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Goalkeeping injuries mean Milan headache
Sunday 17 February 2008
Zeljko Kalac is a doubt for Milan’s trip to Arsenal, as is understudy Dida (©Getty Images)AC Milan may face a goalkeeping crisis in Wednesday’s UEFA Champions League trip to Arsenal FC amid doubts over both Zeljko Kalac and Dida.
Duo injured
Kalac, who has recently replaced Dida as first choice, dislocated a finger on his right hand in training today, while the Brazilian has been undergoing treatment for the back injury he suffered while on the bench during yesterday’s 0-0 draw against Parma FC. A club statement read: “AC Milan announces that during today’s training session goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac suffered a dislocation in the index finger on his right hand. His condition will be evaluated tomorrow to ascertain whether he will be available for the trip to London to play Arsenal.”
Fiori on standby
If neither goalkeeper recovers, 38-year-old Valerio Fiori could be called upon to make his UEFA Champions League debut in the first knockout round first leg. He has not played a competitive game since 18 December 2003 when he replaced Christian Abbiati in a Coppa Italia tie against UC Sampdoria, and a Serie A appearance in 2002/03 was his only such opportunity in eight seasons at Milan.
Marcelo misses Madrid’s Roma trip
Sunday 17 February 2008
Marcelo did not miss a minute of the group stage (©Getty Images)Real Madrid CF left-back Marcelo is out of the UEFA Champions League first knockout round trip to AS Roma after suffering a calf injury in last night’s 2-1 defeat at Real Betis Balompié.
Heinze returns
The 19-year-old Brazilian, who did not miss a minute of the group stage, suffered a muscle pull in his right calf and is not included in Bernd Schuster’s squad for Tuesday’s first leg. However defender Gabriel Heinze returns from a thigh injury that has kept out for a month, as Marcelo joins Christoph Metzelder (foot), Pepe (right thigh), Javier Saviola (sprained knee and ankle), Wesley Sneijder (broken rib) and Robinho (stomach muscle) on the sidelines.
Milan in shock as Ronaldo flies north
Thursday 14 February 2008
Ronaldo has suffered another serious knee injury (©Getty Images)AC Milan striker Ronaldo was flown by helicopter to Paris this morning with a view to having surgery on a career-threatening knee injury sustained on Wednesday.
Early flight
The 31-year-old and Milan director Leonardo set off on their journey at 10.00CET to meet Gérard Saillant, the surgeon who treated Ronaldo when he suffered a similar injury to his right knee in 2000. The Brazilian fell awkwardly in last night’s 1-1 Serie A draw against AS Livorno Calcio and was quickly diagnosed with a ruptured tendon in his left knee. He is expected to have an operation on the damaged joint tonight.
‘All shocked’
Ronaldo’s injury completely overshadowed last night’s match with Milan medical officer Jean-Pierre Meersseman saying: “We are all shocked by what has happened. An operation is necessary.” Meanwhile, Piero Volpi – who was FC Internazionale Milano’s doctor when Ronaldo suffered his injury in 2000 – added: “It’s a serious injury but I would not be so pessimistic about his career. When he was at Inter he returned to playing within one-and-a-half years. The tendon can be rebuilt and usually it takes eight to ten months to return to play even though he is now eight years older than when he sustained the first injury.”
England adapt to Italian style
Thursday 7 February 2008
Fabio Capello gave Steven Gerrard an advanced role in midfield (©Getty Images)If English fans and media are consistent on one thing, it is an insistence that a new national team manager’s image should be the polar opposite of his predecessor’s.
Subtle style
Thus the softly-spoken Sven-Göran Eriksson was welcomed as a contrast to the emotional Kevin Keegan until the Swede was deemed to lack passion, and was replaced by the patriotic Steve McClaren. When McClaren’s England missed out on UEFA EURO 2008™, a tactical disciplinarian was called for, and Fabio Capello certainly fits that bill. Wednesday’s 2-1 defeat of Switzerland at Wembley did not inspire the excitement of the 4-0 win against Greece on McClaren’s bow, but the players did show signs of adapting to the more subtle Capello style.
