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Soccer Capsules: Starry Galaxy wary of scrappy Salt Lake in MLS Cup
Comments 0 | Recommend 0LOS ANGELES — The only obstacle between David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy and a Major League Soccer championship is an MLS Cup opponent that barely made the playoffs after finishing the regular season with a losing record.
Sure, it might sound like a simple Sunday in Seattle for Beckham, Landon Donovan and the star-studded Galaxy. Yet Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena is certain it’ll be anything but easy to finish off Real Salt Lake in the league final.
"I don’t think any of us focus on who are the underdogs or anything like that," Arena said Tuesday. "Very little separates one team from the other. ... Let me tell you, Salt Lake was not a team with a record of six more losses than wins this year or something. They were a team that was right up there. They’ve been a competitive team throughout the season."
The Galaxy and Real will travel to the Pacific Northwest later in the week for the one-game culmination of the MLS season, with Los Angeles looking to win its third league title in its record sixth appearance in the championship. Salt Lake squeaked into the playoffs’ eighth seed at 11-12-7 before winning three straight postseason games to make its first final.
"Wow, it sounds like we better not even go," said Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "We don’t even have a chance, do we?"
Nobody in either locker room expects a coronation for the Galaxy, even after they finally meshed their star talent with outstanding results. Los Angeles finished with the Western Conference’s best record despite a rocky start to the season during which Beckham was booed by the home crowd during a friendly against AC Milan for his elongated dalliance with that Italian team.
"We’ve been growing as a team all year, and this is definitely the culmination of that effort," said defender Gregg Berhalter, who scored the extra-time winner — his first goal all season — in last Friday’s Western Conference final against Houston. "We haven’t given up on ourselves, and we’ve been plugging away when a lot of people were saying we weren’t that good of a team."
With Beckham playing the best soccer of his U.S. career while Donovan rose to the top of the MLS playoff scoring charts, both stars happily missed national team assignments this fall to pursue the league title. Since that rocky homecoming in July, Beckham has reclaimed most of the fan support he lost during his elongated stint in Italy — even though he’s headed back to AC Milan in January.
"I think the reason (fans staying angry with Beckham) didn’t happen was because of the way David played and demonstrated he cares about the LA Galaxy," said Arena, who will go for his third league title after winning two with DC United in the 1990s.
"His performance has quieted his detractors," Arena said. "I think that day against AC Milan in the exhibition, obviously there were some frustrated fans, and things weren’t perfect, but I never felt David wouldn’t be able to handle it. He’s played with the biggest clubs in the world. I thought he was able to handle anything, and he’s done that."
Real Salt Lake also opened the season under a spotlight. They were a popular preseason pick to contend for the league title after reaching the conference championship game last season, but an early seven-match winless skid suggested Real was overrated — even to Kreis, who blamed himself for his club’s early struggles with poor motivational ploys and faulty lineups.
"It was dire, and I think I contributed to that because I was very overconfident," Kreis said. "I think I added to what was a little bit of an underlying thing on the team that we were a bit overconfident going into this season. We had been reading a bit too much about how we would compete for a championship this year, and we forgot the little things that got us here. We don’t have stars on our team, and we had got away from that a little bit."
Salt Lake was the last side to make the eight-team MLS playoff field, winning the tiebreaker with DC United and Colorado after all three finished with 40 points apiece. Real’s 11-12-7 record wasn’t spectacular, but it was good enough to get in — and since then, they’ve won three straight matches to advance to their first league final.
While European observers might scoff at the idea of crowning a champion that couldn’t even win more than it lost during league play, the system works for Arena and MLS.
"No one cares what the rest of the world thinks," Arena said. "We have a system here that’s really an American sports tradition here: playoffs. It’s not that unique."
Denmark faces United States in exhibition match
AARHUS, Denmark — Both the United States and Denmark will be without several regular players when they face each other Wednesday in an exhibition.
United States coach Bob Bradley called up midfielders Ricardo Clark and Stuart Holden, and defender Edgar Castillo to replace Clint Dempsey, Chad Marshall and Steve Cherundolo, who were sent back home after Saturday’s 1-0 loss to Slovakia.
The Americans are also missing Landon Donovan, who is still in the MLS playoffs with the Los Angeles Galaxy. The Galaxy face Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup on Sunday at Seattle.
