Soccer Match News

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FIFA bans Italian, Korean players and officials for match-fixing
February 28, 2013 13:25 IST

Football’s governing body FIFA [ Images ] has banned 74 Italian and South Korean officials and players from world football on charges of match-fixing.

FIFA, which extended sanctions internationally on 70 individuals, including 11 life bans, has identified the charges involved as match-fixing, including direct involvement or omission to report the crime, illegal betting or association to commit illegal acts, Sport24 reports.

FIFA further said that four new South Korean cases follow worldwide sanctions imposed on 10 people last year and a further 41 last month.

The latest global sanctions were announced two days after FIFA extended bans to 58 people for match-fixing offenses in China, of which 33, including 2002 World Cup referee Lu Jun, were expelled for life from the sport, the report added.

 

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Benitez gets little sympathy from former Chelsea players
Last updated on: February 28, 2013 16:59 IST

Former Chelsea players showed little sympathy for interim boss Rafael Benitez who said on Wednesday he was leaving the club at the end of the season and criticised the club's board and fans.

Instead, they rallied round their old club with former defender Jason Cundy saying Benitez had orchestrated his own downfall at Stamford Bridge by failing to adopt an attractive brand of football, which would have won over the fans.

Former midfielder Craig Burley said Benitez and the club should go their separate ways as soon as possible, while bookmakers William Hill were offering short odds that he would be out of Stamford Bridge before Chelsea play West Bromwich Albion in the Premier League on Saturday.

 

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No matchfixing link to Lebanon World Cup games, say AFC
February 28, 2013 18:19 IST

The Asian Football Confederation is not aware of any suspicion linking Lebanon's World Cup qualifiers to the country's matchfixing scandal but has requested a full report, the regional body said on Thursday.

The AFC said in a statement they had only received a summary report on the scandal from the Lebanese Football Association, who handed out various penalties to 24 players, including life bans for defender Ramez Dayoub and forward Mahmoud El-Ali, for their role in the scandal.

The two-month investigation involving over 60 witnesses was led by the general secretary of the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF), Fadi Zreiqat, who said international and club games were targeted by the fixers.

The AFC said the various sanctions imposed by the Lebanese would extend to the three players who play their club football outside of the West Asian country.

El Ali plays in Indonesia for Persiba Balipapan, Dayoub for Selangor in Malaysia and Akram Moghrani for Indian side Churchill Brothers.

Dayoub has denied the accusations.

Lebanon are still in contention to qualify for their first World Cup finals with three matches remaining, but the side who are bottom in the five-team Group A face a tough task to claim one of the top two positions and reach Brazil [ Images ].

The AFC said they had also set up an internal task force to educate their member association on ways and measures to tackle 'the menace' of matchfixing and praised the Lebanese for their efforts.

"AFC would like to congratulate the Lebanese Football Association for carrying out the investigation and imposing sanctions on its players and would continue to support such initiatives by our member associations," the statement said.

 

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I-League player in Lebanese fixing scandal
February 28, 2013 18:33 IST

Lebanese footballer, playing till very recently for I-League club Churchill Brothers, has been implicated in the match-fixing scandal that has rocked the west Asian nation, and the Lebanese FA has informed the AIFF about sanctions imposed on the footballer.

Of the 24 players implicated, Akram Moghrabi, who had signed for the Goan club last July on a one-year deal, is one of them. The player, though, is not part of the Churchill Brothers squad any more as he left earlier this month citing personal reasons.

Moghrabi scored eight times in 18 matches this season.

"The Lebanese Football Association has informed the member associations of India [ Images ], Malaysia and Indonesia of sanctions on Lebanese players plying their trade in these countries," read a statement from the AFC.

The Asian Football Confederation is to investigate a report on match-fixing in Lebanon after 24 players were handed suspensions ranging from three seasons to life for allegedly fixing international and club matches.

