Due debutti, altrettante sconfitte. Gli esordi all’estero di Maarten Stekelenburg e Michel Vorm, rispettivamente numero uno e numero dodici (seguendo la vecchia numerazione) di una nazionale olandese fresca del primato nel ranking FIFA, non sono state memorabili. Eppure le performance dei due portieri sono state agli antipodi.
(Articolo completo su Il mondo siamo noi).
mercoledì 31 agosto 2011
lunedì 29 agosto 2011
RoPS' Christmas fairy tale shakes Finnish football
Rovaniemi is best known for being situated just eight kilometres from Santa Claus’ village and famous post office. There is no better place than the capital of Lapland (Finland’s northern region) to set a Christmas fairy tale, but not all have happy endings, despite appearances to the contrary. The story of Zeddy Saileti, a whole host of Zambian talents and RoPS is a case in point.
Zambian Saileti landed in Lapland for the first time in 1994, having accepted an offer to play for local side RoPS (Rovaniemen Palloseura), whose chairman Jouko Kiistala had fallen in love with African football after watching Cameroon striker Roger Milla’s exploits at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. It was Milla who suggested to Kiistala that Saileti, at that time playing in his homeland of Zambia, could be tempted to Finland.
“I knew nothing about Finland”, recalls Saileti, “until I went there in the winter of 1994 and I thought this was a God-awful place, where one could not play football. It was well below freezing and we practiced on a gravel pitch.” It was little surprise when the Zambian went back home, but Saileti popped up again in the more favourable spring to sign a contract with RoPS. From then on, the striker turned out with the Finnish side for 16 consecutive seasons, becoming a legend in Rovaniemi in the process. And when he hung up his boots at the age of 40, he was quickly offered the job of assistant coach.
In recent years, Saileti used his contacts to bring more Zambian players to RoPS, planting a little piece of the African country in Rovaniemi and enjoying unrivalled authority amongst the young hopefuls. “It is part of our culture”, explained the RoPS legend. “You respect your elders. I can tell a younger player to go and get me some food and he will do it.”
Despite RoPS becoming a yo-yo club, bobbing between Finland’s top flight the Veikkausliiga and the country’s second tier the Ykkonen, the story of this African footballing community based in the Arctic Circle looked every inch a Christmas fairy tale. However, last February the chance discovery of a fake passport would ensure the dark side of football in Rovaniemi – and Finland – would be uncovered.
Wilson Raj Perumal, a Singaporean who was based in London, found himself stopped by border guards while trying to enter Finland with a forged passport. The name of the Singaporean was not unknown to FIFA’s security officers, who suspected him of fixing international matches involving African and Asian countries. His arrest brought to light a network of match-fixers who had targeted RoPS, offering bribes to players to affect the outcome of matches between 2008 and 2011.
Soon seven Zambians and Georgians were found guilty of having accepted between €500 and €44,000 to fix RoPS matches. A Finnish court ruled that 24 of the Rovaniemi-based side’s games had been fixed – Perumal’s involvement was proven in seven. The Singaporean was handed two years in jail, while the players involved were all given suspended sentences, ranging from six to twelve months.
In Rovaniemi the scandal caused an earthquake of shock. “When we saw the players being taken away by the police, we had some serious talks with the team, but we didn’t really know what was going on”, said RoPS managing director Antti Hietakangas. Following the conclusion of the trial, RoPS sacked all the players that had been involved. “We won’t take any Zambians again, and I don’t think any other Finnish club will ever take a Zambian player [again]”, commented chairman Risto Niva.
All RoPS’ Zambians had been recruited by Saileti. One, centre back Stephen Kunda, quickly pointed the finger of blame at the former striker, accusing him of forcing his countrymen to fix matches. “All of us obeyed him without question”, Kunda revealed. “I don’t want to see that man again”, he added. Saileti, who moved back to his hometown Kitwe, has denied any involvement. Finnish prosecutors however are far from convinced and are pushing for the former RoPS legend to be extradited to Finland to face allegations he instigated match fixing at the club.
Finland’s Veikkausliiga became a target of Asian gambling syndicates in the second half of the 2000s. In 2005, a Belgian-Chinese betting cartel took control of Vantaa-based side AC Allianssi. Less than one year later they exited the club after fixing a game against FC Haka; Allianssi fielded a reserve side and lost 8-0. At the time a police investigation failed to find sufficient evidence of match fixing, however some years later the club’s former chairman Olivier Suray admitted that the game had been fixed. Allianssi were declared bankrupt in 2006.
On 6th May 2011, a Finnish court convicted Zambian brothers Dominic and Donewell Yobe of pocketing €50,000 in bribes to play “below their normal level” to help TPS Turku defeat the players’ club AC Oulu 5-0. The pair were given suspended seven month sentences and saw their contracts cancelled by their respective clubs (AC Oulu and, by then for Dominic Yobe, HJK Helsinki).
Lesser known leagues with a modest income, like Finland’s Veikkausliiga, have become the favoured targets of match-fixing organisations. And according to FIFA’s head of security, Chris Eaton, the groups operate with a long-term plan, recruiting players from poorer countries through the attraction of a contract with European clubs and then applying pressure to take part in the fixing of games. “These criminals invest in the development of players and officials and then they expect payment”, said Eaton. “They want their cut.”
This is something Finland’s Veikkausliiga knows all too well, a league ironically sponsored by a betting firm, Veikkaus.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
Zambian Saileti landed in Lapland for the first time in 1994, having accepted an offer to play for local side RoPS (Rovaniemen Palloseura), whose chairman Jouko Kiistala had fallen in love with African football after watching Cameroon striker Roger Milla’s exploits at the 1990 World Cup in Italy. It was Milla who suggested to Kiistala that Saileti, at that time playing in his homeland of Zambia, could be tempted to Finland.
“I knew nothing about Finland”, recalls Saileti, “until I went there in the winter of 1994 and I thought this was a God-awful place, where one could not play football. It was well below freezing and we practiced on a gravel pitch.” It was little surprise when the Zambian went back home, but Saileti popped up again in the more favourable spring to sign a contract with RoPS. From then on, the striker turned out with the Finnish side for 16 consecutive seasons, becoming a legend in Rovaniemi in the process. And when he hung up his boots at the age of 40, he was quickly offered the job of assistant coach.
In recent years, Saileti used his contacts to bring more Zambian players to RoPS, planting a little piece of the African country in Rovaniemi and enjoying unrivalled authority amongst the young hopefuls. “It is part of our culture”, explained the RoPS legend. “You respect your elders. I can tell a younger player to go and get me some food and he will do it.”
Despite RoPS becoming a yo-yo club, bobbing between Finland’s top flight the Veikkausliiga and the country’s second tier the Ykkonen, the story of this African footballing community based in the Arctic Circle looked every inch a Christmas fairy tale. However, last February the chance discovery of a fake passport would ensure the dark side of football in Rovaniemi – and Finland – would be uncovered.
Wilson Raj Perumal, a Singaporean who was based in London, found himself stopped by border guards while trying to enter Finland with a forged passport. The name of the Singaporean was not unknown to FIFA’s security officers, who suspected him of fixing international matches involving African and Asian countries. His arrest brought to light a network of match-fixers who had targeted RoPS, offering bribes to players to affect the outcome of matches between 2008 and 2011.