Denmark captain Jon Dahl Tomasson, who skipped Saturday’s match against South Korea, is still out with a sore thigh. Other injured players include Dennis Rommedahl, Daniel Agger, Soren Larsen and Nicklas Bendtner.
The Danes were held to a scoreless draw on Saturday against South Korea, but defender Simon Kjaer is hoping his team will do better against the Americans. Both teams have already qualified for the World Cup.
"Hopefully we can play better on this turf," said Kjaer about NRGi Park in Aarhus. "I can feel it in my legs that the it was a tough game (against the South Koreans)."
Forward Morten Rasmussen is hoping to get another chance to impress Denmark coach Morten Olsen before next year’s World Cup in South Africa.
"The World Cup is of course a dream for all players, including me," the 25-year-old Brondby striker said.
Denmark and the United States have met five times with each team winning once. The other three matches ended in draws.
Veteran Denmark goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen is confident his team can win another against the Confederations Cup finalists.
"If we’re in a good shape and have all men at hand, I believe we can beat everyone," Sorensen said.
Nine R.I. high school girls suspended for soccer fight
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Nine members of two high school girls’ soccer teams have been suspended for their roles in a fight that sparked a brawl in the bleachers.
The suspensions were announced Tuesday by the Rhode Island Interscholastic League. They range from two games to one year. Coaches from both Woonsocket and Tolman high schools also were issued unspecified sanctions.
The fight broke out after two players collided during a Nov. 8 game. A television news camera recorded the girls throwing punches and pulling hair, and fans fought in the bleachers during an awards ceremony.
The Interscholastic League says the punishments show that fighting and unsportsmanlike conduct won’t be tolerated.
Commentary: Egypt-Algeria: when fair play died
PARIS — The first rock was thrown with such force that it traveled through the bus, smashing windows on its way in and out, Michel Gaillaud, a French doctor, recalls.
Panicked, he and the soccer players he treats dived for cover.
"We were bombarded with stones," Gaillaud says. "People were screaming. We were lying on the floor. Someone started shouting, 'There's blood! There's blood!'"
And fair play died.
Imagine the outrage and quick condemnations that would have followed had this been a star-studded team like England, Spain, France or Portugal that was attacked by hooligans in Egypt before a vital World Cup qualifier.
Imagine the stern repercussions had David Beckham, Fernando Torres, Thierry Henry or Cristiano Ronaldo ended up, like midfielder Khaled Lemmouchia, with a chunk of glass embedded in his scalp.
But these victims were Algerians. Africans. Nobodies, apparently. Because, to soccer's shame, the show went on as if nothing had happened. Having to field two players with head bandages, as Algeria did, is no way to play the game.
Not surprisingly, it lost 2-0.
A lucky escape for soccer officials. Who knows how Cairo might have boiled over had Saturday's result not kept alive Egyptian hopes of qualifying for the World Cup?
Even in victory, tempers flared. Egypt's Health Ministry says 12 Egyptians and 20 Algerians were hurt in post-match scuffles.
"Letting us play this match was reckless. I scarcely dare think what would have happened if we had equalized. We, the players, would have been in danger," Lemmouchia told French sports newspaper L'Equipe.
And what says FIFA, the supposed guardian of international soccer and the rules meant to govern it? Nothing.
It is at a loss to explain why the match wasn't postponed or moved to another less heated venue after the Algerian bus was pelted with stones two days before the encounter, on a short trip from Cairo's airport to their hotel.
When called, FIFA's media office asked for a list of written questions and then provided this e-mailed response: "FIFA is currently reviewing the reports and documentation received on this matter. We are therefore not in a position to make any comments at this time, as the process is still ongoing."
The 2-0 result was enough for Egypt to finish tied with Algeria in their qualifying group. To decide which squad goes to South Africa next June, they'll compete in a playoff in Sudan on Wednesday.
Egypt is lucky to get this second chance.
As host, it was responsible for the Algerians' security. FIFA rules are clear: "Match organizers must guarantee, in cooperation with the local police authorities, the safety of the participating teams and their officials as well as the FIFA match officials during their whole stay, from arrival to departure."
