Cesc Fabregas, Gennaro Gattuso and This Week In World Football Scandals
Cesc Fabregas and Gennaro Gattuso highlight what has been an incredibly eventful week in world football. Fabregas found himself the subject of a verbal sparring contest between his current club and his previous employers, while Gattuso decided he didn't like Tottenham assistant Joe Jordan's jacket much and told him about it with his forehead.
But, with a potential match fixing investigation getting underway, Raymond Domenech launching a tirade about France and the Olympic Stadium debacle, they're far from alone.
We're bringing you 10 of the week's biggest football controversies, breaking them down and giving you the kind of analysis you need.
So grab your shovels and let's get digging, shall we?
Richard Keys Adding Racism To His List Of Prejudices?
1 of 10Things just keep getting worse for renowned football analyst Richard Keys, after a tape of him using a racial slur to describe former footballer David Johnson was released earlier this week.
The incident took place 11 years ago, as Keys prepared to do a radio show with Graeme Souness and Ray Wilkins.
They were discussing Johnson's heritage and the possibility that he could play for Scotland, and were mentioning his Jamaican heritage.
"He looks like a choc (a racial slur to describe black Englishmen), doesn't he?" Keys told Souness, "Choco Jocko."
Keys found it so funny, he cracked himself up.
Granted this moment took place quite a while ago, but with Keys set to start a new job this week, the timing couldn't be worse.
That fact begs the question: who's got it out for Richard Keys?
Harry Redknapp Not a Big Fan Of Mathieu Flamini
2 of 10Tuesday's UEFA Champions League clash between Tottenham and AC Milan was rife with controversy.
We'll get to Gennaro Gattuso later on, but he wasn't the only Milan player to draw Spurs ire.
Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp took on former Arsenal man Mathieu Flamini after the match. Although, unlike Gattuso, he used his words, rather than his head.
Redknapp called the French midfielder's two-footed tackle on Spurs defender Vedran Corluka "horrendous", telling reporters that Flamini should have been sent off, and that UEFA should review the tape.
Redknapp continued his bombardment of the Frenchman when talking about a first-half tackle on Rafael van der Vaart, saying that hit merited a card as well.
While the longtime manager is just sticking up for his players' safety, he must keep in mind that UEFA, much like the FA in England, are not too keen on managers telling them what to do, and they're especially not keen on those same managers criticizing the officials.
Wesley Sneijder Fires Back at Rafa Benitez
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Last week, we told you about former Inter Milan manager Rafa Benitez whining about the team's treatment of injured players and his lack of funds to reinvent the club, as Rafa blasted the Italian giants over his sacking earlier this year.
Well, one of Rafa's former Inter players, star forward Wesley Sneijder, fired a salvo right back at his former boss, telling reporters that it was largely Rafa's fault that Inter slumped in the first half of the year.
The Dutchman told reporters that he and his teammates have been much happier since Leonardo took over for the Spaniard, and that Rafa insisted on playing him out of position, along with several other players.
"I feel better now, more comfortable in my own skin on the field," Sneijder told AD Sportwereld. "And I would be lying if I said the change in coach had nothing to do with it.
"The new coach, Leonardo, works much more like Mourinho. Everyone feels a lot better with him.''
See, Rafa? It was you.
Hugo Lloris Singing Manchester United's Praises- Before He's Part Of The Team
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French international goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has set off rampant speculation across the football landscape this week, after the Olympique Lyon keeper told reporters it would be "a dream come true" to play for Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United.
It's no secret that Old Trafford is in search of a top-tier keeper to replace the retiring Edwin van der Saar, and one of their favorite targets has been the 24-year-old Frenchman.
But to start singing a new club's praises in the middle of your current season, when there's no chance of leaving before the end of the season, isn't exactly the best idea.
If things go south at Lyon coming down the stretch, don't be surprised to see the burgeoning keeper take some blame.
Raymond Domenech Says French World Cup Not Just His Fault; Does Anyone Buy It?
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The French national team was one of the biggest disgraces of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Led by eccentric manager Raymond Domenech, the team was a model of dysfunction, discord and discontent.
When the French returned home in second-to-last, garnering a single point from the tournament, much of the blame for the catastrophe fell on Domenech, who made his fair share of questionable personnel decisions and alienated players throughout the tournament.
