Thursday, 13 March 2014

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Football news, match reports and fixtures | theguardian.com

Barcelona 2-1 Manchester City (Barcelona win 4-1 on agg) | Champions League

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 02:49 PM PDT

It is a tough, unforgiving competition and Manchester City once again have been consigned to the role of jealous onlooker. Lionel Messi tortured them at times. He was a blur of speed and movement and the unfortunate truth for Manuel Pellegrini is that, at this level, Joleon Lescott is always likely to give his opponents something.

Messi had tormented Lescott to the point that the City defender looked panicked by the time he unwittingly played his part in the only goal of the night that really mattered. Already leading 2-0 from the first leg in Manchester, an air of inevitability descended as soon as Messi nonchalantly clipped his shot past Joe Hart.

Vincent Kompany levelled the match with a couple of minutes left, turning in the substitute Edin Dzeko's header from a corner, but a goal at that time was largely an irrelevance. Just for good measure, Barça quickly set about restoring their lead, with Andrés Iniesta setting up Dani Alves.

Another disappointing night for City in Europe also saw Pablo Zabaleta sent off, incensed that the French referee, Stéphane Lannoy, had not awarded his team a penalty and taking his protests so far he was shown a second yellow card.

This is not the devastating, pass-the-opposition-to-death Barça that bewitched the sport in the Pep Guardiola years. They can still dazzle with the speed of their football and, of course, there is no more electrifying sight in football than Messi with the ball at his feet, picking up speed and hurdling challenges as if they were a series of invisible trip-wires. Yet they came into this tie after slipping to third in La Liga, on the back of three defeats in their last six games. Gerardo Martino's side have come in for intense criticism in the Catalan media and it was always going to be a case of whether City could score first and bring out any underlying sense of nervousness inside Camp Nou.

They had to show restraint, as every opponent here does, but they also had to be bold when they had the ball. A team in this position cannot just go for all-out attack and risk being picked off. City's tactics were based on common sense, defending in numbers then breaking out quickly on the counter-attack, and though they had to withstand some concerted pressure there were other moments when they flooded forward and worried their opponents.

City certainly began brightly, but it also became apparent that this was not going to be an occasion when the home side opened themselves up to allegations of under-estimating their opponents. Messi could be seen inside the opening few minutes chasing Sergio Agüero all the way from the centre circle, finally dispossessing him on the edge of his own penalty area. Soon afterwards, Messi tried his first slalom through the City defence, getting all the way to Hart before being stopped. It was the first warning for Pellegrini's men and, by half-time, the contingent of City supporters in the most vertiginous point of this stadium must have been alarmed by the pressure building on Hart's goal.

Messi was a constant menace in those moments. Neymar, though a grade or two down on his colleague, was another elusive opponent while Xavi Hernández and Andrés Iniesta orchestrated proceedings in their midfield positions. Neymar side-footed the best chance of the first half into the side netting, after a slip from Aleksandar Kolarov, and City were also indebted to a trigger-happy linesman after Xavi had split open the entire defence to send Jordi Alba into the penalty area from an onside position. Alba's pass had left Neymar with the chance to roll the ball into an empty net and a goal at that stage would have effectively extinguished the contest with only 19 minutes played.

David Silva, City's most lively attacker, put one effort over the crossbar and a lovely flick from Yaya Touré's through ball gave Samir Nasri an even better opportunity to open the scoring. Yet this was a fairly wretched night for Agüero, who suffered the indignity of being substituted at half-time, and will not care to be informed that the only occasion he successfully passed to a team-mate was direct from the kick-off.

Dzeko replaced him and quickly made his presence felt, denied a 52nd-minute goal only by Victor Valdés clawing his header away from beneath the crossbar. Now City were emboldened, playing with greater adventure. Zabaleta flashed another chance wide. Soon afterwards, Gerard Piqué had to produce a saving tackle on Fernandinho inside the six-yard area. From City, it felt like a definite change of tempo.

Messi, however, was still tormenting City, shimmering with danger. Lescott just could not keep up him as the four-time Ballon d'Or winner waltzed outside him and rolled a shot against the upright. It was not the first time Lescott had looked vulnerable and when it happened the next time, unable to intercept Cesc Fábregas's through ball and inadvertently playing the final touch to Messi, it was a gift that a player of this quality was not going to pass up.

Daniel Taylor

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PSG 2-1 Leverkusen (6-1 on agg)

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 02:43 PM PDT

MBM report: PSG recovered from conceding an early goal to run out comfortable winner at the Stade de France

Toby Moses

Barça 2-1 Man City (4-1 on agg)

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 02:38 PM PDT

MBM report: Goals from Lionel Messi and Dani Alves ended Man City's Champions League hopes

Scott Murray

Melbourne Victory scrape a point after resisting superior Jeonbuk Motors

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 02:20 PM PDT

Victory retrieve a draw with a late goal from Kosta Barbarouses despite immense pressure from Koreans

Western Sydney make historic mark on Asian Champions League

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 02:04 PM PDT

First win for the young club comes in a tough away game after a poor run of form

Champions League: Barcelona v Manchester City - in pictures

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 01:31 PM PDT

After being dumped out the FA Cup by Wigan, City will have to put that disappointment behind them quickly if they are to have any chance of overcoming a 2-0 deficit from the first leg of their last 16 Champions League match with Barcelona

Steven Bloor

England Women 0-2 France | Cyprus Cup final match report

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 12:07 PM PDT

England Women 0-2 France

England Women's hopes of winning the Cyprus Cup final were blown away in a first-half blitz by France in Nicosia. Early goals from Gaëtane Thiney and Camille Abily set the French on the road to a 2-0 victory long before the half-time whistle had sounded. England have not beaten France since 1974, and have suffered major disappointments at their hands in recent years, having gone out to them in both the 2011 World Cup and 2013 European Championship.

The French got off to the best possible start when, having already hit a post through Louisa Nécib's third-minute half-volley, they took the lead with six minutes gone. Elodie Thomis used her pace out wide to cross for Thiney to prod home the opener. There was worse to come for Mark Sampson's side with 18 minutes played when Abily's angled shot beat the goalkeeper Siobhan Chamberlain. England managed to reach half-time without further mishap, but the second half proved a largely fruitless affair as their efforts to fight their way back into the game came to nothing.


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Sunderland appoint Lee Congerton as their sporting director

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 10:46 AM PDT

• European-style management structure maintained
• Congerton was technical director with Hamburg

Despite one failed experiment with the system, Sunderland have kept faith with a European-style management hierarchy, appointing Lee Congerton as their new sporting director on Wednesday.

Effectively the successor to the club's previous director of football, Roberto De Fanti, a former agent who was sacked in January, the 40-year-old Welshman arrives from Hamburg and life as a technical director in the Bundesliga. His brief is to oversee player recruitment as well as Sunderland's domestic and international scouting operations.

He will work closely with Gus Poyet, the head coach. While Poyet had his differences with De Fanti and Valentino Angeloni – Sunderland's outgoing chief scout, who was sacked on Wednesday – he is understood to be happy at the prospect of havingCongerton, a former chief scout at his former club Chelsea, alongside him.

