Football Circus rolls into town for another week and features all the usual things you'd associate with the beautiful game - Theft, violence and prostitution. So let's have a look at this week's bunch of clowns...

Struggle for Independiente Manager

We start this week's edition of Football Circus in Argentina where newly appointed Independiente manager Miguel Angel Brindisi had quite an introduction to his new role. 

Brindisi took the managerial position early last week and has been given the unenviable task of saving the side from relegation. That was to prove the least of  his worries though, as Infierno Rojo, an Independiente fan website, contacted him by phone for an interview as he drove through Buenos Aires. 

Brindisi being, the conscientious citizen that he is, pulled the car over to take the call and the interview proceeded to be broadcast live on the internet. Some way into the call and Brindisi continued to answer the interviewer's questions, the sound from Brindisi's end of the line became muffled and loud shouting could be heard. Bemused listeners witnessed what the interviewed described as a 'dramatic situation' as thieves held Brindisi at gunpoint, forcing him to hand over his wallet and watch.

Former Espanyol and Boca Juniors manager Brindisi escaped unharmed, if a little shocked and less well off. Things went from bad to worse though as Independiente lost Brindisi's first game in charge 2-0 to Atletico Rafaela.

The clip of of the interview can be heard below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=vwxnx7B18pU

Indonesian Referee Hospitalised after Punch in Face by Player

Referee 'Muhaimin' got more than he bargained for when he took charge of the Persiwa Wamena - Pelita Bandung Raya Superleague match in Indonesia last Sunday.

With the scoreline at 1-1 and eight minutes of play remaining, Muhaimin awarded Pelita Bandung Raya a penalty.

Infuriated with the decision, Persiwa Wamena player Pieter Rumaropen stormed towards the referee and as the red mist descended, struck Muhaimin in the face whilst standing behind him.

In what Gary Neville might describe as 'WWF-like' scenes, the official fell to the ground, bleeding profusely from his nose. A replacement referee stood in as Pelita Bandung Raya converted the penalty and went on to a 2-1 victory. 

Following his actions, Rumaropen has been given a lifetime ban.

Hinca Panjaitan of the Indonesian FA (The PSSI) said of the matter "This was a terrible act that we cannot tolerate. It has tarnished the image of Indonesian football in the international community, I hope this punishment will repair that".

Malaga Owner lashes out at UEFA

Malaga's Qatari owner, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Nasser Al-Thani following his side's quarter-final exit to Borussia Dortmund in the Champions' League earlier this month. 

Blaming corruption and more alarmingly racism, for Malaga's defeat, Al-Thani has used the medium of Twitter to convey his anger and suspicion as to why his club find themselves watching the rest of the competition from home.

He first vented following Malaga's second leg loss to Dortmund and has again shown his disdain for UEFA after Bayern Munich and Dortmund beat Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively, in the this week's semi-final first leg clashes.

Al-Thani had the following to say:

"First, I'm sorry for the Spanish teams such losses in European Championship [sic] I hope refer to my comment in the past" 

"I mentioned there is a catastrophe will get in the Spanish league. And if it is not aware of this matter is resolved as soon as will crumble clubs from four to five years".

"My question to the Spanish Football Federation Where is the justice and equality between the clubs ???????? We wronged by the UEFA".

"Where are you about this injustice done to the Malaga c.f and the moral and psychological damage and the physical ????????" 

The bizarre series of tweets seemed somewhat unfounded, even unjust. Although some light may be shed on the matter when you take into consideration the fact that Malaga, who currently lie sixth in La Liga, are banned from next four seasons' Champion's League competitions. The reason? Financial debts that had become apparent since a certain Sheikh Al-Thani had taken over.

Italian Football Story of the Week

 - Have you the one about the Thieving Footballer, the Prostitute, the iPhone, the Bicycle and the Transvestite?

We won't lie. Some weeks at Football Circus, we question why we ever created the Italian Football Story of the Week. There are times when Italian Football and all that surrounds it can border on the dull - 'slow news weeks' if you will. Then something like this crops up...

