Match Centre

By Mirko Corli, writing from Torino

Bologna is now facing a huge financial crisis. The club has not been able to pay wages to the players since last August. According to the Italian regulations, after three months of unpaid salaries, the players have the right to put the club into administration.

The players waited until the last possible day to send the official complaints to the club’s lawyers. Sending those letters too late would have resulted in them being stuck to the club until the end of the season, no matter what happens in the future. 

By sending the letters on Friday, they’re now able to find another club in the January transfer market if the owner of the club (or a new committed buyer of the club) does not pay them in 20 days. Despite these financial troubles, the squad is pretty good and it is responding very well to the out-of-the-pitch crisis. 19 points in the table are enough to think about avoiding relegation quite safely. They have had two victories in the last two games, and they have also won a couple of games in injury time suggesting that as a unit they have a strong fighting spirit. 

Read More

By Czeska Dumali, writing from Ottawa

The group stages for the 16 teams were revealed today in Germany. The host nation saw their name drawn right at the beginning as they get to play in the first match against Canada on June 26th of next year.

Excitement was heard from the German delegation as they knew they would begin the tournament playing in the Berlin Olympiastadion where the previous 2006 World Cup was held - also where the infamous Zidane headbutt occured.

Read More

By Matthew Coombs, writing from University of Bangor

For my first post to A Football Report I’m going to be looking into a pretty controversial topic.

The major news today (other than Grimsby Town’s first away win since August) comes from Fabio Capello’s decision to call up Jay Bothroyd and Chris Smalling to the England Senior squad.

I’ve decided to throw in my two cents on the subject, drawing up a list of 5 strikers who would find their way into my squad over Mr. Bothroyd. Don’t get me wrong, I rate him. But he wouldn’t be in my phone book if I were in Capello’s loafers, or even his custom made suit.

Read More

Liverpool, Tom Hicks, and the 1.6 billion dollar Lawsuit 

As a little extra feature after we recorded our first ever Podcast, which you really should listen to, AFR’s Nick Lichtenberg, who works for an American law magazine, broke down Tom Hicks’ $1.6 billion lawsuit against Liverpool in the context of the American legal system. Nick made sense of how punitive damages could account for $1.6 billion, as well as where the terms “epic swindle” and “conspiracy” come from. It’s only a four minute clip, but definitely worth a listen. Did this help clear things up?

By Eric Beard

The official FIFA statement read: ”The FIFA emergency committee decided today, October 4 2010, to suspend the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) with immediate effect on account of government interference.”

As if crashing out of the World Cup wasn’t hard enough, supporters of the Super Eagles will be devastated to hear that FIFA has banned them from all competitions indefinitely. And yes, that includes the African Cup of Nations qualifying. Controversy is, of course, nothing new for Nigerian Football, who are the perennial underachievers of Africa, despite having a squad that should be the envy of the continent. Though arguments can and will certainly be made that FIFA is not punishing the governing body of Nigerian Football, but rather the players and fans, FIFA was right to take a stand. Let me explain.

Read More

By Eric Beard

Despite what the tabloids may tell you, Roberto Di Matteo is the manager for West Bromwich Albion. However, he isn’t all that different from Man City manager Roberto Mancini. Both played for Italy (Di Matteo: 44 caps. Mancini: 36). Both played for Lazio for a solid three seasons. And, perhaps most importantly, both played in England at the end of their careers, although Mancini made just 4 caps with Leicester City while Di Matteo made over 100 for Chelsea. Mancini may make the headlines (even when he isn’t remotely connected with a story), but Di Matteo is the sometimes scarf-wearing manager who actually knows the English brand of calcio.

Not only did Di Matteo get the Baggies promoted from the Championship in his first season in charge as manager, but he’s also taken to the English attacking mentality rather than a typical defensive mindset found in Serie A. However, Di Matteo’s fondness for the English game is not without the flair and finesse from the land of Gli Azzurri. West Brom don’t just work hard, they look good while doing so.

Read More

With Manuel Almunia as number one choice, Arsenal will not win a trophy. It’s as simple as that really.

The Spanish keeper made another embarrassing mistake yesterday which helped West Brom earn a shock 3-2 victory at the Emirates stadium.

It seems to me that the majority of Arsenal fans wanted the club to sign either Mark Schwarzer or Shay Given, who were both linked with moves to the club. Arsene Wenger had other things in mind and decided not to sign a new keeper and I bet he is now regretting that decision.

I think it’s fair to say that Almunia is not good enough to play for Arsenal. A club like Arsenal deserve to have one of the best keepers in the world starting every week but at the moment they have a Championship standard keeper playing week in week out.

Read More

Interview By Eric Beard

On Tuesday night, League One side Brentford FC made the world take notice thanks to their incredible 4th Round Carling Cup victory against Everton. The Bees were buzzing last night at Griffin Park with the result, but what does it feel like to be a Brentford player after a result as immense as that? Well, I asked David Hunt, a Brentford midfielder who has captained the side and led them to be promoted from League Two to League One just two seasons ago. Sadly, David could not play a part of Tuesday night’s game because he is still recovering from a torn ankle ligament and will return to play in about a month, just in time for the Carling Cup’s 5th round.

Eric: Top clubs often don’t do justice to the Carling Cup, but what does the competition mean from Brentford’s perspective?

David: It’s a massive game for the club as  a whole, for the players and fans it’s not every week you’re able to test yourself against Premiership standard. The team wants to prove that there isn’t much of a difference between the divisions and upsets always happen.

Brentford got on the world’s radar last night as the lovable giant-killer. What is it like knowing that this result won over a few new supporters?

It’s great for everyone involved at the club. Fans have gone to work the next day with huge smiles on their faces, management and players can take credit from what they’ve achieved and use that confidence for their next league game. If you’re not an Everton fan I’m sure you’re wanting to see the underdog win.

Read More

By Eric Beard

Remember Steve McClaren, England’s last English manager who has been working out of the country ever since his tenure ended? It was a fun time when he was in charge three years ago, missing out on the EUROs and all that. After a successful spell with Twente in Holland, Schteve is now the manager of Wolfsburg. How’s he doing? Well, in his three games in the Bundesliga he has lost all three. No big deal. Anyway, where was I?

Oh right. Fabio Capello announced that he will stop managing England after EURO 2012, and most half decent English managers want the job. McClaren said, “Do I agree with the principle of having an English manager? Absolutely - without a shadow of a doubt. In a club, it’s more multinational. If you manage a national team, you’ve got 23 English players.

Read More

By Eric Beard

Fulham fans are a lively bunch. You don’t hear too many people bashing the way Fulham goes about with their business. So when the 20,000 Cottagers chanted “Disgrace to the Premier League” about Mick McCarthy’s Wolverhampton Wanderers, there was reason behind the gesture. Not only had Wolves earned six yellow cards and a red, but Fulham’s living legend Bobby Zamora had his right leg broken by Wolves captain Karl Henry and won’t be back on the pitch for about four months..

Fulham managed to pull themselves together and fight back from 1-nil down to win 2-1 in injury time. But three points isn’t enough to compensate for four Zamora-less months. And the Fulham players knew that, as Clint Dempsey came right up to Karl Henry and verbally abused him like only a part-athlete, part-rapper could do. Clint’s colourful language essentially accused Henry of deliberately breaking Zamora’s ankle. Surely it’s a serious declaration to accuse a fellow professional of hurting another internationally, but did Dempsey’s outrage have merit?

Read More