"I would like to welcome Lee," said Poyet. "Recruitment is one of the most important areas in football nowadays so I'm looking forward to working alongside Lee for the best of the club."

Congerton seemed equally happy. "I'm delighted to join Sunderland and would like to thank the board and owner for this great opportunity," he said. "Working alongside Gus and his team was one of the influential factors in me joining the club and something that I am very much looking forward to."

After his playing career was cut short by injury, Congerton became academy director at Wrexham before joining Liverpool in 2002. Six years at Chelsea followed ahead of a three-year stint with Hamburg.

"Lee is very highly regarded within football circles and we have been very impressed by him," said Margaret Byrne, Sunderland's chief executive. "We feel he is the perfect fit for the club in terms of developing our player-recruitment strategy and helping to take the club forward."

Louise Taylor

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Tim Sherwood warns Tottenham squad: 'You're playing for your future' – video

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:45 AM PDT

Tottenham manager Tim Sherwood says he has warned his entire squad that they are all playing for their future after a 4-0 defeat to Chelsea

The Fiver | Our brave boys have done it again!

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:12 AM PDT

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

DAYLIGHT ROBBEN-RY? ER, NO

Almost Football Club were at it again last night. After giving themselves far too much to do after a typically disastrous first leg, AFC went into the second leg of their Big Cup tie at Bayern Munich with virtually no hope at all of going through and promptly went and treated us to something that vaguely resembled a performance. Indeed, they successfully managed not to make a spectacular show of themselves against a team that was going through the motions, feeling so sorry for their opponents that they contrived to miss not one but two penalties over the course of the tie – not that either spot-kick blunder made a remote difference to the final outcome. So hurrah for AFC! What a team! Our brave boys have done it again! You can always rely on Almost to turn up when the pressure's off and everyone's thinking about watching something else, if only the remote wasn't so far away.

Credit to them, though, because they had some people fooled, including ITV commentator Clive Tyldesley, who announced that Almost had done "half the job" as they trudged off at half-time having dulled their way to a 0-0 scoreline that did them no good at all given that they were already 2-0 down on aggregate and now only had 45 minutes to score the two goals they required to take the tie to extra-time. By the Fiver's maths, Almost only would have done half the job if they were 1.5-0 up at the break – unless we're saying that Real Madrid, 6-1 up from the first leg of their tie against Schalke, are going to be in grave danger if it's 0-0 at half-time in the second leg next week.

But it's hard to blame Tyldesley too much for trying to inject some life into a match that was as lifeless as the Fiver's Saturda … sorry, every night, especially not when he was forced to sit next to and listen to Andy Townsend, who spent the evening sounding like a gruffer Mrs Doyle, repeatedly growling "Go on" whenever an Almost player almost got near the ball. Everyone also got very excited whenever Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain did some expert running up blind alleys, although at least he showed more gumption and quality than the rest of Almost's ponderous attackers. But it wasn't enough, going out at this stage of the competition for the fourth successive year. Mesut Özil is also out, knacked for a few weeks with acute umlaut-strain. But luckily, Arsène Wenger is not out of excuses just yet, the Almost manager deciding to focus on Arjen Robben's jelly-legs in an attempt to shift the blame. Clever Arsène! Clever Professeur!

"Robben is very good at getting the maximum of nothing," whinged the Specialist One. "He's a great player as well as a very good diver but it's part of him." Thing is, it wasn't Robben's fault that Almost didn't win their group – again. It wasn't his fault that they didn't sign Gonzalo Higuaín or Julian Draxler or that they replaced Robin van Persie with Olivier Giroud or that Özil is knackered and was allowed to take that penalty in the first leg or that planned substitute Ryo Miyaichi wasn't eligible to play against Bayern or that Almost only had six players on a bench which contained no striker. No, that was someone else's fault. Nice try, Arsène, you almost hit the target.

LIVE ON BIG WEBSITE TONIGHT

Join Scott Murray from 7.30pm GMT for MBM coverage of Barcelona 2-1 Manchester City (4-1 agg), and Toby Moses for Zlatan 3-0 Bayer Leverkusen (7-0 agg).

QUOTE OF THE DAY

"They are all men, they all appreciate that I am singing it from the heart, not from the script – I'm not an actor, I work on impulse. I'm never going to take a step back. I'm just going to shoot from the hip. That's what I'm like. I'm a manager, not a babysitter. A lot of players here are playing for their future and I think they realise that now" – Spurs boss Tim Sherwood honks it up.

FIVER LETTERS

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"Imagine my joy and surprise when I realised that my letter had been included in yesterday's Fiver letters. Imagine the adrenaline rush when, revisiting the article several hours later, I notice that there is a prize for the best letter that day. However, imagine the intense deflation when I read that despite buying half the metaphorical tickets, I didn't win the lottery because fundamentally, my letter was garbage. If this letter is not chosen as the winner, printing it would magnify the embarrassment and potentially create a downward spiral from which I may never return. Conversely, everyone likes a bit of attention and if the prize is scissors … I'm right handed" – Ryan Slattery.

• 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 letter o' the day is: Ry … sorry, ANOTHER ROLLOVER! Which means two copies of the very enjoyable Falling for Football, courtesy of the kind gents at Magic Spongers, will be up for grabs tomorrow [one each to two winners – Fiver Ed].

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BITS AND BOBS

Uefa has opened a disciplinary investigation after Bayern Munich fans displayed a banner supporting Kosovo's application to join Fifa during the game against Arsenal. As yet, the homophobic banner targeting Mesut Özil last night has yet to generate a response.

PSG's Alex, meanwhile, has clarified January's comment that "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Yves" – insisting he's definitely not homophobic. "I just don't agree that it is OK that a man lives with a man and a woman with a woman," he reasoned. "That's my view."

A year after it banned Luis Suárez for 10 games over his in-play bite of Branislav Ivanovic, the FA has surprised itself by being consistent – handing Torquay's Joss Labadie the same suspension for nibbling Chesterfield players.

Southampton owner Katharina Liebherr has revealed she'll be taking a "creative, unique, dynamic and modern" approach to running the club. First up: appointing ice hockey coach Ralph Krueger as chairman.

West Brom captain Chris Brunt will play no part in the next six weeks of their relentless slump after he was ruled out with knee-knack.

Plus: footballers! Find yourself in front of goal, with an awkward cross dropping just behind you? Just slap it in with your hand! Or, if it's a bit too high for that, try a firm-wristed fist instead.

STILL WANT MORE?

A complete illustrated history of football in a single picture, you say? Go on then.

Spurs fans hoping to roll over a Nemanja Matic-lite Benfica should think again, writes Jonathan Wilson.

Marina Hyde reckons l'affaire Pardew may never have happened were it not for those pointless little wind-up merchants, football's technical areas.

The Gentleman Ultra takes you behind the scenes at Fiorentina.

And the Rumour Mill is narked. Today's hot transfer chat is not hot. It's not hot at all.

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

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THE STATE OF THAT SURVEY AND THOSE WHO PLUGGED IT

Jacob Steinberg

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Leeds 'working closely' with Football League over takeover

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:11 AM PDT

• Massimo Cellino's offer under scrutiny
• Championship club 'co-operating fully'

Leeds United say they are "working closely" with the Football League after the governing body's request for information about the Championship club's prospective new owner, Massimo Cellino.

