footballcircus: Arrogant Footballers Shocker

This week's Football Circus looks at drunken fans, Fergie's book and Bendtner, Ibrahimovic and Ronaldo all loving themselves. Meanwhile, our Italian Football Story of the Week features a football love story. N'awww!

Referee Injured...Team Nominate Drunk Fan to Take Charge

The FA Trophy is perhaps not the most prestigious competition in English football. Nor did it receive much attention last weekend as international football and World Cup qualifiers stole most of the headlines. One particular controversy from the weekend's fixtures in the cup competition did earn some column inches though. The match between Altrincham and Colwyn Bay was ended after 83 minutes after an injury to the referee and had to be replayed on Tuesday.

With Altrincham 2-0 up, the referee picked up an injury and could not continue. With 83 minutes gone and seemingly home and dry, Altrincham were desperate to finish the match. With no other officials available to referee the end of the game, an announcement was made requesting someone step forward to take over. A fan who was a qualified referee nominated himself to take the reigns, but away side Colwyn Bay rejected his proposal on the basis that the fan had been drinking in the club house at half-time.

Colwyn manager Frank Sinclair, speaking to BBC Radio 5, said:

"You can't just have any Tom, Dick or Harry come in and finish the last 10 minutes of the game.

"There was no-one on our side that had any officials' badges. One of their staff said he would see the rest of the game out with no qualifications. It's human nature that if there was a big decision to make, we wouldn't have got it.

"I've been within my rights to not agree to carry on."

Fergie Book Selling but Rife with Inaccuracies

Sir Alex Feguson's autobiography, creatively titled "My Autobiography", has been under scrutiny this week as fans have noted 45 inaccuracies throughout the book. Some such errors include getting Ryan Giggs' age wrong, claiming that Jaap Stam was sold to Roma (he was in fact sold to their city rivals Lazio) and the length of time Roy Keane served the club (Ferguson says in the book it was eleven years, it was in fact twelve).

One fan in particular was unhappy with the mistake-laden autobiography and wrote to publishes Hodder and Stoughton to complain about the matter. CEO Jamie Hodder-Williams responded to the fan with the following:

"We did in fact go through several stages of fact-checking with this book, with a reading from within Manchester United as well as from a specialist football fact-checker.

"Although a very large number of corrections were made we plainly did not pick up everything.

"Possible corrections that have so far been helpfully pointed out are being checked and will be included in future reprints.

"I am sorry that you feel that your expenditure on the book was not worthwhile. If you would like to send the book to me at our head office address, stating where you bought the book and at what price, we will refund your expenditure and postage".

Ferguson is unlikely to be too bothered by the oversights however as "My Autobiography" has become the fastest selling non-fiction book of all time in the UK.

Bendtner Targets Barcelona or Madrid Future

Nicklas Bendtner is quite simply, given his comments this week, a man with his head in the clouds. Never short of self-confidence, the Danish striker has this week told Danish newspaper Politiken that he wishes to play for Barcelona or Real Madrid.

Bendtner was last season loaned out to Juventus where he had little game time and failed to score. In fact he played just nine games for the Turin giants. As was reported on Football Circus at the time, Juve's club shop were alleged to have not sold a single jersey with Bendtner's name on the back. Cue his return to parent club Arsenal this season where, unsurprisingly, he has had little game time and failed to score.

Speaking to Politiken though, the striker made it clear that he is not happy to sit on the bench:

"It is the sport that is most important. I'm going somewhere where I know I can be happy to play, on a team where I can score goals and preferably to win something.

"I do not want to sit on the bench, staring. I love playing lots of games".

Bendtner was then asked where he would like to see himself playing, to which he answered:

"If I could decide: Real Madrid or Barcelona".

Something tells us that the Dane may not realise that particular dream any time soon.

Cristiano Ronaldo Building Museum Dedicated to...Cristiano Ronaldo

Self-confidence must be in the air this week. In a week where Nicklas Bendtner declared his desire to line out for Barcelona or Madrid, Zlatan Ibrahimovic also referred to himself as God (an interview with Swedish channel TV4 played out as follows: TV4:" Who will win the qualifier?"; Ibra: "Only God knows"; TV4 : “It’s kind of hard to ask him"; Ibra: "You’re talking to him now"). All that pales in comparison however to Cristiano Ronaldo's rumoured self-congratulating. For the Portuguese forward is said to be working on a museum in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira, which is dedicated to himself.

Portuguese newspaper Diario de Noticias have reported the story and claim that Ronaldo is funding the project himself. The museum will showcase the Read Madrid star's achievements from Premier League, La Liga and Champions League medals to Ballon d'Or and Golden Boot trophies.

The newspaper has been quoted:

"The initiative came from Cristiano Ronaldo and his mother [Dolores Santos] and it is Ronaldo himself who is to covering the costs of the museum.

"Ronaldo’s mother is very proud of this initiative. When the museum is a reality, the whole family will feel honored by his accomplishments

"The museum will be very important for the region because it will bring tourists from all over the world. Who would not want to see in person the Ballon d’Or and the Golden Boot, which are among many trophies that Ronaldo has already won".

Of course both Ronaldo and Ibra may feel justified in their self-worship after this week's match between Sweden and Portugal, where the pair dominated both the game and the headlines that followed.

What's Mad Mario Upto This Week?

Coming under fire from Italy teammate and goalkeeper Gigi Buffon, that's what. After Italy's 1-1 draw with Germany last week, Balo bemoaned the lack of protection given to him by the referee and cut an increasingly frustrated figure as the match played out.

35-year old stalwart Buffon however has found himself unable to defend his international teammate, telling Gazzetta dello Sport:

"I see no prejudice against Mario. It's just that now the way games are refereed has changed to prevent them becoming bogged down. Referees tend to whistle less and let the play run more - and I agree with that."

Later in the week Balotelli came out to defend himself against a perception in the media that he is a bad boy. Speaking at a charity event in Milan he said:

"I'm a good lad. I'm as normal as anybody, just I'm in a situation where being normal is not permitted.

"You've got to be a man, you've got to be big and you are not allowed to get distracted in my surroundings. People are watching me, but I'm not bothered by it. I have a good character so I'm relaxed. I'm no longer like I was when I was younger".

He also found it was time to speak out against criticism he has come in for in light of his recent form in front of goal. He continued:

"I've not scored for four or five games, but it's not true that I've been doing badly," he said. "In fact, I played better in these games than in those I scored in".

Italian Football Story of the Week

- Icardi Tweets Sweet Nothings

Footballers usage of Twitter is often the source of mockery and disdain here at Football Circus, but we can't deny the fact that the odd tweet does draw us in.

Take a recent tweet this week by Inter Milan's Mauco Icardi aimed at Argentine model Wanda Nara. Nara is the former wife of Maxi Lopez, who in turn is the former teammate of Icardi.

Icardi tweeted Nara:

“I love you, it is not simple to say how I feel, because I discovered that those two words carry with them one feeling without limits!"

Deary me...Awwwwkward. Whether Icardi's love is unrequited, or whether something may have gone on while Lopez and Nara were still together is anybody's guess. However Icardi was Lopez's strike partner at Sampdoria last season. Nara, has reportedly had an affair with Diego Maradona prior to her marriage to Lopez and has also appeared in a porn film.