Italy’s qualifier against Serbia is abandoned after visiting fans wreak havoc in Genova

Italy’s European Championship qualifier against Serbia was dramatically abandoned in Genova after the visiting fans threw flares onto the pitch and lighting fireworks.
The teams came out and began to line up for the national anthems but then were sent back into the changing rooms as police in riot gear came out to confront the fans.
Serbian supporters clashed earlier in the day with police and glass partitions were broken in the stadium as fans with their heads covered climbed up onto them and began cutting through a mesh fence with tools.

The teams eventually came back out and began warming up again but there was no immediate sign that the game would begin.
‘We just had a meeting with the UEFA delegate, the Serbian police and our police to see if we can play but it seems very doubtful,’ said Italian football federation general director Antonello Valentini, speaking to Italian broadcasters RAI.
Even before the delay, Serbia’s No 1 goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic is understood to have pleaded with officials to be dropped following threats outside his hotel earlier.

At one point, the Serbia squad walked over and appeared to applaud their fans ironically and ask them to calm down.
‘We didn’t applaud, we calmed down the fans,’ said Serbia captain Dejan Stankovic.
The unsavory incident sours a week to forget for Serbia following the 3-1 home defeat to Estonia on Friday.

That match marked the debut of new coach Vladimir Petrovic, who replaced sacked Radomir Antic after last month’s 1-1 Group C draw at home with Slovenia, which only added to a crisis that began with a disappointing first-round exit from the World Cup.

source

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js

Novak Djokovic wins another China title

BEIJING — Top-seeded Novak Djokovic beat David Ferrer of Spain 6-2, 6-4 on Monday to successfully defend his China Open title.

The world No. 2 cruised through the first set of a match that had been rained out Sunday, before falling behind 4-2 in the second.

At 4-3, the eighth-ranked Ferrer battled to hold serve and defend his lead, but Djokovic was relentless, breaking him to take the set and, two games later, the match.

“I started off really well but then I lost the momentum, I kind of lost the rhythm, got him back into the match with some unforced errors,” said Djokovic, who converted four of six break points while being broken only once to wrap up his second title of the season.

“It wasn’t a really nice looking match from both sides. We made a lot of unforced errors, especially him. He made my life a little bit easier at the end of the second set, where, with his unforced errors, I got back into the set,” the Serb said.

Djokovic, runner-up at last month’s U.S. Open, said he was pleased with his improved serve, which he says is largely responsible for the run of success he’s experienced since Wimbledon.

The 23-year-old had somewhat more difficulty accounting for his success in Beijing, where he won the Olympic bronze medal in 2008 in addition to his back-to-back China Open titles. The playing surface — and the local cuisine — seem to suit his style of play, Djokovic said.

“There’s something special about this place.”

Djokovic now moves on to the ATP Masters in Shanghai, where he will face either Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia or Chinese qualifier Zhang Ze on Wednesday.

“This is definitely a confidence boost for me. The last two, three months … feeling much more comfortable and confident on the court, playing the aggressive game and service is working for me which is a great thing to have,” he said. “Let’s see if I can keep it up. Energy-wise, I’m fresh.”

Ferrer has less time to rest with a match against Frenchman Michael Llodra in Shanghai on Tuesday. He also pointed to the eighth game of the second set as having decided Monday’s match.

“I had my chance there, but didn’t do it,” said the 28-year-old, who entered the final after beating Ljubicic in three sets in Saturday’s semifinals. “Maybe when I lost this game, I lost a little bit my concentration and couldn’t come back and play regular again.”

New world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki plays No. 3 Vera Zvonareva later Monday for the women’s title. Zvonareva has won three of their previous five meetings.

source

http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js

Inter Milan Beat Barcelona: Has Mourinho Done The Impossible?

Without doubts, the new football era has just started. Referee Frank Bleeckere’s final whistle at the Camp Nou this evening just marked Inter Milan’s triumph over Lionel Messi’s FC Barcelona in the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League.

The title holders went down at the San Siro 3-1last Tuesday following the official’s favoritism for Jose Mourinho’s Inter, but the Catalans were not able to overturn their negative score line at home in Spain. Hence, a 1-0 victory for Pep Guardiola’s team subsequent to Gerard Pique’s goal was not enough to keep the Blaugrana alive in the Champions League.