As per Article 140 of the AFC Disciplinary Code "a sanction imposed by a Member Association has the same effect in each Member Association of AFC as if the sanction had been imposed by any one of them".

Among those sanctioned by the Lebanese Football Association were national team players Mahmoud al-Ali (Persiba Balipapan, Indonesia) and Ramez Dayoub ((Selangor, Malaysia) who have been banned for life.

"AFC has received the summary report from the Lebanese Football Association on their investigations and subsequent action against involvement of Lebanese players in match-fixing."

The AFC said it is not aware if the matches fixed include any of Lebanon's 2014 World Cup qualifying games.

"AFC has no knowledge on any suspicion surrounding Lebanon's any of the 2014 FIFA [ Images ] World Cup qualifying matches."

"AFC has also set up an internal task force to educate the Member Associations on ways and measures to combat this menace and monitor and coordinate with everyone involved to fight match-fixing in AFC competitions," it further said.

 

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My relationship with Abramovich is very good: Benitez
March 01, 2013 09:42 IST

Chelsea [ Images ]’s beleaguered interim manager Rafael Benitez still enjoys a “very good” relationship with the club’s owner Roman Abramovich, he told BBC in an interview on Thursday.

The Spaniard’s comments came the day after he criticised the Chelsea board for appointing him only on an interim basis following the sacking of Roberto di Matteo in November.

“My relationship with the staff and people at the club is really good,” the former Liverpool manager, unpopular with Chelsea fans since his appointment, said.

“My relationship with Roman Abramovich is very good. When I meet with Roman Abramovich we talk about football, we talk like normal people and share our passion for football.”

Chelsea fans have openly voiced their dissatisfaction with Benitez and the manager earlier this week denied reports of friction with the European champions’ senior players following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat at ManchesterCity.

Benitez said he was not worried about being sacked by Russian billionaire Abramovich before his contract runs out at the end of the season.

“The players are really happy in what we are trying to do. Sometimes you win, sometimes you cannot. The atmosphere in the club is really good. There are no issues in the team,” the 52-year-old said.

Chelsea became the first Champions League [ Images ] winners to fail to survive the group stages in their title defence when they were eliminated from this season’s competition in December.

They are fourth in the Premier League with 11 games left, 19 points behind leaders Manchester United [ Images ] and facing a battle to finish in the top four and earn a Champions League spot next season.

Following Chelsea’s 2-0 FA Cup win at Middlesbrough on Wednesday, Benitez hit out at the fans who regularly barrack him at matches and chant Di Matteo’s name.

“If we stick together and support the players we will be able to win games,” Benitez said.

“Then at the end of the season I will leave and then they (the fans) can criticise.

“We still have to play 11 games in the Premier League and we have the FA Cup and the Europa League [ Images ]. Everyone knows I will finish my contract at the end of the season.

“So this group of fans, who are singing and creating banners, they have to concentrate on supporting the team. The rest of the fans, the majority of fans, know the way to help the team is by supporting the players.

Chelsea are through to the Europa League last 16 and play Manchester United in the FA Cup quarter-finals next month.

“I’m thinking about my team and my club -- I want to win every game,” Benitez said.

“I tried to explain the way is to support the team in every single game.”

Benitez is the 10th Chelsea manager since Abramovich took over the club in 2003.

 

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Churchill Brothers release Lebanese player involved in fixing
March 01, 2013 12:33 IST

Akram Moghrabi was released by Churchill Brothers before the Lebanese player was named in a major match-fixing scandal in his native country, the Indian I-League club told Reuters on Friday.

The Lebanese Football Federation sanctioned 24 players on Tuesday following allegations of fixing international and regional games with the AFC extending the punishment to the three, including Moghrabi, who they said played club football outside the west Asian country.

"We released him last month and signed an Afghan player in his place," Churchill Brothers technical director Shubhas Bhowmick said on Friday.

"He was homesick and we had to terminate his contract to let him return," he said of the 27-year-old forward who had joined the club in July on a one-year deal.

