Wednesday, 19 February 2014

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

07:14

By: TBMU Admin On: 07:14   In:   No comments

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Manchester City v Barcelona: Champions League player ratings

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 02:34 PM PST

Who shone and who failed to impress in the Champions League round-of-16 first leg at the Etihad Stadium

MANCHESTER CITY

Joe Hart 6 Nowhere near Messi's penalty and watched on as Alves's effort went through his legs but difficult to blame him for either concession

Pablo Zabaleta 6 He was never going to be allowed much time to get forward but worked his socks off to keep Iniesta on a tight leash

Vincent Kompany 8 Rode out the early storm but was always going to endure a long night – especially when Demichelis was sent to the changing room

Martín Demichelis 5 Deserved a red card for taking down Messi and conceding the game-changing penalty. But he had looked solid until then

Gaël Clichy 7 Much like Zabaleta he was rarely allowed a chance to gallop forward but did well to handle Sánchez, who was taken off

Jesús Navas 6 Quiet start but found Negredo with a good cross nearing half-time. Fewer touches than any other player who started the game

Fernandinho 6 All but one of his passes were successful but this was always going to be a night where his work off the ball mattered most

Yaya Touré 7 Inevitably forced to defend more than usual but did little wrong and denied Iniesta with a strong challenge at 0-0

Aleksander Kolarov 6 Tirelessly chased the ball to put Barça under pressure but sacrificed after Demichelis was sent off. Booked for a challenge on Busquets

David Silva 7 There was a lot of pressure on him to manufacture chances. Had a stunning effort denied by Valdés with 15 minutes to play

Álvaro Negredo 6 Worked hard but directed a pair of good headed chances wide in the opening half. Yellow carded for sliding in late on Piqué

BARCELONA

Víctor Valdés 6 Excellent save to deny Silva with 15 minutes remaining but he enjoyed a relatively stress-free evening, to City's frustration

Dani Alves 8 Unlucky with a shot that drifted across goal and wide on 67 minutes but made no mistake by nutmegging Hart for Barça's second

Javier Mascherano 7 Did not let the physical presence of Negredo bother him and sturdy from start to finish. Won more tackles than anyone

Gerard Piqué 7 Tidy and effective. He made 12 clearances throughout and was not afraid to play the ball out along the deck either

Jordi Alba 6 Not quite as effective going forward as Alves on the opposite flank but still got up and down more than City's wing-backs

Xavi Hernández 7 Typically prominent and neat. Had a larger share of the ball than any other player and consistently found those in front of him

Sergio Busquests 6 Failed to have as much impact as either Xavi or Fábregas but still enjoyed more of the ball than any of City's central players

Cesc Fábregas 7 Enjoyed plenty of possession and the City midfield often found themselves chasing his shadow either side of half-time

Alexis Sánchez 6 He was the quietest of Barça's front three. Did not get a shot off before being subbed for Neymar entering the final 15 minutes

Lionel Messi 8 Not allowed much space by the City defence early on but scored from the penalty spot and was outstanding as the game progressed

Andrés Iniesta 8 Threatened throughout and was constantly involved in Barça's best attacking moves. Happy to drop deep to pick up possession

Alan Smith

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Wenger says defence holds key

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 02:31 PM PST

• Wenger says German opponents' main force is 'going forward'
• Jack Wilshere adds importance of Arsenal 'staying in the game'

Yes, Arsène Wenger, we are looking at you. Twelve months on from his Taxi Driver moment, when the Arsenal manager found himself sliced by the knife-edge tension of his professional life, he was pressed to centre stage at the club's training ground and asked to outline the solution to a familiar and fiendish problem.

Bayern Munich are in town, for the Champions League last-16 first leg on Wednesday night, and it was impossible to ignore the echoes of history. It was Bayern who beat Arsenal at the same stage of last season's competition and, in many respects, reinforced an uncomfortable reality.

In the preceding seasons, Arsenal had fallen to Barcelona and Milan in the last 16. The failures had been glorious; there was much to like about patches of their performances over the two legs and there were the inevitable, tantalising imponderables. What if Nicklas Bendtner had scored his breakaway chance at Camp Nou? How did Arsenal not score one more time in the second leg at home to Milan, and so complete an outlandish comeback? The record books simply recorded the defeats.

Against Bayern last season, there was first-leg disaster on a par with the 4-0 defeat at Milan in 2012, when they crashed 3-1 at the Emirates. The subsequent 2-0 win in Munich restored pride and it served as a catalyst to an impressive finish to the Premier League season, but it still added up to an aggregate defeat. Arsenal's inability to retain their focus for 180 minutes at this point in club football's biggest tournament has been chronic.

They begin the rematch against Bayern as yappy underdogs. Never mind that Bayern won everything last season, including the European Cup, they have so far carried all before them this time out. Under the new manager, Pep Guardiola, they lost the German Super Cup to Borussia Dortmund and the final (largely meaningless) tie of their Champions League group to Manchester City. And that has been it. They are 16 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga and into the semi-finals of the German Cup.

"You cannot say the opposite," Wenger said, when asked whether Bayern are the best team in the world. "They win every game. They have won the World Club Cup and the Champions League so I would have to say yes."

Wenger stopped short of describing them as the best team he has faced. That accolade, he said, had to go to the Barcelona of 2009-10, who played football that was seemingly from a different planet during the first half of the Champions League quarter-final first leg against Arsenal at the Emirates. Arsenal somehow escaped with a 2-2 draw before losing in Barcelona to four goals from Lionel Messi. "The first half hour at the Emirates was the best I've seen," Wenger said. That, of course, was Guardiola's Barcelona.

Yet Bayern are hardly sloppy seconds and Per Mertesacker, Arsenal's Germany defender, said on Tuesday that they were "untouchable." He had told the Guardian two weeks previously that under Guardiola Bayern had raised their levels, which were already the best in Europe. "They have the Barça style in their mind from four or five years ago, when they smashed everyone," Mertesacker said.

There is, though, a stronger look about Arsenal these days. They faced Bayern in last February's first leg on the back of an FA Cup fifth-round home defeat by Blackburn Rovers of the Championship, a result that Wenger called the lowest point of last season and left him feeling hunted. His pre-Bayern press conference that time was made memorable by his eyeballing of a reporter and the question: "Why do you look at me?"

This time Arsenal enter after an FA Cup fifth-round home win over Liverpool, bang in contention for the title and rubbing up from one competition to the next in a good way. The Emirates has become a fortress, with Arsenal unbeaten there in 13 matches, a run of 10 wins, three draws and only two goals conceded. Mertesacker's central-defensive partnership with Laurent Koscielny has been a major factor, together with Mathieu Flamini's work in defensive midfield.

"We were too nervous at the beginning of the game [against Bayern last season]," Wenger said, with a nod towards the Blackburn upset. "We also wanted to level it too much at 2–1 and we conceded the third through a counter. It'll be down to our defending on Wednesday. Their main force is going forward. They have five or six players who can create a chance at any moment."

"We have spoken about the importance of staying in the game," Jack Wilshere, the England midfielder, said. "Even if it is 0-0, it is a good chance to qualify as the away goal is massive. We have got to be a bit more intelligent this year and stay in the game."

Arsenal have coped with psychological scrutiny of the most intense nature since the first week of the season while they wonder, perhaps optimistically, whether Bayern's strolls thus far might have led them towards complacency.

Wilshere also noted how Arsenal had learned to win ugly at times and it is a discussion point to consider whether their mentality has been shaped by their burgeoning German contingent.

Mesut Özil joined Mertesacker and Lukas Podolski at the club last September, while Serge Gnabry has broken through this season and the prodigy, Gedion Zelalem, is German-born. Wenger attempted to sign Julian Draxler last month and if the chief executive, Ivan Gazidis, considers Bayern to be the benchmark in commercial terms, even the incoming Arsenal kit deal is with Puma, a German manufacturer.

