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European roundup Blatter says Beckenbauer would be 'ideal' FIFA boss
Posted: Sunday July 25, 1999 10:26 AM
BONN (Reuters) -- FIFA president Sepp Blatter thinks Franz Beckenbauer would be a perfect choice to succeed him as chief of world soccer's governing body. "An ideal candidate for me would be Franz Beckenbauer," Blatter told German Sunday newspaper Welt am Sonntag. "He could really make things move. Franz loves football. He likes watching small games as much as big ones." Former World Cup star Beckenbauer is currently the Bayern Munich president and also a vice-president of the German Football Federation (DFB). He heads Germany's bid to host the 2006 World Cup finals. "I think there are very few people in the world with as much charisma," Blatter said of him. "And naturally he is the ultimate soccer expert." Arsenal's Wenger gives ultimatum to AnelkaIn Saint-Etienne, France, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger on Saturday gave his unsettled striker Nicolas Anelka 48 hours to find a club or abide by his contract with the London club. "If in 48 hours, Anelka has not found [another] club, we will consider him an Arsenal player and that he's coming back home to us," Wenger said. "In 48 hours, Arsenal will withdraw their accord to put Nicolas Anelka on the transfer market," he said after his side's 2-2 draw in a pre-season friendly against promoted French first division Saint-Etienne. "There are the sudden desires of the players, but there are, in fact, also duties because there is a contract," Wenger said. The 20-year-old Frenchman, determined not to return to London next season, looked set to move to Lazio last week, but negotiations carried out by his brothers broke down. Wenger said: "The situation is very bad for Anelka's career. He doesn't gain anything with this, and the club also loses. Arsenal and Lazio are in agreement so the fault lies with the player. "What's happening this summer is abnormal because the contracts between players and clubs are no longer controlled by the directors," he said. Goalless Juventus scrapes through to Intertoto semifinalsEuropean giants Juventus scraped through to the semifinals of the Intertoto Cup on Saturday after being held to a goalless home draw by Romanian minnows Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt. The Italians, who appeared in three consecutive Champions League finals from 1996 and reached the semifinals last season, were forced to enter the Intertoto Cup after finishing only sixth in Serie A. They had only twice before failed to qualify for Europe -- in 1962 and 1991 -- but risked embarrassment with a lackluster display on Saturday against a team few Italian fans would have ever heard of. In the semifinals they play another outsider, Rostelmash Rostov of Russia, which came through on the away goals rule after a 2-2 aggregate draw with Croatia's Varteks Verazdin. Hamburg SV, another former European champion club, won 3-2 at Basle of Switzerland to go through on the away goals rule following their 1-0 home defeat in the first leg. West Ham United, which finished fifth in the English Premier League, edged through with a 1-1 draw at Jokerit of Finland. The Finns took the lead in the 32nd minute after an error by West Ham keeper Shaka Hislop to make the aggregate score level at 1-1. But Frank Lampard equalised on the night with a free kick to send the London side through to face Dutch side Heerenveen, which overcame Hammarby 2-0 in Sweden for a 4-0 aggregate. Other sides to progress on Saturday were Germany's MSV Duisburg, French duo Montpellier and Metz, Austria Vienna and Trabzonspor of Turkey. Romanian player dies of heart attack during matchIn Bucharest, Stefan Vrabioru of Romanian club Astra Ploiesti died of a heart attack on Saturday after playing in a first division match. "Vrabioru suffered the heart attack after he was replaced by his trainer and died in Bucharest's emergency hospital," the team doctor Victor Popovici said. Midfielder Vrabioru, 24, had been injured in the second half of the 1-1 draw with champions Rapid Bucharest. Rayo Vallecano signs Angolan striker, seeks U.S. 'keeperIn Madrid, newly promoted Rayo Vallecano, Madrid's third top-division club after the better-known Real and Atletico, confirmed that they had signed Angolan international striker Quinzinho on Sunday. Quinzinho -- whose full name is Jaoquim Da Silva -- is the Spanish club's first major acquisition since they won the promotion playoffs last month. He joins on a one-year loan from Portuguese club Sporting Lisbon. Rayo are also bidding to sign American international goalkeeper Kasey Keller, who played most recently with England's Leicester City. Numancia signs defender Alberto BelsueIn Soria, Spain, former Spanish international defender Alberto Belsue has signed for Numancia, the club announced on Sunday. Belsue signed a two-year contract but financial details were not disclosed. Belsue, 31, joins the newly-promoted club from Real Zaragoza where he has been since making his first division debut in 1989, although he was loaned to Alaves for the second half of last season. He notched up 17 caps between 1994 and 1997 and was part of Spain's Euro 96 squad. Nantes downs Girondins Bordeaux for Champions' TrophyIn Amiens, France, winger Olivier Monterrubio scored early in the second half to give Nantes a 1-0 win over Girondins Bordeaux in the French season-opening Champions' Trophy match on Saturday. It was a repeat of Nantes' 1-0 victory over Sedan in the French Cup Final in May, when Monterrubio also scored the only goal, from the penalty spot. Nantes, the least changed side in the top flight with no off-season signings, withstood dominance for the first half hour by Bordeaux before taking control. The champions paraded their new signings Stephane Ziani and Jerome Bonnisel, both from Deportivo La Coruna, and Jean-Christophe Rouviere from Montpellier.
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