World Cup 2010 Blog: “Trezeguet to make a comeback for France?” plus 1 more

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Trezeguet to make a comeback for France? Posted: 31 Oct 2010 07:31 PM PDT Will Trezeguet’s performance for Hercules be enough to catch Blanc’s attention? If David Trezeguet has anything to say about it, then yes. On this Sunday’s edition of Telefoot, he declared himself “available” to Blanc should his former France teammate decide to call him up. In the past, Trezeguet has not always been “available” to France’s previous coach, Raymond Domenech.  Trezeguet hasn’t been a consistent call-up for France since 2006 – supposedly because Domenech never really forgave him for missing his penalty in the 2006 World Cup final against Italy.  Since his last call up in 2008 (when he was chosen as a replacement for an injured Benzema), he has been absent from the national team due to competition in the striker position as well as a self-imposed international retirement. When explaining his reasons for retiring in 2008, he said the mains reasons were… The awful Euro 2008 and the reappointment of the coach. I see football differently from how they see it in France. Euro 2008 was very negative, but what annoys me more is that Domenech is staying. But if David really wants to return to the France side, he will have to convince Blanc that the team needs his leadership and experience.  Blanc has been staunch in his commitment to developing the next generation of French talent, something which Trezeguet has noted… The coach’s speech was clear, he relies more on a new generation. If someday there is an opportunity to be reconvened [to the France national team], it could be something special for me. Trezeguet has scored 5 goals for Hercules this season since his summer transfer from Juventus. For Les Bleus, he has 71 caps and 34 goals.  But will that be enough for him to surpass Benzema (Real Madrid), Payet (Saint-Etienne) and Remy (Marseille)?

UEFA Issue Verdict for Serbia and Italy (…and Northern Ireland) Posted: 31 Oct 2010 09:44 AM PDT Earlier this month, the Euro 2012 qualifying match between Italy and Serbia was abandoned due to to rioting among supporters.  Serbian fans threw flares on to the pitch and at Italian supporters  (by climbing over a fence and cutting a hole in the netting intended to prevent objects being thrown).  This was after the Serbian goalkeeper pulled out of the match in fear of his life after being threatened by Serbian fans angry over his loan to Partizan, the rival of the club where he began his career (Red Star Belgrade).The supporters also clashed with police after the abandonment leading to 17 arrests.  In response, UEFA has delivered the following verdict… Verdict:  Serbia 3-0 forfeit to Italy 1 game played in a closed stadium (vs Northern Ireland) (Suspended sentence) Additional game to be played in a closed stadium for a 2-year probationary period No future allocation of tickets to the Serbian Football Federation for away games Financial fines totaling: €120,000 Verdict:  Italy (Suspended sentence) Game to be played in a closed stadium for a 2-year probationary period Financial fines totaling: €100,000 This leaves Italy in first place in the group, 3 points clear of Slovenia (2nd) and Serbia in 5th place. While Italy appear to be thrilled., the reaction in Serbia seems to be mixed.  The Serbian Federation is claiming the role of the victim, arguing that Italy used its influence to obtain a cushy victory for the abandoned match (3 points and +3 goal difference).  Unsurprisingly, they are planning on appealing…and they want a replay of the match. The Italian lobby did its job in order to get this result, but we are not satisfied with UEFA's verdict, especially the 3-0 defeat. - Tomislav Karadzic, Serbian Football Federation President The press though seem to be taking a more moderate position – acknowledging that it could have been oh-so-much worse.  Before the verdict was released to the public, there was speculation that Serbia could be banned from international competition for several years.  Politika, a newspaper in Serbia (I think…), agreed that the fines were harsh but also acknowledged that Serbia “got off well.” Had UEFA really applied what (its president Michel) Platini calls ‘zero tolerance,’ we could have already said an international farewell to this generation of players - Politika Perhaps the more surprising opinion floated in the Serbian press is the idea that a national ban would have been beneficial for the country’s long-term success. Had it forced us into isolation, we would have had plenty of time to clean the house, like England did [reference to England's 5-year ban following the 1995 Heysel Stadium disaster]. Only then, after punishing our own for our own mistake, could we return to Europe with a clean face and point at others for their faults. - Politika But this decision doesn’t just punish Serbian fans (who did and didn’t riot)…but also Northern Ireland fans planning on traveling to the game to support their team. I really feel for our fans who have made their travel arrangements and will now be seriously out of pocket. I just cannot see why we should suffer because of the behavior of another country's fans. It could also have an adverse effect on the team. It's completely wrong and the Irish FA must strive get this outcome overturned. It is not right that two international sides should be playing in front of a dozen people. - Nigel Worthington, Manager of Northern Ireland UEFA should expect a call from IFA chief Patrick Nelson who is planning on protesting the decision, arguing that a neutral site where Northern Ireland fans can travel to support their team is a better solution.

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