Other Soccer Capsules: FIFA election heats up amid bribery scandal
GENEVA (AP) — With FIFA embroiled in a World Cup bribery scandal, the presidential election campaign intensified Thursday as challenger Mohammed bin Hammam accused Sepp Blatter of allowing the governing body's image to be "sullied beyond compare."
Blatter, meanwhile, picked up a key endorsement from a regional bloc in his bid for re-election on June 1.
English claims that six members of FIFA's executive committee were involved in corruption during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests have thrown Blatter's bid for a fourth term into disarray.
Since the accusations were made in the British parliament Tuesday, FIFA demanded to see evidence to back up the claims against a quarter of the 24-man group that runs world soccer.
Bin Hammam, a 61-year-old Qatari who heads the Asian confederation, responded to the ethics crisis Thursday by criticizing Blatter on his blog.
"I firmly believe FIFA, as a decision-making body and as an organization, is not corrupt," he wrote. "However, under the current status quo it is impossible to deny that the governing body's reputation has been sullied beyond compare and it is time for that to change."
Bin Hammam added that "something urgently needs to be done to improve and enhance the image of FIFA" in light of the accusations.
Bin Hammam was instrumental in delivering the 2022 World Cup to Qatar and has dismissed suggestions that there was any wrongdoing in connection with the bid. The British Parliament was told that two FIFA executives allegedly were paid $1.5 million to vote for Qatar.
"Much wonderful work is done by FIFA and to label the entire organization corrupt would be to tarnish the efforts of all those who operate tirelessly to bring all that is positively associated with our sport to people all over the globe," Bin Hammam wrote.
He also criticized Blatter for spending FIFA's money "arbitrarily" by donating $29 million to Interpol to tackle match-fixing and betting fraud over the next 10 years, without consulting the executive committee.
"It is just another example of the current regime choosing to run football how it sees fit, rather than doing so in a manner that is consistent with the governing body's proper procedures," he wrote.
"Imagine FIFA financing Interpol's activities!"
FIFA issued a statement clarifying how the Interpol money was approved. It said FIFA needed to make "an immediate reaction" to match-fixing problems, and finance committee chairman Julio Grondona of Argentina "was consulted with regards to this payment."
Bin Hammam is a member of the six-man finance panel led by Grondona, who is among several South American soccer leaders publicly backing Blatter for re-election.
Blatter, who has promised to resolve the crisis before the election, won the backing Thursday of Oceania's 11 football nations.
Oceania Football Confederation President David Chung said Blatter's leadership had been a positive force in the region.
"All members agreed that the current FIFA administration has had a significant impact on the development and popularity of football across the Pacific," Chung said in a statement.
Blatter, who's been FIFA president since 1998, has also been publicly supported by leaders of European authority UEFA and South America's CONMEBOL confederation.
The 75-year-old Swiss, who seeks a final four-year term, spent part of Thursday with the crown prince of Qatar, Sheik Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, his fellow International Olympic Committee member who heads the 2022 organizing committee.
FIFA said the meeting in Zurich was scheduled before this week, but that the two men "of course also spoke about current issues."
Blatter will travel this weekend to the Palestinian territory and Israel, accompanied by Prince Ali of Jordan. On June 1, the prince will become Asia's FIFA vice president, senior in rank to bin Hammam.
FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke wrote Wednesday to England's Football Association asking for a complete report plus "all documentary evidence" from David Triesman, the former leader of England's 2018 bid. The FA confirmed it was sending the dossier to FIFA.
Triesman told British lawmakers that four long-standing FIFA officials — Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi — engaged in "improper and unethical" conduct in the 2018 bidding, which was won by Russia.
Lawmakers were also told in a submission from The Sunday Times newspaper that Qatar paid $1.5 million to two more FIFA officials, Issa Hayatou and Jacques Anouma, for the 2022 contest. Qatar beat the United States in the final round.
Anouma is the latest of the six to deny the allegations, describing them as "false and malicious" in a statement released Thursday by the Confederation of African Football.
Hayatou, Benitez, Warner and Teixeira have also strongly rejected the claims. Thailand's Makudi, a longtime close ally of bin Hammam, has not commented.
Leoz's spokesman, Nestor Benitez, called the accusations "pure fantasy and morbid."
The Qatar football federation has denied paying Hayatou, from Cameroon, and Ivory Coast's Anouma, calling the allegations "wholly unreliable."
Hayatou, the president of the Confederation of African Football, "categorically denies" the claims, the African body said. He threatened legal action to defend his name.
Warner, a FIFA vice president from Trinidad and Tobago, dismissed Triesman's allegations, saying he "laughed like hell" when he heard them.
Frank Lowy, the chairman of Football Federation Australia, said the allegations meant his country's bid for the 2022 hosting rights was doomed from the start.
"I could have stood on my head for 24 months and we still couldn't have got it," he said.
Bin Hammam: FIFA reputation sullied under Blatter
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Mohamed bin Hammam blamed FIFA president Sepp Blatter on Thursday for letting the governing body's reputation become "sullied beyond compare."