Wenger is expected to prefer Tomas Rosicky to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in his chief selection teaser. Arsenal are gunning for a breakthrough.

David Hytner

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Manchester City v Barcelona: talking points

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 02:18 PM PST

Manuel Pellegrini pays price for playing Martín Demichelis while David Silva and Yaya Touré are eclipsed by Cesc Fábregas

1. Manuel Pellegrini faces a huge task at the Nou Camp

Despite Barcelona's dominance of possession and territory Pellegrini, below, would have been more satisfied than his Barcelona counterpart Gerardo Martino at half-time. The Barcelona coach ended the opening period stamping his feet in fury inside the technical area as he watched Jesus Navas find some rare space down the right to send in a cross for Alvaro Negredo. Yet City's optimism would fade as the second half unfolded, Martín Demichelis was sent off and Barcelona scored twice. Of his approach to this game, Pellegrini had said: "I do not believe in talking about tactics, we play a certain way and we do it to our best capability then we are very hard to beat. If you want to be the best you have to beat the best and we have shown our quality already this season by winning away at Bayern Munich." Now, though, Pellegrini must mastermind an arguably harder task at the Nou Camp in three weeks time.

2. David Silva sparkles only sporadically for City

After 20 minutes the footballer Pellegrini considers the X-factor in his side slipped in Alvaro Negredo for City's first clear chance but the lone striker failed to accept the opportunity. While this was a rare moment of Silva's magic the foothold the team established as the first half wore on came about as he began to prompt team-mates in and around Barcelona's area. Of how City could knock Lionel Messi and company out of the competition, Silva had said: "The important thing is that we must score at the Etihad Stadium and take an advantage back to the Nou Camp because if we do this, we will increase our possibilities of going through to the quarter-finals." Yet after Lionel Messi's penalty – and Demichelis's sending off – Silva may regret voicing these words as he became an ever more peripheral figure as his team engaged in damage-limitation.

3. Yaya Touré struggles to have a real impact

The question was which Touré would turn up – the languid uninterested player or the game-running unstoppable force on display in the weekend's FA Cup win over Chelsea? In the first half there was one flash of the player that can terrorise any opposition. After a give-and-return with David Silva, Touré moved forward to beat three players and threaten to walk the ball past Victor Valdes. Yet as the contest went on and Barça began making inroads in City's half the issue for Touré was whether he could force his way into the contest to help destroy this dominance. Evidence came in the harrying of Andres Iniesta inside the City area, forcing the midfielder to shoot hurriedly, and in the yellow card he drew for yanking Xavi back.

4. Cesc Fàbregas is the driving force for Barcelona

This was a night when Manchester United were able to appreciate what they would have acquired if the former Arsenal captain had joined them last summer. Fàbregas illustrated why he will become the heatbeat of the Barcelona team when Xavi retires. Whether popping up on the left, right, or in the centre, outside the City area or dropping deep to collect the ball, the Spaniard was his side's fount of energy and invention. There was also a tangle with Touré near goal that showed Fàbregas's spiky side as he told the former Barcelona player to get to his feet. One surge-and-dribble past a string of blue shirts took the breath away. Of United's interest, Fàbregas had said: "I do follow the Premier League a lot and it's always flattering when a club like that talks very well about you and you can see they want you." His performance showed precisely why this was the case.

5. Martín Demichelis is City's achilles heel (again)

When the team sheet was issued the headline selection appeared to be Aleksandar Kolarov's inclusion at the expense of Samir Nasri in a move that appeared indicate Pellegrini had learned from the 3-1 home defeat by Bayern Munich in the group stage. The idea was that the Serb would bring more solidity ahead of Gaël Clichy on the left side. Yet Kolarov was largely reduced to a spectator in the role as the visitors attacked centrally or along the opposite flank. In fact, as in the 1-0 Premier League defeat by Chelsea, it was Demichelis who proved the weak link to raise further questions of why Pellegrini has been favouring him over Joleon Lescott in central defence. The Argentinian consistently gave away possession and when Andres Iniesta played in Lionel Messi he looked all of his 33 years, bringing his compatriot down to concede the penalty and get himself sent off.

Jamie Jackson

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Lionel Messi's influence puts Barcelona strife in the shadows

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 02:11 PM PST

Against a background of controversy on and off the pitch the No10 performs a starring role against Manchester City

The looming threat of Lionel Messi was the dominant topic of conversation outside the Etihad before Manchester City's first taste of Champions League knockout football. "They've got Messi but we've got David Silva and he's just as good," claimed one City supporter up on the giant television screen above. They say it is the hope that kills you. For City it was the magician from Rosario, Argentina.

Messi did not deliver another dazzling European performance against Manuel Pellegrini's dogged and determined City side while the contributions of Andrés Iniesta, Dani Alves and Xavi underlined the fact that Barcelona's golden years were not shaped by one man. And yet, and yet. Messi ended the night on 66 goals from 83 Champions League appearances, five short of the record set by Raúl, and central to the defining moment of a tie that slipped from City's grasp.

Gerard Piqué's verdict that Barcelona's rivals "maybe don't fear us as before" was based on two successive Champions League semi-final exits – both against the eventual winners, Chelsea and Bayern Munich – having lifted the trophy at Manchester United's expense in 2009 and 2011. It is also no coincidence that perception of one of the finest teams of all time has shifted during what, by Messi's standards, has been a disquieting campaign on and off the pitch for the Argentina international.

There has been rare controversy attached to the usually unblemished striker in the form of a court appearance over alleged tax fraud and an unprecedented row with a Barcelona director. Messi and his father, Jorge Horacio, made a €5m (£4.1m) correction payment in the tax case, with the 26-year-old distancing himself from the complicated financial affairs in his name.

He also accused the director, Javier Faus, of being "someone who doesn't know anything about football and wants to manage Barcelona like a business, which it is not", after the board member unwisely dismissed the genius's qualification for a pay rise.

Wisely Faus has since taken steps to repair their relationship.

That Messi should break the habit of his Barcelona lifetime and publicly condemn a director of the club generated a sense of crisis around the champions of Spain before Christmas. More disconcerting for his club, country and the game itself with a World Cup on the horizon, were the succession of injury problems that prompted allegations of burn-out in the four-times Ballon d'Or winner.

Barcelona's success and Messi's commercial appeal do not allow for an extended break from football and several hamstring problems, the last sidelining their No10 for two months, were as widely predicted as they were feared. It is remarkable, therefore, that the records have continued to crumble before Messi's astonishing left foot, even as he works his way back to full fitness.

Saturday's two goals against Real Vallecano brought Messi level with the Real Madrid legend Raúl as the third highest goalscorer in La Liga history, his 228 league goals arriving in 263 games. To put that into a historical context, it took Alfredo Di Stéfano 359 matches to score 227 league goals in Spain. Telmo Zarra (251 goals) and Hugo Sánchez (234) are unlikely to remain in first and second place for too long.

Injuries have not slowed the striker's phenomenal goalscoring rate this season, with 13 goals in 17 league appearances so far and six in only three Champions League outings. As he rediscovers fitness and form, so the lustre surrounding Barcelona and their prospects of winning a fifth European Cup also returns. They need everyone at their peak to prevent the former coach Pep Guardiola overseeing another era of dominance, only this time with Bayern Munich.

Messi was a slow-burning fuse at the Etihad. City's manager, Pellegrini, claimed "we will not plan for individual opposition players" in his programme notes but his team's reaction whenever the Argentinian took possession suggested otherwise. It was credit to the tireless work rate, awareness and defensive discipline of Yaya Touré and the fit-again Fernandinho that Messi received the ball in a position to turn and run at City's back line only three times in the first half.

