Recently in Soccer Politics Category

C'mon 'Arry break out in a smile now!

Harry Redknapp's been found to be as clean as a whistle. The three week trial which took place at Southwark crown courts came to an end as both Redknapp and his former Pompey boss, Milan Mandaric were cleared of tax evasion charges with the prosecution building their case around the Peter Crouch sale which involved two transfer amounts totaling £189,000. Redknapp and Mandaric were charged with not disclosing bonuses related to the sale which would have been subject to taxation.

The conclusion was that the money given by Mandaric was not job related and the first amount given was "seed money" to help his former manager capitalize from profitable investments. The second amount transferred to Redknapp's Monaco account reflected Mandaric's embarrassment at his friend losing money on his bad advice in the stock market.

Redknapp might rue that this case ever came to trial but at least in his case, he's been proven innocent and can now go forward with his ambitions to be England manager without a cloud over his head. In fact, it might happen sooner than later depending on whether the FA can arrest the growing rift between them and Fabio Capello over John Terry, whose racial abuse case should have gone to trial.

Mmm ....... Roland Martin seems quite comfortable in his ascot. Too comfortable.

Roland Martin, CNN's most vocal homophobic bigot gets all frothy and excited over the David Beckham undie ad that aired on Super Bowl. With friends like these, does Obama need any enemies?

He probably thought seeing the ad would turn half of America's menfolk gay. He let loose on Twitter, "If a dude at your Super Bowl party is hyped about David Beckham's H&M underwear ad, smack the ish out of him!" was followed by "Ain't no real bruhs going to H&M to buy some damn David Beckham underwear!" His political analysis is equally inciteful (sic). Would be right at home at Fox News.

This did not go down well with a number of his followers who criticized him but Martin stuck to his two bit script claiming he was mocking soccer as he routinely does. But really the issue was his homophobia and it got him into trouble with GLAAD, one of USA's largest gay rights group who took him to task.

Martin finally backtracked but he covered himself with his soccer = gay sport defense. Not his own I hate gays bigotry. Here it is:

" It was meant to be a deliberately over the top and sarcastic crack about soccer; I do not advocate violence of any kind against anyone gay, or not. As anyone who follows me on Twitter knows, anytime soccer comes up during football season it's another chance for me to take a playful shot at soccer, nothing more."

Martin who is about 100 lbs overweight but with a decidedly undernourished brain should get a scissor kick in his gonads. When he spits them out of his mouth and has a voice resembling a frog on helium, he can go and play pat a cake. But hey, maybe this is all a deflection from what he really is.

Update: CNN has suspended Martin. Their statement:

"Roland Martin's tweets were regrettable and offensive. Language that demeans is inconsistent with the values and culture of our organization, and is not tolerated. We have been giving careful consideration to this matter, and Roland will not be appearing on our air for the time being."

Fabio Capello showing what he thinks of the FA's decision to nix Terry's captaincy

The FA and Fabio Capello are increasingly at odds with each other over John Terry's captaincy. The Italian was vocal in his support of the Chelsea defender using the cover of the deferred legal case as a presumption of innocence till proven guilty. The FA increasingly under pressure for botching the whole racial abuse case from the get go sought a more moral imperative. Terry's continuation as a captain would prove divisive and distracting to the team.

The FA rode over Capello's objections and axed Terry. The England manager unsurprisingly did not take it well. He went on Italian TV and vented his frustration. Very unwisely, one might add.

"I told (the chairman) that I don't think someone can be punished until it becomes official," Capello told RAI. "The court will decide. It's going to be civil justice, not sports justice, to decide if John Terry committed that crime that he is accused of. And I thought it fair that John Terry keeps the captain's armband."

A public denouncement which did not go down well with the FA. They are in short very incensed.

"It is being taken very seriously by the FA because it may be that Fabio Capello has breached his contract," former FA executive director David Davies told the BBC on Monday. "You have to ask what his motive is. You have to suspect he wants to prevent John Terry retiring as a player before Euro 2012, but there are wider issues. You could have what some of the media are calling a morality circus while England are trying to win the second major tournament in football."

Today, Gordon Taylor, the CEO of the Professional Footballers' Association, called Capello's stance "bizarre and disappointing". Taylor also said that Capello should have held his counsel because the new captain would know he was not his manager's choice, creating a situation not conducive to locker room unity.