How Barcelona became the “Unbeatable Side”

After keeping their courage despite their controversial victory over Chelsea in the semifinals of the European Championship last season, Barcelona went on to defeat Premier League defending champions Manchester United 2-0 in the final.

As they won the treble that season, the Catalans had the chance to compete in 3 additional tournaments, which were the Spanish Super Cup, the UEFA Super Cup, and the FIFA Club World Cup.

At everyone’s amazement, Barcelona finished their 2009 year with the snatching of all 6 possible cups, and Lionel Messi played a major role in the creation of their incomparable success. With this achievement valuing their greatness, the Blaugrana became the “unbeatable side” according to many journalists, players, coaches, and fans.

Messi himself declared that his club was undefeatable when in form, but surely without knowing it, such a statement coming out of his mouth went straight across the ears of his biggest enemies. Regardless, Barcelona kept powering their 2009-10 season with precious victories in all possible competitions, but nevertheless, they suffered an early Copa del Rey exit when they lost to Sevilla.

Yet, Barcelona tried to cope with what they still had left, and it seemed like everything was on track. Humiliating Champions League victories against Stuttgart and Arsenal when Lionel Messi revealed his strongest goalscoring skills, as well as convincing wins in La Liga, were just enough to confirm the might of the FIFA Club champions.

Nonetheless, Barcelona knew that in order to seal their excellence in football, they had to defend their Champions League title. And it was only then that they faced their toughest challenge as they were placed against the Special One’s army in all its power.

Jose Mourinho’s triumph, controversy, and the end of Barcelona’s reign

The clash between Inter Milan and Barcelona had many representations for the majority of football fans, among which were: Jose Mourinho vs Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto’o vs Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and a few others. Unexpectedly, Inter Milan immediately stamped their authority on the Azulgranas by stealing a controversial 3-1 victory at the San Siro when they both met on April 20.

Video highlights clearly showed the partiality of Referee Olegário Benquerença who is said to be a long-time friend of Inter coach Jose Mourinho, but bizarrely, the Portuguese manager justified his side’s triumph by repeatedly putting emphasis on Referee Tom Ovrebo’s favor toward Barcelona last year against Chelsea at the Stanford Bridge in the Champions League.

This angered Barca fans and players, and since the second leg was set to be played at home, the least Barcelona could do was to secure a 2-0 win. All eyes were then set on the Champions League’s top scorer Lionel Messi and his potent team mates; yet, things did not really prove to go as positively as Catalan fans were hoping.

Despite the sending-off of former Barcelona player Motta after 26 minutes of action, an ineffective Zlatan Ibrahimovic was incapable of giving the hosts the lead. Inter then decided to play a completely negative game, and with Lionel Messi only being able to make intelligent and short passes outside the D, Barcelona were struggling to make goalkeeper Julio Cesar work.

Messi however came close to scoring late in the first half, but it was the second half which proved to be more promising. A few substitutions from Pep Guardiola enabled Bojan Kikrik and Jeffren to make their entries into the game, and on 84 minutes, Gerard Pique scored an offside opener which truly got the home crowd on their feet.

Watch the video highlights of Gerard Pique’s goal and Barcelona’s attempts

Barcelona kept pressing on for a second goal which would have been the saving goal to reach the final, but it never came. Dani Alves was in some way fouled inside the box by Ghanaian midfielder Sulley Muntari, but the referee waved away the appeals for a penalty.

In the end, 3-2 the clash ended on aggregate at the delight of Inter Milan, and Coach Jose Mourinho–who was verbally abused before the game by opposing fans–could only run onto the pitch after the final whistle to celebrate was is said to be his 6th Champions League final in 6 years, and the beginning of a new football era.

Watch the celebrations of Inter Milan after the match

Lionel Messi and Barcelona’s powerful empire has now collapsed under the invasion of the Special One. No matter what happens to the Nerazzurri at the Bernabeu Stadium in the final against Bayern Munich, Mourinho can feel proud that he broke the chains and realized the dreams of Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, and all the previous victims of Barcelona’s incursion.

Surely–not counting the invasion of Pep Guardiola last season in soccer–football has not witnessed an achievement as memorable as the one Jose Mourinho just did, since a couple of years. Perhaps, it will take a lot of strength and cleverness from the next coach which will be able to make such an attainment.

