Thursday, February 28, 2013

Fourth racism charge for Lazio

Serie A side Lazio has already been punished four times in the 2012-13 season due to racist offenses by its fans in European matches.

(CNN) -- Lazio will play its next two European matches behind closed doors after football authorities punished the Italian club for several offenses, including a fourth charge of racist behavior this season.

European football's governing body also fined Lazio 40,000 ($52,000) following incidents in last week's Europa League round of 32 tie with German side Borussia Monchengladbach.

Lazio had already been fined a total of $230,000 for racist abuse and other fan offenses during two group-stage matches with English team Tottenham Hotspur and another against Slovenia's Maribor.

The Rome-based team has appealed UEFA's latest decision, which was handed down for "setting off and throwing fireworks, racist behavior and insufficient organization."

"The control and disciplinary body decided to order Lazio to play their next two UEFA competition matches as host club behind closed doors," read UEFA's statement.

It applies to the home leg of Lazio's last-16 clash in the second-tier competition against another German team, Stuttgart, on March 14.

"The remaining game behind closed doors applies to the next UEFA competition match for which the club would qualify," the ruling body said.

Read: Meet Italy's proud football racists

It is also the second time in a matter of days that a top Italian team has been cited for racism.

Inter Milan was fined 50,000 ($65,500) by the Italian football federation on Tuesday after its supporters directed abuse at former player Mario Balotelli during Sunday's derby match with city rival AC Milan.

Lazio president Claudio Lotito was disappointed by UEFA's decision, saying it was unfair on the majority of fans at the Stadio Olimpico.

"We cannot as a club be penalized for the mistakes of a small minority (and) we will lodge an appeal," Lotito told RaiSport.

"Lazio did everything we could and should have done to stop this from happening. It seems absurd to me that we have to play behind closed doors, which will seriously damage the club economically and stop the fans from participating in this event.

"We must distinguish between the delinquents who act on their own volition and those fans who express themselves in a civilized fashion."

UEFA meted out a heavier punishment to Turkish club Fenerbahce following last week's home Europa League match against BATE Borisov, threatening the Istanbul team with a one-season ban from from European competition if it offends again in the next two years.

That sanction is probationary, but Fenerbahce will have to play the home leg of its last-16 clash with Viktoria Plzen on March 14 behind closed doors and pay a 60,000 ($79,000) after its fans set off and threw fireworks from outside the stadium.

Fenerbahce's Portugal midfielder Raul Meireles will miss both games against the Czech club after being sent off in the February 14 away leg against BATE.


Via: Fourth racism charge for Lazio

Mancini insists EPL title race not over

Carlos Tevez is hugged by James Milner after the Argentina star scored Manchester City's second goal against Chelsea in the 2-0 win.

(CNN) -- Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini insisted his team won't give up the English Premier League title without a fight as their 2-0 win over European champions Chelsea Sunday saw them keep their slim hopes alive.

Leaders and local rivals Manchester United had gone 15 points clear with a 2-0 win at bottom club Queens Park Rangers Saturday, but reigning champions City responded with a battling victory at the Etihad Stadium.

And a defiant Mancini still has hopes of reeling in United after goals from Yaya Toure and Carlos Tevez saw off Chelsea.

"We can't think that it's finished with 11 games to go. It's not my mentality or my players' mentality and we need to play like today. Both goals were fantastic," he told Sky Sports.

The game turned on an incident just after the break as Chelsea won a penalty when England goalkeeper Joe Hart brought down Demba Ba as he attempted to go round him.

Hart escaped either a yellow or red card for his infringement then rubbed salt into Chelsea's wounds by saving the resulting penalty from Frank Lampard, denying the midfielder his 200th goal for the Blues.

"I think Joe is the best keeper in England and one of the best in Europe," said Mancini.

City took the lead just after the hour mark as Toure received a fine pass from Spain star David Silva and scored with a low curling shot.

Read: Beckham set for debut in Le Classique

With five minutes left, Silva and Sergio Aguero exchanged passes for Argentine ace Tevez to convert from the edge of the penalty area.

The result has left City still 12 points adrift of United, while Chelsea have slipped up in the battle for Champions League spots and have just a two-point lead over fifth placed Arsenal.

In Sunday's other EPL match, Newcastle pulled six points clear of the relegation zone with an emphatic 4-2 win over fellow strugglers Southampton.

Meanwhile, the first major domestic trophy of the English season was claimed by Swansea as they beat minnows Bradford 5-0 in the final of the League Cup at Wembley Sunday.

Fourth flight Bradford knocked out Wigan, Arsenal and Aston Villa in a remarkable run to the final, but found Michael Laudrup's men a hurdle too far.

The writing was on the wall from the moment Nathan Dyer put Swansea ahead in the 16th minute after being played in by star striker Michu.

Spanish star Michu grabbed the second with five minutes remaining of the first half before Dyer scored his second goal just after the break after being set up by Wayne Routledge.

Bradford's sorry afternoon was complete when they had goalkeeper Matt Duke sent off for fouling Jonathan de Guzman, who got up to convert the penalty to make it 4-0.

De Guzman completed the rout with an injury time fifth as his side clinched a Europa League place for next season.


Via: Mancini insists EPL title race not over

Bayern coach's 1,000th game

Bayern Munich head coach Jupp Heynckes acknowledges the crowd ahead of his 1,000th Bundesliga appearance.

(CNN) -- When Jupp Heynckes made his debut in the Bundesliga as a player back in 1965, the name of Bayern Munich was a new one for the nascent German soccer league.

Now as coach of the country's most successful team, he has reached a significant milestone in what will be his final season in charge.

On Saturday the 67-year-old became only the second man to rack up 1,000 Bundesliga appearances as both player and coach as Bayern took another step towards a 23rd national title with a 6-1 thrashing of Werder Bremen in front of 71,000 fans at Allianz Arena.

It was Heynckes' 631st Bundesliga game as a head coach, coming 48 years after he played his first match for hometown club Borussia Monchengladbach on the day that Bayern made a Bundesliga bow against city rival 1860 Munich.

"It's an imposing total," said Heynckes, who is behind only former Greece coach Otto Rehgal's 1,033 Bundesliga matches -- 201 of which were as a player.

Read: From Barca to Bayern - Why is Pep Munich-bound?

Heynckes is on course for a treble of trophies, with Bayern poised to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League after the 3-1 midweek win at Arsenal, having suffered an agonizing penalty shootout defeat by Chelsea in last season's title match despite home advantage.

He rested six key players ahead of Wednesday's German Cup clash with two-time defending Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund, but still had too much firepower as Bremen had a man sent off at 2-0 down and never recovered.

Mario Gomez netted twice in the second half to reach his 100th goal in a red shirt, having earlier forced Czech international Gebre Selassie into diverting a cross into his own net.

Before that the Germany striker was brought down by Sebastian Prodl as Bremen went to the interval a man down.

Javi Martinez, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery were also on the scoresheet.

"After making those six changes, we needed 20 minutes to find our rhythm," said Heynckes, who will step down at the end of this season and be replaced by former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola.

"Those players who came in justified my confidence in them. The game on Wednesday will be a real cup battle."

Read: Mentor Lillo - Guardiola will make Bayern better

However, he was annoyed that Bayern conceded in the league for the first time since the December 14 draw with Monchengladbach.

"We saw some nice goals out there, but we didn't reckon with conceding one."

Second-placed Dortmund will seek to cut the 18-point deficit at Gladbach on Sunday, when third-placed Bayer Leverkusen travel to bottom team Greuther Furth.

In Saturday's other games, sixth-placed Hamburg crashed 5-1 at fellow European hopefuls Hanover, while Schalke followed up the midweek Champions League draw against Galatasaray by beating Fortuna Dusseldorf as Cameroon defender Joel Matip scored twice.

Mainz drew 1-1 with fourth-bottom Wolfsburg, while Augsburg pushed Hoffenheim down to second from the foot of the table with a 2-1 win.


Via: Bayern coach's 1,000th game

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Bayern coach celebrates 1,000 games

Bayern Munich head coach Jupp Heynckes acknowledges the crowd ahead of his 1,000th Bundesliga appearance.

(CNN) -- When Jupp Heynckes made his debut in the Bundesliga as a player back in 1965, the name of Bayern Munich was a new one for the nascent German soccer league.

Now as coach of the country's most successful team, he has reached a significant milestone in what will be his final season in charge.

On Saturday the 67-year-old became only the second man to rack up 1,000 Bundesliga appearances as both player and coach as Bayern took another step towards a 23rd national title with a 6-1 thrashing of Werder Bremen in front of 71,000 fans at Allianz Arena.

It was Heynckes' 631st Bundesliga game as a head coach, coming 48 years after he played his first match for hometown club Borussia Monchengladbach on the day that Bayern made a Bundesliga bow against city rival 1860 Munich.

"It's an imposing total," said Heynckes, who is behind only former Greece coach Otto Rehgal's 1,033 Bundesliga matches -- 201 of which were as a player.

Read: From Barca to Bayern - Why is Pep Munich-bound?

Heynckes is on course for a treble of trophies, with Bayern poised to reach the quarterfinals of the Champions League after the 3-1 midweek win at Arsenal, having suffered an agonizing penalty shootout defeat by Chelsea in last season's title match despite home advantage.

He rested six key players ahead of Wednesday's German Cup clash with two-time defending Bundesliga champions Borussia Dortmund, but still had too much firepower as Bremen had a man sent off at 2-0 down and never recovered.

Mario Gomez netted twice in the second half to reach his 100th goal in a red shirt, having earlier forced Czech international Gebre Selassie into diverting a cross into his own net.

Before that the Germany striker was brought down by Sebastian Prodl as Bremen went to the interval a man down.

Javi Martinez, Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery were also on the scoresheet.