20 year old Lecce striker Ousmane Drame has not featured much for the Lega Pro Prima Divisione team this season, racking up a grand total of just 25 minutes playing time. Perhaps disillusioned by his lack of onfield action, young Drame decided to venture elsewhere for some action, namely the streets of Porta Rudiae in Lecce where he encountered a lady of the night.

Footballers' wages may not be quite what they're cracked upto be, as Frenchman Drame allegedly agreed to pay the prostitute in the form of an iPhone 5. After Drame had ahem, done the deed, he not only failed to live upto his part of the deal, but went on to steal the handbag and cash of the prostitute.

Drame then attempted to flee the scene by bicycle (Wayne Rooney never seemed to have all this trouble during his infamous escapades). No sooner had the cheeky scamp's getaway began though, than a transvestite friend of the victimised prostitute twigged what had happened and gave chase to footballer.

A two-way wrestle for the stolen goods ensued between Drame and the transvestite  Police were alerted and the Lecce player was arrested shortly thereafter. Not only was he charged with theft but also with injuring the transvestite who had been hurt during the furore. 

You just couldn't make it up.

Football Recommendation

Fantasista 2013 is an exhibition showcasing football themed art this Spring in Central London. Even if you can't make the exhibition itself, the website and artists involved are certainly worth checking out...

http://www.fantasista.co.uk/exhibition/

Non-Football Recommendation

http://www.shazam.com

Ladies and gentlemen welcome to another Football Circus. This week we report on a thieving coach in Croatia, discover a team that may end up relegated thanks to it's own fans and we have a good old fashioned animal story from where else, but Brazil. Silvio Berlusconi makes his first appearance in our Italian Football Story of the Week.  

Croatian Coach Drunk with Power

The coach of Croatian side Precko was relieved of his duties over the Easter period after it was discovered that he had stolen the credit card of one of his players from the team dressing room. 

To make matters worse, he then used to card to buy a whopping 36 one litre bottles of Jagermeister, valued at over €500.

The man in question, Josip Gaspar, who turned out 420 times for Dinamo Zagreb, may have believed it was the perfect crime. 

He departed a Precko team training session early, feigning illness. Instead of making the journey home, he took a detour to the nearest off-licence where he used the stolen card to complete the transaction. He then audaciously travelled to a second shop in the hope of repeating the crime.

It was not long however before he was identified on CCTV footage and was swiftly arrested thereafter.

AEK Athens' Top Flight Status in doubt thank to Fans

The fans of AEK Athens have been a frustrated bunch this season. The famous Greek side have been languishing near the foot of the table of the Greek Superleague and went into the penultimate league game of the season facing relegation.

Last Monday they faced relegation rivals Panthrakikos at the Athens Olympic Stadium and only a win would placate the home fans.

The match looked to be heading for a dull 0-0 draw when AEK's 19 year old defender Mavroudis Bougaidis inadvertently put the ball past his own keeper in the 87th minute, giving Panthrakikos the lead and almost certainly sealing AEK's fate as a top flight team.

The home fans' belief in their players had waned by now so they decided to take matters into their own hands and charged onto the pitch. The match was abandoned and players and coaching staff from both sides, along with the referee and his assistants, quickly dispersed into the dressing rooms - but not before AEK fans had doled out facial injuries to both the Panthrakikos goalkeeper and manager. 

AEK Athens president Andreas Dimitrelos was subsequently admitted into hospital with chest pains (that was the offical line at least, we suspect it may have been sheer embarrassment).

Even if AEK had a slim chance of staying up before the game, their faint hopes are likely to be dashed once the Greek FA deliver their punishment for the fans' antics. A hefty fine and more pertinently, a large points deduction, are expected.

Brazilian Team Too Chicken to tell the Truth about Mascot

If you a regular reader of Football Circus, you may have by now realised that we're quite fond of animal-related football stories. We also find that some of the most bizarre stories from around the globe seem to emanate from Brazil. So forgive us for indulging ourselves, but there was no way the following story was escaping this week's edition...

