World Football news

[Snake]

He will miss the draw for the World Cup too....LOL

[Trim]

Ballon d'Or shortlist down to 10 men, Messi favourite

PARIS, Nov 29 (Reuters) - The list of candidates to win the 2009 Ballon d'Or award was reduced to 10 men on Sunday, with Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi the overwhelming favourite. A list of 30 players released last month is now down to 10, with Messi and last year's winner Cristiano Ronaldo featuring prominently, award organisers France Football magazine said on their website.

Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o, Steven Gerrard, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Andres Iniesta, Kaka, Wayne Rooney and Xavi are the other players still in contention.

There were no Italian or German players on the original 30-man list. Now there is no French player either with Karim Benzema, Yoann Gourcuff and Franck Ribery all dropped.

The result of the vote by soccer journalists to name the winner of the award formerly known as the European Footballer of the Year will be announced on Tuesday.

[Filo]

Klinsmann rules out Bundesliga return

Jurgen Klinsmann has ruled out a return to coaching in the Bundesliga.

The former Germany coach parted company with Bayern Munich towards the end of last season, after less than a year in the Allianz Arena hot-seat. He had enjoyed more success with the national team, leading them to the semi-finals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Germany™.

"For us it is relatively clear: we will not embark on a new Bundesliga adventure," Klinsmann told Bild newspaper.

"After the World Cup, I will possibly be active somewhere else."

Klinsmann has been linked with a job in the Premier League, having enjoyed two spells in England with Tottenham Hotspur in the 1990s.

Commenting on reports linking him with Liverpool, Klinsmann only said: "There are always rumours."

FIFA.com - Klinsmann rules out Bundesliga return

[Tomas]

Thats too bad. I think he could become a good trainer for some mid to lower table club... like Stuttgart!

[Filo]

Club's pres says decision was an easy one
Vasquez hired as coach for Chivas USA

Former Bayern Munich assistant Martin Vasquez has been hired as Chivas USA's head coach, the team announced Wednesday.

Vasquez replaces Preki Radosavljevic, who resigned Nov. 12. The job is Vasquez's first as a professional head coach. "This is a very exciting time for me," Vasquez said. "I have special feelings, deep feelings, for this organization and this team. I feel confident and ready to do the job."

Shawn Hunter, Chivas USA's president and CEO, said that making the decision to hire Vasquez was easy. "At the end of the day, it was a no-brainer," said Hunter, who cited Vasquez's "experience internationally, his knowledge of our club and his passion for the club."

The Canadian Press: Vasquez hired as coach for Chivas USA; Club's pres says decision was an easy one

Those poor bastards don't know how deep in shit they will be!

[Snake]

Btw.
Messi wins the Golden Ball
2nd CR9
3rd & 4th: Iniesta and Xavi.

Ribery didnt place in the top 10

[BayernLeben]

Well with Ribéry being out injured frequently it didn't help.

[Filo]

Togo's soccer team attacked in Angola
January 8, 2010

(CNN) -- Gunmen ambushed the Togo national football team bus Friday en route to the Africa Cup of Nations in Angola.

Togo striker Thomas Dossevi said the bus driver was killed in the attack and three others were injured. There has been no official confirmation of who died and who was injured. Togo is scheduled to begin its cup campaign against Ghana on Monday although Dossevi told CNN he was not sure if the game would go ahead.

"We don't know about the game, we haven't thought about it as our thoughts are just with the teammates that are hurt and the bus driver that was shot dead.

"I believe it would be more intelligent to change the matches to other cities because it is dangerous here and there is not enough security."

Togo's soccer team attacked in Angola - CNN.com

--

It's a shame that this happens on football. My thoughts and prayers are with the family's of the players that are badly injured and with may the chofer of the bus rest in peace.

[Filo]

Paraguay footballer Salvador Cabanas shot in head

Paraguayan international footballer Salvador Cabanas has been shot in the head in a bar in Mexico City. Cabanas, 29, who plays for the Mexican club America, is said to be in a critical condition in a local hospital.

Mexican officials said two suspects had been arrested but the motive for the attack was unclear.

BBC News - Paraguay footballer Salvador Cabanas shot in head

----

Paraguay's Cabanas Shot In Mexican Bar

Doctors are fighting to save the life of Paraguay striker Salvador Cabanas, one of Latin America's most prolific goal scorers, who was shot in the head at a bar in Mexico City before dawn on Monday.

Cabanas, 29, who was expected to help spearhead the Paraguay attack at this year's World Cup, was possibly involved in a fight or had been the victim of a robbery, Mexico City's top prosecutor said.

"He was shot in the head...the first report is that the bullet entered the front of his head and did not exit," Miguel Angel Mancera told Mexican television.