"After making those six changes, we needed 20 minutes to find our rhythm," said Heynckes, who will step down at the end of this season and be replaced by former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola.

"Those players who came in justified my confidence in them. The game on Wednesday will be a real cup battle."

Read: Mentor Lillo - Guardiola will make Bayern better

However, he was annoyed that Bayern conceded in the league for the first time since the December 14 draw with Monchengladbach.

"We saw some nice goals out there, but we didn't reckon with conceding one."

Second-placed Dortmund will seek to cut the 18-point deficit at Gladbach on Sunday, when third-placed Bayer Leverkusen travel to bottom team Greuther Furth.

In Saturday's other games, sixth-placed Hamburg crashed 5-1 at fellow European hopefuls Hanover, while Schalke followed up the midweek Champions League draw against Galatasaray by beating Fortuna Dusseldorf as Cameroon defender Joel Matip scored twice.

Mainz drew 1-1 with fourth-bottom Wolfsburg, while Augsburg pushed Hoffenheim down to second from the foot of the table with a 2-1 win.


Via: Bayern coach celebrates 1,000 games

Beckham's late cameo as PSG win

David Beckham acknowledges the crowd after making a winning debut for PSG against Marseille.

(CNN) -- He only played for the last 14 minutes, but David Beckham typically was the center of attention as his eagerly awaited debut for Paris Saint Germain ended in a crucial victory for the French league leaders Sunday.

PSG were leading third placed Marseille 1-0 in Le Classique at Parc des Princes when the former England captain came off the bench to a rapturous reception from the home supporters.

Some neat early passes showed he has lost none of his ability and the best was reserved for the very last as in the first minute of injury time Beckham's neat chip over the top led to the clinching second for PSG.

It found fellow substitute Jeremy Menez, whose cross was bundled home by PSG's star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his 24th of the season.

It was all captured by a special 'Beck Cam' which host broadcaster Canal Plus had deployed to follow every move of the 37-year-old football icon, such has been the level of interest since his transfer to France's Ligue 1 from MLS side LA Galaxy.

Read: Beckham excited by Le Classique debut

Beckham had spent much of a freezing evening in Paris, shivering on the bench, while in the stands his pop star wife Victoria and former French president Nicolas Sarkozy awaited his arrival on the pitch.

His former Real Madrid teammate and Brazil World Cup star Ronaldo was also honored ahead of kick off.

In the 76th minute, with PSG having to fight hard to hold a lead given to them by an early own goal from Marseille defender Nicolas N'Koulou, coach Carlo Ancelotti finally threw him into the fray to replace Argentina's Javier Pastore.

The match had been billed as a showdown between Beckham and fellow Englishman Joey Barton, who plays in midfield for Marseille.

Barton, on loan from EPL side Queens Park Rangers, played the whole match and had some half chances to level while Beckham watched on.

The timely victory left big-spending PSG three points clear at the top from Lyon, who had beaten Lorient earlier Sunday. Defeat left Marseille eight points adrift.

Beckham, who has played for Manchester United, Real Madrid, AC Milan and LA Galaxy during his glittering career, has signed a contract with the Parisian giants until the end of the season.

He has donated his reported 800,000-euro ($1 million) monthly salary to a local children's charity.

Meanwhile, AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli had a less fruitful evening in his first Milan derby match for three years.

Read: Italy's 'proud' football racists

Balotelli, signed in the transfer window from Manchester City, missed a string of chances as his side were held 1-1 by his former side Inter, damaging their Serie A title hopes.

Milan, boosted by their 2-0 midweek win over Barcelona in the Champions League, took a 21st minute lead through striker Stephan El Shaarawy.

Balotelli had three clear chances to add to their lead in the San Siro before Inter midfielder Ezequiel Schelotto leveled in the 71st minute.


Via: Beckham's late cameo as PSG win

Inter hit with fine for abuse of Balotelli

Mario Balotelli joined AC Milan from English champions Manchester City in January.

(CNN) -- Inter Milan have been hit with a 50,000 ($65,500) fine after their fans racially abused AC Milan striker Mario Balotelli during Sunday's derby match at the San Siro.

Balotelli was making just his fourth appearance for Milan against city rivals Inter, a team with which he spent four years between 2006 and 2010.

The sanction comes after Inter's fans chanted racial slurs at the 22-year-old Italy star, as well as displaying offensive banners and aiming a laser pen at the 22-year-old, who signed from English Premier League champiins Manchester City in January.

Balotelli himself was fined 10,000 ($13,000) for aiming a gesture at fans as he headed down the tunnel at the end of the 1-1 draw.

Read: Nothing black and white or Italy's "utlras"

A statement from the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) cited chanting which started in the 11th minute and was repeated in the 15th, 16th and 19th minutes.

The punishment is also for similar chants directed at another player in the 30th and 44th minutes of the first half.

Reports suggested Inter fans waved inflatable bananas, although there was no evidence connecting the objects with any incidents of racism.

Inter were fined 15,000 ($19,000) earlier this month after their fans chanted racist abuse about Balotelli during a match with Chievo.

It is the second time in recent months an AC Milan player has been the target of abuse.

During an exhibition match with Fourth Division team Pro Patria in January, Ghanaian midfielder Kevin Prince-Boateng walked off the pitch after he was subject to monkey chants.

Balotelli was at the center of an embarrassing incident for the AC Milan hierarchy just days after signing for the team.

Paolo Berlusconi, the club's vice president and younger brother of owner and former Italian prime minister Silvio, referred to Balotelli as "the family's little black boy."

Balotelli has made an instant impact on his return to Serie A, scoring four goals in four games as Milan climbed above Inter in the table and into fourth place.

The striker's time at Manchester City was dominated by controversy, including an altercation with manager Roberto Mancini on the club's training ground.


Via: Inter hit with fine for abuse of Balotelli

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Ronaldo double sinks Barcelona

Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates his penalty against Barcelona in the Spanish Cup semifinal

(CNN) -- It is the eight day period that will define the reign of Jose Mourinho, coach of Spanish giants Real Madrid.

And it got off to the perfect start as the Portuguese manager led his side to a crucial 3-1 victory at archrivals Barcelona to seal a place in the Spanish Cup final -- one of only two trophies left for the club to win.

Now, after another meeting with Barcelona on Saturday in the league, Mourinho will turn his thoughts to the second leg of their last 16 European Champions League tie against English Premier League leaders Manchester United which arrives next week. The sides drew 1-1 in the first leg.

Real trail Barca by 14 points in the league, meaning retaining their title is surely beyond them, but with Mourinho seemingly destined to leave the club at the end of the season his tenure will only be deemed a success should he complete a cup double before May is out.

Read: Mind over matter: Soccer's bid to train the brain

That prospect will only have increased after this emphatic victory in the Camp Nou.

Barcelona are dominant in the league but seem to be faltering without their manager Tito Vilanova who has been absent since the beginning of February while he has treatment for throat cancer in New York.

They were beaten 2-0 by AC Milan in their Champions League last 16 first leg tie, an encounter in which their star striker Lionel Messi had one of his quietest games on record for the club. He was again nullified as Real cruised to a 4-2 aggregate victory.

Real got off to the perfect start when their star striker Cristiano Ronaldo won a penalty after a challenge from Gerard Pique on 13 minutes. The Portuguese picked himself off the floor to slam the spot kick into the net.

Cesc Fabregas claimed a penalty as Barca looked to level the tie but the referee waved away his appeals before Andres Iniesta cut in from the right and fired wide of the target.

Barcelona's best chance of the half came when Alvaro Arbeloa brought down Iniesta on the edge of the penalty area. Messi stepped up to take the free kick but though the ball beat the wall it flashed a foot wide of the post.

Sergio Busquets forced Real goalkeeper Diego Lopez into his first save of the match with a shot from the edge of the area that took a deflection off Germany international Sami Khedira.

But Ronaldo struck a decisive second just before the hour mark. A long ball downfield saw Angel Di Maria beat Barca captain Carles Puyol and though his shot was saved by Pinto, Ronaldo was on hand to tuck home his 16th goal in 19 cup games for Real.

It got worse for Barca as Real's young French centre half Raphael Varane rose unchecked from a corner to head home a third goal that truly knocked the stuffing out of the home side.

Read: A dying breed: English managers on the brink?

Jordi Alba grabbed a late consolation goal for Barcelona but by that time many of the 90,000 fans had made their way to the exits.

Real will face either city rivals Atletico Madrid or Sevilla in the final. Atletico take a 2-1 first leg lead to Sevilla on Wednesday night.

In the English FA Cup, Premier League outfit Everton breezed past third tier Oldham Atheltic in their fifth round replay.

Oldham, who eliminated Everton's Merseyside rivals Liverpool in round four, earned a replay with an injury-time equaliser in the original tie but couldn't spring another surprise at Goodison Park, losing 3-1.

First half goals from Kevin Mirallas and England international Leighton Baines put Everton in control before Leon Osman made it 3-0 on the hour mark. Matt Smith grabbed a consolation for Oldham.

In Italy, Fiorentina missed the chance to go level on points with AC Milan in fourth as an 84th minute goal from Lazaros Christodoulopoulos handed Bologna a 2-1 win.

In the German Cup, VfL Wolfsburg and SC Freiburg progressed to the semifinals after victories over OFC Kickers 1901 and Mainz respectively.


Via: Ronaldo double sinks Barcelona

Top English managers a dying breed?

Pep Guardiola's decision to join Bayern Munich left many English Premier League fans shocked and stunned. The former Barcelona coach had been tipped to take over at Chelsea at the end of the season.

(CNN) -- Pep Guardiola is an anomaly -- one man who didn't fancy a crack at the Premier League, or at least not yet.

But the Spaniard is one of the rare few to turn down a chance of taking charge of one of England's top clubs.