On each occasion he was smothered away from danger, with Vincent Kompany quickly alert to any danger, Fernandinho a constant shadow and the occasionally maligned Martín Demichelis an astute presence back in his favoured central-defensive position.

Kompany signalled City's intent towards Messi with a thunderous but clean challenge on the edge of his area when the striker first broke free on to a Cesc Fábregas pass in the seventh minute. It was another 24 minutes before he was able to release a shot of note, one that sailed over Joe Hart's goal to the delight of the City supporters, and a shuddering shoulder challenge from the City captain encapsulated a gruelling first half of little reward or threat for the man in the spotlight.

City's initial success in stifling the supply to Messi was reflected by how his most eye-catching contribution came before the game kicked off. His warm-up routine with Dani Alves was worth the price of admission alone, as Alves pumped a series of 40-yard balls high into the air and Messi controlled each one perfectly with a different part of his anatomy before volleying the ball back to the Brazilian. But, of course, he cannot be stifled forever.

One sublime pass from Iniesta and one lapse in concentration in the heart of the City defence was all it took for Messi to leave an indelible mark on the tie. Barcelona's No10 looked more vibrant from the start of the second half and seized on Iniesta's through-ball only to be clipped as he entered the area by Demichelis.

As his unfortunate compatriot trudged off the field with a red card, Messi picked himself up to stroke the penalty down the centre of Hart's goal and spark wild celebrations of his first goal in nine appearances at a Premier League stadium. One moment. All he needs.

Andy Hunter

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Bayer Leverkusen 0-4 PSG

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 02:09 PM PST

Bayer Leverkusen were looking at almost certain elimination from the Champions League after being taken apart by a rampant Paris St-Germain.

It quickly became clear that the German club were facing an uphill struggle when Blaise Matuidi scored for the visitors after only three minutes. The home defence set what came to be a pattern for the match by being caught flat-footed as PSG attacked and Marco Verratti slipped an angled pass through to Matuidi, who sidefooted it under Bernd Leno from 15 yards. Leno, who got a strong hand on the ball, might feel he should have done better.

From then on PSG turned the screw, though they had to wait until the 39th minute for their next breakthrough. The referee, Victor Kassai of Hungary, spotted Emir Spahic pulling back Ezequiel Lavezzi as he moved to anticipate a low cross and after booking the defender to protests from the home team, awarded the penalty. Zlatan Ibrahimovic dispatched it almost contemptuously past Leno.

Three minutes later the Swede struck again, although this time it was with a typical touch of inspiration. Matuidi eased the ball towards Ibrahimovic, just outside the area to the left of centre, and the striker hit it first time, left-footed and with enough swerve to elude the goalkeeper and find the top corner.

A bad night for Spahic got worse when he tried to hold his own in a sprint with Lucas and the winger went down holding his face. The referee paused to take advice from his assistant then showed the defender a second yellow and he was off, leaving Bayer to defend with 10 men for the remaining 32 minutes.

Their misery was compounded at the death when PSG worked the ball to Yohan Cabaye just inside the area and the former Newcastle midfielder hit a rising shot unerringly into the roof of the net.


theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Man City 0-2 Barcelona

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 02:01 PM PST

The unfortunate truth for Manchester City is that in a straight contest Lionel Messi versus Martín Demichelis is always going to be a one-sided affair. Manuel Pellegrini's team had generally been coping until the moment when Messi picked up speed to go past Demichelis and, after that, everything quickly unravelled.

A team with genuine Champions League aspirations cannot have a weak link in the centre of their defence and there is a growing portfolio of evidence that Demichelis is that man. As soon as the referee, Jonas Eriksson, pointed to the penalty spot, a red card was inevitable. The game was eight minutes into the second half and, though the 10 men gave everything, City's night become an even more harrowing ordeal when Dani Alves exchanged passes with the substitute Neymar and slipped the ball through Joe Hart's legs.

City had showed real togetherness in the closing stages and at 1-0 they could even reflect on a couple of chances to drag themselves back into the tie. Instead, the second leg at Camp Nou on 12 March will begin with Barça in a position of great strength and City requiring a remarkable feat of escapology.

It certainly did not take long before Pellegrini's lecture about wearing out their opponents by making them chase the ball started to look like wishful thinking. A team with Barça's refinement do not generally suffer that way. A pattern of authority was quickly established.

One side cherished the ball as though it were made of bone china. The other chased and marked and harried and, when it was their turn on the ball, they discovered their opponents have a wonderful knack of getting it back. That, in turn, made City rush their football during the opening exchanges, almost as if they knew it might be a while before they had another go. As cultured as it was, however, Barcelona's early control tended not to get much further than the edge of the opposition penalty area.

Messi, dropping back into the centre-circle, did not have too many gaps to aim for in a heavily congested midfield. With Messi, there is always the threat that he will suddenly explode into life. His pre-match warm-up, pinging mid-air 40-yard passes back and forth with Alves, was mesmerising enough to get a round of applause from the City supporters.

Yet Pellegrini's tactic of flooding the centre was a wise strategy. Messi waited half an hour before his first chance at goal and the opening period was nearing its conclusion when he picked up any real speed for the first time. A shudder of apprehension reverberated around the home stands as Messi got away from Yaya Touré, but the four-time Ballon d'Or winner did not get much further – in keeping with much of Barcelona's attacking football at that stage.

City had taken a while to shake their heads clear but their ability to change the speed of the game, once they had advanced over the halfway line, meant that midway through the first half they began to trouble their opponents.

Alvaro Negredo could not clip a right-foot effort on target from a difficult angle, after David Silva's pass had sent him running, diagonally, past Gerard Piqué and then round the goalkeeper Victor Valdés. Silva's free-kick into the penalty area then created all sorts of chaos before the referee spared Barcelona by deciding there had been a foul on Valdés.

These were encouraging moments for Pellegrini's team. They had looked anxious at first, adjusting to a different kind of challenge and too often guilty of carelessness. Demichelis waved an apologetic hand twice inside the opening quarter of an hour after returning the ball to City's opponents. Yet Barça did not make the most of their superiority and, slowly but surely, the home side started to get into their groove.

Pellegrini's big surprise was deploying Aleksandar Kolarov ahead of Gaël Clichy as a left-sided midfielder to double up on Alexis Sánchez and the overlapping Alves. Fernandinho's return from injury gave City a reassuring presence in front of defence and Touré had little choice but to hold his position more than usual. Yet the bottom line is that Demichelis will always give his opponents something if he is placed under pressure.

For the first 53 minutes Iniesta and Xavi Hernández had played every pass in the book, apart from the killer one. Iniesta's through ball for Messi changed everything and Demichelis was beaten by the sudden turn of pace. As Messi hared away, Demichelis slid in from behind, missing the ball and bringing down his opponent.

City have a legitimate complaint that the foul actually took place marginally outside the penalty area, but Messi's momentum meant he landed in a place that convinced Eriksson to point to the spot. Messi calmly stroked the ball into the place that Hart, diving to his left, had vacated.

After that, City were always going to be vulnerable. Silva's volley brought a fine save from Valdés and Edin Dzeko created problems when he replaced Negredo. But Barça, with an extra man, are a formidable opponent and the goal from Alves was a killer blow.

Daniel Taylor

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Manchester City v Barcelona – as it happened | John Ashdown

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 01:43 PM PST

Minute-by-minute report: A Leo Messi penalty and Dani Alves's late strike gave Barcelona a 2-0 lead to take back to the second leg at Camp Nou

John Ashdown

Bayer Leverkusen v PSG – as it happened | Rob Smyth

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 01:33 PM PST

Minute-by-minute report: Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored twice, the second a screamer, as Paris Saint-Germain romped to a 4-0 win in Leverkusen

Rob Smyth

Hodgson admits fan safety concerns

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 01:20 PM PST

• 'I have to be trusting in the security and Fifa'
• Hodgson hopes Manaus recce can aid England's chances

Roy Hodgson is worried about the safety of England fans at the World Cup. While Hodgson is confident about the safety of his England squad, who will be based in Rio de Janeiro, he is slightly apprehensive about the possibility of supporters being harmed.