The violence has precedent. In 1993, FIFA annulled Egypt's 2-1 win against Zimbabwe in Cairo in World Cup qualifying after Zimbabwe goalkeeper Bruce Grobbelaar says he was struck on the head by concrete and coach Reinhard Fabisch says he was hit by a rock and had a wound stitched at the stadium. Egyptian officials say fans hurled oranges, not rocks.
FIFA ordered the match replayed in neutral France. The scoreless draw ended Egypt's qualifying hopes.
This time, FIFA braced for trouble. It wrote to soccer authorities in both Egypt and Algeria asking for fair play.
One might think that Egyptian police could have protected a few players had they put their mind to it. Yet Gaillaud, the French doctor, says he was struck by how little security there was for the team bus to the hotel. He recalls just one police van, carrying four or five officers, traveling with it.
French journalist Guillaume Pivot, who was following behind in a car, says the bus had police motorcycle outriders, too.
"It was the sort of convoy that you get for a League One match in France. It was completely ill-adapted to the situation," he says.
Lemmouchia needed three stitches for his cut scalp; strips and a bandage were used to close a cut on the left eyebrow of defender Rafik Halliche; a couple of other players suffered minor cuts.
Less visible was the shock. The first missile, for example, narrowly missed forward Karim Matmour.
"He felt the stone whizz past his head," Gaillaud says. "He was as white as a sheet."
Matmour lasted just half the match and was substituted.
"They were physically capable of playing, but were they mentally is a whole other question," the doctor says. "I doubt that they were at 100 percent of their capacities and, with that in mind, I think things were skewed."
"The match shouldn't have gone ahead."
John Leicester is an international sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at jleicester@ap.org
World Cup Qualifying
Uruguay has edge in playoff with Costa Rica
MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay — Uruguay is closing in on a final World Cup spot from the Americas, and can wrap it up Wednesday at home against Costa Rica.
Uruguay defeated Costa Rica 1-0 on Saturday in San Jose, overcoming the difficult artificial turf at Saprissa Stadium. Now with the homefield advantage, Uruguay looks set to play in its first World Cup since 2002.
Brazil, Chile, Paraguay and Argentina have already advanced from South America, and the United States, Mexico and Honduras will represent the North and Central American and Caribbean region.
Uruguay reached the 2002 tournament after beating Australia in a playoff, but lost to the Australians in 2006 in another playoff. Costa Rica has played in the last two World Cups.
"We are closer, but we have not qualified yet," Uruguay coach Oscar Tabarez said. "It's time to bear down and get the result we need."
Uruguay, which won the first World Cup in 1930 and again in 1950, is in good shape and will be at full strength for the match. The South Americans count on a half-dozen top players out of European leagues, including Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid), Luis Suarez (Ajax), Fernando Muslera (Lazio), Martin Caceres (Juventus) and Carlos Valdez (Reggina).
Tabarez has hinted he may make a few changes, including a start for Diego Perez at midfield in place of Alvaro Fernandez. Young midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro is also likely to start. He was pulled after 61 minutes in Costa Rica, struggling with the artificial turf at Saprissa.
Costa Rica has big problems.
Forward Froylan Ledezma quit the team over the weekend, complaining that he was not playing enough. The Ticos will also be without suspended midfielder Randall Azofeira and defender Gilberto Martinez, who is out with an injury.
Costa Rica's Brazilian coach Rene Simoes put some of the blame for the first loss on Spanish referee Alberto Undiano, calling his officiating "scandalous."
"It was impossible to beat this guy," Simoes said.
Elsewhere
FIFA warns Iraq to stop meddling in soccer
ZURICH — Iraq faces suspension from world soccer if it does not restore the disbanded national federation by Thursday.
World governing body FIFA said Tuesday it was "incomprehensible" for Iraq’s Olympic committee to dissolve the national soccer authority’s ruling board on Monday.
Iraqi Olympic officials alleged that the soccer federation had committed financial and administrative irregularities and repeatedly delayed elections.
"The basis on which such a decision could be taken is incomprehensible to FIFA," the governing body said in a statement. "This stands in total contradiction with (Iraqi federation) and FIFA statutes."
Iraqi Olympic board member Samir al-Moussawi said it would stand by the decision.
"We will send a letter to FIFA in order to further explain our position," al-Moussawi told The Associated Press. "We had hoped that FIFA officials would have contacted us instead of threatening to suspend our participation in football."
