, Guam, Mauritania and Brunei Darrussalam of what Sepp Blatter likes to call ‘the FIFA family’ have not registered for the competition.

Christopher Davies

What Advice Does Chelsea Adviser Hiddink Give?

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“It works well with Chelsea. Since I left two years ago I’ve been advising the club on things concerning the squad. Sometimes I become a sounding board. It costs me very little time and I can combine it well with my position with Turkey. There is no conflict at all.” – GUUS HIDDINK

IT WILL be as surprising as night following day when Guus Hiddink is announced as Carlo Ancelotti’s successor at Chelsea. The Dutchman made a positive impression when he was caretaker-manager two years ago though he knows what is expected of him – finishing runners-up to Manchester United did not save Carlo Ancelotti from becoming Roman Abramovich’s latest ex-manager.

Hiddink has been an adviser to Chelsea since he left Stamford Bridge to resume his role as coach of Russia. He’s subsequently moved on to Turkey but his advisory links with Chelsea remain. Exactly what advice he gives Chelsea has not been revealed, apart from him saying “all things concerning the squad.”. It is unlikely he would be contacted about pre-match meals or which hotel to stay in.

The biggest decisions any club makes are transfers and the hiring and firing of personnel. Was Hiddink used as a “sounding board” for the unpopular decision to sack Ray Wilkins? It is unthinkable Hiddink, who forged a close relationship with the likeable Wilkins during his spell at the Bridge, would have given the green light to the former England international’s shock and sudden mid-season departure.

Similarly, it is hard to imagine Hiddink, who knows more than anyone the difficulties of management, would have agreed that it was right for Chelsea to have shown him the door. In fact I’ve yet to hear anyone say Ancelotti got what he deserved.

So what DOES he advise on? Hiddink’s version of his advisory role is spurious. He said: “Every now and then I come and visit to do whatever might be needed but not in an official situation. I have been advising the club since I left Stamford Bridge. I advise them on an occasional basis.”

But on what? Was Hiddink contacted about the arrival of Fernando Torres and David Luiz in January? More recently, Chelsea made a bid for Tottenham midfielder Luka Modric but on whose say-so? They have no manager, no director of football so was it a board decision, Abramovich or was outside advice sought?

It is not unusual for a national coach to be contacted by someone representing a club about one of his players, to find out more about the type of personality he is or his work-ethic but Modric is not Turkish. While not suggesting anything untoward has happened between Chelsea and Hiddink it is a unique and delicate situation. The club can apparently ask Hiddink’s unofficial advice about certain aspects concerning the squad yet cannot speak to him in an official capacity about “other things” as it could constitute an illegal approach.

No doubt more will be revealed in the near future when, as just about everyone expects, Hiddink is promoted from unofficial adviser to full-time manager at Chelsea.

Christopher Davies

Who could England face at Euro 2012?

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WILL ENGLAND QUALIFY?
Well, despite their mediocre display against England should reach the Euro 2012 finals one way or the other.

ONE WAY OR THE OTHER…?
The nine group winners qualify automatically plus the best runner-up. As things stand Montenegro, second in Group G behind England on goal-difference, would qualify as the ‘fastest losers.’

HOW DO YOU DECIDE WHO IS THE BEST RUNNER-UP?
It is not quite as straightforward as seeing who has the most points. Some groups have six countries, some have five. In groups with six teams only the results against the sides finishing first, third, fourth and fifth are taken into consideration. England are in a five-team group but, for example, Group C has six countries. Italy are the runaway leaders with Slovenia second. Whoever finishes second to Italy would ‘lose’ their points against San Marino who I confidently predict will finish bottom.

IF THE PLAY-OFFS DRAW WERE TODAY WHO WOULD TAKE PART?
Belgium, Russia, Slovenia, Belarus, Sweden, Croatia, Denmark and the Czech Republic.

ARE THE PLAY-OFFS AN OPEN DRAW?
No, They will be seeded. The four runners-up with the best coefficient in UEFA’s national team ranking will be seeded. The seeded teams play the second play-off tie at home, traditionally a significant advantage.

WORST CAST SCENARIO, WOULD ENGLAND BE SEEDED IN THE PLAY-OFFS?
Yes.

