ARAb StAtES diSMAyEd At WESt'S cOMPlAcENcy - Kuwait Times

SATURDAY, MAY 4, 2013
sports
Sinclair slump is my fault, says Mancini
MANCHESTER: Roberto Mancini has
blamed himself for Scott Sinclair’s failure to
make an impact at Manchester City since his
move to Eastlands. Sinclair, 24, joined the
Blues for £6.2 million ($9.6 million) from fellow
Premier League side Swansea City in
August. But the winger has made only
three starts for Mancini’s side in all competitions,
with most of his appearances being as
a late substitute, and may not make the
starting line-up for City’s league match
away to his former club today.
But Italian boss Mancini insisted yesterday
none of this was Sinclair’s fault,
although he was unsure if the Englishman
will remain at Eastlands, given his last
league start was in September. “I don’t
know this (if he will stay),” Mancini said yesterday.
“This situation with Sinclair is difficult
because I didn’t give him a lot of
chances to play. He is very unlucky. “It is my
fault, not his fault. A young player like Scott
who is a good player deserves to play
always. For him, it was a really difficult year
this year. “Scott is young and he has good
quality but this year was difficult for him. It
is better if he can have another solution,”
the Italian added. “If he stays here, maybe,
he can change everything but I can understand
his frustration in this moment
because he didn’t play a lot of games. “For
me, he is a good player. We have one team.
For him, it was difficult. I repeat: He did
everything well, he worked well, he is a
good guy, he deserves to play. I can understand
when one player can’t play often, it is
difficult.”
Reports in the British media on Thursday
suggested that City are interested in a move
for 27-year-old Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder
Fernandinho with £20 million the fee that
may tempt the Ukrainian side to sell the
player. But Mancini believes there will be a
number of clubs interested in the Brazilian
as well as he looks to strengthen his side in a
bid to mount a more aggressive challenge
to recently-installed champions Manchester
United for the Premier League title that City
won last season. “We can talk about
Fernandinho,” said Mancini. “Fernandinho is
a good player but he plays for Shakhtar. I
don’t think there are a lot of good players
around the world. “There are also four or
five top teams who want to buy good players.
It could be difficult.” Former Chelsea
manager Jose Mourinho has hinted he may
return to England ahead of next season and
Mancini believes any team under the control
of the Portuguese, linked with a second
spell in charge of Chelsea, would lead to a
more competitive Premier League.
“I think that it is important that next year
(season) there will be four or five teams who
can play for the title,” said Mancini. —AFP
AFC to introduce
ethics committee
KUALA LUMPUR: New Asian soccer chief Sheikh Salman Bin
Ebrahim Al Khalifa will make introducing an ethics committee
a top priority as the Bahraini attempts to bring about sweeping
reform at the scandal- hit Asian Football Confederation.
Just 24 hours before Sheikh Salman claimed a landslide election
win on Thursday, the AFC suffered more embarrassing
headlines with Sri Lankan Vernon Manilal Fernando banned
for eight years by FIFA for unethical behaviour.
Sheikh Salman told Reuters the introduction of a new body
to tackle the problems was an essential part in pushing
through his transparency manifesto. “If there are any wrongdoings
by some, there has to be a tool to have a watchdog on
everybody including the president,” Sheikh Salman said hours
after hosting his first AFC Congress. “I think this can be done in
the next two years and hopefully we will do it, by the end of
the year we will have to have something up and running.
“It is disappointing that we haven’t created an ethics committee
to look at these matters to have a proper mechanism
to tackle these things and I think FIFA will support us on that.”
The married father of three takes over the AFC at a difficult
time with the body suffering bribery issues amongst members,
allegations of age cheating in Southeast Asian competitions,
violence on the field, referee abuse in Lebanon and
player deaths in Indonesia. But undoubtedly the biggest problem
is match-fixing, with cases rife in nations big and small
including China, South Korea, Malaysia, Lebanon and
Singapore. “I think we need, whether it is a task force, a committee
or a team, to look into these matters and see what the
proper matters are to fight it and hopefully with the support
of FIFA and the local governments as well,” the 47-year-old
said. “I don’t think it can be done on our own. There are a lot
of resources that are going to be put into that. It is a responsibility
for all - not just the AFC.”
CARETAKER PRESIDENT
Sheikh Salman will initially serve two years rather than the
normal four because he is effectively replacing former leader
Mohammed Bin Hammam who was dismissed by FIFA for
bribery and corruption halfway through what was the Qatari’s
third term. During the near two-year interim period under
caretaker president Zhang Jilong of China, while Bin Hammam
attempted to clear his name, the AFC largely went to ground,
releasing few statements as the problems mounted.