FIFA rules seek to protect soccer officials from government interference.
FIFA can ban national teams and officials, including referees, from taking part in international matches and events even if they are not to blame for government meddling.
Iraq has been told to restore the federation within 72 hours or FIFA’s emergency panel will rule on the case.
The deadline allows 93rd-ranked Iraq to play the United Arab Emirates in an exhibition Wednesday in Al Ain City.
Iraqi soccer has had a troubled relationship with FIFA since its popularity peaked with a victory in the 2007 Asian Cup.
Last year, FIFA imposed a ban on Iraqi teams after the government dissolved the national Olympic committee, along with all sports federations.
The ban threatened Iraq’s participation in World Cup qualifiers but was lifted after the government assured FIFA that soccer was excluded from the decision.
Last month, FIFA granted the Iraq Football Association until April 30, 2010, to adopt new statutes and elect a new board, stressing that the process had to be independent and free of government interference.
Benitez defends his Liverpool record
LONDON — Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has launched a strong defense of his five-year reign, arguing that the increased value of the club and his squad showed that his tenure had been a success.
Results on the pitch, though, paint a different picture with Liverpool facing elimination from the Champions League and enduring a torrid domestic run that has raised questions about the club's future financial health.
Liverpool hosts big-spending Manchester City on Saturday having lost five of the opening 12 Premier League matches and sitting in seventh place, 11 points adrift of leader Chelsea.
But Benitez is not panicking about the possibility of the team missing out on one of the four Champions League qualifying spots.
And the Spaniard maintains that Liverpool has grown into a stronger entity on and off the pitch since he joined from Valencia in 2004.
"We are much better now than we were three or four years ago in every single thing," he said. "In the commercial department, the marketing department, in football ... the team is working and improving, and is better than before.
"To achieve 86 points in the league last season is part of the progression. The direction of the club is right."
But Liverpool hasn't won a major honor since the 2006 FA Cup, which came after triumphing in the Champions League final at the end of Benitez's first season.
And Benitez accepts the criticism of his approach to the transfer market, insisting he is "trying to build something and leave a legacy for the future."
"When we have spent big, normally it's been very good business," he added. "Ryan (Babel) was signed for the future and we are waiting for his improvement. He has to be more consistent.
"With the fringe players, we needed to take a gamble on Bosmans (free transfers) and one, two million-pound players. Some of these players have not been good enough for us. It is a risk you have to accept when there is not too much money about."
Despite co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr. burdening Liverpool with 245 million pounds of debt, selling Spain striker Fernando Torres is not on the agenda.
"I'm confident it will never happen," Benitez said. "If it did, I'd resign."
Working within financial constraints, Benitez insists he has constructed a strong and valuable group of players.
"In 2004 the squad was worth, what, 100 million pounds? Now perhaps we have one player worth that," he said. "The whole squad? Maybe 250 million pounds.
"The club was nearly sold for 85 million pounds five years ago. Now the price is 500 million pounds. We must be doing something right."
Benitez received some positive news Tuesday with captain Steven Gerrard declaring himself fit to face City following a groin injury.
"I've had a problem in my groin that has taken a while to get over but I'm just relieved the second injection seems to have done the trick," Gerrard said Tuesday. "It's a case of so far, so good, and the aim now is to make sure I get a good week's training under my belt so I'm ready for the game with City."
Scotland mulling candidates to replace Burley
GLASGOW, Scotland — The Scottish Football Association appears to have far more candidates for the role of national team coach than when it appointed George Burley in January last year.
Craig Levein, Jim Jefferies and former Scotland coach Walter Smith could all be in contention with the SFA, which fired Burley on Monday.
The 45-year-old Levein has spent the past three years with Dundee United, guiding the team from the lower half of the Scottish Premier League to fifth place in each of his two full seasons in charge.
Jefferies is the longest serving manager in the Scottish topflight, with almost eight years at Kilmarnock, while Smith may be available to return to the post he left in January 2007.
Smith quit as Scotland manager to rejoin former club Rangers and won the league title last season but his contract expires in January.
The SFA has said it will not rush to make an appointment and has set a February deadline for its decision.
Levein is rated as strongly as 9-4 favorite by British bookmakers for the role, with Smith and Jefferies next in the betting.
