On the pitch

06 Jul 2006

Lehmann future hinges on Klinsmann

Germany goalkeeper Jens Lehmann admits he will wait to see whether manager Jurgen Klinsmann stays on in the job before deciding whether to carry on in the national team until Euro 2008.

"I will think about my personal situation after the finals and certainly chat with Jurgen Klinsmann about it," Lehmann said.

"Like all the other players I hope he stays as everybody wants to continue his work.

"If Jurgen decides that he does not want to continue the disappointment would be enormous as we do not know what is coming next."

Lehmann looked despondent and admitted he was finding the Italy defeat hard to stomach, particularly after losing the Champions League final with Arsenal. "I feel worse than I did after the game as I have had time to reflect on it," Lehmann said. "As a player it is difficult to stomach missing out on the final.

"The disappointment of going so close to winning two major trophies this season will stay with me for a long time.

Klose dreaming of Golden Boot title

Germany striker Miroslav Klose says he is desperate to win the Golden Boot title after missing out on Sunday's World Cup final in Berlin.

Klose leads the scoring charts with five goals and has the chance to put more distance between him and his rivals when hosts Germany take on Portugal in Saturday's third-place play-off in Stuttgart.

"Finishing top-scorer at the World Cup is a great honour and it would be fantastic if one title stayed in Germany after these finals," Klose said.

Werder Bremen striker Klose is two goals ahead of his main rival French striker Thierry Henry who will face Italy in Sunday's final.

German Player of the Year Klose admits he is still struggling with a calf injury picked up in the 2-0 semi-final defeat to Italy on Tuesday and is not certain to play.

"I still have pain in my calf. I want to play but if it is not 100 percent I won't risk it," Klose declared.

If Klose, born in the Polish city of Opole, can score against Portugal on Saturday it will take his World Cup goals tally to 11 - level with Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann.

Three French, four Italians up for best player

Italy and France contribute the majority of players nominated for the award of World Cup player of the tournament as FIFA's technical Study Group mulls their respective merits, it emerged Thursday.

The group have put ten players forward and the world media will choose who should succeed Oliver kahn, voted the 2002 edition's most valuable player.

The ten are Italian quartet Andrea Pirlo, Fabio Cannavaro, Gianlugi Buffon and Gianluca Zambrotta, French final rivals Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry and Patrick Vieira, Maniche of Portugal, as well as German skipper Michael Ballack and top scorer - to date - Miroslav Klose, also of Germany.

Prior to Kahn, the first keeper to win the award, Ronaldo was singled out in 1998 despite Brazil's final loss.

The 1994 prize went to compatriot Romario, Salvatore Schillaci of Italy won in 1990, Diego Maradona took the 1986 honours and Italian striker Paulo Rossi was the experts choice four years earlier.

Elizondo to referee World Cup final

Argentinian referee Horacio Elizondo will be in charge of Sunday's World Cup final here between France and Italy, FIFA announced on Thursday.

Elizondo was also in charge of the tournament opener between Germany and Costa Rica in Munich on June 9.

In the quarter-finals he was the referee for the England v Portugal game and sent off England striker Wayne Rooney in a controversial decision for stamping on an opponent.

France in white for World Cup final

France will play in their reserve colours of all-white in Sunday's World Cup final against Italy here, FIFA announced on Thursday.

The Italians, deemed as the home side by FIFA, will play in their habitual blue shirts.

The last time the French won the World Cup on home soil in 1998 they wore their customary blue shirts against the yellow of Brazil.

The match in Berlin's Olympic Stadium kicks off at 1800 GMT

Nesta out of World Cup final

Italy's central defender Alessandro Nesta has been ruled out of Sunday's World Cup final against France.

"He will not be fit to play, Italy team doctor Enrico Castellacci said here on Thursday.

Nesta, 30, has missed Italy's last three matches with a groin strain which he suffered during the 2-0 win over the Czech Republic in the group stage.