Currently, most Barcelona fans might be complaining about their unjust defeat against Inter Milan in the semifinals of the Champions League; while others might wonder if and how Jose Mourinho was able to do what was previously regarded as the “impossible.”

source

I’m Kecman,Dušan Kecman – 006

In one of the most amazing finishes at any level this season, Partizan won its fourth consecutive Adriatic League title by edging Cibona 74-75 in overtime in front of a sellout crowd in Zagreb, Croatia on Sunday.

Dusan Kecman became the game hero with a midcourt buzzer beating three pointer that allowed Partizan to lift the trophy in unbelievable fashion.

Cibona trailed 68-72 with seconds left but back to back triples by Marko Tomas and Bojan Bogdanovic gave their team a 74-72 edge with 0.6 seconds left, but Kecman stole the show right when it mattered.

Aleks Maric led the winners with 14 points and 11 rebounds. Lawrence Roberts added 13 points and 14 rebounds while Aleksandar Rasic and Petar Bozic each had 11 points for Partizan.

Marko Tomas and Jamont Gordon led Cibona with 31 points apiece. Partizan led for the best part of the fourth quarter but Gordon allowed Cibona to force overtime, 60-60. Roberts downed 4 of 6 free throws to give Partizan a 68-72 lead late in the extra period and even when Cibona regained the lead, Kecman sank a shot that will go down in history as one of the most incredible ones in Adriatic League history.

source

‘Serbia will become tennis force’

Jelena Jankovic has a clearly laid-out goal – to return to the top of the women’s tennis game, but not only individually, but also as part of the Serbian tennis nation. The world’s number eight qualified yesterday for the third round at Dubai and has stated that her wish was to see Novak Djokovic, Ana Ivanovic and herself get back to where they belonged.

Jankovic had a host of Serbian fans at the $2m event in Dubai and managed to battle her way to the third round after a 4-6 6-4 7-5 win over Aravane Rezai.
– “I wish for a time when Serbian tennis was on top once again. That was a great feat to have three players in the very top of the game for a nation with not much of a tennis tradition,” said Jelena, alluding to the terrific 2008 season for the Serbian trio.
Jankovic has come in Dubai knowing she is below her best form, but a recent encouragement have been the two Fed Cup wins for Serbia over Russia’s Svetlana Kuznetsova and Alisa Kleybanova.
– “I’ve lost quite a bit of weight and I feel lighter when playing. I’m working on certain aspects of my game and I hope it all falls into place soon,” said Jelena.
She says she has been aided greatly by one of her first tennis coaches – Nick Bollettieri.
– “I sacked my old coach and returned under the wing of Nick Bollettieri, who has known my game since I was a junior. I think he has helped me correct some things.”
Jelena has yet to win a first Grand Slam title, although at a point in her career she climbed to the WTA rankings spot number one.
– “There is no reason why I should feel uncomfortable because of that. I’ve beaten all of the players who have won Grand Slams, while I’ve lost to Serena Williams in one final. I hope I get my hands on a Grand Slam one day,” says Jankovic.
Jelena struggled against Rezai, ranked 21st in the world, as the French won the opening set 6-4 and Jankovic was forced to give her all to turn the match to her favour.
– “Aravane played well in the first set. She hit the ball really hard and I had to do my best to get my rhythm back. Little by little, I managed to get to my game and win the second and third sets. I am happy because of the win,” said the world’s number eight from Serbia.
The match was played in scorching heat and wind.
– “At first it all got on my nerves – the wind, the balls, the sun. However, I tried hard to stay positive and win my points patiently. I arrived here only a few days ago from Serbia, where it’s really cold. I love to play here at Dubai. I am aware this is far from my best but with every match I think I am improving,” Jelena was optimistic.
Her opponent in the last 16 round will be Vera Zvonareva of Russia, who demolished Belgium’s Kirsten Flipkens 6-0 6-0.

source

John Terry backlash

England captain John Terry’s career was thrown into further doubt last night after it was revealed he got his team-mate’s girlfriend pregnant.

The Mail on Sunday has learned that French model Vanessa Perroncel, former partner of fellow England defender Wayne Bridge, had an abortion within months of the affair starting.

The pregnancy and termination are thought to have been the ‘consequences’ referred to by the High Court judge who threw out the £170,000-a-week footballer’s bid to seek a draconian gagging order to keep his affair secret.