This is not the first ill conceived move made by Capello. His Capello index set up prior to the World Cup gave his own England players some very unflattering ratings which set off a firestorm of criticism and caused it to be yanked off forcing Capello onto the defensive. The current situation is far worse because he finds himself increasingly isolated and viewed with suspicion by many in the FA hierarchy. There is a familiar feel to these run of events just before one of the world's most prestigious competitions bringing back a reminder of why Capello's continuation was secured amongst uniform public disapproval.

It's quite telling that some of the more outspoken footballers have not come to his defense. But that would mean implicitly supporting a John Terry captaincy which one suspects is the last thing anyone wants.

A corollary to that would be if Terry would like to continue in the national team, which is possibly the reason why Capello made him captain heading off a potential retirement. Terry has not indicated he feels any differently, but a voluntary retirement would mean the FA and Capello get to save face. Otherwise, indications are Capello might have to re-consider his future as manager. The biggest thing in his favour is Harry Redknapp, the prohibitive favourite to take over as England manager could be a convicted felon by the time his court case gets over. Tomorrow, David Bernstein and Capello are set for a very important meeting to repair this breech.

Joey Barton's reaction to the FA's handling of the John Terry racial abuse case

A series of Tweets from Joey Barton on the John Terry racial abuse saga has England's Attorney General breathing hard down his neck. Barton's tweets summed up:

"This John Terry saga, has turned into one of the most hideously managed spectacles I have ever known. WTF is going on...... We all know what was said. Its there on TV for all to see. Do I think hes a racist? No. I think hes said something really stupid in the heat of battle/argument. This should of been dealt with instantly (Like Suarez or more games) and put to bed. The longer it goes on, the worse it is for the game. Racism needs to be stamped out. We all agree on that. This is now affecting England as well as those involved."

" Once the issue went out of the FA's control, it was always going to get messy. They should have dealt with it instantly. Now its a farce.."

After Barton got wind of the AG's investigation of his tweets, he said he welcomed being a martyr for free speech.

" What is the point of living, if you cannot express your opinion. Not having an opinion is not living, its surviving. "

We dismiss Barton because he really is a tiresome individual who devotes his energies to 140 word soundbytes as if they matter rather than focusing on QPR's chances of remaining promoted. But on this he is absolutely right. And it his team mate who's in the eye of the storm waiting another five months for closure. There are definitely double standards being applied here.

The FA dropped the ball in the first place by failing to investigate John Terry when they should have done the same as they did with Suarez which allowed Terry to escape similar punitive measures. When Fabio Capello announced Terry as England's captain, they kicked the can down by deferring the case till after the Euro 2012 on the convenient presumption of innocent until proven guilty. This is legalese which did not sit well in the locker room if Rio Ferdinand's furious reaction is anything to go by. The FA did some retroactive damage control by nixing Terry's captaincy but it is now in a collision course with the England manager who is unhappy with all the second guessing. More salient is Terry's form. At this point does he really deserve a spot in the English side with his dastardly displays?

Anton, or is that your name? Now, touch my skin. Worship it.

One should ask the FA why they did such a thorough job investigating Luis Suarez's racial abuse of Patrice Evra and then drop the ball on John Terry doing the same against Anton Ferdinand? Suarez gets an eight match ban, while Terry gets rewarded with a deferment of his trial till after the 2012 Euro is over and retains his captaincy of the Three Lions to boot. Is there any honour in being England's captain any more?

Terry's claim to captaincy has been questioned before as recently as 2010 World Cup when his locker room trysts with Wayne Bridge's girlfriend were exposed. But unsurprisingly there was a tittering quality to that dissension and an implicit quality of approval. Yes, Terry was a dog but he was a alpha dog, and capable of whipping the rest of his team mates into shape. In the end he was most notable for leading a player revolt against Fabio Capello as England sank without a trace in an embarrassing display of ineptitude. The problem with an alpha dog is that he knows no master.

This is altogether far more serious. Innocent until proven guilty does not cut it when you have national team mates who may wonder if they could be the next in line to trigger racial epithets. Especially if your partner is potentially Rio Ferdinand, whose conflict of interest in this sordid episode is immeasurable because it was his brother Anton, allegedly targeted by Terry. Not exactly the sort of affirmation needed to further togetherness in a team that needs anything and everything to compensate for the lack of quality.

