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THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012
S P ORT S
Blatter, Brazil promise cooperation after spat SAO PAULO: Sepp Blatter and Brazil ‘s sports minister pledged to mend relations on Tuesday after the FIFA president personally apologised for disparaging remarks made by a top official about the country’s slow progress in preparing for the 2014 World Cup. Brazil’s sports minister Aldo Rebelo spoke to Blatter on the phone after the global soccer chief apologised in an open letter for comments made by FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke. Rebelo stressed Brazil’s commitment to foster “cooperation and harmony with FIFA in preparations for the Cup “ in a conciliatory statement issued after their phone call. Blatter’s written apology came one day after Valcke sent a similar letter to Rebelo apologising
for saying Brazil’s World Cup preparations were “not working” and that organisers needed “a kick up the backside”. Valcke’s remarks caused uproar in Brazil, prompting the government to notify FIFA it would no longer accept the Frenchman as the world soccer governing body’s point person for the 2014 World Cup. Blatter’s letter offered an “apology to all those who had their honour and pride wounded, especially the Brazilian government and President Dilma Rousseff.” He also asked to meet with Rousseff next week to personally discuss the standoff-and progress in Brazil’s World Cup preparationsafter a tour to Asia. “We waste time over conflicts,” Blatter wrote. “We must work together. We have a common goal: to organise an extraordinary World
Cup in the country of football, the country of champions. “Brazil deserves to host the World Cup and the whole world is anxiously waiting for that to happen.” It was not clear if Rousseff would meet with Blatter next week, when Valcke is also scheduled to visit Brazil to tour construction sites in some World Cup host cities. Valcke, who has irked Brazilian officials in the past, claimed in his letter to Rebelo that translators misinterpreted his words in his native French. But reporters who heard his comments said he spoke in English. Asked about Valcke’s apology, Rebelo said he planned to reply in writing in the coming days. Brazil is struggling to prepare for the World Cup and its curtain raiser, the 2013 Confederations
Cup. Stadium construction was slow to get started and costs have ballooned. More worryingly, vital infrastructure projects such as hotels, roads and airports are way behind schedule. Blatter’s letter was delivered just hours before a congressional committee in Brazil finally agreed on the text of a crucial bill setting legislation for the World Cup. The bill, called the World Cup Law, will now go to a plenary session in the lower house of Congress before going to the Senate. Lawmakers have delayed passing the bill, and the government has clashed with FIFA repeatedly over whether alcohol should be sold inside stadiums and over which groups are entitled to discounted tickets. A few protesters unfurled anti-FIFA banners as the debate took place. — Reuters
Preview
United up against Bilbao
SANTIAGO: Chile’s Union Espanola Dagoberto Currimilla (left) vies for the ball with Universidad Catolica Matias Campos Toro during their Copa Libertadores football match. — AFP
Vasco da Gama picks up first victory in Copa RIO DE JANEIRO: Brazil club Vasco da Gama picked up its first points in the Copa Libertadores with a 3-2 victory Tuesday over Peru’s Alianza Lima. The Group 5 match was level at 1-1 until Alianza’s defender Giancarlo Carmona was sent off in the 48th after his second yellow card. In two other group matches, last season’s runner-up Penarol of Uruguay drew 11 with Universidad de Chile in Group 8, and Chilean clubs Universidad Catolica and Universidad Espanola also drew 1-1 in Group 3. In Group 5, Sebastian Charquero gave Alianza a 1-0 lead in the 17th but an owngoal three minutes later by Christian Ramos allowed Vasco da Gama to equalize. Alianza went down to 10 men in the 48th when Carmona was sent off and Vasco took advantage, with Dede scoring in the 59th for a 2-1 lead. Alecsandro hit the post with a penalty in the 69th, but Juninho Pernambucano clinched the victory with a goal in the 80th. Walter Fernando Ibanez scored in the 85th to cut the margin for the
Peruvians. Vasco da Gama has three points from two games, while Alianza is yet to earn a point. Libertad of Paraguay leads the group with six points from two matches. At Montevideo, Uruguay, Penarol had to settle for a draw despite outplaying Universidad de Chile. Penarol was the losing finalist a year ago, but this time has only one point from three matches. Atletico Nacional of Colombia leads Group 8 with six points from two matches, two points clear of Universidad de Chile. Andres Nicolas Freitas gave Penarol the lead in the 21st minute, but Junior Fernandes leveled it in the 35th with a 15meter (yard) volley. Penarol had two clear chances to score 10 minutes into the second half but failed to convert either. At Santiago, Chile, Enzo Andia gave Universidad Catolica a 1-0 lead with a 38thminute header but Emanuel Herrera equalized in the final seconds of the first half. Universidad Espanola leads the group with seven points from three matches, four points clear of Universidad Catolica.— AP