Last night, the far-reaching implications of Terry’s extraordinary legal action were becoming clear.

There is now a strong belief among fans that Terry may have caused irreparable damage to England’s chances of success at the World Cup in South Africa in June.

Although he is seen as a vital member of the squad, his behaviour has turned him into a pariah and has deeply unsettled his team-mates.

There is anger, too, that his decision to use a super-injunction to try to prevent scrutiny of his actions has only served to exacerbate an already painful situation.

Rejecting Terry’s claim for the right to have a ‘private and family life’, the judge said he believed it was more likely Terry was trying to protect his reputation and business interests.

In his written judgment, Mr Justice Tugendhat referred to ‘details of such affair and/or relationship, including the consequences thereof’.

Although he as not explicit by what was meant by the ‘consequences’, the internet was yesterday buzzing with reports that it referred to Miss Perroncel’s abortion. When asked about it, Miss Perroncel’s publicity agent Max Clifford said: ‘No comment‘.

Friends said last night the termination was arranged by Terry and took place at a private clinic under clandestine circumstances. Miss Perroncel arrived and left the clinic via a back entrance.

Terry is now facing a showdown with England manager Fabio Capello, expected to take place today, which may well decide the course of his career.

But yesterday he appeared to put his private troubles behind him when he captained Chelsea in their Premiership clash against Burnley, scoring the winning goal in the 2-1 victory in the 82nd minute.

He was booed by the opposing home fans whenever he touched the ball, and endured their chants of: ‘Same old Terry, always cheating’ and the song: ‘Chelsea wherever you may be, don’t leave your wife with John Terry.’

Friends said Terry’s affair began soon after Miss Perroncel, a lingerie model, split from Bridge last summer. At first it was platonic, but became sexual in September. It is understood she became pregnant in October and had the termination weeks later.

‘John has known her for years and there was always something between them, a kind of flirtatious thing,’ a friend told The Mail on Sunday. ‘It used to upset John’s wife Toni.

‘After Vanessa and Wayne separated, John would go around to her house, initially at least, to offer support. Then it got a lot heavier very quickly.’

On Friday, after the gagging order was overturned in the High Court, Mrs Terry rang Miss Perroncel, who lives close to the couple’s £3million home in the footballers’ enclave of Oxshott, Surrey.

The two women had been close friends before the news of Terry’s infidelity broke and sources described their conversation as ‘extremely tense’.

Earlier that day, Miss Perroncel spoke for the first time about the affair to a Mail on Sunday reporter.

Describing how Terry’s secrecy bid backfired so spectacularly, she said that Bridge, the father of her three-year-old son, only learned about the liaison because of the court action.

‘Wayne rang me last weekend and started shouting at me and accusing me of having an affair,’ said Miss Perroncel. ‘It was terrible. He was saying horrible things.’

She said she told Bridge, 29, that she wasn’t having an affair ‘but he wouldn’t believe me’.

Earlier, she said: ‘Wayne was convinced I had been cheating on him because the court action had been taken. It was an agonising call and he was furious.

‘I am a close friend of his [John Terry’s]. We don’t talk everyday, but we are in touch a lot. I have known him for eight years, I even knew him before Wayne.

‘He has been to my house. I am also a close friend of his wife and I phoned her last weekend to arrange for us to go out together.

‘I am friends with Frank Lampard’s ex-fiancee Elen as well. I don’t know what they are all going to think. It is a very close community of footballers and their wives here. I’m a single mother with a little boy to think about.’

Miss Perroncel’s £3 million mansion on an exclusive estate in Oxshott is a short drive from where Terry lives with 28-year-old Toni, his childhood sweetheart, and their three-year-old twins.

His mother and mother-in-law both live on the same road, while other neighbours include West Ham midfielder Scott Parker, Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole and England star Ashley Cole and his wife Cheryl.

Terry, 29, is believed to have spent yesterday explaining himself to his wife. Friends said that although Terry has been caught cheating before, his previous encounters had been much less serious and short-lived. ‘Toni will find this devastatingly painful,’ said one friend.

Meanwhile Terry also faces a backlash from players and fans. Bridge, once a close friend, is said to have made it clear in football circles that he will not travel with Terry to the World Cup if, as expected, he is selected for the squad.

