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International Roundup Australian federation further divided as officials quitPosted: Wednesday November 27, 2002 12:43 PMUpdated: Wednesday November 27, 2002 3:55 PM
MELBOURNE (Reuters) -- Soccer Australia (SA), beset by internal power struggles and financial problems, was further divided on Wednesday when four top officials resigned. Three of them, SA president Nick Greiner, chairman Ian Knop and commissioner Graeme Bowker released a joint statement to say they were stepping down from the SA board of commissioners only a month after stakeholders elected a new board. Chief executive Alan Vessey also separately announced his resignation. "Following the SA board of commissioners meeting today, we have tendered our resignations from our respective positions at SA," the joint statement said. "We have attempted to work with the board in a positive fashion and continue the reform program we have established over the past 12 months. "We believe that the majority of the board are opposed to improving Soccer Australia's constitution and establishing new levels of corporate governance and professionalism for the game. "This is also reflected in their opposition to the Crawford Inquiry which has been established by the Australian Sports Commission [ASC]. "Suffice to say, the corporate governance attitudes and behavior of the majority are quite unacceptable to us." Vessey, in a separate statement, said: "Events of the last two months have clearly confirmed that my philosophy and vision for the game is inconsistent with the direction the game appears to be heading under the stewardship of the majority of the board of directors. I am not prepared to alter my position or values and reluctantly have taken this step." Structural review Plans for Australia to bid to host the 2014 World Cup finals were put on hold after SA announced in August that it had agreed to a major structural review. Australia's Federal Sports Minister Rod Kemp said the ASC, which gives SA more than $2 million of government money each year, would manage the review. ASC chairman Peter Bartels said in August that current funding levels were likely to cease unless the inquiry prompted substantial changes. "We strongly believe there have been many positive achievements at Soccer Australia over the past year," the resigning trio's statement added. "[These include] stabilizing the financial position and winning back the marketing assets of the Socceroos [national team] and the National Soccer League." Greiner, a former premier of New South Wales state, said on August 11 that SA, the sport's national ruling body, was disorganized and not deserving of corporate funding. "I have not lifted the smallest of my small fingers to encourage that because in the last 12 months it would have been an exercise in absolute futility," Greiner told Australian television. "We didn't deliver to our sponsors in the previous World Cup campaign [losing a playoff to Uruguay] and so why would anyone say come and invest, be part of the soccer team, unless and until you could go with your hand on your heart and say 'look, this is really well organized, we've got our act together.'" New Swiss national stadium gets 40,000 capacityBERNE, Switzerland (Reuters) -- Switzerland's proposed new national stadium will be a 40,000-capacity arena after revised plans were given the go-ahead on Wednesday. Council officials in Berne passed plans for the New Wankdorf Stadium to be built with an additional 8,000 seats after initial proposals had set the attendance limit at 32,000. The Wankdorf, which replaces the old national stadium of the same name in Berne, is one of three new stadiums to be built in Switzerland as part of the country's joint-bid to host the 2008 European championship with Austria. Work started on the new stadium earlier this year and is due to be completed in 2005. The complex will include a shopping centre, hotels, restaurants and a public school and will have the largest integrated solar power system in the world. Rapid Bucharest pay the penalty for missed spot kicksBUCHAREST (Reuters) -- Romanian cup holders Rapid Bucharest crashed out in the fourth round on Wednesday -- beaten on penalties by Arges Piteshi. The match ended 1-1 after extra time with Pitesti defender Cristian Dancia's second-minute opener being cancelled out by midfielder Marius Maldarasanu 15 minutes later. Rapid, who lead the Romanian championship by 10 points from city rivals Dinamo and National, then paid dearly for missing three of their four penalties. Dinamo booked their place in the quarter-finals, crushing arch-rivals Steaua Bucharest 3-0 with goals by forward Florentin Petre, defender Flavius Stoican and substitute midfielder Vlad Munteanu. Steaua, experiencing their worst season in 21 years, played 54 minutes without central defender Dorel Mutica, who was sent off for a professional foul. National's Italian coach Walter Zenga introduced midfielder Gabriel Caramarin five minutes after the break, and the switch paid off as he hit a fine hat-trick in 25 minutes to clinch a 3-0 win against second division Midia Navodari. Striker Cristian Ciocoiu converted three penalties to help FCM Bacau to a 3-1 win over second division Cimpia Turzii. The first legs of the quarter-finals will be played on December 4 with the second