New formation
Oddly the Italian’s opening gambit was the same as McClaren’s 18 months before – to exclude 99-times capped David Beckham. But the decision to drop Michael Owen, who was not even brought off the bench, and deploy Joe Cole as support to Wayne Rooney was a revolution only comparable to Capello’s banning of nicknames at training sessions. However, the new formation did not gel entirely in the first half-hour, leading even to a few chants for the absent Beckham, which was harsh on the busy David Bentley, making his debut start on the right.
Cole role
There was more audible frustration from the Wembley crowd when the ball was played back from an attacking position into defence. Tellingly, that patient Capello trademark move continued and led to a Cole chance that tested Switzerland goalkeeper Diego Benaglio. Now England had found a way through the Switzerland defence, and not long afterwards Cole skipped around two markers to provide a 40th-minute opportunity which Jermaine Jenas could not miss. Cole prefers a free role to the wide position he has usually filled for England and both he and Rooney, not a natural lone forward, showed glimpses of the individual gifts that have not always been on display in international fixtures. “We took everything on board and were happy with the work we have put in,” Cole said.
Lapse
At the back, England were not really tested until 19-year-old Eren Derdiyok came off the bench for his debut and, worryingly for Capello, equalised by exploiting the same apparent lack of concentration that cost his new charges more than once in EURO qualifying. Soon, though, clever work by Steven Gerrard, freed to take an attacking role due to Gareth Barry and later Owen Hargreaves’s presence, supplied substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips with a tap-in and England looked the more likely side to score again near the end.
Upbeat
Although the immediate media reaction has been muted, Capello was upbeat. “We were quite nervous early on,” he said. “Wembley always puts pressure on the players and initially they were not able to play as they wished, but then we created a lot of chances. We didn’t take many because the Swiss had a very good goalkeeper. I was pleased we did not give Switzerland many chances.” Capello may not have become an instant folk hero in England but courting instant acclaim has never been his way, preferring instead to simply win trophies. That is something the near 90,000 crowd at Wembley last night have gone a long time without seeing.
Songs of freedom of contract
Friday 8 February 2008
Mustapha Riga spreads the word (©Getty Images)Among the more esoteric merchandise that will soon be available on uefa.com is Come On You Reds, Off the Ball’s salute to protest songs. All the masters are on there, the best of Bob Dylan, Woody Guthrie on the dustbowl, any set of fans who have sung: “All we are saying is give us a goal.” And, of course, Mustapha Riga.
Tangled up in blue and maroon
Most of you will no doubt know Riga as Levante UD’s get-up-and-go Ghanaian goal-getter. But it was his gift for tuneful polemic that grabbed the headlines this week as he turned a public training session into a latter-day John and Yoko bed-in. The Primera División basement side are in financial trouble, and Riga has been unhappy at shortfalls in his wage packet. Thus he drew attention to his blight through the medium of verse: “The club doesn’t pay me / I work for free / They don’t want to terminate my contract and I don’t know where to sleep / Maybe the club offices or the grass on the pitch.” His team-mates were not so happy with the public show of disaffection, though defender David Castedo suggested Riga’s stated living arrangements had a consolation. “At least then you wouldn’t be late for training,” Castedo chortled.
Run for your wife
So what to do? In our role as Jimmy Carter-style peacemakers we suggest that Levante may wish to reward Riga in kind. His compatriot Junior Agogo could show the way. The Nottingham Forest FC forward gained national hero status with his late quarter-final winner for the African Cup of Nations hosts against arch-rivals Nigeria at the weekend. And an 82-year-old fan visited the Ghana team hotel to offer Agogo a unique bonus, a wife. The man, who gave his name as Nana, told Agogo: “I came here last night with my very beautiful granddaughter to introduce her to you. She is not here with me now because she wanted to pick something from town. Son, when she comes, she is all yours.” According to the Daily Graphic, Agogo responded: “Thank you very much, I appreciate that and I am waiting to see her.” While Agogo and co were celebrating, Guinea were reeling from a heavy defeat at the hands of Ivory Coast. Coach Robert Nouzaret had seen it coming, and even took preventative action, in vain. “I’ve taken on a minder to protect them because they are too nice with the fans,” the Frenchman said. “When the fans come to the hotel to see them, they just can’t say ‘no’ and waste a lot of time while they should be resting.”
