The Word on the Street

08 Jun 2006

Lippi makes hair raising offer

Italy coach Marcello Lippi has promised to have his hair shaved off if his team win the World Cup.

The 58-year-old former Juventus coach made his pledge after a friendly exchange with a tall, afro-haired Italian photographer who was obstructing his view at Thursday's press conference.

"Either move out of the way or get your hair cut," Lippi told the mop-topped snapper as he searched the room for a journalist who had just asked him a question.

The photographer retorted: "I'll shave my hair off if we win the World Cup."

"If that happens, so will I," Lippi replied.

Daei defends women's ban

Iran captain Ali Daei on Thursday hit back at foreign criticism of his country's ban on women from entering football stadiums.

"Every country has its own rules and culture. The United States is different from Iran, we have our own beliefs," said the 37-year-old veteran.

"Currently with the atmosphere in the stadiums, I don't want my wife to be there."

Daei, the first player to reach 100 international goals, said he would prefer to scrap the rule but football grounds were too rowdy for women.

Daei also said "negative advertising" had created a misleading view of the Islamic country in the West.

"It's as big as the distance between here and sky," he said, when asked about the difference between perceptions of Iran and reality.

Colour-coordinated Blair backs England

British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Thursday that England had a good chance to win the World Cup but denied that his choice of white shirt and red tie was a conscious decision to wear the team colours.

Asked if England had every chance of winning football's ultimate prize, Blair said: "Of course they have. We've got a really strong squad."

"Do you know that really had not occurred to me! No, it actually hadn't," a laughing Blair said.

"I wish them all the best and hope they will win.

"In particular in the match against Paraguay on Saturday - I think that's pretty obvious," he added.

Asked if he would declare a public holiday if England win the World Cup, Blair said: "Let's wait for that happy event."

Neo-Nazi demo banned

Authorities in the western German city of Frankfurt on Thursday banned a neo-Nazi demonstration to be held during the Iran-Portugal match.

The far-right radicals had planned a "solidarity rally" outside the June 17 game for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who has repeatedly denied the Holocaust and called for the state of Israel to be wiped off the map.

Frankfurt's security services chief, Edwin Schwarz, said that the protest posed "an acute danger to public security and order" and that the ban would be actively enforced.

He added that a second concern had been a "significant mobilization of the leftist anarchist scene" if far-right demonstrators took to the streets.

Barca play down Deco-Lampard switch

Barcelona director of football Txiki Begiristain has denied speculation that the European champions are preparing to swap Deco for Chelsea midfielder Frank Lampard.

"He has not said anything about wanting to leave because he is happy here. And neither has Lampard asked to come here," said Begiristain.

"We are all happy with his performances. In fact, he is a player you associate with winning," he said of the Portuguese star.

"At Porto, he was the leader of a team that won everything and now he has come here and won two leagues and Champions League.

Lampard, whose wife comes from Catalonia, admitted recently that it would be a dream to play for the Barca, but said he was currently keen to stay with the English Premiership champions.

US defender Onyewu eyed by Boro

US defender Oguchi Onyewu appears nearer a move to Middlesborough of the English Premiership from Belgium's Standard de Liege after some late schedule juggling Thursday by the US World Cup team.

The imposing centre back of Nigerian heritage was to have spoken with reporters on the eve of the World Cup kickoff but was pulled off the programme to avoid questions about a Premiership move rather than the tournament.

"We want this press event to be about the World Cup not about speculation and rumors," a team spokesman said.

Newspaper reports in England had the 24-year-old being examined by Middlesborough as part of what could be a two million-pound transfer, although the club has just signed Chelsea's German-born defender Robert Huth.

Iran coach drops leaving hint

Iran coach Branko Ivankovic dropped a strong hint on Thursday that he would leave the team after the World Cup when he admitted he would like to return to club football.

Ivankovic, whose contract runs out at the end of July, said he had been in contact with clubs from Europe, the Middle East and East Asia but was yet to make a decision on his future.

"I've been in Iran for five years and I've signed four contracts. We haven't discussed it but I'm open to any possibilities," he said.

"I like the daily work and with clubs you can do much more than in the national team, where each game is decisive.

"Many times the coach doesn't have time to do something, everybody expects results overnight like David Copperfield and his magic stick."

Mexican keeper suffers family trajedy

The Mexican Football Federation on Thursday said keeper Oswaldo Sanchez would fly back home briefly following the heart attack death of his father Felipe.

Felipe Sanchez, 55, had been hours away from flying over to Germany to watch his son play in the World Cup finals but collapsed and died.

In a statement, the Federation said Oswaldo Sanchez would fly home and return to Germany on Friday in time for Sunday's Group D opening match against Iran in Nuremberg.

"That's what he has decided. He will go back to Mexico but come back Friday in time to play in the first game," said Federation chairman Alberto de la Torre.

"It's a difficult time for all - especially for Oswaldo and his family. FIFA has been informed," said Guillermo Cantu, director of team selection.

"The Federation is making a big effort to ensure Oswaldo can be with his family as quickly as possible and attend his father's funeral," Cantu added.

