The Word on the Street
30 Jun 2006Aragones 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.
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.
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."
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.
Swiss forward Alexander Frei celebrates after scoring a goal during the World Cup 2006 group G football game Switzerland vs. South Korea, 23 June 2006 at Hanover stadium. AFP PHOTO PATRIK STOLLARZ
"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.
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.
Brazilian forward Ronaldo (C) works his way past Ghanaian goalkeeper Richard Kingston (R) and Ghanaian defender John Pantsil (bottom) to score the game's first goal during the round of 16 World Cup football match between Brazil and Ghana at Dortmund's World Cup Stadium, 27 June 2006. Brazil striker Ronaldo became the World Cup's all-time top scorer with 15 goals here when he scored against Ghana in the match. AFP PHOTO / VALERY HACHE
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.
Kaiser rules out FIFA bid
The chief organiser of the World Cup, Franz Beckenbauer, said on Thursday he was not interested in becoming FIFA chief but said he would be interested in taking over the UEFA presidency.
The FIFA President Joseph Sepp Blatter (L) and the head of the World Cup Organising Committee Franz Beckenbauer (R) are seen during the inauguration of the World Cup International Broadcasting Centre, 06 June 2006 in Munich. FIFA said it was expecting a global TV audience of 32 billion for the tournament, AFP PHOTO/LLUIS GENE.
The current FIFA president Sepp Blatter said in an interview with a German newspaper on Thursday that Beckenbauer "does not want to and cannot be" FIFA president.
"He is right in principle," said Beckenbauer, who is known as the kaiser. "I do not have time in my schedule to do that job and the need to be multi-lingual is also a problem.
"I speak German and a bit of Bavarian and my English needs to be vastly improved, so I leave this job to a talented person like Sepp Blatter."
"I am interested if Lennart Johansson (UEFA president) wants to step down. It all depends on that, let us wait until he makes his decision.
Lucky my left foot says Italy coach
Italian coach Marcello Lippi smiles during a press conference 29 June 2006 in Duisburg, on the eve of their quarter final of the football World Cup 2006 against Ukraine in Hamburg. AFP PHOTO / PATRICK HERTZOG
Italy coach Marcello Lippi responded with heavy irony to suggestions that Italy have been very lucky to reach the last eight.
"Yeah, I've really had a lot of luck," he said.
"I lost Francesco Totti three months before the World Cup began and we weren't sure if he was going to recover in time.
"Then we lost Gianluca Zambrotta for 15 days, and then Gennaro Gattuso and Alessandro Nesta got injured. This kind of luck is unprecedented."
Italy qualified for the quarter-finals with a 1-0 win over Australia after Totti converted a penalty in the last minute of the match.
World Cup gaff takes toll on Poll
Croatian midfielder Niko Kovac (L) talks with English referee Graham Poll at the end of the World Cup 2006 group F football match Croatia vs Australia, 22 June 2006 at Stuttgart stadium. Match ended 2-2. AFP PHOTO TORSTEN BLACKWOOD
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.
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.
The president of the Fifa Joseph S. Blatter protects his head from the sun 22 June 2006 during Women's Football Day in Berlin, ahead of the Fifa Football World Cup. One of the tournament's sponsors dedicated 22 June to Women's football 'to highlight the development of women's football over the last decades and Fifa's major role in supporting its development from grassroots to world-class level'. AFP PHOTO / SERGEI SUPINSKY
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.
Beckham has no plans to hang up boots
English midfielder David Beckham plays with the ball during a training session at the Mittelbergstadion in Buhlertal 28 June 2006. England coach Sven-Goran Eriksson has warned his players not to rise to any provocation from Portugal in their quarter-final on June 01, wary that referees are brandishing cards on a whim. AFP PHOTO ADRIAN DENNIS
England and Real Madrid star David Beckham says he plans to play for "a few more years" and suggested he could end up in the United States.
"Only time will tell how physically I feel playing at the highest level but I've always said I want to play at the highest level for a few more years yet," said the 31-year-old Englan captain.
"I've got that planned out and going to America is one of the ideas I've thought of in the future.
"But at the moment I'm a Real Madrid player, playing for England in the World Cup and it doesn't get much higher than that and I am enjoying my time at the moment."
Beckham will lead England out for a quarter-final against Portugal on Saturday
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.
English midfielder David Beckham (L-front) celebrates with teammates after scoring the game's first goal off a free kick during the round of 16 World Cup football match between England and Ecuador at Stuttgart's Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium, 25 June 2006. England were leading 1-0 in the second half. AFP PHOTO / ROBERTO SCHMIDT
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.
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.
Maradona hails Wayne 'Roonino' Rooney
English forward Wayne Rooney (R) fights for the ball with Ecuadorean defender Ivan Hurtado (behind) during the round of 16 World Cup football match between England and Ecuador at Stuttgart's Gottlieb-Daimler Stadium, 25 June 2006. England's David Beckham fired his team into the World Cup quarter-finals here, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Ecuador. AFP PHOTO / VALERY HACHE
Football legend Diego Maradona has hailed Wayne "Roonino" Rooney as one of the best players in the world, comparing the England star to himself.
The former Barcelona and Napoli star, who captained Argentina to World Cup victory in 1986, said Rooney was "phenomenal" and one of the hottest talents around.
"There is no doubt that Wayne Rooney is one of the best players in the world," Maradona said.
"I put him on the same level with Ronaldinho, (Juan Roman) Riquelme and (Lionel) Messi -- players of immense resource and talent."
"If his name was 'Roonino' and he had a double passport, then I'm sure he would get in our team," he said.
England fan handed suspended prison sentence
German policemen arrest English football fans in Stuttgart early 24 June 2006. About 100 England supporters were detained in this southwestern city after rampaging through the town center ahead of the "do-or-die" 2006 Fifa Football World Cup match against Ecuador. The fans, many of whom had been drinking heavily, began taunting passers-by overnight and throwing bottles, glasses and chairs. No one was reported injured. AFP PHOTO / DDP - STR
An England supporter was given a five months suspended prison sentence on Thursday for throwing a plastic chair and a beer bottle at the police at the England v Ecuador World Cup match in Stuttgart.
The 27-year-old, who has not been named, works as a security official at the British defence ministry.
German police arrested some 300 England fans in Stuttgart on Sunday after they became embroiled in scuffles with Germans, who were watching their team play Sweden, ahead of the Ecuador clash.
Shevchenko ready for Italian job
Ukrainian forward Andriy Shevchenko celebrates after scoring in the opening round Group H World Cup football match Ukraine vs. Tunisia, 23 June 2006 in Berlin, Germany.
Ukraine striker Andriy Shevchenko insists the World Cup debutants can pull off an upset by reaching the semi-finals at Italy's expense.
"Italy will be a tough nut to crack but we are confident we can produce a surprise," said Shevchenko, whose teammates redeemed him after he missed a spotkick in the Ukrainians' shootout win over Switzerland in the last 16.
"The Italians have won the tournament three times and they are a step up on anything we have faced to date, but I'd say we have an even chance.
"That's what we are telling ourselves," the new 30-million-pound (54.5-million-dollar) Chelsea striker told reporters at the team's training headquarters in Potsdam near Berlin.