Bin Hammam, who is challenging Blatter in FIFA's presidential election on June 1, responded to the deepening corruption scandal surrounding the World Cup bidding contests on his blog.
"I firmly believe FIFA, as a decision-making body and as an organisation, is not corrupt," the 61-year-old Qatari wrote. "However, under the current status quo it is impossible to deny that the governing body's reputation has been sullied beyond compare and it is time for that to change."
Bin Hammam added that "something urgently needs to be done to improve and enhance the image of FIFA" in light of allegations that six FIFA executive committee members were involved in bribery during the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests.
Bin Hammam was instrumental in delivering the 2022 tournament to Qatar and has dismissed suggestions that there was any wrongdoing in connection with the bid.
"Much wonderful work is done by FIFA and to label the entire organization corrupt would be to tarnish the efforts of all those who operate tirelessly to bring all that is positively associated with our sport to people all over the globe," he wrote.
Bin Hammam also criticized Blatter for spending FIFA's money "arbitrarily" by donating $29 million to Interpol to tackle match-fixing and betting fraud, without consulting the executive committee.
"It is just another example of the current regime choosing to run football how it sees fit, rather than doing so in a manner that is consistent with the governing body's proper procedures," he wrote.
"Imagine FIFA financing Interpol's activities!"
Since he announced plans to run for the presidency, Bin Hammam has repeatedly criticized Blatter for remaining in the post too long, which he has suggested fueled perception that FIFA was corrupt. Blatter has been president since 1998.
Blatter has made fighting corruption a central campaign theme to his campaign. He has pledged to resolve the current crisis before the June 1 election.
-- Michael Casey
England launches probe into FIFA corruption claims
LONDON (AP) — England's Football Association is opening its own investigation into claims of FIFA corruption during the bidding for the 2018 World Cup.
FA chairman David Bernstein says the body has hired a lawyer to look into allegations of ethical misconduct by four FIFA executive committee members during England's failed bid.
Former FA chairman David Triesman told a British parliamentary hearing on Tuesday that the behavior of the four FIFA officials was "improper and unethical."
The FA has already agreed to send any evidence to FIFA, but the English body wants its own independent inquiry.
Bernstein announced the appointment of lawyer James Dingemans to head the probe. He says that, like FIFA's own inquiry, the outcome should be revealed before the FIFA presidential election on June 1.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter is seeking re-election against challenger Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar.
"If Lord Triesman's allegations can't be supported they will die a death because unsupported allegations will not take anyone very far," Bernstein said in a briefing at Wembley Stadium. "Like any quasi-legal process you need evidence. If the allegations are to stick with FIFA ... they need to be supported.
"We want to come up with the truth and verifiable facts. Lord Triesman has had a great career as chairman of the FA and is a man of honor. He's made his allegations. No doubt they can be sustained but whether they can be sustained with proper evidence or not we will have to see."
Triesman — a member of the House of Lords — made the allegations about CONCACAF President Jack Warner, Nicolas Leoz, Ricardo Teixeira and Worawi Makudi to the British parliament's Culture, Media and Sport committee.
Warner, Leoz and Teixeira have denied the allegations. Makudi hasn't commented.
"The allegations made by Lord Triesman were extremely serious," Britain's sports minister, Hugh Robertson, told The Associated Press. "The difficult thing was always going to be to provide the evidence to back them up.
"The really sensible thing about this is to get an independent and authoritative expert ... to look at all the evidence, to review it with his expertise and on the basis of that to put a full and independent report to FIFA."
If the allegations are proven by the inquiry, Robertson will take up the matter with fellow European sports ministers.
"What we want to do is wait to see what Mr. Dingemans comes up with and if he has seen real evidence that gives me a much stronger hand to play," Robertson said. "I suspect the most appropriate way of dealing with this is through the forum of EU sports ministers, but one of the problems at the moment is that we have a mass of allegations and no proof behind them."
-- Rob Harris
Oceania's 11 nations back Blatter in FIFA election
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) — FIFA President Sepp Blatter won the backing of Oceania's 11 football nations in his re-election campaign on Thursday.
Oceania Football Confederation President David Chung said Blatter's leadership had been a positive force in the region.
"All members agreed that the current FIFA administration has had a significant impact on the development and popularity of football across the Pacific," Chung said in a statement.
Chung said his 11 members could still independently choose to back Blatter's rival, Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar. However, the Papua New Guinea official added that the endorsement showed "unity and transparency" in Oceania.
Blatter, who's been FIFA president since 1998, has also been publicly supported by leaders of European authority UEFA and South America's CONMEBOL confederation.
FIFA's 208 national members will vote June 1 at their congress in Zurich. The winner needs to capture two-thirds of valid votes in the first ballot or a simple majority in the second round.
Blatter courted Oceania's support when he attended its annual congress in January on the island of American Samoa. At the meeting, Chung was elected to his first four-year term as Oceania leader and as a FIFA vice president.
He replaced Reynald Temarii of Tahiti, who is serving a one-year suspension from football. FIFA's ethics committee banned Temarii following investigations by a British newspaper into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding contests.
