Category: Section 2 Around the Net

Columnist Robert Steinbeck is proud to say he can appreciate the best any sport has to offer, with one little caveat. Soccer just doesn’t cut it for him, and he says he tried particularly hard during the World Cup to be turned on, but alas, nothing. However, it’s less interesting that we have yet another […]

La Marca reports that Real Madrid have agreed a fee of 14 million euros for Ruud Van Nistelrooy. Speculation across Europe is rife that the deal will close tomorrow, despite a hard-line stance by Sir Alex Ferguson and United officials that Ruud’s transfer would require a hefty sum. The latest reports are that neither club […]

As expected, the four Italian teams found guilty of match-fixing will begin an appeals process on Saturday. On July 14, a sports tribunal found Juventus, Fiorentina and Lazio guilty of conspiring with match officials to rig matches in the 2004-05 season. As a result, these teams have been relegated to Serie B and deducted a […]

Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United received a boost when a refinancing program was unveiled that should free up some cash for the high profile English club. Ferguson is the only manager of the top four English clubs who has yet to make a significant summer signing. In fact, with Van Nistelrooy set to leave […]

U.S. soccer needs Jurgen Klinsmann to replace Bruce Arena as national team caoch, writes Grant Wahl of SI.com. “It’s not too complicated, really,” says Wahl. “By showing the door to manager Bruce Arena — who was denied his wish of remaining for a third four-year term — Gulati is saying that he’ll find a better […]

If Colombia put forth a formal bid to host the 2014 World Cup, then the South American soccer confederation (CSF) didn’t know anything about it. CSF spokesman Nestor Benitez said his organization still considered the Brazil confederation the only candidate to host the tournament. “Brazil is unquestionably the only candidate for the 2014 World Cup,” […]

Now that central midfielder Michael Ballack and strikers Andriy Schevchenko and Salomon Kalou are headed to Stamford Bridge, it would appear that Chelsea has a glut of midfieldersespecially wingers. There certainly won’t be room for Joe Cole, Arjen Robben, Damien Duff and Shawn Wright-Phillips next season, as Chelsea’s starting lineup will likely be further squeezed […]

The exodus of former Juventus stars to clubs across Europe continues. Italy’s World Cup winning captain Fabio Cannavaro is the first to go, having reportedly signed with Real Madrid, according to the Guardian. Gianluigi Buffon looks set to be next; the 28-year-old goalkeeper has been linked with Arsenal, but his agent said he would prefer […]

As Ruud Van Nistelrooy prepares to pack his bags for somewhere, possibly Real Madrid, one of Manchester United’s old guard has gotten back on the comeback trail. Old Trafford legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, out for three seasons with knee problems, slotted home twice against the Orlando Pirates during opening game of Manchester United’s pre-season tour […]

Juventus is headed for “financial meltdown” unless it receives a huge cash infusion from private investors over the next few years, a football finance expert told ESPN Soccernet. The Turin club last week was stripped of its Scudetto titles for the past two seasons after it was revealed that Juventus played a central role in […]

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said he would back a bid to host the 2018 World Cup. The possibility of bidding for the right to host the tournament was discussed at an annual meeting between the national government and the heads of eight state and territory governments. “All governments agree enthusiastically that if the national […]

Italy defender Marco Materaazzi gave his version of the head-butting incident that overshadowed Sunday’s final between France and Italy. Materazzi spent about a half hour with a FIFA disciplinary committee before walking away without commenting publicly on the matter. FIFA spokesperson John Schumacher confirmed that FIFA could not discuss Materazzi’s testimony. He was accompanied by […]

Cristiano Ronaldo will not be returning to Manchester United next season, Daniel Taylor of the Guardian reports. In fact, the young Portuguese winger has been plotting his exit from Old Trafford for the last 10 months. United announced yesterday that Ronaldo would not be leaving under any circumstances. Sir Alex Ferguson says Ronaldo confirmed his […]

Germany’s expected 2 billion euro boost from hosting the World Cup will likely lift the country’s GDP by 0.3-0.4 percent, executives from the Centre for Economics and Business Research in London said yesterday. But perhaps that’s just the beginning: “We think there has been quite a positive rebranding effect, which goes a lot further than […]

Former MetroStars midfielder Robert Donadoni was named successor to Marcello Lippi as coach of world champion Italy, ANSA reported Friday. Donadoni, who obviously has big boots to fill following Lippi’s World Cup triumph, did not receive the warmest of welcomes from the Italian media, who said the 43-year-old lacked the credentials to keep Italy top […]

The German retailers association said the World Cup likely generated 2 billion euros in extra sales. Electronics, sporting goods and food sellers most likely benefited the most, said Herman Franzen, president of the HDE group. “Overall, the retail sector may have seen the aimed-for euro2 billion in additional sales from the World Cup in the […]

Just one in ten people took advantage of streaming service available online to keep them up to date with the World Cup, says TelecityRedbus, a research firm. Three percent of those surveyed called in sick to watch a game, while 70 percent had to resort to watching at work. While over half of respondents checked […]

US First Lady Laura Bush talked soccer yesterday, offering her explanation for the national team’s failed campaign in Germany. “Americans really are just learning about soccer. It’s a new sport to the United States,” she said. I guess you can tell by the way our team plays.” Actually, the United States participated in the first […]

A French lawyer, convinced the fourth official used video evidence to have Zinedine Zidane sent-off, says the World Cup final should be replayed. “I am going to ask the judge to question all individuals concerned and to reconstruct the end of the refereeing,” Rennes-based lawyer Mehana Mouhou told Reuters on Thursday. “If it is proved […]

The world is divided over who’s to blame in the case between Zinedine Zidane of France and Marco Materazzi of Italy. After Zizou’s compelling address on French TV yesterday, pundits, fans, and perhaps even FIFA officials are wondering who’s the villain and who’s the victim. BBC News sizes up the case, noting “an impressive array […]

How do kids respond to Zinedine Zidane’s World Cup final head-butt against Marco Materazzi? One 14 year told the Associated Press the act was “stupid,” saying “It doesn’t matter if somebody says something to you, you should walk away, show them by scoring a goal and doing your best. … tell the referee if something […]

Italy has won the World Cup, but Brazil is still the best team in the world, according to FIFA’s newly redesigned world soccer rankings. The new system changes the criteria for rating the world’s top teams, benefiting Argentina, France, and England, which moved to 3, 4, and 5, respectively, after Brazil and Italy. Italy moved […]

It will likely become the most famous head-butt in sports history, carried out by one of soccer’s most famous players of all-time. The maneuver sent shockwaves throughout the world’s press corps., leaving millions to wonder what led France’s Zinedine Zidane, one of the sports great ambassadors, to retaliate in such a way. For a sponsor, […]

Two of the most successful coaches at this year’s World Cup have quit. Germany’s Juergen Klinsmann and Marcelo Lippi of Italy both announced today that they would be stepping down as coach of their respective national teams. Both were encouraged to stay on the job; Italy, of course, finished world champions, while Germany managed a […]

If Juventus et al are in fact relegated for next season, the result would be a free agency bonanza for other European clubs, writes the Daily Telegraph. Serie A champion Juventus, already close to offloading captain Fabio Cannavaro to Real Madrid, has confirmed it would sell seven of its players who featured in Sunday’s World […]