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Buffon: Italy lacked experience

Distrokeeper — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 08:00:44 +0000

Gianluigi Buffon has pinpointed a lack of experience as one of the reasons for Italy’s World Cup failure, despite the fact that the side faced accusations throughout the tournament that they were too old to win.

Italy endured a dismal campaign when finishing bottom of Group F – below Paraguay, Slovakia and New Zealand – as their bid to retain the trophy won in 2006 ended in embarrassment.

Throughout the Azzurri’s short stay in South Africa, coach Marcello Lippi was forced to reject suggestions that, with an average age of 28 years and nine months, he was relying too heavily on the veterans who succeeded in Germany, most notably captain Fabio Cannvaro, who had a difficult tournament.

But Buffon believes Italy actually suffered from having too many players without World Cup experience – such as striker Giampaolo Pazzini and defender Domenico Criscito – and that inexperience undermined their efforts in South Africa.

“The problem was that the squad was formed of many young lads who had never faced competitions like this, so it’s normal they had a few psychological setbacks,” Buffon told Radio Due.

“After the Confederations Cup there was a media campaign claiming we could leave behind the players from 2006. In reality you always need experienced people.”

Buffon’s own World Cup was cut short by a herniated disc in his back and the goalkeeper has undergone surgery, meaning he will miss the start of the new season for his club Juventus. However, he hopes to replace the retiring Cannavaro as Azzurri captain when he returns to full fitness.

“I’ll be back on the field in three or four months,” Buffon said. “Then I will try to earn the captain’s armband that new Italy Coach Cesare Prandelli promised me.”

Lahm: We can emulate Spain

Distrokeeper — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 05:00:07 +0000

Germany’s largely young 2010 FIFA World Cup™ squad can get over their 1-0 semi-final defeat by European champions Spain and emulate their success in the future, captain Philipp Lahm said on Thursday.

The 26-year-old, who has been an inspirational captain in the absence of the injured Michael Ballack, added that one day he expected he would be holding a trophy aloft and assuaging the pain of being part of teams that had lost two successive World Cup semi-finals and the Euro 2008 final – 1-0 to Spain.

“I am a little surprised by the margins of victory against England (4-1) and Argentina (4-0),” said the 71-times capped Bayern Munich fullback. “But I have been training with these guys for a long time, and I knew what they were capable of. We were able to believe in our future. Spain proved that there is always room for improvement. Three to four weeks ago, they had the same players, and then they gained in confidence. We too can do similar things.”

Lahm, who repeated that he would not voluntarily hand back the captaincy to 33-year-old Ballack and would do so only if the coach instructed him to, admitted the defeat had been tough – he was reduced to floods of tears at the final whistle – but the Germans had still achieved more than other European heavyweights.

“I am 26 and therefore I have some years of football at this level in front of me,” said Lahm. “There will be other semi-finals. But it is true, it will never be easy to think back on [the defeat]. But thereagain look, Italy and France were knocked out really quickly. One day, I am convinced that we will be up there with the best. And then also to lose a semi-final is not a mark of dishonour, that doesn’t happen every day either.”

He also revealed that the Germans had declined an offer of a ‘victory’ parade back in Berlin when they return unlike those that happened after the 2006 semi-final loss at home and the Euro 2008 final defeat. Lahm, who says he has changed his mind and would play in the third place match with Uruguay in Port Elizabeth on Saturday if he has recovered from a knock, said he saw Wednesday’s victors Spain adding the world title to their European crown. “I see Spain winning it,” he said. “But if not I will be happy to see my clubmates [Mark van Bommel and Arjen Robben] return to Bayern with the trophy. The trophy would give us a ‘boost’ at Bayern.”

Blanc proud at France unveiling

Distrokeeper — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 08:00:00 +0000

New France boss Laurent Blanc has expressed his pride at being selected to lead his country when he was officially unveiled by the French Football Federation on Tuesday.

Blanc, who was a key part of the France team which triumphed in both the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000, insisted that even Les Bleus dismal World Cup campaign under Raymond Domenech in South Africa this summer did not deter him from continuing his link with the national team.

