The Word on the Street

09 Jul 2006

French fans deflated after World Cup loss

Thousands of French football fans crammed into the famed Champs-Elysees boulevard in Paris watched in stunned disbelief late Sunday as their team lost the World Cup final to Italy.

Deflated, and angry at the red-card exit of star player Zinadine Zidane, they milled around in distress after the final whistle blew in Berlin to dash their hopes of victory.

he dejection on their faces spoke volumes. With the game coming down to penalty shootouts, they had harboured hopes right to the end of beating Italy to take the trophy, but a one-goal deficit shattered that.

Zidane's expulsion from the game for an incomprehensible headbutt to the chest of Italian player Marco Materazzi was foremost in the minds of many.

"I just cannot understand what was going through Zidane's head, it just doesn't make any sense," said one fan, Cyrille Bonet.

His brother, Emmanuel, added: "Italy didn't deserve it but it's typical of Italians, they played terribly for the whole match and then they win it on penalties."

Thousands welcome Portuguese team home

Thousands of flag-waving fans welcomed Portugal's national team on their return home Sunday from the World Cup in Germany where they finished fourth, their second-best performance in the history of the tournament.

Fire trucks sprayed the plane carrying the squad with a red and green liquid, the colours of Portugal's flag, after it touched down at Portela airport as some 4,000 cheering supporters looked on according to police estimates.

The team, which lost 3-1 to hosts Germany on Saturday in the third-place playoff, then boarded a bus and were escorted by a police motorcade to the National Stadium just outside Lisbon where a celebration with live music was held in their honour.

Some 10,000 supporters, many wearing team jerseys, waved team flags and scarves while chanting "Por-tu-gal" and "Champions" when the Luiz Felipe Scolari's squad stepped on the pitch of the stadium.

Clinton in Berlin for World Cup final

Former US president Bill Clinton on Sunday paid a surprise whistlestop visit to the Berlin Fan Mile for football supporters before the World Cup final kicked off in the German capital.

"It is a beautiful day for playing football," said Clinton.

He stopped by after attending a ceremony where German President Horst Kohler welcomed visiting foreign dignatories attending the final.

Clinton said he loved being in Berlin and thought Germany had done a great job of hosting the world's biggest sporting event.

Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in front of giant screens in the highly popular Fan Mile, which stretches from the historic Brandenburg Gate, to watch Italy play France in the final in Berlin's Olympic Stadium.

One million give German team rapturous send-off

One million people took over central Berlin on Sunday to give the German team a heroes' welcome at the end of their World Cup campaign.

Fittingly, coach Jurgen Klinsmann and his players chose the Berlin Fan Mile to say thank you to the fans who have gathered there in their hundreds of thousands to watch every match of the host nation on giant screens.

The day after 'die Mannschaft' had secured third place by beating the other losing semi-finalist Portugal 3-1 in a playoff, they were feted like heroes.

Klinsmann told the crowd: "We have had a four-week long party like there has never been in Germany.

"We are savouring every second of this. A thousand thanks."

The players and coaches wore t-shirts bearing the words "Thank you Germany", drank beer from a giant glass, linked arms and sang along to music.

Some fans held cardboard hearts bearing the slogan "We Are Proud of You".

Portuguese media hails fourth-place finish

Portugal's media congratulated Luiz Felipe Scolari's team on Sunday after it finished fourth in the 2006 World Cup, it's second-best performance in the history of the tournment.

"We lost yesterday but it doesn't matter, they were fantastic days," read the headline in daily tabloid 24Horas after the team's 3-1 loss to hosts Germany on Saturday.

"Portugal pleased with fourth place in its 'final' with Germany," said daily newspaper Diario de Noticias on its front page.

Portugal had only ever been to three World Cups before this year's finals and failed to get past the first round in two of them.

Their greatest triumph was making the semi-finals in 1966, where they lost to England 2-1 and went on to finish in third place.