FIFA hails progress with Bosnia to end world ban
ZURICH (AP) — FIFA says progress is being made with Bosnia-Herzegovina to help end the country's worldwide ban from soccer in a dispute over ethnic politics, and resume its 2012 European Championship qualifying program.
FIFA and UEFA expressed confidence after a meeting with Bosnia's emergency soccer management Thursday that the federation will approve new statutes by a May 26 deadline.
FIFA suspended Bosnia last month when it refused to scrap its presidential leadership divided among Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs. The three-way split mirrors Bosnian politics since war there ended in 1995.
FIFA wants a single soccer leader elected by November. If new statutes are approved this month, Bosnia will likely be allowed to play in Romania on June 3.
Other Capsules
French FA backs France coach in discrimination row
PARIS (AP) — The French Football Federation's federal council gave its backing to national team coach Laurent Blanc on Thursday after a dispute over discrimination claims.
"The federal council has renewed its entire faith in Laurent Blanc," FFF president Fernand Duchaussoy said Thursday. "The federal council has taken note that no discrimination (plans) were ever put in place (at the meeting)."
The meeting between Blanc and other FFF colleagues took place in November and centered around whether quotas should be introduced to curb training academy access for young French players with dual nationality, many of them black and Arab.
France's sports minister and a separate inquiry commissioned by the FFF cleared Blanc of discrimination claims earlier this week, but reproached him for taking part in the meeting and the language used by Blanc and others present.
Blanc was expected to speak on Friday's national evening news.
Duchaussoy said he would give no information now on what disciplinary measures have been taken against the FFF members present at the meeting.
The investigative website Mediapart published the claims last month that plans were secretly made to limit to 30 percent the number of players of African and North-African descent in training academies once they reached the age of 13. The dual nationality debate was meant to discuss ways to limit the number of players who go through France's junior ranks before later deciding to play for another country at senior level.
FFF technical director Francois Blaquart is currently suspended. Duchaussoy would not say if he will be fired or not.
Mediapart has since published the entire transcript of a conversation involving Blanc, Blaquart, under-21 coach Erick Mombaerts and under-20 coach Francis Smerecki in November.
In the transcript, an angry Smerecki calls the proposal a "discriminatory" idea that should never see the light of day. The FFF added on Thursday that any sanctions would not be made public for at least another month.
Mohamed Belkacemi, a member of the FFF's technical committee, was present at the November meeting and recorded it, handing the recording to a senior FFF member the following day.
It was then leaked to Mediapart, although no one has taken responsibility for that.
The FFF has been severely criticized for not responding to the recording when Belkacemi gave it to them.
Duchaussoy agreed the FFF should have acted quicker and regretted "the internal disfunction in terms of the chain of command and decision making" and added that "reform must be imperative."
Belkacemi said he decided to secretly record the meeting because he had been outraged at some of the things he had already been hearing at FFF meetings since France's disastrous World Cup campaign, when the team went on a training strike and failed to win a match.
"(I) was a neutral witness to denounce some worrying things ... I didn't prompt these discussions about quotas," Belkacemi told sports daily L'Equipe on Thursday. "I did what I had to do."
Although Blanc and other members have been cleared of harboring secret plans to put a quota system in place, the mistrust is unlikely to go away.
Andre Merelle, a former head of France's national training center at Clairefontaine until being released by Blaquart in September, has also said there was a problem with the perception of dual nationals within French football's hierarchy.
"During my time we were already reproached for taking so many blacks and Arabs," Merelle told Mediapart. "The argument that I was given was, 'We pay them, we bring them up, and then they go and play abroad (for another country).'"
Everton striker Louis Saha, who has played 19 times for France, expressed his disappointment that it took six months for this issue to come out in the open.
"I would have liked to have seen the light shed on this debate so it could be totally cleared up (from the outset)," Saha told RMC radio. "The words that were pronounced were serious. Misinterpreted, perhaps, but it's still very shocking to talk about quotas."
-- Jerome Pugmire
Man charged over attack on Celtic manager Lennon
EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) — Celtic chief executive Peter Lawwell on Thursday condemned the "vile, sustained and relentless attacks" on his club on Thursday.
On the same day a man appeared in court charged with assaulting manager Neil Lennon during a match, a bullet was found in mail addressed to the coach.
Lennon was attacked by a fan during Wednesday's win at Hearts. John Wilson, of Edinburgh, was charged under Scotland's anti-sectarian laws with assault and breach of the peace, both aggravated by religious prejudice. He made no plea during a closed court appearance.
A request for bail was rejected and he was kept in custody.
Sectarianism continues to plague the Scottish game. While Celtic is traditionally supported by Irish Catholics, Glasgow rival Rangers and Hearts, based in Edinburgh, are both mainly supported by Protestants.
Police confirmed Thursday that a bullet was found in mail addressed to the manager at the club's Celtic Park ground. It was removed for forensic tests.
In a strongly worded statement posted on Celtic's website, Lawwell said: "It is intolerable that any football club, or individual, going about their lawful business in the name of sport should be subjected to this ongoing campaign of hatred and intimidation.