News of the affair broke as Bridge and Miss Perroncel, who were together for three years, were struggling to sort out a settlement following their split six months ago. He moved to a £2million Edwardian mansion in Alderley Edge, Cheshire, while she remained in the marital home, after his transfer to Manchester City.

Speaking about the negotiations, Miss Perroncel said: ‘Wayne and I are trying to sort out a settlement and I have been told by lawyers not to say certain things because it could affect it. The house I am living in is the one that Wayne and I had. It is very sad.’

It is understood Terry was seen visiting his lover’s home in his green Bentley two weeks ago. A witness said he appeared to use an electronic ‘beeper’ to get through the security gates.

Toni and Vanessa became close friends in 2006 after the model started dating Bridge and last summer the two women went on a ‘girls’ break’ together.

In 2005, two years before his marriage to Toni, Terry said: ‘I’ve mis-behaved and slept with girls behind her back. I’m not going to cheat on her ever again and I want to marry her more than anything.’

But the day he was quoted, it emerged he had a fling with a blonde – and even borrowed Bridge’s house as a love nest.

The girl concerned, 25-year-old Shalimar Wimble, said at the time: ‘John never mentioned his fiancee Toni to me – I guess that’s why he took me to Wayne’s place.’

On Friday, Mr Justice Tugendhat said it was crucial that newspapers should not be prevented from reporting details of his philandering ways just because they were ‘socially harmful’.

It was also revealed in court that Terry tried to silence his former lover by getting her to sign a ‘confidentiality’ agreement. In documents disclosed by Terry’s lawyers, it was claimed that she was offered just £1 in return for signing the agreement.

But Judge Tugendhat said that it could have been a nominal sum and she might have been given more.

The deal was done at a hotel after Terry became concerned about rumours circulating in the football world a week ago.

He believed a newspaper was about to expose his secret, so on Friday January 22, two of Terry’s business partners met Vanessa at a London hotel and she signed two documents, the court heard.

The first was a short letter which said: ‘I agree to keep such information private and confidential’ and promising to pass any media inquiries on to one of Terry’s business partners.

The second document said she agreed to keep quiet, ‘in order to assist you in keeping such information confidential and in consideration of £1, receipt of which is hereby acknowledged’.

The judge said he was ‘troubled’ by the arrangement and in a scathing remark said: ‘Their business interest is to protect Terry’s reputation. I am left in serious doubt as to whether the information sourced through the business partners is full and frank.’

source

Middle-schooler David Sills verbally commits to USC

David Sills, a highly-touted youth quarterback, made a verbal commitment tonight to accept a college football scholarship from USC.

Sills is not even in high school yet. He is a seventh-grader at Red Lion Christian Academy in Bear.Red Lion high school varsity coach Eric Day confirmed the decision by Sills tonight, also confirming that USC coach Lane Kiffin offered the scholarship tonight to the 13-year-old Sills.”I’m very excited but I was very, very nervous,” Sills said tonight about talking to Kiffin over the phone. “It was very cool [to talk to Kiffin] but my heart was beating so fast, and I was scared. But after it was over, I was so excited and pumped.””It has been a very interesting last few hours,” his father, David Sills IV, said tonight shortly after 9 p.m.Since 2006, Sills has been trained in California about six or seven times a year by Steve Clarkson, a former trainer of Matt Leinart, Ben Roethlisberger and current USC quarterback Matt Barkley.Sills IV related a conversation between Clarkson and Kiffin tonight, saying that Clarkson told Kiffin that the younger Sills is “the best I’ve ever coached,” and that Kiffin, as he was watching online video of Sills, told Clarkson “I’d sign that kid today.”Sills is 5-foot-11 and 136 pounds, with doctors having told him he will grow to be 6-foot-5.”I’ve always imagined in my dreams going to USC,” he said. “But I never really detailed it to the phone call. All I imagined was playing in the Coliseum. But this is so crazy and out of nowhere.”Sills IV said he talked many times with his son about college, specifically USC, cautioning his son about “if that opportunity is there when the time comes.”We assumed that would be when he was a junior [in high school],” Sills IV said.Day, previously an assistant coach at two colleges, including Delaware State, said Sills makes believers out of people once they see him play.”Besides his talent the maturity for his age and just how he handles himself,” Day said, “people are drawn to him. All the intangibles you look for in a quarterback, he has.”Sills will be able to sign a letter of intent in February 2015, unless of course NCAA regulations have changed by then.In the hours after delawareonline.com broke the story, “David Sills” became a trending topic on Twitter.

source

Lionel Messi – European Footballer of the Year

Argentinean Lionel Messi has beaten the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or award and becomes the 2009 European Footballer of the Year. The magazine France Football reports that the 22 year-old Barcelona forward comfortably won the vote, beating second place Ronaldo by 473 to 233. Messi’s team-mates Xavi Hernandez and Andreas Iniesta came third and forth with 170 and 149 points respectively. Premier League stars Rooney, Drogba and Gerrard came eighth ninth and tenth.