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/...s-robbery.html

[Filo]

International
Friendly matches

02/03/2010

Brazil 2 - 0 Ireland

03/03/2010

Armenia 1 - 3 Belarus
Mozambique 0 - 1 Botswana
Zimbabwe 2 - 1 Malawi
Rep. of Macedonia 2 - 1 Montenegro
Ivory Coast 0 - 2 Korea Republic
Tanzania 2 - 3 Uganda
Georgia 2 - 1 Estonia
Greece 0 - 2 Senegal
Angola 1 - 1 Latvia

Cyprus 0 - 0 Iceland
Nigeria 5 - 2 DR Congo
Slovakia 0 - 1 Norway
Bosnia-Herzegovina 2 - 1 Ghana
Moldova 1 - 0 Kazakhstan
Malta 1 - 2 Finland
Turkey 2 - 0 Honduras
Algeria 0 - 3 Serbia
Hungary 1 - 1 Russia
South Africa 1 - 1 Namibia
Romania 0 - 2 Israel
Luxembourg 1 - 2 Azerbaijan

Switzerland 1 - 3 Uruguay
Austria 2 - 1 Denmark
Poland 2 - 0 Bulgaria
Albania 1 - 0 Northern Ireland
Belgium 0 - 1 Croatia
Germany 0 - 1 Argentina
Holland 2 - 1 United States
Italy 0 - 0 Cameroon
Slovenia 4 - 1 Qatar
Wales 0 - 1 Sweden
England 3 - 1 Egypt
France 0 - 2 Spain
Scotland 1 - 0 Czech Republic
Portugal 2 - 0 China

*Last FIFA week before the World Cup.

[Snake]

Olympique Marseille have won the Ligue 1 title. The last time they won it was 1991-1992 season.

[Filo]

You see Franck! It's even better for you (Ribéry) to return to France than to go to Real Madrid!

[Filo]

After the World Cup we will see two changes in the NT coaching staff of Italy (Prandelli most likely) and France (Blanc, confirmed!).

Blanc confirmed as Domenech successor

Blanc was confirmed by the FFF today and will receive a contract until 2012 and will a salary of 100,000 euros per month. According to sports daily L'Equipe, Bordeaux will finally settle for 1.5 million euros in compensation. Blanc also wants to bring his current deputy coach Jean-Louis Gasset with him to the France team.

AFP: Blanc confirmed as Domenech successor

Prandelli set to take over as Italy coach

Fiorentina boss Cesare Prandelli has apparently reached an agreement with the Italian FA to replace Marcello Lippi after the World Cup. La Gazzetta dello Sport understands that the President of the Italian FA, Giancarlo Abete, made Prandelli an offer over the phone on Wednesday evening. They are said to have reached an agreement, which will be formally announced by June 8 when the Italy squad are due to depart for South Africa.

Prandelli set to take over as Italy coach - IMScouting

[Snake]

Penalty Takers To Be Booked For Feinting

Penalty takers at the 2010 World Cup will be booked if they opt to go for the Paradinha...

The International Football Association Board (IFAB) has announced its decision to change the rules regarding how to take a spot-kick. Penalty takers will no longer be allowed to feint as they are about to kick the ball. The move, better known as 'Paradinha' has become a growing trend in Brazil in the past couple of months.

"We saw some video examples, which make it clear it's very unsporting when the player gets to the end of a run up, feints to kick completely over the ball, the goalkeeper goes in one direction, the player pulls his foot back, and kicks the ball in the other direction," IFAB member Patrick Nelson was quoted as saying by reporters.

FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke acknowledged that the rule change could lead to confusion only weeks before the start of the World Cup.

"It's something we have to implement in 23 games. We have to make sure the referees, players and coaches understand what it is about and will use videos as an example for the players to see where we are coming from."

The new rule now reads:

"Feinting in the run-up to take a penalty kick to confuse opponents is permitted, however, feinting to kick the ball once the player has completed his run-up is now considered an infringement of Law 14 and an act of unsporting behaviour for which the player must be cautioned."

World Cup 2010: Penalty Takers To Be Booked For Feinting - Goal.com

[Snake]

Norway's Ovrebo quits as international referee

Norwegian official Tom Henning Ovrebo has decided to quit international refereeing after not being picked for this year's World Cup in South Africa.

The 43-year-old hit the headlines when he received death threats after rejecting several penalty appeals by Chelsea in their Champions League semi-final with Barcelona in 2009.

"Tom Henning and his team had a big goal to get to the World Cup but didn't succeed," Rune Pedersen, the head of Norwegian referees, told Reuters on Friday.

He added that Ovrebo, who has handled 23 Champions League matches since 2001 and numerous internationals including Euro 2008, will be over the age limit for Euro 2012.

The Chelsea match at Stamford Bridge finished 1-1 but Barca reached the final on away goals and British media reported that Ovrebo had to be smuggled out of England under police escort.

Chelsea condemned the threats after the highly-charged game, which was settled by Andres Iniesta's late goal and followed by a confrontation between striker Didier Drogba and Ovrebo.

"He (Ovrebo) has had 16 years internationally... there have been good achievements and some tough matches like Chelsea-Barcelona and Bayern-Fiorentina," said Pedersen.

"Chelsea have been against other referees as well and they have not always behaved well so if they see this as a victory, I think they are mistaken," he added.

In this year's Champions League last-16 tie between Bayern Munich and Fiorentina, the Italians protested to the linesman after Ovrebo allowed a Miroslav Klose goal in a 2-1 first leg win which both coaches agreed was several metres offside.

Bayern face Inter Milan in the final on Saturday.

Norway's Ovrebo quits as international referee | Reuters