AND IF, NO LET’S BE OPTIMISTIC, WHEN ENGLAND REACH THE FINALS WILL THEY BE ONE OF THE TOP SEEDS?
No. There will be four groups of four. The four top seeds will be joint-hosts Poland and Ukraine, holders Spain plus almost certainly Germany who are second behind Spain in the current European rankings. England would at best be second seeds along with Holland and Italy plus one other side. But as the coefficients take into account the 2012 qualification programme Fabio Capello’s side could be overtaken by Greece, Russia or France.

SO IF/WHEN ENGLAND REACH THE FINALS THERE IS A CHANCE THEY COULD BE THIRD SEEDS?
Yes. That would mean they might be in a group with Spain and Italy or Germany and Holland. To paraphrase Sir Alex Ferguson, that would be serious squeaky bum time.

Christopher Davies

Barcelona since 2008

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On the field – 10/10

In the transfer market: 5 hits, 7 misses

Total loss: £206.6m

By CHRISTOPHER DAVIES

PEP GUARDIOLA is hailed as the best young manager in world football. No one can doubt his Barcelona Dream Team are one of the greatest of all time.

Yet Barcelona’s dealings in the transfer market in the three years since he was appointed have proved much less successful than Guardiola’s on-field triumphs.

Since taking over from Frank Rijkaard in the summer of 2008 Barcelona have spent £220m in the transfer market with the list of flops far outweighing the Nou Camp hits.

The European champions, who have relied on home produced players rather than imports for their success, have recouped only £13.4m – a loss of £206.6m in three years. In the Barclays Premier League only Manchester City – £311.5m) – have fared worse in income/expenditure. Arsenal show a profit of £25.7m to the frustration of many Gunners fans.

2008/09

Gerard Pique Manchester United £5m – HIT
Sir Alex Ferguson did not want the promising defender to return to Barcelona. The young Pique never had the chance to make a major breakthrough at Old Trafford but Fergie knew it was just a matter of time. Unfortunately for United, Pique was ready to resume his career with Barcelona and has since won Primera Liga, Champions League, Club World Cup and World Cup winners’ medals.

Alexander Hleb Arsenal £14.7m MISS
Arsenal got their money back on the ex-Stuttgart midfielder whose versatility was greater than his effectiveness. Has one more year to run on his Barcelona contract but has spent the last two seasons on loan to Stuttgart and Birmingham City.

Martin Caceres Villarreal £14.3m MISS
Signed for Barcelona in 2008. Made just 15 appearances for the club, was loaned to Juventus (2009/10) and Sevilla (2010/11). Signed for Sevilla last month for £1.1m.

Henrique Palmeiras £9m MISS
Has yet to play for the Catalan club. Spent the last three years on loan to Bayer Leverkusen and Racing Santander. The defender is set to return to Palmeiras this summer.

Dani Alves Sevilla £30m HIT
Swashbucking right-back who spends much of his time as a right winger. Has a low threshold to pain at times but the Brazil international is an established member of Pep Guardiola’s Dream Team.

2009/10

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Inter Milan £56m plus Samuel Eto’o who was rated at £20m MISS
The Swede would no doubt say he was worth every penny but British observers are puzzled as to why Europe’s leading clubs have courted him despite his prolific goal record. Scored 16 goals in 29 games for Barca before he fell out with Pep Guardiola (among others) and in Aug 2010 joined AC Milan on loan, the Italian champions having an option to make the deal permanent for £21.4m.

Dymtro Chygrynskiy Shakhtar Donetsk £22.3m MISS
Never made the grade at the Nou Camp and returned to Shakhtar for £13.3m after one season, making the Ukraine champions a nice profit on the defender.

Kerrison Palmeiras £12.5m MISS
The striker joined Barca in July 2009 on a five-year contract. Five days after signing for the Catalans, Kerrison was loaned to Benfica with subsequent loan spells at Fiotentina and Santos. Yet to make his Barcelona debut.

Maxwell Inter Milan £4.5m HIT
Full-back who has never claimed a regular place but is seen to do a solid job filling in for established first-teamers when injured or suspended.

2010/11

Javier Mascherano Liverpool £19.6 HIT
Was a regular substitute until injuries to Carles Puyol and Eric Abidal saw the defensive midfielder play alongside Gerard Pique. Fortunate to be part of such a good team and got away with playing out of position but the Argentina international remains more effective in midfield.