Last year the Confederations Cup was marred by violent protests conducted by Brazilians who were angry at the amount of money their government is spending on the tournament.

"As far as we [the team] are concerned we are going to have a lot of protection. It's more for the fans that this is a larger concern," the England manager told the BBC, "but I have great faith in the government, the local organising committee and Fifa. I have to say that I don't want to suggest there is no reason for concern. Of course, there is.

"From my point of view I just have to be trusting in our security, the security of the Brazilian government and all the things that Fifa will do to make it secure for the fans and the players."

Hodgson is in Brazil finalising England's logistical plans for the tournament, which kicks off on 12 June. He visited the Arena Amazonia in Manaus where England will start their Group D campaign against Italy on 14 June.

Hodgson also checked out the hotel where England will stop in Manaus and their training base. The training ground is yet to be completed but he has no concerns that it will be by the time England arrive in the Amazonian city. "The hotel is very good," he said. "It's newly-built, the rooms are very comfortable and I am perfectly happy with it.

"They are not quite as far advanced at the moment with that as the [almost complete] stadium so it was a bit more difficult to form an opinion. They have still got to lay the pitch and finish off a lot of the work but everyone told us that they were convinced that by the time we get here in June it will be ready."

Hodgson knows that victory against Italy will be crucial to England's chances, and he hopes his recce to Manaus will have helped towards coming away with three points.

"It would be very important [to win against Italy] and it would be a tremendous bonus if we can do that," he said. "How you go about doing it is by trying to prepare the team as best you can so they are ready for the challenge.

"There are no magical solutions. Wanting something is no guarantee of getting it but it all comes down to making certain that the team is well prepared for the task ahead."


theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Interview: Wellington Phoenix's Ernie Merrick

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 12:50 PM PST

The Phoenix coach on the joys of positive football, Melbourne Victory and the untapped potential in New Zealand football

Jack Kerr

Bayern Munich's Pep Guardiola searching for his first win at Arsenal

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 12:49 PM PST

Rejuvenated manager has never won at the Emirates and will guard against any complacency in the Champions League

For 20 minutes in 2010 Arsenal must have felt as if the pitch at the Emirates Stadium had been tipped towards their goal. The ball just kept coming back and on the rare occasions when they got it, they were staring up a mountain. Barcelona were having fun at their expense, Pep Guardiola's side so dominant that the home fans could only watch in stunned silence. Few Champions League quarter-finals have been so one-sided. Manuel Almunia's defiance kept Barcelona at bay for a while but they led 2-0 by the hour thanks to two Zlatan Ibrahimovic goals. The final score? Two-all.

Arsenal went one better when Barcelona and Guardiola returned a year later in the last 16. Again Barcelona were unable to make their superiority count, taking the lead through David Villa but losing 2-1 after conceding two late goals. Barcelona were cruising until Guardiola replaced Villa with Seydou Keita in the second half, a substitution for the sake of making one, and handed the initiative back to Arsenal.

The relevance of those encounters might seem questionable now, especially as Barcelona won both ties after the second leg at Camp Nou. But tonight Guardiola is back at the Emirates, this time with Bayern Munich. The German club are expected to win handsomely and to go on to become the first team to win the Champions League in successive seasons. It is hard to see Arsenal standing in their way – but at least they can be encouraged by their home record against Guardiola.

"I have never won here," the Spaniard said. "I learned that you can never dominate Arsenal for 90 minutes. You can dominate for 30 minutes, to half-time, for 75 minutes, but for 90 minutes it is impossible. Arsenal, with these quality players, you always have a problem."

Guardiola got the better of Arsène Wenger in the end. Yet if there was one chink in the armour of his Barcelona, it was in their occasional habit of sailing unnecessarily close to the wind. It was too easy at times, as if they grew bored and kept their opponents hanging by a thread to create the illusion of a fair fight.

Mostly they emerged unscathed, even though Arsenal would have beaten them with 10 men in 2011 if a late chance had fallen to a more refined striker than Nicklas Bendtner. But it has not always worked out. The scars of Barcelona's farcical semi-final defeat against Chelsea in 2012 will endure for a long time.

Bayern are also not immune to complacency. Their sheer remorselessness over the past two seasons, first under Jupp Heynckes and then Guardiola, makes them a formidable proposition and, if everything plays out as expected, they will dispense with Arsenal comfortably. Yet Arsenal will remember the scare they gave Bayern at this stage last year.

The tie looked over after Bayern won the first leg 3-1 at the Emirates but the German club went through only on away goals after losing 2-0 at the Allianz Arena, although the thrashings of Juventus and Barcelona in the subsequent rounds suggested that the loss of focus against Arsenal was just a blip.

So Arsenal, who have made vast strides in the past year, are not entirely without hope and Guardiola clearly does not share José Mourinho's view of Wenger as a "specialist in failure".

"Life is not only trophies," Guardiola said. "Arsenal compete with huge teams. I have a lot of respect for Arsène. He always likes good players, always plays in a good style." Arjen Robben smiled when the subject was broached. "I have heard some people already discussing this," the winger said.

Yet Arsenal know any analysis that picks holes in Bayern and Guardiola is a pointless exercise, like going to the world's best steak restaurant and complaining about the vegetables. Bayern won a treble last year, have power and skill in equal measure, possess unrivalled strength in depth and are 16 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga. They have lost twice in all competitions this season.

Regular watchers say that Bayern have become even better since Guardiola replaced Heynckes last summer, improving on perfection by hiring a perfectionist. "We had to be focused from the first day with a new coach," Robben said.

Some have attributed Guardiola's success at Barcelona to the quality of players at his disposal, yet they were on the floor when he was appointed in 2008. It was Guardiola's first job in management. He could have fooled us.

Barcelona won La Liga three times and the European Cup twice in four years. Guardiola turned them into the greatest side in history. They could not have done it without him.

Battling with José Mourinho at Real Madrid took its toll, though, and Guardiola looked exhausted when he left Spain two years ago. But a year in New York recharged the now 43-year-old's batteries and Bayern became the envy of the rest of Europe when he chose them. Guardiola's style of football – always entertaining, never dull – makes him the most coveted manager in the world.

What other manager would have turned Philipp Lahm from a world-class full-back into a holding midfielder of considerable poise? Guardiola called the German the most intelligent player he has ever worked with. "It would be impossible to be here without him," he said.

Guardiola has also played without a striker, often using Mario Götze as a false No9, and there has inevitably been a greater emphasis on dominating possession in midfield with the short, snappy passing triangles that defined Barcelona. He said his side would control Mesut Özil – "a big talent" – by depriving him of the ball.

Yet Bayern are far more physical than Barcelona and have been direct at times under Guardiola, who said he came to Germany to prove he could succeed in another league. His squad provides him with so many options that there is always a solution in awkward situations. Weaknesses, like a needle in a haystack, are there to be found – but what if the needle keeps moving?

Arsenal will have to squint hard – and then, if Bayern's boot is hovering above their throat, close their eyes and pray that they miss.

Jacob Steinberg

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Fifa says Curitiba stadium is back on track for Brazil World Cup finals

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 12:40 PM PST

• Arena da Baixada should be ready for first match on 16 June
• Delays had prompted concerns of games being switched

Brazil received a World Cup boost when Fifa declared that the Curitiba stadium is back on course for completion before the first of its four matches on 16 June.

The announcement lifts one of the biggest concerns facing the tournament organisers, who may have had to reimburse tickets, flights and hotels for teams and fans if the games were moved.