Coaches flock from Europe and across the world to try their luck, and some like Jose Mourinho, Arsene Wenger, Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Mancini land the top prize.

Guardiola's move to the German Bundesliga will come as a relief to some, particularly those homegrown coaches desperately trying to make their mark in a 20-team league where there are only four English managers.

In addition, figures recorded before the close of the January transfer window showed that of the 480 players used in the Premier League this season, 176 were English -- just 36.7%.

From Barca to Bayern: Why is Pep Munich bound?

Since the nation's dismal failure at the 2010 World Cup, where Fabio Capello's team was brutally torn apart by a wonderfully youthful and resurgent Germany, there has been a long period of introspection.

Not since 1966 has the nation's footballers delivered the World Cup, a result which can be seen as something of an anomaly given the lack of success in the 47 years since.

But it's not just the players who are failing; it's the coaches and managers too.

And the worst part of it all is that the rest of the world knows it.

'Not respected'

"English managers are not winning," former England manager Steve McClaren told CNN, speaking before he lost his job as coach of Dutch club Twente this week.

"I've been working abroad in Germany and Holland where English coaches and English managers don't hold a great deal of respect in foreign countries.

"That started because there aren't many English players abroad, but that can be put down to the Premier League being the main attraction, and why should they move abroad if they can play in the top league?

"But for English coaches, where can they achieve success? Where can they get the opportunity to manage in the Premier League?

"The Championship is becoming very strong and full of English coaches. Then you have to think about moves abroad, a bit like the route which current England boss Roy Hodgson took.

"He was successful and won competitions in other countries. He knows what it takes to win and that's what chairmen want.

"They want winners, they want successful coaches with a pedigree of a winning. Roy has progressed on that."

Hodgson appointed England manager

While Scotland has provided some of the most successful managers including Alex Ferguson, Bill Shankly, Matt Busby and Kenny Dalglish, England has failed to replicate the achievements of its northern neighbor.

The English Football Association is trying to educate and bring through young coaches and managers with the opening of the country's National Football Center.

St. George's Park, which opened in October at the cost of $166 million, is seen as key to developing and nurturing homegrown talent both on and off the field.

Boasting state-of-the-art pitches and facilities, the venture will help restore the respect towards English coaches, according to the League Managers' Association.

"From an LMA outlook, the game should be investing in these managers and coaches with their development in the coming years," LMA chief executive Richard Bevan told CNN.

"Long term, the LMA see St. George's Park (SGP) as a massive positive for coaching and the future of English football.

"We acknowledge SGP is not an overnight process, but in the next five to 10 years the LMA firmly believe SGP will have a significant and positive influence on the English game.

"SGP will result in enhanced careers in coaching and all other disciplines in football. The culture, values and behaviors will characterize a new generation of coaches and players.

"It will undoubtedly be a helpful resource in developing and training our aspiring coaches and thereby identifying future English managers."

Vieira questions young players' 'lack of love' for England team

But despite the opening of such a world-class facility, the skepticism remains.

Different way of thinking

David Webb, a young English coach, worked with London clubs Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Millwall before taking up a role as a performance scout for Southampton -- promoted to the Premier League this season.

But his experiences in Germany with Bundesliga club Bayer Leverkusen convinced him that football in England is way behind its European rivals when it comes to developing both coaches and players.

"Germany are leaps and bounds ahead of us," Webb told CNN. "In Germany, kids are educated from a very early age and their development programs are outstanding.

"It's not all about winning, it's about learning and I think that's key. They have a foresight which we don't seem to have.

"In England, we have a few problems -- education, a lack of cultural identity in a football sense and a divide between the Football Association and Premier League.

"English coaches do OK when they're dealing with kids but as soon as they progress to the 16 to 18-year-old age group, it gets difficult.

"They don't progress any further because clubs want to bring in foreign coaches to work with the first-team because they're often more educated and fit the bill.

"A lot of foreign coaches are multilingual, well educated and have a different way of thinking, which make them attractive candidates."

Foreign owners in UK football: The good the bad and the ugly

Webb, who holds a Masters degree in Sports Science, believes the English game needs to do more for aspiring coaches and players from an early age.

"Education is crucial," he said.

"When I was at Leverkusen, they were surprised with me and said that I was more continental in my thinking, the way I worked and my analysis. Perhaps that's because I've had a decent education, and that's important."

Continental style

Few English managers have succeeded abroad in recent times, with the exception of Hodgson, Terry Venables and the late Bobby Robson.

Robson, who passed away in 2009, won back-to-back league titles with Dutch club PSV Eindhoven after leading England to the World Cup semifinals in 1990.

He then went on to win the Portuguese league and cup double with Porto, before guiding Barcelona to the Spanish Cup, Spanish Super Cup and European Cup Winners' Cup in his only season in charge.

"I loved playing for Bobby, he was my favorite manager," former Newcastle defender and France international Didier Domi told CNN.

"He was one of those few English coaches to have managed abroad and you could tell that. He had that English way about him but also knew about the continental style, and that's why we enjoyed playing for him.

"For me, it was his knowledge which had obviously gained while coaching in Europe which made him special.

"Everybody loved him from the senior players to the younger ones. He had so much knowledge and knew how to handle people.

"He also had a caring side and was great for me."

Real Madrid, Barcelona or Manchester United: Which is the biggest club?

But while Robson was successful in Europe, he never managed to win the English league title, despite success at Ipswich and Newcastle.

In fact, not since Howard Wilkinson led Leeds United to the league title in 1992 has an Englishman lifted the biggest prize in domestic competition.

Only three Englishman have won the FA Cup since 1991, while McClaren was the last to win the League Cup nine years ago.

Uphill struggle

The reputation of the country's coaches has dipped dramatically from the glory years of the late 1970s and early 1980s when Bob Paisley led Liverpool to three European Cups and Brian Clough worked wonders by winning the competition twice with Nottingham Forest.

Not since Joe Fagan led Liverpool to victory over Roma in 1984 has an English manager won Europe's top title.

The 29-year wait shows little sign of ending anytime soon; of the four Englishmen in charge of EPL clubs, none are competing for top honors.

Brian McDermott of Reading and QPR's Harry Redknapp are battling against relegation, while Alan Pardew's Newcastle and Sam Allardyce's West Ham are hovering just above the bottom three.

It was Allardyce who famously claimed he would never manage a big-four club, telling reporters: "The tongue-in-cheek answer is because I'm not called Allardici, just Allardyce."

Mourinho's words inspire Pochettino

Only recently, Southampton manager Nigel Adkins lost his job after leading the club from the third tier into the Premier League in consecutive seasons. He was replaced by Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino.

Adkins' dismissal was met with disdain by the majority of those in football after he had led his side away from the relegation zone with a run of just two defeats in 12 games.

All this despite Chelsea's Gary Cahill telling CNN that there are huge benefits from working with an English coach.

"I think the coaches know the Premier League inside out and I think that's beneficial for English players, they know how they can get the best out of them," the England defender said.

But McClaren maintains that English managers face an uphill struggle to establish themselves in the Premier League.

"Over the past five years the game has changed dramatically in terms of infrastructure," he said. "You've got multi-billionaire owners coming in who can get the best.

"Unfortunately, they're looking abroad for that and for people who have won European trophies.

"They want people who have won leagues in Europe and have a background in winning. Unfortunately, our coaches and managers haven't got the pedigree of winning things."

McClaren sacked after England exit

Following his ill-fated two-year reign which was brought to an ignominious end when England failed to qualify for the 2008 European Championship, McClaren felt he had no option but to leave the country.

Surviving the job

The constant media intrusion and the vilification of his character left his reputation in tatters, leaving him virtually untouchable for Premier League clubs.

Instead, he headed to Holland with FC Twente where he has once again begun to rebuild his career, courtesy of a Dutch league title triumph in 2010.

Brief spells at Wolfsburg in Germany and Nottingham Forest in England's second division followed before he returned to Twente. He departed after the club dropped to fifth in the Eredivisie, having been up near the leaders for most of this season.

Guardiola's mentor Lillo

"I went abroad with opportunity to expand my experience and knowledge and it has been fantastic," McClaren said.

"Also, it's an opportunity to take over a top team which could win something and also play in Europe.

"I think what really improves coaches and managers is playing in Europe. That's where you really do learn. I've been very fortunate. I did it with Middlesbrough and I was fortunate to come to Twente, win the league and get to play in Europe.

"I believe that also gets you recognition and puts you on the map. It also improves you greatly in playing against European opponents.

"Our English coaches are not exposed to that so coming abroad may be an opportunity for English coaches and managers to experience a club which is challenging at the top and also playing in Europe. That is how you can get your reputation."

McClaren's reputation is still tarnished in England, something he readily admits himself. The carnage of the national job made him a pariah -- Aston Villa decided to cancel his interview for the manager's role back in July 2011 following an outburst of criticism from supporters.

FIFA probes player with 'four birthdays'

But there is no bitterness or hint of regret in his voice, just a sense of realism in what has passed.

"I've been fortunate to have been given that opportunity and it's a great honor," he said.

"It was a period of great learning and yes, I do feel that at the time, it was too early for me.

"I didn't deal with the sideshow. I thought I was unlucky on the field at the wrong times but that's no excuse.

"It was great experience and exposure and I think that has helped me to cope abroad, to have that experience. Also, having managed England, it gave me the opportunity to manage abroad. I've a better reputation abroad.

"Very few people survive the job and come out the other end with their reputation intact. If you do, you've done very well."


Via: Top English managers a dying breed?

Mind over matter: Trying to train the brain

A new study from Brunel University in London has shown that soccer's best players are better equipped to anticipate their opponents' moves.

(CNN) -- Today's soccer professionals have a battery of physios, fitness trainers and doctors all striving to fine-tune their players' physique for optimum performance.