With so much uncertainty around the situation, not least over a salary which is reputedly far lower than that available at most leading clubs, several candidates are unwilling to appear overconfident or too eager for the role.
"I've been linked before with the position," Jefferies said. "What I've said many a time when I get linked with a job, whether it's the Scotland job or any other job: I never comment on that.
"The day I'll comment on anything like that is the day I get asked, and then I'll be able to say yes or no."
The field was a lot thinner when Burley was appointed for an ill-fated spell that featured just three wins from 14 matches and failure to challenge for a spot at the 2010 World Cup.
The former Scotland defender had been the sole realistic candidate despite being in charge of a struggling Southampton side in the English second tier.
Burley's spell in charge was blighted by problems off the field and poor performances on it.
Striker Kris Boyd refused to play while Burley was in charge, while his Rangers teammates Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor were banished from the squad indefinitely following a drinking binge and their subsequent obscene gestures while sat on the substitutes' bench.
But former Scotland midfielder John Collins said Tuesday he is interested in what he called "a very tough job."
The 41-year-old Collins has been out of work since a short spell in charge of Belgian club Charleroi, which ended last season.
"No one is going to come in with a magic wand and turn us into a fantastic football team," Collins said. "There is a lot of work to be done and it will be one stage at a time.
"The role of any manager in the world is to take a group of players and make them better, make them perform at their peak."
Henry: Hardest yet to come against Ireland
CLAIREFONTAINE, France — Striker Thierry Henry says the hard work is not over just because France won 1-0 in Ireland in the first match of their World Cup playoff, and he expects the Irish to fight back in the return leg.
France needs only a draw on Wednesday at Stade de France to qualify for next year's World Cup in South Africa, while Ireland has to win to stand a chance of qualifying.
Even though France won 1-0 in Dublin on Saturday with Nicolas Anelka scoring a deflected goal in the second half, Henry expects the Irish to come out fighting and to push France all the way.
"The hardest is yet to come, the hardest part is finishing what you've started," Henry said Tuesday at France's Clairefontaine training camp. "We've been fighting to qualify for the last two years, now there is one game to go. We won over there but we still have one battle left. We know they never give up."
Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland team is expected to test France's weakness on corners and free kicks, and with central defender Eric Abidal out after picking up a thigh injury, Domenech has had little time to rearrange his defense.
Domenech said he would wait until after Tuesday's final training session before choosing Abidal's replacement, either Julien Escude or Sebastien Squillaci.
The Irish also have a strong physical presence and can count on their passionate fans to turn bring their boisterous support to the Stade de France. In contrast, France's fans are notoriously moody and often lukewarm in their support for the home side.
"I remember the last time we played in the World Cup qualifiers (in 2004), there were a lot of Irish at the Stade de France. Let's hope it's not the same thing," Henry said. "If that's the case, It won't be the first time we'll have played in front of a lot of opposing fans. We'll have to do what we have to do on the pitch."
Wednesday's match could end up being decided by penalty kicks if Ireland wins 1-0 and the teams stay level on aggregate after extra time, so Henry thinks the best way to avoid such a scenario is to go all out for a win.
"We have to play this match as if it is a one-off, we can't think about any advantage we may have from the first match," the Barcelona striker said. "We know it won't be easy. We're not expecting to just go out on the pitch and to create loads of scoring chances. We know that Ireland are a very hard team to play against, but it's up to us to do well."
Arsenal awaits news on injury to defender Gibbs
LONDON — Arsenal has a new injury worry after defender Kieran Gibbs limped off with a suspected ankle problem during England's Under-21 match at Lithuania on Tuesday.
Gibbs lasted just 21 minutes of the 0-0 draw in Vilnius and was due to have a precautionary X-ray. Arsenal said it expected an update on the unspecified injury later in the week.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has been relying on Gibbs at left back with France international Gael Clichy out with a stress fracture in his lower back.
Wenger also has problems in attack with Robin van Persie out for up to six weeks after tearing ankle ligaments at the weekend, Nicklas Bendtner sidelined until mid-December after minor groin surgery, and Theo Walcott hampered by a knee ligament injury.
Arsenal is second in the English Premier League, five points behind Chelsea with a game in hand.
Ronaldo passes ankle tests, to return soon
MADRID — Cristiano Ronaldo is expected to resume full training after passing medical tests on his injured ankle.