"This is Scotland's shame and it is high time Scotland addressed it."
Police also arrested two men on Thursday in connection with the mail bombs sent to Lennon and two prominent supporters of the Glasgow club in March and April following an ill-tempered match between Celtic and Rangers.
The devices were intercepted before reaching their targets and never exploded. The men, ages 41 and 43, were detained following raids in Kilwinning, 30 miles southwest of Glasgow.
Earlier this week, seven people were charged with possessing a fake firearm near Celtic's training facility.
"Since moving here a decade ago, Neil Lennon has had to endure prejudice and violence both as a player and manager, having suffered no such problems elsewhere," Lawwell said. "We are deeply appreciative of the intensive police efforts to address the criminal offenses that have come to light. All right-minded people will surely condemn these actions but, as a society, we must also address the underlying factors that lead to such behavior."
Scotland's First Minister Alex Salmond insisted the country is moving toward banishing sectarianism from the Scottish game.
"Throughout society substantial progress has been made," Salmond said, citing the successful visit by Pope Benedict XVI last year. "But quite clearly surrounding and attaching themselves to the game — let's not talk about them being part of football — we have some bigots and fools attaching themselves to the game."
Lennon has been targeted throughout his career. He quit playing international soccer for Northern Ireland in 2002 after 39 appearances, saying he had received death threats from a paramilitary group in his home country.
Earlier this year, Lennon and players Paddy McCourt and Niall McGinn, who are also from Northern Ireland, were sent packages containing bullets.
Wednesday's incident came in a televised match, which Celtic won 3-0 to move within a point of league leader Rangers heading into this weekend's final games.
After Celtic scored the second goal, Wilson ran onto the field from the home section of the main stand at Hearts' Tynecastle stadium. He appeared to lose his balance as he lunged at Lennon, but still made contact with his left hand to the back of the manager's head.
Wilson was wrestled to the ground and taken away by police.
Lennon did not speak to reporters after the game, but posted on Twitter: "Don't let what happened to me tonight take the shine off a wonderful team performance... I don't walk alone."
His assistant, Johan Mjallby, said Lennon was "shocked."
"We have to look into this because when you work in management you should be secure in a football ground," Mjallby said.
Hearts announced on Thursday that the fan has been banned from the club for life. The club has launched an investigation into the incident.
The Scottish Football Association is also looking into the attack, particularly in light of the breach of security.
"Clearly this kind of behavior from supporters is wholly unacceptable," chief executive Stewart Regan said. "The safety of players, club officials and match officials is paramount on or around the field of play.
Lawwell said he was convinced the incident had wider ramifications than the soccer pitch.
"Last night's appalling attack on Neil Lennon brings shame on Scottish football," he said. "And it again highlights the fact that Scottish society must address fundamental and serious issues which lead to outrages of this kind."
-- Ben McConnville
Dalglish signs three-year deal as Liverpool manager
LONDON (AP) — Kenny Dalglish signed a three-year contract as Liverpool manager on Thursday and vowed to bring the good times back to the fallen English giant.
Twenty years after ending a successful first spell in charge of Liverpool on health grounds, Dalglish took over for a second stint when he replaced the fired Roy Hodgson on a six-month deal on Jan. 8.
The former Scotland striker has overseen a dramatic improvement in results, lifting the club from a perilous position four points from the foot of the Premier League table to fifth place and a win away from qualification for next season's Europa League.
Dalglish was Liverpool manager when the club won the last of its 18 English titles in 1990, and as fierce rival Manchester United prepares to celebrate its 19th crown, the Scot is planning to establish a new dynasty at Anfield.
"This is a unique football club and I'm delighted to have the opportunity to help build something special here again," Dalglish said.
"I said when I took the job on in January that I was just happy to help the club out for the remainder of the season ... now the owners have decided in their wisdom that they want me to stay a little longer and it's fantastic news."
The permanent appointment of Dalglish, who won eight league titles as a player and a coach from 1977 to '90 to establish himself as a club legend, was hardly in doubt after the team's remarkable turnaround in form.
Taking over a team lacking in confidence and just four points above the relegation zone, Liverpool has lost just three times in the league in the last four months.
The swashbuckling 5-2 win at Fulham on Monday catapulted the Reds up to fifth and a victory over sixth-place Tottenham at Anfield on Sunday will secure a spot in the Europa League.
"Kenny is a legendary Liverpool figure both as a supremely gifted footballer and successful manager," Liverpool owner John Henry said. "Since returning in January, he has shown extraordinary leadership and the ability to bring the best out of so many people associated with the club.
"It was obvious to us very early on that the atmosphere surrounding the club had been transformed by his presence. No one else could have produced such a response."
Now that Dalglish has returned on a permanent basis, Liverpool fans will be expecting the team to be back in the hunt for titles, especially with their record haul of championships set to be surpassed by United on Saturday.
"Liverpool enjoys a global standing within the sport but having Kenny in the dugout will help us in our efforts to bring the best available talent to the club as we continue to move the club forward," Henry said.