The Football League board will on Thursday discuss Cellino's potential takeover of a 75% stake in Leeds through his holding company Eleonora Sport, although any decision to approve or reject the Italian, who in 2001 was given a suspended 15-month prison sentence for false accounting at Serie A club Cagliari, may not be made until next week because of a charge being brought in the Italian courts regarding non-payment of import duty on a yacht. He denies wrongdoing.

Cellino, who has owned Cagliari for the past 22 years, has injected significant funds into Leeds since the announcement of his takeover on 7 February. But in a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, the club admitted the current owners, GFH Capital, remain in full control until the results of the Football League's investigation has been completed.

"Since it was announced on 7 February that a deal had been agreed for Eleonora Sport to purchase a 75% stake-holding in the club, subject to Football League approval, we have been working closely with the governing body's requests for information to satisfy the process," read the statement.

"We know it is frustrating for our supporters, but please rest assured that Eleonora Sport and GFH Capital are co-operating fully with the Football League's requirements and are working towards a conclusion. GFH Capital remains in full control of Leeds United until such time that the share transaction is ratified by the Football League. We all want to see matters concluded as swiftly possible so we can concentrate on the future."

After watching Leeds lose 4-2 at home to Reading on Tuesday night, Cellino told the Guardian he has felt "humiliated" by the process of his takeover and the 57-year-old indicated he would be willing to walk away if the Football League decides he does not fit their criteria as a "fit and proper person".

He said: "I have been humiliated quite enough so far. At this point I wonder why I have been treated so badly after paying the salaries and debts over the past two months. I will wait until a decision by the League. If I am not accepted, I will go away silently like I came. I am too old to fight wars which are not mine."


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My favourite TV show: Match of the Day

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 09:09 AM PDT

Despite the changes wrought by bidding wars, technical improvements, and questionable personal grooming decisions, Match of the Day remains an iconic – and only occasionally infuriating – piece of TV. Mark Lawson salutes its blend of always-original content and comfortingly unchanging punditry

Selecting a best-ever experience of television raises a version of the dilemma faced by every Desert Island Discs castaway when asked to pick a single book: is the intention to nominate a favourite work of literature or to come up with a text that could plausibly survive regular re-reading during years of isolation? With regard to the small-screen question, for example, The West Wing is the series that has given me most extended and memorable pleasure but – being practically able by now to recite some whole episodes – it's possible that I will never watch it again.

Better, then, to go for a show that offers something fresh and original every week, at least barring the occasional meaningless mid-table nil-nil draw or repetitive analysis by Alan Shearer of attacking stategy. Match of the Day began in 1964, two years after I did, and so has been there throughout my life, although with occasional gaps when football became a marketable commodity and subject of a bidding war between the BBC and ITV.

Televised football represents one of the most extraordinary rates of cultural change: the availability and depiction of the matches has shifted from diet to gluttony. When I first became a regular MotD viewer in the 1969-70 season – lucky at the time to live in Leeds, home of one of the era's greatest teams – it was almost impossible to know which game or games would be shown. The chosen fixtures were not specified in listings magazines or newspapers because football authorities feared that fans would stay away if they knew they could watch later at home. Occasionally, though, a rumour would go round the school playground on the Thursday or Friday that a BBC van had been seen at the Leeds ground. On Saturday afternoons, there would finally be a definitive clue, when a familiar commentator gave a half-time report during Grandstand.

The programme has tried to move with the times – colour, slow-motion, more analytic punditry, Jacqui Oatley as the first woman commentator – although the basic presentational style has remained astonishingly constant: one ex-player speaking to a couple of others about the game. And the personnel have been differentiated mainly by grooming decisions: from the comb-over of David Coleman via the unshaven chin of Jimmy Hill and hairy upper lip of Desmond Lynam to the clean-cut chops of Gary Lineker and the shaven head of Alan Shearer. For me, Coleman has been the franchise's greatest single talent. As his recent obituaries acknowledged, he combined a dramatic voice with an encyclopaedic knowledge, whereas the show's other two most celebrated commentators – John Motson and Barry Davies – offered a choice between strength in facts or language.

In broadcasting, the normal reason for a programme coming under threat is that the subject matter has become less popular or profitable. But, unusually, Match of the Day stumbled – during the decade from the early 80s to the early 90s – because its content became more bankable and attractive. First ITV and then Sky out-bid the BBC to a large slice of the rights, with Rupert Murdoch's satellite channel making live transmission of whole matches standard, where such coverage had previously been a luxury mainly restricted to the World Cup and FA Cup finals. In 2001, Match of the Day looked finished again, when ITV bought up both its rights to football highlights and Lynam as presenter.

The show was saved, though, by two financial handicaps: football brought in less advertising revenue than ITV had hoped, while most fans had to pay out more than they wanted or were able to for the games on Sky Sports. This paved the way for MotD to regain the rights in 2004, showing highlights of all the Premiership games each week, and will celebrate its 50th birthday this August.

The oddity of Match of the Day is that there can be no other programme of such longevity and popularity – except, perhaps, the news – that attracts such regular levels of disgruntlement. Common complaints are that "fashionable" teams are favoured in the running orders, that the best games are often scheduled for the theoretically subsidiary Sunday edition (Match of the Day 2) or that the pundits are too dull, too white, too Liverpool.

And yet, like a poor production of a great play, the programme is always saved by something in one or more of the games. For the multi-channel viewer, there is now sometimes the peculiar experience of watching highlights of a game that you have seen live in full earlier in the day or the weekend. Most football matches, though, even for fanatical followers, are best in truncated form; for the 42 of its 50 years in which I've been a regular viewer, Match of the Day has been a highlight of my week, despite all its regular infuriations.

Mark Lawson

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Beautiful Games: a complete illustrated history of football

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 08:19 AM PDT

You wouldn't think it would be possible to cram the entire history of football into a single illustration, but Alex Bennett gave it a go. He selected almost 500 incidents from the past 150 years of football and melded them together in one image

Jonny Weeks

Sherwood issues Tottenham warning

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 08:14 AM PDT

• Coach planning for next season after meeting Daniel Levy
• 'I'm going to shoot from the hip. I'm a manager, not a babysitter'

Tim Sherwood insists all of his current squad are playing for their Tottenham careers and is not bothered if he upsets the players, declaring he is "a manager not a babysitter".

Having blasted the character of his side following their 4-0 defeat by Chelsea on Saturday, Sherwood oversees two big games this week as he welcomes both Benfica and Arsenal to White Hart Lane.

The round-of-16 Europa League first leg against the Portuguese league leaders Benfica takes on an extra edge given Spurs are now four points off a place in the Premier League's top four.

But, with fierce local rivals Arsenal to come on Sunday, Sherwood has urged his players to prove they are worthy of a place in his thinking beyond the end of the current campaign, as the manager continues to play down speculation about his own future.

"They know how I am and how I felt about what happened," Sherwood said when asked how his players responded to his post-match comments.

"We are moving on, you can't dwell on it. They are all men, they all appreciate that I am singing it from the heart, not from the script – I'm not an actor, I work on impulse.