Terry is a good club captain because he possesses qualities that allow hunkering down. It came as no surprise when Terry, despised as a villain almost everywhere else, was most enthusiastically embraced by the Stamford Bridge faithful. However on a national level, these polarizing qualities have created a huge bit of baggage.

One would hope that such considerations play a part because Terry as far as anyone can tell believes he is sacrosanct. There appears to be a growing sentiment that feels he needs to step down.

The more basic question might be does Terry deserve to be selected in the first place? Whether he is captain or not, he carries the same burden. Be bold, Fabio Capello, send Terry to early international retirement. There is far more at stake than simple nationalism. He is a blot to the game. Period.

Meanwhile, Ultras groups in Cairo will convene to protest the lack of security that left Al Ahly supporters at the mercy of the Al Masry hordes that descended on the pitch and drove them to stampede. Many fans met their traumatized soccer brethren at Ramses station in downtown Cairo.

"Police are the thugs" and "Down, down with the military rule" were among the chants repeated by the heartbroken young fans as they congregated by the platforms.

A fan who saw the violence unfold on the pitch Twittered the chilling details.

"Police opened the way for hordes of Masry fans to reach us... when Ahly fans tried to run away they found exits which are normally open at the end of the match were locked. The fans found themselves stuck in a corridor "6 x 10 metres in size" crushing many. "

Many of them voiced their suspicions that this was an orchestrated event.

"The police deliberately absented themselves from this match to increase the violence," says Mahmoud Hani, 21, who lost friends in the clashes. "It is clear that the fight was arranged and the security forces participated in this, to take the spotlight away from the revolution. The state needs people to be focused on something else."

Pro-democracy activists have seized this moment to demand that the newly elected Parliament which will hold an emergency meeting today withdraw support from the Kamal El-Ganzouri led government backed by the military. Their demands also include the ruling military council speed up holding Presidential elections to ensure a transition to civilian rule much before June.

Meanwhile, the draconian emergency laws implemented by the Interior Minister to tamp down ostensibly on "thuggery" are being challenged by the human rights committee of the Parliament who see this as a political tool to put away opponents behind bars. The laws seem to be narrowly focused on punitive measures and not protecting civil rights and economic justice.

The Egyptian Revolution celebrated its one year anniversary a week ago, as hundreds of thousands descended on Tahrir Square with renewed calls for the military to step down. They replaced their chants of " Mubarak must go" with " Down with military rule". The Al Ahly and Zamalek Ultras in a historical moment reached across their bitter divide and were instrumental in leading the charge in the 18 day standoff that brought the Mubarak regime. Ironically, just six months before Alla Mubarak manipulated the bloody Algeria Egypt World Cup playoff imbroglio that ended tragically in Khartoum to test the waters for a continuation of the Mubaraks in power.

The revolutionaries have also reached across borders in solidarity with the Syrian struggle for independence from the Basher Al Assad regime that has cracked down on activists with heavy handed brutality killing thousands. They are also forcing a rethink in Egyptian Israeli relations, always delicate with Egypt the only Arab country recognizing Israel, by voicing their support for a Palestinian state.

At least 74 soccer fans died as deadly riots broke out in Port Said after a soccer match between Al Masry and visiting Al Ahly. Fans from Al Masry invaded the pitch after their team beat Al Ahly, 3-1 and clashed with their rivals. Most of the deaths were attributed to the ensuing stampede as supporters desperately tried to make for the exits.

Al Ahly players were chased into their locker rooms as the security forces stood by doing nothing.

"The security forces left us, they did not protect us. One fan has just died in the dressing room in front of me," veteran playmaker Mohamed Abou-Treika screamed during a phone call with the club's channel.

The army had to fly in two military aircraft to Port Said to airlift Al Ahly fans and players.

The violence led Zamalek and Al-Ismaily to suspend their match in mourning for the dead, which caused aggrieved fans to set some of the stands in Cairo Stadium on fire.

Egyptian Football Association (EFA) chairman Samir Zaher announced the league had been postponed for an indefinite period in the wake of the deadly clashes.

Clashes between Al Ahly and Al Masry, traditional soccer rivals, is nothing new but this scale is completely different. In the wake of the post Mubarak era, such rivalries have taken on a powerfully poisonous subtext. The security of Egypt has increasingly been taken over by the army and the powerful interior ministry with its draconian emergency laws. The police have been removed and replaced by the military thus causing a vacuum in law and order.