France Football commented that Messi’s victory was so emphatic that he only finished seven points of the maximum possible allocated by the judges. No-one can deny that Messi deserves the accolade as he has been in truly world class form over a year and has helped his club win the treble of the League, Cup and Champions League – unprecedented in Spanish football. Victory in the Champions League final saw Barca beat Manchester United 2-0 with Messi netting the second goal. Only on the international stage does the Argentinean still operate below his potential – but this could change in the summer when he heads to the World Cup in South Africa. Messi becomes the first Argentinean to win the award, which is amazing for a country with such footballing pedigree.

Messi was understandably delighted to take home the much coveted award. France Football quotes him as saying Honestly, I knew that I was among the favourites because Barcelona had a fruitful year in 2009.” “But I didn’t expect to win with such a margin. The Golden Ball is very important to me. All the players who won it were great players, and some great players never won it.”

source

Unstoppable Tottenham

Jermain Defoe will get most of the plaudits for this huge victory, and rightly so, but the striker will no doubt be among the first to praise the service he received from Niko Kranjcar and Aaron Lennon

Tottenham Hotspur 9

Crouch 9, Defoe 51, Defoe 54, Defoe 58, Lennon 64, Defoe 69, Defoe 87, Kirkland (og) 88, Kranjcar 90

Wigan Athletic 1

Scharner 57

There is simply no containing Tottenham Hotspur on occasions such as these. To gawp at the sight of this team shredding Wigan was to acknowledge that, where Manchester City have the money and Liverpool the expectation, Spurs boast the firepower to keep them in the top four this term. At their slick best, this side is utterly irrepressible.

Jermain Defoe’s seven-minute hat-trick, and a five-goal haul all plundered after half-time, took the breath away but this was a remarkable show of team attacking. Aaron Lennon, recovered from an ankle injury, and Niko Kranjcar offered contrasting if equally stunning play on either flank. Tom Huddlestone and Wilson Palacios steamrollered a Wigan midfield that is normally physically imposing. The Latics departed the pitch a collection of quivering wrecks. Real psychological damage may have been inflicted.

For Spurs this result will merely swell conviction. They are back level with Arsenal, pepped by a nine-goal swing in goal difference this weekend and the memories of the frustrations endured at the Emirates and at home to Stoke have been partially erased. Wigan will survey the wreckage of this scoreline and wonder at the reality that, at half-time, it was Harry Redknapp who had been livid at the way this contest had been veering. Tottenham may have scored early through Peter Crouch but momentum had petered out and slackness set in. “They needed reminding at the break,” said Redknapp. Lessons were heeded to devastating effect.

The helter-skelter nature of Tottenham’s dominance thereafter, and Wigan’s capitulation, was hard to comprehend. The goals that flurried were all horribly sloppy in their concession, yet ruthlessly taken: Defoe’s thumped volley from close range evaded Titus Bramble; Emmerson Boyce failed to intercept Palacios’s through-ball for the England striker to add an immediate third; another Lennon sprint to the by-line away from Erik Edman and centre for Defoe to complete the hat-trick.

Lennon added the fifth, spitting a low shot beyond a visibly shaken Kirkland and into the far corner, with Defoe’s fourth and fifth both pilfered from that same area. By then, the visitors’ resistance had evaporated. Edman’s abject attempt to cut out the pass for the seventh summed up the Swede’s hapless return to his former club, though the agony did not end there.

The substitute David Bentley’s free-kick cannoned in via the woodwork and the back of Kirkland’s head before Kranjcar spun and revelled in the ninth when the ball crashed in off the crossbar.

