The Word on the Street

01 Jul 2006

Zidane denies kicking stadium door

France midfielder Zinedine Zidane has refuted allegations that he kicked a dent in a door at a World Cup stadium in France's draw with South Korea in the first round.

"The French national team would like to clearly state that Zinedine Zidane did not kick in the door in Leipzig and nobody from the French delegation kicked it either," organising commitee spokesman Gerd Graus said at a daily media briefing.

"We don't know who it was and we are not going to hire a private detective to find out, but Zinedine Zidane did not do it."

The manager of the Leipzig stadium, Winfried Lonzen, said on June 18 that Zidane had kicked a door to the dressing room in frustration after the Koreans had scored an 81st minute equaliser to secure a 1-1 draw.

Lonzen said the door would be kept as a souvenir that one of the greats of World Cup football had played in Leipzig.

Zidane, who will retire after the World Cup, was expected to line up when France face Brazil in the quarter-finals in Frankfurt on Sunday.

Argentine fans ask Pekerman to stay

Argentine football fans swallowed their disappointment at their World Cup exit on penalties to Germany and on Saturday called on coach Jose Pekerman to stay in his post despite his stated intention to resign.

Newspapers showed polls suggesting most fans wanted Pekerman, who led the albiceleste to under-20 world titles in 1995, 1997 and 2001, to stay on - or else for ageing veteran Carlos Bianchi to take on the post.

"It is over, the chapter is closed," said Pekerman, who opted to leave out of the squad several experienced campaigners such as Inter Milan's Javier Zanetti.

"I am not going to carry on. I can leave with my head held up high. I have always believed in the players and they have not let me down," he said after Friday's loss which saw him leave Messi on the bench throughout.

But according to a poll in La Nacion daily, three in four people said no to the question "should Pekerman quit the national team?"

Just 20 percent said yes.

Football fever as millions crowd streets

Hundreds of thousands of people were gathering in Berlin and millions across the country were preparing to watch the host nation take on Argentina in the most eagerly awaited match of the World Cup so far.

With only 72,000 lucky spectators able to be in Berlin's Olympic Stadium for the quarter-final which kicks off at 1500 GMT, the next best option for most fans was to go to one of the fan areas to watch the match on a big screen.

More than 11 million people have gone to the zones across Germany so far in this World Cup, and millions more will follow in the buildup to the final on July 9.

Police said they were expecting around one million people to fill the streets of Berlin.

Street vendors were doing a roaring trade in German flags, reinforcing the fact that Germany has finally seemed at ease with itself at this World Cup after decades when overt displays of patriotism were frowned on because of the horrors committed by the Nazis.

French fans celebrate win over Brazil

Thousands of French people streamed onto the streets in jubilation on Saturday whooping for joy and honking car horns to celebrate their country's 1-0 win over holders Brazil in their World Cup quarter-final.

Nowhere was the jubilation more in evidence than on Paris's famous Champs-Elysees avenue, where fans emerged from bars and restaurants as the final whistle blew in Frankfurt and their team secured a place in the semi-finals.

To the sound of firecrackers and car horns, supporters waving French flags mingled with counterparts from Portugal who had come out earlier in the evening to celebrate their win in a penalty shootout over England.

France, the 1998 World Cup winners when the tournament was held in France, will play Portugal in the semi-final in Munich on Wednesday.

Maradona snubbed at Argentina defeat

Argentinian legend Diego Maradona refused to enter the stadium for his nation's World Cup quarter-final against Germany after one of his entourage had been banned from accompanying him, FIFA said on Saturday.

FIFA spokesman Markus Siegler said Maradona had been given four tickets for the VIP area for Friday's match at the Berlin Olympic Stadium, but a fifth member of his entourage was not given a ticket because he had behaved aggressively at matches.

"His delegation was told that one person was not getting a ticket because this person had behaved in an unacceptable way, sometimes becoming aggressive," Siegler said.

"If he does not want to accept it, we regret it.

"We always try to find tickets for Maradona for matches, even when he pops up at the last minute, but yesterday one person with him was not coming in."

Scolari reflects on missed England job

Portugal coach Luiz Felipe Scolari said Friday that his principles had stood in the way of him accepting to become the English coach.