Ji Parana Football Club is the most successful side team in Rodonia state and they are the current champions of the Rondoniense Championship. Their mascot is, and has been since the club's inception in 1991,  a rooster. A trivial fact, you may think. Fans of the side however, take great pride in their mascot.

A rooster named Tissoka had been fulfilling the role as mascot and the team deemed him to be a particularly lucky rooster given the side's success since his introduction. Naturally, the fans and team alike became quite fond of the fowl character.

So when Tissoka was eaten by an anaconda on the farm where he resided, the club owner attempted to keep the matter a secret. They replaced Tissoka with another rooster and thought that would be the end of the matter.

But Ji Parana fans know their roosters and their feathers were ruffled. They became suspicious and claimed that the rooster looked "shy and flappy" (yes that's right, 'flappy') before matches. Tissoka was famously laid back and "used to crow during goal celebrations". Seemingly, the game was up. The club owner has however decided to stick with the replacement rooster, stating: "It's sad. But this new bird will step up, given time. He just needs to find some composure".

Lets hope they never grow attached to a player.

Italian Football Story of the Week

 - No AC Milan Return for Leonardo

It may be the least of Italian Prime Minister and AC Milan President Silvio Berlusconi's worries at the moment, but former Milan midfielder and manager Leonardo has this week stated that he will never return to the Rossoneri and reasons that it's all down to Berlusconi.

The Paris Saint-Germain Director of Football has always had close ties with the Milan club, turning out for the Milan club a total of 103 times over two stints and latterly going onto manage the team. Since taking up his role at PSG, he has overseen the appointment of former Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti and has not shyed away from doing business with AC, with Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibramhimovic switching between the sides last summer.

Leonardo says though, he will not return and blames a fall out with Berlusconi for his decision:

"I thought I’d stay at Milan for the rest of my career.I’d never go back there after arguing with Berlusconi".

“In Brazil, we say that who hits forgets, but who gets hit doesn’t. For me, Milan is not Berlusconi – it is an international asset".

“The ideal club would have [Inter’s] Massimo Moratti as President, with [Milan Vice-President] Adriano Galliani as a director."

Football Recommendation

New Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio endeared himself to fans almost immediately this week when his side defeated rivals Newcastle 3-0. It would seem that his players have taken to him already too. This Youtube video shows Black Cats defender Craig Gardner on a train before the match, leading fans in a 'Paolo Di Canio' chant. Gardner missed the game due to suspension.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZFtwk1j6Hw

Non-Football Recommendation

New Daft Punk album website - Random Access Memories

http://randomaccessmemories.com/

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it's only the bloody fifth edition of Football Circus! This week we'll take a look at why Real Madrid have been in such good form in recent weeks, Juan Sebastian Veron shows why he's an all round good guy and there's some on-pitch madness in Brazil. Our Italian Football Story of the Week features, not for the first time and almost certainly not the last, Mario  Balotelli.

The Real Reason for Madrid's Success this Season

Jose Mourinho's credentials as a manager are rarely questioned, although he has his detractors when it comes to his character. Abel Rodriguez is not one of them. The California dwelling Mexican has, for the past seven years, spent much of his annual leave assisting the Real Madrid team in their pre-season training camp at UCLA. Rodriguez is such an avid fan that he does the job free of charge.

When the opportunity arose this year to fly to Madrid in the hope of attending El Classico, Rodriguez had a crisis of conscience. The money set aside could have been spent on family holiday. His family, fully aware of Rodriguez's dream, talked him into going. So he flew out to Madrid without a ticket for the match, in hope of a miracle. What transpired was nothing short of just that.

Not allowed into Real's training ground by security, Rodriguez sat outside hoping to spot the team. As luck would have it, none other than Jose Mourinho himself passed by and immediately recognised the Mexican. After Rodriguez explained his story, Mourinho put him up in a top hotel and brought him to the Barcelona game, which Madrid went onto win. 