Cake walks
Now, when Off the Ball isn’t promoting political poetry or engaging in industrial arbitration, we expose crime, stopping at nothing in our quest for a just society. And a particularly heinous act has come to our attention. Liverpool FC defender Jamie Carragher turned 30 on Sunday, and a special cake was made in his honour. But before the assembled guests could stick their teeth into the confection, it was stolen. A ransom note then arrived from what proported to be a group protesting against Liverpool’s American owners, reading: “We cut this bit off. If you want to see the rest, phone this number. The cake gets it unless our demands are met. Further instructions will follow. Do not contact the cops.” But these nogoodnik scallies should watch it, according to a source quoted by the Liverpool Echo: “It was a smashing cake and Carra was chuffed with it, so when he found out it was gone he was not happy. It comes to something when you can’t enjoy turning 30 without some vagabonds getting up to something like this. They want to be careful though. If Jamie catches them he’ll be in a foul mood and might use some of his judo moves.”
Alves’s best foot forward
Friday 8 February 2008
Sevilla defender Daniel Alves (©Getty Images)In the latest uefa.com readers’ Q&A with one of the biggest names in European football, Sevilla FC right-back Daniel Alves takes the hot seat. The 24-year-old Brazilian international looks forward to meeting Fenerbahçe SK in the UEFA Champions League while also disclosing fond memories of the Santiago Bernabéu.
I’m a supporter of Fenerbahçe. It will be a great match against Sevilla in the UEFA Champions League. What do you think?
Cihan Erbek Daniel Alves: It certainly won’t be easy. Apart from the fact Fenerbahçe have a very good squad, with the likes of Alex and Roberto Carlos, they are also very tough opponents at home. Turkish fans are as passionate as Brazilian ones. Just by watching matches on TV, you can tell how special the atmosphere is at games in Turkey. It will be an interesting game between two sides trying to establish themselves in European football. Which teams are favourites to win the UEFA Champions League?
Yahya, Gambia Daniel Alves: The UEFA Champions League is a competition where tradition usually counts, so teams like AC Milan and Liverpool, for example, are always in contention. Having said that, no team makes it to the knockout stage by accident and European football nowadays is more competitive than ever. I wouldn’t count any side out.What superstitions do you have?
Pablo, Los AngelesDaniel Alves: I am not very superstitious. I would rather pray than have lucky charms. Having said that, I do have some rituals. Before I go out on the pitch, I do three quick jumps. And I always step out with my right foot first.What is the best stadium you have played at, and why?
Thomas, Harare
Daniel Alves: I’d say the Bernabéu. It’s a beautiful stadium, full of history. And the facilities are really fantastic for the players. I have great memories of it, especially from the Spanish Super Cup match when Sevilla beat Real Madrid 5-2!
What is happening at Sevilla? After two fantastic seasons you look to be struggling?
Dometom
Daniel Alves: It’s really difficult for a team to be on top form all the time, even when you are a big club – just look at Milan and Barcelona. Besides, we’ve had a lot of other factors affecting us, from the departure of our manager to the death of a team-mate. I still think we’ll bounce back in the league.
Who are your favourite players in the Champions League so far?
Petros Thoma, London, UK
Daniel Alves: The usual suspects: Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, Kaká … But I’d also like to mention Alex at Fenerbahçe. He’s an amazing player and would definitely be back in the Brazil team if he was playing for a bigger side in Europe.
How has Sevilla changed since Juande Ramos left?
Maria, Sevilla
Daniel Alves: Things haven’t changed that much. We already had a very tight group. Manolo Jiménez has a different style. He’s much more vocal and intense than Ramos. But his working methods are not that different.
You have had five good years at Sevilla. Can we expect to see you there again next season?
Pedro Gonzalez, Jaen
Daniel Alves: It’s a bit complicated. Sevilla are at a delicate stage in the league and are playing in the knockout stage of the Champions League. Everybody needs to be really focused on the job. However, I don’t plan to spend the rest of my life at the club, as much as it’s been an honour to play for Sevilla.