But are football clubs missing a trick in overlooking dedicated training for the most important organ of all -- the brain?

Scientists at London's Brunel University believe the game's top talents, such as Barcelona's Lionel Messi and Real Madrid's Cristiano Ronaldo, have mental faculties that are better programmed to anticipate their opponents' moves.

Read: Messi moves closer to 50-goal milestone

Research published in the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology found that of 39 players tested, the more experienced footballers were able to suppress the urge to act instinctively, making them less susceptible to feints or tricks from their opponents.

Brunel's study reinforces the view held by one of the greatest players of all time -- Johan Cruyff, who said that football is a game you play with your brain -- and offers tantalizing prospects for clubs.

Neural activity

Should they be able to unpick the best way to condition the brain's ability to anticipate an opponent's trickery, it could lead to better players and a potential stampede as clubs rush to add a neuroscientist to their back-room teams.

"I can see top teams employing neuroscientists in the future," Dr. Dan Bishop from Brunel's Center for Sports Medicine and Human Performance told CNN.

"That's because we have the skills and resources to witness very subtle changes in perceptual abilities that may not initially manifest in performance data, because people can change their mind midway through a task and therefore give an erroneous response, when in fact their initial 'preattentive' brain response was the correct one.

"I imagine that this will be most useful at academy level, to assess the development of young players."

Bishop believes the findings could help nurture a new generation of young sports stars in Britain, which is seeking to capitalize on a potential increase in participation following the London 2012 Olympics.

"We believe this greater level of neural activity is something that can be developed through high-quality training, so the next step will be to look at how the brain can be trained over time to anticipate the moves of opponents," he said.

"Particularly following on from the Olympics, with more people being encouraged to take up sport, we hope that our findings can be used to refine and speed up training techniques to nurture the potential in budding young sports stars."

During the trial, players ranging from novices to semiprofessionals were placed in an MRI scanner and shown video clips of a player dribbling towards them. They then had to decide in which direction to move in order to tackle them.

Read: The toughest coaching job in soccer?

The study found the better players were more sensitive to moves and tricks by an opponent than those at the less talented end of the scale, which came as no surprise to Bishop. "I am confident the findings would be even stronger with professional players," he said.

"Much of the activation we saw was comparable to the activations we had witnessed in our previous studies of badminton players -- which included a large number of international athletes."

Neurological track

There is growing group of coaches who need no convincing of the power of the brain in developing top players.

One of them is Kevin McGreskin, technical director at Soccer Eye Q -- a company that specializes in elite performance coaching.

"I think that coaches either forget, or don't even realize, that football is a hugely cognitive sport," he said in an interview with football magazine The Blizzard.

"We've got to develop the players' brains as well as their bodies but it's much easier to see and measure the differences we make to a player's physiology than we can with their cognitive attributes."

His views are shared by Michel Bruyninckx, formerly academy director for Belgian club Standard Liege and now at Qatar's Aspire Academy, who is something of a pioneer when it comes to brain training in soccer players.

He places huge value on "brain-centered learning" and devised a specific program designed to foster improvement in a young player's cognitive skills. Bruyninckx places the same level of importance of neuroscience as he does football tactics.

Both Bruyninckx and McGreskin have embraced "overload" drills to help tune players' brains, where some might be asked to speak in different languages during fitness training while others are asked to toss a tennis ball around and call out colors during sessions involving the football.

"We need to develop an engram -- a neurological track -- in the brain," Bruyninckx told The Blizzard. "We always thought that sporting activities were mechanical activities, but we know that there are interventions from the brain."

Bruyninckx's work has been acknowledged by one of the world's top soccer coaches, Jose Mourinho, the current manager at Real Madrid who has won titles in four different countries and lifted the European Champions League twice.

"Mourinho immediately understood what I'm trying to do and he asked a lot of intelligent questions," said Bruyninckx.

"He also noticed that the organization of the drills requires a greater team involvement, more concentration, attention, a continuous inciting of perception and that intelligent playing could grow a lot."


Via: Mind over matter: Trying to train the brain

Monday, February 25, 2013

Bale shines as Moore is remembered

Gareth Bale celebrates his stunning last-minute goal as Spurs come from behind to win 3-2 at West Ham

(CNN) -- The evening was supposed to be about remembering former England and West Ham captain Bobby Moore, who died 20 years ago, but in the end it was Gareth Bale who provided the memories at Upton Park with another unforgettable display.

The Welshman scored twice, with his second coming in the 90th minute, as Tottenham Hotspur came from behind to win 3-2 at West Ham and move up to third in the Premier League.

Bale, who has now scored eight of his team's last ten goals in all competitions, was the main talking point at the final whistle but the game kicked off with the thoughts of England's only World Cup-winning captain uppermost in spectators' minds.

The former defender, who died on 24 February 1993 at the age of 51, was honored as fans and players from both clubs provided a minute's applause, with home supporters creating a mosaic reading "Moore 6" in the stand named after him.

His three grandchildren -- Poppy, 21, Freddie, 16 and Ava, 13 -- had led the teams out as they carried the match ball onto the pitch.

"Twenty years gone, never forgotten" were the words that not only beamed out of the stadium's giant television screens but were also stitched into the jerseys of the West Ham players.

Having joined his local club as a teenager, Moore became a legend for a side he represented between 1958 and 1974, winning the FA Cup in 1964 and then the Cup Winners' Cup (a competition eligible for those European sides that had won their domestic cup) a year later.

Yet it was his displays with England in 1966 that cemented his place in football folklore for a defender rated as one of the best to have ever played the game.

"It was Bobby's ultimate goal to play for England," Moore's wife Stephane told the English FA's website. "I remember him saying to me one day when we went to the old Wembley, 'You have no idea what it feels like to walk onto that pitch, it's like levitating'.

"It meant everything to him to represent his country at Wembley."

On 30 July 1966, Moore's dreams came true as England won the World Cup on home soil, defeating great rivals Germany in the final at Wembley -- outside of which a statue of their former captain proudly stands today.

Read: Mancini insists EPL title race is not over

West Ham played a lead role in England's success, with Moore captaining the side, forward Geoff Hurst scoring a hat-trick (still the only player to do so in a World Cup final) and midfielder Martin Peters grabbing the home side's only other goal.

Four years later, as England tried to defend their trophy in Mexico, Moore led his team's resistance against Brazil in the group stages -- playing so well that the legendary Pele, whose team went on to win the trophy that year, singled him out for praise.

"Of the hundreds of defenders who played against me during my career I pick Bobby Moore as the greatest of them all," the FA website quoted Pele, the only player to have won three World Cup trophies, as saying.

Moore, who died from cancer, was also praised for his fine sportsmanship -- with a photo of himself and Pele greeting one another with mutual respect after their Mexican clash, which Brazil won 1-0, coming to symbolize what football's soul should be about for many.

The defender wore the number 6 shirt for both club and country and the reason there was no West Ham player sporting that digit on the back of their jersey against Tottenham is that the club retired the shirt five years ago in memory of Moore.

After six minutes, there was another commemoration for a player who had a brief spell with another London club, Fulham, late in his career as applause broke out around the ground but soon after, it was Bale who stole the show.

The 23-year-old pounced upon a defensive error from West Ham to fire home from the edge of the box but the visitors' advantage was nullified as Andy Carroll won -- and then scored -- a penalty.

Just before the hour, West Ham fans began to think that the tribute to Moore would be crowned in fitting style as Joe Cole gave the home side the lead -- while at the other end, goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen was pulling off a string of fine saves.

He could not prevent Gylffi Sigurdsson equalizing 14 minutes from time however, so creating the platform for Bale to score a stunning winner as he lashed a strike into the top corner from 30 yards.

The win represented a crucial three points in Tottenham's bid to qualify for next year's Champions League, with Spurs leaping above Chelsea and, more importantly for some, going four points clear of rivals Arsenal -- who they host in Sunday's North London derby.

Elsewhere in Europe, second-placed Napoli were held to a 0-0 draw at Udinese, leaving them six points behind Serie A leaders Juventus.


Via: Bale shines as Moore is remembered

Arsenal beaten by Bayern Munich

Toni Kroos fired Bayern Munich into a seventh minute lead as the German side made the perfect start to its last-16 Champions League clash at Arsenal.

(CNN) -- Perhaps it is ironic that in London Fashion week, a man who crafted one of the most beautiful and enriching football tapestries should be left watching the seams of his work unravel.

While the next set of trendsetters sit with their heads craned towards the catwalk across some of the capital's plushest venues, one of football's great designers was left shrouded under a cloak of misery on a cold February night in north London.

As Arsene Wenger trudged off down the Emirates tunnel, his side soundly beaten 3-1 by Bayern Munich in the first leg of its last-16 Champions League clash Tuesday, perhaps the reality had at last set in.

Read: Wenger defends his Arsenal record

Outplayed and outclassed, the seemingly unstoppable chasm between Arsenal and Europe's elite shows no sign of stopping.

When Wenger arrived as a virtual unknown at Arsenal in October 1996, few had the foresight to imagine just how this professorial figure would redefine the game in England.

While his look may have suggested a more school teacher like approach, the reality was anything but.

It was art. From knitting together one of the most wonderfully aesthetic sides to have graced the Premier League and embroidering it with gems such as Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and the other strands of brilliance, Wenger brought about a renaissance period in English football.

To watch Wenger's Arsenal in its pomp was something joyful to behold, a privilege and a delight.

Read: Arsenal slump to cup defeat

And yet while it was easy on the eye, this team was made of such strong fabric, resilient, interwoven with the DNA of winners.

Those were the days when Bergkamp would produce moments to take your breath away, pirouetting on a sixpence and scoring a goal which would leave you open mouthed.

Thierry Henry would have you believe he was from a different planet with an outrageous flick, run and finish, while the gladiatorial Patrick Vieira would give Arsenal the heart it so sorely lacks today.