We feel like world champions say Germany

Unable to achieve their goal of becoming world champions, host nation Germany hailed themselves as the people's champions after ending their World Cup campaign on a high with a 3-1 victory over Portugal in the third-place play-off on Saturday.

Two great individual goals from Bastian Schweinsteiger and an own goal from Armando Petit saw Germany net the consolation of third prize.

"You are our world champions," headlined Bild am Sonntag. "Third place - but with all respect to France and Italy it is we who feel like the world champions."

"Germany have played the most attractive football in the tournament and scored the most goals.

"The only thing we want to hear now is the yes word from (Jurgen) Klinsmann."

Germany manager Jurgen Klinsmann, a World Cup winner with West Germany in 1990, has yet to decide whether he will stay on as national coach saying he needed some time to gather his thoughts.

No World Cup final for Pessotto

Juventus team manager Gianluca Pessotto's condition has improved slightly 12 days after jumping from his office window in a suicide attempt, said a spokesman at Turin's Le Molinette hospital.

"In these kinds of situations things can change very quickly one way or another but there are still signs of optimism today," said head of intensive care Pier Paolo Donadio on Sunday.

The 35-year-old former Italy utility player, who complained of stress after retiring as a player to take on the manager's role with the Serie A champions in May, was visited during the day by former Juve teammate Nicola Lombardo and Turin archbishop Cardinal Severino Poletto.

However, doctors retracted earlier suggestions that Pessotto would be allowed to watch television coverage of the World Cup final in Berlin between Italy and France late Sunday.

"We don't want to expose him to more fatigue," Donadio said.

Blair thanks Germany for World Cup

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Sunday that Germany had changed its image abroad for the better thanks to its spectacularly successful football World Cup.

"The old cliches have been replaced by a new, positive and more fair image of Germany," he wrote in a column for the Bild am Sonntag tabloid, in comments translated into German.

He acknowledged that the Germans were disappointed they had to settle for third place and leave Italy and France to battle it out in the final.

"But you can console yourselves and be proud that Germany is among the biggest winners of the tournament and that it deserves it."

He said the 2006 championship had "beat all expectations", particularly in its smooth organization and that Britain could take a page from Germany's planning as it prepares for the 2012 Olympics in London.

"The World Cup has once again shown that sport can bring people together. And we must thank this country and its citizens."

British bookmaker backs Italy to win

A leading British bookmaker is backing Italy to beat France in Sunday's World Cup final -- but names Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry as key contenders for Man of the Match.

"Italy are favourites," Ladbrokes spokesman Ciaran O'Brien told AFP.

"The feeling is that the French performance was a little bit lacking in flair in the semi-final, and the Italians were quite good against the Germans in the end."

With the Azzurri defence conceding just one goal during the entire tournament, Ladbrokes have the Italians at 11/8 to lift the Cup, while Les Bleus are 15/8.

British punters are being offered odds of 9/2 for the Italians to win 1-0. while the French team are 5/1 to win by the same scoreline.

Arsenal striker Henry is 4/1 to score the first goal, followed by Luca Toni (9/2), David Trezeguet (6/1), Francesco Totti (7/1) and Zinedine Zidane (8/1).

Rooney gets two-match ban for red card

England striker Wayne Rooney has been suspended for two matches following his World Cup quarter-final red card, a spokesman for football's governing body FIFA told AFP here Saturday.

The 20-year-old Manchester United star was sent off for violent conduct during England's defeat to Portugal when he stamped on defender Ricardo Carvalho.

FIFA also announced suspensions for Argentinian duo Leandro Cufre and Maxi Rodriguez for their part in the ugly brawl that followed the South Americans' quarter-final exit to Germany. Cufre was banned for four games while Rodriguez will serve a two-match suspension.

Rooney, who was also fined 5,000 Swiss francs (4,084 US dollars), will miss England's opening qualifiers matches for Euro 2008, a home tie with Andorra on September 2 followed by a trip to Macedonia four days later.