There appears to be a feeling amongst many Al Ahly Ultras that this violence was orchestrated against them in retaliation for being instrumental in organizing the Tahrir Square demonstrations that finally brought down the Hosni Mubarak regime. However, millions of Egyptians believe that the chief of the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces, Field Marshal Hussain Tantawi, the de facto head of the government, a right hand man of Mubarak is continuing his policies.

Liverpool, a club haunted by the Hillsborough and Heysel stadium tragedies, issued a statement:

"Following the sad news from Port Said we'd like to send our condolences to all in Egypt affected by this tragic event. You are in our thoughts tonight," the Reds said on their official Facebook page.

For those singling out Egypt, those tragedies remind us it can happen anywhere. What is important is the response by the Egyptian government to ensure that this does not happen again.

bolton 0-0 arsenal by Futbol2101

What does it take for any other player other than RVP to score goals? It is now official, he's not pretending any more - Theo Walcott has a mind made of mush in front of goal. Always. Aaron Ramsey is another. The Ox too for all his brightness was presented with a clear chance. He missed.

We have all the supply in the world, in and around, over and beyond, back and forth, to and fro, creating multitudes of opportunities to score. Once again there was that familiar lack of composure in front of goal. Why does Arsenal always pick the worst options?

There will be fingers pointed to the inactivity in the January transfer but surely, that has little bearing on Walcott one on one with Adam Bogdan and no one breathing down his neck for miles prematurely ejaculating 6 yards out straight to the goalie when he could have done practically everything else. A goldfish with two broken fins, flapping on the grass, with its dying breath would have scored. How does one deal with players who seem to be stuck in a developmental cul de sac? This match was ours to win with the squad we had on the pitch.

RVP looked flabbergasted at those misses because he practically spoonfed those passes to Ramsey and the Ox. He also had to deal with a familiar nemesis, the woodwork denying him. Twice. The second a Bergkampesque chip that struck the crossbar.

Nice, bright start as predicted. But the more Arsenal go further where they don't score, triggers a neuroses. Bolton got back into it nicely in the end. David Ngog muffed a simple chance and then there was the heart in the mouth bit where Per Mertesacker pulled Mark Davies outside the box and Wojciech Szczesny dove at his feet but clipped the ball away. A sigh of relief as Chris Foy made the right decision not to give a penalty.

The upshot is we are now in seventh spot with Liverpool and Newcastle overtaking us. This is square in Europa territory as a 4th place finish fades away from us. Blackburn is next and thereafter a good Sunderland side before our attention turns to the Champions League and Milan. Time is running out. March is even harder.

Oh, well we picked our first point in the new year and Wenger avoided his fourth defeat, which would have been a new low for him. Always look on the bright side of life. So which will be your choice? Gun? Rope? A bottle of codeine?

Dan Borislaw hijacking the magic out of women's professional soccer

What a blow to women's soccer after that magnificent exposition by the US national team at the CONCACAF Olympics qualifiers. The WPS has decided to cancel the 2012 season after running into a retaliatory lawsuit bought by the former owner of the magicJack, Dan Borislow. From Philly.com:

" The Board voted on Monday morning to suspend the 2012 season. Over the last year the league has faced significant challenges, including a lengthy and expensive legal battle with a former owner. The litigation has diverted resources from investment in the league and has forced the Board to take action, suspending the 2012 season in order to address the legal issues head-on before moving forward with competition."

During Borislaw's tenure as magicJack owner, the franchise earned the dubious distinction of being named as the worst run franchise in pro-sports. He ran it like a sweat shop without any adherence to rules or regulations. Borislaw fired coach Mike Lyons after three games and took over coaching duties with the help of Christine Rampone.

The franchise ran afoul of the WPS players union and magicJack team members who filed a grievance with the league that accused Borislaw of a number of charges, most seriously a " clear failure to behave in a dignified manner. They also demonstrate his practice of bullying and threatening players, and his creation of a hostile, oppressive, and intimidating work environment which adversely affects players' ability to perform."

The WPS decided to dock the franchise a point and a draft pick for not meeting league standards. On October 28th, 2011, the WPS decided to terminate the magicJack for a whole host of violations ranging from, "unprofessional and disparaging treatment of his players to failure to pay his bills."

