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11
Mar
Wenger denies UEFA charge
Arsene Wenger has denied any wrongdoing and labelled UEFA a “dictatorship” after being charged with improper conduct following Arsenal’s Champions League exit.
Wenger and Samir Nasri were charged for using “inappropriate language” towards Swiss referee Massimo Busacca at the end of the 3-1 defeat at Barcelona that saw Arsenal defeated 4-3 on aggregate.
Busacca caused controversy when issuing Robin van Persie with a second yellow card for kicking the ball away just one second after the whistle for offside. Van Persie, who labelled the referee “a joke”, said he did not hear the whistle.
“I deny completely any charge,” Wenger said. “I do not understand where that comes from. It is a shame for me that the referee took the decision to send Robin van Persie off. It was the wrong decision.
“The first leg was a fantastic advert for football and the second game has been destroyed. People now will only remember the sending off. It would be good for UEFA to show some humility, to apologise for what has happened, not charge people who have done nothing wrong.”
He added: “Who has been punished is Arsenal Football Club. We are out of the Champions League – we have lost one of our big ambitions. We have been punished with a lot of damages and, on top of that, we have to say sorry to UEFA.
“We have done nothing wrong. They organised the competition; they named the referees who come to the games.
“When you have a football game of that stature, you cannot come out with decisions like that and show a lot of arrogance on top of that. We can all understand that we can make wrong decisions, but after that it becomes dictatorship. It’s not any more common sense.”
Wenger was said to have sworn at Busacca – and the referee has also been accused of using strong words – but the Gunners boss refused to reveal the content of the discussions.
“I will keep that for UEFA if they really want to know because I will have some interesting statements to make about some statements made by people who were not supposed to say what they said,” he said.
“You can check any statement I made on television after the game. If I have done anything wrong I am ready to be charged.
“As for what is said in the tunnel, if you can get only one thing where I have come out on what has been said against me or against the referee during my 15 years in England, I will pay for you to have a big holiday.”
Wenger confronted the referee in the tunnel after the match. The disciplinary case will be heard by UEFA on March 17.
Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com
Celtic boss Neil Lennon and Rangers assistant manager Ally McCoist have been charged with misconduct following the ugly scenes at the end of the Scottish Cup fifth round replay between the two sides on March 2.
A Scottish FA statement read: “The Scottish FA can confirm that Neil Lennon, the Celtic manager, and Ally McCoist, the Rangers assistant manager, have been charged with misconduct relating to the Scottish Cup fifth-round replay.
“Mr Lennon will incur an automatic four-match suspension from the technical area, owing to a previous charge of misconduct, while Mr McCoist will incur a two-match suspension. These will be effective from March 16, 2011.
“In addition, the Rangers players, El-Hadji Diouf and Madjid Bougherra, have been informed that they will be reported to the disciplinary committee for misconduct of a significantly serious nature. These will be considered at the committee’s next meeting, on April 12.”
Lennon was already subject of a four-match ban and already banished to the stands for the March 20 Co-operative Insurance Cup final with Rangers at Hampden Park, but now McCoist will join him in being banned from the touchline, unless he appeals the decision.
Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com
11
Mar
Dundee Utd 2 – 1 Hamilton
Daly back with a bang
Jon Daly scored an injury-time winner on his comeback from hernia surgery to secure Dundee United a third Clydesdale Bank Premier League win in little over a week – 2-1 against Hamilton.
Daly slotted home almost two minutes after regulation time had elapsed following a clever pass from David Goodwillie, who had levelled just before the interval.
Flavio Paixao had claimed a richly-deserved opener for a Hamilton side featuring just one natural defender and the bottom club were denied a strong penalty claim in the latter stages of the second half.
The Tayside club are now just two points behind fourth-placed Kilmarnock following wins over Inverness, Aberdeen and luckless Accies, who remain seven points adrift and without a win since October.
United manager Peter Houston admitted he would leave players out with Sunday’s Scottish Cup quarter-final against Motherwell in mind, although he had no choice but to lose Craig Conway after the winger aggravated a thigh injury in Monday’s 3-1 win over Aberdeen.