Dalglish remained a fans' favorite after leaving Anfield in 1991 and returned to the club as an ambassador in 2009. He was overlooked for the manager's job in the offseason, when Hodgson was hired to replace Rafa Benitez, but was drafted in by Liverpool's new American owners in January in a time of crisis.
One of Dalglish's first decisions was to offload Fernando Torres on January transfer deadline day for a club-record fee of 50 million pounds (then $81 million) and bring in two other strikers, Uruguay's World Cup star Luis Suarez and England international Andy Carroll.
That has proved to be a masterstroke. Suarez has given the team a greater goalscoring threat and also brought the best out of the side's attacking midfielders, with Dirk Kuyt and Maxi Rodriguez currently enjoying sensational runs of form in front of goal. The Reds have scored 17 goals in their last five games.
Dalglish has endeared himself even more to fans by blooding youngsters such as midfielder Jay Spearing and defenders Martin Kelly and John Flanagan. All three have responded with impressive displays in the league run-in.
Dalglish is set to be given funds to strengthen the squad further in the offseason, giving Liverpool a decent chance of competing for the title next season.
Assistant manager Steve Clarke also agreed a three-year deal with Liverpool on Thursday.
-- Steve Douglas
Ronaldinho beginning to struggle in Brazil
SAO PAULO (AP) — The hype of Ronaldinho's return to Brazilian soccer is fading, and fans are beginning to express their discontent with the former Brazil star.
Ronaldinho became one of the greatest acquisitions by a Brazilian club when he signed with Flamengo early this year. But lackluster performances since then have left many disappointed.
The latest setback came Wednesday when he couldn't help Flamengo get past Ceara in the quarterfinals of the Brazilian Cup. Flamengo relinquished a two-goal lead and was held to a 2-2 draw that eliminated the club from the competition. Flamengo had lost 2-1 in Rio de Janeiro in the first leg, when Ronaldinho played poorly and was booed by fans.
"The fans have every right not to be happy when the team doesn't win," Ronaldinho said then. "They are starting to jeer me now, but we have to find a way to rebound from that and start winning again."
Ronaldinho had already been jeered by some fans in the team's disappointing home draw with small club Horizonte in the previous stage of the Brazilian Cup.
"It's part of football," Flamengo coach Venderlei Luxemburgo said. "If he doesn't play well and the result is not good, the fans won't be happy."
Ronaldinho has never been able to replicate the performances that helped him win two FIFA world player of the year awards with Barcelona in 2004 and 2006. But he had a good start with Flamengo after transferring from AC Milan, a move he said was an effort to revive his career.
Ronaldinho scored the decisive goal when Flamengo won the Guanabara Cup in the beginning of the year, firing a perfect free kick that put his name across front-page headlines throughout Brazil.
He also helped the team win the Rio Cup, the second stage of the Rio de Janeiro state championship, which automatically gave Flamengo the overall state title.
But the expectations had been set much higher after Flamengo beat several other Brazilian clubs to sign Ronaldinho in January.
"I'm not worried with Ronaldinho, I think he has been playing well," Luxemburgo said. "The problem is that people want to see the same Ronaldinho from Barcelona."
One of the biggest advantages of signing Ronaldinho was the marketing possibilities that came with the former star. Yet Flamengo has not been able to fully capitalize on the acquisition. Brazil's most popular club remains without a main sponsor on its jersey and played Wednesday's match only with a mention of the club's website on it.
Ronaldinho didn't play badly against Ceara, but it was still not enough to send his team through in the Brazilian Cup. After the match he was involved in a small altercation while complaining to the referee. He ended being shoved by a riot policeman who charged to get the referee out of the way.
The 32-year-old Ronaldinho's main goal when he left Europe was to regain a place in the national team. He said he wants to play the 2014 World Cup, which will be in Brazil, but many are skeptical.
"I don't think he can play in the national team anymore," former Brazil coach Mario Zagallo said. "And in three years he definitely won't be able to do it."
Ronaldinho helped Brazil win the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan, and was a member of the team that fell to France in the quarterfinals of the 2006 tournament in Germany. He didn't make the squad in 2010 despite playing well with Milan at the time.
Brazil coach Mano Menezes summoned Ronaldinho to a friendly against Argentina last year in Doha, when Brazil lost 1-0, but since then he hasn't gotten another chance."
-- Tales Azzoni
Serbian cup final abandoned after players walk out
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — Serbian football has been rocked by another scandal after the domestic cup final was abandoned when Vojvodina Novi Sad players walked off the pitch to protest referee decisions.
Partizan Belgrade was awarded the victory in Wednesday's game, for its 12th cup title. It was the latest in a series of incidents that have shaken Serbia's domestic football, including match-fixing allegations, fan riots and death threats against players and football officials.
Vojvodina players refused to continue after not being awarded a penalty in the 82nd minute, with Partizan leading 2-1. Partizan had previously been awarded a disputed spot kick, which Zvonimir Vukic converted.
It was the first time the Serbian cup final had been abandoned.
