Australia and South Korea fired up for top of table tie

DOHA: Australia and South Korea both talked up their chances yesterday of winning their blockbuster Asian Cup showdown, setting the scene for the biggest clash of the tournament so far.

The two Asian heavyweights, both seen as potential tournament winners, meet at the Al Gharafa Stadium today in a game that could decide who tops Group C.

Australia thrashed India 4-0 in their opening match while the Koreans earned a 2-1 victory over Bahrain.

Korean coach Cho Kwang-rae said his team had studied the Socceroos and believes they know how to beat them.

“Korea and Australia both won their first games and I think it will be difficult for us,” he said.

“But one thing for sure is that all 23 of my players have a good understanding of how they should approach the game, that is the strength that we have.

“Australia are highly organised in the defensive aspect of their game and when they attack they change the ball from right to left and left to right a lot.

“But we have the strength to counter this and I think my players will be able to cope with this tomorrow (Friday).”

Both teams feature top-quality players, with Manchester United’s Park Ji-sung and Bolton’s Lee Chung-yong the stand-outs for Korea while Australia will be looking for more heroics from Everton man Tim Cahill and Harry Kewell.

Australia’s German coach Holger Osieck was reluctant to give too much away about his tactics at his pre-match press conference, but admitted South Korea were formidable opponents.

“It is no secret that the Korean team is a very, very high hurdle. They are strong but we are strong so we will see who will be better on the day,” he said.

“We know about individuals in their team and their quality. We have our plan already. But if I look at my team, we also have quality players and it will be interesting to see who is in the best form tomorrow.

“We are both strong teams and it is always a special challenge when you clash, and we want to prove that we are better,” he added.

Whoever tops Group C will play the second-placed team from Group D in the last eight, which could be any one of Iran, North Korea, United Arab Emirates or Iraq. 

  

Mourinho pleased to see Cani’s red card rescinded

MADRID: Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho said on Wednesday he was pleased the red card awarded to Villarreal midfielder Cani for throwing a water bottle at him during a weekend league match has been rescinded.

“I am glad Cani’s red card was rescinded because he is an important player for Villarreal,” he told a news conference.

“Nevertheless, if one of my men throws a bottle at someone he gets a three month suspension. If I do it I will never train again. He threw a plastic bottle at me. I don’t consider it an aggression. It was just a gesture from yet another person who thinks everything I do has negative connotations.”

Cani, 29, tossed a plastic water bottle at Mourinho during Real’s 4-2 victory over Villarreal on Sunday, although it did not hit the Portuguese coach.

He was reacting to Mourinho’s wild celebrations after Kaka sealed the victory for Real in the 82nd minute.

The 47-year-old coach left his technical area and punched his arm in the air while facing the stands in front of the visitors’ bench.

After the match Mourinho, who has often been accused of provoking opponents on and off the pitch, said he was celebrating Kaka’s goal with his son who was behind the visitors’ bench and had no intention of provoking Villarreal players. 

  

I won’t follow Leonardo to Inter, says Pato

ROME: AC Milan forward Pato says he won’t be following the lead of Brazilian compatriot Leonardo and switching city colours any time in the future.

Leonardo ended a 13-year association with Milan as player, scout, technical director and coach at the end of last season when his one year spell as coach was terminated.

And he provoked consternation amongst die-hard Milan fans by taking over the reins at their arch rivals Inter Milan just six months later.

Some fans expressed their disatisfaction with the move during Sunday’s 4-4 draw at home to Udinese by displaying anti-Leonardo banners.

And although fellow striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has made the same move in the opposite direction – via Barcelona – Pato vowed never to don the blue and black shirt of Inter.

“This is a job and (Leonardo) has made his choice and we all respect that decision,” Pato told Italian Sky.

“Inter are still Inter, a strong team that won everything last year and has won many league titles in recent years.

“But I’ve already said we have to concentrate solely on our aims and I’m convinced that at the end we’ll do well.

“And I repeat, I only want to win with this jersey which I will wear as long as the club wants me to.

“Inter? No, I want only Milan.”

“I’m delighted to have team-mates like Ibra, Cassano and Robinho, I can only learn from them.” 