Marco Materazzi will continue in Nesta's place.

Italy receive praise from Domenech

Italy, who meet France in the World Cup final on Sunday - received generous praise from an unexpected quarter on Thursday - Raymond Domenech.

The 54-year-old French coach revealed himself as an out and out fan of Marcelo Lippi's Azzurri, and was savouring the prospect of Sunday's clash in Berlin.

"The game has the makings of a beautiful occasion," he said.

"A beautiful occasion because it's a World Cup final and because it's against Italy.

"I'm a strong admirer of the team, I feel attached to the way they play. Games with Italy are never boring and always leave an impression."

"Italy pulled off a real achievement in beating Germany and from what I saw the choice of tactics transformed the game," commented Domenech.

Henry always knew France would confound the critics

France striker Thierry Henry said after his nation beat Portugal on Wednesday to reach the World Cup final that he had never listened to the critics who savaged the team when they made a poor start to the tournament.

"It is true that we were not playing well, people were saying we were too old. That was pretty harsh, but as soon as you step it up it works," Henry said.

"We were not listening to it, we were playing as a team. That is what the team is all about."

"We defended like lions. After we got the penalty, the way we defended was great," Henry said.

Lilian Thuram, one of the veterans from the 1998-winning team who came out of international retirement to help France qualify, said the joy of being in the final was just as strong eight years later.

"I am 34 today and I feel like a 10-year-old child who is watching the World Cup on television and thinking it is magnificent.

"I am just saying that I am so lucky. We're in the final and I hope that the party is going to continue because this is just too beautiful," said Thuram, who was named man of the match.

Zidane penalty sends France into final against Italy

France hung on for dear life to defeat Portugal 1-0 and won the right to meet Italy in the World Cup final on Sunday after a thrilling semi-final in Munich on Wednesday.

Zinedine Zidane made the difference with a cooly struck 33rd minute penalty although Ricardo dove the right way but the Real Madrid star still steered it home.

Portugal threw everything forward in a second-half onslaught but failed to break down the rigid French defence who were superbly marshalled by Lilian Thuram, Willy Sagnol and William Gallas.

The turning point of the match arrived with 12 minutes left in the first-half when Chelsea defender Ricardo Carvalho brought down Thierry Henry just inside the area.

A clever touch by Henry wrong-footed Carvalho who stuck his leg out, and although the Arsenal star reacted theatrically to clear contact, Uruguayan referee Jorge Larrionda had no hesitation in pointing to the spot.

Zidane then did the rest.

The only negative point for France was a foolish yellow card picked up by substitute Louis Saha in the dying minutes which rules him out of the final.

Figo says Portugal deserved a final place

Portugal star Luis Figo reflected on the thin line between success and failure after a penalty by former Real Madrid clubmate Zinedine Zidane sent France through to the World Cup final 1-0 at his own country's expense.

"We are very disappointed. I thought we deserved a better result than this," said Figo, who had a golden opportunity to make it 1-1 but his second-half header after Fabien Barthez comically dropped the ball went over the bar.

"We had more control of the game but we couldn't put away our chances. It is a pity for us as we so wanted a place in the final.

"On the penalty it was hard for me to judge - I couldn't see from where I was. Maybe the referee had a better view.

"I am proud of the team and we want to finish off with a win over Germany," said Figo in allusion to the third-place playoff with Germany which will be his international swansong.

English town looks to Perrotta for double

A humble town in the north of England could be celebrating a World Cup double on Sunday when Italy face France in the Berlin final.

Italy midfielder Simone Perrotta was born in Ashton-under-Lyne, which is situated seven miles (11km) north-east of Manchester, as was England's 1966 hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst.

Perrotta's parents Francesco, who ran a pub in the town, and Annamaria emigrated to England in the early 1960s.

The family then returned to Italy in 1982, when Perrotta was just six, the year the Azzurri last won the World Cup.