"This is a definite defeat of Serbian football," said Zoran Lakovic, the secretary general of the country's football federation.
The scandal came amid growing allegations that Serbia's football league is ripe with corruption and match-fixing, and warnings by FIFA that the Serbian national and club teams could be banned competitions because of fan violence.
Former national team captain Savo Milosevic was the first to speak openly about irregularities.
In a recent TV interview, Milosevic said that Serbian football is full of crime — pointing out that 10 club presidents have been murdered over the last 10 years, including a general secretary of the football federation.
The former Aston Villa forward said that he was certain he will be able to prove the existence of match-fixing in Serbia. He was soon joined by some other current and former players.
Former Borac Cacak defender Boban Dmitrovic made headlines when he said that a number of matches he played in the Super League were fixed.
"In all cases, the clubs agreed on the outcome of the match," Dmitrovic told FIFPro, the international players union. "Right before the match, a note was handed to the players. They had to cooperate, because their careers would be jeopardized."
He said he was afraid to report on the allegations to authorities or the federation, "since I'm sure they are not interested in any investigation, since there are many people in power who are close to a large number of clubs."
"If I had done so, I would never have played any official match again," Dmitrovic said.
Theo van Seggelen, the secretary general of FIFPro, called the situation in Serbia "a very serious matter."
"Football in Serbia is going through hard times," he said. "But the players have assumed control and changed course, in the hope of finding a way to a better future."
Serbian football federation President Tomislav Karadzic has denied the players' accusations, saying there is no evidence of match-fixing in the domestic game.
-- Dusan Stojanovich
Vieira eager to end City's title drought
MANCHESTER, England (AP) — For a man who has already won 16 trophies, Patrick Vieira could be forgiven for taking Saturday's FA Cup final a bit lightly.
But with the Frenchman's career at Eastlands possibly coming to an end, and the end to the club's 35-year trophy drought in sight, Vieira insists that's not going to happen.
"It would be really important to win a trophy for Manchester City," Vieira said ahead of the Wembley final against Stoke. "I would be really proud to achieve that. The people here have been working so hard for the last few years to try to build a successful football club. I want to be part of it.
Vieira already has four FA Cup titles with Arsenal, and that's only a small part of his trophy cabinet.
The midfielder won the World Cup, European Championship and Confederations Cup with France, three Premier League titles with Arsenal, four Serie A crowns with Inter Milan, and two Italian Cups.
After seeing limited playing time under former Inter coach Roberto Mancini at City this season, he can't wait to play in a big final again. His last FA Cup title came in 2005, when he scored the winning penalty against Manchester United on penalties.
"It would be really important to win a trophy for Manchester City," said Vieira, whose contract expires at the end of the season. "I would be really proud to achieve that. The people here have been working so hard for the last few years to try to build a successful football club. I want to be part of it.
"We have always known the most important thing is to win trophies. We have a big chance to do that on Saturday. I believe we will do it."
While the club has already secured a place in the Champions League next season for the first time, Vieira knows that fans expect more than that after the big-spending club splashed tens of millions of pounds in the transfer market to bring in big stars.
"It has been 35 years. I can understand the desperation of the fans to win something," Vieira said. "But it is the same for the players. So many new ones have arrived here and they want to do well. Winning the FA Cup would be a good start.
"I was proud to win it with Arsenal. It was a big competition that meant a lot to the fans. I think for this football club, they have waited for 35 years, winning the FA Cup would be a big moment."
Reus makes Germany squad, Ballack still missing
BERLIN (AP) — Borussia Moenchengladbach midfielder Marco Reus is the only uncapped player in Germany's squad for a friendly against Uruguay and qualifiers versus Austria and Azerbaijan for the 2012 European Championship.
Germany coach Joachim Loew announced the 23-man squad on Thursday, leaving out Michael Ballack as expected and including Leverkusen midfielder Simon Rolfes and injured Real Madrid midfielder Sami Khedira. The 21-year-old Reus has been called up twice before but had to drop out each time due to injury.
"Marco has made interesting progress and is a prospect for the future," Loew said. "He has played very well in the Bundesliga the past few weeks when he was also very dangerous in front of goal."
Stuttgart defender Christian Traesch is back in the squad after injuries kept Per Mertesacker and Jerome Boateng out. Loew said the 29-year-old Rolfes — who has 21 caps for Germany — had earned a recall after a long injury layoff.
"We never wrote him off," Loew said. "He has worked real hard this year."
Loew added that he was in regular contact with Ballack and had informed him of his decision to leave him out again.
There was also no recall for six players from the squad that finished third at the World Cup — Marko Marin, Cacau, Serdar Tasci, Piotr Trochowski, Marcell Jansen and Stefan Kiessling.
Loew again selected only two strikers, Bayern Munich teammates Mario Gomez and Miroslav Klose. Gomez leads the Bundesliga with 27 goals.
Midfielders Lukas Podolski of Cologne and Andre Schuerrle of Mainz can also play up front.
Germany hosts Uruguay on May 29 before taking on Austria in Vienna on June 3. The match against Azerbaijan takes place in Baku on June 7.