The WPS has said that they are determined to be back for the 2013 season.

" WPS has established its plans to return to play in 2013, and all five owners of the League's existing teams - Atlanta Beat, Boston Breakers, Philadelphia Independence, Sky Blue FC and Western New York Flash - will remain active with the CEO, Jennifer O'Sullivan, in the governance of WPS throughout the current year."

A year could be out of sight, out of mind. Unless Borislaw changes his mind. If not, many of the US players could relocate to the European leagues which would welcome their talent and offer lucrative contracts. This would also keep them match fit for the Olympics and beyond. But once again, the question remains, does women's professional soccer have a future in this country? It's a strange conundrum to see the WPS filled with some of the best contemporary talent in the world shrink, while the MLS attracting the second tier and the reinvented, adds franchises year after year.

Real dissension in the ranks?

The Real Madrid fans are in a barracking mood, just like the fans giving stick to Arsene Wenger. The Barca game blew up in their face because Mou decided to stick 11 men behind the ball and with the exception of an 11th minute of enterprise, played like he was afraid to lose which is exactly what happened.

There is a souring of relationship between the fans, the media on one side and the manager. What set off Mou off the deep end is a dust up with Sergio Ramos in a training session, the details with the full exchange was leaked to Marca, who promptly put it out as front cover material. Who ratted out the manager, reputed as the best in the business being one step ahead of the press? Sid Lowe has more on that verbal slugging between Mou and Ramos with a nice cameo from Casillas.

The feeling of being upended has upset Mou so much he could barely savour the victory over Athletic Bilbao, a match that saw Real return to its previous attacking intensity as he stacked his side with Kaka, Oezil, Marcelo, Varane, Arbeloa, and Granero, players who he had left out against Barca.

Rumours are swirling that he is contemplating leaving in June, two years in breach of his contract which would mean paying €20m out of pocket or get the club hiring him to buy out his contract. The other solution would be an amicable parting of ways without enforcing the €20m payback. However the most recent reports suggest after a meeting that Florentino Perez was able to calm him down.

Rosie gets an offshore bank account. What's in it for Buster?

Harry Redknapp maintained an bank account in Monaco into which Portsmouth's then owner, Milan Mandaric kept sending him secret payments or "bungs" to the tune of £187,000 as commissions from transfers. This was in lieu of bonuses promised to Redknapp when he was at Portsmouth, as director of football, and then manager. The Crown's case alleges he did not pay taxes on them.

The payments made were over Peter Crouch's sale to Aston Villa in 2002. This is a new development as Redknapp was investigated a few years later for profiting from Rio Ferdinand's West Ham transfer in 2000. He was arrested by the London Police in 2007 and later released as part of an ongoing series of football related corruption charges which also looked into Sam Allardyce's dealings amongst others.

This video explains clearly the damage SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect Intellectual Property Act) can do to the free flowing nature of the Internet. Contact your legislators to vote to stop SOPA and PIPA. You can find them here >>

Jose Mourinho's intentions were perfectly telegraphed as he consigned Mesut Oezil and Esteban Granero to anonymity. He started three holding midfielders with Lassana Diarra, Xabi Alonso, and Pepe in a deliberate park the bus tactics. The last mentioned was relocated to midfield from his usual centre back position with Sergio Ramos partnering Ricardo Carvalho.

Mourinho's switch resulted in Pepe committing:
1) A vicious foul on Sergio Busqets which resulted in a yellow card.
2) Going down theatrically after minimal contact with Fabregas complete with face clutching.
3) The now infamous foot stomp on Leo Messi's hand.

We might blame Pepe but Jose Mourinho is just manipulating his psychopathic streak to intimidate Barca. Basically, what you see is a manager who has run out of ideas and gifted the shop to the thugs to unleash mayhem. Reminds one of the droogies in Clockwork Orange or the Joker in The Dark Knight.

For the first time, Real fans are deploring Mourinho's actions in large numbers. The wool has been ripped off and they see the coach and the club as the problem, not Barca. Sid Lowe has a sampling of the reactions of the Spanish (read Madrid) media and it does not make for pretty reading. This by Santiago Segurlo of Marca really sums it up.

"Mourinho's latest pirouette was his worst. Spanish football has seen many teams with far fewer resources who have made life more difficult for Barça. And with greater nobility."

