Let's be clear of one thing from the start: No matter the specifics of all that came before it,
Luis Suarez was an idiot for not shaking Patrice Evra's hand.
But then, so too was Patrice Evra for later trying to start a fight in the tunnel at the half
and then for taunting the Liverpool striker after the match.
- Maxi Rodriguez
With news of Fabio Capello's departure from the England post yesterday came the expected flood
of "experts" speculating on potential replacements based on nothing more than years' old rumors.
With names ranging from the seemingly pre-agreed upon alternate Harry Redknapp, to Ian Holloway,
Stuart Pearce and Guus Hiddink, there was a disturbing trend towards the English manager.
By Alan Duffy
On Boxing Day, Martin O'Neill's Sunderland were a goal ahead and looking to pick up all three
points against Everton when, early in the second-half, the Toffees' diminutive schemer Leon Osman
ran into the Black Cats box with the intention of shooting on goal.
Michael Wells, from a series of portraits of games in Lafayette Park, published in Municipal de
Fútbol
Many of my recollections of this experimental league could be shaped like a scene from
Crash, minus the sentimental recuperation of collisions between racism, sexism, xenophobia,
etc. Other memories tap into a very different experience of Los Angeles.
Mario Balotelli, the clown prince of football, has had a turbulent life with an abundance of
misdemeanours that have left scars all over his undeniable talent
The press condemn with a thirsty disgust his petulance and attitude, whilst
ignoring the tribulations he has had to endure.
Europe is treading clumsily where America has learned not to tread long ago.
The recent row over the possibility of quotas of non-black players in France's national football
academies showed how Europeans still do not 'get' race and are prone to reflex comments of
xenophobia and maybe worse.
The French Football Federation has issued a communiqué by Laurent Blanc in response to the
allegations published last week by Mediapart about the existence of a plan to limit the numbers of
"black and Arab" football players within the national youth system. It's a rather strange
statement. Blanc, who initially issued a blanket denial about everything attributed to him in the
article, now seems to be admitting that he did participate in a discussion about the topic of
players who might have the possibility of playing for other national teams, and more broadly about
the issue of the style of play being developed within the youth system.
Arsenal 2 Huddersfield 1
Say what you like, you can't say that watching Arsenal at the moment isn't exciting. It's bad for
my health, but we are winning - and there is rarely a dull match. And people can complain as much
as they want, but we're still fighting on four fronts.
The major gripe at the moment is that the players who come in aren't good enough.
