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Nothing like a good argument in football Posted: Friday August 15, 2003 6:31 PMLONDON (Reuters) -- At a time when most sensible Europeans are relaxing on holiday, worrying about nothing more than the scorching summer heat, football people are getting hot under the collar. Even though several of the continent's major leagues have not even kicked off, managers, players and officials are already at loggerheads with one another or losing their cool -- even though they haven't lost any matches yet. Rather than be able to prepare calmly for the new season, the necessity to succeed and the demands made on players and managers in the pressure-cooker of modern soccer lead to lost tempers and spats even in the close-season. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, usually noted for his calm, considered approach, is upset with the English Football Association for considering citing Sol Campbell. The England defender clashed with new Manchester United signing Eric Djemba-Djemba in last weekend's Community Shield, the curtain-raiser to the English season. When told the FA might consider banning Campbell, Wenger fumed: "It is farcical Sol has been cited. It seems to me we are living in farci-land. I'm really disappointed about this and we will fight any charge. "What about the challenge by Djemba-Djemba? It was obscene. Why is no action taken about that ?" Makelele angry While Wenger is angry with the FA, French midfielder Claude Makelele is upset with Real Madrid and is refusing to train unless he receives a pay rise. The 30-year-old international, one of the lowest paid players in the Real squad, has refused to train since Wednesday because the club are unwilling to grant him a pay increase or to consider selling him to English premier league club Chelsea. He has now been warned he could ruin his career if he continues his rebellion. Real's sporting director Jorge Valdano said on Friday: "Makelele is under contract to us and we want all our players to meet their obligations. "What he has done is the basic act of indiscipline for any player. If he continues like this he will be putting his sporting career in danger." Meanwhile Paris St Germain are threatening to sack Swiss midfielder Hakan Yakin if he undergoes surgery for a hernia against the advice of the club's doctors. Yakin only joined PSG from Basel at the beginning of the month and his stay there could be a very short one as his transfer has yet to be finally ratified. At the beginning of the week Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and Juan Sebastian Veron exchanged unpleasantries in the tabloids following the midfielder's transfer to Chelsea last week. "Mr Ferguson was not sincere with me," said the Argentine. "Two months ago a couple of clubs expressed an interest and he said I wasn't for sale. He gave me the impression I was wanted. But when there was more money on the table his conversation changed. That's a hard one for me." Happy man For his part, Ferguson laughed off Veron's remarks. With United starting the new premier league season on Saturday as reigning champions, and with new signings like Cristiano Ronaldo, Kleberson and Djemba-Djemba moving to United this summer, Ferguson is one happy man, and considering extending his managerial contract. Across Manchester from Old Trafford, though, Manchester City's Nicolas Anelka has been letting off steam. The French striker says people do not understand him, although that does not particularly worry him. "I care nothing for the opinion of others," he said. "My family and close ones know how I function, that I am laughing all the time." In particular, he has little time for Jacques Santini, who has not selected him for his French national squad since Anelka refused a place earlier this year. "Let Santini get on his knees in front of me and apologise first and then I'll think about playing for France," he remarked. There was also a lively spat between Bayern Munich and Deportivo Coruna over the transfer of Dutch striker Roy Makaay which was finally settled on Wednesday. "We are very disappointed in Deportivo president Augusto Cesar Lendoiro. If you make a deal, you should stick by it," Bayern's commercial manager Uli Hoeness said at Makaay's official presentation. Lendoiro, though, robustly defended his club's negotiating tactics. "One thing is knowing how to play football, but it is quite another to know how to negotiate," he was quoted as saying on the club's website. How to play football? How to negotiate? Those are matters
for debate. But what this month has proved is that football
people like nothing more than a good argument -- even before a
ball is kicked in anger.
Copyright 2003 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. |
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