Fifty editions in and we're still here. Yes ladies and gents, this is the 50th Football Circus and you haven't been able to get rid of us. As we took a mere two weeks off since our inception, we figure that it also means it's our first birthday. So Happy bloody Birthday to us. And more to the point, thank you to all who have read, browsed and recommended us over the past year. We've had visits from all over the world and we plan to continue in the same vein with the goal of providing you with a bigger, better and even weirder football experience as we grow.
A special thanks also goes to Danielle Shields, Eugene, Susanne and Ciaran Maguire, Alan O'Farrell, Colin Butler, Dan Heaslip, Andrew Conway, Fergal O'Connor and Irish Blogs, all of whose support and promotion in particular have inspired us to bring you this blog week in, week out. Now before this starts to sound like an Oscars speech and Sharky the goldfish gets thanked as well (thanks Sharky), we shall move onto this week's Football Circus...And we mark the occasion with Speedos, a hoover, a Yorkshire terrier, some fan violence, Maradona and Mario Balotelli.
New Coaching Method - Wear Speedos
We've heard of some rather unorthodox coaching methods here at Football Circus before - Fulham's new manager Felix Magath earned the nickname "Saddam" from former players for his grueling training regimes. Marcelo Bielsa paces out pitches to measure them before deciding on a formation. Phil Brown gave a half time team talk on the pitch. But all three would find it hard to beat Daniel Cordoba, manager of Peru's Sport Huancayo, who this week made the headlines for undertaking team training sessions in a pair of red Speedos.
The Argentine claims that his training attire, or lack thereof, makes him feel more comfortable and ease and says he does not like to be constricted by a tracksuit. He also has inspirational words and phrases tattooed all over his body, and his lack of clothing means he can easily point out the tattoos to his players if he feels they need encouragement. We can only hope that we don't see Arsene Wenger enter a tattoo parlour anytime soon.
Maradona to resume Playing Career?
Diego Maradona is not only regarded as one of the best footballers ever to play the sport, but is also one of the most controversial figures the game has ever seen. Be it his drug problems, family, health or financial issues, Maradona rarely seemed to escape the limelight. In fact at Football Circus we often wish he was still playing - not only so we could witness his immense talents once again, but also for the stories he would generate. Well as it happens, we might just be in luck...
The man who has a religion dedicated to him in his native Argentina, this week has been mooted to make an on pitch return with club side Deportivo Riestra. The team currently play in Argentina's fifth division. The Mirror have quoted Deportivo Riestra "club insiders" as having stated:
"Within five gameweeks, Maradona will be playing for. He will debut on approximately the 23rd of March".
Questioned about the alleged return, Maradona simply responded, "I want to play".
The legend already has ties with the club and was last year appointed as their "spiritual coach".
They may need a little more than a spiritual coach if they're putting their faith in a 53 year old who retired 16 years ago. Even if he is Maradona.
Rivaldo plays alongside Son in Stadium named after his Father
While Maradona is being primed for a comeback at the ripe old age of 53, Rivaldo who at 41 is just twelve years his junior, is still playing - and lining up alongside his own son. The World Cup winning Brazilian is now playing for club side Mogi Mirim and came on as a substitute at the weekend during a 1-1 draw with XV de Piracicaba. He played alongside his son, Rivaldinho, for the first time.
To make the occasion even more momentous for the family, the match took place in Estadio Romildo Ferreira in Sao Paolo, a stadium named after Rivaldo's father and Rivaldinho's grandfather. At 18 years old, Rivaldinho can only hope to follow in the footsteps of his footballing family members.
Former Barcelona star Rivaldo commented on Instagram:
"I want to thank God for this special day in my life when I could play with my son @ _rivaldojr in an official game. The game ended 1-1, but this day is going to be history. Thank you my God for everything you did and do in my life".
He then published a photo of the pair alongside each other during the match.
Violence mars Gala-Besiktas Game, despite Kaya's Act of Sportsmanship
Istanbul derbies are reknowned for being rowdy affairs, and last weekend's clash between Galatasary and Besiktas was no different, as fans from both sides brought shame on their clubs before and during Saturday's fixture. Youtube footage from the city has shown hooligans throwing chairs at each other while inside the Turk Telekom Arena, Besiktas fans invaded the pitch before being fought off by riot police.
One man who was able to emerge from the debacle with his head held high however, was Galatasary defender Semih Kaya. In an unlikely show of sportmanship in what is one of the biggest derbies of the season and in the surroundings of a veritable cauldron, Kaya corrected a refereeing error, an act which resulted in his side conceding a corner. Kaya had last touched the ball before it went out of play, only for the ref to award a goal kick to Kaya's Galatasary. Kaya was not going to allow the referee's incompetence to change the course of the game though and brought the error to the ref's attention. The referee duly reversed his decision, awarded a corner to Besiktas before shaking Kaya's hand.
