Monday Football

13 April 2009

by Jerrad Peters

Tourist stabbed after Rome derby

A British tourist was attacked by a gang of Rome's notorious Ultras supporters following the Derby della Capitale on Saturday. Alan Brown was enjoying a drink in the Ponte Milvio neighborhood near the Stadio Olimpico when 10 ultras surrounded him, beat him and stabbed him in the buttocks.

The stabbings have become the signature assault of the ultras, as many English supporters can attest. Similar incidents have previously marred the visits of Arsenal, Manchester United and Middlesbrough supporters to the Italian capital.

This time, however, the attack was not provoked by the arrival of a foreign team and their legions of traveling fans. It was merely the twice-annual showdown between Lazio and AS Roma, and an innocent, foreign bystander was the unfortunate victim.

As a result, UEFA will once again be put in the difficult position of evaluating Rome's ability to stage a safe and secure Champions' League final next month. Neither of the city's clubs will be represented in the match. But as Saturday's events demonstrated, that doesn't necessarily mean anything.

Mr. Brown might have been more severely injured had his assailants not been chased away by Paolo Calabresi. The celebrity host of the television satire Le Iene, Calabresi scattered the ultras and waited with the victim until an ambulance arrived.

"It all happened very quicky," said Calabresi. "I think he was on his own, but I'm not sure. I saw that he was being attacked and kicked by a group of ten people. We ran at them and they ran off—two of them I saw get into a car. We picked him up off the foor and he said he was English, and I saw that he was losing a lot of blood. It was really frightening."

A spokesman at Gemelli Hospital confirmed that Mr. Brown had been admitted and treated for stab wounds to the buttocks, adding that the injuries were not life-threatening.

Several hours before kickoff, police discovered a cache of weapons under a bridge near the Stadio Olimpico. Included was an assortment of knives, axes and flares.

This sort of behavior is the norm in many parts of Italy. And until their authorities and the Italian Football Federation admit that they have a problem and get around to dealing with it, UEFA must take matters into their own hands. Removing the Champions' League final from Rome and holding it at another venue would be a good start.

Bayern Munich make overture to Wenger

Arsene Wenger has been on the giving end of bidding wars many times before. This summer, however, he's going to find himself on the receiving end.

While several applicants for the Real Madrid presidency are openly touting Wenger as their choice to succeed interim manager Juande Ramos at the Santiago Bernabeu, Bayern Munich are thought to be readying their own offer for the Arsenal boss.

With current manager Jurgen Klinsmann's job hanging by a thread, the Bavarian giants are already preparing a list of preferred candidates to replace him. Wenger's name is at the top of the list, and Bayern would offer him 5 million pounds per year to make the switch.

The will also entice him with a blank cheque for big-name signings and an open license to go after as many African and French youngsters as he wishes. He is an expert on both regions, but has often come under criticism for relying on foreign talent while eschewing up-and-coming English players.

Wenger might also be chased out of North London if Arsenal fail to win a trophy for the fourth season in a row. Although they remain in contention for both the Champions' League and FA Cup, the Gunners have taken a back seat to Manchester United and Chelsea in recent seasons, and a legitimate title challenge remains a few years away.

Although he is contracted to Arsenal until 2011, the 59-year-old might find a new challenge to be invigorating at this stage in his career. He has managed the Gunners since 1996 and seems to have lost his touch in English football.

Santos youngster shines in semifinal

Santos have one foot in the door of the Paulista championship after beating rivals Palmeiras in the first leg of their semifinal showdown. Neymar scored the winner for The Fish just after the re-start to earn a 2-1 victory for the home side.

In so doing, the 17-year-old justified the hype that has surrounded him since he made his debut in Vagner Mancini's first team in February. Gifted with agile movement, superb vision and the ability to make timely runs into space, Neymar is already being followed by the usual cast of major European clubs.

Although his contract at Santos only expires in 2011, his agent has confirmed that an undisclosed English side already owns 40 per cent of his rights. Manchester United is thought to be the club in question.

On the other side of the ball, Palmeiras forward Keirrison opened the scoring for the Big Green after just eight minutes. He was also the top scorer in the 2008 Campeonato with 21 goals, and at 20-years of age, he is more prepared for a big-money move than the younger Neymar.

Palmeiras, however, own just 20 per cent of his registration, with Traffic Sports Marketing holding the remaining 80 per cent.

Founded in 1983, TSM holds the rights to a handful of Brazilian footballers. They typically buy the contracts of young players from clubs who need the cash, in turn lending the players back to the clubs. When the player reaches a certain age, they advertise the player in Europe and reap a large portion of the transfer fee.

Carlos Tevez has a similar deal with Media Sports International, a company similar to TSM.

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