"I'm never going to take a step back. I'm just going to shoot from the hip. That's what I'm like. I'm a manager, not a babysitter.

"A lot of players here are playing for their future and I think they realise that now. I'm going to have a good look at the whole squad and see who I need to keep and who I need to bring in.

"They have that chance between now and the end of the season to prove they want to play for a giant club like Tottenham.

"I want players here who want to play for the club and they have between now and the end of the season to show that they are playing for their club and not for themselves.

"I don't think at any football club a player should be doing them a favour by playing for them."

Sherwood said he had spoken to the Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy following the disappointing result at Chelsea but that discussions focused only on "how to take the club forward next season".

With names such as Louis van Gaal and Frank de Boer constantly linked with his job, Sherwood maintains he is the man entrusted with getting Spurs back into the Champions League having only replaced the previous incumbent André Villas-Boas in December.

When asked if he had spoken to Levy, Sherwood replied: "There was no sit down meeting, nothing more than what I normally do. I've seen him a few times.

"I'm planning for next season. There's no point me planning if someone else is coming in. I've not asked for any assurances. I've an 18-month contract and I expect to be here a lot longer than that.

"It [the meeting] was all about pre-season, who do I want to keep. A lot of these players here are playing for their future and I think they realise that now.

"I'm going to have a good look at the squad and see who I am going to keep and who I am going to bring in.

"They have a chance between now and the end of the season to prove they want to play for a great giant of a club like Tottenham."

While admitting new faces are likely to arrive in the summer, Sherwood was keen to stress he would not be writing off any of the current crop just yet.

Asked if he would make changes to the squad, Sherwood said: "Without a doubt – there always will be.

"Everyone gets a second chance. I am never ever going to burn bridges with players. They are asset to the football club.

"They have an opportunity to respond. It's out there now, they know what's required. It's not about going 1-0 and then going and playing well, it's about in adversity who wants to roll their sleeves up.

"It's a level playing field from the kids to the money signings. No one is going to get preferential treatment just because of a price tag.

"It's about what they are doing on the pitch. I am seeing them every day. I know the DNA of the guys, and I know the ones I can trust and the ones I can't."


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Saints appoint Krueger as chairman

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 06:53 AM PDT

• 54-year-old helped Canada win Olympic gold
• Nicola Cortese resigned as chairman in January

Ralph Krueger, who helped guide Canada to ice hockey gold at the Winter Olympics, has been appointed Southampton FC chairman. The 54-year‑old was born in Canada but represented Germany at ice hockey, and has been head coach of Switzerland as well as the Edmonton Oilers in the National Hockey League. He was also a special adviser to the Sochi gold medallists and has a strong background in sport leadership – but no experience in football – and has been appointed chairman of the holding company, St Mary's Football Group Limited, by the owner, Katharina Liebherr.

"I am honoured to take on the role of chairman of Southampton Football Club and the group," he said. "I have had the opportunity to meet with a large percentage of the staff at Southampton and it is clear there is a positive soul throughout the club, both at St Mary's and the training ground.

"We will build on that soul by creating platforms of open communication both inside with the staff and outside with our fan base.

"Although there is a solid foundation in place, the club still has tremendous untapped commercial potential.

"We will continue to nurture 'the Southampton Way' by reaching for consistent growth in all departments to ultimately build a culture that allows Southampton to remain healthy and sustainable in the future."

The club has undergone rapid change at the top since Nicola Cortese resigned as Saints' executive chairman in January.

The Italian was instrumental in the club's purchase by Markus Liebherr in 2009 and stayed on after the Swiss billionaire died suddenly the following year.

Cortese helped the club rise from League One to the Premier League, but was replaced by Lieberr's daughter Katharina as nonexecutive chairman eight weeks ago.

Krueger, a member of the World Economic Forum, was brought in as part of a restructure and has now been confirmed as the Saints chairman.

"Ralph has an impressive background in major league sport at all levels, it is his experience as an expert in leadership, motivation and team-building that makes him ideally suited for this important position in the Saints organisation," Katharina Liebherr said.

"He has been a leading adviser and coach to senior management in large international corporations for the past 20 years. In addition, he has been an active member of the World Economic Forum since 2011.

"The news that Ralph has agreed to take on the role of chairman at the club follows a calm and steady process of identifying a board that will bring the stability needed to achieve long-term success both on and off the pitch.

"I will remain on the board, with an active involvement, and we will continue to move forward with great respect for Saints' history, while at the same time work towards a process that is creative, unique, dynamic and modern."

As well as the appointment of Krueger, Southampton have confirmed the appointment of the business lawyer Hans Hofstetter and Gareth Rogers to the holding company's board of directors. The latter is currently the club's interim chief executive officer, who will also remain an executive director of the football club's board alongside Les Reed.


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MLS vs the major leagues: can US soccer compete when it comes to big business? | Elliott Turner

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 06:45 AM PDT

Elliott Turner: even ranged against the American sports behemoths and the English Premier League, MLS is in relatively good health

Elliott Turner

Torquay's Labadie hit with 10-game biting ban

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 06:40 AM PDT

• Midfielder fined £2,000 after violent conduct charge is proven
• Allegations that he bit two opponents from Chesterfield

The Torquay United midfielder Joss Labadie has been given a 10-match suspension and a £2,000 fine, subject to any appeal, after an Football Association charge of violent conduct against him was found proven.

Labadie, who requested a non-personal hearing, was accused of biting an opponent during the League Two match against Chesterfield on 15 February. The 23-year-old had denied an alleged breach of Rule E3 in that his behaviour amounted to violent conduct.

The Chesterfield manager Paul Cook told shareholders at his club's recent annual meeting a few days after the game that the striker Armand Gnanduillet, a second-half substitute, claimed to have been bitten by Labadie and that the allegations would have been in the referee Carl Boyeson's report.

It then emerged that the Chesterfield midfielder Ollie Banks, who was replaced by Gnanduillet, also complained of being bitten during the game and posted a photo on Twitter showing his injuries.

The player's suspension and £2,000 fine were imposed after an Independent Regulatory Commission hearing. The former Notts County player Labadie must now decide to appeal against the charge.

Torquay are currently bottom of League Two but recorded their first win in seven matches against the promotion-chasing Rochdale on Tuesday night.


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Chelsea could have Premier League title race won by the end of March | Paul Wilson

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 06:03 AM PDT

José Mourinho knows that if Manchester City lose at Hull, Chelsea can open up a double-figure gap at the top of the table

TS Eliot thought April the cruelest [sic] month, though it is possible the American-born poet had never heard of squeaky-bum time, which this season seems set to take place in March.

At least that is true at the top of the Premier League, where Chelsea and Tottenham reach 30 games at the weekend. Others have a game or more in hand, cup competitions and weather postponements have left the top six or seven looking a bit straggly over the last few weeks, but once teams pass the 30-game mark the title run-in can be said to have started.

By the end of this month it could be almost over. Should Chelsea win their next two games, away to Aston Villa on Saturday then at home to Arsenal the following week, no one is going to bet against José Mourinho's side running away with the title, whatever the manager has to say about preferring to be in City's shoes. City, after their FA Cup calamity against Wigan and the tricky matter of trying to make up a two-goal deficit in Barcelona, will do well to keep their winning form in the league going at Hull on Saturday.