The team says Ronaldo will maintain his rehabilitation program until Friday when he will take part in a regular training session with the squad. Madrid did not say whether the Portugal forward would be available for Saturday’s league match against Racing Santander.
The 24-year-old Ronaldo was examined on Tuesday.
Ronaldo could return for the Champions League match against FC Zurich on Nov. 25. Defending champion Barcelona leads Madrid by one point in the standings.
Ronaldo hasn’t played since Portugal’s match on Oct. 10, when he aggravated the injury.
Kalou and Meite dropped because of training clash
ABIDJAN, Ivory Coast — Salomon Kalou and Abdoulaye Meite may return to the Ivory Coast national football team for Wednesday's friendly at Germany.
The players sat out Saturday's 3-0 win over Guinea after Kalou kicked Meite following a foul by his teammate in training.
Ivorian football federation president Jacques Anouma coaxed the players into a reconciliation after the Friday training session but coach Vahid Halilhodzic still left them out of his side.
Kalou says "we have been punished and I take responsibility for what happened. This is how you make progress: admit to your mistakes and move on."
Portugal unhappy about Bosnia WCup reception
LISBON, Portugal — Portugal says it will inform FIFA about its squad's hostile reception at Sarajevo airport ahead of a World Cup playoff match with Bosnia-Herzegovina.
A small group of Bosnian fans allegedly threatened, jostled and spat at the Portuguese players as they left the airport late Monday.
But Portuguese Football Federation president Gilberto Madail said he would not lodge a formal complaint with world soccer's governing body because he didn't want to deepen the tension surrounding the game.
Bosnia and Portugal meet Wednesday in a second-leg playoff in Zenica. Portugal won the first leg 1-0.
The Portuguese are aiming to clinch their third consecutive World Cup appearance. Bosnia has never played at a World Cup.
Middlesbrough signs Kitson on loan from Stoke
MIDDLESBROUGH, England — Middlesbrough has signed striker Dave Kitson on loan from Stoke for two months to help kick start its push for promotion to the Premier League.
Kitson scored 12 times in 47 Premier League appearances for Reading but failed to make a sustained impact following a 5.5 million pound ($9.2 million) transfer to Stoke and went back on loan to his former club last season.
Kitson has three goals this season and is joining a team 10th in the League Championship following its relegation in May. Middlesbrough has 24 points from 16 games, nine fewer than leader and local rival Newcastle.
Atletico Madrid coach Sanchez Flores has swine flu
MADRID — Atletico Madrid says that coach Quique Sanchez Flores has swine flu.
Sanchez Flores missed training on Tuesday after tests confirmed the Spanish coach had come down with the H1N1 virus.
Assistant coach Fran Escriba will take over the coaching duties until the 44-year-old Sanchez Flores is fit to return. Atletico plays Deportivo La Coruna on Saturday.
The news came on the same day that Osasuna said a fourth player had been diagnosed with the illness.
Mutko resigning as Russian football chief
MOSCOW — Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko is stepping down as head of the Russian Football Union.
In televised comments, Mutko said Tuesday he will submit his resignation Nov. 23 and hopes it will be accepted the following day.
He said that a new president would be chosen early next year and that his top deputy, Nikita Simonian, will likely serve as interim chief.
Simonian said he believes the best candidates for president of the Russian Football Union are Sergei Kapkov, a parliament member who is a vice president of the body, and CSKA football club president Yevgeny Giner, a high-level federation official, state-run RIA-Novosti news agency reported.
Mutko replaced longtime football federation president Vyacheslav Koloskov in 2005.
Serbia’s president faces alcohol-related charges
BELGRADE, Serbia — Serbian President Boris Tadic faces a fine for allegedly drinking champagne at a stadium with his sports minister and the head of the soccer federation.
Judge Zoran Pasalic said Tuesday the three are requested to appear in court on Dec. 1.
Drinking alcohol at and around sports venues is illegal in Serbia and fines range from $150 to $1,500.
Police filed misdemeanor charges against all three officials after photos were published of them holding glasses filled with champagne after Serbia’s 5-0 victory over Romania last month in World Cup qualifying.
Tadic had said he was willing to pay the fine, but indicated he only made a toast and didn’t drink from his glass.
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