Adriano Sevilla £12m MISS
The defender or midfielder spent most of his first season at the Nou Camp as a substitute. Missed the last six weeks of the season with a groin injury.

Ibrahim Afellay PSV £2.5m HIT
Joined Barca during the January transfer window, the Holland international has done enough in his 16 appearances to become a valuable substitute – the most he can hope for with the MVP – Messi, Villa, Pedro – strike force.

Christopher Davies

Joining the Enemy

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HERE ARE a couple of exclusives. Sir Alex Ferguson will take over from Roberto Mancini at the noisy neighbours and Kenny Dalglish will be appointed manager of Everton.

No, I haven’t been at the wine gums again. But the news that the [soon to be] former Birmingham manager Alex McLeish is in line for the Aston Villa job raised eyebrows to a new height. English football, particularly at the top level, is not littered with managers joining the enemy.

While a chairman should back his own convictions, at the same time it would be foolish not to listen to the people who clubs say are their biggest sponsors – the supporters. Gerard Houllier is not a bad manager but was hampered by the timing of his appointment a few weeks into the season when the summer transfer window had closed, pre-season training was a distant memory and Villa were playing catch-up after a poor start. The Frenchman, whose health problems which began on April 20 saw him relinquish his post, was not popular with many Villa fans but McLeish has almost united both sets of supporters critical of the Scot. Villa supremo Randy Lerner has, as Del Boy would say, cocked a deaf ‘un though.

Ron Saunders made the reverse journey from Villa to Birmingham in 1982. Saunders led Villa to the old first division title for the first time in 71 years in 1981 (Villa using just 14 players in what was a 42-game season, rotation had not entered English football’s dictionary at the time) but a row with the board over his contract saw Saunders quit in Jan 1982. Four months later his assistant Tony Barton guided Villa to European Cup glory. Meanwhile, Saunders had moved straight to St Andrews but while he is fondly remembered at Villa Park, Blues supporters do not hold the Merseysider in such high esteem.

Once fans have decided they do not like/want a manager it is almost impossible to win them over. George Graham was doomed from day one when the manager who led Arsenal to two titles was appointed as the successor to Christian Gross at Tottenham in Oct 1998. Graham was not a failure at White Hart lane, he led Spurs to success in the League Cup in 1999, but was never accepted by the Spurs faithful and was sacked in March 2001 by ENIC, the club’s new owners.

Terry Neill did not suffer the bitterness Graham did after leaving Spurs to join Arsenal in July 1976 when, at 34, he became the youngest Gunners manager to date. His two years at Spurs saw him save the club from relegation before moving across North London. Under Neill Arsenal reached three FA Cup finals, winning one, and losing the 1980 Cup-winners’ Cup final to Valencia on penalties. Three weeks after a League Cup defeat by Walsall, Neill was sacked in Dec 1983.

Harry Redknapp shocked Portsmouth when, in Nov 2004, he quit Fratton Park and a few weeks later joined, of all people, Southampton. However, Portsmouth fans forgave Redknapp, probably because Saints were relegated while he was there, and welcomed him back in Dec 2005.

Ex-Southampton midfielder Alan Ball was initially a hero as Portsmouth manager, guiding the club to the top flight in 1987. But relegation after one season put the pressure on the World Cup winner and he was shown the Fratton Park door in Jan 1989. Ball returned to Southampton as manager in Jan 1994, keeping Saints in the top division during his season in charge before he was tempted away by Manchester City.

Former England left-back Terry Cooper achieved what many would have thought impossible – he played for and managed both Bristol Rovers and Bristol City and remained popular on both sides of a football divided city.

Sheffield United fans were protesting about Danny Wilson before he’d even got his feet under the Sheffield United manager’s desk last month. His crime? He was manager of Sheffield Wednesday between 1998 and 2000 while also played for the Owls. In Blades country that is a tattoo for life.

Between 1967 and 1973 Brian Clough took Derby County from Second Division obscurity to the First Division title before he and Peter Taylor resigned after a disagreement with chairman Sam Longson. After a brief spell at Brighton and 44 days in charge of Leeds, Clough was appointed manager of Derby rivals Nottingham Forest in Jan 1975 with the club 13th in the Second Division. Under Clough Forest won the English title once and European Cup twice, a unique statistic.