Danny Swanson and Prince Buaben dropped to the bench with Johnny Russell, Andis Shala and David Robertson promoted.
Mark McLaughlin joined Martin Canning on the injured list for Hamilton to leave them short of defenders.
Their central defence comprised David Elebert and Simon Mensing, who made his name as a midfielder, and wingers Dougie Imrie and Jim McAlister started at full-back.
Hamilton’s makeshift defence was rarely tested in the opening half hour as they controlled possession with Paixao, Gary McDonald and Ali Crawford all supporting centre-forward Mickael Antoine-Curier.
Accies created the first chance when Paixao headed Imrie’s cross into the path of McDonald, who was closed down as he aimed a side-footed effort towards the bottom corner from 15 yards, with Dusan Pernis getting down to hold.
The visitors came closer when Barry Douglas cleared Mensing’s header off the line following Crawford’s corner.
Hamilton soon took the lead from another corner in the 26th minute. Imrie swung the ball beyond the far post and Mensing headed over Pernis into the goalmouth, where United captain Scott Robertson and Paixao challenged in the air. One of them headed the ball into the roof of the net, with Paixao running away to celebrate.
The Portuguese winger almost doubled the lead when he ran onto Jon Routledge’s diagonal ball and fired a bouncing volley just wide from 25 yards.
United got in behind their visitors for the first time when Russell sped away from Mensing, but Imrie read his low cross and flicked the ball to safety as Goodwillie prepared to finish.
The hosts continued to improve and got a break in the 42nd minute when a Douglas corner fell kindly for Goodwillie, who lashed the ball into the roof of the net from six yards.
Paixao carved out the first chance of the second half but Antoine-Curier failed to connect properly with a header despite getting away from Timothy van der Meulen.
Mensing headed wide after another deep corner by Imrie before Goodwillie shot over from a tight angle after negotiating his way past three men.
Hamilton club captain Alex Neil, who made a brief but aborted comeback in October, came on for the injured Mark Carrington around the hour mark.
United began to push Hamilton back and brought on Buaben and Swanson in a bid to find some creativity with the former almost proving the difference with a 30-yard snap-shot that Tomas Cerny dived to push over.
Imrie moved from left-back to centre-forward following the introduction of Gavin Skelton but again a United substitute almost had an instant impact as Daly just failed to connect properly with a Douglas corner.
McAlister drove just wide from 20 yards at the other end and United had a huge let-off in the 79th minute when Van der Meulen brought down Imrie.
The Hamilton player looked at least a yard inside the box but referee Willie Collum awarded a free-kick.
Accies almost snatched a late winner when Routledge’s first-time effort drifted just over the top corner following Imrie’s cutback.
But they were undone when Goodwillie’s neat reverse pass freed Daly to slot into the bottom corner from 14 yards.
Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com
11
Mar
Drogba defends Toure
Chelsea’s Didier Drogba has defended Ivory Coast team-mate Kolo Toure and said his failed drugs test was “a stupid mistake” rather than an act of cheating.
It was revealed on March 3 the 29-year-old Manchester City defender Toure had tested positive for “a specified substance” and he was hit with an immediate suspension.
He has received the backing of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, his former boss, who also claimed that Toure believes the failed test happened after he took one of his wife’s slimming tablet.
His brother and Manchester City team-mate Yaya has also defended his sibling and now Chelsea striker Drogba has stood in his friend’s corner.
“It would be a difficult situation for us if he is banned because he is one of the most important players, one of the oldest, most experienced players,” Drogba said.
“It would be very difficult for us if something like this happens. I think we all know how stupid it was, the mistake, and I don’t think he did it to improve his performance. I think it was just a mistake and we feel sorry for him and he has all our support, and that’s the maximum we can do.
“I spoke to him and he was down, but that is normal. He said it was just a mistake. There’s not a big difference between what is said by Arsene Wenger and what he said (to me).”
Credit: http://soccernet.espn.go.com
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