Rodriguez, quite content with his escapades, had planned to return home after the match. Not on Mourinho's watch. Jose deemed Rodriguez to be a good luck charm and told him to prepare to fly to Manchester, where Real were due to play Manchester United in the Champion's League last 16 tie. Only too happy to oblige, Rodriguez flew out with the team and acted as a kitman, meeting Sir Alex Ferguson and fellow Mexican Javier Hernandez at Old Trafford. Real qualified for the quarter finals of the competition and both Mourinho and Rodriguez returned to their respective homes, satisifed with their lots. 

Rodriguez described Mourinho and Ferguson 'true gentlemen'.

Veron Lends a Hand as Tragedy strikes in Argentina

Former Argentina midfielder Juan Sebastian Veron assisted rescue efforts in the La Plata region of Buenos Aires last week as more than fifty people tragically lost their lives as a result of flooding in the area.

Veron, played for Sampdoria, Parma, Lazio, Manchester United, Chelsea and Inter Milan before returning to his native Argentina where he ended his career at Estudiantes, his local team who are also based in La Plata.

Three days of mourning were declared in Argentina following the casualties. Veron, rarely one to shirk his duties on the football pitch, felt compelled to help out and brought his boat out to go in search of the missing.

Veron stated "I’m very bad because it’s something that makes us suffer, directly or indirectly.  I went with my cousin and his house was flooded and could not get out. So we went with a boat and we recovered four girls and two boys. What you feel right now is sadness, helplessness and anger".

What's that you say? Your faith in football and all involved is being somewhat restored? Well we'll soon see about that...

Players Attack Riot Police after Copa Libertadores Tie 

This was one attack that riot police working at the Atletico Mineiro and Arsenal de Sarandi could not have predicted.

Following Atletico's 5-2 victory over Argentinian side Arsenal de Sarandi in Belo Horizonte last week, angered Arsenal players opted to take out their collective frustration, not on the opposition but the riot police who had formed a barrier around the match officials.

Behaviour more commonly associated with hooligan fans saw the Arsenal team kick and throw objects at the police. Rubber bullets were fired at the players in retaliation.

Eight of the Argentinian side's players were held in custody after the incident and serious action is likely to be taken against the offending side by Conmebol, the governing body of South American football.

Police and a journalist were injured during the fiasco, while the culprits also took it upon themselves to destroy a dressing room.

Italian Football Story of the Week

 - No Ifs or Butts, Balotelli Guilty of Smoking on Train

Two weeks ago in this very segment we reported Mario's Balotelli's claims of his love life being the reason for his new found calmness since moving back to Italy. 

We may have been mistaken, for it seems Super Mario likes to destress with a cigarette, even if he has to smoke it on a train.

As AC Milan travelled to Florence ahead of their Seria A game against Fiorentina last week, Balotelli snuck off to the toilet to light up.

His plan was foiled though when a train guard noticed smoke emerging from the toilet and Balotelli was promptly ordered to put out the cigarette or face having to get off the train.

The preceeding match saw Milan throw away a two goal lead to draw 2-2 with Fiorentina. Balotelli argued with a match official while Milan vice president Adriano Galliani was escorted from his seat by security after getting into a heated dispute with fans.

Balotelli may not be the only one at Milan craving a cigarette at this rate.

Football Recommendation

Leagueslider.com: Pretty cool moving graphic representation showing how some of Europe's top leagues have developed throughout the course of the season.

http://www.leagueslider.com

Non-Football Recommendation

The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared

 - By Jonas Jonasson, translater by Rod Bradbury

http://www.amazon.com/Hundred-Year-Old-Man-Climbed-Window-Disappeared/dp/1843913720

Week 4 of Football Circus is here and this week we cover everything from tax to religion to lady boys (well sort of). 

VAT? PSG more concerned with ZLAT Tax

France has recently introduced a 'super-tax' whereby workers who earn over €1 million per year will be taxed an incredible 75%.

'Not to worry', PSG fans must have thought, when the president of the French Football Federation announced on Monday that this tax was only applicable to companies with over 5,000 staff.