Soon seven Zambians and Georgians were found guilty of having accepted between €500 and €44,000 to fix RoPS matches. A Finnish court ruled that 24 of the Rovaniemi-based side’s games had been fixed – Perumal’s involvement was proven in seven. The Singaporean was handed two years in jail, while the players involved were all given suspended sentences, ranging from six to twelve months.
In Rovaniemi the scandal caused an earthquake of shock. “When we saw the players being taken away by the police, we had some serious talks with the team, but we didn’t really know what was going on”, said RoPS managing director Antti Hietakangas. Following the conclusion of the trial, RoPS sacked all the players that had been involved. “We won’t take any Zambians again, and I don’t think any other Finnish club will ever take a Zambian player [again]”, commented chairman Risto Niva.
All RoPS’ Zambians had been recruited by Saileti. One, centre back Stephen Kunda, quickly pointed the finger of blame at the former striker, accusing him of forcing his countrymen to fix matches. “All of us obeyed him without question”, Kunda revealed. “I don’t want to see that man again”, he added. Saileti, who moved back to his hometown Kitwe, has denied any involvement. Finnish prosecutors however are far from convinced and are pushing for the former RoPS legend to be extradited to Finland to face allegations he instigated match fixing at the club.
Finland’s Veikkausliiga became a target of Asian gambling syndicates in the second half of the 2000s. In 2005, a Belgian-Chinese betting cartel took control of Vantaa-based side AC Allianssi. Less than one year later they exited the club after fixing a game against FC Haka; Allianssi fielded a reserve side and lost 8-0. At the time a police investigation failed to find sufficient evidence of match fixing, however some years later the club’s former chairman Olivier Suray admitted that the game had been fixed. Allianssi were declared bankrupt in 2006.
On 6th May 2011, a Finnish court convicted Zambian brothers Dominic and Donewell Yobe of pocketing €50,000 in bribes to play “below their normal level” to help TPS Turku defeat the players’ club AC Oulu 5-0. The pair were given suspended seven month sentences and saw their contracts cancelled by their respective clubs (AC Oulu and, by then for Dominic Yobe, HJK Helsinki).
Lesser known leagues with a modest income, like Finland’s Veikkausliiga, have become the favoured targets of match-fixing organisations. And according to FIFA’s head of security, Chris Eaton, the groups operate with a long-term plan, recruiting players from poorer countries through the attraction of a contract with European clubs and then applying pressure to take part in the fixing of games. “These criminals invest in the development of players and officials and then they expect payment”, said Eaton. “They want their cut.”
This is something Finland’s Veikkausliiga knows all too well, a league ironically sponsored by a betting firm, Veikkaus.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
La prima di Rodney
C’è un nuovo Sneijder nel mondo del calcio. Si tratta di Rodney, fratello minore dell’interista Wesley, che sabato ha esordito in Eredivisie contribuendo con un gol al 3-1 dell’Utrecht sul Roda. Schierato interno sinistro di centrocampo, Rodney Sneijder – arrivato pochi giorni prima in prestito dall’Ajax – ha sfoderato una grande prestazione sotto gli occhi del fratello e della di lui compagna Yolanthe. Curiosamente entrambi i debutti degli Sneijder sono targati Koeman: Ronald allenava l’Ajax alla “prima” di Wesley nel febbraio 2003; oggi il fratello Erwin è il tecnico dell’Utrecht.
mercoledì 24 agosto 2011
Preview Udinese-Arsenal: Robin van Persie
Recita un detto olandese: “Se la mia strada è pulita, tanto mi basta per essere contento”. Un concetto individualista che non appartiene alla filosofia di Robin van Persie. In caso contrario, a quest’ora l’attaccante oranje non sarebbe più un giocatore dell’Arsenal, ma avrebbe ingrossato le fila dei talenti in fuga (Fabregas, Nasri, Clichy) dai Gunners e dal loro deus-ex-machina, Arsene Wenger. Il maestro alsaziano li ha aiutati a “pulire la loro strada”, adesso si arrangi pure con il resto del quartiere di casa Arsenal.
Fresco della fascia di capitano, Van Persie è una delle poche stelle rimaste alla corte di Wenger, tecnico mai come ora sottoposto a una pressione così intensa. Tifosi in ebollizione, accuse di braccino corto in sede di mercato, un clima di smobilitazione da fine impero acuito da un inizio deprimente in Premier League (un punto nelle prime due partite, zero gol segnati). Urge una scossa per il tecnico alsaziano, che punta tutto sul rientro di uno dei suoi “prodotti” migliori di sempre, ovvero Van Persie, assente per squalifica all’andata.
L’olandese è un giocatore 100% made in Wenger. Figlio di artisti divorziati, nato e cresciuto in un quartiere popolare di Rotterdam, prima di sbarcare a Londra Van Persie era il classico talento alla Balotelli tutto genio e sregolatezza. Auto sfasciate, litigi con gli allenatori (l’attuale ct dell’Olanda Van Marwijk lo cacciò dal Feyenoord alla vigilia di un preliminare di Champions), persino qualche giorno in galera per un accusa poi rivelatasi infondata. L’incontro con Wenger gli cambia la carriera. “Mi disse che per arrivare al top”, ricorda Van Persie, “avrei dovuto cambiare qualcosa nel mio atteggiamento. Gli domandai: che cosa? Devi capirlo da solo, fu la risposta”.
Anni di apprendistato alla corte di maestri quali Henry e Bergkamp hanno trasformato Van Persie da bizzosa mezzapunta esterna dal mancino fatato in attaccante completo. La scorsa stagione, dopo un aver sfiorato il Mondiale da prima punta dell’Olanda, il giocatore ha battuto tutti i propri record di prolificità chiudendo con 22 reti, tra cui una gemma contro il Barcellona in Champions, votata dai tifosi dell’Arsenal gol dell’anno. Oggi appare come uno dei pochi assi rimasti nella manica di Wenger. Ma è sufficiente per far saltare il banco.
Fonte: Il Giornale
Fresco della fascia di capitano, Van Persie è una delle poche stelle rimaste alla corte di Wenger, tecnico mai come ora sottoposto a una pressione così intensa. Tifosi in ebollizione, accuse di braccino corto in sede di mercato, un clima di smobilitazione da fine impero acuito da un inizio deprimente in Premier League (un punto nelle prime due partite, zero gol segnati). Urge una scossa per il tecnico alsaziano, che punta tutto sul rientro di uno dei suoi “prodotti” migliori di sempre, ovvero Van Persie, assente per squalifica all’andata.
L’olandese è un giocatore 100% made in Wenger. Figlio di artisti divorziati, nato e cresciuto in un quartiere popolare di Rotterdam, prima di sbarcare a Londra Van Persie era il classico talento alla Balotelli tutto genio e sregolatezza. Auto sfasciate, litigi con gli allenatori (l’attuale ct dell’Olanda Van Marwijk lo cacciò dal Feyenoord alla vigilia di un preliminare di Champions), persino qualche giorno in galera per un accusa poi rivelatasi infondata. L’incontro con Wenger gli cambia la carriera. “Mi disse che per arrivare al top”, ricorda Van Persie, “avrei dovuto cambiare qualcosa nel mio atteggiamento. Gli domandai: che cosa? Devi capirlo da solo, fu la risposta”.