Asked for his impression of the player, Bhowmick said he had no clue about Moghrabi's possible involvement in the scandal.

"He was a nice boy but I can't say anything about his past," Bhowmick said.

The Lebanese Federation awarded life bans to forward Mahmoud El-Ali, who plays in Indonesia for Persiba Balipapan, and defender Ramez Dayoub, who plays for Selangor in Malaysia and has denied the accusations.

Despite the penalty, Persiba said they would stand by Ali, the Jakarta Globe reported.

"We have heard about that (the ban)," club president Syahril Taher was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

"Ali received a sanction from the Lebanese federation and not from FIFA [ Images ], therefore there is no problem unless there is a notification otherwise from FIFA. Then we will immediately dismiss him," Syahril said.

"It is not yet certain that he is guilty as he can still appeal. The essence is that if there is not letter from FIFA regarding this ban, then El Ali can continue to play," he added.

Dayoub also appears to have the backing of his club with coach Irfan Bakti being quoted in the media as saying Selangor would give the player every support should he appeal against the ban.

 

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Street in Lisbon suburb to be named after Mourinho
March 01, 2013 12:41 IST

Real Madrid [ Images ] coach Jose Mourinho is to get a street in Setubal named after him in honour of his sporting achievements, the town hall of his home city said on Thursday.

Mourinho, the 50-year-old self-styled 'Special One', is arguably the most successful ever Portuguese coach.

He has won league titles in four different countries with Porto, Chelsea [ Images ], Inter Milan [ Images ] and Real Madrid, and has led teams to two Champions League [ Images ] trophies.

The Setubal town hall said in a statement it had made the decision because of Mourinho's "extraordinary role in international sport".

"He is, in all fairness, one of the coaches in the world with the most prestige and qualification."

The exact street or avenue has not yet been chosen but the town hall's general assembly voted unanimously to approve the naming.

Setubal, located just south-east of Lisbon across the Tagus, is a former industrial hub that has become one of Portugal's most impoverished and unemployment-stricken cities.

 

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Barca seek solutions and a lift at Bernabeu
Last updated on: March 1, 2013 15:28 IST

Seemingly rudderless and leaderless, Barcelona have little time to find solutions to their dip in form but they have a chance to lift morale when they visit a distracted Real Madrid in La Liga on Saturday.

Holders Barca were dumped out of the King's Cup by their arch-rivals on Tuesday, suffering a humiliating 3-1 semi-final second-leg battering in front of their own fans, to miss out on a place in the final.

With the defeat coming hot on the heels of their lame 2-0 Champions League last-16 first-leg reverse at AC Milan last week, alarm bells have been ringing at the Nou Camp as Barca's season threatens to run out of steam.

They hold a 12-point lead over second-placed Atletico Madrid in the league, and a 16-point advantage over Real in third, but Barca are a side used to winning more than one title a year and anything less will spark talk of a decline.

On the other hand, Real, who have written off their chances of retaining their league crown, come out of the semi-final reinforced psychologically and with their eyes firmly fixed on their quest for a 10th European Crown.

 

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Ferguson eyes director's role at United after coaching job
March 01, 2013 15:34 IST

Alex Ferguson [ Images ] sees himself becoming a director at Manchester United [ Images ] when he finally decides to quit management.

The 71-year-old Scot, who shelved retirement plans more than a decade ago, still has no idea when he will call it a day.

"There's no getting rid of me," Ferguson, who has been in the Old Trafford hot seat since 1986, said in an interview with twentyfour7 Football magazine published on Friday.

"I will probably become a director.

"Nobody knows (when I will step down), neither do I. It won't be a doctor that tells me to quit."

Ferguson, whose side have a 12-point lead at the top of the Premier League, has guided United to many titles including two Champions League [ Images ] trophies, five FA Cups and 12 league crowns.

Even though he is still in the job, there is often media speculation about who will fill the vacancy once it comes up.