LONDON: Manchester United’s rare foray into European football’s second tier gives it a chance to renew another old acquaintance today when it hosts Atletico Bilbao in the Europa League. Having reached the round of 16 by winning its first encounter with Ajax since 1976, United is up against a Spanish side it has not played since 1957. Back then, Bilbao beat United 5-3 in the quarterfinals of the old European Cup before the so-called “Busby Babes” advanced to a semifinal against defending champion - and eventual winner - Real Madrid with a 3-0 second-leg win. With a record of one win from four matches contributing to its demotion from the Champions League to the Europa League, United’s home form in Europe is less impressive this season but Bilbao’s players are still excited. “It’s a dream for us to play at Manchester just like it’s a dream for our fans to see us play at Old Trafford,” defender Jon Aurtenetxe said. “The best result would be a victory. But we’re aware of how difficult that will be, so we’ll try to produce the best possible result. “We’ll give it our all. Let’s see if we can give them a scare.” Bilbao center back Fernando Amorebieta is suspended but Spain forwards Fernando Llorente and Iker Muniain are available, as are dangerous midfielders Markel Susaeta and Ander Herrera. Llorente has 12 goals in 18 appearances since returning from injury in January, helping the Basque club get this far and to reach the Copa del Rey final. Bilbao has never won in seven trips to England - losing six times but can take heart from the 2-1 win by Ajax last month that nearly took the Dutch club through against United. Ajax was eliminated 3-2 on aggregate but came close to scoring the third goal that would have carried it through on away goals. Defender Chris Smalling should return to United’s lineup after recovering from a head injury sustained playing for England, while Anderson could make his first appearance since Jan. 8. Tom Cleverley and Antonio Valencia are unlikely to be fit but Valencia could make next week’s second-leg match in Spain. In another of today ’s eight matches, United’s local rival, Manchester City, is at Sporting Lisbon. City is two points clear at the top of the Premier League and warmed up with a routine 2-0 win over Bolton on Saturday. Sporting is coming off a surprise 1-0 defeat to struggling Vitoria Setubal that ended a three-game winning run and left the club 14 points behind leader FC Porto, a team that City demolished 6-1 over two games in the last round. Atletico Madrid, the winner of the inaugural Europa League in 2010, remains in good form ahead of its game against Besiktas with only a single loss since coach Diego Simeone took over at the start of this year - and that a 2-1 loss to Barcelona. Atletico is without Brazilian playmaker Diego and defender Antonio Lopez, and Turkey midfielder Arda Turan remains a doubtful
LIEGE: Hanover’s striker Mame Diouf controls the ball during a training session on the eve of their UEFA Europa League round of 16 football match against Standard Liege. — AFP
starter for the match against his countrymen at the Vicente Calderon. Striker Radamel Falcao and defender Diego Godin are expected to return after missing Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Sevilla. Valencia, the third Spanish club in action, hosts PSV Eindhoven in the teams’ first meeting since the group stage of the 1999-2000 Champions League. FC Twente hosts Germany’s Schalke and a third Dutch team, AZ Alkmaar, is up against Udinese. Hannover is at Standard Liege and Olympiakos is at Metalist Kharkiv. —AP
Milan still in shock from Arsenal fightback ROME: AC Milan were still in shock a day after their 3-0 humbling by Arsenal in the Champions League despite the Londoners’ fightback failing to halt the Italians’ passage into the quarter-finals. Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic claimed the performance at the Emirates was not worthy of the seven-time European champions who made the last eight courtesy of their 4-0 win in the first leg of the last 16 tie. “If you play for a big club like Milan that can’t happen,” Ibrahimovic told Swedish journalists. “You can lose in many ways but it’s not acceptable to lose the way we did this time. We’re Milan and we should be better and more stable than that.” The big striker also said he felt uneasy with the 4-3-3 formation coach Massimiliano Allegri had opted for at kickoff, although he blamed the performance on careless mistakes. “We tried to calm ourselves down but it wasn’t a simple situation. We made too many stupid mistakes, I think we were thinking too much about the big first leg lead. “We were too cautious and we didn’t try to play our match. Throughout the whole period of playing three up top I felt out of position.” Ibrahimovic also admitted that during the game he feared they would lose the tie. “Arsenal took an early lead and then found the second and third goals, and all this in the first half,” he said. “Then after the break they had many
chances to score a fourth or fifth goal but luckily they didn’t manage it. “Every time they attacked I was thinking: ‘what happens if they score the fourth?’ “The final whistle was a relief, we need to learn from the mistakes we made.” Chief executive Adriano Galliani said he feared a defeat would have hit their league hopes as well. “If we had been eliminated it would have had a huge knock-on effect in the championship,” he told AC Milan’s official TV station. “It’s the 12th time we’re in the top eight teams in Europe ... but I think we should always be in the top eight.” Galliani insisted Milan’s previous Champions League meltdowns never entered into his thinking. In 2005 Milan led Liverpool 3-0 at half-time in the Istanbul final before losing on penalties. And the year before they beat Deportivo La Coruna 4-1 in the quarterfinals first leg at the San Siro before a 4-0 defeat in Galicia saw them sent packing. “The Istanbul comeback and the one in La Coruna never entered my mind,” said Galliani, who praised goalkeeper Christian Abbiati for a miraculous double save to prevent Arsenal scoring a fourth. “I was thinking about Abbiati’s three saves, the one against (Cristian) Bucchi to decide the 1999 title, then the one with his calf to deny (Mohamed) Kallon and Inter in the 2003 Champions League semi-final, and then the one on (Robin) van Persie. “These three interventions will remain a part of our history.” —AFP