Anni di apprendistato alla corte di maestri quali Henry e Bergkamp hanno trasformato Van Persie da bizzosa mezzapunta esterna dal mancino fatato in attaccante completo. La scorsa stagione, dopo un aver sfiorato il Mondiale da prima punta dell’Olanda, il giocatore ha battuto tutti i propri record di prolificità chiudendo con 22 reti, tra cui una gemma contro il Barcellona in Champions, votata dai tifosi dell’Arsenal gol dell’anno. Oggi appare come uno dei pochi assi rimasti nella manica di Wenger. Ma è sufficiente per far saltare il banco.
Fonte: Il Giornale
martedì 23 agosto 2011
Exclusive Inside interview: Udinese Sporting Director Fabrizio Larini
Italian side Udinese have flourished in recent years, recording finishes which far outweigh their budget in Serie A and producing a number of highly rated players. The 2010/11 season was no exception, with the Udine-based club earning a spot in this season’s Champions League, although they must negotiate a tough playoff round against Arsenal to progress to the group stage.
Despite losing a number of stars this summer, including Chilean talent Alexis Sanchez to Barcelona, the future still looks bright for the Bianconeri thanks to a strong scouting network and a partnership with Spanish La Liga side Granada CF.
Key to Udinese’s set-up is the club’s sporting director Fabrizio Larini. Inside Futbol’s Alec Cordolcini spoke to Larini about the secrets behind Udinese’s success and the Serie A side’s plans for the future.
Inside Futbol (IF): Considering your unique, attractive style of play, Udinese could be described as an exception to the rule of "less than easy on the eye" Italian sides. Do you agree?
Fabrizio Larini (FL): Of course, I do. In our team we have a lot of players who are looking for their breakthrough at the highest level. They have skills and they want to show all their potential. These kinds of players fit perfectly into our football philosophy which prioritises technical qualities to develop a game that makes the difference.
IF: You are widely known for your “buy-cheap-gain-exposure-sell-high” philosophy. What are the secrets behind this successful approach?
FL: First of all, a quick and extremely organised scouting system. Of course we don’t have the resources and money to compete with the big clubs in the race for a potential world class talent. When they set eyes on a player, we are out.
We basically have two options: Be the first to discover a future star of tomorrow – as happened with Alexis Sanchez – or look for unknown players in alternative markets, such as in Chile and Colombia instead of Brazil or Argentina. Or in the less important European leagues: Switzerland, Denmark, Slovenia.
IF: How long do your scouting teams follow a player before a decision is made over whether they are good enough to join Udinese?
FL: It’s not a question of how long, but a question of opinions. We have scouts abroad and others who work in our head office in Udine. A player is good enough for us when all the people who have watched him play – including the head scout – agree on his potential.
Take for example our new signing Thierry Doubai. We have a scout in Switzerland, who followed him playing with Young Boys. He sent us his review, we watched him on DVD, and finally the head scout went to Switzerland to see him live.
How many times did Udinese watch Doubai play? I don’t know, ten or maybe 12. However, the most important thing was that we always had positive feedback on the player.
IF: Udinese lost three key players in the transfer window this summer: Alexis Sanchez (sold to Barcelona), Gokhan Inler (now at Napoli) and Cristian Zapata (who joined Villarreal). What are your expectations for the new season, considering that from this year Serie A clubs will only have three instead of four Champions League spots?
FL: At the beginning of every season our ambition is always the same, develop a team able to cement a mid-table spot as soon as possible. We can’t ever forget Udinese are not a top club.
Discovering and developing players is our main aim and every time one of our stars leaves for another club, we know the cycle begins anew. We try to sell a player only when we know we have the guarantee of having the right replacement for him. Doubai will take Inler’s place, and we have two new Brazilian defenders, Danilo Larangeira and Sergio Piccoli Neuton, that can play as well as Zapata.
Of course, a player like Sanchez is almost impossible to replace. Not only for Udinese, but for almost every team in the world.
IF: Coach Francesco Guidolin said that the Champions League playoff tie against Arsenal will in a way be an “impossible mission” for Udinese. What’s your opinion about this?
FL: We are clearly underdogs and it will be very, very difficult for us. Arsenal are a top club, technically speaking they are two or three steps above us. I don’t like to make predictions, but I know that our few chances will depend on how we can surprise and apply pressure on them.
IF: These are unsettling times for Arsenal. Don’t you think the unhappiness Arsene Wenger must face at the club, from the supporters to some players, could help Udinese?
FL: The best moment to play against a big club is always at the beginning of a season, when the top teams in particular are still a work in progress. This is the only advantage Udinese have, but it would be the same against other teams.
IF: In your opinion, which Udinese players could actually merit a spot in the Gunners’ starting eleven?
FL: I think many, from our goalkeeper Samir Handanovic to midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah. Mauricio Isla and Pablo Armero, who play on the flanks, could be good enough too. Of course I am not considering our star striker Antonio Di Natale, who technically is second to none. But he is linked to Udinese until the end of his career.
IF: What about the partnership between Udinese and Spanish club Granada? Can you tell us a little about it?
FL: It’s an important benefit for us to work together with a club from an important footballing country such as Spain. Granada were suffering a deep financial malaise – both competitively and financially – when we signed a partnership agreement in July 2009.
As you know we have a well-developed recruitment policy in South America and Africa. Gaining some experience with Granada could provide many young players with an easier introduction into Europe’s football and lifestyle. South American players don’t even have to face a language barrier, while we don’t have the same problem of limits for African players as for non-EU players, due to an agreement signed by Spain and Africa concerning free movement for certain kinds of workers.
IF: Two months ago Granada were promoted to La Liga. Will this make the connection with Udinese stronger?
FL: It was surely a great achievement, one that shows how a partnership can benefit both clubs. Granada had 11 Udinese players on loan, of whom six were starters. The Spanish Segunda Division was a league we valued to develop players; however La Liga is obviously better. From the beginning we thought Granada was a city with great footballing potential, and we are very confident about the future.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
Despite losing a number of stars this summer, including Chilean talent Alexis Sanchez to Barcelona, the future still looks bright for the Bianconeri thanks to a strong scouting network and a partnership with Spanish La Liga side Granada CF.
Key to Udinese’s set-up is the club’s sporting director Fabrizio Larini. Inside Futbol’s Alec Cordolcini spoke to Larini about the secrets behind Udinese’s success and the Serie A side’s plans for the future.
Inside Futbol (IF): Considering your unique, attractive style of play, Udinese could be described as an exception to the rule of "less than easy on the eye" Italian sides. Do you agree?
Fabrizio Larini (FL): Of course, I do. In our team we have a lot of players who are looking for their breakthrough at the highest level. They have skills and they want to show all their potential. These kinds of players fit perfectly into our football philosophy which prioritises technical qualities to develop a game that makes the difference.
IF: You are widely known for your “buy-cheap-gain-exposure-sell-high” philosophy. What are the secrets behind this successful approach?