Terry in training fear

John Terry has revealed he feared his World Cup could be over before it had started when he collided with Wayne Bridge at a training session here this week.

"When he caught me on the ankle it was one of those ones where for a few minutes you think 'oh, I'm struggling here, I could be on the way home'.

"He caught me on the ankle and it was bad. But thankfully a few minutes later I was up and running around.

1.5 billion TV viewers for opener

Some 1.5 billion people worldwide are expected to watch Germany face Costa Rica on television at the opening match of football's World Cup, German public broadcaster ZDF said Thursday.

"Football fans in 200 countries will be able to watch the game in Munich live," ZDF sports director Dieter Gruschwitz said, referring to Friday's opener.

Media experts estimate 15 to 20 million Germans will be glued to their sets during the first match with hundreds of thousands more expected at public viewing screens erected throughout the country.

Van Basten banking on history

Dutch coach Marco van Basten said Thursday he hoped his side could make it three successive major finals on German soil after losing the 1974 World Cup final and winning Euro 88.

"I hope that in effect our performances in 1974 and 1988 are not merely coincidental," said Van Basten.

"Instead I would like us to rubberstamp the idea that we feel good when we play in Germany.

"We should benefit from playing so close to home. We will also have the bonus of a lot of our supporters coming over to support us.

"We sense this enthusiasm. It is now for the players to take that onto the pitch."

500 million reasons for Korea to win Cup

South Korea are on a staggering half-a-million US dollars-a-player bonus to lift the World Cup, according to the Korea Football Association (KFA).

The huge 500 million won (about 526,523 US dollars) hand-out for becoming world champions ranks third among the 32 World Cup finalists following Spain (712,000 US dollars) and England (549,000 US dollars), the KFA stated.

The younger players in the Korean squad will be exempted from two-years military service if they get past the group stage, a concession which was passed into law after the squad's glory run in 2002.

Blatter wants another term

FIFA President Sepp Blatter confirmed on Thursday that he would seek re-election in 2007.

"I want to be your candidate for re-election next year," Blatter said in his closing comments to the FIFA Congress on the eve of the World Cup finals.

The 70-year-old former Swiss lawyer succeeded Brazilian Joao Havelange at the head of the world governing body in 1998 after serving as secretary-general for many years.

He won re-election in a landslide victory over Cameroon's CAF (Confederation of African Football) president Issa Hayatou before the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.

Germany's Franz Beckenbauer, a World Cup winner as a player and coach and organiser of this year's World Cup, has been mentioned as future FIFA president but said recently that Blatter should be re-elected next year.

Croats on World Cup hols

Nearly a third of Croatia's workforce will go on vacation during the World Cup to be able to watch their national team.

That means some 500,000 of the Balkan country's 1.4 million workers will eitther be down at the pub or have their feet up in front of the telly for the finals.

"Since Croatians traditionally use June to go on vacation ... all companies have already included that in their budget, so there will be no losses," trade union officials have said.

Some 20,000 Croatians have bought tickets to go to Germany.

Croatia begin their 2006 campaign against Brazil on June 13 in Berlin, before their next Group F matches against Australia and Japan.

FIFA adopts anti-doping sanctions

FIFA on Thursday approved long-awaited punishments for doping to bring football into line with other sports but will be allowed to reduce bans on a case-to-case basis.

The move was partly prompted by a ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in April that football was not fully compliant with the code established by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

FIFA Vice-President David Will told the Congress: "In principle there will be a two-year suspension for a first offence and then a life ban for a further offence.

"But there is a however, and it is a big however. We will be allowed individual case management and this is a principle that has been accepted by CAS."

Gerrard feels for clubmate Cisse

Liverpool captain Steve Gerrard said Thursday he feels for clubmate Djibril Cisse and understands how devastated he must feel.

The striker broke his leg in France's last warm-up game, Wednesday's 3-1 win over China, before leaving for Germany.

"Obviously me, Jamie (Carragher), and Peter (Crouch), and Scott (Carson) of course, send our regards to Djibril," said Gerrard of his Liverpool teammates in the England squad.

"We know how hard he worked to get back from the first leg break. It's really frustrating for him to break his leg again but we send our regards to him. It's a really sad time for him."

Cisse, 24, underwent surgery late Wednesday on a fractured right fibula and shinbone.

Lippi optimistic despite injuries

Italy coach Marcello Lippi insisted Thursday his side were not lacking the leadership qualities of a player like their legendary former skipper Paolo Maldini.

"Maldini was a player that any team in the world would want to have," Lippi said.

"But this is a team full of quality with a strong desire."

Lippi, who won everything at club level as coach of Juventus, said he was loving his first World Cup experience.

"I'm very excited, it's magic," said the 58-year-old.

"I've never been to a World Cup before, not as a coach, a player or kit man."

Injuries have already ruled out right-back Gianluca Zambrotta and midfielder Gennaro Gattuso for Monday's opening match against African debutants Ghana, while Alessandro Nesta is doubtful.