Said Kaya of his good deed:
"In football, all players must tell even if they commit a foul. This is what I think, it is a characteristic of mine. I would have told if this had occurred in the penalty area. I have to tell the referee when he comes near. There are video cameras everywhere. I would still tell him if it happened again".
Whether or not it was karma, Gala ran out 1-0 victors.
Release the Hound - Spanish Fan fined €200 for throwing Yorkshire Terrier at Ref
Football fans have, over the years, been known to throw both dangerous and in some cases unusal missiles at players and referees alike. Coins, bottles, flares and fruit have all made their respective ways onto football pitches at some point in time. Luis Figo famously had the misfortune of having a pigs head hurled in his direction during a Classico. Only last year we reported on a South American match where a fan's false teeth ended up on the pitch. Earlier this month in Spain though, an altogether different type of missile was thrown at a referee - a Yorkshire Terrier.
'Goofy', the unlucky dog in question, was thrown by his owner at the referee during the Comarca del Marmol and La Canada in Andalusia. The poor pooch was left unconscious after hitting the ground on impact, but happily has now recovered. The match itself finished 1-1 and the idiotic fan has this week been fined a mere €200 for his antics by a Spanish court, in addition to being ordered to pay for veterinary expenses and legal costs.
What's Mad Mario Upto This Week?
We last week reported that Mario Balotelli would be out of action for upto 10 days with a shoulder injury, thus leading us here at Football Circus to believe that a quiet week lay ahead on planet Mario. Not so. The striker has had to deny allegations that he became embroiled in an altercation with a photographer on Sunday.
Not fit to take part in Milan's game against Sampdoria (which for the record Milan won 2-0), Balo opted to travel to Liguria to watch his brother in a match. Reports allege that Balotelli ventured to nightclub with his girlfriend thereafter and subsequently kicked a photographer who had been hounding him for a photograph. The photographer then reported the incident to local police. Balotelli has already denied the accusations, telling Italian news agency ANSA:
"I categorically deny being involved in the altercation".
Meanwhile, Balotelli has come in for scathing criticism from former France and Chelsea defence Frank Lebouef. In an interview with RMC Sport, Lebouef has denounced Super Mario as not being a team player:
"Balotelli is unmanageable, he is a kind of poison for the group".
"On Wednesday I saw the match against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League and the authority of Seedorf has been damaged.
"He almost did not want to come off after the shoulder injury, the coach was forced to almost reprimand him.
"I find this attitude very annoying, even for the Italian national team - he has a great talent, but he is difficult to insert into a group".
However Balotelli's manager Clarence Seedorf has come in to defend his player after France Football labelled Balo as a "bad boy" (the French seem particular peeved with Mario this week). Seedorf has said:
"I still have to understand where this ‘bad’ is in Balotelli. It’s a shame that such an important paper should write things like this. Mario is a sweet kid and very likeable. He might make the odd mistake, like any other player, but since I’ve been here he has worked with a professional and determined attitude. I’m happy with him".
Italian Football Story of the Week
- Commercialism Sucks the Life out of Parma's Centenary as they present Robot Vacuums to Opposition
Parma took on Fiorentina on Monday and as part of their Centenary celebrations, their players presented their Florentine opponents with precious gifts - Vorwerk Folletto VR100 robotic hoovers to be precise.
The bizarre gifts came courtesy of Parma's shirt sponsors, Vorwerk. Parma's president, Tommaso Ghirardi, said of the ridiculous exchange:
"Parma wants to involve everybody in the Centenary party - even opponents. The players wanted to give something beautiful and technological, a brand recognized worldwide, but still tied to the reality of our team".
Technological? Perhaps. Beautiful? Debatable to say the least.
Parma's chief executive, Pietro Leonardi summed up one of the weirdest pre-match presentations the game has ever witnessed:
"It is an unusual way to celebrate the first century of our team, we are sure".
It sure is Pietro.
Artist's Impression of the Week
- 'Football Circus Celebrates Fifty Editions'
Football Recommendation
- Michael J Browne Fine Arts; The artwork of the man behind one of football's most famous paintings 'The Art of the Game' (as seen below). Michael currently has 'Manchester United in Procession' prints, George Best prints and cups and small Eric Cantona prints and postcards available so click the link below and contact Michael if you're interested in making a purchase.
Non-Football Recommendation
- Humans of New York; An "an exhaustive catalogue of New York City’s inhabitants". Very entertaining if you're a people watcher and feeling lazy. Or a photography enthusiast. Or a budding stalker.
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