FL: First of all, a quick and extremely organised scouting system. Of course we don’t have the resources and money to compete with the big clubs in the race for a potential world class talent. When they set eyes on a player, we are out.
We basically have two options: Be the first to discover a future star of tomorrow – as happened with Alexis Sanchez – or look for unknown players in alternative markets, such as in Chile and Colombia instead of Brazil or Argentina. Or in the less important European leagues: Switzerland, Denmark, Slovenia.
IF: How long do your scouting teams follow a player before a decision is made over whether they are good enough to join Udinese?
FL: It’s not a question of how long, but a question of opinions. We have scouts abroad and others who work in our head office in Udine. A player is good enough for us when all the people who have watched him play – including the head scout – agree on his potential.
Take for example our new signing Thierry Doubai. We have a scout in Switzerland, who followed him playing with Young Boys. He sent us his review, we watched him on DVD, and finally the head scout went to Switzerland to see him live.
How many times did Udinese watch Doubai play? I don’t know, ten or maybe 12. However, the most important thing was that we always had positive feedback on the player.
IF: Udinese lost three key players in the transfer window this summer: Alexis Sanchez (sold to Barcelona), Gokhan Inler (now at Napoli) and Cristian Zapata (who joined Villarreal). What are your expectations for the new season, considering that from this year Serie A clubs will only have three instead of four Champions League spots?
FL: At the beginning of every season our ambition is always the same, develop a team able to cement a mid-table spot as soon as possible. We can’t ever forget Udinese are not a top club.
Discovering and developing players is our main aim and every time one of our stars leaves for another club, we know the cycle begins anew. We try to sell a player only when we know we have the guarantee of having the right replacement for him. Doubai will take Inler’s place, and we have two new Brazilian defenders, Danilo Larangeira and Sergio Piccoli Neuton, that can play as well as Zapata.
Of course, a player like Sanchez is almost impossible to replace. Not only for Udinese, but for almost every team in the world.
IF: Coach Francesco Guidolin said that the Champions League playoff tie against Arsenal will in a way be an “impossible mission” for Udinese. What’s your opinion about this?
FL: We are clearly underdogs and it will be very, very difficult for us. Arsenal are a top club, technically speaking they are two or three steps above us. I don’t like to make predictions, but I know that our few chances will depend on how we can surprise and apply pressure on them.
IF: These are unsettling times for Arsenal. Don’t you think the unhappiness Arsene Wenger must face at the club, from the supporters to some players, could help Udinese?
FL: The best moment to play against a big club is always at the beginning of a season, when the top teams in particular are still a work in progress. This is the only advantage Udinese have, but it would be the same against other teams.
IF: In your opinion, which Udinese players could actually merit a spot in the Gunners’ starting eleven?
FL: I think many, from our goalkeeper Samir Handanovic to midfielder Kwadwo Asamoah. Mauricio Isla and Pablo Armero, who play on the flanks, could be good enough too. Of course I am not considering our star striker Antonio Di Natale, who technically is second to none. But he is linked to Udinese until the end of his career.
IF: What about the partnership between Udinese and Spanish club Granada? Can you tell us a little about it?
FL: It’s an important benefit for us to work together with a club from an important footballing country such as Spain. Granada were suffering a deep financial malaise – both competitively and financially – when we signed a partnership agreement in July 2009.
As you know we have a well-developed recruitment policy in South America and Africa. Gaining some experience with Granada could provide many young players with an easier introduction into Europe’s football and lifestyle. South American players don’t even have to face a language barrier, while we don’t have the same problem of limits for African players as for non-EU players, due to an agreement signed by Spain and Africa concerning free movement for certain kinds of workers.
IF: Two months ago Granada were promoted to La Liga. Will this make the connection with Udinese stronger?
FL: It was surely a great achievement, one that shows how a partnership can benefit both clubs. Granada had 11 Udinese players on loan, of whom six were starters. The Spanish Segunda Division was a league we valued to develop players; however La Liga is obviously better. From the beginning we thought Granada was a city with great footballing potential, and we are very confident about the future.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
Time-travelling FC Thun ready for Stoke challenge
Little FC Thun will be turning back time when they face English Premier League side Stoke City in the Europa League playoff round. Six years ago the Swiss minnows made history when knocking out first Dynamo Kyiv and then Malmo, going on to qualify for the group stages of the Champions League. With an annual budget of under €3M, Thun were the smallest side to ever enter the tournament. The club were handed a group containing Arsenal, Ajax and Sparta Prague and, despite being tipped to finish bottom, ended third.
Striker Mauro Lustrinelli was Thun’s hero back in those heady days; the club’s supporters still remember the wonderful goal the hitman struck against Swedish champions Malmo.”Given the club’s small reputation and budget”, said Lustrinelli, “we can say that the Champions League experience was more than just a fine achievement. It was a real miracle.”
After Lustrinelli left Thun in January 2006, the forward turned out for Sparta Prague, Luzern, Young Boys and Bellinzona (the club at which he began his professional career in 1994). Last season however, the 35-year-old’s goals were not enough to save the Granata from relegation, and Lustrinelli opted not to follow the club down to the Swiss second tier, signing for Thun instead.
“When I came back, it was like I had never gone away”, explained Lustrinelli. “The club’s philosophy hasn’t changed: hard work, team spirit and a great footballing culture and absolutely no pressure. Moreover, Thun were ready to begin a new adventure in Europe after finishing fifth last season, just after being promoted from a division lower. I couldn’t ask for more.”
Thun had a difficult start to life back in Europe, negotiating their first test in the Europa League against Albanians Vllaznia only in the dying seconds of the return leg. However, the Super League side impressed in the next round against Serie A outfit Palermo who, despite starting as overwhelming favourites, could not do better than two draws against Thun (2-2 in Italy and 1-1 at the new Thun Arena – the stadium was only opened in July).
“I know that there are a lot of differences between the Champions League and the Europa League”, said Lustrinelli. “However, for a small club like ours, every step further in Europe is a little wonder. Now we have to face a tough contender because Stoke City is a Premier League club. But we have nothing to lose and we’ll surely play our football.”
The veteran striker has not forgotten his first European experience against an English team. “We played Arsenal twice in the 2005/06 Champions League, and we lost both games in the dying minutes. In London Dennis Bergkamp scored the winning goal, while in Switzerland they won thanks to a late Robin van Persie penalty.” Lustrinelli however accepts that against teams with such talent, there is often little that can be done to avoid suffering at their hands. Stoke though present a different kind of challenge. “When you play against stars like these, you know you could lose the game at any moment. Luckily Stoke City have no stars like them in the team. However, we still remain underdogs.”
Under coach Murat Yakin, Thun progressed over the last two seasons, moving from Switzerland’s second tier all the way to the Europa League. Since the start of the 2011/12 Swiss season, under a new boss in Bernard Challandes – appointed after Yakin moved to Luzern – Thun have continued onwards and upwards, with the fresh face in the dugout showing he is able to coax out special performances from a group of unheralded players, leading the side to the top of the Super League.
