After a week where egg-chasing in its various forms made the headlines with the Super Bowl and the return of the Six Nations, the more discerning of us chose to focus our attention on a more spherical game. A game where men scrape for every inch (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FvtyO4OdSuo) , yet are gracious in victory...or nil-all draw as the case may be (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZRROPz2n5o). A game where the wise (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNAwH10SnDM) and the brave (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORBmuh_mifA) prevail. Yes, that is football, the sport we love. And this, is Football Circus...
Waterlogged Pitch? Just get a Helicopter?
With Europe hit with bad weather over the past week, a number of matches across the continent have fallen victim to a waterlogged pitch. Take, for example, Sunday's clash between Roma and Parma which took place at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome. Perhaps rather foolishly, the game was given the go ahead despite torrential rain in the Italian capital. After a mere eleven minutes of play, the referee called a halt to proceedings and players and fans alike were sent home.
Roma, nor their fellow Stadio Olimpico dwellers Lazio, would need to worry about such problems were they to take a leaf out of Eintracht Braunschweig's book. For the efficient Germans took one look at their very own sodden pitch and called in an "emergency" helicopter, which dried it out in no time.
Corinthians Fans Break into Training Complex, Striker Attacked
Brazilian football fans have at this point garnered something of a reputation for hooliganism. This week, fans of Corinthians took that reputation to a whole new level, as they broke into the club's training complex with the aid of wire cutters. Once inside, the fans who numbered around 100, made a beeline for the players - three of whom, it is believed, were specific targets. While the majority of the club's players made it back to the dressing room and managed to barricade themselves inside, striker Paolo Guerrero was not as fortunate.
Guerrero was grabbed by the neck as the so called supporters tried to strangle him, while some other club staff were also attacked.
The fans, unhappy with the team's recent form, were reported by Brazilian media as having a vendetta against Guerrero, Alex Pato and Emerson Sheik. Coach Mano Menezes is also said to have been a target. Pato had missed a penalty in a cup game which resulted in Corinthians' exit from the competition; Emerson Sheik (as we last year reported on Football Circus) had been photographed kissing a male friend; Menezes, had led the team to three defeats in a row.
Of Guerrero's attack, Corinthians president Mario Gobbi told Radio Jovem Pan:
"They tried to strangle the player who scored the most important goal in team history". (Guerrero scored the winner in the 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the 2012 Club World Cup).
"We didn't deserve this".
He went on to place the blame at the doorstep of Brazilian authorities:
"This represents the failure of the Brazilian state. It was something that shocked everyone, and it still hurts. Teams don't lose because they want to lose. It's something that happens in football. Authorities are the ones responsible for handling this type of violence, not the clubs."
Mano Menezes meanwhile, has himself spoken out against the attackers:
"We can't accept this type of violence. This is not the football that we want to see here in Brazil. When something like this happens, you just feel like going home".
Transfer Deadline Day Bloopers
The January transfer window is always somewhat frenzied and frantic and its transfer deadline day even more so. So it came as no surprise to Football Circus to discover there had been quite a few mishaps last Friday as clubs scurried to close out deals.
First up we have Brazilian midfielder Ibson, whom Bologna signed from Corinthians. So delighted were the Serie A side at their ability to push through a deal for their new man, that they forgot to send someone to the airport to collect him. So having flown across the world from Brazil to Italy, Ibson was forced to hail a cab to his newly adopted hometown of Bologna from a Rome airport. The faux pas has led to numerous staff members at the club being suspended.
The next deadline day dummies were Spanish side Valencia, whose error was not quite as grave as Italian counterparts Bologna's, though it was misleading all the same. Los Che made completed a January transfer double swoop with the signings of Brazilian Vinicius Araujo and Fulham's Swiss centre back Philippe Senderos. Chuffed with their dealings, the club made an 11.29pm announcement on Twitter confirming the transfers. However the photo they posted was in fact of Fulham's other shaven-headed centre back, Brede Hangeland. Valencia fans might be slightly disappointed to learn that yes, Senderos was the man who signed for their club and not Hangeland.