You are the best right-back, and Roberto Carlos the best left-back, in the world. In the Champions League first knockout round, fans have a chance to see a Daniel Alves v Roberto Carlos battle for supremacy. What do you think of these two games?
Ali Bulgurcu, Istanbul
Daniel Alves: As I said, they are going to be exciting and hard-fought. I hope we can inflict some damage in the first leg in Istanbul so we can exploit our home advantage in the second leg. Roberto is a great guy and an inspiration for Brazilian footballers, but I sincerely hope he has two bad nights against us.
Who do you think is the best footballer in the world?
Chan
Daniel Alves: Kaká. I know a lot of people were talking about a surprise Lionel Messi win at the FIFA World Player of the Year, but it made sense to choose Kaká. To win a prize like that you have to have trophies in the cabinet. Kaká was instrumental for Milan in last season’s Champions League and at the FIFA Club World Cup. He might get his hands on that trophy a couple more times the way he’s performing.
How do you relax outside of football?
Paul Stade, Toronto, Canada
Daniel Alves: I basically spend time with my wife and kids, partly because I travel a lot but also as a way to wind down from football. Most of the time I stay at home, because it can be a bit difficult to walk around Seville. The fans are quite passionate and want to talk even when you are having a meal.
You have scored a considerable number of goals for club and country. What do you think is your best position?
Hummed Yousaf Baig
Daniel Alves: I have been played in several positions for Sevilla but my favourite is full-back. It gives you a different view of the game and that position feels natural for me.
Swiss looking for lift-off
Friday 8 February 2008
Eren Derdiyok’s celebrates his goal at Wembley (©Getty Images)There was impatience in veteran Switzerland defender Christoph Spycher’s voice as he reflected on a third straight defeat, 2-1 by England in Wednesday’s Wembley friendly. Switzerland may have matched England for long periods, but once again the result went against them. With UEFA EURO 2008™ fast approaching, the co-hosts are in need of a morale-boosting victory or two. “To build confidence we need results, that’s for sure,” Spycher told uefa.com. “If we keep losing and saying we didn’t play badly, that’s not going to satisfy us.”
Positive intent
Switzerland won just four of ten games last year and were intent on kicking off this all-important 2008 in positive fashion. Tranquillo Barnetta, Mario Eggimann and Daniel Gygax all had good chances in the first half as Switzerland unsettled England in Fabio Capello’s first match in charge. With Marco Streller and Alexander Frei injured, though, they lacked a cutting edge and it was England who took command. Jermaine Jenas put the home side ahead five minutes before the break and while 19-year-old substitute Eren Derdiyok equalised on his debut, Shaun Wright-Phillips quickly restored England’s advantage.‘Good path’
“There were a lot of positives in this game – it was the details we have to improve on,” said Spycher, who at 29 is an elder statesman in Jakob Kuhn’s youthful squad. “But we were playing against a very strong England team that wanted to show their coach they are ready for the 2010 [FIFA] World Cup qualifiers. Even so, we weren’t far off drawing the game. It’s hard when you are missing the competitive edge, the character of a qualifying campaign, but I think that although the result against England wasn’t good, we can take a lot of positives from the performance. We can build on that, improve one or two things, and be on a good path for the EURO.”‘Satisfied’
Derdiyok’s fine finish was further indication that Switzerland continue to produce exciting talent. Kuhn conceded, however, that his side will need their big guns back if they are to make an impact in June. “England fought hard and didn’t do us any favours,” he said. “They have to rehabilitate themselves in front of their fans with a new coach. We’re not proud of being defeated but the way we played and faced down England was something that pleased me. I’m satisfied with the performance, but for the future I hope our injured players will recover to increase competition for places. With this performance a number of players have recommended themselves.”Character
Goalkeeper Diego Benaglio is doubtless among them, having kept Switzerland in the game at the start of the second half with a fine fingertip save from Jenas. Switzerland showed character by not buckling during that period of England pressure and then by drawing level through Derdiyok. It was a ray of light for their supporters after demoralising home defeats by Nigeria and the United States late last year.‘Played with their hearts’
“The Swiss fans saw a team that gave everything, that played with their hearts and that’s what they want to see,” Barnetta told uefa.com. “If we can keep playing like that, I’m sure they will stick behind us. If everyone is behind us, I think we can do something incredible in the summer.” Switzerland have three more friendlies before launching UEFA EURO 2008™ against the Czech Republic in Basel on 7 June. Germany are next up, allowing Kuhn’s men the opportunity to avenge a 3-1 reverse suffered 12 months ago. Unlike his team-mate Spycher, though, Barnetta will not be attaching huge importance to the result. “If we play like we did against England, against Germany and lose it’s not a problem,” he said. “What counts are our results at EURO.”