The likes of Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole, players who would excite, produce when it mattered. They were winners.

This makes it all the more galling for Arsenal fans, who have watched their club fall dramatically from the days where it produced some of the most scintillating football ever witnessed in the Premier League.

During the 2003/4 season, Arsenal went through an entire season unbeaten, winning 26 and drawing 12 of their 38 league games, cruising to the title by 11 points. That team was labeled 'The Invincibles'.

Those days seem a lifetime ago. Not since its FA Cup win in 2005 has Arsenal managed to win a trophy -- a fact which Wenger is reminded of almost daily whenever he lifts a newspaper or turns on the radio.

The three Premier League titles and four FA Cup trophies are part of yesteryear as is the club's appearance in the 2006 Champions League final, where it was beaten by Barcelona.

In a society which demands instant gratification, Wenger is losing the battle.

Read: Bayern on cruise control

Held up as a beacon of financial prudence and a club ideally positioned for the advent of the FFP rules, Arsenal is constantly applauded for the way it conducts itself.

But while the bank accounts might be full, the trophy cabinet continues to gather dust as frustration grows over the lack of progress made on the pitch.

The sale of star players such as Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas has only exacerbated the fact that Arsenal can no longer compete with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea over an entire season.

Being dumped out of the League Cup, the country's third most important domestic competition, by a Bradford side in the bottom rung of English football, was humiliating.

Crashing out at home to first division Blackburn in the prestigious FA Cup was another embarrassing episode in a season which is unraveling at an alarming pace.

But against Bayern, a team seemingly cruising to domestic title success, there was a chance for redemption.

A lesser club than Bayern might have wilted under the disappointment of losing last year's Champions League final inside its own stadium in such heartbreaking fashion.

The penalty shoot out defeat by Chelsea left its players crushed, devastated and bewildered after it had dominated for so much of the contest.

Read: From Barca to Bayern: Why is Pep Munich bound?

Its reply, however, speaks volumes for the team. A 15 point lead at the top of the Bundesliga, a team with a record of 57 points from 22 games and a defense which had conceded in 450 minutes of football shows little sign of sulking.

Add to that the staggering run of away form which had seen Jupp Heynckes team win 10 out of its past 11 away games and it was obvious to see why Arsenal was up against it.

Fresh from Wenger's outburst at the press conference Tuesday and its shock FA Cup defeat by second-tier Blackburn last Saturday, Arsenal began confidently.

At least it did for the first six minutes. Then it all went downhill.

Germany international Tony Kroos was afforded time and space and duly took advantage, lashing home his fifth Champions League goal and giving Bayern the perfect start.

That strike tore through the already fragile confidence of an Arsenal side which looked decisively anaemic.

While Arsenal struggled, Bayern appeared to be cut from a different cloth.

The Germans swarmed around the pitch, every pass tailor made as it unpicked the stitching in Arsenal's defense with ease.

It took just 21 minutes to leave Arsenal's dream of qualification ripped to shreds as Bayern strengthened its grip on the contest.

Read: AVB: Bayern is the perfect club for Guardiola

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny could only parry Daniel van Buyten's near-post header and Thomas Muller was on hand to smash the ball into the roof of the net.

The interval brought respite from the jeers which greeted the halftime whistle and gave a chance for Arsenal to regroup.

And regroup it did. Suddenly it awoke from its nerve induced coma and began to show glimpses of what its fans so badly crave.

That fleet of foot, that crisp passing with the wonderfully talented Jack Wilshere trying to thread those "eye of the needle" passes to finally find a way through the Bayern defense.

In the end, it took some luck and an uncharacteristic piece of poor defending which allowed the home side back into the game.

A corner was awarded when it shouldn't have been and Lukas Podolski ensured his side made the most of its good fortune, heading home against his former club to reduce the deficit.

Now it was Arsenal which began to grow and only a wonderful reaction save from Manuel Neuer denied substitute Olivier Giroud an equalizer.

It proved to be a crucial moment as with 13 minutes remaining, Mario Mandzukic bundled home Philipp Lahm's cross to all but end Arsenal's hope of making the quarterfinal.

Bayern, which is unbeaten in 19 games since losing to Bayer Leverkusen on October 28 last year, will now expect to finish the job on March 13 in Munich.

Read: 'Pep will make Bayern's team better'

"We expected a very big start from Arsenal here at home with the fans behind them," Bayern's Arjen Robben told ITV.

"I know from my time in England and we warned all of the players we have to be there from the first minute because there will be a storm going here at the Emirates Stadium.

"I think we did very well and of course if you score two goals you're in a great position."

Based on past results in the competition, Arsenal has just a 2.2% chance of progressing to the next stage -- but in Wilshere it has one player with great heart and determination.

It is little surprise that Barcelona's players are already beginning to voice their admiration of the midfielder in a similar way they did during the pursuit of Cesc Fabregas.

For now Wilshere remains at Arsenal and fully focused on the task in hand.

"In the second half, we stepped it up and it's unfortunate we didn't do that in the first half," Wilshere told ITV.

"I'm not sure why. Maybe it's a bit of nerves or anxiety, because we show what we can do when we play. We will look at it and try to put it right."

But while Wenger ponders a redesign, Bayern will surely only grow stronger.

For next season they will have their own artist and in Pep Guardiola, the former Barceloan coach, it will have a man who has produced one of the great works of modern football.

Read: Malaga handed ban for financial irregularities

In the night's other game, Joao Moutinho's second half strike was enough to give Porto a 1-0 win over Malaga.

In a tight and cagey contest, Moutinho popped up six minutes after the break to take Alex Sandro's pass in his stride and fire home past Willy Caballero.

But Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini is adamant his side can still prevail when the two teams meet again in three weeks time.

"Whether it is a good result or not we will see at the end of 180 minutes," Pellegrini told Spanish TV station TVE.

"To lose is never good, but losing by just the one goal is the best thing we can take from the game.

"For all the possession Porto had they didn't create many clear cut chances and even the goal itself is offside.

"You have to give credit to Porto for the way they pressed us all over the pitch, but we have to apply the same pressure in Malaga.

"We can still turn the tie around at La Rosaleda. We have demonstrated this year that we can compete with anyone."


Via: Arsenal beaten by Bayern Munich

Manchester United CEO to step down

Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson was effusive in his praise for David Gill.

(CNN) -- After a decade at the helm of one of the world's biggest football clubs David Gill will step down as Manchester United chief executive officer in June.

Gill, who will be succeeded by current executive vice chairman Ed Woodward, was involved in the controversial takeover of the 19-time English champions by the American Glazer family.

Macolm Glazer, owner of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL franchise, acquired a controlling stake in United in 2005, a takeover that sparked fan protests.

Read: Real, Barca and United -- which is the biggest?

"It has been the greatest privilege to serve Manchester United for 16 wonderful years -- the last 10 of which as its chief executive," said Gill, who joined United as finance director in 1997.

"However, I have always been conscious of the fact that, as a member of staff, I was always just a temporary custodian of this marvelous institution," added Gill, who will remain a director at the club.

"I am also of the view that all businesses need to refresh themselves with new management and ideas and after 10 years in charge I believe it is appropriate for someone new to pick up the baton."

United co-chairman Joel Glazer said: "David has played a significant role in the success of Manchester United in his 10 years as chief executive and he can take great satisfaction in all that has been achieved on his watch, both on and off the field."

Read: The man who saved Manchester United -- twice

Since Gill became CEO in 2003, United have won four English Premier League titles, the 2004 FA Cup and the European Champions League in 2008.

All of those titles have been won under the club's iconic manager Alex Ferguson, who has been in charge at Old Trafford since 1986.

"I have been at United for over 26 years and for 23 of those years my boss has been one of only two men: Martin Edwards, who brought me to the club, and David Gill. I have enjoyed working with both," said Ferguson.

"David has been a magnificent chief executive. Of course, we have had a million arguments, but I have always enjoyed them because I know that David has two great qualities: he is straight and he always puts Manchester United first.

"He has been, and will continue to be, a fantastic success for Manchester United. He has all the qualities of successful people engrained in him: energy, honesty, integrity, personality and decision-making ability."

Read: Sculptor shows softer side of formidable Ferguson

The Deloitte Sports Business Group recently estimated United's revenue to be $502.4 million, a figure bettered only by Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona.

The list compiled by Deloitte does not consider debt, and it was debt which caused many fans to rail against the Glazer's takeover of United.

A group of fans formed a breakaway team called FC United of Manchester, which now plays in the seventh tier of English football.

By way of protest, a number of fans began wearing green and yellow scarves to the team's home games, the colors of the Newton Heath club from which Manchester United was formed.

United currently lead the Premier League table by 12 points from cross-city neighbors Manchester City with just 12 matches of the season remaining.

Ferguson's team are also still in the Champions League and are level at 1-1 with Real Madrid ahead of the second leg of their second-round tie on March 5.

After reaching the quarterfinals of the FA Cup with victory over Reading on Monday, United's current squad could emulate the team of 1999 which won an unprecedented Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League treble.


Via: Manchester United CEO to step down

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Meet Italy's proud football racists

"I don't care what game it is -- a friendly, Italian league or Champions League match -- I would walk off again," the Germany-born Kevin-Prince Boateng, who has represented Ghana, told CNN in an exclusive interview in January after he walked off in protest at racist abuse he was subjected to in a friendly match.

(CNN) -- Hardcore Italian football "ultra" Federico is a Lazio supporter who happily admits directing monkey chants at black players.

It is "a means to distract opposition players" says Federico, a member of the Irriducibili ("The Unbeatables") group which follows the Rome-based team.

