Most fans want Becks back in the England team. In a recent poll, nearly three quarters, 71% of England fans, want to see former skipper David Beckham back in the national team and 54% think they can do better than Steve McLaren.
The survey was made between 1047 players of LMA Manager 2007, a new football management video game.
Croatia trio Bosko Balaban, Ivica Olic and Dario Srna have been expelled from their Euro 2008 qualifying squad and fined ($5,232 each) after leaving the team’s training camp to go partying in a nightclub. They were kicked out of the squad by manager Slaven Bilic after discovering the players were not in their camp in Slovenia.
Although we will now be short of seven players, we are travelling to Moscow without these three.
The same problems had Sweden’s coach Lars Lagerback who has sent home three players from the squad to face Liechtenstein. Striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, defender Olof Mellberg and midfielder Christian Wilhelmsson have all been asked to leave the training camp in Gothenburg, where the team are preparing for this week’s Euro 2008 qualifier, after staying out late on Sunday evening.
Former West Germany defender Juergen Kohler has turned down an offer to coach Ivory Coast because of his wife’s concerns for safety in the contry. Vice president Lambert Feh Kesse was very disappointed with Kohler’s decision:
At the last minute we were informed there were difficulties within the German coach’s family which prevented him from coming, security reasons which had been raised by his wife. We’re disappointed, we have to say, because we have gone through all the negotiations. Everything was agreed. A draft had been written and it remained only to sign it with a view to drawing up a proper contract.
Raymond Domenech convinced Lilian Thuram to continue his international career. France visit Georgia on September 2 before hosting Italy at the Stade de France four days later in a rematch of the World Cup final.
I’ll be there to play against Georgia. I haven’t had much choice. When I was in Guadeloupe and in Africa during the summer and even when we were in New York with my club, there was such a demand from the fans that I feel like I have to come back to thank them. My only doubt is whether I’m capable of playing for the two sides (Barcelona and France). I’m 34 and I play for one of the best club’s in the world. I hope I can live up to the expectations.
A complete different story is around Chelsea’s player Claude Makelele.
Nothing has changed in the top 15 in the latest FIFA Coca-Cola World Ranking since the World Cup 2006.
Pavel Nedved, who has scored 18 goals in 90 games for the Czech Republic, has announced his retirement from international football after the Czech Republic’s friendly game with Serbia. This will be his second retirement from international football. After Euro 2004 he ended his international career but returned to help the Czech Republic team during the qualifying for this summer’s World Cup.
I would like to say that the match against Serbia will be my last match for the national team. I have decided to end my international career and free the place for youngsters. My decision is final. I am going to be 34 and I want to be with my family and play for Juventus.
25-year-old Chelsea skipper John Terry was confirmed as David Beckham’s successor and will begin his reign as England captain in McClaren’s first match, a friendly against Greece on 16 August. Steven Gerrard made out as vice-captain.
Terry is expected to be one of the best captains England has ever had. Terry said he was delighted with the appointment.
It is the ultimate honour to be the captain of your country and I am very proud to be given this great opportunity. It is an incredible challenge and one I am looking forward to very much.
The Zidane’s head-butt story goes on while some people are trying to commercialise the moment marking Zidane’s inglorious exit from international soccer.
On Tuesday, it was reported that the song “Coup de Boule” (French for “head-butt”), had hit number one on France’s singles chart.
The most bizare thing I heard comes from a Chinese man who is inviting bids for the rights to an image of France captain Zinedine Zidane’s head-butt during soccer World Cup final. Zhao Xiaokai, general manager of a sport-related company, paid $250 to register the trademark - a silhouette of Zidane head-butting Italy defender Marco Materazzi’s chest - for shoes, hats and beer products.
Beside World Cup Champions there are other heroes in the shape of players and teams whose contributions cry out for some sort of recognition. Here is the list of all 2006 FIFA World Cup Awords ant it’s winners.
Adidas Golden Ball
Zinedine Zidane (FRA)
Adidas Golden Shoe
Miroslav Klose (GER)
Gillette Best Young Player
Lukas Podolski (GER)
Zinedine Zidane finally spoke out, in a live interview on French television channel Canal Plus, about his headbutt incident with Marco Materazzi in the 2006 FIFA World Cup final. He said he was provoked into head-butting defender Marco Materazzi during the World Cup final because the Italian insulted his mother and his sister. Zidane apologised for his behaviour but he said he could not regret it.
Materazzi said very harsh things about my mother and my sister. I tried not to listen to him but he kept repeating them. I knew it was my last game and I knew that there were only 10 minutes to play but things happened very swiftly. I apologise to all the children who watched the match on Sunday. There was no excuse for it. I want to be open and honest about it. I have no regrets.