Loew's team leads Group A of qualifying for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine with five wins from five games.
UEFA charges Barcelona's Busquets over racial slur
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA has charged Barcelona midfielder Sergio Busquets with racially insulting Real Madrid defender Marcelo during the Champions League semifinals.
UEFA says its disciplinary panel will hear the case on Sunday. Busquets is alleged to have violated UEFA's discrimination rules "by directing racist abuse towards" Marcelo, who is black. Marcelo says that Busquest called him a "monkey" during a rough first-leg match on April 27 in Madrid.
UEFA said it took statements from Marcelo and Madrid and used video evidence of a moment when the two players clashed. Barcelona won that game 2-0 and then tied 1-1 in Barcelona to advance to the final against Manchester United. Busquets could be suspended for the May 28 match at Wembley Stadium in London.
The rulebook states that "anyone who insults the human dignity of a person or group of persons, by whatever means, including on grounds of color" shall be banned for five matches.
European soccer's governing body had initially dismissed the racial abuse claim, along with Madrid's request that Barcelona's Dani Alves, Pedro Rodriguez and Busquets be sanctioned for feigning injuries.
Madrid contested those rulings and a UEFA appeals body will hear the case next Monday.
Taiwo suspended for expletive-laced chant
PARIS (AP) — The French league suspended Marseille defender Taye Taiwo for one match on Thursday after he joined team fans in singing an expletive-laced song about archrival Paris Saint-Germain following last month's League Cup final win.
After Marseille beat Montpellier 1-0 to retain the League Cup trophy at Stade de France, Taiwo grabbed a microphone and sang with Marseille fans in a mocking and insulting song about PSG — Marseille's bitterest foe.
The French league gave Taiwo another two games in a suspended sentence in case of a repeat offense, although that was unlikely as Taiwo was set to join AC Milan on a free transfer next season.
The ban takes effect from Monday, meaning the Nigeria left back is eligible for Sunday's trip to Lorient, but will miss the subsequent home match against Valenciennes — depriving him of a farewell ovation from Marseille fans.
The 26-year-old Taiwo, a free kick specialist with a powerful shot, was a fan favorite of Marseille's having scored 25 goals in 269 games since joining the club seven years ago.
Defending champion Marseille was in second place and trailed leader Lille by four points with three matches remaining.
Reports: Bayern agrees deal for Schalke's Neuer
BERLIN (AP) — Bayern Munich has reached a deal worth up to €25 million ($36 million) with Bundesliga rival Schalke for goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, German media reported Thursday.
Kicker magazine said in its Thursday edition that Bayern had agreed to pay €18 million ($26 million) up front for the German international.
Bayern would pay a further €3 million ($4.3 million) for the 25-year-old if it wins the Bundesliga title, and another €4 million ($5.7 million) if it wins the Champions League.
The club hopes to officially present the player, who has one year left on his Schalke contract, between May 23 and 26.
Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge told Munich's TZ newspaper that he was "cautiously optimistic" a price had been agreed.
"I've always said it wouldn't be easy to settle on a price acceptable to both sides at the end," Rummenigge said.
Bild newspaper reported Neuer agreed to a four-year contract worth over €6 million ($8.6 million) in wages per season.
Report: Seedorf waiting for Milan to make offer
MILAN (AP) — Dutch midfielder Clarence Seedorf has said he is still waiting to hear if AC Milan wants to extend his contract beyond the end of the season.
"The club asked us to wait until we had won the title and that's what we did," Seedorf told Thursday's edition of Corriere dello Sport. "Now we want clarity and respect. You don't treat flag bearers of this club like this."
Seedorf has been one of the driving forces behind Milan's 18th Serie A title this season, which was secured with a 0-0 draw away to Roma last weekend.
Midfielders Andrea Pirlo and Massimo Ambrosini and defender Alessandro Nesta are other Milan players whose contracts run out at the end of the season. The 35-year-old Seedorf joined Milan from Inter Milan in 2002 and wants to remain with the club.
"I'm not feeling good, that is for certain," Seedorf said. "My relationship with (club president Silvio) Berlusconi is clear, but it is (vice president Adriano) Galliani who looks after these things.
"I've spent half of my career here. My rapport with Milan has not changed.
Neuchatel Xamax fires coach, denies Maradona link
NEUCHATEL, Switzerland (AP) — Neuchatel Xamax has fired coach Didier Olle-Nicolle during a week of Swiss media speculation linking it with Diego Maradona.
Neuchatel released Olle-Nicolle after a 4-1 home defeat against Thun on Wednesday, leaving the Swiss Cup finalist two points clear of relegation with three games left.
The firing came hours before the club's new majority owner Bulat Chagaev arrived to meet fans and shareholders. The Chechen businessman has strong connections with Chechen club Terek Grozny, which recently hired Ruud Gullit as coach.
Maradona played in a friendly on Wednesday to inaugurate Grozny's stadium then traveled to Geneva. However, Neuchatel officials dismissed reports saying the Argentina great would be hired.