But the Frenchman has fired back at his critics this week, claiming that while he made some bad player choices, the brunt of the blame lays at the feet of the players.
Calling them "foolhardy brats," Domenech said that the players undermined his authority, and that he is no moron.
Call him incompetent, call him ineffective, but clearly the coach is no moron, outside of picking the wrong players, missing the blatantly obvious signs of insurrection and turning the entire team against himself.
Arsenal's War Of Words With Barca
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Barcelona's pursuit of Spanish superstar Cesc Fabregas from Arsenal turned downright nasty in the last week, as the Spanish giants struck out at the Gunners, telling the media that "Justice" would be served if Barca could re-claim the talented Fabregas.
For those who don't remember, Arsenal snagged Cesc from the Catalan side when he was 16, and Barcelona has been pursuing him ever since.
But, as always, Gunner coach Arsene Wenger didn't take the criticism lying down, turning the tables on Barca's claims.
"Where do they get their players?" Wenger said, "Where does Messi come from? Barcelona? At what age did they take him? Twelve years old. There's no reason for any bitterness because we did nothing illegal."
Wenger is always quick to defend his practices, right or wrong, but given Barca's inability to pry Fabregas from the Gunners' hands makes their grapes taste a little sour.
Chelsea In Hot Water Over Ake Transfer
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Chelsea looked to be in good shape when the transfer window closed at the end of January, but news of a probe into the signing of a Dutch teenager could prove troublesome for the London giants.
The Blues signed Nathan Ake early in the season from Dutch club Feyenoord, with the help of agent Dan Kramp.
But there was a problem; the talented teenager was 15. In the Netherlands, it is illegal for footballers to have an agent until they're 16.
The Dutch Football Association told reporters that they would look into Kramp's involvement in the signing, and that it could potentially result in Ake returning to Feyenoord.
West Ham Take Home Olympic Stadium, But Leyton Orient Not Done Yet
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West Ham has been awarded the rights to London's Olympic Stadium once the 2012 Games draw to a close, according to multiple media outlets.
The Hammers beat out both Tottenham Hotspur and Leyton Orient for the rights to the stadium, and most thought the issue was finished.
But according to a press conference Barry Hearn gave yesterday, the club is pursuing potential legal action against the Hammers, to ensure the ground does not go to them.
The League One side initially rejected an offer from the FA to take the stadium, citing a need to keep the running track as one of the primary reasons. But now that a Premiership club is plopping down right next to them, Orient are putting up a bit of a stink.
They claim that having a Premiership club so close would all but doom their club, as they already struggle to sell tickets.
Maybe they should have simply taken the FA up on their offer, and they wouldn't have had the problem in the first place.
Gennaro Gattuso Doesn't Like Joe Jordan
9 of 10By now, we've all seen the footage of AC Milan's resident hothead, Gennaro Gattuso, blowing up in the face of Tottenham assistant manager Joe Jordan.
Jordan and Gattuso got into it early in the second half of the match, and the Milan midfielder gave the coach a nice little shove.
Apparently, Gattuso went off again at something the coach said after the match, and went full caveman, headbutting the coach before walking off.
Now, the question is: how long will the Italian's suspension be? Regardless of whether he was provoked, Gattuso physically assaulted an opposing coach during a match, and again after, and there is video evidence of each altercation. You can bet he'll be on the bench for a while after this one.
FIFA Begins Turkish Match-Fixing Investigation
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The football world got quite the shake-up this week when FIFA announced plans to investigate claims that four national teams were brought to Turkey to take part in exhibition matches believed to be part of a match fixing scheme.
Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria and Bolivia were all invited to take part in the two-match exhibition by Footy Sport International, an independent company.
But all seven goals scored in those two games came off of penalty kicks, including one where the kick was re-taken when the initial shot was missed.
Add to that the fact that the referees for the matches were not FIFA sanctioned, and that no one is really sure whether Footy Sport International has the authority to actually put the games on, and you've got what sounds like a match-fixing case at it's finest.
FIFA always comes down hard on cases like this (remember Zimbabwe in 2009?), and they've worked to preserve the game's integrity. Expect a verdict swiftly, and if necessary, you can bet the punishment will be severe.