"I am against anyone who calls me a Nazi," Federico told academic Alberto Testa, who spent time "embedded" with Lazio and Roma ultras for the book "Football, Fascism and Fandom: The UltraS of Italian Football," co-authored by Gary Armstrong.

"What I do not like is people who come to my country and commit crimes; Albanians and Romanians are destroying Rome with their camps," Federico adds.

"But I'm not a racist. One day, I was waiting in my car at the traffic lights and, as usual, there was a young female gypsy who was trying to clean the car windscreen and was asking for money.

Read: Time for football to tackle racism epidemic?

"Suddenly municipal police officers started to mistreat the girl. I jumped out of my car and almost kicked his arse. I hate injustice."

There is nothing black and white about Italian football.

Days after his return to Serie A, following his move from Manchester City to AC Milan, Italy-born Mario Balotelli was referred to by his new club's vice president Paulo Berlusconi -- the younger brother of the team's owner and the former Italian prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi -- as "the family's little black boy."

That remark came after, in what appeared to be an innocuous friendly match against fourth tier Italian side Pro Patria last month, Milan midfielder Kevin-Prince Boateng picked up the ball and kicked it into the stands before tearing off his black-and-red striped shirt and walking off in protest at the persistent monkey chanting to which he and three of his black teammates had been subjected.

In the aftermath of Boateng's walkout, Italian interior minister Annamaria Cancellieri told Radio 24 that if only a small group of fans were involved in racist chanting, games should not be suspended, but if "a significant part of the fans take part" the game should be stopped "by those responsible for public order."

Read: African football chief against walkoffs in racism incidents

As Italy grapples with how best to confront racism, it is worth remembering it's not the only country working out a solution as to how to deal with the problem.

Neo-Nazis and neo-Fascists

This season, matches across Europe have been punctuated by repeated racist outbursts, which have led to calls for world governing body FIFA and European counterpart UEFA to show greater leadership and impose harsher sanctions.

Amid the monkey chants and racial stereotyping, there are no easy answers to the question of just how prevalent is the incidence of racist abuse in Italian football.

According to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), there have been 50 incidents in Italy of racist abuse over the last six years. Of those 50 cases, 48 relate to racist chanting, with two relating to abusive banners.

"And the total of violent episodes diminished from 209 to 60 and the majority of them happened outside the football venues," FIGC spokesman Diego Antenozio told CNN.

"The introduction of stewarding has also reduced the need of intervention by police officers inside the venues significantly."

Read: Boateng makes racism walkout vow

However, talk to the head of Italy's Observatory on Racism and Anti-racism in Football, Mauro Valeri, who has been monitoring racism in Italian football for over a decade, and a different picture emerges.

His organization estimates there have been over 660 racial incidents since 2000 and puts the number since 2007 at 282, nearly six times as much as the FIGC figure. In all, fines of $5 million have been handed out as punishment in those 660-plus cases, equating to a fine of $7,500 per incident.

"The numbers I record relate to the decision that the judge takes in the sports court and lays down fines and any disqualifications. The FIGC figures concern the criminal law," said Valeri.

"So in the Boateng case the sports court ruled that Pro Patria had to play the game ... 'behind closed doors' and were fined $6,689.

"But the ordinary court -- the criminal law -- has instead decided that those songs were not racist. For me it's racism, for the Ministry of the Interior, no."

Valeri added: "In Italy, no club has a real anti-racist strategy, because it believes the fight against racism is not a priority.

Read: Blatter insists FIFA will hit racists hard

"Since the early 1990s, many curves of the stadium have been occupied by neo-Nazi and neo-Fascist groups, but this problem has been addressed only as a problem of public order."

That is a view that is supported by Italian football writer Charles Ducksbury, a fan of Verona, who added: "The ultra still, and always will hold all the power at clubs. They choose what is sung, what everyone does and how they do it.

"Stewards and police hardly ever enter the curve as they would most likely get beaten up. Ultras say if the authorities stay out the curve, there won't be any problems. Almost all trouble happens outside the ground anyway, so that's where police tend to hang around."

Time warp

While Boateng walked off, former Netherlands international Edgar Davids, who played for both AC Milan and Inter Milan as well as Juventus, said he felt it was important to show that racist abuse did not affect him as a player during the many years of his career he spent in Italy.

"You would have a problem in certain areas," Davids told CNN. "But you are a professional, you have an obligation to your team. My opinion was I'm a professional and the smartest way is to play so good that you make them even angrier.

"It is also about ignorance, a fear of the unknown. If you are interested in different cultures, it's normal.

"If you're not, you don't understand that concept. It is not only in Italy and it is not the whole of Italy. It was only certain teams you played, but 80-90% I didn't have a problem in Italy," added Davids, though Valeri's analysis suggests the problem is much more widespread.

Read: U.S. star Altidore suffers racist abuse

If football, race and politics make for a combustible mix in Italy, it is also arguable that the standard of the country's stadia is not helping.

While English football was forced to grapple with extensive stadium renovation to improve facilities for fans due to recommendations made by Lord Justice Taylor after the deadly crowd disasters at Hillsborough and Heysel in the 1980s, Italian football was left in a time warp.

"I really don't believe that Italian football has learned the lessons of Heysel and Hillsborough, or at least hasn't implemented any tangible changes at anything like the pace required," said another Italian football writer Adam Digby.

"While the Taylor report and formation of the Premier League put English football at the forefront of fan safety and gave it ultra-modern stadia almost throughout the league, Serie A still plays host to a number of ancient, decrepit grounds.

"Many are still those built for Italia '90 with places such as Verona's Bentegodi and the San Paolo in Naples particularly poor on both counts.

"The problems extend to a lack of quality stewarding and lax ticket security while the ultras bring even greater problems to the situation."

Read: Lazio fans charged with racist behavior

Owen Neilson, who is writing a book about Italian football stadia -- "Stadio: The Life and Death of Italian Football" -- concurs that the lack of stadium redevelopment has held back Italian football. Of Serie A's big clubs, only Juventus has built a new stadium, he notes.

"The modernity of the stadia is the central issue to declining attendances -- families do not want to sit in the cold, unfriendly surroundings," said Neilson.

"In my opinion the league needs to harness to new stadiums to help maximize Serie A's re-emergence."

So what's the solution?

"The FIGC makes a relevant anti-racism activity both in the national and international domain according to the UEFA policy and guidelines, and is member of anti-discrimination organization Football against Racism in Europe," said the Italian Football Federation in its statement to CNN.

"Specific guidelines are part of National License Club System's requirements, as are the anti-racism initiatives that are made through FIGC Youth & School Department to involve 860,000 young footballers."

But as Italian historian John Foot, author of the authoritative book on Italian football "Calcio" points out: "The Italian authorities have been all over the place on racism for a long time."

Racist chants

Valeri, meanwhile, urged the FIGC to donate the racism fines it recoups from the clubs for initiatives against racism, as does UEFA in its work with FARE.

"Any solution has to revolve around the football authorities," added Professor Clifford Stott, who has advised governments and police forces internationally on crowd management policy and practice.

Stott calls on FIFA and UEFA to do more.

"The FIGC, FIFA and UEFA must empower fan-based initiatives that are capable of creating a culture of self-regulation. The anti-racism agenda has come a long way in the last decades.

"By walking off Kevin-Prince and his fellow players have forced the agenda. The high-level political support for his action now means this might happen again, but this time during a much higher profile game -- perhaps even in the Champions League. The authorities have to react to this potential."

But Stott also warned against an indiscriminate reaction by the authorities.

"We have learned a great deal about crowd management since the Heysel disaster, and there must be recognition that it is not appropriate or constructive to sanction whole crowds," he said.

"The approach to security must be capable of differentiating between those fans that are acting illegally and those fans that are not. Failure to recognize this and to react indiscriminately runs a very real danger of escalating not reducing the problems."

This Sunday, AC Milan meet rivals Inter Milan at the San Siro in the city's derby.

Given Inter were recently fined $20,000 after racist chants from their fans about Balotelli at a match against Chievo, Sunday's game will be closely watched to see if Italy's authorities and clubs are making any progress in the fight against racism.


Via: Meet Italy's proud football racists

Mortar attack 'kills Syrian player'

A powerful car bomb explosion leaves dozens of people dead near the headquarters of Syria's ruling Baath Party in Damascus on Thursday, February 21. Click through to see photos of Syria's civil war in February, or look back at images from <a href='http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/11/middleeast/gallery/syria-unrest-december-january/index.html'>December and January</a>.

(CNN) -- The nearly two-year-old Syrian civil war is threatening to spill over the country's borders into Lebanon.

Syrian rebels are warning Hezbollah militants to stop fighting on behalf of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad -- or face severe consequences.

A statement posted on the Free Syrian Army's Facebook page reads:

"We [FSA] are announcing and warning that if Hezbollah will not stop shelling the Syrian lands, villages and civilians from inside the Lebanese territories within 48 hours of issuance of this statement, we will respond to the sources of fire by our hands and eliminate it from inside the Lebanese lands. Wishing from our people in Hermel [a city in Lebanon near the Syrian border] to stay away from Hezbollah's rocket launchers and its military centers."

The Lebanese news agency NNA reported that former Lebanese information minister and parliament member Michel Samaha has been indicted, along with Syrian Maj. Gen. Ali Mamlouk, on charges of planning to carry out terrorist acts, preparing explosives and transferring the material from Syria to Lebanon.

The explosives were intended to be placed in public places in Lebanon to assassinate deputies, religious figures and political dignitaries, NNA said. Authorities are seeking the death penalty against the men.

Mamlouk is the head of Syrian national security and al-Assad's special security adviser. The United States has leveled sanctions against him, alleging human rights abuses and violence against civilians.

In October, Wissam Al-Hassan, the Lebanese chief of the Internal Security Forces Information Branch in charge of Samaha's case, was assassinated in a car bombing that rocked central Beirut, Lebanon.