The Brazilian withdrew from the race because of the ongoing pressure associated with the high-profile job.

"Some people like me like to respect contracts and I had a contract with the Portuguese FA. I'm very happy with it.

"If my 'no' to the English FA hurt someone, I'm sorry, but I respect contracts and will stick with Portugal until the end.

"My contract ends on July 31, so I'll be a free coach after that, and can speak with whoever."

"The timing was not correct. Come July 31 I'm a free man and the Portuguese FA is also free to choose another coach.

"I have some ideals in my life that I like to show my players and I can't break them.

"In the future, who knows? If the English FA comes again with another proposal, probably we can speak again and myabe we can deal."

Stadium announcer sacked for pro-German bias

The German World Cup organisers were left red-faced on Saturday after admitting that the announcer for the Olympic Stadium here had been replaced after encouraging Germany in the quarter-final.

The German announcer had told the predominantly German crowd in the stadium in Berlin, "Ladies and Gentlemen, our team needs our support" during Germany's 4-2 win over Argentina in a penalty shootout, FIFA spokesman Markus Siegler said.

Stadium announcers at World Cup matches must remain neutral according to FIFA rules.

Siegler said: "We have said he must stop this. This is part and parcel of the principle of fairness and this cannot be accepted.

A spokesman for the local organising committee, Gerd Graus, said: "He will no longer have the microphone at the stadium.

"He has been the announcer at the Olympic Stadium for years but he was very excited because it was a very special match."

World Cup fever sends Schumacher through gravel

Michael Schumacher admitted here Friday that Michael Ballack and the rest of the German football team were to blame for his minor accident during the opening practice session for the United States Grand Prix.

The seven-times World Champion German, 37, buried his car in the gravel during the opening practice session, during which he set the fastest time of the day by a race driver.

Schumacher said: "Let's say I had more problems trying to watch the quarter-finals on TV than I did in the cockpit of my Ferrari.

Germany beat Argentina 4-2 on penalties after the match finished 1-1 after 120 minutes.

"When I went off the track this morning, maybe I was thinking too much about the grass on the football pitch, but I'm very happy Germany won."

Aragones to stay on with Spain

Luis Aragones is to stay on as coach of Spain despite their elimination by France in the second round of the World Cup, a source close to the Spanish Football Federation said on Friday.

The 67-year-old Aragones took over from Inaki Saez following Euro 2004. The source said he will now likely see the side through to Euro-2008 which will be held in Austria and Switzerland.

Aragones had said before the World Cup he would step down unless the Spanish at least reached the semi-finals but said Thursday he would stay on if the Federation so wished.

Defeat still sweet in Ukraine

Ukraine on Saturday forgave its footballers a 3-0 thumping at the hands of Italy in a World Cup quarter-final, just grateful the team had gotten to the last eight in their debut appearance.

"The end of a fairy tale," headlined the Gazeta po-Kievsky daily.

"Ukraine's squad couldn't extend the fairy tale in Germany having lost to the Italians 0-3. But it doesn't matter. The only thing we can say is: Thank you!" the paper wrote.

"For the first time, even though the squad lost, there is no bitterness of defeat," Yuryi Rybchinsky, a poet, said on "Third Time," a late-night sport talk show immediately after the match in Hamburg.

"We ended up in the last eight while ranked 45" in FIFA world rankings, he said.

Violence flares ahead of England match

Thirteen England fans and more than 30 Germans were detained after scuffles in the western German city of Gelsenkirchen ahead of Saturday's World Cup quarter-final between England and Portugal.

One England fan was injured when bottles were thrown after clashes broke out when German fans took to the streets to celebrate Germany's victory over Italy in Saturday's quarter-final in Berlin, police said.

Up to 70,000 England fans were expected to converge on Gelsenkirchen ahead of the game which kicks off at 1500 GMT, although tens of thousands will not have a match ticket.

Specially created areas with big screens are being opened to allow fans to watch the match at a race track and a football ground.

British police advising their German colleagues said they were expecting fans to arrive in Gelsenkirchen from nearby cities in the Ruhr conurbation such as Dusseldorf and Dortmund.