  

Gilardino pledges to remain at Fiorentina

ROME: Italy striker Alberto Gilardino on Wednesday pledged to remain at Fiorentina until the end of the season at least, despite reported interest from Juventus.

The 28-year-old is La Viola’s top scorer this season with six goals in 16 games as the team has struggled.

However the former AC Milan frontman has attracted the attention of Juve as they seek a new striker to replace Fabio Quagliarella, who is out for the season after tearing his cruciate knee ligament.

But Gilardino says he won’t be going there in January.

“Fiorentina have been very clear with me and I’m delighted to be staying, I still want to give a lot more to this shirt, I want to finish the season in the best way and then we’ll see,” he told reporters.

“There are another five months from now until June, I don’t know what will happen then, there’s no way of knowing.”

Gilardino admitted, though, that he enjoys being surrounded by speculation concerning his future.

“Obviously when you do well for an important club like Fiorentina you end up grabbing the attention of big clubs,” he added. 

  

Platini: Uefa to create new European player award

MADRID: UEFA will create the equivalent of the Ballon d’Or award for European players which it will start giving out next season, the president of the European football governing body, Michel Platini, said in an interview published on Wednesday.

“UEFA will give a special prize to the best player in Europe, following the spirit of the former Ballon d’Or given by France Football which has now merged with the FIFA prize for best world player,” he told Spanish sports dailyMundo Deportivo.

The prize will be awarded in August at an annual ceremony in Monoco on the same day as the draw to select the fixtures for the Champions League, the newspaper said.

The prize jury will be made up of representatives from all the football federations that make up UEFA, sports journalists and coaches, it added.

The Ballon d’Or, set up in 1956 by French sports magazine France Football, is decided by a poll of world football journalists.

Originally only European players at European clubs were eligible but in 1995 a change in the rules allowed non-European players to be eligible for the award if they played for a European club.

For 2010 the Ballon d’Or was merged with FIFA’s Player of the Year prize. The newly-created FIFA Ballon D’Or was awarded on Monday to Barcelona’s Argentine international Lionel Messi.

  

Ron promises success as Flamengo unveil superstar

RIO DE JANEIRO: Ronaldinho was given a welcome even bigger than Brazil great Zico when he was officially unveiled as Flamengo’s new signing to a samba beat on Wednesday.       

More than 20,000 fans, entertained by singers and dancers while they waited, swarmed the Flamengo headquarters to greet the gifted, party-loving forward with the toothy grin who was transferred from AC Milan this week.       

Not even that number greeted Flamengo idol Zico on his return to Rio from Italy in 1985. Ronaldinho, a World Cup winner with Brazil in 2002, looked overwhelmed by his reception at first but promised the Flamengo faithful titles in return and told them his goal was to help his country win a sixth world crown.        “That’s my objective. I decided to return to Brazil for that.

“Many come back to Brazil only to close out their careers,” Ronaldinho, decked in the club’s red and black colours, said as he spoke to reporters for the first time as a Flamengo player. 

  

Fergie’s son makes a return to Peterborough

LONDON: Darren Ferguson wants to win a third promotion with Peterborough after his surprise return to the club.

Ferguson, the son of Manchester United manager Sir Alex, guided the Midlands club from the fourth tier to the Second Division of English football in successive years.

But the 38-year-old Ferguson left to take charge of Division Two club Preston – from where he was sacked last month with the north-west side facing relegation – in November 2009.

Peterborough have got through several managers during during Ferguson’s time away from London Road but Mark Cooper, Jim Gannon and Gary Johnson have all failed to replicate his success.

Johnson exited on Monday but a 2-1 win over Brentford on Tuesday lifted Peterborough up into fifth place and Ferguson was confident the club could make an immediate return to the Second Division.

“You’d have to say automatic promotion is still possible this season,” he told reporters on Wednesday. 

  

Wenger believes Arsenal will enter final despite shock loss

IPSWICH: Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger is confident his side will still reach the English League Cup final despite losing the first leg of the semi-final 1-0 at Division Two club Ipswich Town.

But the Frenchman conceded the Gunners will have to play much better in the second leg at the Emirates Stadium on Jan 25 if they are to meet either West Ham or Birmingham at Wembley.