"I have vague memories of England as a little boy," said the 28-year-old Roma player.

"I remember the park and the garden and I also remember the school where I used to play football in the playground with my friends.

"Although my parents are Italian and I've spent most of my life in Italy, I still feel I have a little bit of England in me.

Referee defends red card for Rooney

The referee who gave Wayne Rooney a fateful red card in the weekend match that saw England crash out of the World Cup has defended his decision.

Speaking to the Times newspaper in Frankfurt, Horacio Elizondo confirmed that he sent off Rooney during Saturday's quarter-final match with Portugal for lashing Ricardo Carvalho with his boot and catching him in the groin.

"It was violent play and therefore he got a red card," said the Argentine referee, who went on to deny that an on-pitch protest from Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, a teammate of Rooney's at Manchester United, had swayed him.

"People can say what they want, but this had absolutely no influence," he said.

"For me it was a clear red card, so I didn't react to the Portuguese players. There was pushing and shoving on boh sides, but for me it wasn't a reason to caution anybody."

Totti likely to quit after World Cup, says Lippi

Italy coach Marcello Lippi said Wednesday that striker Francesco Totti is likely to retire from international football after the World Cup final.

"As far as I'm aware it's 90 per cent he will quit," Lippi said.

"But you have to understand what's going on in his heart and mind before commenting," he added, suggesting there is a small chance the Roma captain will continue for the Azzurri.

Totti had hinted before the tournament he would call time on his international career.

The 29-year-old forward broke his left ankle in February and only returned to action in late May.

He persuaded Lippi to take him to Germany despite his lack of match practice and has not let his coach down.

Totti's performances in the group stages were patchy due to a lack of sharpness, but he was outstanding in the first half of Tuesday's extra-time victory over the host nation in Dortmund.

Italy are tops says Thuram

France will be going up against the best team in the tournament when they take on Italy in the World Cup final on Sunday, according to defender Lilian Thuram.

France's record cap winner, who plays his club football for Juventus, said after his side defeated Portugal 1-0 late Wednesday to set up the match in Berlin, that he has feared the Italians from the start of the finals.

Of course I know all the Juventus players very well, they are very strong. It's going to be a tough game against Italy. They are without doubt the best team in the tournament," the 34-year-old said.

"From the start I thought they would go far as they are a very homogenous group of players. You can sense their solidarity.

"Once upon a time there were too many big egos in the Italian team, but now they work for each other and it is going to be very difficult for us."

Guimaraes quits Costa Rica post

Costa Rica's World Cup coach Alexandre Guimaraes quit his post Monday after recieving phone threats at his home, he told a press conference.

Guimaraes had a contract with the Central Americans until 2010 but said it was not worth continuing in the job under the threat of violence against him and his family.

"The first sign was in the airport," he said. "If I had not been under police protection I don't know if I would have been here today (Monday) for this press conference."

The Brazilian, a naturalised Costa Rican, said that since his return he had endured the wrath of supporters who blamed him for his country's first round exit in Group A.

Costa Rica lost all three group matches: 4-2 to Germany, 3-0 to Ecuador and 2-1 to Poland.

"I don't want to be held solely responsible and have to hire bodyguards," added Guimaraes.

A dream win for Italy, says Lippi

Italy coach Marcello Lippi said on Tuesday that his team had achieved a dream win over Germany to reach the World Cup final.

Goals in the final minutes of extra-time from Fabio Grosso and substitute Alessandro Del Piero settled a semi-final which appeared to be heading for a penalty shootout.

"It was tough but we are delighted that we have done it. It is a dream, we have achieved something huge here," said the 58-year-old former Juventus coach.

"If either side deserved to win it then it was us. It's a really special moment, fantastic.

"I was so impressed with the enthusiam and the effort from my team and I am so proud of the boys."

Italy will play the winner of Wednesday's Portugal v France semi-final in the final on Sunday in Berlin's Olympic Stadium.