Lastly, Leeds United made quite a few headlines both on and after deadline day, and for all the wrong reasons. It began with striker Ross McCormack signing a new contract with the club early in the day. McCormack claimed he was under the illusion, when signing the contract, that manager Brian McDermott would be staying on at the club. The ink on the contract had hardly dried when McCormack received a call from McDermott himself to say he'd been sacked. Cue McCormack phoning Sky Sports News to convey his dismay and outrage at what had happened, and presumably let every club in Britain know that he was open to a transfer.
Alas, McCormack did not get his move. But the story didn't end there. For McDermott, contrary to McCormack's claims otherwise, had not been sacked. After the side beat Huddersfield 5-1 on Saturday (a game in which McCormack scored a hattrick), the club released a statement which read:
"The club would like to make it clear that Brian McDermott remains our first team manager.
"He has not been dismissed from his post as has been suggested and we look forward to him continuing in his role with us in taking Leeds United forwards".
So having watched the match at home, McDermott discovered via his iPad that he had been reinstated. Not only that, but he had a new player in his squad. The manager (we think) commented:
"We have an Italian player".
"I’m not sure the deal has been ratified. I don’t know the player, he came on transfer deadline day. If the player has been ratified he will get the utmost respect and opportunity if we feel he can help us.
"You have to be the owner of the football club to bring players to that football club and sack the manager. I did think it was strange, to say the least.
"This situation should never happen to a football manager".
What's Mad Mario upto this Week?
Balo is this week being heavily linked with a move to Arsenal. Last week the Gunners' London rivals Chelsea were mooted as a potential new club for Mario, this week the media have singled out Arsenal as suitors. Arsene Wenger's side have just signed a new shirt sponsorship with Puma. Cash, it would therefore seem, would be no issue. Add to that the fact that Balotelli's boot deal is with (you guessed it) Puma, and the media have themselves a story, however ill-founded it may be. With the striker apparently unhappy at AC Milan though, there might be a grain of truth to this one.
In some far more important news, Mario has a new haircut. The Italian international felt the need to tweet some photos of his new do, and as ever, his new hairstyle is not your standard short back and sides. It's safe to say that the haircut will not help his cause if he's aiming to stay out of the media spotlight.
And in some slightly even more important news, Balotelli this week discovered he is a father. Mario had been in a legal battle with ex-girlfriend Rafaella Fico over the paternity of her daughter, Pia. As he this week confirmed on Twitter, DNA results have confirmed that Balo is a father. He tweeted:
“Finally the TRUTH : - ) ... PIA ... Sweet child of mine!!! your Dad".
Italian Football Story of the Week
- Galliani to Cagliari?
It's not often rumours spread about 69 year old vice-presidents switching clubs...But there are not many vice-presidents like Adriano Galliani. The Milan vice-president has held the position since 1986 and has been responsible for many of the clubs biggest transfers.
Now his future at Milan is uncertain and current Cagliari president, Massimo Cellino, according to Tuttosport, has lined up Galliani as his replacement at the end of the season.
Galliani has moved to deny the rumours, telling Milan Channel:
"It’s not true. I will never betray Milan. My heart will always be Rossoneri.
"I will never go to a club in competition with Milan.
"I’ve been here 28 years and I want to stay".
Regardless, rumours continue to abound that Cellino's proposal to take Galliani to Cagliari would be difficult for the Milan man to resist. If he were to make the switch, it would surely be the biggest move of a vice-president in football history.
Football Recommendation of the Week
- Bundesliga Fanatic: A thoroughly impressive Bundesliga blog
Non Football Recommendation of the Week
- Failed Critics: As they put it "...a shambolic weekly film podcast". Its not actually as shambolic as they claim and is in fact, rather enjoyable if you're a film buff
Don't forget you can follow us on Twitter @footballcircus or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Football-Circus/418804204906352
You can also contact us at footballcircus@gmail.com
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