Whatever we may say, Real is a storied club, the most decorated in the world. Their fans want them to play hard. But they also want their club to play with skill and honour in keeping with their club's traditions. They are getting neither under Mourinho.

Inter has tabled a £20.7m bid for the serial wantaway but Claudio Ranieri's statements show he remains unconvinced of Tevez's value to the team.

"There is balance now and the team has become solid. So we need to understand how much this lad can give and how much he can take away."

The win against Milan was a huge boost to Inter and Ranieri was especially heartened by Diego Milito's re-emergence as a striking force. He singled out Javier Zanetti's work ethic and said the Argentinian was the first to arrive at the training ground and the last to leave. As a team they have re-discovered their self esteem and sense of balance.

Ranieri also warns he has other priorities.

"Balance for me is sacred. I hope that the players who have been out through injury can manage to integrate themselves into the team."

" Snejider? He's working hard. He's had some injuries from old scars, but the way he's training you can see his great desire."

Which means Tevez's reputation as a high maintenance personality could prove to be a major drag on a team rediscovering its groove after a long time. Personally, Tevez would be better off at PSG where the rich owners can indulge his abrupt departures, mood swings, and his crooked agent and his myriad demands.

szólj hozzá: Wigan 0-1 Manchester City

Edin Dzeko sighting once again. This time he flew high over the Wigan defense to head the ball home of a David Silva free kick. The 1-0 win established a three point lead over Utd at the top of the table.

Roberto Mancini reignited his feud with Wayne Rooney as he brandished an imaginary red card against Maynor Figueroa for a handball. These two should settle this by challenging each other to a red card waving duel and see whose arm falls off first. Or both can do a synchronized version.

Wigan are now right at the bottom. Bolton, QPR, and Blackburn are keeping them company.

Indians will see Roberto Pires in action next month

Instant cricket, the 20/20 version has found a home in India's Premier league, one of the world's most lucrative sporting brands, till corruption eroded its worth. The success of the IPL is inspiring a new soccer league in India which will see the likes of Roberto Pires, Fabio Cannavaro, Juan Pablo Sorin, and others participating in a soccer competition styled on the IPL format.

30 players and six coaches from overseas will be auctioned off in Kolkata for the month and half long tournament that begins Feb 25th and ends April 8th. There will be six teams and each team will get an "icon" player with a $600,000 salary cap counting towards a maximum of $2.5 million spending money the first year. The league initially will be confined to West Bengal, home of the most soccer crazy fans in India, but the Celebrity Management Group, the brain trust behind this project envisions an expansion to other states in due course. Accordingly, CMG has signed onto a 30 year contract with the Indian Football Association.

To encourage local talent there will be a cap of four foreign players and the rest of them will be picked up from the U21 Indian teams. This component cannot be overstated because India is one of the most dismal nations, if not the most dismal, when it comes to playing soccer with a FIFA ranking of 162. Any exposure to the sort of quality that players like Pires, Cannavaro, or Sorin provide will be good for the development of the sport.

Other players tapped for this league include a number of names in the twilight of their careers. Familiar names like Jay Jay Okocha, Hernan Crespo, Robbie Fowler, Fernando Morientes, and Maniche will get an opportunity to make some pretty easy money while entertaining Indian audiences.

Former Arsenal player and legend Pires is pretty excited about coming to India.

"I am proud to be the first Frenchman to go and play there. And eight weeks is nothing."

He maybe the first Frenchman to play there but India has a long history of French colonialism since the 17th century. Does he know the French used to have a colony near Kolkata called Chandernagore, now renamed Chandannagar? It was part of French India till the 1950s.

CMG was also behind bringing Diego Maradona to Kolkata back in 2008 which brought the city to a standstill. The Argentinian great kickstarted a project called Mission 2020 which envisions India qualifying for the 2022 World Cup. The last time India went to a World Cup was in 1954 but they withdrew because FIFA refused to accede to their demands to play barefoot. More recently, Bayern Munich came calling playing an Indian XI as part of Baichung Bhutia's testimonial which ended rather badly for the home side losing 4-0. Which gives an idea of how uphill India's climb is for World Cup qualification.

India maybe in the soccer doldrums but 60 million fans represents a huge market for clubs hoping to get new business. Bayern and Liverpool have ambitions in India which includes setting up soccer academies. Positive developments like this soccer league which actually helps India improve the quality of its soccer can only be welcome.