Sheikh Salman said this would no longer be the case and
the AFC would have a voice in world soccer. “Our voice has to
be heard, especially if it is related to match-fixing, corruption
and any misleading actions or whatever,” the head of the
Bahrain FA said. “We have to have a strong monitor and, of
course, the support Asian needs, whether it is for its own interests,
of course I will be heard.”
During his campaign there were many loud voices alleging
he was guilty of human rights breaches during the prodemocracy
uprising. Bahrain crushed Shiite-led demonstrations
that began in February 2011. At least 35 people were
killed. Lower-level unrest has continued since then and Sheikh
Salman said he had been the victim of a smear campaign.
“Unfortunately to say some media are controlled by other
people ... to say what they want whether it is the truth or not,”
he said.— Reuters
FIFA president Blatter
targets another term
Vice-president opposes Euro WCup cut
KUALA LUMPUR: FIFA president Sepp
Blatter again hinted he plans to stand for
another four-year term as the head of world
soccer during a speech to AFC delegates in
which he called for more World Cup places
for Asian teams. The 77-year-old Swiss,
speaking at the Asian Football
Confederation Congress in Kuala Lumpur
yesterday, was discussing his reform plans
before he appeared to reveal he was not
going to quit the presidency in two years
time. “This will be the last term of, not of
office, the last term of the reform,” Blatter
said, smiling as he delivered the message.
Blatter went on to describe that the
reform period, brought in to clean up the
scandal-hit body that has seen members
routinely banned on graft charges, would
end in 2015. The Swiss ignored reporters’
requests to clarify his position after the
Congress. Blatter had previously said he
planned to step down from office at the
end of his latest four-year term in 2015 but
opened up a loophole in March by adding
that was providing he could find someone
to carry on his legacy.
UEFA president Michel Platini, who
watched on Thursday as Sheikh Salman Bin
Ebrahim Al Khalifa of Bahrain won the AFC
presidential election in a landslide, has long
been tipped to replace Blatter. Sheikh
Salman said he was grateful for the backing
Blatter had given the AFC and said he
would reciprocate should the Swiss choose
to stay on. “If he announces, of course,”
Sheikh Salman told reporters. “He has
always been a supporter of Asian football
and if he can fulfill and continue as a president
of course I’ll support him.”
WORLD CUP PLACES
Blatter also questioned the logic of
Platini’s European confederation having so
many World Cup places in what could be
seen as a campaign for votes in Asia. “We
have to start to see the access to the World
Cup, the access to the World Cup should be
a little bit better balanced,” Blatter said. “In
2014 in Brazil 32 teams, one has qualified
from South America (Brazil as hosts) and
then you have 13 teams from one of the
continents, which is Europe, and possibly
five more from South America,” Blatter said.
“If this happens then you have 19 out of
32, there is no chance to kick them out
before one of them is in the semi-finals.
This is the law of the numbers. “We shall
have a look on this, you should have a look
on that and bring such items on the agenda
because we should have a better balance.”
Asia has four guaranteed places at
the next World Cup in Brazil with a fifth
possible if another side beats a South
American team in an intercontinental playoff.
Sheikh Salman, also head of the Bahrain
Football Association, welcomed talk about
more places for Asia. His country has never
qualified for a World Cup finals and were
denied a place at the 2010 tournament
when they were beaten by New Zealand in
a playoff. “I think it has to be looked at, it
has to be studied,” he told reporters after
the congress. “We have to look at the future
and the interest of Asian teams and national
associations. The teams have progressed
very well in the last few years and I hope we
can earn more seats at the World Cup.”
Any plans by Sepp Blatter to cut the
number of European places at future World
Cups will be opposed by Britain’s FIFA vicepresident
Jim Boyce. Blatter, the president
of FIFA, football’s global governing body,
called on Friday for more berths for Asian
teams at future editions of the World Cup.
The Swiss, speaking at a meeting of the
Asian Football Confederation in Kuala
Lumpur, said FIFA should allow more Asian
teams at the expense of European and
South American nations, stressing that Asia
provides 50 percent of the body’s revenues
with Europe contributing less than 20 percent.
Asia currently has four automatic
spots at the World Cup, with another available
if an Asian team wins an intercontinental
play-off. Europe has 13 places out of the
total of 32. A reduction in the number of
European places would be seen as a slight
to France football great Michel Platini, the
head of European governing body UEFA,
who is expected to bid for the FIFA presidency
in 2015.— Agencies
KUALA LUMPUR: Newly elected Asian Football Confederation (AFC)
President Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa (left) is congratulated by
FIFA President Joseph Blatter during the AFC Extraordinary Congress 2013
held in Kuala Lumpur. —AFP