A goal from Tamas Priskin, the Hungarian forward, in the 78th minute sealed victory for an Ipswich side that had sacked manger Roy Keane the previous week, following a so far struggling season in English football’s second tier.

On Saturday they suffered a 7-0 drubbing at the hands of Chelsea in the FA Cup.

“I believe we’ll turn it round, but we got a good warning tonight (Wednesday),” Wenger said after the upset result here at Portman Road.

“We’ll have to put in a better performance. With playing so many games you could see tonight that we had no spark,” the Frenchman added.

“Ipswich were sharper and we made a mistake which they took advantage of. The good thing is that we play at home in the second leg and that can make a difference. We will not always be as lacking in creativity as we were tonight.”

Priskin had previously seen an effort in the first half – an acrobatic overhead kick – ruled out for offside but marked his first start since December with a cool finish from Colin Healy’s through-ball after outpacing Switzerland defender Johan Djourou.

Wenger – desperate to end Arsenal’s six-year wait for a trophy – is trying to recruit an experienced defender before the transfer window shuts.

But he refused to blame those who formed Arsenal’s back-line, in the absence of a number of players either through injury or suspension, for the defeat.

“As a team, we did not put in the performance we wanted tonight,” he said. “In every department we were below our usual level. It would be unfair to put the blame only on the defenders.

“We looked quite in control in the first half. In the second half we looked more vulnerable defensively and I’ll put that down to fatigue.

“We lost the game because we didn’t play as well as we can.

“That would be the main lesson. That we are short defensively, maybe, because we only have two central defenders.”

  

Celtic’s Lennon in more trouble after fresh outburst

GLASGOW: Celtic manager Neil Lennon could find himself in more hot water with the Scottish Football Association (SFA) after yet again berating match officials who he claimed constantly give the big refereeing decisions against his side.

The Hoops boss was left fuming after a number of contentious decisions went against the Scottish Premier League leaders before Anthony Stokes’s stoppage-time penalty salvaged a point in a drama-filled 1-1 draw away to bottom of the table Hamilton on Wednesday.

Lennon was handed a six-match touchline ban by the SFA this week after his appeal for being sent to the stand in a match against Hearts was rejected and he could receive a further ban for comments made following that game.

“I’m angry at some aspects of our play but angry about some of the decisions that have gone against us as well,” Lennon said.

“I just want the officials to do their jobs properly.

“You are talking about big moments in the game again. You are talking about Hamilton’s goal, which shouldn’t have been a goal, and you are talking about a penalty which we should have had.

“It seems to be every week. I don’t want to say anything cause I’m in enough trouble as it is, but it seems to be every other game now that big decisions seem to have gone against us and it’s frustrating,” the 39-year-old former Northern Ireland midfielder said.

  

Villans close in on Makoun deal

LYON: Aston Villa’s manager Gerard Houllier neared agreement on Wednesday to buy Cameroon international midfielder Jean II Makoun from one of his former clubs, Lyon.

The seven-time French champions admitted that their president Jean-Michel Aulas had held talks with Houllier, who coached Lyon from 2005-07, in Paris over the transfer of 27-year-old Makoun for a price of around €6mil.

“The progress of the discussions depends on the agreement of the player and his advisors, who have yet to give their assent,” the French club said in a statement.

Makoun, capped over 50 times and a member of last year’s World Cup finals squad, has been at Lyon since signing from Lille in June 2008 for €14mil joining his former coach Claude Puel at the club.

However, Makoun has never succeeded in winning over the supporters and has been the target of abuse from the stands with many believing he has been favoured by Puel at the expense of other players.

Makoun has made no secret of his desire to leave the club during the transfer window.

  

Tottenham say no athletics if they get 2012 stadium

LONDON: Tottenham Hotspur put themselves on a collision course with Olympic chiefs by insisting they would ditch athletics if they were allowed to take over London’s Olympic stadium following the 2012 Games.

Spurs said on Wednesday they would demolish most of the 80,000-seater athletics arena and replace it with a 60,000-capacity purpose-built football venue if they beat fellow London Premier League club West Ham to the site in the eastern district of Stratford.