At least 163 people were killed across Syria on Wednesday, including 19 children and eight women, according to the Local Coordination Committees, a consortium of opposition groups. The LCC says the most deadly location was Damascus and its suburbs, where 96 people died, including 48 people the LCC says were martyred during an alleged aerial massacre in Hamoria.

Video of that purported attack was posted on YouTube. That's a common communication tactic for the rebels, since the al-Assad regime has cracked down on freedom of the press, largely preventing CNN and other international news agencies from newsgathering.

In Damascus on Wednesday, two mortar shells hit a sports stadium, killing a soccer player, Syria's state-run news agency said.

The shells fell on Tishreen Sport City Stadium in the al-Baramkeh neighborhood of the capital, the Syrian Arab News Agency said. The player was training at the time, the report said.

The explosions wounded several other players and team staff, SANA reported.

The government blamed "terrorists" for the attack.

Throughout the civil war in Syria, as the government has brutally cracked down on the opposition, al-Assad's administration has continuously blamed "terrorists" for violence.

READ: Syria death toll probably at 70,000, U.N. official says

The Free Syrian Army rebel group said it downed a government MiG aircraft that launched strikes on the city of Zamalka. That attack also was posted to YouTube.

Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi said Wednesday that the government is hoping for more dialogue with the opposition, and was reaching out to "all Syrians inside and abroad." He promised the Assad regime would provide "guarantees and logistic tools for the opposition behind borders, to facilitate the participation of those who wish to take part in a profound, serious dialogue."

Al-Zoubi told a Baath party leadership meeting in Damascus that the government desired talks "even if violence continues, as it will as it will decrease the extent of violence," and help the state "in applying law and consolidating security."

Saad Abedine contributed to this report from Abu Dhabi; Hamdi Alkshali contributed to this report from Atlanta and Mark Morgenstein wrote from Atlanta.


Via: Mortar attack 'kills Syrian player'

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Milan stun favored Barca

Goalkeeper Cristian Abbiati and Kevin-Prince Boateng celebrate Milan's unexpected 2-0 win over the tournament favorites

(CNN) -- Barcelona stand-in coach Jordi Roura suffered another agonizing display on his competitive return to the stadium that effectively ended his playing career.

Twenty-four years on from suffering a cruciate ligament injury while playing for Barcelona in the San Siro, that same old sinking feeling returned for a man holding the reins as regular coach Tito Vilanova undergoes medical treatment for a tumor in New York.

Fielding a strong side against a Milan team that failed to beat the Spaniards in last season's four European Champions League meetings, Barcelona lost the first leg of the last 16 clash 2-0.

After a tight first half, Kevin-Prince Boateng broke the deadlock after 56 minutes when drilling home from the edge of the box after a Riccardo Montolivo drive was deflected into his path.

Read: Bayern overpower Arsenal

Nine minutes from time, fellow Ghanaian Sulley Muntari sealed Milan's first Champions League win over Barca in 13 years after he stylishly finished off a sweeping move involving Stephan El Shaarawy and new signing M'Baye Niang.

The victory was especially satisfying for the Milan hierarchy and club president Silvio Berlusconi, who may hope the unexpected win represents a good omen as the 76-year-old tries to return to office in this weekend's Italian elections.

Following last year's comprehensive 3-1 aggregate defeat against Lionel Messi and colleagues in the Champions League quarterfinals, Milan overhauled their squad -- with Gennaro Gattuso, Clarence Seedorf, Alessandro Nesta and Zlatan Ibrahimovic among those moved on.

A total of eleven players who took part in the 2012 clashes were sold, reducing the average age of the squad from 30 to 27, and the team has slowly overcome a difficult bedding-in period to rise up to fourth in Serie A.

Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri had spoken of the need before the game to find a way of blunting Barcelona's attacking threat and his plan worked to perfection thanks to the on-field discipline of his players.

"We played as a team and we listened to our coach," said Muntari, whose goal was his first ever in the Champions League.

"He did a fantastic job by setting us up us very well on the pitch -- and we were very disciplined and managed to close every angle."

CNN Football Club: Send in your questions for Ian Wright

Even though Milan are seven-time European champions, their tally second only to the nine of Barcelona's great rivals Real Madrid, exuberant celebrations spread out across the stadium as the four-time winners fell without scoring an away goal.

Roura has never made any claims to wanting to be a permanent coach and he suffered in Milan where the home side's impressive defensive discipline smothered the usual attacking prowess of a side standing 12 points clear in the Spanish league.

His side were unable to formulate an alternative to their usual fluent style until the stand-in coach chose to use defender Gerard Pique in a makeshift attacking role for the final minutes.

Mustering barely a shot on target worthy of the name, Barcelona's limp display -- with Lionel Messi's impact wholly minimized by some efficient defending -- must have made Roura, 45, wish he could never return to the San Siro in a competitive capacity again.

In 1989, he was an aspiring Barca midfielder when the then 22-year-old suffered a serious knee against Milan in the European Super Cup - an injury that would bring his career to a premature end four years later.

His side are now in danger of failing to reach the Champions League semifinals for the first time in six years and Vilanova may discover that his team is out of the competition when he returns to the fray in late March.

Elsewhere, Galatasaray fielded both major January signings -- Wesley Sneijder and Didier Drogba -- in their home clash with Germans Schalke but were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw.

The hosts appeared to have made the perfect start when Burak Yilmaz slammed home a fine individual goal after 12 minutes, with the striker now having scored seven of Galatasaray's 8 Champions League goals this term.

That was as good as it got for the home side, with Jermaine Jones leveling the scores shortly before halftime as the visitors finished the game the stronger.


Via: Milan stun favored Barca

Abidal poised for Barcelona return

French defender Eric Abidal moved to Spanish club Barcelona from Lyon in 2007

(CNN) -- Barcelona may be licking their wounds after a 2-0 European Champions League defeat to AC Milan but on Thursday they received a boost that star midfielder Xavi described as "the best news of the year."

Eric Abidal, who has spent nearly a year out of the game after having a liver transplant, has been declared fit enough to rejoin Barca's first team squad.

It is positive news for Barcelona whose manager Tito Vilanova is currently in New York receiving treatment for throat cancer.

The French defender last played for Barca on February 26 last year and underwent surgery in April. He also had a tumor removed in March 2011.

Abidal spent two months on a specific training program designed by club physio Emili Ricart before training with the rest of the squad from the middle of December.

But now he is back in contention for a first team place.

A statement on Barca's official website read: "Following training Eric Abidal received the wonderful news that he is in good enough condition to play for the first team in what remains of the current season."

The club's players were delighted the 33-year-old had completed his recovery. Xavi, who has spent his entire career at the Spanish giants told the website: "It's the best news of the year.

"It's not a great day coming back after a 2-0 defeat, but seeing Abidal, how he trains and gives it everything and that he's now able to return to playing is a source of motivation. It's the best news we could have had."

Club captain Carles Puyol took to social networking site Twitter to say: "Today is the best news for Barcelonistas and football. Abidal has already been discharged. With him we are stronger."

Barca suffered just their second defeat in 22 matches when they went down 2-0 to Milan in the first leg at the San Siro.

The club are striving for their fifth title in European football's most prestigious competition. The second leg at the Nou Camp is on March 12.


Via: Abidal poised for Barcelona return

Europa holders Atletico Madrid out

Radamel Falcao endured a frustraing night as Atletico Madrid went out of the Europa League

(CNN) -- Atletico Madrid were gunning for their third Europa League title in four years but Russian outfit Rubin Kazan have ensured the holders won't be retaining their crown.

The Spanish club are riding high at present, second only to Barcelona in La Liga and sitting above their fierce rivals Real Madrid.

Coach Diego Simone landed Europe's second tier club competition, behind the Champions League, in his first year in charge but they faced an uphill task after losing 2-0 at home to Rubin in the first leg.

Despite their Colombian striker Falcao ensuring a 1-0 win in Russia with his 24th goal of the season, his 84th minute strike was too little too late.

Rubin defender Csar was sent off in the final minute but Atletico couldn't score again as the Russian outfit went through to face Spanish side Levante, who toppled Olympiakos of Greece.

Chelsea are now favorites to win the competition but they nearly fell at their first Europa League hurdle against Sparta Prague after a late Eden Hazard goal sealed their place in the next round.

Leading 1-0 from the first leg in the Czech Republic, Chelsea's advantage was canceled out by David Lafata's first half goal before Belgium international Hazard struck superbly with just 15 seconds of normal time remaining.

Chelsea captain John Terry insisted progress in the Europa League is vital for the club. He told ESPN: "It's an absolute must. We need to win it. We're disappointed to be out of the Champions League but that's enough motivation to keep on in this competition.

"It was a great goal from Eden, he showed great sharpness. Overall it wasn't the best but we're through."

Fellow English team Liverpool almost staged a memorable comeback to beat Zenit St Petersburg. Trailing 2-0 from the first leg in Russia, things got worse for Liverpool as striker Hulk put the visitors further ahead at Anfield.

But two goals before halftime gave Liverpool hope as Luis Suarez and Joe Allen made it 3-2 on aggregate. When Suarez scored a brilliant free kick Liverpool needed one more to go through but they couldn't find the net again.

Zenit will now play FC Basel after the Swiss side bettered Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk in bad tempered 1-1 draw in Ukraine. Nikola Kalinic was sent off for the home side before Fabian Frei followed him down the tunnel.

A Yevhen Seleznyov penalty gave Dnipro hope, as the aggregate deficit was reduced to 1-2, but Fabian Schar's late spot kick secured Basel's place in the last 16.

Another Premier League side, Tottenham, had to rely on a stunning late goal from Belgian international Moussa Dembele to progress against Lyon.