Scapegoat Ronaldo wants to leave England

Manchester United's Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo, a hate figure in England after his involvement in Wayne Rooney's sending-off at the World Cup, said Saturday he wants to leave the country.

"To be honest it is difficult to stay in England after they way they have treated me because I didn't hurt anyone," said the 21-year-old who is linked with a move to Real Madrid.

"They are making a big deal out of nothing and I don't know why. It's difficult to live in a country where they practically don't want me. In the coming two or three days I will reach a decision," he added.

He was also disappointed that Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and other club officials had not stood up for him in recent days.

"They should have defended me and no one defended me. I can't stay on under these conditions. I don't want to stay at the club."

McLaren waves red card at England WAGs

New England manager Steve McLaren has banned WAGs, players' wives and girlfriends, from future tournaments, it was reported on Sunday.

McLaren, who took over from Sven-Goran Eriksson after England's World Cup quarter-final exit, has decided that the WAGs' power shopping and late night partying make them too much of a distraction.

The WAGs included David Beckham's wife Victoria, Wayne Rooney's girlfriend Colleen McLoughlin, Joe Cole's girlfriend Carly Zucker, Elen Rives, Frank Lampard's fiancee, and pop singer Cheryl Tweedy, Ashley Cole's partner.

One source close to the Football Association told the Sunday Telegraph: "The WAGs provided a lot of entertainment with their designer clothes, fake tans, hair extensions and heavy drinking in the bars.

"But Steve seems to think that it was all a bit over the top and could affect the way the team performs."

FIFA and EU sign accord to help African football

FIFA and the European Commission signed a memorandum of understanding for football in Africa, the Caribbean and Pacific countries here on Sunday ahead of the World Cup final.

The memorandum is designed to use the world's most popular sport as a platform for communicating a positive image of Africa, raising awareness of the continent's potential and to fight against racism and discrimination.

"Football has proved yet again it can bring people together," FIFA President Sepp Blatter said at a signing ceremony with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, South African President Thabo Mbeki and EU Development Commissioner Louis Michel.

Blatter added: "We share the same message of solidarity in a world that is more and more selfish. Football can be the instrument to create a world full of hope, through better education and health."

Eriksson turns down offers in Jamaica, Europe

Former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson has knocked back separate offers to coach a Champions League team on the continent and the Jamaican national team, his agent Athole Still said Sunday.

"It would be unfair of me to name which club, but we have already turned down an extremely good offer from a Champions League club," the Swede's agent told the BBC.

"It was not in this country. I'm afraid I cannot say (which club) because it would be embarrassing to the club concerned."

Since Eriksson's reign effectively ended with England's World Cup quarter-final loss to Portugal last weekend, press reports have suggested a Carribbean move could be on the cards, which Still confirmed.

"It appeared in the press before there was any contact to myself, but then there was contact to myself," Still said.

"He will go to any club, or indeed national team, where he feels there is real ambition and the real possibility of doing something.

"He will work with any team where he feels there is real ambition.

'Doping-free' World Cup

Every drugs test has produced a negative result for the third consecutive World Cup, FIFA Chief Medical Officer Jiri Dvorak said on Saturday.

Two players have been tested after each match, with urine samples analysed and testing for the endurance-booster EPO also carried out.

Dvorak said FIFA no longer tested blood samples because "there is no scientific evidence that blood samples offer any additional information or give any additional proof" than urine testing.

Tough line on elbowing 'reducing head injuries'

The number of head injuries at the World Cup has been reduced because referees have taken a tough line on elbowing, FIFA Chief Medical Officer Jiri Dvorak said on Saturday.

There have been just 11 head injuries at the 62 games so far, compared with 25 at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea.

"This is due to the fact that referees are sanctioning elbowing incidents with the red card," said Dvorak, who is a neurologist by profession.