Jim Harbaugh and Sean Payton: The NFL's youth brigade are invigorating the sport

Watching the San Francisco 49ers and New Orlean Saints putting together one of the NFL's classics last night, one was struck by the relative youth of the two opposing head coaches, patrolling the sidelines as an armada of assistant coaches and players milled around behind them. Both 48 years of age, animated, in control, challenging referees, haranguing players to do better. A 49ers team managed to stop Drew Brees and the Saints inexorable scoring machine by forcing five turnovers and scoring two sensational touchdowns in an unforgettable last quarter comeback. Vernon Davis caught Alex Smith's throw in the last minute for the winning touchdown. At the end an emotionally overcome Davis rushes to Jim Harbaugh, the 49ers head coach and embraces him.

Age apparently had nothing to do with Harbaugh being considered a leader of men. All over the NFL, a wave of young, bright minded coaches, is changing the look of the league, evidence of the continued revitalization of America's most watched sport. A sport buoyed by the financial success through revenue sharing and costs brought under control by salary cups is taking risks with coaches who have new ideas and leadership qualities rather than just the requisite experience.

The elixir of youth animates this year's playoffs. Harbaugh, a first year head coach led the 49ers to their first NFC Championship title game in 13 years. Payton, the Saints coach for five years already has a Super Bowl ring won in 2010. If this script is being written as planned there is a good chance the 49ers will advance to the Super Bowl where they could meet the Baltimore Ravens, whose head coach John Harbaugh is Jim's younger brother, by a year. The Ravens have gone 12-4 and will play today against the Texans in their divisional playoff game.

The Steelers, a playoff perennial under Mike Tomlin, who at 39 years of age, has already tasted success becoming the youngest coach to win the Super Bowl in 2009. Tomlin was on the vanguard of the NFL's youth revolution when he was hired by Dan Rooney in an open call to became Steelers head coach in 2007 at the age of 34 years, the third youngest in the American sports. The road to this year's Super Bowl will pass through Lambeau Field, where the current NFL champions, the Green Bay Packers and their 48 year old head coach Mike McCarthy await the NY Giants. At 65 years, Tom Coughlin, the Giants coach bucks the trend but he remains with 59 years old Bill Belichik, of the New England Patriots, the senior citizens of the crop of NFL coaches.

Lets track back to the Premiership, the most capitalistic of sporting endeavours, where the laissez faire of high priced transfers, is not matched by the moribund coaching hierarchy at the top. Sir Alex Ferguson just celebrated his 70th year of existence and his 16th year as Man Utd's head coach. Look for no change any time soon because Sir Alex has stated his desire to coach for the next three years.

The streak of longevity is preserved by arch rivals Liverpool, who turned to 60 year old Kenny Dalglish, last summer in his second return to reverse their sliding fortunes. Arsenal despite all the divided fans last summer refused to even second guess 62 year old Arsene Wenger who in his 14th year stubbornly clings to power and will probably retire from that club. Before Chelsea reposed faith in 34 year old Andre Villas- Boas, the club had gone through Carlo Ancelotti, Guus Hiddink, Phil Scolari and Avram Grant, a pantheon of greybeards. City has done better turning to Roberto Mancini since their Abu Dhabi takeover. However, this cannot be construed as some injection of risk taking. The influx of international talent opened up by paying top prices would have to be matched by a top coach.

Mike Tomlin embodies the Steelers penchant for hiring 30s something coaches as well as the progressive values of their owners, the Rooneys, who instituted the Rooney Rule. The Steelers have maintained their status as one of the most consistent performers in league history over the years.

That however was not the case with Payton and Harbaugh, brought on board to rejuvenate two struggling franchises. Payton, the Dallas Cowboys quarterback coach, not exactly in their glory years, was hired by the Saints in 2006. He was able to reverse a 3-13 record the year and led them to the playoffs. The 49ers gave their vote of confidence to Harbaugh, who spent 7 years coaching varsity teams, first at University of California, San Diego, and then Stanford. Success at college level is no prognosticator of a successful transition to the NFL with Steve Spurrier and Nick Saban as leading examples. The Lions, long held as the poster boys of sporting futility turned to 45 year old Jim Schwartz, who spent many years as the Titans defensive coordinator and under him made steady improvement capping this season with a playoff appearance, their first since 1999. Their future looks quite bullish.