McLeish has the strength of personality to overcome any hostility from Villa fans if he makes the switch but the Second City is in a class of its own manager-wise at the moment.

Christopher Davies

Refereeing the managers

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THE SCENARIO may make football writers break out in a cold sweat while those in charge of Sky Sports would have nightmares about the possibility. Imagine managers, coaches and players being banned from talking about match officials. It would change the face of football reporting dramatically and that’s putting it mildly.

True, we have fought for the right to have freedom of speech but with that there must be responsibility and managers who question the honesty, impartiality and integrity of referees do not so much cross the line as leap over it like Bob Beamon at the Mexico Olympics in 1968.

In the land of the free, the National Football League have a regulation than bans coaches and players from commenting about the ‘zebras’ as American football officials are nicknamed. They can talk about anything else…but not the men who officiate matches.

This observer believes that the constant criticism of referees and assistant referees by, usually, the losing manager has become boring and predictable. Match officials are the easiest way to pass the buck, a convenient excuse for a team’s inadequacies. Yes, referees and those previously known as linesmen make mistakes, human errors in the heat of the battle with split-second decisions from one angle in real time.

Not for them the luxury of slow-motion multi-angle playbacks but having said that, there have been too many mistakes by referees, particularly, at Premier League level, missing incidents they really ought to have spotted.

However, does this excuse the ‘blasting’ or ‘laying into’ of the ref by a manager after the game? What purpose does it serve other than to provide sensational headlines? And on too many occasions a manager will put the boot in to a referee because he does not have even a working knowledge of the laws and the ref has, in fact, been correct. As managers say about football writers, never let the facts…

Belatedly the FA are charging managers for inappropriate comments about referees, Sir Alex Ferguson is again in trouble for what he said in the build-up to Manchester United’s 2-1 Barclays Premier League victory over Chelsea last Sunday. While Ferguson spoke positively about Howard Webb, he broke FA rules which state that no manager should speak about a referee prior to a match.

Ferguson had said: “We are getting the best referee, there is no doubt about that. But [getting a bad decision] is definitely our big fear. We have the players to do it all right. We just hope it’s our turn for a little bit of luck.”

The Scot is just back in the technical area after completing a five-game ban plus a £30,000 fine for his criticism’s of Martin Atkinson following a 2-1 defeat at Chelsea in March. Some regarded the punishment as severe, others too lenient. To make a manager watch the game from a few rows behind the dug-out is football’s equivalent of the naughty step. Until the FA fall in line with UEFA and prohibit a manager from any contact with his players at the stadium managers will not regard the punishment as a deterrent.

Ferguson will be furious at the latest charge to the extent he may bring down the media shutters for the second time this season. It would not surprise me if he refused to speak to the media after tomorrow’s game against Blackburn even though United could clinch the title at Ewood Park.

At the moment the FA’s regulations seem too spurious and subjective. While it is extremely unlikely they will impose a blanket ban on managers and players talking about referees the idea is not without merit. It may be a case of bolting the stable door but the idea of not talking about match officials is surely worth at least an experiment for, say, two months. The initiative could come from the League Managers’ Association and the Professional Footballers’ Association.

One of the saddest developments in English football in recent years is the necessity for match officials in the Barclays Premier League to arrive at stadiums in “safe cars.” The officials meet at a hotel a few miles from the ground and are driven to and from the match because it had become unsafe for them to arrive at stadiums in their own cars.

Some referees had been threatened or even assaulted in the car park after games; one official’s car was damaged while he was waiting for the lights to change outside a London ground. The fans’ unacceptable behaviour can be fuelled by the negative comments and criticism by managers who can almost brainwash supporters into thinking that the referee was the reason their team lost. Not the striker who missed an open goal or the goalie letting the ball clip through his fingers but the ref who, slo-mo replays showed, allegedly got it wrong.

But as Ferguson prepares for yet another FA charge it is difficult to grasp the logic of the guardians of English punishing someone for what they say or making a V-sign yet claiming they are powerless to punish a player for a tackle missed by the referee that puts an opponent out of the game for three months “because it was an on-ball incident.”

The regulations should always ensure a natural sense of justice and when a V-sign or Twitter comments are punished but horrendous challenges are not it is surely time for the FA’s disciplinary rule-book to be updated.

Christopher Davies

FA must use new FIFA powers

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IT WAS good to see the Football Association finally admit that they CAN take retrospective action against players.