A key pledge when London bid for the 2012 Games was that staging the Olympics there would leave a permanent legacy for athletics in the city.

Tottenham’s legacy plan would see the dilapidated Crystal Palace athletics stadium in south London redeveloped.

But Olympic athletes commission head Frankie Fredericks said Wednesday he hoped the London athletics track could stay in place after the 2012 Games.

The four-time Olympic sprint silver medallist, said the idea of the track being ripped up left him with the same “empty feeling” as the transformation of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic stadium, where he won 100 and 200m medals, into a baseball venue.

Tottenham’s proposals for the site are controversial for other reasons too.

They are currently based in White Hart Lane, north London, which has been Spurs’s home ground since 1899.

Moving to the Olympic site would take Spurs out of their own area and into the ‘territory’ of east London club West Ham, who currently play at Upton Park.

It is an idea that has upset both sets of supporters, especially as Spurs have also unveiled plans for a new stadium near White Hart Lane, although this could prove more expensive than building on the Olympic site.

West Ham believe a Tottenham move to Stratford would encroach on their traditional ‘territory’ although Britain’sDaily Telegraph newspaper reported last week the Premier League had no objection to either club moving to the Olympic site.

Many British football fans dislike the idea of a running track at a ground, believing it leaves supporters too far away from the action.

A decision on the Olympic Stadium site’s future is expected in under two months’ time.

  

Cardiff striker Bellamy under arrest for assault

CARDIFF: Wales striker Craig Bellamy has been arrested on suspicion of assault, police said on Wednesday.

Bellamy, who now plays for Cardiff City, was taken into custody after two men were injured in an early morning incident in the Welsh capital last weekend.

The 31-year-old Bellamy was bailed by police on Wednesday.

He was arrested after the alleged assault on Cardiff’s Caroline Street – known locally as “Chippy Lane” – around 2.45am local time on Sunday.

The other two men, aged 20 and 26, both sustained facial injuries.

A South Wales Police spokesman said: “A 31-year-old man has today (Wednesday) been arrested on suspicion of assault and has been bailed pending further inquiries.”

Bellamy, whose previous clubs include Newcastle, Blackburn Rovers and Celtic, is currently on loan to Cardiff, who play in the English Second Division, from Premier League Manchester City.

“We are aware of the reported incident involving one of our players last weekend and feel it would be inappropriate to comment while an ongoing police investigation is under way,” a Cardiff City spokesman said. 

  

Rude wake-up call

LONDON: Kenny Dalglish finally woke up to the harsh reality of managing Liverpool.

The Kop’s caretaker chief lost his second consecutive game since taking over from Roy Hodgson as his flops crashed at humble Blackpool.

After a 10th defeat of the season for Liverpool, and a stunning league double for Blackpool, King Kenny said: “It’s obviously a big challenge – seldom do you get a job where there’s not.

“Every side that has been successful needs a bit of luck but the sooner we get stuck in and don’t feel sorry for ourselves, the better chance we will have.

“But it’s not just that – we have a lot of work to do.”

Fernando Torres put Liverpool into an early lead but Gary Taylor-Fletcher and DJ Campbell gave Blackpool their first double over the Reds in 64 years.

But Dalglish added: “The attitude was encouraging and the harder we try the luckier we will get. So we will keep trying but obviously I’m disappointed we came away with no points.”

Liverpool are now 13th – four places behind Ian Holloway’s battlers – and just 20-1 to get relegated.

Delighted Tangerines manager Ian Holloway labelled the win, which saw his side rise to ninth in the table, said the result was his finest at Blackpool.

“That’s the best of the lot I think,” he said.

“After they took the lead it could have been a long hard horrible night but I’m so proud of my lads.

“If you told me would beat Liverpool home and away before the season I would think you were doolally.”

Meanwhile Holloway urged Charlie Adam to stay at Bloomfield Road.

Several Premier League clubs have expressed an interest in signing Adam this month and the Tangerines have already rejected a £3.5mil bid from Birmingham City for the pivotal midfielder, who has 18 months left on his Blackpool deal.

“If they want to insult me by offering only £3.5 million for Charlie then they are barking up the wrong tree and messing with the wrong dog because I will bite them,” Holloway said.