There are of course exceptions to the ageism in soccer. La Liga is consumed by the presence of two young, two very successful coaches who have earned every title under the sun but in the process created neither the animation nor the resurgence in the rest of the league which lives in a existential void created by Real and Barcelona. Jose Mourinho has never created a team and Pep Guardiola has no experience playing in a system that was not Barca. These are not exactly risk takers.

In the Premiership when there is a vacancy the usual roster of names are circulated. Sunderland turned to Martin O' Neill who has had a long track record with Celtic and Aston Villa. And QPR snapped up Mark Hughes, the former Blackburn and City coach. Today, a bright refreshing Swans side under Brendan Rogers beat Arsenal. But do not look to City or United to snap up the 38 year old should Mancini fail to get them the Premiership or Sir Alex retire tomorrow. The bottom line remains with all the money in professional soccer increasing the mountains of debt, there is less chances of clubs thinking outside the box when it comes to hiring new coaching talent.

Glen Johnson's two footed lunge on Joleon Lescott

Now tell me why Vincent Kompany was sent off for his tackle on Nani and Johnson wasn't?

szólj hozzá: City v Liverpool 0:1 EXTENDED

Have at the 20 minutes highlights before it is taken down. Stefan Savic brings down Daniel Agger and Steven Gerrard converts the PK in the 12th minute. Liverpool were much the better team for large parts of the match in the first half. In the second they played good hard defensive ball to deny City at the Etihad.

The match ended in controversy as Roberto Mancini and Gerrard exchanged words in the tunnel over a tackle made by Glen Johnson against Joleon Lescott that the Italian felt should have led to his ejection. An aggrieved Mancini pointing out Kompany was ejected for a lesser foul which led Gerrard to come surprisingly to the defense of Rooney. Nice bit of theatrics.

Without Vincent Kompany, serving the first of his four match ban for his tackle against Nani in the FA Cup third round encounter, City looked shaky in defense. This is their second loss in title competition in a row and there is undoubtedly a sense of frustration creeping in.

The Bedfordshire regiment play soccer with the Germans, Christmas Day 1914

Truth is stranger than fiction. Liverpool are to host Man Utd in the FA Cup 4th round at the end of the month in a potentially explosive match that could see many sources of conflagration from fans, players, and even the managers all centered around the Luis Suarez vs Patrice Evra racism row. Matters need to be resolved before Suarez travels to Old Trafford in his first league match back from suspension.

The Merseysiders are yet to apologize or even acknowledge wrongdoing, having closed ranks around Suarez. Their stance has dismayed the chief of the anti-racism group Fare who accused Liverpool of whipping up "tribal fervour" in the fans.

An element of that fervour was visible in the racial abuse a particular fan or fans subjected Tom Adayemi to in the Oldham FA Cup fixture. But the fact that Liverpool have not acknowledged any wrongdoing makes these peace talks difficult. The first step in the reconciliation process is the acknowledgment that there is a problem. The right way to start would be to unequivocally condemn racism as having no place in a tolerant, open society. To be followed by acknowledging Suarez could have overstepped the players code of conduct. Abandoning the albatross of cultural relativism would be another when there is well documented evidence Suarez knew exactly what he was saying could be considered inflammatory. The word "negro" used systematically by Suarez to target Evra was not used in the same way as a sort of offhand pejorative used in South America or Spain.

The person responsible for changing the tone is none other than Kenny Dalglish because it was his responses to questions in the press conference that revealed the depth of denial by Liverpool. King Kenny is directly responsible for the behaviour of his players and because of his cult status, he wields enormous clout with fans. If he climbs down from his pedestal the peace talks will have meaning and result in tangible detente. Otherwise, these talks will be empty words. The unfortunate part will be the expensive and dampening presence of police and health personnel boosted to overwhelming levels to manage any fallout.

David Beckham's MLS fans will be delighted by the news that he will not leave for PSG. They have many more years to look forward to new tattoos being added to his various body parts and then orifices. Oh! yes, and a few sublime deliveries. Forgot about that.

Kenny Dalglish buries his head in the sand defending Luis Suarez and his racist diatribe using a twisted form of cultural equivalence. Through his press conference Dalglish never once said that racism is unacceptable despite the comprehensive report compiled by the FA. That was mildly put, quite shocking. Transcript here >>