Footballwriters.co.uk pointed out last week that there was no FIFA regulation preventing the FA from upgrading a yellow card to a red to rectify an obvious error by the referee.

FIFA president Sepp Blatter confirmed this and the FA have intimated they will change their stance on the matter.

I have no idea why the FA have continually hidden behind a non-existent FIFA disciplinary regulation that if the referee sees an incident English football’s governing body was then powerless to take further action.

Blatter said: ‘This is up to the discretion of the national association. They can use video evidence in the discipline and control committee. If there’s violence the national association can intervene and punish a player – this is permitted at the discretion of the national association.’

Hopefully from next season we shall see a sense of natural justice for offenders.

I have sympathy for referees who have to make a split-second decision about an incident they see in real time from one angle. Not for them the luxury of slo-mo replays from different angles. Human error under such circumstances is understandable but now the FA have been told they can step in and suspend a player guilty of a bad tackle who had only been cautioned at the time.

The FA have been given the green light by FIFA to use video evidence and must ensure in future the punishment fits the crime.

Christopher Davies

Spanish FA to help Euro contenders

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The Spanish Football Federation are willing to help Barcelona, Real Madrid and Valencia if they reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League by allowing them to play on the Friday before the European showdowns.

The trio face Arsenal, Lyon and Schalke 04 in the second leg of the round of 16. The successful clubs will be given a minimum of four days to prepare for their Champions League quarter-finals ties – of course there could be an all-Spanish class as there is no country ‘seeding’ at the quarter-finals stage.

The federation and television companies have been in touch with the clubs and all parties are in favour. The only condition is that for TV purposes Real and Barcelona would have staggered kick-offs.

Jose Mourinho, the Real coach, has been the prime mover behind the idea because he is unhappy with having so little time to prepare his squad, especially for away ties when they have to fly the day before the game.

It means the Spanish clubs’ players will have an extra day to recover from any knocks while for a Wednesday tie they would have five days to be ready.

The scheme will no doubt give the Spanish representatives an advantage with Sir Alex Ferguson, Arsene Wenger, Carlo Ancelotti and Harry Redknapp no doubt looking on with envy as English football would never entertain such a change even though European success has a positive knock-on effect on the Barclays Premier League.

CRISTIANO Ronaldo’s ‘perfect’ record of being the only player to play every minute of every match in the Spanish League this season has come to an end.

Barclays Premier League managers are obsessed by rotation but the Real Madrid winger is never rested and rarely substituted by Jose Mourinho.

Ronaldo brought his total to 2,327 consecutive minutes of league action in the 7-0 thrashing of Malaga last week when he scored a hat-trick (though remarkably Madrid-based newspapers make the figure higher as they include stoppage time).

He picked up a hamstring injury scoring his third goal in the 77th minute and left the field – as Real had used all three substitutes they played the remaining 13 minuites with 10 men. Ronaldo missed Real’s 3-1 win over Racing Santander on Sunday and is expected to be sidelined for between seven and 10 days.

The former Manchester United player had not been substituted in any of Real’s 26 Primera Liga matches until Malaga when strictly speaking he was not substituted. He has also played in all of Real’s seven Champions League ties, substituted once, and has appeared in all seven Copa del Rey games, one as a substitute.

Mourinho paid tribute to the Portugal international’s long playing record. He said: ‘Cristiano Ronaldo is an essential player for us.

‘The problem of playing a game every three or four days is not so much of a physical nature but rather psychological. It is hard but he is a man and a man is a creature of habit. Therefore a player is a creature of habit.’

But now Ronaldo has joined the ranks of mere mortals and will be out of action for another week or so.

AROUND 20 of the Barclays Premier League’s top players will have virtually no rest this summer because of the Copa America – South America’s equivalent of the European Championship.

The tournament will be held in Argentina and runs from July 1 – 24. Finalists will want their squads together two weeks before the tournament starts so players representing favourites Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay are set to be away for almost six weeks.

Argentina will probably call on the Manchester City pair Carlos Tevez and Pablo Zabaleta plus Newcastle’s Fabricio Coloccini.

Brazil, rebuilding after a disappointing 2010 World Cup, could include eight English-based players: Heurelho Gomes and Sandro (Spurs), Lucas and Ramires (Liverpool), Rafael and Anderson (Manchester United), David Luiz (Chelsea) and, if fit, the Blues defender Alex.