Real Madrid's [ Images ] Jose Mourinho, a good friend of Ferguson's who is heading to Old Trafford this week for Tuesday's Champions League last 16 second leg, is one of the most heavily fancied candidates.

Ferguson said he expected to be consulted about a successor but that the final decision would not be his.

"They'll ask me," he said.

"But I think it'll be a club decision not mine."

Whoever comes in might want to listen to his words of advice.

"Imagination is always important. The other most important thing is don't change who you are," he said.

"It happens, you see it time and time again, a manager comes in and tries to change himself.

"Your job is not to change you, it's to change what you're taking over. Change the team, the philosophy of a football club to your philosophy. Never change who you are.

"That really will hold you in good stead, simply because the players understand what you are, who you are."

Ferguson added he was keen to ensure that former United players stayed involved in the club.

"Looking at my present crop, it's difficult, but the likes of (Ryan) Giggs and (Paul) Scholes will be part of the structure here. Darren Fletcher [ Images ] in the long term possibly and Nicky Butt is with the reserves," he said.

"We try to get as many former players in the set-up as we can, we've got a good back-up.

"We look ahead because that is succession planning in terms of structure - they've the experience of being at the club, being a player here, knowing what it takes to be a winner. It's good to have it here, keep it within the club."

 

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I cannot rest on past laurels, says Chhetri
March 01, 2013 16:00 IST

India [ Images ] skipper Sunil Chhetri, who had struck a hat-trick in the final when India won the 2008 AFC Challenge Cup, stressed on the importance of not resting on past laurels and said he is focussed on leading the team's campaign in the AFC Challenge Cup Qualifiers.

-India face Chinese Taipei in AFC Challenge Qualifiers

Ahead of the opener against Chinese Taipei in Yangon, on Saturday, Chhetri said the team would take no outfit lightly in the competition in its bid to qualify for the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup finals in Maldives [ Images ].

"I just hope that I can live up to the expectations. As a player, it never comes to my mind as to which tournament or match I am playing. I have always had one aim -- to do well for my country. This is a very important tournament for us and we, as a team, will give everything we have," Chhetri told http://www.the-aiff.com.

"Chinese Taipei and Myanmar are very good teams especially Myanmar, as they are playing at home. But first things first, and at the moment, we are concentrating on our first match against Chinese Taipei. We need to take one match at a time," he said.

India have been clubbed with hosts Myanmar, Chinese Taipei and Guam in Group A. They play Chinese Taipei in their first match followed by games against Guam and hosts Myanmar on March 4 and March 6 respectively.

Twenty countries have been divided into five groups of four with the quartet playing against each other in a one-round league in a centralised venue. The five group winners and two best second-placed teams will join host nation Maldives at the 2014 AFC Challenge Cup finals.

India's second highest scorer with 38 goals behind Bhaichung Bhutia's 42, Chhetri said he was happy with his signing for I-league club Churchill Brothers on loan, but admitted the responsibility has come with an added pressure.

"It's good but at the same time, it's an added pressure. There will be expectations as we are in contention to win the I-League this season. I have played two matches for them and am looking forward to joining them after the campaign in the AFC Challenge Cup 2014," he said.

Chhetri has taken a four-month break from his foreign stint with Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon [ Images ].

Talking about their 2-4 loss to Palestine in an international friendly match early last month, Chhetri said it was a tale of two contrasting halves.

"It was a tale of seven drastic minutes and we have nobody to blame. The positive part stays that we were the better team in the first half. But at this level, there can't be any room for excuses. We need to ensure that such a phase never hits us again. It's past for us but at the same time have taught us a lesson. We are working hard on that," he said.

Asked whether he believes the fans have become a bit impatient, the 28-year-old said, "I'd say it's a normal reaction. Fans expect us to win every match and I don't blame them at all.

"It's all about the mentality. I try not to be bothered by it and carry on doing my job. Success and failures and the reaction will come and go," he signed off.