Council of Europe calls for FIFA corruption probes ZURICH: FIFA should investigate Sepp Blatter’s re-election as president and publish documents relating to a kickbacks scandal, a European lawmakers’ advisory group said yesterday. The Parliamentar y Assembly of the Council of Europe’s panel said FIFA should examine whether Blatter exploited his position ahead of the vote last June. FIFA should probe “whether the candidates in its recent election for president - and particularly the successful candidate - exploited their institutional positions to obtain ‘unfair advantages for themselves or for potential voters,’” the panel said. Blatter was re-elected unopposed when rival candidate Mohamed bin Hammam withdrew after being accused of bribing voters. Bin Hammam claims that Blatter helped orchestrate the bribery scandal, and is challenging his life ban by FIFA at the Court of Arbitration for Sport next month. The Council’s report on sports governance attempted to increase pressure on FIFA to reveal details of a scandal involving its former marketing agency, which collapsed
into bankruptcy in 2001. FIFA should “publish in full any judicial and other documents” it possessed about the ISL case, in which senior soccer officials allegedly took millions of dollars in kickbacks from World Cup broadcast deals, the report said. The lawmakers’ report said they met on Tuesday in Paris with Swiss prosecutor Thomas Hildbrand, who investigated the ISL case and put agency executives on trial over alleged financial mismanagement. Blatter promised to publish a court dossier last year as part of a wide-ranging reform program. The document would identify FIFA officials who acknowledged taking kickbacks in the 1990s but repaid some money to FIFA and the court on condition of remaining anonymous. The BBC has reported that two Brazilian officials Blatter’s predecessor, Joao Havelange, and Ricardo Teixeira, a FIFA executive committee member who leads the 2014 World Cup local organizing committee - are named in court papers. However, at least one party has appealed to Switzerland’s supreme court to block publication. —AP
PORTUGAL: Germany’s women’s soccer team players pose with their trophy after winning the Algarve Cup final match against Japan yesterday at the Algarve stadium. Germany defeated Japan 4-3. — AP
Indonesian football to lose funding JAKARTA: The Indonesian government reportedly plans to strip funding for its national football association after a series of scandals - including a 10-0 loss to Bahrain that led to an investigation into what FIFA called an “unusual outcome.” The loss to Bahrain in a 2014 World Cup qualifying match was the biggest in the national team’s history, and much of the blame fell on the association (PSSI), which has been in turmoil for years. Without a cash injection, it will likely descend further into crisis. “We have no choice since it looks like the PSSI’s infighting won’t be ending anytime soon,” Andi Mallarangeng, the minister of youth and sports, was quoted as saying by the Jakarta Globe newspaper. “It was not the country’s best squad that was humiliated by Bahrain last week. It was a team assembled under the shadow of discrimination, as the PSSI only called up players from a certain
league.” Until things change, he said, funding will stop. “I think the funding termination is reasonable owing to their bad performances so far,” Bernard Limbong, a spokesman for the Indian football federation, told Antara news agency. “The policy is expected to improve the performance of the national teams.” The announcement came after FIFA, football’s world governing body, announced last week it was launching an investigation into the “unusual outcome” of Bahrain’s win. Bahrain needed to make up a nine-goal deficit on Qatar in the group standings to have a chance of advancing to the next round. It also needed Qatar to lose its last match, but the Qataris scored an 83rd-minute equalizer in a 2-2 draw at Iran to instead reach the next stage of the Asian qualifying tournament. “The important thing is that if there are suspicions you have to investigate it,” FIFA vice president Prince Ali said during a trip to
London. “It might just be a coincidence. However, there might be something behind it.” Indonesia’s performance has been abysmal. It had lost all five previous group matches, conceding 16 goals while scoring just three. It also fielded several inexperienced international players in Bahrain after suspending others who play for clubs in the breakaway Indonesian Super League. The Indonesian football association recognizes the Indonesian Premier League, and the dispute jeopardized the participation of ISL winner Persipura Jayapura in the Asian Champions League last month. Persipura required a Court of Arbitration for Sport ruling in order to face Adelaide United in the continental club competition. The PSSI launched an unsuccessful bid to host the 2022 World Cup, but FIFA removed Indonesia from the contest midway through the bid process when football officials failed to persuade the government to provide hosting guarantees. — AP