Maple Lions

UEFA has reaffirmed it will not negotiate with the G14. Said chief executive Lars-Christer Olsson:

“We don’t have to talk to the G14 but we will talk to the clubs. When we talk to the individual clubs their views are not as militant as when they come from the G14 office.”

[…]

“G14 creates the conditions for a war rather than trying to find agreements.”

“Most of the clubs are saying ‘we don’t want to break away’ but then they change their statutes to say that now we should be able to organise a competition.

“Now they have to show their real cards.”

In related news, G14 has called an emergency meeting for next week over the Charleroi suit, presumably to climb down from their position to extract compensation from FIFA.

Paul Canniff 

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The Telegraph offers an excellent analysis of the problems facing the FA’s request to FIFA to crack down on diving:

The main problem in punishing simulation - attempting to deceive the referee - is that it comes under unsporting behaviour and is therefore punishable by a yellow card.

Some have called for players guilty of diving to be sent off but there is no provision in the laws for this. While cheating is unacceptable, it is also neither violent conduct nor serious foul play - the offences in law that carry a straight red card.

Barwick also admitted that Fifa’s disciplinary guidelines, which can be worded in a way that leave too much to interpretation, do not allow for retrospective sanctions if the incident has been seen by the referee and dealt with at the time - even if no action was taken.

Only if the referee has not seen an incident can the FA step in after the event.

But Iain Dowie, Crystal Palace’s manager is not waiting for the football bureaucracy to move on this.  He has begun to fine his own players for diving and encourages other clubs to do likewise:

“If a player makes a blatant dive then the club should fine them. I have done that in the past and I think all other clubs should do the same now,” Dowie said.

[…]

“When someone feigns an injury and there was not contact, then it is an issue for the club to deal with.”

Paul Canniff

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Renovation of England’s national stadium is falling further and further behind schedule, and the FA is scrambling to reschedule and move important matches:

The Football Association has confirmed another delay in the Wembley project after revealing all matches planned for 2006 will be moved to other venues.

Work on the stadium will not be completed in time for an England friendly in August and two Euro 2008 qualifiers in September and October.

The Community Shield on 13 August will be moved - probably to Cardiff.

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Builders Multiplex announced on Friday that it hoped most of the remaining work on the 90,000 seat venue would be completed by the end of the June.

However, the firm said it was entitled to a further extension under the terms of its contract in order to put the finishing touches to the project.

This would extend the completion date until at least the end of September - a year later than the original deadline.

Friday was the official deadline for the handover of the £757million stadium from Multiplex to the FA.

Three deadlines with the Australian builders have already been missed, and when the handover does eventually take place the FA will need at least three months to test and fit out the stadium.

Journalist and blogger Stephen Pollard says the stadium won’t be ready until 2008.  Here’s my question: the greater London area already has several large, world-class sporting facilities, and Arsenal’s 60,000-seat Emirates Stadium is scheduled to open later this year.  And that’s not even counting the Millenium Stadium, Old Trafford and City of Manchester Stadium.  Maybe I’m missing something here, but why does Great Britain need a “national” stadium in the first place?

Damian P.

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Of all the people agog over the Shevchenko move to Chelsea, the least excited is Andrei himself:

“I only know about this story because there are others who continue talking,” he stated on Thursday.

“Anyway, I thank the English journalists because maybe, in this way, Milan will call me and extend my deal.

“I know nothing about any offer and I am absolutely relaxed.

“I have nothing to deny because everything is clear.”

And in related headlines, “Princess Di Chatty from Beyond the Grave“.

Paul Canniff 

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The FA is asking FIFA to pass a rule allowing divers to be punished retrospectively.

Ordinarily I am loathe to make officiating reliant upon video replays, after seeing how it has made NFL football even more tedious. Football thrives on fast pace and steady flow of play. Last season we witnessed Spurs’ remarkable “non-goal” against Roy Carroll. The introduction of ball chip technology will prevent further daft blind spots on the part of the officials. In this case the use of video evidence is a reasonable measure: the speed of the game is preserved while the sport cracks down on unacceptable behaviour by players.

As they say in Britain, “Something must be done.”

Paul Canniff

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Ukrainian Andriy Shevchenko is going to Chelsea, according to The Guardian:

Roman Abramovich’s persistence in trying to add Milan’s Andriy Shevchenko to Chelsea’s payroll seems to have paid off, with reports suggesting that the Ukraine striker will sign for the Stamford Bridge club this summer.

Chelsea’s owner has been courting Shevchenko for three years but had been turned down three times. However, the Russian billionaire appears to have made it fourth time lucky, with Shevchenko agreeing in principle to a four-year contract worth in excess of £110,000 a week.

 Personal terms have apparently been agreed with the player and Chelsea have been assured that he is prepared to put in a transfer request to Milan.

The San Siro club value him at £35m but Chelsea would appear to be content - and wealthy enough - to afford such a fee, even on top of nearly £23m in wages which they would have to pay the player for his services over those four years. However, the £10m-rated Argentinian Hernán Crespo could go the other way in part exchange.

The move for Shevchenko confirms Jose Mourinho’s plans to rebuild his team for next season. He has already lined up the German midfielder Michael Ballack and has been linked with a move for Arsenal’s left-back Ashley Cole.

To paraphrase what Jerry Seinfeld said about McDonald’s and cows, I don’t think Roman will be happy until all the other Premiership clubs start surrendering voluntarily.

Damian P.

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Christian O’Connell has taken his Breakfast Show to Virgin Radio, along with his hunt for the best unofficial England footie anthem.

H/T to Andrew Ian Dodge

Paul Canniff

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It is all but official that Chelsea will play against the MLS All-Stars on July 29 at the new Chicago Fire stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. And sources inform the folks at Chelsea in America that Everton are also planning a US summer tour that may include Columbus and Dallas as venues.

They hint that Toronto may be a stop on the Blues’ tour in recognition of next year’s debut of the the MLS franchise there. That would neatly fill the vacuum left by the collapse of the Champions World match series in the US and Canada. I had the pleasure of attending the Liverpool v. Porto fixture in Toronto two years ago. While it did not match the experience of actually being at Anfield, it and the other series matches were perhaps the closest many fans got to witnessing firsthand top-flight football.

If you pick up any gossip on these fronts, by all means post it here first and as a courtesy pass it on to Chelsea in America.

Paul Canniff

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Details here.

Damian P.

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26% of respondents to a Daily Telegraph online poll think Sunderland will survive relegation.

Damian P.

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