“I am very proud to be here as coach of the France team,” he said. “For me, the France team is above everything, it was a thread throughout my career. As a player I experienced difficult times but also some great moments.

“My commitment to the France team is absolute. I had other challenges available to me, but this one with the French team most attracted me. The recent difficult events never called that into question.

“The France team does not belong to anybody. It is for everyone, for you (the media) the same as for me. I understand what the France team represents, the rights and the requirements linked to this jersey.”

Blanc, who left Bordeaux to head up the national team, has signed a two-year contract to guide France through the qualification campaign for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine.

Former national team midfielder Alain Boghossian will remain as assistant coach, the role he occupied under Domenech, and is joined by Jean-Louis Gasset.

Blanc has pledged a clean slate for the players who orchestrated a training walkout ahead of this summer’s final group game against the host nation following the dismissal of Chelsea striker Nicolas Anelka from the squad.

Blanc said: “The thing which shocked me the most was the group’s behaviour in training 48 hours ahead of the third match against South Africa.”

But he added: “Those responsible for this badly thought-out decision are numerous. It is not for me to decide on sanctions. I am not the bogeyman.

“I will be judged on results, and in order to achieve the best results I must have the best team. If I consider they are the best players in their position, I will take them.

“I will speak with them about what happened but in the FFF’s rules, there are no disciplinary sanctions set out. I will make my decisions based on sporting considerations.”

Gerrard keen to carry on with England

Distrokeeper — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 05:00:03 +0000

Steven Gerrard today insisted he has no intention of quitting international football.

Gerrard, who captained England during their woeful FIFA World Cup™ campaign in the absence of the injured Rio Ferdinand, said the 4-1 defeat by Germany would not be his 84th and last game for his country.

“There is no way I want the disappointment of the Germany game to be my last for England,” Gerrard told Liverpool’s official website.

“It was such a low and I am determined to do as much as I can to make amends for what happened.

“I expect there to be a lot of changes to the squad and it is up to the manager whether I am selected, but I am going to continue to make myself available for my country.”

Liverpool captain Gerrard, 30, has scored 17 goals for England. His Liverpool team-mate Jamie Carragher, who was persuaded to come out of international retirement by Fabio Capello for the South Africa tournament, has said he will no longer be available for selection.

Dunga dismissed by Brazil

Distrokeeper — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 08:00:13 +0000

The Brazilian Football Federation have confirmed Dunga has been dismissed following the country’s elimination from the FIFA World Cup™.

Dunga indicated he was likely leave his post after Brazil’s hopes of a sixth World Cup triumph were ended by the Netherlands in Port Elizabeth on Friday.

“Ending the cycle of work that began in August 2006, and ended with the elimination of Brazil from the World Cup in South Africa, the CBF announces that the technical committee of the national team has been released,” the statement on the CBF’s official website read. “The new technical committee will be announced later this month.”

Brazil let slip a 1-0 half-time lead to suffer a shock 2-1 loss to the Dutch. They had started the tournament well, wins over Korea DPR and Côte d’Ivoire and a draw with Portugal seeing them progress from the ‘Group of Death’ in first place.

They swept Chile aside 3-0 in the last 16 and looked to be cruising when they took a 1-0 lead over the Netherlands through Robinho. They missed several chances to extend their lead before a defensive mistake gifted Bert van Marwijk’s men an equaliser and Wesley Sneijder headed a winner.

Dunga, 46, took up the post following A Seleção’s elimination from the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, signing a four-year deal.

After the defeat on Friday he said: “I have been contracted for four years and we knew this right from the start. During the last four years, I have been very happy to coach this Brazil team and if you were to look at our players’ faces now, you would probably understand how they feel.”

Leonardo has been linked with the job after leaving AC Milan at the end of last season.

Cahill puts Everton first after mixed World Cup

Distrokeeper — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 05:00:49 +0000

Tim Cahill has refused to commit to Australia’s AFC Asian Cup campaign in January and insisted he is putting Everton first before considering whether he will play in another World Cup.

Cahill, who endured a mixed World Cup campaign with a controversial red card in the fateful opening loss to Germany before scoring in the defeat of Serbia, returns to action on Saturday when Everton take on A-League champions Sydney FC in the first match of their pre-season tour of Cahill’s native Australia.

