World Football Thread VI

[CerberusIV]

Blatter is at it again.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/4459532.stm

Fifa president Sepp Blatter has suggested national anthems should be scrapped before international games.
Blatter was upset by booing during the anthems in the World Cup play-off between Turkey and Switzerland.

"I consider it extremely disrespectful and of course disparaging to national pride," Blatter told Swiss magazine Schweizer Illustrierte.

"I'm wondering whether it makes sense to play the national anthems. We should at least consider not playing them."

A Fifa spokesman told BBC Sport that Blatter's comments were his own personal opinion and no official moves had been made to do away with national anthems.

But Blatter believes the booing of anthems may contribute to crowd trouble.

In Istanbul, the home fans booed the Swiss anthem, after the Turkish team had earlier complained about Swiss fans whistling over their national anthem ahead of the play-off first leg in Bern.

The second leg ended with the victorious Swiss players running for the tunnel as missiles were thrown from the crowd.

As they reached the players' tunnel, a fight broke out with their Turkish counterparts.

Blatter added: "We could also insist that the teams shake hands after the match.

"We cannot have the situation where the winning team is unable to celebrate but must instead sprint off the pitch like thieves."

Fifa has launched an investigation into events at Istanbul.

For once he may have a point. Anyone else think the anthems are a waste of time?

Then again if they didn't play the anthems the TV viewing public couldn't play the game of "spot which players don't know the words".

[MikeH]

I think the anthems are great, even though most of them are awful songs it really adds to the sense of occasion.

[Maquiladora]

We can sing ours without it playing anyway. Not many other fans do that.

[Footie Mad]

Unfortunately our national anthem is quite a bad piece of music, but it's been around a while so people just go with the flow.

[Imran Siddiqui]

It usually isn't a problem at the World Cup. It seems only rarely a problem in regional qualifiers (though its far worse when, say, the US plays in CONCACAF). It's not really an 'epidemic' or anything.

[MikeH]

But Imran, all international qualifiers are regional and qualifiers make up the vast majority of competitive internationals. So if it's "only a problem in regional qualifiers" what you are saying is "it's a problem in most competitive international matches".

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by MikeH
But Imran, all international qualifiers are regional and qualifiers make up the vast majority of competitive internationals. So if it's "only a problem in regional qualifiers" what you are saying is "it's a problem in most competitive international matches".

I said, it's only RARELY a problem in regional qualifiers.

[MikeH]

Oh ok then.

I reckon some kind of booing of anthems happens in most internationals but the severity is very varied.

[Colon™]

Any chance that Alex Ferguson is going to get kicked out?

[MikeH]

Not if they qualify for the knockouts they are still in good shape to finish second in the Premiership too.

[reds4ever]

I think he'll leave the end of the season. Theres a (at least) 2 or 3 year rebuilding job to do at ManU. He's too old to undertake it IMHO.

[Maquiladora]

Perhaps.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/4453760.stm

[MikeH]

He wouldn't be a bad choice...

[alva]

Better say goodbye while you can.

Legend Best 'enters final hours'
George Best
Best helped Man Utd win the European Cup in 1968
Ex-Manchester United star George Best is spending his final hours in hospital after doctors said his deteriorating condition was irreversible.

Best, 59, could not recover from the internal bleeding that developed last night, Professor Roger Williams said.

Just before 1300 GMT, he said the former Northern Ireland international would not survive another 24 hours.

Family and friends have visited Best in London's Cromwell Hospital, where he has been treated for a lung infection.

Later on Thursday, Professor Williams added there had been "no change, just deterioration" in Best's condition.

When Best's closest family arrived at the west London hospital, they asked the gathered media not to film or photograph them as they went in.

Best has been in hospital for eight weeks, after initially suffering flu-like symptoms, but deteriorated with a lung infection on Friday.


[Internal bleeding] has now affected the lungs and other parts, and there is really no return from that situation
Professor Roger Williams

Professor Williams said: "Mr Best is coming to the end of the long road of his ill health.

"The situation is that medically the intensive care team and everybody concerned have managed to cope with pretty well all of the complications except the one that has happened again during the night - this bleeding.

"Although [the blood] has been replaced, it has now affected the lungs and other parts, and there is really no return from that situation.

"It is just not possible to recover from that."

He added: "He is still having standard medical care and treatment but I have to tell you that his hours are numbered now and it's all very upsetting."

Family vigil

Professor Williams said: "We have just all been sitting down together and it's very upsetting for everybody, isn't it - those looking after him, the family.

"I have talked to them at great length, I think they understand everything... I think they accept what's going to happen."


Professor Roger Williams

Doctor's statement

Portsmouth Football Club chairman Milan Mandaric, a close friend of Best, said: "It's not easy for them - Calum [Best's son] loves his Dad; they are all good people like George."

After visiting Best in hospital, Mr Mandaric told reporters: "What is a shame is that people who don't know George don't know what a great man he is. He's got a large heart.

"I just want George to still be around, that would be my hope."

Former team mates Sir Bobby Charlton and Denis Law also arrived at the hospital on Thursday.

Deterioration

Best was admitted to hospital on 1 October with flu-like symptoms, and suffered a kidney infection and internal bleeding before the latest decline.

Drugs needed after his liver transplant in 2002 had made the recovering alcoholic more susceptible to infection.

Things had looked more positive earlier in the week when Best was taken off sedation and regained consciousness.

But then his condition deteriorated once more between 0100 and 0200 GMT on Wednesday.

Best helped Manchester United win the European Cup in 1968 - the first English club to do so - and he was European Footballer of the Year that same year.

His style captivated football fans around the world but his playboy lifestyle degenerated into alcoholism and bankruptcy.

[reds4ever]

The irony is that the day he dies, the UK gets 24 hour drinking...