Alongside the prodigal son Lustrinelli, who at 35 has scored more than 240 goals in his career, Thun’s star is 21-year-old Paraguayan Dario Lezcano. The technically gifted attacking all-rounder was key to the club’s success against Palermo, scoring in the second leg of the tie. Lezcano moved to Thun last January after two seasons spent with Challenge League outfit Wil; now the Paraguayan is on the radar of many of Europe’s bigger clubs and a strong display against Stoke would place him in the shop window even more.
Right midfielder Christian Schneuwly and goalkeeper David da Costa are two other potential stars in coach Challandes’ 4-4-2 machine. Da Costa especially has once again demonstrated how breathing in the Thun air can turn an unimpressive player into a consistent performer. Just two seasons ago the 25-year-old was reserve keeper at Chiasso in the Prima Lega, Swiss football’s third tier. Schneuwly can continue to improve too after failing to hold down a regular spot with Young Boys over the past two seasons.
Thun are now aiming to follow up their defeat of Palermo by shocking Stoke. The Swiss Super League side will not underestimate the Potters, but believe that with no end of effort combined with the extra sharpness of starting their season in July, there is all to play for.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
Striker Mauro Lustrinelli was Thun’s hero back in those heady days; the club’s supporters still remember the wonderful goal the hitman struck against Swedish champions Malmo.”Given the club’s small reputation and budget”, said Lustrinelli, “we can say that the Champions League experience was more than just a fine achievement. It was a real miracle.”
After Lustrinelli left Thun in January 2006, the forward turned out for Sparta Prague, Luzern, Young Boys and Bellinzona (the club at which he began his professional career in 1994). Last season however, the 35-year-old’s goals were not enough to save the Granata from relegation, and Lustrinelli opted not to follow the club down to the Swiss second tier, signing for Thun instead.
“When I came back, it was like I had never gone away”, explained Lustrinelli. “The club’s philosophy hasn’t changed: hard work, team spirit and a great footballing culture and absolutely no pressure. Moreover, Thun were ready to begin a new adventure in Europe after finishing fifth last season, just after being promoted from a division lower. I couldn’t ask for more.”
Thun had a difficult start to life back in Europe, negotiating their first test in the Europa League against Albanians Vllaznia only in the dying seconds of the return leg. However, the Super League side impressed in the next round against Serie A outfit Palermo who, despite starting as overwhelming favourites, could not do better than two draws against Thun (2-2 in Italy and 1-1 at the new Thun Arena – the stadium was only opened in July).
“I know that there are a lot of differences between the Champions League and the Europa League”, said Lustrinelli. “However, for a small club like ours, every step further in Europe is a little wonder. Now we have to face a tough contender because Stoke City is a Premier League club. But we have nothing to lose and we’ll surely play our football.”
The veteran striker has not forgotten his first European experience against an English team. “We played Arsenal twice in the 2005/06 Champions League, and we lost both games in the dying minutes. In London Dennis Bergkamp scored the winning goal, while in Switzerland they won thanks to a late Robin van Persie penalty.” Lustrinelli however accepts that against teams with such talent, there is often little that can be done to avoid suffering at their hands. Stoke though present a different kind of challenge. “When you play against stars like these, you know you could lose the game at any moment. Luckily Stoke City have no stars like them in the team. However, we still remain underdogs.”
Under coach Murat Yakin, Thun progressed over the last two seasons, moving from Switzerland’s second tier all the way to the Europa League. Since the start of the 2011/12 Swiss season, under a new boss in Bernard Challandes – appointed after Yakin moved to Luzern – Thun have continued onwards and upwards, with the fresh face in the dugout showing he is able to coax out special performances from a group of unheralded players, leading the side to the top of the Super League.
Alongside the prodigal son Lustrinelli, who at 35 has scored more than 240 goals in his career, Thun’s star is 21-year-old Paraguayan Dario Lezcano. The technically gifted attacking all-rounder was key to the club’s success against Palermo, scoring in the second leg of the tie. Lezcano moved to Thun last January after two seasons spent with Challenge League outfit Wil; now the Paraguayan is on the radar of many of Europe’s bigger clubs and a strong display against Stoke would place him in the shop window even more.
Right midfielder Christian Schneuwly and goalkeeper David da Costa are two other potential stars in coach Challandes’ 4-4-2 machine. Da Costa especially has once again demonstrated how breathing in the Thun air can turn an unimpressive player into a consistent performer. Just two seasons ago the 25-year-old was reserve keeper at Chiasso in the Prima Lega, Swiss football’s third tier. Schneuwly can continue to improve too after failing to hold down a regular spot with Young Boys over the past two seasons.
Thun are now aiming to follow up their defeat of Palermo by shocking Stoke. The Swiss Super League side will not underestimate the Potters, but believe that with no end of effort combined with the extra sharpness of starting their season in July, there is all to play for.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
martedì 9 agosto 2011
Big three ready to boss 2011/12 Eredivisie
Once upon a time there was a “big three” in Holland’s Eredivisie, consisting of Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord. This trio dominated the league and made the title race an exclusive game to which others were not invited.
Today there is still a “big three” sitting on top of the Dutch football tree. However, the deep financial crisis that has gripped Feyenoord since the first years of the millennium has caused the Rotterdam giants to drop out of the country’s elite. The void left by the Rotterdam club was first filled by AZ Alkmaar, whose rise was bankrolled by banker Dick Scheringa until the owner’s DSB Bank collapsed and AZ sailed close to bankruptcy, just four months after winning the Eredivisie.
One year later there was another entrant to the “big three” as English coach Steve McClaren led Joop Munsterman’s FC Twente to the first title in their history. And so, the Dutch elite is in a state of flux, with the coming of further ambitious owners, such as Merab Jordania (Vitesse) and Frans van Seumeren (Utrecht), determined to barge their way into the reckoning. For the time being however the 2011/12 Eredivisie season seems set to see a fight between Ajax, PSV and Twente, just as last year.
Reigning champions Ajax were defeated 2-1 at the Amsterdam ArenA by Twente in their first official game of this season, the Johan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup). But despite Frank de Boer’s men failing to hoist the first silverware on offer there was a common consensus that the Amsterdam side dominated the game from beginning to end, registering 16 shots on target to Twente’s two – unfortunately for Ajax, both Twente’s found the back of the net.
Last season De Boer led his men to the title and also reached the Dutch Cup final with a squad comprising at least 18 players from Ajax’s youth academy. But this new era of home-grown talents needs to go one step further according to the legendary Johan Cruyff, who returned to Amsterdam last February in an advisory role. Cruyff is clear: Domestic success is not enough, Ajax’s youngster must be able to compete in Europe, as the club’s great sides of the past have.
In the summer transfer market Ajax have made two masterstrokes, signing midfield maestro Theo Janssen from Twente and Icelandic striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (15 goals last season) from AZ. The champions have suffered a key loss too though with 2011 Player of the Year Maarten Stekelenburg heading to take up a spot between the sticks for Roma. However, last season’s second choice keeper Kenneth Vermeer has proven himself an able replacement. With rising stars like Christian Eriksen, Vurnon Anita, Lorenzo Ebecilio, Toby Alderweireld, Gregory van der Wiel, Siem de Jong and Nicolai Boilesen, plus new academy product Rodney Sneijder (Wesley Sneijder’s younger brother), boss De Boer can be confident about a successful 2011/12.