The national sigh of relief was almost palpable after the Fifa assessor Charles Botta judged that sufficient progress has been made in the past month, but football's governing body warned that there was little margin for error and urged the hosts not to slack off.

"Curitiba confirmed as £WorldCup venue, based on the financial guarantees, the commitment by all stakeholders & progress made," Fifa tweeted on its official account. "It's a race against a very tight time line. Collective effort by all stakeholders involved in Curitiba must continue at highest pace."

The Arena da Baixada is still far from complete. Images from the stadium showed scaffolding, cranes, cement mixers and workers wandering through piles of cement and stone.

The owners Atletico Paranaense said it is now 91% finished and work has accelerated sufficiently in the past month to ensure that the ground will be ready for its opening game – Nigeria against Iran.

The "D-Day" announcement – as it has been dubbed – came as the coaches of the 32 World Cup participants met in the southern city of Florianapolis for a technical seminar on logistics and facilities.

A month ago, Fifa's secretary general, Jérome Valcke, warned Curitiba that it has just four weeks to shift construction gears or risk being thrown out of the tournament. "We cannot organise a match without a stadium, this has reached a critical point," he said at the time. "Not only is it very behind in its construction, but it has failed to meet any of the deadlines set by Fifa," he said at the time.

Fifa had reportedly begun looking into substitute venues. According to the Brazilian media, Porto Alegre, which is about 400 miles away, was put on standby.

This is far from the only problem facing the hosts. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/16/brazil-world-cup-disaster-delays-protests-deaths facing the organisers as the countdown clock ticks closer to the tournament kick-off on 12 June.

Last week saw the sixth fatality at a stadium construction site. Antonio José Pita Martins, was crushed in Arena da AmazÙnia in Manaus, where three people have now died preparing the stadium where England will play their opening match against Italy. It has also emerged that a fire at the Cuiaba stadium in October had done structural damage despite promises by state officials that the impact was minor. An 18-page report by the Mato Grosso state Public Ministry warned that the blaze caused "structural damage" that "could compromise the overall stability of the construction," according to Reuters. The sports ministry has promised to look into the matter.

Jonathan Watts

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Civic funeral for Sir Tom Finney to be held in Preston Minster

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 12:33 PM PST

• Preston City council say civic funeral fixed for 27 February
• Former England and Preston North End player died aged 91

A civic funeral will be held on 27 February for the former England and Preston North End footballer Sir Tom Finney, who died last week aged 91.

Preston City council has announced plans to hold a civic funeral at Preston Minster for Sir Tom – nicknamed the "Preston Plumber" after completing an apprenticeship with his family's plumbing business. It will be followed by a private service for his family.

Two books of condolence have been opened and the campaign to hold a civic funeral received 10,000 likes on Facebook.

The leader of the council, Peter Rankin, said: "It is difficult to believe Sir Tom has died. He is probably the most important Prestonian that has ever lived and we are all deeply saddened at the news of his death. All our thoughts are with Sir Tom's family at this difficult time. Sir Tom was a role model for all.

"A true gentleman and an ambassador not just for football but for the city of Preston and indeed England as a whole. Sir Tom was and is a true football legend. His like will never be seen again."


theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Laudrup hits out over 'silly' sacking

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 12:21 PM PST

• Laudrup continuing with legal action against Swansea
• More rumours and more rumours go on, says Laudrup

Michael Laudrup is continuing with legal action against Swansea City and has hit out at the "silly" and "incredible" reasons the Premier League club have given for sacking him.

Less than a year after winning the Capital One Cup, the club's first major trophy, Swansea chose to part company with their Danish manager. The decision infuriated Laudrup, leading him to release a statement through the League Managers Association indicating that he would take legal action.

The Dane had kept his counsel since then, only to take the unusual step of convening a press conference at a Heathrow hotel onTuesday to speak publicly for the first time since his departure on 5 February. "On one part it has been positive to see all the reaction from other clubs and commentators saying: 'What has he done [wrong]? It can't be last year'," Laudrup said. "You can argue that you can't live in the past, but even this year we're there in the FA Cup, there in the Europa League. The last two months we had a bad run but you still have the same points as 11 teams and only three go down. On the other hand, it has been negative for me because I couldn't say anything.

"I had to wait nine days for a letter that said a lot of very silly things, which I can't reveal. I was just blocked and then, of course, Michael is not talking so people think what they want. More rumours and more rumours go on."

Laudrup said he was sacked owing to "breach of contract" and, when asked if he could understand the reasons given, added: "I don't know if I have to use 'silly', other words or 'incredible'. I can't go into details."

However, despite legal proceedings continuing, Laudrup did elaborate. He confirmed the powers that be at Swansea raised questions over the coaching structure in mid-January, before sending him another message after the defeat by West Ham.

Laudrup met Huw Jenkins, the chairman, the following Tuesday and thought an agreement had been struck, only for the situation to turn on its head. "We ended up saying we have to stay together, we shook hands and he says: 'Thank you very much because you want to help the club,'" the Dane said. "Later that afternoon, while I'm talking on the phone, I receive a mail where it says that due to breach of contract, with immediate effect, my deal is terminated. It was just a few hours after we shook hands and, of course, I'm very confused.

"I called and I said, 'What is going on?' after we shook hands and everything, but he said, 'Yeah, after thinking' – it was a little difficult to hear what was said. I said, 'by the way, What does breach mean?' and he couldn't explain that. He didn't really know. While I'm on the phone, my wife is saying that things are already on the internet, that I've been dismissed."

Poor form was clearly a big factor but a difference in opinion over the backroom team appears to have been the sticking point. While Garry Monk has succeeded him, Laudrup refused to confirm or deny whether there was a disagreement with Jenkins over a request for the long-serving defender to join the coaching staff.

"He asked me if at some point I could find a position for him," Laudrup said, "but I think they already said that two or three years ago, that he should always be prepared. I can only say I spoke to Garry as well but of course that is confidential. We just spoke, him and I, but nothing more. I didn't say that [I did not want him as part of my staff]."


theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Champions League: Manchester City v Barcelona – in pictures

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 11:54 AM PST

A huge Champions League night in Manchester as these two sides face off in the first leg of the last 16 of Europe's premier competition

Jonny Weeks

Doha forced to break silence on Qatar's migrant worker deaths | Owen Gibson

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 11:51 AM PST

Up to now, information on how many of Qatar's migrant workers are dying has been limited to the Nepalese. But Qatar's campaign to host the 2022 World Cup has made it a focal point

It was a cursory, four-paragraph news story: the Times of India last October reported the case of four Indian workers who were killed while cleaning manholes in Doha. They joined a grim tally that has now reached 717 Indians alone since the World Cup was awarded to Qatar in December 2010.

Up to now, information on how many of Qatar's estimated 1.2 million migrant workers are dying has been limited to the Nepalese. That is partly because it was easier for NGOs to count the number of coffins returning to Kathmandu airport than those being repatriated to a huge country such as India. As with workers from other nations, including Bangladesh, Iran and Nepal, official information has been hard to come by.

Yet while we now know how many Indians, who make up around a fifth of the Qatari workforce, have died, we don't know who they were, or how.

The fate of migrant workers in the tiny Gulf state is by no means unique, with neighbouring countries facing similarly intractable issues. But Qatar's remarkable, money-no-object campaign to host the 2022 World Cup and an accompanying trolley dash around world sport, culture and academia has made it a focal point.

It took shocking reports by human rights groups and an investigation by the Guardian to force the issue up the agenda. And there has been a defensive reaction within Qatar. Some feel the tiny country, with its lucrative reserves of liquid gas, has been victimised.

The danger is, in the face of western criticism and in the strong belief they have done more than most of their neighbours to be progressive, that they will now circle the wagons.

