World Soccer - UK (2022-07)

Unrecognisable...

SergioAguero’s

newstatue

REPORTSWECOULDN’TMAKEUP

1

TONIAGUERO?

Theten-yearanniversary of

SergioAguero’stitle-winning

goalfor ManchesterCitywas marked

bytheerectionofanewstatue

outsidetheEtihadStadium,capturing

theArgentine’scelebrationafter

thatfamousgoal.Afittingtribute,

exceptthatthestatueappearsto

morecloselyresembleRealMadrid

midfielderToniKroos.“Sergiois

here,” announcedBBCjournalist

SimonStoneonTwitter,towhichthe

Germanmidfielderreplied:“Sure?”

2

PENALTYPETULANCE

Whilemany Europeanleagues

sawdramaticconclusions,few

couldmatchthescenesatBulgarian

sideTsarskoSelo.Needingawinto

avoidrelegation,theyweredrawing

1-1withLokomotivSofiawhenthey

wereawardedapenaltyinstoppage-

time.Tensionsescalatedwhentwo

players,YusuphaYaffaandcaptain

MartinKavdanski,arguedoverwho

wouldtakeit,withYaffaendingwith

theball.Butas heplacedtheball

onthespot,hewas interruptedby

clubowner StoyneManolov,who

stormedthepitchtoinsistthat

Kavdanskitakeit.Bothmenwere

escortedoffthepitchbysecurityas

theyargued,beforeKavdanskisaw

histamely-hitpenaltysaved.Tsarsko

weresubsequently relegated,with

Manolovannouncingthefollowing

daythattheclubwouldbedissolved.

3

SEEINGRED

Speakingofchaoticendings,

theMLSclashbetween

SportingKansasCityandColorado

Rapidsdescendedintofarce

whenfourplayersweresentoff in

stoppage-time.Coloradodefender

AustonTrustykickedthechaos

offby pickingupasecondyellow

inthe 9 1st minute,butthatwas

justthestart.Fiveminuteslater,

DanielSalloistoppedtheRapids

fromtakinga quickfree-kickby

kickinghisopponentandwasduly

shovedover by LucasEsteves.Inthe

ensuingbrawl,EstevesandKansas

defenderAndreuFontaswereboth

red-carded,beforetheVARpointed

outthatSalloi’s originalkickwas also

asending-off offence.

4

TICkINGOff

TheBBCwereforced

toapologiserecentlyafter

theirnewschannelbrieflydisplayed

thewords:“ManchesterUnited

arerubbish”onthebreakingnews

ticker. “Behindthescenes,someone

wastrainingtolearnhowtouse

thetickerandtoputtextonthe

ticker,”explainedpresenterAnnita

McVeighshortlyafterwards.

“Apologiesifyousawthatand

youwereoffendedandyou’re

afanofManchester United.”

Manyviewers,however, argued

thattheapologywas entirely

unnecessary,asmost fanswould

haveagreedwiththestatement.

5

JEEPERS kEEPERS

It’shardtothinkofamore

embarrassingway tobe

knockedoutofacupcompetition

thanwhathappenedtoFinnish

outfitIlves.Drawnagainst theirown

reserveteaminthenationalcup

competition,theylookedsetfor

afarfromedifying1- 1 drawwhen,

inthesixthminuteof addedtime,

theirgoalkeepermiscontrolleda

back-passandwas powerlessto

stoptheballrollingovertheline

foratrulyhumiliatingcupexit.

6

EARBUDDY

HartlepoolUnitedmidfielder

MarkSheltoncannowproudly

addhisnametothecollectionof

bizarrefootball injuriesafter missing

aleaguegamefor thePools.“Mark’s

hadacottonbudinhisearthathas

goneintoofar,”hismanagerGraeme

LeetoldBBCRadioTees. “He’sgone

tothehospital,soundslikethe

tweezershavegoneintoofarand

he’sdizzyandcan’tstandup.”

7

WHIRLWINDINVASION

Thiscolumnwouldnotbe

completewithouta report

aboutamatchbeinginterrupted

bysomethingunusual.Thistime

we’regoingtoPeru, whereaclash

betweenSemilleroandSanAndres

wasbroughttoahaltbyawhirlwind

ofdust swirlingacrossthepitch.

GlobalfootballintelliGence

Europe,hehasonlywonfiveleague
titles.Heoversawoneofonly three
seasonsunder theirQatariowners
thatParis Saint-Germainhavefailed
towintheleaguetitle–albeit he
tookoveronlymidwaythrough.
AtBayern, Ancelottiinitially
seemedabreathof freshairafterthe
enervatingintensityoftheGuardiola
years,but hewassackedinthe
Septemberafterwinningthe
Bundesligabecauseplayersfeltthey
werenotbeingdrivenhardenough.
Therearefewabsolutesinfootball:
whatworksinonecircumstancemay
notbeappropriateinanother. Just as
Guardiola’sdrivecancarryaclub
forwardbutalsowearplayersoutor
addtotheiranxietyinbiggames,so
Ancelotti’slaidbackapproachtends
nottolenditselftosustainedsuccess.
Thisisafamiliarpatternacrossall
sports: althoughitisoftenthecase
thatteamscanreachtheirgreatest
heightsunderarelaxedcoachwho
givestheplayersaleveloffreedom,
theretendstobeaconsequence,
thatafter thefloweringcomes
decline.Thiswasacuriousseason
forMadrid.They wereintransition
and,afterZinedineZidaneresigned
asmanagerandthecollapseofthe
proposedSuper League,inneed
ofasafepairof hands.
Ancelotti,whohasjust turned
63 was areluctantappointment,
and,afterthemeekdefeatinthe
first legofthelast- 16 tieawayto
ParisSaint-Germain,therewere
suggestionshemightbereplaced.
Theperceptionseems tobethat
heispasthisbest,whichiswhyhe
wasat Evertonlastseason.Itseems
grudgingtosay it,butwithBarcelona
incrisisandAtleticoinretreatthis
wasas straightforwardasLaLiga
hasbeenfor years.
TherealtestofAncelottiwill
comenextseasonwhentheleague
ismorecompetitiveagainandhehas
todrivetheprocessofrenewal.That
hasnottraditionallybeenastrength
ofhis.Forallthedoubts,though,he
remainsnotmerelyoneofthemost
likeablebutalsooneof themost
successfulmanagersinhistory.

WRLDSCCER 17