Over at last season’s runners-up Twente the arrival of disciplinarian coach Co Adriaanse is the most exciting news for the club’s supporters. Adriaanse is well known in Holland for his attacking philosophy, but even more so for his iron-handed approach to training. Chairman Munsterman has banked on the 64-year-old keeping Twente at the top of the Dutch game just as Steve McClaren and Michel Preud’Homme before him. Twente are expected to be one of the most entertaining teams to watch throughout 2011/12.
In recent years the Tukkers have continued to fight at the top of the Eredivisie despite consistently selling their best players. That trend has halted this summer though – except for the farewell of local icon Theo Janssen to Ajax. With only two uninspiring signings in right back Tim Cornelisse and defensive midfielder Marcell Janssen, Twente will count on their key performers. And if the likes of Luuk de Jong, Nacer Chadli, Bryan Ruiz, Douglas, Nikolay Mihaylov and Wout Brama are in form, Twente have a chance of bringing the title back to Enschede.
Elsewhere in the “big three” PSV Eindhoven are facing a personality crisis, seeming to have lost their identity. During the last two decades the Philips-backed club triumphed on the firm foundation of a strong scouting network which saw talents like Ronaldo, Mark van Bommel, Arjen Robben, Phillip Cocu, Heurelho Gomes, Alex and Jefferson Farfan grace the Eredivisie. This positive cycle, with a scout-develop-win-sell-invest plan, has fallen apart in the last two seasons as PSV regularly failed to qualify for the Champions League. Too few top players were developed as well.
Without an income from the Champions League, PSV were forced to raise money on the transfer market with the aim of building a new competitive team that can challenge for the title. The sales of Hungarian winger Balazs Dzsudzsak (to Anzhi Makhachkala) and Mexican central defender “Maza” Rodriguez (to Stuttgart) have allowed the club to sign vital reinforcements; Belgian winger Dries Mertens, Dutch international Kevin Strootman (both from Utrecht) and the attacking-all-rounder Georginio Wijnaldum (from Feyenoord). PSV still boast experienced players in the likes of Ola Toivonen, Jeremain Lens, Andreas Isaksson and Wilfried Bouma and will be aiming for the new recruits to settle in quickly and a title challenge to be sparked. Indeed, this is the last chance for coach Fred Rutten.
The 2011/12 Dutch Eredivisie campaign should be full of thrills and spills, packed with goals galore and competitive until the end. Yet the “big three” will prove that, just as much as things change, they always stay the same.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
Today there is still a “big three” sitting on top of the Dutch football tree. However, the deep financial crisis that has gripped Feyenoord since the first years of the millennium has caused the Rotterdam giants to drop out of the country’s elite. The void left by the Rotterdam club was first filled by AZ Alkmaar, whose rise was bankrolled by banker Dick Scheringa until the owner’s DSB Bank collapsed and AZ sailed close to bankruptcy, just four months after winning the Eredivisie.
One year later there was another entrant to the “big three” as English coach Steve McClaren led Joop Munsterman’s FC Twente to the first title in their history. And so, the Dutch elite is in a state of flux, with the coming of further ambitious owners, such as Merab Jordania (Vitesse) and Frans van Seumeren (Utrecht), determined to barge their way into the reckoning. For the time being however the 2011/12 Eredivisie season seems set to see a fight between Ajax, PSV and Twente, just as last year.
Reigning champions Ajax were defeated 2-1 at the Amsterdam ArenA by Twente in their first official game of this season, the Johan Cruyff Shield (Dutch Super Cup). But despite Frank de Boer’s men failing to hoist the first silverware on offer there was a common consensus that the Amsterdam side dominated the game from beginning to end, registering 16 shots on target to Twente’s two – unfortunately for Ajax, both Twente’s found the back of the net.
Last season De Boer led his men to the title and also reached the Dutch Cup final with a squad comprising at least 18 players from Ajax’s youth academy. But this new era of home-grown talents needs to go one step further according to the legendary Johan Cruyff, who returned to Amsterdam last February in an advisory role. Cruyff is clear: Domestic success is not enough, Ajax’s youngster must be able to compete in Europe, as the club’s great sides of the past have.
In the summer transfer market Ajax have made two masterstrokes, signing midfield maestro Theo Janssen from Twente and Icelandic striker Kolbeinn Sigthorsson (15 goals last season) from AZ. The champions have suffered a key loss too though with 2011 Player of the Year Maarten Stekelenburg heading to take up a spot between the sticks for Roma. However, last season’s second choice keeper Kenneth Vermeer has proven himself an able replacement. With rising stars like Christian Eriksen, Vurnon Anita, Lorenzo Ebecilio, Toby Alderweireld, Gregory van der Wiel, Siem de Jong and Nicolai Boilesen, plus new academy product Rodney Sneijder (Wesley Sneijder’s younger brother), boss De Boer can be confident about a successful 2011/12.
Over at last season’s runners-up Twente the arrival of disciplinarian coach Co Adriaanse is the most exciting news for the club’s supporters. Adriaanse is well known in Holland for his attacking philosophy, but even more so for his iron-handed approach to training. Chairman Munsterman has banked on the 64-year-old keeping Twente at the top of the Dutch game just as Steve McClaren and Michel Preud’Homme before him. Twente are expected to be one of the most entertaining teams to watch throughout 2011/12.
In recent years the Tukkers have continued to fight at the top of the Eredivisie despite consistently selling their best players. That trend has halted this summer though – except for the farewell of local icon Theo Janssen to Ajax. With only two uninspiring signings in right back Tim Cornelisse and defensive midfielder Marcell Janssen, Twente will count on their key performers. And if the likes of Luuk de Jong, Nacer Chadli, Bryan Ruiz, Douglas, Nikolay Mihaylov and Wout Brama are in form, Twente have a chance of bringing the title back to Enschede.
Elsewhere in the “big three” PSV Eindhoven are facing a personality crisis, seeming to have lost their identity. During the last two decades the Philips-backed club triumphed on the firm foundation of a strong scouting network which saw talents like Ronaldo, Mark van Bommel, Arjen Robben, Phillip Cocu, Heurelho Gomes, Alex and Jefferson Farfan grace the Eredivisie. This positive cycle, with a scout-develop-win-sell-invest plan, has fallen apart in the last two seasons as PSV regularly failed to qualify for the Champions League. Too few top players were developed as well.
Without an income from the Champions League, PSV were forced to raise money on the transfer market with the aim of building a new competitive team that can challenge for the title. The sales of Hungarian winger Balazs Dzsudzsak (to Anzhi Makhachkala) and Mexican central defender “Maza” Rodriguez (to Stuttgart) have allowed the club to sign vital reinforcements; Belgian winger Dries Mertens, Dutch international Kevin Strootman (both from Utrecht) and the attacking-all-rounder Georginio Wijnaldum (from Feyenoord). PSV still boast experienced players in the likes of Ola Toivonen, Jeremain Lens, Andreas Isaksson and Wilfried Bouma and will be aiming for the new recruits to settle in quickly and a title challenge to be sparked. Indeed, this is the last chance for coach Fred Rutten.