Referees take firm stance
Friday 8 February 2008
UEFA head of refereeing Yvan Cornu speaking in Cyprus (©UEFA)Respect and protection will be the watchwords for UEFA’s leading referees when the European club competitions resume in the coming fortnight.
Clear message
The clear message from this week’s 16th UEFA Advanced Course for Elite and Premier Referees in Limassol, Cyprus was that strict action must be taken to protect players from unfair play – including dangerous tackles and holding in the penalty area – and also to protect the image of the game, particularly in scenes of player confrontation.
Respect
The importance of maintaining respect was also writ large, with match officials told not to hesitate over sanctioning players who undermine their authority. Besides these on-field measures, UEFA has also taken the step of asking an assistant referee to monitor the tunnel area to help ensure good behaviour as players leave the field at half-time and at the end of the game.
Tackling under microscope
This annual gathering of Europe’s top referees presented the opportunity to review the season so far – and receive instructions for the remainder of the campaign. The 52-strong group spent hours analysing incidents from this season’s UEFA Champions League group stage games and one specific area under the microscope was tackling – specifically, high or reckless challenges that endangered opponents.
Foot raised
After viewing a number of tackles where the referee chose not to show a red card, the match officials were left in no doubt that such challenges – particularly ones where the foot was raised – warranted immediate dismissal. Explaining UEFA’s stance, head of refereeing Yvan Cornu said: “According to the Laws of the Game, the only sanction possible is a red card if it’s an aggressive action which can injure the opponent. We also mentioned the importance of good positioning, which can sometimes make it difficult to identify the offence, and the importance of teamwork. If an offence is out of the view of the main referee, it is the task of the assistant referee to signal serious foul play.”
‘Avoid mass confrontation’
Players will also risk serious punishment for the ‘mob scenes’ that have caused increasing concern for the European football governing body. Anybody tempted to race halfway across the pitch to join in should think again as referees have been instructed to issue an automatic yellow card. “We expect the referee to be on the spot quickly in order to avoid the mass confrontation,” added Cornu. “But if it escalates and goes beyond a slight contact to acts of aggression, then this is violent conduct and a red card.”
Holding and pushing
The referees were applauded for their efforts to clamp down on holding and pushing in the penalty box and were told to keep up the good work. The instruction from UEFA was that they should issue only one warning and if the players continued, then the referee should book them and, when applicable, award a free-kick or penalty. An equally tough line was encouraged against players who disobey the match official in a defensive wall at a free-kick: if they continued to ignore the referee after an initial warning, a booking would follow.
‘Not acceptable’
UEFA’s stance on respect is clear and teams resuming their UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup campaigns should know dissent will not be tolerated. “You have to make sure the players are aware dissent is not acceptable and this does not just refer to words but gestures too,” said Hugh Dallas, one of the referee instructors. It is not just during the 90 minutes that players will have to maintain acceptable standards either. UEFA hopes the decision to position an assistant referee in the tunnel will help ensure no future problems between players on their walk back to the dressing rooms. The game’s image needs protecting as well as its performers, after all.
Pride of Lyon
Friday 8 February 2008
‘Special atmosphere’
Regardless of the pain, Coupet will do what he has to face United. “Champions League games have a special atmosphere,” he said. “Those games transcend you. The Champions League, the music before the match, generates enthusiasm among players and fans. When you have experienced nights like that you have only one motivation: to do so again.” During a 14-year career, which began at St-Etienne, Coupet has played in 73 UEFA Champions Cup games, including two against United in the group stage two seasons ago. Ruud van Nistlerooy scored three times against him and Gary Neville once as Lyon drew 2-2 at home and lost 2-1 at Old Trafford, so there is a score to settle. Lyon, though, finished top of the section.
