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The Miscellaneous Football Thread


Devon Malcolm

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I'm currently watching Spain v England in the European U19 championships and the gulf is absolutely massive. It doesn't look as though we can look forward to an improvement in our international fortunes any time soon. Spain are currently winning 3-1 and, to be honest, are taking the piss.

 

Many domestic seasons start in the next couple of weeks all over Europe, and I'm looking forward to seeing if Steve McLaren can do the business with Wolfsburg to follow on from his success in Holland. He's inherited a good squad, managed to keep hold of Grafite (so far) and I think they could challenge in an increasingly unpredictable Bundesliga this season.

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So tonight TNS play Anderlecht in the UEFA Champions League Thrid Qualifying Round, with the ever-so-slim possibility that this could lead to first-time ever Welsh representation in the Champions League group stages.

 

Okay, TNS kind of play in England, but whatever.

 

Big match preview!

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So tonight TNS play Anderlecht in the UEFA Champions League Thrid Qualifying Round, with the ever-so-slim possibility that this could lead to first-time ever Welsh representation in the Champions League group stages.

 

Okay, TNS kind of play in England, but whatever.

 

Big match preview!

 

They will be dancing on the streets of TNS this evening if they win :laugh:

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bet365 is currently streaming Sparta Prague v Lech Poznan from the Champions League qualifiers - and that's 45 minutes of my life I will never get back.

 

Elsewhere, I know the whole forum was wondering what happened to the somersaulting shot-shy former Newcastle and Portsmouth striker Lomana Lua Lua. Well, he banged in a last minute penalty for Omonia Nicosia to earn them a 1-1 draw against Salzburg, thus fucking up my accumulator. Cunt.

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As I predicted in the Jock football thread, Celtic beaten tonight by Braga and will probably get more of the same in the second leg. Braga are a good team, not many teams are going to knock them in against them, and if Benfica lose Cardozo, I think they will win the Portuguese league.

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TNS did allright last night, were unlucky to lose 3-1 and bossed large parts of the game. I listened to the entire game on BBC Radio Shropshire as none of my mates would travel 50 miles with me to Wrexham to watch a team we usually hate in the Welsh Premier!

 

My team Bangor City, playing Maritimo, from Portugal away tomorrow. I'm not hopeful after seeing what Braga did to Celtic earlier!

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  • 3 weeks later...
Nicolas Anelka has been banned for 18 matches by the French Football Federation (FFF) over his conduct at this summer's World Cup.

 

Anelka, 31, was sent home from South Africa after a row with coach Raymond Domenech and, in protest, the France squad boycotted a training session.

 

Patrice Evra was captain of the team and has been banned for five matches for his part in the revolt.

 

Franck Ribery has been suspended for three and Jeremy Toulalan for one.

 

Eric Abidal made up the five players who were summoned to the FFF disciplinary hearing on Tuesday and he escaped punishment.

 

The quintet were highlighted as the key players in the embarrassing controversy which surrounded the French team at the World Cup following Anelka's outburst at Domenech during the loss to Mexico saw him banished.

 

Evra and Ribery were summoned for not performing their duties properly as captain and vice-captain, while Toulalan was seen as the perpetrator behind a statement read out by Domenech explaining why the players had refused to train.

 

Abidal's offence was his refusal to play in the final group match against South Africa, which France lost 2-1.

France were also beaten 2-0 by Mexico following a goalless draw in their opening fixture against Uruguay as they produced a string of poor performances which saw them exit the competition following the group stages.

 

Anelka did not show up at the disciplinary hearing and his international career now appears to be all but over.

 

Ribery was also an absentee but his club Bayern Munich did not allow him to attend with the Bundesliga starting its season this weekend and the German champions facing Wolfsburg in their opening game on Friday.

 

The pair sent representatives, while Evra, Toulalan and Abidal were present for the lengthy hearing, along with Domenech.

 

Former deputy managing director of the team Jean-Louis Valentin said: "I sensed that the players are truthfully sorry, and been left damaged and mortified at what took place, they were conscious of a collective meltdown.

 

"I believe that now it is imperative we turn the page and move on.

 

"I believe that to a certain extent there has been a very good dialogue in there (at the commission) which lasted a relatively long time.

 

"As a lover of the French team, and as a supporter of the France team, I think that each player has the right to a second chance."

 

Domenech has been replace by Laurent Blanc and he did not select any of the 23-man World Cup squad for his recent first game in charge against Norway, which France lost 2-1.

 

The FFF has also withheld World Cup advertising bonuses which were due to be paid to players.

 

Blanc will now be without the banned players for the team's Euro 2012 qualifying campaign, starting against Belarus in Paris on 3 September.

At 31 it looks as though Anelka's international career may be over then.

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To be honest, I'm not sure he cares that much. And as a United fan, I'm delighted about Evra's ban, I just wish it had been longer.

 

France are not in a bad state, really - they just won the UEFA U19 tournament a couple of weeks back and outplayed Spain in the final. They're in a far better state than England, that's for sure.

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i dont take much notice of the seire a i watch some matches but to me Genoa seem massivre at 200/1 to win serie A saying some of the players they've signed in Eduardo Portugal no1 keeper, the Brazilian defender Rafinha and Veloso. not including Luca Toni. surely they have a chance of coming at least second.

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i dont take much notice of the seire a i watch some matches but to me Genoa seem massivre at 200/1 to win serie A saying some of the players they've signed in Eduardo Portugal no1 keeper, the Brazilian defender Rafinha and Veloso. not including Luca Toni. surely they have a chance of coming at least second.

They've confused the hell out of me with their signing of Kevin the Crown Prince of Boateng,

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Yes, it's a strange situation - the chairman of Genoa actually straight out said that he actually hopes that Boateng never plays for them because he wants him to have a great season on loan at Milan and then be able to sell him for a profit. It's actually a pretty shitty state of affairs to be using a player like that, but I'm sure Boateng won't mind a season at Milan, although I doubt he will play much.

 

But Genoa are strong and were fantastic at home last season, I always made sure I had a flutter on them if they were on their home ground. I reckon they could get a Champions League spot.

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