Cahill will be 34 when the World Cup next takes place and when asked about his aspirations to take part in the tournament in Brazil, he said: “My main focus now is Everton. I think as long as I stay fit and keep playing consistently then I’ll be happy – we’ll see what happens in four years.”

However, Everton manager David Moyes believes the player has the longevity to play a key role in Australia’s next World Cup campaign. Moyes – speaking at a press conference to promote Everton’s tour, which also includes matches against Melbourne Heart and Brisbane Roar – said: “I think he is fit enough to see another World Cup. I think he’ll be strong enough and able to go for another one – so hopefully it’s not his last one.”

Cahill declared himself ready to return to club duties despite having barely had a rest this year, but when attention turned to the Socceroos’ 2011 Asian Cup campaign, he would not commit to the three-week tournament, which begins on January 7 in Qatar.

Cahill said: “I’m lucky I’ve got a great relationship with the manager and the players and the whole staff. It’s all about being sensible. I’m lucky I’ve got the right people to talk to and assess that situation when it comes to it.”

Moyes insisted he would not stand in Cahill’s way should he choose to play for his country, saying: “If it comes in under the FIFA regulations we always abide by them. We admire Tim because we’ve all travelled out here from England and our players are all still in their beds with jetlag. For Tim to travel out here and play (for the Socceroos) and then return to play in the Premier League is an incredibly hard thing to do. It should never be underestimated how difficult that is.”

On Cahill’s dismissal against Germany, Moyes added: “When I saw the sending off I thought it was a terrible decision. Tim prepared all through the year. To get sent off for that could have ruled him out of the whole World Cup.”

With a rollercoaster World Cup out of the way, Cahill said he is just looking forward to the upcoming club season: “I think the best thing for me is focusing on this pre-season and a big season because we put so much time and effort in every year to be as good as we can be and set some targets that we like to live up to.”

Cahill was quick to allay fears he has not had a long enough break following the World Cup: “I think I’m lucky, the gaffer is not putting me through my paces too much. This is my country and I want to represent my country and my club as best as I possibly can but there’s a programme in place for me where I’m not getting flogged and they’re very sensitive to me. So I am getting my break and getting my right time (to recover) and obviously looking forward to being a part of this tour.”

Moyes hopes the change of scenery will translate into early season success when the Premier League campaign starts on August 14.

Moyes said: “We’ve tended to choose America in recent years but we’ve not started the season too well in the last couple of years, so I’m hoping Australia brings us a bit of luck.”

Pique: Germany aren’t favourites

Distrokeeper — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 08:00:48 +0000

Gerard Pique says Spain’s semi-final opponents Germany are a “very difficult team” but has cautioned against installing Joachim Low’s men as favourites for Wednesday’s game in Durban.

Germany have been the most impressive team in the knockout stages having defeated England 4-1 and then Argentina 4-0 in the quarter-finals; Low and his young group of players have been painted as the most exciting side in the competition.

Spain were granted that title at Euro 2008, when defeating Germany in the final, but their progression in South Africa has been less stellar having beaten Portugal and Paraguay thanks to solitary goals from striker David Villa.

While Pique has taken note of Germany’s stylish attacking play, he says Spain remain confident in their own ability and will not be overawed by the task awaiting them.

“Germany are a very difficult team, really strong, with a lot of quality, a lot of good players, and it will be difficult to stop them,” Pique said. “I don’t know why they are so impressive. Maybe it is because they have a lot of new young players.

“The likes of Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller and Sami Khedira are new in the team and they are playing great. Some were playing for their Under-21s last summer and they have made the step up.

“I think when you are at the semi-final stage, there are no favourites. It is true because they beat England 4-1 and Argentina 4-0 that they will be in a really good mood. But we will see what happens when we meet them.

“We never have any doubts about ourselves. We always play the same way, the results are good and we have to be confident with our play.”

Spain will have midfielder Cesc Fabregas fit for the semi-final as the Arsenal midfielder, who is yet to start a game for Vicente del Bosque’s side at the tournament, has suffered no ill-effects from landing heavily on his shoulder against Paraguay.