Slavia Prague to play three games without fans
PRAGUE (AP) — Slavia Prague has to play three competitive games behind close doors as punishment for unruly crowds. The Czech Republic soccer federation's disciplinary committee also fined Slavia $43,730 on Thursday.
On May 5, the referee called off the first leg of the cup semifinal between Slavia and Olomouc after the first half due to Slavia's rioting fans. The score was 1-1.
The opening kickoff had to be postponed for 20 minutes after more than 1,000 Slavia fans invaded the pitch. The angry fans were protesting against Slavia's management, which they blame for the team's debts. Riot police used force to prevent the fans from entering the club's offices at the stadium.
Slavia also was given a 2-0 loss in the first leg.
Ghana FA: Essien to return to internationals
ACCRA, Ghana (AP) — Ghana Football Association President Kwesi Nyantakyi says he expects Chelsea midfielder Michael Essien to return to action for the Black Stars in an African Cup of Nations qualifier in June.
Essien has not played for his country since early 2010, after injuries cut short his participation in last year's African Cup and forced him to miss the World Cup. He was given time off by Ghana to concentrate on club duties with the English Premier League team.
Nyantakyi says "the GFA has extended an invitation to Essien and we are sure he would join the squad in June."
Ghana's next competitive game is the qualifying match against Republic of Congo on June 6. Essien is also likely to play in a charity game between an Africa team and a World XI on May 25.
Brazil striker Neymar says he will be a father
SAO PAULO (AP) — Young Brazil striker Neymar says he will become a father "in a few months."
The 19-year-old Santos striker made the announcement on Thursday on his website, and local media is reporting that the mother of the child is a 17-year-old Brazilian. Neymar said his family and the future mother will do whatever needed to "help us bring this baby to the world" and provide the child with all needed assistance.
Neymar said both families decided not to make the name of the mother public to protect her and the child. Neymar currently is the most talked-about player in Brazilian football and is widely touted as a future star in the national team.
Stuttgart signs Ibrahima Traore from Augsburg
STUTTGART, Germany (AP) — Bundesliga club Stuttgart has signed midfielder Ibrahima Traore to a three-year contract on a free transfer from second-division team Augsburg.
Stuttgart sports director Fredi Bobic said Thursday the 23-year-old from Guinea, who also holds French citizenship, is a "young and motivated player who wants to prove himself" at the club. Traore scored eight goals in 45 games in two seasons for Augsburg, which has virtually secured promotion to the Bundesliga.
Bobic did not rule out further signings despite Stuttgart's need to reduce costs.
"We don't want to rack up debts, but we also don't want to save like crazy," Bobic said.
Injured Malaga striker Jose Rondon out for two games
MALAGA, Spain (AP) — Malaga striker Jose Rondon will miss the last two rounds of the Spanish league after injuring his leg in the match against Sporting Gijon.
The club announced Thursday that the Venezuelan international will be unable to play for a month after tearing a muscle in his left leg during the win on Tuesday.
Rondon is the leading scorer for Malaga with 14 goals and he played a major part recently in helping the team to safety. The 21-year-old Rondon is scheduled to play for his country in the Copa America, beginning July 1 in Argentina.
Scottish police arrest two letter bomb suspects
LONDON (AP) — Police in Scotland have arrested two men in their investigation of letter bombs addressed to Celtic manager Neil Lennon and two prominent fans of the club, a day after a spectator at a match tried to attack Lennon.
Police said the two men, aged 41 and 43, were arrested Thursday following raids at several properties in Kilwinning, 50 kilometers (30 miles) southwest of Glasgow. The bombs were intercepted and didn't explode.
The spectator's lunge at Lennon during a match at Hearts on Wednesday night appears to be the latest sectarian incident involving Celtic, traditionally supported by Irish Catholics. Glasgow rival Rangers and Hearts, based in Edinburgh, are both mainly supported by Protestants.
Serbian cup final ends after team walks off
BELGRADE, Serbia (AP) — The Serbian cup final has ended in controversy when players from one team walked off the field late in the match to protest referee decisions involving penalty kicks.
Players from Vojvodina Novi Sad refused to continue Wednesday night's cup final against Partizan Belgrade in the 82nd minute after officials did not award their team a penalty kick. Vojvodina Novu Sad was trailing 2-1 at the time, with Partizan scoring one of its goals on a disputed penalty kick. Officials awarded the victory to Partizan Belgrade.
The protest is the latest in a series of incidents that have shaken Serbian soccer, including match-fixing allegations, fan riots and death threats against players and officials.
Swedish club AIK fined for fan violence
STOCKHOLM (AP) — The Swedish soccer federation has fined club AIK $23,700 after fan violence forced the referee to call off a game at Syrianska last month.
The federation also awarded Syrianska a 3-0 win after the April 25 game was abandoned in the 21st minute after a firecracker was thrown at a linesman. The visiting fans became unruly after AIK striker Ibrahim Bangura was sent off, with Syrianska leading 1-0.
The federation said it couldn't determine who had thrown the firecracker at the linesman, but said it was clear from video footage that AIK supporters had thrown firecrackers toward other fans in the stands.