The toughest penalty was handed down to Italy midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who was sent off and then banned for four international matches for elbowing US striker Brian McBride in the face in a first-round match.

Dvorak reported that the average number of injuries of any sort had fallen to 2.2 per match at this World Cup from 2.7 per match in 2002.

This was partly due to the three-week gap between the end of the club seasons and the start of the World Cup enforced by FIFA which had allowed previous injuries to heal properly, he said.

Cancellation of Africa-themed concert 'unavoidable'

Stormy weather left organisers with no choice but to cancel a concert planned for Friday night featuring mainly African artists to showcase South Africa's hosting of the 2010 World Cup, FIFA said.

After weeks of hot weather, the German capital was battered by storms and torrential rain on Friday.

"The show was cancelled because there was a big risk for the participants and spectators. We had no choice and we greatly regret this," FIFA spokesman Markus Siegler said.

The "Football for a better world" concert was to have featured singers including Youssou N'Dour playing at the Fan Mile area in Berlin.

Capello ready to plunder former club

Former Juventus coach Fabio Capello is set to try to sign three players from the ailing Italian giants for his new club Real Madrid, it was reported on Saturday.

Capello, who quit earlier this week to take the helm at Real Madrid for a second time, wants to lure Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro, fellow defender Gianluca Zambrotta and Brazilian defensive midfielder Emerson according to the sports dailies As and Marca.

According to the papers negotiations between the two clubs began on Friday over the trio - Cannavaro and Zambrotta are still in Germany preparing for Sunday's World Cup final - who will in Marca's opinion apparently cost 15million euros.

Injured boy gets dream trip to final

An 11-year-old German boy who suffered concussion when a car ploughed through Berlin's Fan Mile a week ago, has received two tickets for Sunday's final between France and Italy from the city's mayor.

"The final is a moment he will remember forever," mayor Klaus Wowereit said.

The boy was the most badly injured of 26 people hurt when a car burst through security barriers at the Fan Mile.

The driver of the car is receiving psychiatric treatment.

German press runs petition to keep Klinsmann

Germany has lost the World Cup but found a new national obsession - keeping Jurgen Klinsmann as coach with the press on Saturday intensifying calls for him to renew his contract.

The popular Bild newspaper, once among the loudest of his detractors, published a petition on its frontpage inviting readers to join the campaign to keep Klinsmann.

Under the headline "Germany fights for Klinsmann", it ran a list of ten reasons why the 41-year-old is the best man for the job.

These included: "He always gives his all" and "He made it cool to be black, red and gold", referring to the colours of the national flag.

A poll published on Friday showed that 95 percent of Germans want to keep the coach many loved to hate until he led a young national side to the semi-finals.

Lippi rules out Man Utd job

Italy coach Marcello Lippi said Saturday he is not interested in becoming the coach of English Premiership giants Manchester United.

Talking on the eve of Italy's World Cup final against France, the 58-year-old said he will reveal his plans for the future in the next few weeks.

When asked if he was interested in going to Old Trafford, Lippi replied: "All I'm interested in is winning the World Cup.

"It's pointless talking about these things. There's no truth in this story and you will find out where I am going in the next 15 to 20 days, maybe a month. But I'm certain it won't be Manchester."

Lippi's contract with Italy ends after the World Cup, but the Italian football federation are keen for him to stay on.

English press reported earlier this week that Lippi would quit as Italy manager and move to Manchester, where he would work alongside Sir Alex Ferguson until the United manager retires.

Eiffel Tower ready for France win

A World Cup victory for France against Italy on Sunday will be celebrated by a spectacular all-night light show at the Eiffel Tower.

The world's most-visited monument with six million visitors each year was draped with thousands of light bulbs to celebrate the millennium six years ago.

Currently these flash on and off for 10 minutes each hour during the night.

But should Zinedine Zidane and his men triumph in Berlin the huge iron structure will flash its recognition without pause throughout the night until dawn.