Trailing 2-1 from the first leg in London the French club took control of the tie when Maxime Gonalons headed them in front. That looked like settling matters before Dembele struck in the 90th minute.

Tottenham will now face Inter Milan after the Italian giants won 3-0 away at Cluj Napoca in Romania. Fredy Guarin scored twice and Marco Benassi added a third after Mario Camora was sent off.

Fellow Italians Lazio sealed their passage into the last 16 after a comfortable 2-0 home win over Germany's Borussia Monchengladbach.

Goals from Antonio Candreva and Alvaro Gonzlez sealed a 5-3 aggregate win for Lazio, who currently sit fourth in Serie A.

Lazio's next opponents will be German side VfB Stuttgart who won 2-0 at Racing Genk in Belgium to complete a 3-1 aggregate victory. Arthur Boka and Christian Gentner got the goals.

English outfit Newcastle went through against Metalist Kharkiv after Shola Ameobi's penalty sealed a 1-0 win in Ukraine.

Newcastle will now face Guus Hiddink's Anzhi Makhachkala after the Russians completed a 4-2 aggregate victory over Hannover, of Germany.

Napoli, second it Italy's Serie A, were humiliated by minnows Viktoria Plzen, losing 5-0 on aggregate. The Czech side will face Fenerbahce after the Turks edged past BATE Borisov, of Belarus, 1-0.

Ola John and Nemanja Matic scored the goals as Benfica beat Bayer Leverkusen, of Germany, 2-1 in Portugal to set up a showdown with French club Bordeaux, who beat Dynamo Kiev, of Ukraine, 2-1 on aggregate.


Via: Europa holders Atletico Madrid out

Friday, February 22, 2013

Arsenal overpowered by Bayern

Toni Kroos fired Bayern Munich into a seventh minute lead as the German side made the perfect start to its last-16 Champions League clash at Arsenal.

(CNN) -- Perhaps it is ironic that in London Fashion week, a man who crafted one of the most beautiful and enriching football tapestries should be left watching the seams of his work unravel.

While the next set of trendsetters sit with their heads craned towards the catwalk across some of the capital's plushest venues, one of football's great designers was left shrouded under a cloak of misery on a cold February night in north London.

As Arsene Wenger trudged off down the Emirates tunnel, his side soundly beaten 3-1 by Bayern Munich in the first leg of its last-16 Champions League clash Tuesday, perhaps the reality had at last set in.

Read: Wenger defends his Arsenal record

Outplayed and outclassed, the seemingly unstoppable chasm between Arsenal and Europe's elite shows no sign of stopping.

When Wenger arrived as a virtual unknown at Arsenal in October 1996, few had the foresight to imagine just how this professorial figure would redefine the game in England.

While his look may have suggested a more school teacher like approach, the reality was anything but.

It was art. From knitting together one of the most wonderfully aesthetic sides to have graced the Premier League and embroidering it with gems such as Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp and the other strands of brilliance, Wenger brought about a renaissance period in English football.

To watch Wenger's Arsenal in its pomp was something joyful to behold, a privilege and a delight.

Read: Arsenal slump to cup defeat

And yet while it was easy on the eye, this team was made of such strong fabric, resilient, interwoven with the DNA of winners.

Those were the days when Bergkamp would produce moments to take your breath away, pirouetting on a sixpence and scoring a goal which would leave you open mouthed.

Thierry Henry would have you believe he was from a different planet with an outrageous flick, run and finish, while the gladiatorial Patrick Vieira would give Arsenal the heart it so sorely lacks today.

The likes of Robert Pires, Freddie Ljungberg, Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Sol Campbell and Ashley Cole, players who would excite, produce when it mattered. They were winners.

This makes it all the more galling for Arsenal fans, who have watched their club fall dramatically from the days where it produced some of the most scintillating football ever witnessed in the Premier League.

During the 2003/4 season, Arsenal went through an entire season unbeaten, winning 26 and drawing 12 of their 38 league games, cruising to the title by 11 points. That team was labeled 'The Invincibles'.

Those days seem a lifetime ago. Not since its FA Cup win in 2005 has Arsenal managed to win a trophy -- a fact which Wenger is reminded of almost daily whenever he lifts a newspaper or turns on the radio.

The three Premier League titles and four FA Cup trophies are part of yesteryear as is the club's appearance in the 2006 Champions League final, where it was beaten by Barcelona.

In a society which demands instant gratification, Wenger is losing the battle.

Read: Bayern on cruise control

Held up as a beacon of financial prudence and a club ideally positioned for the advent of the FFP rules, Arsenal is constantly applauded for the way it conducts itself.

But while the bank accounts might be full, the trophy cabinet continues to gather dust as frustration grows over the lack of progress made on the pitch.

The sale of star players such as Robin van Persie and Cesc Fabregas has only exacerbated the fact that Arsenal can no longer compete with the likes of Manchester United, Manchester City and Chelsea over an entire season.

Being dumped out of the League Cup, the country's third most important domestic competition, by a Bradford side in the bottom rung of English football, was humiliating.

Crashing out at home to first division Blackburn in the prestigious FA Cup was another embarrassing episode in a season which is unraveling at an alarming pace.

But against Bayern, a team seemingly cruising to domestic title success, there was a chance for redemption.

A lesser club than Bayern might have wilted under the disappointment of losing last year's Champions League final inside its own stadium in such heartbreaking fashion.

The penalty shoot out defeat by Chelsea left its players crushed, devastated and bewildered after it had dominated for so much of the contest.

Read: From Barca to Bayern: Why is Pep Munich bound?

Its reply, however, speaks volumes for the team. A 15 point lead at the top of the Bundesliga, a team with a record of 57 points from 22 games and a defense which had conceded in 450 minutes of football shows little sign of sulking.

Add to that the staggering run of away form which had seen Jupp Heynckes team win 10 out of its past 11 away games and it was obvious to see why Arsenal was up against it.

Fresh from Wenger's outburst at the press conference Tuesday and its shock FA Cup defeat by second-tier Blackburn last Saturday, Arsenal began confidently.

At least it did for the first six minutes. Then it all went downhill.

Germany international Tony Kroos was afforded time and space and duly took advantage, lashing home his fifth Champions League goal and giving Bayern the perfect start.

That strike tore through the already fragile confidence of an Arsenal side which looked decisively anaemic.

While Arsenal struggled, Bayern appeared to be cut from a different cloth.

The Germans swarmed around the pitch, every pass tailor made as it unpicked the stitching in Arsenal's defense with ease.

It took just 21 minutes to leave Arsenal's dream of qualification ripped to shreds as Bayern strengthened its grip on the contest.

Read: AVB: Bayern is the perfect club for Guardiola

Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny could only parry Daniel van Buyten's near-post header and Thomas Muller was on hand to smash the ball into the roof of the net.

The interval brought respite from the jeers which greeted the halftime whistle and gave a chance for Arsenal to regroup.

And regroup it did. Suddenly it awoke from its nerve induced coma and began to show glimpses of what its fans so badly crave.

That fleet of foot, that crisp passing with the wonderfully talented Jack Wilshere trying to thread those "eye of the needle" passes to finally find a way through the Bayern defense.

In the end, it took some luck and an uncharacteristic piece of poor defending which allowed the home side back into the game.

A corner was awarded when it shouldn't have been and Lukas Podolski ensured his side made the most of its good fortune, heading home against his former club to reduce the deficit.

Now it was Arsenal which began to grow and only a wonderful reaction save from Manuel Neuer denied substitute Olivier Giroud an equalizer.

It proved to be a crucial moment as with 13 minutes remaining, Mario Mandzukic bundled home Philipp Lahm's cross to all but end Arsenal's hope of making the quarterfinal.

Bayern, which is unbeaten in 19 games since losing to Bayer Leverkusen on October 28 last year, will now expect to finish the job on March 13 in Munich.

Read: 'Pep will make Bayern's team better'

"We expected a very big start from Arsenal here at home with the fans behind them," Bayern's Arjen Robben told ITV.

"I know from my time in England and we warned all of the players we have to be there from the first minute because there will be a storm going here at the Emirates Stadium.

"I think we did very well and of course if you score two goals you're in a great position."

Based on past results in the competition, Arsenal has just a 2.2% chance of progressing to the next stage -- but in Wilshere it has one player with great heart and determination.

It is little surprise that Barcelona's players are already beginning to voice their admiration of the midfielder in a similar way they did during the pursuit of Cesc Fabregas.

For now Wilshere remains at Arsenal and fully focused on the task in hand.

"In the second half, we stepped it up and it's unfortunate we didn't do that in the first half," Wilshere told ITV.

"I'm not sure why. Maybe it's a bit of nerves or anxiety, because we show what we can do when we play. We will look at it and try to put it right."

But while Wenger ponders a redesign, Bayern will surely only grow stronger.

For next season they will have their own artist and in Pep Guardiola, the former Barceloan coach, it will have a man who has produced one of the great works of modern football.

Read: Malaga handed ban for financial irregularities

In the night's other game, Joao Moutinho's second half strike was enough to give Porto a 1-0 win over Malaga.

In a tight and cagey contest, Moutinho popped up six minutes after the break to take Alex Sandro's pass in his stride and fire home past Willy Caballero.

But Malaga coach Manuel Pellegrini is adamant his side can still prevail when the two teams meet again in three weeks time.

"Whether it is a good result or not we will see at the end of 180 minutes," Pellegrini told Spanish TV station TVE.

"To lose is never good, but losing by just the one goal is the best thing we can take from the game.

"For all the possession Porto had they didn't create many clear cut chances and even the goal itself is offside.

"You have to give credit to Porto for the way they pressed us all over the pitch, but we have to apply the same pressure in Malaga.

"We can still turn the tie around at La Rosaleda. We have demonstrated this year that we can compete with anyone."


Via: Arsenal overpowered by Bayern

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