What a week of football it's been. Balotelli finally scored for Liverpool, Man City were knocked out of the cup, Juventus lost to Genoa and Luis Suarez's Barcelona debut failed to go as planned as the Catalans lost El Clasico. Did you however hear about Robert Pires being punched in the face by a manager in India, the dog that bit a player in Brazil, the Bulgarian manager knocked unconscious by a snowball or the Indonesian match that featured five own goals? No? Well read all about them here on this week's Football Circus!
Football Circus Clown Quote of the Week
"There's nothing wrong with just beating away".
- Jim Beglin comments on a Joe Hart save.
Pires' Indian Career Off to Bad Start as ex-Gunner Punched by Coach
The Indian Super League began in earnest this month and it is already off to a less than auspicious start. Last week's match between FC Goa and Atletico de Kolkata has had turmultuous repercussions. The league has gone all out to raise the profile of football in India this year, with it's eight franchise teams featuring a 'marquee' player. The marquee players are all stars of yester year, such as Alessandro Del Piero who plays for Delhi Dynamos and David Trezeguet who turns out for Pune City. Some well known managers have even gotten in on the act - Peter Reid, Marco Materazzi and even Brazil legend Zico, can all be found on the touchline. It was the marquee player of FC Goa who stole the headlines last week though, as Robert Pires was punched in the face by Kolkata manager Antonio López Habas.
The game was a heated affair, which saw a total of seven yellow cards being dished out between the two sides. Half time saw an altercation between Pires and Habas in the tunnel, which according to Pires' manager Zico, lead to the Frenchman being punched in the face. Pires has not only been left with a sore face, he has also been handed down a two match suspension and fined. Habas has also been suspended and fined, though his suspension is twice the length of Pires', with Habas facing four matches in stands.
Said Zico after the match:
"I didn't see what he did, all I know is that my player complained about being punched".
Despite Pires' woes, Goa ran out 2-1 victors.
Dog on a Pitch Number 853
Football Circus regulars know all too well how we love a good dog on a pitch story. This week, we have yet another for you and it involves a dog with some bite in Brazil.
The mutt showed up in a cup mach between Sao Paulo-RS and Farroupilha. Sao Paulo player Dudu took it upon himself to grab the dog and carry it off the pitch in order for the match to resume. As Dudu ran towards the sideline with the dog under arm, the cheeky mongrel bit him, clearly unhappy that he would play no further part in the proceedings! Dudu gave the dog a slap on the nose before resuming play.
Dudu's side went to win the match 3-2 having been 2-1 down, with Dudu himself scoring the winning goal. The Sao Paolo man later tweeted "Bite of luck!".
You know we could have attempted a Luis Suarez joke here, or even a 'doggy-Dudu' pun. But we won't, we're classier than that...
Snow Joke! Bulgarian Manager knocked Unconscious after being hit by Snowball!
Last weekend's Sofia derby between CSKA and Levski was a whitewash in more ways than one. CSKA ran out convincing 3-0 winners, while the game saw heavy snowfall throughout. It was the snow that gave rise to perhaps the most controversial incident of the game - CSKA manager Stoycho Mladenov being knocked unconscious by a snowball thrown by a fan!
The incident, which was caught on camera, saw Mladenov fall forward after being hit. Mladenov was outraged by the incident, telling the media:
"They hit me with a snowball and I lost consciousness. They should throw them out of the group. Tomorrow, someone could die".
However, head of Levski's national fan club, Vladimir Vladimirov, has downplayed the incident and believes Mladenov was making the most of the situation. Said Vladimirov:
"Children play with snowballs the whole winter but I haven't heard of anyone who has collapsed.
"It was disgusting to watch, his over-acting was so poor".
The video can be seen below. We'll let you judge for yourselves.
Indonesian Teams Suspended from League after Ludicrous Own Goal Spree
Two Indonesian sides have been suspended from the country's Premier League after they partook in a match which included no less than five own goals. PSS Sleman defeated PSIS Semarang 3-2, with the match only seeing the first of its five goals after 80 minutes. Apparently, both teams feared being drawn against Pusamania Borneo FC, a team allegedly associated with criminal outfits. When news reached the ground that the winner of the match would go on to face the aforementioned Pusamania, the own goals started to flow!
While PSS and PSIS may have had their reasons, the league was unimpressed by their antics. Hinca Panjaitan, chairman of the league, announced:
"To enforce the law and keep the competition fair, PSS and PSIS have been disqualified.
"They harmed the basic principles of football, which is to maintain the fairness and integrity of the game.
"It was a conspiracy that violated the principles of sport – all players and team officials will be investigated further.
"If a club and its board are shown to be involved, there will be further sanctions. I do not rule out relegation".
What's Mad Mario Upto this Week?
Finally! Super Mario got off the mark this week, socring the equalising goal for Liverpool in the last minute of normal time in their 2-1 win over Swansea in the Capital One Cup. Balo seemed pretty elated at the feat with a tweet shortly after the match.
However, in spite of Balo recording his first goal in a Liverpool shirt, his performances upto the goal have resulted in him be linked in a move away from Anfield. This week, reports in the striker's native Italy, have suggested that Liverpool are already in negotiations with Napoli with a view to selling Balotelli for £10 million, a figure which would represent a £6 million loss on the player for the Merseyside club.
Balotelli's compatriot Andrea Pirlo however, thinks Liverpool should stand by their man. Pirlo this week stated:
"The difference between other players and Mario is that every action he takes is going to be scrutinised.
"The media is interested in him, and things he does are going to be highlighted – where perhaps with other players they would not get such a reaction – or maybe even no reaction at all.
"There is no question over his talent – I have played with him and I know how good he is and how good he can be. It is the job of the Liverpool coach to manage him in the right way.
"He needs to be loved, he needs direction, but most importantly he needs to know that the coach believes in him.
"If he spends time with Mario – I know he can still go on and be a great player for Liverpool".
Italian Football Story of the Week
- Inzaghi Knows How to Keep Berlusconi Happy
AC Milan manager Pippo Inzaghi has this week spoken about his healthy relationship with club president Silvio Berlusconi, something very few Milan managers in the past have been able to do.
Speaking ahead of Milan's mid-week game with Cagliari, Inzaghi told the press:
"I spoke to Berlusconi an hour ago on the phone.
"We always speak and there are always discussions between the two of us.
"He tells us about what he wants and transmits his enthralling strength.
"He is happy about me and about the team. He always gives us lots of advice which proves to be right.
"I know he is happy about our attacking football. He prefers a centre forward in the box, but we have showed that we can also play in another way - it went well with Lazio and Parma, but not as well against Fiorentina.
"I know what Berlusconi’s thoughts are, but tomorrow it’s not to be taken for granted that we are going to play with just one centre forward.
"For instance, if we change system, Fernando Torres and Jeremy Menez have shown that they can play together".
Artist's Impression of the Week
- 'Doggy Dudu'; Brazilian player Dudu carries dog off pitch.
Football Recommendation of the Week
- Next Goal Wins | Polynesian Everything; "Next goal wins is an inspirational story about the power of hope in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds, and an object lesson in what it really means to be a winner in life".
Non-Football Recommendation of the Week
- Nike Air Max 1 Essential; Potentially the most comfortable trainer known to man.
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