Steve Bruce's side are full of confidence, they will be well rested after their Cup success last weekend, and when Chelsea visited the KC Stadium in January, they needed Eden Hazard at his best to break the deadlock. Should City stumble on Humberside, and they have already been beaten away from home by such high-fliers as Cardiff and Sunderland, the game could be up later the same day when Chelsea run out at Villa with the possibility of opening up a double-figure gap over Manuel Pellegrini's side.

Mourinho knows that, of course, which is why he is claiming City are in the better position to maximise the pressure on the team he sees as the biggest threat. Whether he is right in assuming he has only City to worry about is debatable. Both Arsenal and Liverpool are seven points behind with a game in hand, though Arsenal's next two league games are the two London derbies they dislike most, away to Spurs then away to Chelsea.

If Arsenal are going to get their European disappointment out of their system and make a concerted effort to regain the league leadership, they will need to do it this month. They will have to win both those matches, and they will have to do so without Mesut Özil.

Should they manage to do so it would take Chelsea down a peg and give everyone else a little hope, though it would take a phenomenal performance from Arsenal to take all the points from Stamford Bridge and by that stage they may be coming round to the idea that there are worse sights on the sideboard than the FA Cup. It is tempting to wonder at what point in the season Arsène Wenger will start resting players and fielding weakened teams to be able to put out his strongest possible side against Cup kings Wigan.

Liverpool, famously, have nothing else to play for except the league, did not even have a game last weekend, and are the wild card in the fight for the top four places. When it was suggested here about two months ago that Liverpool could probably aim higher than fourth place (the minimum goal they have set themselves) there were howls of derision. Many people even doubted they would stay the course and manage that, though having climbed to second place and scored more goals than anyone else in the division it must be conceded that they deserve to be included among the title contenders, particularly as they have no distractions, while Chelsea are still in Europe.

They are a long way from being favourites, but if they can win at Old Trafford on Sunday – and they used to be able to do that even when Manchester United were on the way to titles themselves – their home game against Chelsea at the end of April still gives them a theoretical chance as long as Mourinho's players have lost a game or two by then.

Mourinho said the other day he expects Chelsea to lose a game or two between now and the end of the season. Whether he means that is another matter, but Brendan Rodgers has to take the opposite view. As long as Liverpool keep on winning they have a chance; if they can win every game they have a great chance. That's a tough ask, of course, especially when they meet teams of the calibre of Manchester United, Spurs, Chelsea and City in their remaining 10 games, but anyone who witnessed Liverpool destroying Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton this season would not deny that Rodgers' side can live with the best.

It is only the defensive mistakes (of the type Chelsea tend not to make) that make people doubt Liverpool, and the fact that either side of the impressive dismantling of Everton in the Merseyside derby were four points thrown away against Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion.

The question of which Liverpool side will turn up at Old Trafford on Sunday is likely to be overshadowed by the consideration of which United side is likely to show up. There are United fans arguing that it is still possible to claim a top-four place based on the "best performance of the season" at West Brom last week. United were quite good at The Hawthorns, to be fair, albeit against a feeble home side, though this game is no longer the battle for fourth place it appeared earlier in the season. United have an awful lot to do, even if they win on Sunday, and Liverpool could still finish higher than fourth even if they lose.

By the end of the weekend things should be a lot clearer. By the end of the month, when City have visited Old Trafford and the Emirates, it could be all over. Right now you would put your money on Chelsea staying ahead of City, with Liverpool as dark horses. But to keep up the pressure Liverpool must win on Sunday.

That in turn puts pressure on David Moyes, who may be regarding the Champions League as a greater priority than the Premier League. So does he name his strongest possible side against Liverpool, and risk tiredness against Olympiakos three days later? Or would United fans prefer to see Liverpool stopped at all costs even if it impacts on freshness for the European tie? Given the outcry that followed the limp defeat in Athens, one imagines Moyes would not relish the adverse publicity involved in going out to a moderate Greek team, but neither would he want squad confidence to be savaged in advance by a rampant Liverpool. Two wins are required, or perhaps at minimum a win against Olympiakos and a fighting draw with Liverpool. Only then can United look forward, if that is the right expression, to the derby with City the following week.

It is a big month for all the top four teams, but no one has a bigger month than the club lying sixth. While Moyes must be beginning to feel there is never any other sort of month at United it is worth remembering that his predecessor not only thrived on these situations but gave every impression of enjoying them. Never mind fourth place, that is the gap that Moyes is tasked with bridging.

Paul Wilson

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Fiorentina: Serie A alternative club guide

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:54 AM PDT

In his latest Italian football guide, the Gentleman Ultra profiles Fiorentina's ground, fans and classic player Gabriel Batistuta

Stadium: Stadio Artemio Franchi, 1931, capacity 47,290

Florence is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and is renowned for art and culture. It is therefore quite apt that it has a stadium that is one of the best examples of 20th century architecture in Italy.

Designed by architect Pier Luigi Nervi, the stadium includes the huge, 230ft-tall "Tower of Marathon". The concrete stadium has superb Roman-style pillars at the entrance and once inside there is a perfect view from whatever seat you are given.

The stadium was renovated for the 1990 World Cup, when the running track was removed and extra seating was added. The stadium feels like a purpose-built football arena and the large capacity creates a wonderful atmosphere. From the stands you can look out on to the truly breathtaking view of the rolling Tuscan hills.

The Ultras on the Fiesole stand are known as La Vecchia Guardia Firenze and are loud, well-organised and fiercely anti-Juventus. If you are going to watch football in Italy, this venue should be near the top of your wishlist. The derby against Bologna is also potent (I had fireworks thrown at me during the match in the stadium).

The Ultras

Key Ultra Groups: Ultras Viola and Colletivo Autonomo Viola (CAV)

Other fangroups: Legione Viola (Purple Legion), Guelfi (Guelphs), Granducato (Grand Duchy), L'Alcool Campi (Alcohol Campi – signifying fields or a province called Campi in Florence), Vieussex, Settebello (Beautiful Seven), Fiorenza 93, Firenze Ultras, Gruppo Storico Ultras V.'73, Aficionados, Urban Crew, Alterati (Altered state – drug related), Fedelissimi (Stalwart faith), Bomber Group, Pazzi di Lei (Crazy for Fiorentina), Sindrome Viola (Purple Syndrome), Vecchio Stampo (Old Fashioned), Stati Liberi del Tifo (Supporters Free State), Viola Korps, Gruppo Signa (Signa Group) and many others

In 1289, a schism between the Pro-Papal Guelph forces of Florence and the imperial Ghibelline forces of Arezzo culminated in a brutal conflict at the Battle of Campaldino. This battle was part of the long struggle for power between the popes and Holy Roman Emperors in Italy. It also reflected the fervent civic rivalries of the era, rivalries that remain to this day. On the blood-strewn plains of Campaldino, the Florentines and their allies triumphed. It was a victory that secured the Guelphs in Florence.

The Tuscan Republic would go on to become the birthplace of the Renaissance, a civic colossus on the Italian peninsula. Florence remains a city of unquestionable prestige and, though the days of civic war are over, the city's team, Fiorentina, provide an outlet for campanilismo – local patriotism.