Great memories
Now in his 12th season with the club, Coupet has experienced some memorable moments in the competition, even if the great ambition remains to get beyond the quarter-finals for the first time. “My best memories are the games against Celtic [FC],” says Coupet, referring to the 2003/04 campaign, when Lyon advanced to the knockout phase after winning their final match against the Scottish side. “Then there were our two ties in the quarter-finals against AC Milan, two seasons ago,” adds the goalkeeper, reflecting on how close Lyon came to reaching the last four for the first time, Filippo Inzaghi’s 88th-minute strike breaking Lyonnais hearts that year.
I told everyone we would still get through. I saw we were united, all working for the same goal
‘Same goal’
This season the six-time French champions were nearly knocked out in the group stage for the first time since 2002. Alain Perrin’s side bounced back after losing their first two games 3-0 and advanced thanks to an impressive victory away to Rangers FC on Matchday 6. “I was recovering at the time but I was still a member of this squad. After we lost to Rangers at Gerland [on Matchday 2 in October] I told everyone we would still get through. I saw we were united, all working for the same goal.”
Hard work
Rémy Vercoutre proved an able deputy in Coupet’s absence. “He showed he is good enough to be a Ligue 1 goalkeeper,” Coupet says. “It would be understandable if he wanted to leave to be a starter somewhere else.” That is because in Lyon, Coupet, who along with Sidney Govou and Juninho Pernambucano are the only three players still at the club to have played a part in all six title triumphs, is unmovable. “Despite everything he has achieved, he still works as hard as a newcomer,” said OL goalkeeping coach and former European champion with France, Joël Bats. “Just because he loves training.”
‘Lyon are minnows’
That enthusiasm will help ensure Lyon take on United with renewed belief. They may not be having things all their own way in Ligue 1 for the first time in a long time, but as they have proved in the UEFA Champions League already this season, you write them off at your peril. Still, the underdog tag is one Coupet is more than happy to accept. “Manchester United are massive! They boast individual and team qualities. Compared to them, Lyon are minnows, but we’ll do our best and play for French honour. We need a great performance in the first game to keep our hopes alive for the away leg.”
‘Nothing to lose’
With Cristiano Ronaldo scaling new heights for United each week, facing the English champions is a daunting prospect. Who will Coupet be mindful of in particular? “All of them. But first of all of ourselves.” Lyon have been uncharacteristically generous at the back this year and Coupet concedes, “As a goalkeeper I’m sure I will have a lot to do in those games.” Lyon captain Cris hopes to be back in time from his own knee injury to play United, and his return would be a further boost ahead of the the first leg on 20 February. “He is an extraordinary player, but we shouldn’t expect too much from one player. If we are to succeed we’ll all have to raise our game. We’re excited by those games. We want to make the most of it. It would give us something great to look back on. In contrast to last season [when OL were knocked out by AS Roma after comfortably winning their group], Lyon have nothing to lose.”