The wingers’ displays were, in their own ways, as much of a fillip as Defoe’s bite. Lennon’s zip and improved awareness make him a full-back’s nightmare these days. Edman looked a broken man at the final whistle and will be haunted by this experience for some time. Fabio Capello should be buoyed. Kranjcar’s abilities are more sedate, his influence more serene but his clever passing illuminated Spurs’ midfield, with the hustle and bustle of Palacios and Huddlestone in the centre eclipsing the Latics’ shambolic attempts to stifle.

Wigan have never endured a defeat this comprehensive in their 31-year existence as a league club. In truth, they were lucky to ship only nine. Their manager, Roberto Martínez, has only been in management for a little over two years and admirably attempted to write this off as freak, though his team have conceded 31 times in 13 games now this term. “The result is not normal but I’m not bothered about the final scoreline,” he said. “I’m more bothered about how naive we were. We’ll get stronger from this. You learn a lot from situations like this and the damage of this game will not be carried into the next match. We have enough characters in the dressing room and will react the right way.”

Their revival must begin at home to Sunderland on Saturday while Tottenham attempt to maintain momentum at Aston Villa. Their only blemish here – other than a first-half dip in their power and poise – was Paul Scharner’s consolation, though even that should not have stood. The Austrian cradled Hugo Rodallega’s cross with his right arm as blatantly as Thierry Henry had collected with his hand in the Stade de France last week, before belting his shot in off the bar. Robbie Keane, warming up on the touchline, must have wished the Republic of Ireland had been as clinical as his club-mates to render that handball irrelevant.

Spurs, of course, must now prove they have the pedigree to reproduce form this impressive regularly. The collision at Villa Park will test whether this really was a unique occasion, though few clubs in this division boast the attacking options now at Redknapp’s disposal.

Jermaine Jenas, Roman Pavlyuchenko and Robbie Keane began this drubbing on the bench. How Arsenal, shorn of Robin van Persie, must privately wish they had this amount of firepower in reserve.

source

Brice, forgive Serbia

The citizens of Serbia were yesterday shocked and embittered at the news that the young Frenchman Brice Tautou (28) has died. On September 17 he came to Belgrade to support his football team from Toulouse against Partizan. However, a group of hooligans attacked him and several of his compatriots in the center of the capital. Yesterday at 10.00 CET Brice Tautou died at the Clinical Center of Serbia after twelve days of his and medical team’s struggle for his life.

People in Serbia are in shock and sorrow but they also request from the State to finally deal with hooligans and proves it is capable to offer security to all coming to Serbia. Today is the Day of Sorrow for Brice Tautou in Belgrade.
The perpetrators shall be charged with a criminal offense of murder for which they may be sentenced to 40 years in prison.
The attack was well organized. The police are still searching for one of the organizers of the lynching who is known to the police. That vandal is charged to have together with Ivan Grkovic (27) and Ljubomir Markovic (28) called by cell phone ‘Partizan’ fans ‘to prove their loyalty by attacking the ‘Toulouse’ fans’. That vandal is also believed to be a drug dealer and his criminal gang responsible for numerous shootings in Belgrade.
Immediately after the attack the police was in action 24 hours a day and the Embassy of France was kept permanently informed. After 24 hours ten hooligans were identified and arrested: Stefan Velickovic (21), Milan Tarlac (18), Dragan Tomasovic (20), Jovan Karbic (18), Bojan Matijevic (19), Branimir Cetnik (22), Vladan Suvajac (21), Milan Vujovic (19), Vladimir Boskovic (18) and Ivan Grkovic (27).
The District Court in Belgrade yesterday ordered autopsy of Brice Tautou’s body, that court’s spokesperson Ivana Ramic said. His parents are to give their statements today.
Serbia Minister of the Youth and Sport Snezana Samardzic Malovic yesterday lit a candle in front of the French Embassy Building and sent her deepest condolences to Brice Tautou’s parents.
‘As a Belgrader I am deeply saddened and ashamed’, she said.
One woman a citizen of Belgrade, laid flowers with inscription ‘Brice, forgive Serbia’. Other people joined her and lit candles.
Serbia Minister of Justice Snezana Malovic said that frequent attacks in Belgrade in recent days requested determined reaction by the State.
The State secretary of the Ministry for human and minority rights Marko Karadzic called on the citizens to lay flowers and lit candles at the Square of the Republic at 11.30 CET today. A walk of resistance to violence will take place on Thursday at 17.00 CET. Belgrade City Mayor Dragan Djilas shall take part in it.

source