Expressions of Guelphism are often seen at the Stadio Artemio Franchi and, under the aegis of the Ultras, the city's medieval splendour lives on. The metropolis and its football club are viewed by supporters as one entity, so a victory for La Viola is a victory for Florence. The team is the city's symbolic army and these cultural nuances set Fiorentina supporters apart in the world of Italian ultras.

Fiorentina are said to have the sixth largest following in Italy and this is exemplified in their numerous Ultra groups (I lost count at around 100). This perhaps reveals a trait particular to Florence: the need for individuality and ingenuity are entwined with the city's glorious past.

The first origins of Viola fangroups can be traced back to 1965 and the formation of Vieussex (the name of an historic library in Florence) and Settebello (Beautiful Seven). These two groups are present today, with Vieussex residing in the Ferrovia stand and Settebello in the Fiesole, the heartbeat of the Artemio Franchi stadium.

One of the more renowned groups to have resided in the Curva Fiesole is the Ultras Viola (Purple Ultras). Formed in 1973, a vicious fight with the Genovese led some fans to create a group of "super supporters" who could compete with any adversary. Founded and led by a man called Stefano "Pump" Biagini, this period is described by a Viola Ultra as the "glorious 1970s", characterised by violent clashes, stolen banners, dangerous away days and above all the years of "Calcio vero" (uncorrupted football).

Despite the group's prominence, the Ultras Viola disbanded just 10 years after their inception following violent exchanges with Romanisti which saw their twinning with the Romans come to an abrupt end. Stolen banners (which both fans blamed on each other) sparked an irreconcilable quarrel and this change, combined with a rise in eminence of Colletivo Autonomo Viola (CAV) (Autonomous Purple Collective), led to a changing of the guard. Created in 1978, CAV took a central position on the Curva and, despite their dissolution in 2011, the group's vestiges have ensured that the Fiesole remains one of the most vivacious Curvas on the peninsula.

It is also worth highlighting the Alcool Campi (Alcohol Camp), a clan who lived a brief but fiery existence. This tempestuous group were said to be the culprits in an infamous incident, when Fiorentina Ultras launched petrol bombs on to a train full of Bologna fans. A 14-year-old died tragically and Alcool Campi quickly ceased to exist.

"Neither left nor right" has always been the motto of the Fiorentina Ultras, who have predominately refused political affiliation. This does not have any bearing on their twinnings and rivalries, epitomised in their longstanding friendship with Hellas Verona fans (traditionally right-wing) after ex-Fiorentina players joined the Gialloblu and helped them to their one and only Scudetto in 1985.

It is impossible to talk about Fiorentina without mentioning their virulent hatred for Juventus. When the Bianconeri come to the Artemio Franchi, a furore rages across the city. The origins of this rivalry date back to the 1981-82 Serie A season, when the Viola had the Scudetto snatched from their grasp by Juventus on account of some dubious refereeing. This rivalry was accentuated when Fiorentina cult hero Roberto Baggio was sold to Juventus in 1990, triggering riots across the city.

In parts of the Tuscan capital you can buy stickers that read "zona anti-gobbizzata" ("hunchback-free zone"). Hunchbacks are seen as lucky in Italy thus the nickname was patented for Juventus, a team seen as notoriously lucky. In what must be a sight to behold, albeit a strange one, Fiorentina fans have also been known to perform a ritual on players signed from Juventus in which they are "de-hunchbacked".

The rivalry can take on a more sinister nature, with some Viola fans taunting their rivals about the Heysel tragedy which claimed the lives of 39 Juventini. Fiorentina fans have been known to wear Liverpool merchandise when facing their Turin adversaries, and following the tragedy in 1985, a banner was revealed by Fiorentina Ultras reading "39 less hunchbacks". Juventus fans claim that this is why CAV attempted to befriend Liverpool fans back in 2009 when the clubs met in the Champions League.

Despite this, the Fiorentina Ultras are renowned for their loyalty, sarcasm and irony. They are no strangers to decrying the club's hierarchy or the team itself if they feel things aren't being done to their lofty Florentine standards. Former owner Vittorio Cecchi Gori, whose disastrous tenure at the club culminated in bankruptcy and demotion to Serie C2 in 2002, can certainly vouch for this. Viola fans had to endure the humiliation of losing the club name for a year – when they became Florentia Viola – and 30,000 of them descended on the city centre to make their feelings known to Cecchi Gori.

The hub of the Italian Renaissance, Florence is synonymous with Michelangelo, Dante, Machiavelli and the Medici. The Fiorentina Ultras take untrammelled pride in the city's cultural history and the Artemio Franchi has become something of a holy ground for the Viola fanatics. Awash with purple and white, the stadium can produce electrifying atmospheres and decorative choreographies that even the greatest Florentine artists would be proud to call their own.

Classic player: Gabriel Batistuta

Diego Maradona claimed that Gabriel Batistuta was the best striker that has ever graced the face of the earth. No greater praise can be heaped on the man known as "Batigol", whose powerful play and deadly ability in the box made him feared throughout his career.

Fiorentina have often had (and still have) fantastic offensive players but none have compared to Batistuta. In 1991, when he signed from Boca Juniors, nobody could have foreseen the impact he would have on Italian football.

In nine years in Florence, Batistuta received almost religious adulation from the Curva Fiesole. This fervent worship of their new hero was created through his god-given ability to score goals. Serie A was in its pomp and known throughout the world for boasting some of the toughest defences of all time. Without exception, all of them feared Batigol like he was the devil himself.

He is in the top 10 all-time leading goalscorers in Serie A history, having scored 168 goals in 269 games for Fiorentina and 184 goals in 318 matches in his time in Italy. He scored a goal every 1.7 matches.

Batistuta did not seek the limelight and was a loyal servant to the Viola. He stayed with the club when they were relegated to Serie B and helped them return to the top flight in the 1992-93 season. He turned down moves from bigger clubs, but unfortunately his loyalty was never rewarded with a Serie A title at Fiorentina.

When he eventually left the club, he walked away with a Serie B medal, a Coppa Italia winner's medal and a Super Coppa Italiana trinket. The nearest he got to the title was in the 1998-99 season, when Fiorentina looked destined to win the title before Batigol pulled a hamstring and they missed out to Milan.

Roma eventually turned his head in 2000 and he left the Renaissance city and transferred his predatory instincts to the Eternal City. There he would also become a legend, helping Roma to win only their third title in a season that will go down in Giallorossi history. He scored 30 times in 63 games for Roma before being loaned to Inter.

He had everything: power, pace, skill, aerial ability, confidence and seemingly never-ending form. It is hard to think of another striker from this era who was more complete or deadly. When Calcio ruled the world, Maradona was watching and thinking "nobody is better than Batigol".

• This blog first appeared on The Gentleman Ultra
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Richard Hall

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Bayern face punishment for banners

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:39 AM PDT

• Uefa opens proceedings after sign aimed at Mesut Özil
• Germans could be fined for 'discriminatory behaviour'

Uefa has opened disciplinary proceedings against Bayern Munich after a homophobic banner targeting Arsenal's Mesut Özil was seen during Tuesday's Champions League tie.