‘EURO will be terrific’
Wednesday 13 February 2008
var ipImg = new ipPhoto(‘ipImg’,'ipLink’,'ipThumb’, ‘/multimediafiles/photo/uefa/keytopics/630767_biglandscape.jpg’,'l’,'/e/multimedia’,'photoid+630767′); UEFA General Secretary David Taylor (©UEFA)Speaking with uefa.com, UEFA General Secretary David Taylor discusses his hopes for UEFA EURO 2008™, the problems facing the game and the need to recognise the good work done by referees.uefa.com: Despite going very close, your country Scotland unfortunately failed to qualify for UEFA EURO 2008™? What are your expectations for the final round?David Taylor: It will be a terrific tournament. We had a presentation at the XXXII Ordinary UEFA Congress in Zagreb in terms of the cities, in terms of where we are with the planning for the event, and I think we are going to have a spectacular event. I think one of the big issues will be the demand for tickets. There’s huge interest in this, and in some ways because Scotland haven’t qualified, there might be a little less pressure on me, but of course I would have loved Scotland to have qualified. But we’re going to have some really good teams, we’re going to have a huge demand for tickets, and I just hope the quality of football on the field lives up to the expectations. ‘Expect Emotions’ is the slogan for the tournament and if we get emotions generated through football, then it will be spectacular indeed.uefa.com: The European Championship is considered by many as equal, if not of a higher level than the FIFA World Cup from a pure footballing point of view. But if you look at the results, in 1992 Denmark won as the great outsiders, in 1996 we had the Czech Republic reaching the final, which was not expected either, and in 2004 we had another outsider winning it in Greece. In modern football, can outsiders win a tournament like that?David Taylor: I think you have just shown they can. What I remember about the 2004 final is the fantastic support the Greek football team had in the stadium. The supporters of Greece that day were singing and chanting from beginning to end, and it was tremendous the support they gave their team. Now maybe there’s something there for these countries when they’re not maybe the favourites for the tournament. If the supporters really get behind their team, the whole nation gets behind the team, it’s remarkable what can be achieved. Now we have some of the strongest teams perhaps linked into one group in the EURO tournament, so maybe there’s an opportunity there for the less-fancied teams to come through which always makes the tournament interesting in my book.uefa.com: Racism, violence and xenophobia are three ills within the world of football unfortunately. UEFA is taking very strong action against racists and hooligans in football stadiums, but what more will UEFA do in the near future?David Taylor: They are problems of society, not just football, I want to make that absolutely clear. Unfortunately, we have seen some manifestations within football stadiums, and UEFA have been very strong in terms of their messages, in terms of the actions they are taking, in terms of sanctioning activities which breach fundamental human rights. And we’ve seen situations where in terms of hooliganism last year, a club was ejected from one of our major competitions. Now we will not hesitate to take such action if the circumstances require, but each case must be treated on its merits. There are greater difficulties, of course, with incidents which happen outside football stadiums further away from football grounds. This is where the police and civic authorities must work with football to deal with these matters. They are not primarily the responsibility of football, it’s a societal problem. UEFA will deal with matters within our capability and within our regulatory powers, but we must work with the civic authorities to have a stronger joint action against these things which have negative influences on our sport. uefa.com: There are other negative influences affecting football such as alleged corruption or illegal betting. What sort of influences are these and how does UEFA approach this problem?David Taylor: I have to say there are a lot more positive influences in football than negative influences, so let’s not get this out of proportion. The football we have seen in our UEFA Champions League and top competitions is great, and offers so much to society and so much pleasure to so many millions of people. Of course we need to guard against any negative influences. In the last few months we have been working more closely with early warning systems in terms of specialised forms of betting, unusual betting patterns which have been made known to us and principally for minor matches in the early stages of our tournaments, so we have sophisticated systems in place. There is only one case currently before the Control and Disciplinary Body, so lets not get this out of perspective. Having said that, there is a potential danger here so it is up to UEFA to put systems in place to work again, and I emphasise this, with Europol and the civic authorities to deal with any of these threats, because UEFA is not a European police force. We don’t have the resources or the expertise, so we must work with the authorities throughout Europe when we’re confronting these problems which have a negative influence on our game.uefa.com: This year will also be important for the refereeing movement, especially with UEFA EURO 2008™ just ahead. What is UEFA doing to help nurture tomorrow’s referees and what help is it giving to national associations?David Taylor: Referees are an essential part of football whether we like it or not, and of course I like it because many of my friends are referees, and it’s a very important role they perform. UEFA recognises that, we give them as much support as we can directly ourselves and through national football associations. For the EURO tournaments we select the best referees, we provide them with the best facilities during the tournament but, before that of course, we have specific fitness tests and we have a gathering for the referees prior to the tournament, these are important things. On the wider front, and again this is a matter for national associations, it’s a subsidiarity issue, the national football associations are responsible for the recruitment and training of referees, but UEFA has recently introduced a Referees’ Convention. Now we have an initial group of ten and a further group of three countries who have joined the Referees’ Convention, but you can only join if you can reach certain standards. UEFA have set these standards and if these standards are met, additional financial support is given by UEFA to the countries concerned, in order that there is clear recognition, financial recognition, of the good work they are doing.
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