legs next year. Athens 2004 gets boost as Olympiakos returns homeATHENS (Reuters) -- Organizers of the 2004 Athens Olympics moved closer to solving venue problems for the soccer tournament on Wednesday, announcing the historic Karaiskakis Stadium would be renovated in time for the Games. Greek Culture Minister Evangelos Venizelos said the derelict ground in the port of Piraeus would be leased back to champions Olympiakos in return for restoration work to be completed by May 2004, just ahead of the Games start on August 13. "The Greek Olympic Committee will hand the Karaiskakis to the General Secretariat of Sport and in turn to Olympiakos who will make the investment to construct a new ground that meets FIFA requirements," Venizelos told reporters. The original home of Olympiakos is now front-runner to host the Olympic soccer final. A decision will be made by a FIFA delegation during their visit to Athens in December. Work will begin by the end of the year on a 33,000-capacity, all-seater stadium, nearly two decades after Olympiakos switched to the Olympic Stadium (OAKA), in northern Athens. The OAKA closed in June for the start of a major overhaul before the 2004 Olympics, prompting Olympiakos to groundshare with second division Apollon Athens at the Rizoupolis stadium. The Karaiskakis was originally scheduled to host athletics in the 2004 Games, but work on the venue was cancelled after disagreements with contractors. Venizelos said the 50-year lease of the stadium would also be the first step in finding permanent homes for Athens's other main soccer teams, AEK Athens and Panathinaikos. "The administration, with a consistent approach and without the use of major public money, will find solutions to the ground problems of the three big teams," said Venizelos. Panathinaikos are in discussions with the government over a site at Elaiona, 20 minutes from their current city centre base at the Apostolos Nikoladis stadium. Reports: Russia striker Sychyov sues Spartak MoscowMOSCOW (Reuters) -- Dmitry Sychyov, who was banned for four months after walking out on Spartak Moscow in a bitter dispute earlier this year, has sued his former club for US$5 million according to reports in the Russian media. The reports said Spartak had received a legal claim for the amount in the dispute with the 19-year-old striker, who was suspended by the Russian Professional Football League in September after seeking the annulment of his contract with the Moscow club. In August, Sychyov accused Spartak of failing to pay "a guaranteed $10,000 signing bonus." Spartak president Andrei Chervichenko said he was shocked by Sychyov's claim. "I wouldn't be surprised if Sychyov signs with Dynamo Kiev after his ban expires, then we will get nothing and it could turn out that we would have to pay them," Chervichenko was quoted as saying in Wednesday's edition of Sovietsky Sport. Spartak have put a $6 million price tag on Sychyov, whose ban is due to expire on January 4. The Russian international, who was his country's best player in a disappointing World Cup campaign, has been training with Ukrainian premier division side Dynamo Kiev for the past week. Sychyov has said he wants to play for Dynamo. "There are two clubs in Europe which interest me -- Dynamo Kiev and Spartak Moscow," he was quoted as saying by the Russian media. "But I can't go back to Spartak, so Dynamo is my only choice." Dynamo officials have said they were also interested in signing Sychyov but only after his ban expires. Korean Park set to join Hiddink at PSVSEOUL (Reuters) -- South Korean midfielder Park Ji-sung will join his former national team coach Guus Hiddink at Dutch club PSV Eindhoven next year, Park's manager said on Wednesday. Park, 21, is currently with Japanese club Kyoto Purple Sanga but will sign a 3-1/2-year contract with PSV worth about $500,000 a year in mid-December, according to the manager of South Korea-based sports agency Withus Sports. The terms of the deal had yet to be finalized, he added. Dutchman Hiddink, who shocked the soccer world by leading the Koreans to fourth place at World Cup finals in South Korea and Japan in June, is now coach at PSV. Park, who scored the winner in South Korea's 1-0 upset of Portugal in the opening group stage of the World Cup, will be available on a free transfer after two years in the Japan when the J-League season ends at the end of December. Poland's Hajto announces international retirementGELSENKIRCHEN, Germany (Reuters) -- Poland defender Tomasz Hajto announced his retirement from international soccer on Wednesday because of difficulties in his relationship with national coach Zbigniew Boniek. "I don't get on with Boniek," said the 30-year-old, who plays for Schalke 04 in the German first division. Hajto has 47 international caps and was a member of the Poland squad who made a first-round exit from this year's World Cup finals. Jerzy Engel was sacked as coach following the team's World Cup failure and former Poland international Boniek was handed the job in July. Hajto has a contract with Schalke, who are currently fifth in the German first division, until 2005. The Gelsenkirchen side visit Polish club Wisla Krakow for the first leg of their UEFA Cup third-round tie on Thursday. Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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