The sign – which branded Arsenal "Gay Gunners" and featured a crude caricature of the German midfielder – was captured by television cameras in the 1-1 draw at the Allianz Arena and then widely circulated on social media.

"Disciplinary proceedings have been opened against FC Bayern München for discriminatory behaviour of their supporters (Article 14 Uefa disciplinary regulations), display of an illicit banner (Article 16(2e) DR) and late kick-off (Article 11(2g) DR) at their Uefa Champions League round of 16 match against Arsenal FC, the 1-1 draw in Germany on Tuesday," read a statement released by the governing body on Wednesday afternoon.

"The case will be dealt with by the Uefa control and disciplinary body on 20 March."

The Bundesliga champions are under further scrutiny after a fan was spotted with a banner supporting Kosovo's application to join Fifa during the Arsenal match. Cameras picked up a sign which read "Say No to racism, Say Yes to Kosovo" in reference to the campaign to have the territory officially recognised by Fifa.

Kosovo made history last week when they drew their first-ever friendly match with Haiti but have yet to be recognised as a full member of Fifa.

If found guilty of either offence, Bayern are likely to face a substantial fine and a warning about their future conduct. In December, Celtic were fined €50,000 by Uefa for "illicit" banners at the home defeat by Milan.


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Benfica remain major threat to Tottenham despite Nemanja Matic sale | Jonathan Wilson

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:24 AM PDT

The Serbian's departure has done little to check Benfica's momentum with the Portuguese title all but theirs

Tottenham fans are not often grateful to Chelsea, particularly not where transfers are concerned, but on Thursday they can reflect that if Willian is not in their lineup, at least Nemanja Matic is not in Benfica's. Or at least that's the easy reading of it. Nobody would pretend that Matic is not a superb player or that he is not missed by Benfica, but the overall effect of selling him may have been beneficial.

Although the Serbia midfielder was the Portuguese league's player of the year last season, his departure seems to have done little to check their momentum: in 12 games in all competitions since Matic left, they have won 11 and drawn one. Seven points clear of Sporting with eight games remaining, the Portuguese title is all but theirs – not that the coach Jorge Jesus will be caught saying that after the way last season collapsed in the final weeks: they lost their unbeaten record and the league to Porto on the penultimate week of the season, then lost in both the Europa League and Portuguese Cup finals to end up with nothing.

More than that, the sale of Matic, plus the €45m brought in by selling the forward Rodrigo and the midfielder André Gomes to a private investment company, eased Benfica's financial troubles and enabled them to keep hold of the centre-back Ezequiel Garay, who had seemed destined for a move to Zenit. The Argentinian's partnership with Luisão has been key to their defensive solidity: only one goal conceded in those 12 games.

Just as important has been the form of Matic's replacement Ljubomir Fejsa, a 25-year-old Serbia international signed from Olympiakos last summer, who brings a similar combativeness as Matic, although perhaps not the same ball-playing ability. He has been admirably disciplined at sitting deep, almost becoming a third centre-back at times as the two full-backs push on. A muscular problem means Fejsa is a doubt for Thursday night's first leg and he could be replaced by Rúben Amorim, who took on the role in the last round. Alongside Fejsa, Enzo Pérez has been one of the revelations of the season, his tireless running helping protect the holding midfielder – a remarkable return for a player who had been largely written off when he returned to Estudiantes on loan after a serious knee injury in 2012.

On the right is another Serb, Lazar Markovic, who turned 20 last week but has already played 10 times for his country and was recently named the Portuguese league's player of the month after scoring the winner against Guimarães. He represents a major threat to Spurs, not only because of his technical ability but because of his acceleration and pace on the break – an attribute rather disguised by his nickname: "the Butterfly". If Benfica find themselves under pressure, he will be the outlet. "Markovic has great potential and can still improve," Matic said last month. "He could become one of the best players in Europe. I believe nobody will be able to stop him when he's matured. It was great to play with him."

Markovic was this week linked with a summer move to Liverpool (although if you're young, remotely talented and haven't been linked to Liverpool, your agent probably isn't doing his job properly) who had him watched in Serbia's 2-1 friendly victory over Ireland. The week before, there had been stories suggesting Chelsea and Arsenal were keen on him. It's not uncommon, of course, for promising talent to be touted round major Premier League clubs, but last summer, while he was still a Partizan player, there were strong suggestions Markovic would join Chelsea. In June, the Partizan president, Dragan Djuric, said that a deal was all but done and that Markovic would then join Benfica on loan for two years; a matter of hours later, the player signed a five-year contract with the Lisbon club. Exactly what went on remains unclear, but it's fair to assume that, at the very least, there was substantial interest from Chelsea and there remain suggestions that they have first option to sign him in summer 2015.

Like Markovic, Nicolás Gaitán, who will play on the other flank, likes to cut infield, allowing the full-backs to overlap. The Argentinian has been in sensational form recently, as borne out by his stunning goal against Belenenses earlier this month. Again, on the break, he could pose real problems.

The only real selection issue is over who will play up front. The Paraguayan forward Óscar Cardozo was out for two months with a back injury, returning at the end of January, and is still not fully fit. He's made three substitute appearances and two starts since and has totalled only 164 minutes in those five games but Jesus has hinted that he could start. It seems more probable, though, that Rodrigo will lead the line with the Brazilian Rodrigo Lima playing off him.

Like last year, Benfica find themselves fighting on multiple fronts as the run-in to the end of the season approaches. This time, the league is surely theirs. They have reached the semi-final of both both their domestic cups. But more than that, they still have Europe to dream of – and, after seven defeats in continental finals since Béla Guttmann cursed them after the 1962 European Cup success, winning any Uefa competition is a dream; 1962 was also the last time Benfica played Tottenham in a competitive fixture, a coincidence many hope will lift the curse. More practically, Spurs must beware the two inverted wingers.

Jonathan Wilson

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PSG defender Alex: 'I don't agree it is OK for a man to live with another man'

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 05:16 AM PDT

• Former Chelsea defender says his views are not homophobic
• 'Everyone is free to do what they want. Everyone has freedom'

Paris Saint-Germain's Brazilian defender Alex has said that he does not think that it is right for "a man to live with a man or a woman with a woman".

The 31-year-old, who played for Chelsea between 2007 and 2012, has been criticised for his comments on homosexuality before, notably in January, when he said: "God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Yves."

This time, in an interview with the Swedish paper Expressen, he has elaborated on his views while claiming they are not homophobic. "God says one should love all people for what they are," he said. "We love everyone but do not like those who do not stand for what the Bible says. But this is not about homophobia.

"I don't agree that it is OK that a man lives with another man and a woman with a woman. That is my view. We don't agree. At the same time everyone is free to do what they want. Everyone has freedom. This is easy for me to explain. If you don't agree with me and what I believe, and what the Bible says, then that is up to you."