The 2011/12 Dutch Eredivisie campaign should be full of thrills and spills, packed with goals galore and competitive until the end. Yet the “big three” will prove that, just as much as things change, they always stay the same.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
venerdì 5 agosto 2011
Finnish legend Jari Litmanen still weaving magic
Jari Litmanen’s career is threatening to be a never-ending story. Last April the Finnish football legend signed a one-year deal with current Veikkausliiga champions HJK Helsinki, thereby ushering in his 24th season in the professional game. With the capital city club bossing Finland’s top flight in 2011, in much the same manner as 2010, Litmanen is well on the way to picking up what would be a 21st trophy of his lengthy career.
In 2010 HJK Helsinki proved their strength, bustling to the title and, with only Inter Turku and JJK Jyväskylä putting up any sort of fight this year, history looks likely to repeat itself. Indeed, both Inter Turku and JJK cannot boast half of HJK’s budget, meaning the Helsinki side’s domination could be set in stone.
In his homeland of Finland, Litmanen is accorded a status that no other sportsman who participates in a team sport has reached. As 2004 rolled around, the forward was included in the 100 Greatest Finns of all-time. Then, in 2010, Litmanen became the first Finnish footballer to have a statue erected in his honour – it is located at Kisapuisto (Lahti) where he took his first steps into the game in the 1970s, combining it with another sport, ice hockey (Finland’s national sport). A symbolic date was chosen for the unveiling of the €80,000 monument; 10-10-10 (10th October, 2010).
For Litmanen, being honoured has almost become a daily event. Recently the former Ajax schemer saw his face printed onto a new Sampo Bank credit card that featured some of Finland’s most famous people. Images of Urho Kekkonen (the country’s longest serving president), Lasse Viren (a former Finnish long distance runner who picked up four gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics) and Uuno Turhapuro (a Finnish comedy character) all saw their faces receive pride of place with Litmanen. The player’s face will be elsewhere too, as Finnish director and producer Mika Kaurismaki is making a documentary about, in his own words, “the man behind the football god Jari Litmanen”.
Litmanen is one of the few players in the world to have played professionally in four different decades, the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. Yet despite being 40 years old, the Finn has yet to write the last word on the book of his international career. Even with 137 caps for his country, the most recent coming against San Marino last December, 21 years and 26 days after his debut, time has not been called on the magic boots just yet. Litmanen also netted a penalty against the international minnows, breaking a record held by Irishman John Aldridge as the oldest goalscorer in a European Championship qualifying game; Aldridge was 39 years and 270 days old. It remains unclear whether and for how long Litmanen might continue to play for Finland. If he chooses to go on, then it will be an unwritten rule that Finland coach Mixu Paatelainen “must” pick him.
However, even a national idol cannot avoid his fair share of criticism and the Finn came under fire when announcing his controversial return to HJK after 20 years. Since Litmanen left Finland in 1992 to join Dutch giants Ajax (he was scouted by Ton Pronk during the Finnish Cup final he won with MyPA 47 against Jaro) the forward has returned to his country’s top flight twice, only to play with Lahti – a club founded in 1986 after a merger between Reipas Lahti, a team for which both Litmanen’s parents played and the man himself turned out for too from 1987 to 1990, and FC Kuusysi. Both sides enjoyed a strong rivalry with Helsinki’s HJK, the peak of the battles with Reipas taking place in the 1960s and 1970s, while Kuusysi chipped in from the early 1980s to mid-1990s.
The bad blood between the teams explains why Litmanen’s decision to sign for HJK was considered a betrayal by some sections of Lahti’s supporters. Litmanen had failed to help Lahti survive, with the club dropping out of last season’s Veikkausliiga and into the second tier, the Ykkonen. The forward still produced a number of memorable moments, including a breath-taking bicycle-kick away to FC Oulu; it was not enough though.
Last January Litmanen turned out for Lahti in the Uusi Lahti Cup – a five-a-side tournament – before joining HJK’s summer camp in Spain, where he demonstrated his fitness to earn a one-year deal. Living in the Estonian capital of Tallinn with his girlfriend Ly Jürgenson, Litmanen revealed that it would have been too hard to travel to Lahti every day to train and Helsinki is closer to his home. These words though were not enough to heal the wounds opened by his move. Last April a group of vandals damaged Litmanen’s statue by burning plastic and other flammable materials underneath it, lighting up the Lahti night.
Litmanen made his professional debut with Reipas on 3rd May, 1987 against Koparit, and is still weaving his magic nearly 25 years later. The forward’s stops have befitted his talent with a move to Ajax yielding a memorable Champions League and Intercontinental Cup. Spanish giants Barcelona, English powerhouses Liverpool, with a spell at another Premier League outfit, Fulham, have been complemented by time at Germany’s Hansa Rostock and Malmo in Sweden. Litmanen’s passion for football shows no sign of dimming and HJK Helsinki may not be the last stop in this supremely naturally talented player’s incredible journey.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
In 2010 HJK Helsinki proved their strength, bustling to the title and, with only Inter Turku and JJK Jyväskylä putting up any sort of fight this year, history looks likely to repeat itself. Indeed, both Inter Turku and JJK cannot boast half of HJK’s budget, meaning the Helsinki side’s domination could be set in stone.
In his homeland of Finland, Litmanen is accorded a status that no other sportsman who participates in a team sport has reached. As 2004 rolled around, the forward was included in the 100 Greatest Finns of all-time. Then, in 2010, Litmanen became the first Finnish footballer to have a statue erected in his honour – it is located at Kisapuisto (Lahti) where he took his first steps into the game in the 1970s, combining it with another sport, ice hockey (Finland’s national sport). A symbolic date was chosen for the unveiling of the €80,000 monument; 10-10-10 (10th October, 2010).
For Litmanen, being honoured has almost become a daily event. Recently the former Ajax schemer saw his face printed onto a new Sampo Bank credit card that featured some of Finland’s most famous people. Images of Urho Kekkonen (the country’s longest serving president), Lasse Viren (a former Finnish long distance runner who picked up four gold medals at the 1972 and 1976 Summer Olympics) and Uuno Turhapuro (a Finnish comedy character) all saw their faces receive pride of place with Litmanen. The player’s face will be elsewhere too, as Finnish director and producer Mika Kaurismaki is making a documentary about, in his own words, “the man behind the football god Jari Litmanen”.
Litmanen is one of the few players in the world to have played professionally in four different decades, the 1980s, 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. Yet despite being 40 years old, the Finn has yet to write the last word on the book of his international career. Even with 137 caps for his country, the most recent coming against San Marino last December, 21 years and 26 days after his debut, time has not been called on the magic boots just yet. Litmanen also netted a penalty against the international minnows, breaking a record held by Irishman John Aldridge as the oldest goalscorer in a European Championship qualifying game; Aldridge was 39 years and 270 days old. It remains unclear whether and for how long Litmanen might continue to play for Finland. If he chooses to go on, then it will be an unwritten rule that Finland coach Mixu Paatelainen “must” pick him.