Fifa and the Qatar World Cup organising committee are now tangled in a Gordian knot. The human rights groups that have been pressuring Fifa and the Qataris demand to know whether there will be any meaningful reform to improve the welfare and safety of workers on all building projects. In Qatar itself, where politics has been described as akin to a medieval star chamber, an internal battle is raging. There are liberal forces who want to change the labour laws but are equally aware that sweeping away the kafala system that ties migrant workers to their employers would place huge question marks over its ability to fulfil its "2030 Vision" for the country.

The dizzying and unprecedented plan to spend hundreds of billions transforming the infrastructure of a country that was largely desert as recently as the 1970s can only be founded on cheap migrant labour.

Therein lies the dilemma – not only for the Qatari authorities, but for the British, German and French companies that have profited handsomely from the bonanza.

Abolish the culturally embedded kafala system and with it may go the mechanism for ensuring the almost absurdly ambitious plans to build cities, metro lines, roads and airports from scratch.

A previous forecast that Qatar would spend £137bn in the run up to the 2022 World Cup has, remarkably, proved an underestimate.

A senior executive at one of Qatar's largest banks told a conference in Bahrain last month that the Gulf state would spend £123bn on infrastructure projects in the next four years alone as it attempts to position itself for the future.

In a letter to the European parliament, Qatar's ministry of foreign affairs last week said it had increased the number of inspections and sanctioned 500 companies in January alone. A comprehensive charter has been published for contractors working specifically on World Cup stadiums, with the organising committee insisting it can act as a beacon for change.

These moves are designed to show the world that it is at last grappling with a complex problem. But those who have seen the deadly effects of lack of enforcement, mixed messages and a kafala system that virtually invites abuse say that they are not nearly enough.

"There are figures within Qatar who recognise just how damaging this issue is and who appreciate the importance of labour reform, but they are facing strong opposition from a short-sighted business community that is stubbornly opposed to the notion of loosening the grip on its foreign workers," said Nicholas McGeehan of Human Rights Watch.

"It is up to the new Emir and those close to him to placate these opponents and convince them that labour reform is not only feasible, it is in every Qatari's best interests."

The Emir, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani, ascended to power last year after his father, who oversaw the World Cup bid and set in train the huge spending spree, handed over power.

That has left the 33-year-old at the mercy of a range of courtiers. Under pressure from within and without, it remains to be seen which way he will jump.Aware of the employment opportunities on offer, the mother countries of those migrant workers appear reluctant to rock the boat, while also doing too little to tackle the agents and middle men who prey on those seeking a passage to work in Qatar and neighbouring Gulf states. Until recently, it suited both to maintain silence, with Fifa caught in the middle and floundering. It is increasingly clear that will no longer be tenable.

McGeehan said: "Fifa can't say it wasn't warned and can't plead impotence in the face of these figures. It has to send the strongest possible message to their Qatari partners that they need to implement reforms immediately."

Owen Gibson

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Meulensteen close to severance deal with Fulham

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 10:48 AM PST

• Meulensteen leaves club after agreeing financial settlement
• Alan Curbishley and Ray Wilkins also depart Craven Cottage

René Meulensteen has agreed a settlement with Fulham, although the sum is far less than he would have received if he had been sacked.

The Dutchman took over as the manager from Martin Jol in December but did not have his title of head coach changed. His role become untenable last Friday when the club relieved him of first-team duties and appointed Felix Magath.

The club did not sack Meulensteen, as that would have left them liable, through the terms of his contract, to a much larger pay-off. His deal was set to expire in the summer.

Meulensteen leaves Craven Cottage along with the first-team technical director, Alan Curbishley, and the coaches Ray Wilkins, Jonathan Hill and Mick Priest. Magath has brought in the first-team coach Tomas Oral and the fitness specialist Werner Leuthard.

The owner Shahid Khan said: "I'm very grateful to René, Alan and Ray, as well as Mick and Jonathan for their commitment to Fulham. Their efforts were admirable and appreciated, and I wish them the best."

The sports employment lawyer Will Nash, a senior associate at Charles Russell who has advised Premier League clubs and managers on employment cases in the past, believes Meulensteen could have a case for constructive dismissal if he walked out of Fulham.

He said: "Trying to make him do something that he doesn't agree with is almost certainly a breach of his contract. Even if he was still technically under his contract as 'head coach', it doesn't sound like [Felix] Magath is going to want him to have the authority that he might have expected as a head coach.

"As a matter of law, if you are effectively demoted or your duties are reduced, then you can argue as the employee that the employer has breached your contract. But then it's on you to actually walk out.

"At law, if they've effectively demoted him, which it sounds like they have, he's going to have the ability to say I'm suing you for the rest of my contract."

Ironically one of only a few Premier League managers to have won a constructive dismissal case against a top-flight club was Curbishley, following his departure from West Ham in 2008.

James Riach

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Letters: I told Tom Finney that he was the greatest footballer I had ever seen

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 09:56 AM PST

Keith Carabine writes: Several years ago I wrote to Tom Finney (obituary, 17 February) to tell him that he was the greatest footballer I had ever seen and that his loyalty to Preston and grace under pressure had been an example to all who loved and played the beautiful game. I also mentioned that I had taught my son Ned and his friends Finney tricks. To my astonishment Sir Tom rang to thank me for my letter and to ask whether "Ned would like a photie?" Three days later a signed photograph arrived and now has pride of place in my 35-year-old son's living room.

David Collison writes: It was on a Saturday morning, outside Preston, in the early 1950s. The curly-headed plumber wielding a spanner under the kitchen sink was asked to whom the cheque for his services should be made out. "Make it out to T Finney, plumber, please madam" came the muffled reply. Even Aunty Evelyn, well into her 70s, had heard the name. "Finney? Finney? Isn't that the footballer?" "Madam, I am the footballer." And with that Tom Finney packed his tools and caught the P3 bus to Deepdale.


theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

More than 500 Indian workers have died in Qatar since 2012, figures show

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 09:33 AM PST

As Qatar construction boom gathers pace ahead of 2022 World Cup, Indian government confirms scale of death toll

More than 500 Indian migrant workers have died in Qatar since January 2012, revealing for the first time the shocking scale of death toll among those building the infrastructure for the 2022 World Cup.

Official figures confirmed by the Indian embassy in Doha reveal that 237 Indians working in Qatar died in 2012 and 241 in 2013. A further 24 Indians have died in January 2014.

These come after the Guardian revealed last month that 185 Nepalese workers had died in Qatar in 2013, taking the total from that country to at least 382 over two years.

Human rights groups and politicians said the figures meant Fifa could not "look the other way", and should be leading demands for Qatar to improve conditions for the estimated 1.2 million migrant workers fuelling a huge construction boom.

The figures from the Indian embassy show that 233 Indian migrants died in 2010 and 239 in 2011, taking the total over four years to 974. Since the World Cup was awarded to Qatar in December 2010, there have been 717 recorded Indian deaths.

However, the Indian embassy did not provide further details on who those individuals were, their cause of death or where they worked. But analysis of the lists of dead Nepalese workers showed that more than two-thirds died of sudden heart failure or workplace accidents.

Qatar's ministry of labour and social affairs told the Guardian: "With specific regard to these new figures, we were aware that local media had previously reported some of these headline numbers, and we are clarifying them. Clearly any one death in Qatar or anywhere else is one death too many – for the workers, for their families, but also for Qataris who welcome guest workers to our country to perform valuable jobs. We are working to understand the causes of these deaths – as these statistics could include a range of circumstances including natural causes, and road safety incidents, as well as a smaller number of workplace incidents."

Nicholas McGeehan, a Gulf researcher for Human Rights Watch, said: "These figures for Indian deaths are a horrendous confirmation that it isn't just Nepalese workers who are dying in Qatar."