Defender Carles Puyol will start alongside Pique in defence despite suffering from blurred vision after being struck in the face by the ball during the quarter-final victory.

Cristiano Ronaldo Becomes A Father

Distrokeeper — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 05:00:14 +0000

Real Madrid star and former Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo has announced that he has become a father.

The announcement came on Saturday night via his official Twitter account and Facebook page in which the 25-year-old stated that the newborn child will be under his “exclusive guardianship”. However, the former Manchester United star didn’t disclose the identity of the mother.

The full statement on Ronaldo’s official Facebook page reads:

“It is with great joy and emotion that I inform I have recently become father to a baby boy. As agreed with the baby’s mother, who prefers to have her identity kept confidential, my son will be under my exclusive guardianship.

“No further information will be provided on this subject and I request everyone to fully respect my right to privacy (and that of the child) at least on issues as personal as these are.”

Ronaldo has had a disappointing time with Portugal in South Africa, where his team lost 1-0 to Spain in the second round of the World Cup.

Van Marwijk urges Dutch focus

Distrokeeper — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 08:00:12 +0000

Netherlands coach Bert van Warwijk has invoked the painful memories of Euro 2008 to instil in his side that they must avoid complacency as they prepare to face Uruguay in the semi-finals of the World Cup.

Netherlands, who topped Group F and then defeated Slovakia in the second round, achieved their place in the last four thanks to a surprise 2-1 victory over Brazil in the quarter-finals and are perceived to be favourites against a Uruguay side that have defeated South Korea and Ghana in the knockout stages.

But just two years ago, and having drawn comparisons with the great Total Football side of the 1970s thanks to some stunning performances in Austria and Switzerland, Netherlands were expected to beat Russia in the quarter finals of Euro 2008, only to lose in extra-time to Guus Hiddink’s side.

Van Marwijk is adamant that a similar fate cannot befall his side and has instructed his players that a complacent attitude will only result in more disappointment at a major finals.

“We’ve already seen a lot of Uruguay and I know some of the players, it will be a very dangerous match,” Van Marwijk told FIFA.com. “I warned this on the first day two years ago – there’s always the next game.

“The euphoria at home is massive at the moment and maybe it’s good that we’re so far away and can’t witness it because we really need to focus on Uruguay and that won’t be easy. They didn’t reach the semi final for nothing, so we have to really focus again and not think that we’re already there.

“We have witnessed it before in the past. Think about two years ago in Austria and Switzerland – we beat Italy and France and everybody already thought we would become European champions but we didn’t even survive the quarter-finals because we thought that we were already there. That’s what I’ve tried to make clear, that this has to be different. Until now, the players have shown that they’ve picked that up very well but this will be another important test.

“I’ve a lot of faith in my players and in everything – our whole organisation and the way we work. But in the end it’s also the mindset at a particular moment that decides whether you win a match or not.”

Nakamura retires from internationals

Distrokeeper — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 05:00:30 +0000

Japan midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura has retired from international football after spending most of the World Cup on the bench.

Nakamura, 32, made 98 appearances for Japan after making his debut in 1998, and in the years following the 2006 World Cup, while he was starring for Scottish club Celtic, he was recognised as the team’s poster boy and creative hub. He is well known for his deadly set pieces which helped make him a fan favourite with Celtic and his national team.

After an unsuccessful spell with Espanyol in 2009, he returned to hometown J-League side Yokohama F Marinos ahead of the 2010 season and Takeshi Okada took the difficult pre-World Cup decision to relegate Nakamura to Japan’s bench, with the attack instead built around emerging starKeisuke Honda.

When asked by Japanese media about his next match for the Blue Samurai, Nakamura said: “There won’t be one for me. I’m through.”

Nakamura made one substitute appearance at the World Cup, in Japan’s 1-0 loss to the Netherlands in the group stage. Of his demotion from the first XI, he told reporters earlier this week: “I didn’t really want to talk about it up until now because I knew that’s all people would ask me about. I felt bad about not speaking all this time, but it wasn’t easy for me.

“It’s a shame I couldn’t do anything on the pitch, but I learned a lot. I have to accept the fact that I wasn’t good enough. But I don’t think my time has been wasted. This is life in soccer.”