Ecuador will want United winger Antonio Valencia who has almost recovered from damaged ankle ligaments with new Liverpool striker Luis Suarez a certainty for Uruguay.

United’s latest star Javier Hernandez will play for Mexico as will Arsenal striker Carlos Vela, currently on loan at West Bromwich.

Sir Alex Ferguson, Roberto Mancini, Kenny Dalglish, Harry Redknapp, Carlo Ancelotti, Arsene Wenger and Alan Pardew will not be happy at having key players in action throughout the close season, joining up with the rest of the squad as pre-season friendlies begin but there is nothing they can do about the situation.

Christopher Davies

Football crime can’t pay

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THE FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION maintain they cannot take action against a player if the referee has seen the incident even if his decision at the time seems obviously wrong.

FIFA, the FA say, do not allow this course of action so Wayne Rooney escaped disciplinary action for what most observers believed was an act of violent conduct on Wigan’s James McCarthy.

I doubt if I am alone in believing that had a player done what the Manchester United striker did during the World Cup finals FIFA would have found a way of punishing the guilty party.

The FA are happy to ignore one of FIFA’s disciplinary rules. Article 18 (4) states: ‘An expulsion automatically incurs suspension from the next subsequent match.’

Yet if a player successfully appeals against wrongful dismissal the red card stays on his disciplinary record though he serves no suspension…contrary to the regulations of world football’s governing body.

I have searched for the FIFA regulation (yes, I know I should get out more) that says ‘if a referee sees an incident the national association cannot take further action’ but can find it nowhere.

However, I did come across Article 77 of FIFA’s disciplinary code – specific jurisdiction – states that the Disciplinary Committee is responsible for:
a) sanctioning serious infringements which have escaped the match officials’ attention;
b) rectifying obvious errors in the referee’s disciplinary decisions;
c) extending the duration of a match suspension incurred automatically by an expulsion (cf. art 18, par. 4);
d) pronouncing additional sanctions, such as a fine.

Surely B allows the FA to look again at incidents where the referee, perhaps understandably from one angle in real time in the heat of the action, has made a human error? While few would be comfortable with matches being re-refereed, at the same time there should always be a natural sense of justice. A dangerous elbow in the face of an opponent should be punished accordingly even if initially the referee deemed it only a yellow card offence. Football crime must not be seen to pay.

While I accept the laws of football should the the same at all levels of the sport I find it difficult to comprehend why a national association cannot have their own disciplinary system. Well, they do. In

Spain for example players can appeal against yellow cards which is not the case in English football. In Italy players have been banned because they have retrospectively been found guilty of simulation which wouldn’t happen here.

How refreshing it would be for the FA to take the lead and say to FIFA ‘we are going to ensure that players who commit serious infringements of the laws are punished.’ Article 77 B of FIFA’s disciplinary statutes appears to suggest they can. I cannot see how FIFA could do anything. Their law-making body, the International Football Association Board, are responsible for the laws of the game but FIFA should not be able to control domestic disciplinary systems especially if they punish offenders. After all, FIFA’s slogan is Fair Play.

REAL MADRID are set to follow the lead of Arsenal and rename their stadium the the Santiago Bernabeu Emirates.

Florentino Perez, the Real president, has been in the Middle East for talks with the Emirates group who sponsor Arsenal.

The company are willing to finance the refurbishment of the Bernabeu stadium – named after the former Real president – to make it a modern sports complex.

Part of the deal is that the stadium would be called the Santiago Bernabeu Emirates with the Fly Emirates logo on Real’s shirts. Their current sponsorship deal with Bwin ends in 2013.

MAYBE JUST MAYBE members of the Football Writers’ Association will finally hear Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich speak in public.

The Russian billionaire has never given an interview since taking charge at Stamford Bridge, such secrecy adding to his mystique.

But Abramovich is set to appear in the High Court, probably in October, to answer claims of breach of trust and contract brought by Boris Berezovsky, a former friend and protégé of the Blues’ supremo. If the case actually goes to the High Court it is likely to last 10 weeks, according to the Times’ business section.

Abramovich is being represented by Skadden whose European head is Bruce Buck, the Chelsea chairman.

Christopher Davies