Ghanaian fan dies after Ronaldo goal

A Ghanaian fan died suddenly in Lome as his country conceeded their first goal against Brazil in Tuesday's World Cup second round clash.

Richard Amenawu, 25, fainted and collapsed as Real Madrid's Ronaldo scored the first in champions Brazil's 3-0 victory over the last remaining African side in the tournament.

The young man was watching the match on a screen installed in the train station at Takoradi.

He was taken to hospital in the centre of town but could not be revived.

Beckham and England unfazed by Blatter jibe

England captain David Beckham has shrugged off criticism of his team's tactics by FIFA chief Sepp Blatter ahead of Saturday's World Cup quarter-final.

Outspoken world football boss Blatter has stoked controversy once more by describing England as negative after they played with a lone striker during their 1-0 second round win over Ecuador.

"I am happy that the play is very offensive. The only exception is England who fielded just one striker in their second round match," said Blatter.

"That is not the kind of offensive football you would expect from a title contender."

But Beckham replied: "We don't really care as a team or as a nation what people say about us," Beckham said.

"There have been better performances by other teams in this competition -- and they're out. At the end of the day people have got their opinions, but as a team we don't care.

Ukraine team to get a little help from President

Ukraine's football team will get a little help from its top fan during Friday's World Cup quarter-final against Italy, with President Viktor Yushchenko due to attend the historic match.

"Today the president is heading to Germany for a few hours in a blitz visit," said Yushchenko's spokeswoman, Iryna Gerashchenko.

Ukraine's squad had appealed this week for the nation's fan-in-chief to attend the match in Hamburg, saying his presence would provide players with "inspiration and will boost the belief in our strength."

"We're certain that your visit will also help to advance our bid with Poland to host the finals of (UEFA) Euro 2012," said a letter to Yushchenko signed by team captain Andriy Shevchenko, head coach Oleg Blokhin and the head of Ukraine's football federation Grygoriy Surkis.

Frei leaves Rennes for Dortmund

Switzerland striker Alexander Frei completed a move from Rennes to Borussia Dortmund on Thursday, the German club's spokesman Josef Schneck told sports press agency sid.

"We have reached agreement with the player and his old club," said Schneck.

The transfer fee is believed to be around four million euros (five million dollars) although the French club had originally asked for 7.5 million euros (9.5 million dollars).

On the striker's personal website he said he had signed a four-year deal.

The 27-year-old was top scorer in the French league in 2004/05 with 20 goals.

He scored in two World Cup group games against Togo and South Korea this month as Switzerland topped Group G ahead of France but Frei could not prevent his country going out on penalties against Ukraine in the second round.

World Cup gaff takes toll on Poll

English referee Graham Poll revealed on Thursday that he has retired from officiating at international tournaments after he showed Croatia's Josip Simunic three yellow cards before finally sending him off during a 2-2 Group F draw with Australia.

'I was the referee that evening, it was my error and the buck stops with me."

"I've had a week to reflect. I've had the first two nights completely sleepless, it's been something that has hurt me deeply.

"It's about being open and saying to people I got it wrong, I'm sorry and it's time to move on."

Poll, who had been a mooted candidate for refereeing the final after 26 unblemished years as the man in the middle, claimed that FIFA president Sepp Blatter personally asking him to reconsider.

He will however return to English Premiership refereeing next season.

Tiny ETimor TV station lifts threat after mob attack

East Timor's tiny television network Friday lifted its threat to pull World Cup matches from screens on the half-island following a mob attack on its offices.

The quarter-final of former colonial power Portugal against England in the early hours of Sunday had been at risk after 50 youths charged into the office and threatened staff during a civil crisis rocking the nation for weeks.

Managing director Gill Guterres said the youths were chased off by Portuguese police Wednesday but only a third of the network's 100 staff had reported for work since.

But he said extra security measures meant that the match would now be shown in East Timor, where football is by far the most popular sport.

"Support is divided, but most people support Portugal and Brazil here," he said.

The network paid less than 10,000 dollars for the right to screen the matches in East Timor because of its impoverished status, he added.

East Timor gained independence four years ago following Portuguese colonial rule, Indonesian occupation and then a UN-supervised transition period.