Football: WORLD CUP 06 and close season/transfer discussion.

Kamineko · Post by **Kamineko** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 3:08 pm 0

Six thousandth reply!

Guru-Meditation · Post by **Guru-Meditation** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 3:57 pm 0

Loada wrote:Anyone who's ever played football to a decent level (or any other contact sport for that matter) will know that there are a *lot* of questionable things said "in the heat of battle" as it were. The vast majority of these are extremely personal insults, intended to upset and unsettle members of the opposition.

As a Brit who played in France I can say this is most certainly true. Doesn't even need to be that high a level.

Extra edit : Just got a mail from mumsey (how many people get e-mails from their mum where over half the mail is about tennis, cricket and football) and she asked if I headbutted anyone while she was in the hospital (especially seeing as the standard insult on the pitch involves attacking peoples mothers)

Guru-Meditation · Post by **Guru-Meditation** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:21 pm 0

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/footbal ... 164194.stm

But the national side's World Cup triumph in a penalty shoot-out on Sunday has sparked calls for leniency.

"Let's do what they did in ancient Rome: whoever has given us prestige and dignity should be treated differently, as one who has done something exemplary," added Mastella.

So basically it's ok to cheat, as long as you win. Maybe Marseilles should have been spared in 1993 too then! And Leeds should have asked their banks to erase all their loans because hey, they were getting into the Champions League semi finals! Let us spend more money so we can win!

If the Italian system dares to let the top teams get away with it, may UEFA make them fry with a few years expulsion from the top competitions. Banning Milan, Juventus, Fiorentina and Lazio from european competition for 3 to 4 years would be a consolation prize but one all the same.

mac monkey · Post by **mac monkey** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:23 pm 0

Seems a bit odd to me that he backs out when he's already signed for them?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 169142.stm

Wonder if Big Sam is on the move......maybe Sunderland

Dio · Post by **Dio** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:36 pm 0

Guru-Meditation wrote:So basically it's ok to cheat, as long as you win.

That's what I was most afraid of, and why I would have preferred France to win.

Guru-Meditation · Post by **Guru-Meditation** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 7:52 pm 0

mac monkey wrote:Seems a bit odd to me that he backs out when he's already signed for them?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/footbal ... 169142.stm

Wonder if Big Sam is on the move......maybe Sunderland

Well, to be honest better he does so now then later on down the road. Better for all partys involved. Bolton don't have to build their tactics around him, and Hamann doesn't have to play somewhere he's unhappy which affects his performance (and Boltons chances).

M · Post by M » Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:01 pm 0

PFVA wrote:P.S. They also wanted why does the Italian team dress in blue when the flag colours are red, white, and green, and the French team known as "les bleus" dressed in white. (Actually i don't know either i thought maybe it's because red and green are clashing colours)

Italy play in blue because it is the colour of the house of Savoy, which ruled before the post-war republic. France's home shirt is blue, they were playing in the away shirt.

PaulEMoz · Post by **PaulEMoz** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:28 pm 0

No Name wrote:2) English teams were banned from Europe for years for persistent acts of hooliganism.

The thing is, you suspect they'd ban us again at the drop of a hat if so much as one of our fans got a bit drunk and twatted an opposing fan inside a ground. But they'll do absolutely nothing to punish anybody else, whatsoever.

I mean, those Turkish fans that killed the Leeds lad(s?). What happened there? "Sorry, but they do get a bit passionate", or something like that?

FIFA are fucking hopeless in many regards, and I suspect a lot of that is down to the man at the top. Unfortunately, he's unlikely to be replaced any time soon.

ElfQrin · Post by **ElfQrin** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:37 pm 0

No Name wrote: 2) English teams were banned from Europe for years for persistent acts of hooliganism. As bloody irritating as that was, you could at least argue that it worked, and that the hooligan problem is now manageable.

PaulEMoz wrote: The thing is, you suspect they'd ban us again at the drop of a hat if so much as one of our fans got a bit drunk and twatted an opposing fan inside a ground.