Jim Murphy, the shadow international development secretary, said: "Preparations for the 2022 World Cup cannot go on like this – the trickle of worrying reports from the construction sites of Qatar has become a torrent.

"Some of the practices we know are taking place in Qatar amount to forced labour, and there are widespread concerns that the death toll could reach well into the thousands if nothing is done."

Last week, a hearing at the European parliament heard from human rights groups, Fifa and other interested parties after a resolution was passed last year calling for action on the issue as construction of 2022 World Cup venues begins in earnest.

Despite the Qatar 2022 organising committee implementing a new charter relating to construction on its stadiums and the ministry of labour highlighting an expanded inspection programme, human rights groups and trade unions have repeated their call for structural change in the face of hundreds of deaths.

In November, Amnesty warned in a damning report that workers were enduring 12-hour days in sweltering conditions and living in squalid, overcrowded accommodation.

The International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) has warned that up to 4,000 workers may die before a ball is kicked in 2022 without meaningful reform of the kafala system, which ties workers to their employers, and stringent control of the myriad construction companies and subcontractors involved.

The ITUC, which has campaigned consistently for better rights for migrant workers across the Gulf, has called the publication of the charter a sham because it does not deal with structural problems created by the kafala system..

Many workers arrive in Qatar already heavily in debt, having paid huge sums to middle men to secure contracts in the fast growing Gulf state.

A senior executive at one of Qatar's largest banks told a conference in Bahrain last month that the Gulf state would spend £123bn on infrastructure projects in the next four years alone. The hosting of the World Cup is an integral part of Qatar's unprecedented 2030 National Vision building project.

There are an estimated 1.2 million migrant workers in Qatar. Those from India make up 22% of the total, with a similar proportion from Pakistan. Around 16% are from Nepal, 13% from Iran, 11% from the Philippines, 8% from Egypt and 8% from Sri Lanka.

The Qatar World Cup organisers believe that by holding their own contractors to higher standards they can create momentum for change and that improved rights for workers could be one legacy benefit of hosting the tournament.

The ministry of foreign affairs has also emphasised that it is stepping up efforts to hold contractors to existing labour laws, sanctioning 2,000 companies in 2013 and a further 500 in January 2014 alone.

The statement from the Qatari ministry of labour and social affairs added: "Where any liability is found to rest with employers, the ministry …and Qatari law authorities will pursue these cases through the relevant legal channels. We have increased the number of trained labour inspectors by 25%, and continue to hire new inspectors, with over 11,500 random spot-checks of workplaces carried out in the past three months.

This, in order to enforce our existing labour laws, with the aim of the prevention of any further workplace incidents."

Law firm DLA Piper has been engaged to prepare a report on all issues surrounding Qatar's use of migrant labour, which is expected to be published next month.

But human rights groups have maintained that Qatar must prove it is serious about reforming its labour laws. Amnesty's James Lynch, who wrote last year's report, called on the Qatari and Indian authorities to provide more detail on the circumstances of the deaths.

"This issue is not restricted to one country of origin," said Lynch. "It is critical that the Qatari government works urgently with the governments of migrant workers' countries of origin to investigate the main causes of migrant workers' deaths and develops a transparent plan to address these, particularly where deaths relate to industrial accidents, work conditions and access to healthcare."

Fifa has asked Qatar to provide evidence of meaningful progress in reforming labour law but the president of world football's governing body, Sepp Blatter, has said its status as hosts is not under threat.

Murphy, who will travel to Nepal and Qatar in the coming weeks, said: "Fifa cannot simply look the other way. Football's governing body should be leading demands for change, not dragging its feet."

Owen Gibson

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Arsenal v Bayern Munich: Jack Wilshere and Arsène Wenger look ahead to Champions League clash – video

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 08:39 AM PST

Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger says his squad is mentally stronger and more confident going up against German giants Bayern Munich in the Champions League

Ten of the worst penalty decisions ever

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 08:37 AM PST

Hannah Jane Parkinson: After Howard Webb denied Liverpool at Arsenal in the FA Cup, we look at 10 far more dubious penalty decisions

Hannah Jane Parkinson

MLS 2014: Bradley and Edu lead way as US soccer welcomes back its own | Graham Parker

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 08:36 AM PST

Graham Parker: Media day was dominated by internationals returning from Europe – are we reaching a tipping point for ambitious American players?

Graham Parker

The Fiver | A little like being the least poisonous extremely poisonous snake

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 08:29 AM PST

Click here to have the Fiver sent to your inbox every weekday at 5pm, or if your usual copy has stopped arriving

'CE SONT LES MEILLEURES ÉQUIPES …'

Listening to much of the build-up to tonight's meeting between two of European football's slavering behemoths and you'd be forgiven for thinking that Barcelona were no behemoth at all. The picture being painted is of the Catalan club as a small fawn lying mewling and injured by the side of the road, while a sabre-toothed and froth-jawed City stalk in for the kill. "They don't fear us as before," wept Gerard Piqué, trembling like a sodden Bambi and tucking his fluffy tail between his legs. "City are one of the greatest teams in the world," squeaked Gerardo Martino as he dived for a hole in the skirting boards. "We are really up for this," growled Martin Demichelis, beating his chest with his huge meaty paws. "It's important that we stick to our game, that we go on the attack," roared a blood-spattered Pablo Zabaleta, the bones of several antelope still poking out from between his gigantic teeth.

And then, as there seems to have been constantly over the past few weeks, there was José Mourinho. "This Barcelona, this season, is showing that it is not the same as in previous years," opined the former Real Madrid manager. "This is the worst Barcelona of many, many years." So there you have it – it's not a question of who, but how many. Lump on a landslide. Book your flights to Lisbon.

The problem, though, is that being "the worst Barcelona of many, many years" is a little like being the least poisonous extremely poisonous snake. They may not be at the top of their game anymore, but one bite can still make bits of you explode and other bits shrivel up like a grape in a pizza oven. The snake, that is, not Barcelona, who for all their estimable qualities, are unlikely to cause much more than a nasty rash with their teeth and generally aren't in the business of swallowing whole livestock.

Anyway, the point is that we're seeing an inverse Lee Carsley Effect™ in action. The Lee Carsley Effect™, of course, is the phenomena that sees a player being so widely described as underrated that they become overrated and gets its name from the former Everton player who at one point was so universally recognised as underrated that he became one of the great defensive midfielders in world football. The inverse in this case sees Barcelona being labelled overrated to such an extent that they become … yes, you get the idea. City beware.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE TONIGHT

Join John Ashdown from 7.30pm GMT for MBM coverage of Manchester City 2-3 Plucky Little Barcelona, and Rob Smyth for Bayer Leverkusen 1-1 PSG.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"Mid-Jan, I'm told they're not satisfied and that's that. They want to change the coaching staff. We talk about it, I always want to listen but don't agree with what's said. After that we play a cup game, which we win, we play a league game, we win, and we have the last game against West Ham, we lose. After that I get another message … I should really, really, really change staff" – former Swansea boss Michael Laudrup attempts to explain his side of the story before his recent sacking.

FIVER LETTERS

"Disappointed not to read anything about Fulham's new manager Felix Magath in yesterday's Fiver. Surely a manager who once built a hill at his side's training ground is worthy material. Or is the Fiver, like Darren Bent, presumably worried they might be required to run up the said hill if they speak out of turn?" – Chris Gilbertson [you call that a hill? This is a hill – Fiver Ed].

"In the link from yesterday's last line, what caught my eye is not so much the resemblance between your colleague & Huddersfield's (rather than U2's) Adam Clayton, but rather that the winner of the competition voting young Clayton as player of the month was none other than Reece Dinsdale off the television (and hooligan opus ID). I guess you could say (but probably won't), in winning such a prestigious honour, his chickens have come Home To Roost" – Derek McGee.

• Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And if you've nothing better to do you can also tweet the Fiver. Today's winner of our prizeless letter o' the day is: Derek McGee.

JOIN GUARDIAN SOULMATES

We keep trying to point out the utter futility of advertising an online dating service "for interesting people" in the Fiver to the naive folk who run Guardian Soulmates, but they still aren't having any of it. So here you go – sign up here to view profiles of the kind of erudite, sociable and friendly romantics who would never dream of going out with you.

BITS AND BOBS

Sources close to WWE have apparently laid the smackdown on reports that Vince McMahon wants to buy Newcastle, reports that may or may not have come out of this recent Knowledge column.

PSG coach Laurent Blanc says his team will have to compensate for a lack of height on set-pieces when they face Bayer Leverkusen in Big Cup tonight. "I think we lack a bit of height," parped Blanc out of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's ear-shot. "We will not be able to fight them in the air because PSG players won't grow 10 centimetres taller overnight."

Steve Bruce has got a serious funk on about Hull being made to play their FA Cup fifth-round replay with Brighton next Monday, barely 48 hours after their Premier League trip to Cardiff. "I find that ridiculous, I have to tell you," he told us. "Surely we could play on the same night as [Big Cup], you would have thought. I think it is a Uefa rule, which reads nobody plays on the same night as [Big Cup]."

And former Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann has offered a £2,000 reward for the safe return of a bag he had stolen outside Selfridges in London yesterday.

STILL WANT MORE?

In No2 of our stunning World Cup moments, Scott Murray tells the tale of Uruguay's win over Brazil in 1950.

How can Arsenal's tactics tame Pep Guardiola's Bayern? Jonathan Wilson tackles The Question.

Swansea boss Garry Monk stars as Ryan Gosling in Drive and Brody out of Homeland, in this week's Gallery.

Today's sport picture of the day is either a football nestling in the back of Brighton's net, or Iñigo Calderón being trapped in a giant peach.

Oh, and if it's your thing, you can follow Big Website on Big Social FaceSpace.

SIGN UP TO THE FIVER (AND O FIVERÃO)

Want your very own copy of our free tea-timely(ish) email sent direct to your inbox? Has your regular copy stopped arriving? Click here to sign up. And you can also now receive our weekly World Cup email, O Fiverão; this is the latest edition, and you can sign up for it here.

PHOTOGRAPHY 101

John Ashdown

theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

European best XIs plus Champions League last-16 tactical previews

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 05:50 AM PST

A look forward to Manchester City v Barcelona, Milan v Atlético Madrid, Arsenal v Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen v PSG, plus best XIs from around Europe this week

Champions League previews

Manchester City v Barcelona

A crucial, morale-lifting and, most importantly, comfortable win against Chelsea came at just the right time for Manuel Pellegrini's men, who are aiming to put a blip behind them with back-to-back wins against strong competition. The visit of Barcelona is an unenviable task just three days after their win against Chelsea, particularly given the Catalan's 6-0 win against Rayo Vallecano at the weekend.

Lionel Messi is back to full fitness and back on top form, scoring six goals and picking up three assists in this month alone, while City will be without their own Argentinian star, with Sergio Agüero injured. That much may well prove decisive in the first leg, between two sides whose progression to this stage has been based on their goalscoring exploits.

Only Real Madrid scored more goals in the group stages than City (18) – a superb feat given the difficulty of their fixtures – with Barça just two behind. Of the 16 teams left in the competition, only Bayer Leverkusen focused more of their attacking touches through the middle of the pitch than Barcelona (32%) and City (31%) in the group stages, and the presence, or lack thereof, of Fernandinho will be vital to the home side, as his absence has somewhat exposed the defensive flaws of former Barcelona man Yaya Touré.

Bayer Leverkusen v Paris Saint-Germain

It doesn't look good for the Germans here, coming into the game having lost five of their last seven matches in all competitions. Their weaknesses at the back were exposed in both matches against Manchester United in the group stage, and of the teams left in the competition Leverkusen conceded the second most shots (90) to progress to the last 16.

Paris Saint-Germain may be the team they fear the most, with Laurent Blanc's side having been ruthless in the group stages. Twenty-one teams averaged more shots per game (11.3) in the group stage, including their hosts (15.5), who ranked fifth highest for shots on target (38). The Ligue 1 leaders had the highest conversion rate (23.5%) and shot accuracy (55.9%) in the group stages, with the latter a full 20% higher than Bayer Leverkusen's figure.

With eight goals en route to the knockout stages there's simply no avoiding Zlatan Ibrahimovic in this one, but then again is there ever? His conversion rate of 30.8% will make him feared, as will his ability from set pieces. No side scored more goals from set pieces than Paris Saint-Germain's six in the group stage.

Arsenal v Bayern Munich

In a repeat of last season's last-16 draw, Arsenal host holders Bayern Munich in the first leg and will hope not to leave themselves with too much to do at the Allianz Arena this time around. Pep Guardiola's side are simply steamrolling the competition in Germany right now, winning 13 league games in a row. To put that in some context, Schalke's run of four straight victories is the next longest winning streak in Europe's top five leagues

Arsenal's confidence will have been boosted after a victory over Liverpool at the weekend, but it was a backs to the wall performance in the second half and they are not at their best. Arsenal ranked in the top six for both possession and pass accuracy in the group stages but no team mustered fewer shots (52). Bayern, on the other hand, had more shots than any of the clubs left in the competition (120) and hit the target with at least 11 more than any other side.

If Arsenal are to give themselves a chance, they will need to repel Bayern's plethora of attacking talents supporting the lone striker. Mikel Arteta's suspension is a blow, and it increases the pressure on Mathieu Flamini, who will have to keep Mario Götze or Toni Kroos quiet. With nine goals and six assists in just 21 appearances in the Bundesliga and Champions League, Götze could be the key to this match.

Milan v Atlético Madrid

The success of Milan's season lies solely on this tie, despite a recent upturn in results in Serie A. European qualification of any kind seems unlikely, and while Clarence Seedorf needs time to mould his side in his image, Diego Simeone has had exactly that. Atletico sit level at the top of La Liga with Barcelona and Real Madrid, which is a feat that seemed impossible by the end of the previous campaign, with Atleti finishing 24 points behind the champions.

Only the visitors' rivals Real Madrid have competed in more European Cup/Champions League finals than the Italians (11), with the Spaniard's only final appearance coming back in 1974. Times have changed dramatically for both sides in recent years, however, and Atletico are favourites to progress, and even tipped by most to win the match at San Siro.

Only Real Madrid could match Atletico's 16-point tally in the group stages and Ancelotti's men were the only side to better los Colchoneros' goal difference (+12). With Milan ranking joint last in the group stages for shots per game (8.7) and having conceded at least 12 more shots than any other side to remain in the competition (102) the stats look bleak at either end for the home side.

La Liga team of the week

Bundesliga team of the week

Serie A team of the week

Ligue 1 team of the week

All statistics courtesy of WhoScored.com, where you can find yet more stats, including live in-game data and unique player and team ratings.

• Follow WhoScored on Twitter
• Follow Guardian Football on Facebook


theguardian.com © 2014 Guardian News and Media Limited or its affiliated companies. All rights reserved. | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds

Manchester City v Barcelona: live Champions League webchat

Posted: 18 Feb 2014 05:26 AM PST

Sid Lowe was online to answer your questions about the Champions League match at the Etihad

Sid Lowe

Written by TBMU Admin

We are Manchester United Fan located around the World which provides user friendly, effective and easy to browse info regarding our Team. Each support/info is free. Support us by clicking the ads located in this site. Thanks

0 comments :

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )
Click Picture Below for More Info

Popular Posts

Share

 





© 2013 TBMU . All rights resevered. Published by The Best Manchester United Admin Blogger

Back To Top