However, even a national idol cannot avoid his fair share of criticism and the Finn came under fire when announcing his controversial return to HJK after 20 years. Since Litmanen left Finland in 1992 to join Dutch giants Ajax (he was scouted by Ton Pronk during the Finnish Cup final he won with MyPA 47 against Jaro) the forward has returned to his country’s top flight twice, only to play with Lahti – a club founded in 1986 after a merger between Reipas Lahti, a team for which both Litmanen’s parents played and the man himself turned out for too from 1987 to 1990, and FC Kuusysi. Both sides enjoyed a strong rivalry with Helsinki’s HJK, the peak of the battles with Reipas taking place in the 1960s and 1970s, while Kuusysi chipped in from the early 1980s to mid-1990s.
The bad blood between the teams explains why Litmanen’s decision to sign for HJK was considered a betrayal by some sections of Lahti’s supporters. Litmanen had failed to help Lahti survive, with the club dropping out of last season’s Veikkausliiga and into the second tier, the Ykkonen. The forward still produced a number of memorable moments, including a breath-taking bicycle-kick away to FC Oulu; it was not enough though.
Last January Litmanen turned out for Lahti in the Uusi Lahti Cup – a five-a-side tournament – before joining HJK’s summer camp in Spain, where he demonstrated his fitness to earn a one-year deal. Living in the Estonian capital of Tallinn with his girlfriend Ly Jürgenson, Litmanen revealed that it would have been too hard to travel to Lahti every day to train and Helsinki is closer to his home. These words though were not enough to heal the wounds opened by his move. Last April a group of vandals damaged Litmanen’s statue by burning plastic and other flammable materials underneath it, lighting up the Lahti night.
Litmanen made his professional debut with Reipas on 3rd May, 1987 against Koparit, and is still weaving his magic nearly 25 years later. The forward’s stops have befitted his talent with a move to Ajax yielding a memorable Champions League and Intercontinental Cup. Spanish giants Barcelona, English powerhouses Liverpool, with a spell at another Premier League outfit, Fulham, have been complemented by time at Germany’s Hansa Rostock and Malmo in Sweden. Litmanen’s passion for football shows no sign of dimming and HJK Helsinki may not be the last stop in this supremely naturally talented player’s incredible journey.
Fonte: Inside Futbol
giovedì 4 agosto 2011
Bundesliga 2011/12: qualità sostenibile
“Qualità sostenibile”. Lo slogan migliore per la Bundesliga lo ha coniato Klaus Smentek, direttore della rivista kicker, la bibbia del calcio tedesco. “Il calcio in Germania è in pieno boom. Stadi pieni, spettacolo di alto livello ma anche bilanci sani. Il miglior biglietto da visita per entrare nell’era del fair-play finanziario”. Conti in regola ma anche risultati sul campo. La novità più grande della 49esima edizione della Bundesliga riguarda infatti i club che andranno in Champions; non più tre ma quattro, con tanti ringraziamenti all’Italia e alle reiterate figuracce europee dei propri club (milanesi escluse).
Le carte alla nuova stagione, al via venerdì con Borussia Dortmund-Amburgo, le fa Thomas Berthold, ex difensore di Verona e Roma, campione del mondo a Italia 90. “Per ragioni di blasone, e di budget, la squadra favorita non può che essere il Bayern Monaco. Le qualità di Robben, Ribery e Gomez le conosciamo tutti. I dubbi però non mancano, specialmente sulla solidità difensiva. Hanno acquistato Neuer, è vero, ma i centrali sono gli stessi che lo scorso anno vennero ridicolizzati dall’Inter. E l’arrivo di Rafinha dal Genoa non è certamente una bella pubblicità per gli scout del Bayern. In giro per il mondo non c’era niente di meglio di questo brasiliano che nello Schalke 04 non aveva mai brillato per disciplina?”.
Il Borussia Dortmund detentore del titolo ha però perso il miglior giocatore della scorsa Bundesliga, Nuri Sahin, passato al Real Madrid. “Non ne risentiranno molto, perché il tecnico Jürgen Klopp ha dotato la squadra di una precisa identità, capace di prescindere dal singolo giocatore. Anche perché la qualità della rosa del Borussia rimane elevata. Sarà invece più dura per il Bayer Leverkusen, anch’esso impegnato in Champions, convivere con l’assenza di Vidal. La Juventus ha fatto un gran colpo. Il cileno era un giocatore che avrebbe fatto molto comodo al Bayern. Forse per questo se la sono presa così tanto”.
Spazio poi per qualche outsider. “Squadre come Stoccarda, Werder Brema e Amburgo, tutte reduci da un’annata disastrosa, hanno le potenzialità per risollevarsi. Mi intriga soprattutto l’Amburgo targato Chelsea, con il nuovo direttore generale Frank Arnesen che ha portato tanti giovani (tra cui anche l’azzurrino under 19 Jacopo Sala, nda) dal club londinese. Poi c’è lo Schalke, dove un signore che ha vinto tre Champions come Raul gioca accanto al 17enne Draxler. Lui, Götze, Gündoğan, Schürrle e Holtby sono il nuovo che avanza”. Tutti figli della qualità sostenibile targata Bundesliga.
Fonte: Il Giornale
Le carte alla nuova stagione, al via venerdì con Borussia Dortmund-Amburgo, le fa Thomas Berthold, ex difensore di Verona e Roma, campione del mondo a Italia 90. “Per ragioni di blasone, e di budget, la squadra favorita non può che essere il Bayern Monaco. Le qualità di Robben, Ribery e Gomez le conosciamo tutti. I dubbi però non mancano, specialmente sulla solidità difensiva. Hanno acquistato Neuer, è vero, ma i centrali sono gli stessi che lo scorso anno vennero ridicolizzati dall’Inter. E l’arrivo di Rafinha dal Genoa non è certamente una bella pubblicità per gli scout del Bayern. In giro per il mondo non c’era niente di meglio di questo brasiliano che nello Schalke 04 non aveva mai brillato per disciplina?”.
Il Borussia Dortmund detentore del titolo ha però perso il miglior giocatore della scorsa Bundesliga, Nuri Sahin, passato al Real Madrid. “Non ne risentiranno molto, perché il tecnico Jürgen Klopp ha dotato la squadra di una precisa identità, capace di prescindere dal singolo giocatore. Anche perché la qualità della rosa del Borussia rimane elevata. Sarà invece più dura per il Bayer Leverkusen, anch’esso impegnato in Champions, convivere con l’assenza di Vidal. La Juventus ha fatto un gran colpo. Il cileno era un giocatore che avrebbe fatto molto comodo al Bayern. Forse per questo se la sono presa così tanto”.
Spazio poi per qualche outsider. “Squadre come Stoccarda, Werder Brema e Amburgo, tutte reduci da un’annata disastrosa, hanno le potenzialità per risollevarsi. Mi intriga soprattutto l’Amburgo targato Chelsea, con il nuovo direttore generale Frank Arnesen che ha portato tanti giovani (tra cui anche l’azzurrino under 19 Jacopo Sala, nda) dal club londinese. Poi c’è lo Schalke, dove un signore che ha vinto tre Champions come Raul gioca accanto al 17enne Draxler. Lui, Götze, Gündoğan, Schürrle e Holtby sono il nuovo che avanza”. Tutti figli della qualità sostenibile targata Bundesliga.
Fonte: Il Giornale
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