The most irritating part were 39 dead and 600 injuried people, so it wasn't just about insulting someone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heysel_Stadium_disaster

No Name · Post by **No Name** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:38 pm 0

PaulEMoz wrote:The thing is, you suspect they'd ban us again at the drop of a hat if so much as one of our fans got a bit drunk and twatted an opposing fan inside a ground. But they'll do absolutely nothing to punish anybody else, whatsoever.

I mean, those Turkish fans that killed the Leeds lad(s?). What happened there? "Sorry, but they do get a bit passionate", or something like that?

Yep. I couldn't believe that. All those years of hooliganism and harrassment at Galatasaray and Fenerbahce, and fuck all happens. Sheesh! Kebab!

FIFA are fucking hopeless in many regards, and I suspect a lot of that is down to the man at the top. Unfortunately, he's unlikely to be replaced any time soon.

I believe he changed the rules so that he wouldn't have to retire, too.

Anyway, the guy is a prize twat whose twattery is legend. I've got a special ranting part of my brain reserved just for him and his ideas for improving football, but I'm too tired in this lifetime to let it all out.

No Name · Post by **No Name** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:46 pm 0

ElfQrin wrote:The most irritating part were 39 dead and 600 injuried people, so it wasn't just about insulting someone:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heysel_Stadium_disaster

Sledgehammer. Nut. Using one to crack the other. Why ban *all* English teams from Europe? Or if you do, why not ban the national side, too? It's not like hooligans eschewed the England team because it was beneath them.

In any case, the main point was that the football authorities decided that Heysel was the last straw, and carried through with their threats, and imposed a stringent ban that actually had some beneficial effect. But where is the similar action on racism, apart from a few paltry fines here and there? It simply doesn't exist in any meaningful sense; so their relentless sloganing is hypocritical. My overall impression is that they really don't take it very seriously.

Ely · Post by **Ely** » Tue Jul 11, 2006 11:41 pm 0

Shocking video of Ronaldo as a baby!

Dr Morbeus · Post by **Dr Morbeus** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:44 am 0

Sickboy wrote:Age/experience is irrelevant. He's human and therefore prone to lapses of self-control.

Five Live this morning are claiming Materazzi called Zidane "the son of a terrorist whore". Given that his mother is ill in hospital, you've got to admire the restraint.

Amen to that.

The whole Zidane arguement seems to follow the same pattern as society - the person that fights back gets hammered. The perpetrator gets off.

Lets wait and see what was really said. I'm not leaping to conclusions but circumstantial evidence suggests that something very strong was said (racial abuse even when verbal can be a criminal offence, never mind FIFA's big play on the drive Racism out of Football).

As for the Italians, win at all costs bunch of cheats. I think all their teams should be banned from Europe for 5 years. After all, that is what happened 20 years ago to innocent English clubs after Hysel (with the exception of Liverpool, sorry sickboy). Liverpool were held responsible for hooligans because they allegedly supported them. The current Italian scandal is in many ways more insidious as it is paid employees of these clubs attempting to buy officials and by implication results.

Leniency because they won the World Cup - that would really be a total slap in the face of justice.

PFVA · Post by **PFVA** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:44 am 0

Well FIFA says they're going to investigate the issue. We'll see.

In the meantime the award of sportmanship, fair play, players conduct, etc,. etc was shared by Brazil and Spain.

P.S. From what i saw the video of the incident is quite long. It starts way before the headbutting. And i'm not so sure if with the giant HD screens it won't be possible to lip read some of the conversation because one of the cameras was following the entire thing since the beginning. Again we'll see.

PFVA · Post by **PFVA** » Wed Jul 12, 2006 12:50 am 0

M wrote:
PFVA wrote:P.S. They also wanted why does the Italian team dress in blue when the flag colours are red, white, and green, and the French team known as "les bleus" dressed in white. (Actually i don't know either i thought maybe it's because red and green are clashing colours)
Italy play in blue because it is the colour of the house of Savoy, which ruled before the post-war republic. France's home shirt is blue, they were playing in the away shirt.

Oh, thanks a little bit of History i didn't know.