Marcus Christenson

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Alan Pardew affair is proof that the technical area fails to tick any boxes | Marina Hyde

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 04:37 AM PDT

These pointless little boxes merely encourage the afflicted or deluded to indulge in behaviour that is good for no one

As far as grotesque and embarrassing spectacles in British public life are concerned, the antics of the technical area are matched only by those that take place behind the dispatch boxes of the House of Commons. For a normal person, to watch Ed Balls during prime minister's questions, or Mark Hughes flinging his coat around against Newcastle, is not to reflect "we are all in this together" or "thank you for representing me in this manner". It is to wonder: "Where is your carer?"

Had I money to burn, I would hire the obliging former Met chief Lord Stevens to run a reassuringly expensive investigation into the whole business of technical areas, and make it clear to his lordship that the only acceptable conclusion to draw would be that the technical area was a load of complete cobblers, and should be abolished without delay.

Instead, L'affaire Pardew seems to have drawn the investigatory attentions of the League Managers Association, which is apparently involved in a study into the positioning of the technical area, and whether moving it could reduce incidents like the one that has won the Newcastle manager a record-breaking seven-game ban.

"The LMA is currently conducting with a university a look into how the technical area operates – the behaviour, the position and objectives – and also how the fourth official works," the LMA chief executive Richard Bevan told the BBC recently. "We did a technical report six or seven months ago involving 40 referees and 40 managers, looking at how it works in other sports and looking to see if we can improve the positions."

Goodness. I can think of a way they could "improve the positions", and it's inspired by that scene in Tootsie where the producer of the soap opera in which Dorothy Michaels is starring wonders how to shoot her more flatteringly (unaware that Dorothy is in fact a man in drag). "I'd like to make her look a little more attractive," the producer muses to the cameraman. "How far can you pull back?" "How do you feel about Cleveland?" he replies.

So in the event that the technical area could not be absolutely abolished, that is as indulgent a solution as I could countenance: all technical areas, in all football leagues, could be repositioned in Cleveland, Ohio. There could be miles and miles of those pointless little boxes, arranged across the plains, and any manager wishing to keep the old, mad ways would fly over for their match and gesticulate from that distance, safe in the knowledge that it would have precisely the same bearing on the action were he doing it in Middlesbrough as the midwest.

After all, there is a fine line – or maybe a really technical-looking dotted line – between offering support and enabling, and I can't help feeling the LMA will have strayed across it if its verdict is to do anything other than get rid of the technical area entirely. It merely encourages the afflicted or deluded to indulge in behaviour that is good for no one in the long run. As things stand, you can see why any manager might think that normal social rules do not apply to him in the technical area. It is, after all, a mystical space that he already appears to believe exists outside the laws of physics. It is somewhere he believes himself to possess a remarkable superpower, in that anything he shouts – despite the fact that 30,000 other people are also shouting – can be heard clearly by the person to whom he is shouting it. And, in the case of top secret tactical commands, can be heard only by that person.

The reality – that he might as well put the message in a bottle, instruct an underling to leave the ground to chuck it in the ocean, and hope that a freak tidal wave washes it on to the pitch before full time – is studiously ignored. It would be nice to think that the groundbreaking LMA study might assess whether, in the history of football, the course of a match has ever been meaningfully changed by anything bellowed or gesticulated from the technical area. Football got by without these hallowed boxes for an awfully long time. The only commands usually conveyed with any degree of accuracy are variants on "hurry up" or "slow down", and whether those are worthy of the classification "technical" should be beneath debate.

Should be, but isn't, alas, with the likes of Graham Taylor seemingly illuminating the airwaves daily since the Pardew incident. Now, Graham always seems a nice man. But can it really be right for presenters to allow him to discuss such things without feeling professionally obliged to bring up the small matter of his once giving us his forlornly shell-suited version of King Lear on the heath, railing at a linesman to "tell your mate he's just cost me my job"? Apparently, it can. I suppose we at least knew what Taylor was saying then, what with his being miked up for adocumentary.

But unless all managers are willing to submit to being similarly wired for sound, in the interests of adding to the gaiety of the nation, then please: enough of the technical area madness. Henceforth, if a manager insists on standing on the piece of grass formerly known as the technical area, then he should be permitted to do so only if strapped to a gurney and wearing the Hannibal Lecter mask. Discussing a possible transfer to a conventional prison is optional.

Marina Hyde

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Diego Simeone not scared of anyone as Atlético Madrid roll back years

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 04:20 AM PDT

• Argentinian coach hails players after victory over Milan
• Spanish side could draw Real Madrid or Barcelona in quarters

When Atlético Madrid were knocked out in the Champions League quarter-finals by Ajax in 1997, the midfielder Diego Simeone could scarcely have imagined it would be 17 years before they reached the last eight again.

Almost two decades later, Simeone is now coaching the La Liga side and Tuesday's dominant 4-1 home victory against the seven-times winners Milan, which put Atlético through to the quarter-finals 5-1 on aggregate, was the latest evidence he has moulded his unfancied squad into genuine European contenders.

In much the same way as he did as a combative midfielder for Argentina and clubs including Atlético, Internazionale and Lazio, Simeone's players harried and hassled Milan from the start and they looked dangerous nearly every time they broke forward.

The Brazil-born forward Diego Costa, who scored twice to follow up his goal in last month's 1-0 first-leg win at San Siro, showed why the Spain coach Vicente del Bosque was so keen to secure his services and he now has seven goals in five Champions League appearances this season.

As the game wore on, Atlético began to exert an impressive control over the Italian side on a near-perfect night for the club's long-suffering fans and they are now just four games away from May's final in Lisbon.

They are also still in with a chance of winning La Liga for the first time since 1996, again with Simeone in the side, and lurk three points behind leaders Real Madrid in second with 11 games left.

Ajax needed extra time to dispatch Atlético 4-3 in 1997 and it is a measure of how far the Spanish side, unbeaten in the latest edition of Europe's elite club competition, have come under Simeone that if they failed to reach at least the last four it would be a disappointment.

"There will be seven top teams and one humble one which will irritate," Simeone told a news conference when asked about the 21 March draw for next month's quarters, when Atlético could face Real or Barcelona if their La Liga rivals make the last eight as expected. "I am happy because I have a group of men who play football in an extraordinary way and who have enormous passion for the game," added the 43-year-old.

"Let's see who our opponent is, I don't care if it's another Spanish team. Remain calm and recuperate well."

Meanwhile, the Milan coach Clarence Seedorf has admitted his frustration after his side's elimination ended Italian interest in the competition. "We've played some big games in the last few weeks and we've nothing to show for it," the Dutchman said. "That kills the ability to react. Our fans have definitely suffered for too long but I'm sure they have black and red hearts and when someone falls, they have to get back up. The players are working with commitment and they're trying to get out of this situation."

Milan are 10th in Serie A, nine points adrift of a qualifying place for the much-maligned Europa League. Seedorf has seen his side lose four of their last five matches but the 37-year-old has refused to give up the fight just yet.

"From here until the end of the league and we'll have to do the best we can. It's over now and we have to react," he said. "We have to play as well as we can for the remaining 11 matches in the league and then start thinking about next season."


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

Atlético Madrid 4-1 Milan: Clarence Seedorf reacts to Champions League exit – video

Posted: 12 Mar 2014 04:15 AM PDT

Milan manager Clarence Seedorf insists his team will recover and regain strength after being demolished 4-1 by Atlético Madrid in the Champions League
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