The FFF announcement soon had cold water poured over it, when government officials clarified that the tax would apply to all companies throughout the country with staff earning over €1 million a year, regardless of company size.

As a direct result, Zlatan Ibrahimovic will now cost the Parisian club roughly €10 million extra a year.

Better hope he keeps getting his name on the scoresheet.

Thiago Silva the Latest Victim of Barton's Tweeting

Following a Joey Barton tirade against Brazilian compatriot Neymar on Twitter, PSG centre back Thiago Silva took it upon himself to defend his countryman and described the Liverpudlian as an attention-seeker.

We would like to say Barton opted to prove Thiago Silva wrong and decided not to take the matter any further. But it's Joey Barton. He responded with the following, somewhat obscure, onslaught of Tweets:

"2 questions for Thiago Silva. Firstly, Why are YOU talking about ME, in your press conference before PSG v Barca? Very strange".

"Secondly, Are you Pre-Op or Post-Op? #transsexual #thiagosaladyboy".

"Baffles me, which way he's going. Is he a man changing to a woman or a woman changing to a man? Can't work it out".

Joey Barton ladies and gentleman, a veritable beacon of maturity. Still, could have been worse for Thiago Silva, at least he didn't get a cigar to the eye.

Zaragoza Manager good with Crosses

Real Zaragoza manager Manolo Jimenez had crosses on his mind last week. But it wasn't his faith in his goalkeeper preoccupying him, rather his faith in God.

For the past 23 years Jimenez has been making the pilgrimage to his home town of Arahal, where he is a member of the Arahal Brotherhood of Jesus of Nazareth. Every Holy Week, they parade a four tonne float of the Virgin Mary through the town.

Jimenez made the journey from Zaragoza to Arahal, just outside Seville, by getting two trains and a taxi. 

Meanwhile back in Zaragoza, his team patiently awaited his return as they anticipated their match against Real Madrid on Saturday.

So with his relgious obligations fulfilled, Jimenez made the return journey, again getting a taxi and two trains and arrived back in Zaragoza on Good Friday. Training took place at 8pm as opposed to the usual 12pm session that would happen prior to a Saturday evening kick off.

Jimenz may believe that God was on his side as Zaragoza held out for 1-1 with the Champions League quarter-finalists. Perhaps not a miracle, but a respectable result all the same.

Italian Football Story of the Week

 - Rome wasn't built in a Day

Roma President James Pallotta has defended his work at the club to date, having failed to impress the fans since assuming the role in August. The club find themselves languishing in 7th position in Serie A, saw few incoming players in January and had to deal with the ignominy of almost allowing a 'fake sheikh' to invest in the club (Adnan Adel Aref Al Qaddumi Al Shtewi had pledged to invest but could not come up with the money). 

According to Pallotta however,  it's not all doom and gloom. Pallotta has highlighted major sponsorship deals with Nike, Volkswagen and Disney as positives during his tenure. Surely success is in imminient for Roma then? Well yes, according to Pallotta (who also is a member of the executive board of the Boston Celtics). Any time within the next 20 years and with just another €75 million worth of investment.  Pallotta stated "Ours is a 20 year investment, because such projects take time. As they say, ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’ But don’t worry: with the Celtics, I won after just five seasons."

He then confirmed his wish to see Francesco Totti lift another trophy with the team and went on to say "Personally, I cannot even imagine going to see Roma and not finding Totti on the field". 

Given that Totti is already 36, both Pallotta and the Roma faithful will hope that glory reaches Rome faster than it did the Celtics.

Football Recommendation

BBC Radio 5 recently attempted to contact former Sunderland player Michael Gray for his opinion on Martin O'Neill's recent sacking. Unbeknownst to presenter Stephen Nolan and seemingly the show's researchers, they had contacted Glasgow student Michael Gray and not the Wearside hero. The clip can be heard here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FBR-KqV0FNA&feature=player_embedded

Non Football Recommendation

http://www.x-mini.com/products-detail-overview.aspx?sid=3