Indonesian Protests and This Week in World Football Scandals
From the UEFA Champions League to the World Cup, there is plenty buzzing in the world of world football. And much of it is on the darker side.
Scandal threatens Indonesian football and controversial refereeing is plaguing the Champions League. But there is plenty going wrong in the English Premier League and in World Cup voting.
And there's a streaker getting tackled—with both the streaker and the tackler being sent off.
Here is the week of world football in scandals.
Van Persie Sending off Leads to UEFA Charges against Wenger and Nasri
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It was a sending off for the howler history books. Robin Van Persie, having earned a yellow card earlier in the second leg of Arsenal's Champions League tie with Barcelona, shot a goal after narrowly being called offside.
He was then shown a second yellow card.
Van Persie and the rest of the Gunners couldn't believe what had just happened. Van Persie kicked the ball, but one second after, Massimo Busacca blew his whistle. Van Persie's protest was classic: he stood in front of Busacca, circling with arms outstretched to point out the 90,000 supports screaming at Camp Nou.
Manager Arsene Wenger and Van Persie both delivered angry interviews after their 3-1 defeat and 4-3 aggregate exit. Van Persie called Busacca "a joke," and Wenger said that UEFA officials were "shocked" by the decision.
Samir Nasri took a shot at Busacca in Twitter. Both Wenger and Nasri were charged with improper conduct and could face a ban if found guilty. Van Persie has yet to be charged.
What will Busacca be charged with? Being a tyrant?
AC Milan's Mathieu Flamini Not Sorry about His Rash Foul against Tottenham
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The man on the stretcher is Tottenham Vedran Corluka, victim of Mathieu Flamini's two-footed challenge in the first leg of AC Milan and Tottenham's Round of 16 Champions League tie.
Flamini's tackle was reckless and left Hotspur supporters wanting a red card. But Flamini was only shown a yellow.
Flamini said that he was sorry to have caused Corluka an ankle injury but also that he didn't regret it. He said he was going for the ball. With two feet. Elevated from the ground.
Tottenham got the last laugh when it advanced with 1-0 aggregate on Wednesday.
Indonesians Cry Foul on Chairman of Nation's Football Association
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Nurdin Halid has been the chairman of the Football Association of Indonesia since 2003—despite being in prison twice for corruption convictions.
The public is finally fed up. They have taken to the streets in an attempt to get Halid out of his current position. They believe he has run their nation's football into a twisted knot of corruption that has benefited Halid and his political pals.
The public has the backing of some government officials who have engaged Halid in a challenge for his job.
Man City's Kolo Toure Tests Positive for Banned Substance
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Kolo Toure failed a drug test after Manchester City's derby match against Manchester United last month for a banned substance.
His "A" sample contained a "specified substance" and is now suspended from everything Manchester City while the legal process carries out.
Toure will receive a personal hearing and can also request that his 'B' sample, which was given at the same time, be tested. If found guilty, Toure could face a two-year ban.
Player-Manager Sent off after Tackling Streaker
5 of 10Ashley Vickers switched from football to American football for a moment, tackling a streaker that had been avoiding the waddling pitch security and probably would have for some time if an athlete didn't get involved.
But the referee didn't appreciate the Dorchester Town player-manager's actions, sending him off for getting the match back to action.
Dorchester ended up losing to Havant and Waterlooville, 3-1.
Boston Buyer Has His Eye on Italian Side Roma
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One man's trash is another man's treasure. AS Roma is plenty of Italians' trash right now after hardly showing up in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, losing on a 6-2 aggregate to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk.
Thomas DiBenedetto, part owner of the Boston Red Sox and five other buyers are in talks to buy Roma. If the group were successful in obtaining the Serie A side, it would be the second time time in six months that a Boston buyer had purchased a major European football club.
English Premier League power Liverpool was acquired by New Sports Ventures in the fall.
Is America trying to take over the world's game; the game this country has largely ignored? The American owners of Manchester United have the club up for sale, so maybe not.
World Cup Voting Corruption Controversy Gets New Investigator
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BBC's Panorama will make a documentary film about the World Cup voting corruption involving the 2018 and 2022 World Cups. Allegations arose last November that Russia and Qatar bought votes to ensure that football's biggest tournament would be held on their soils.
England is still awaiting the explanation from the FA as to why its bid failed.
The last thing that the FA wants is for journalists to be digging around and stirring up more credibility issues and then broadcasting it for everyone to see.
Is Avram Grant Heading Back to Chelsea?
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Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich reportedly wants current West Ham boss and former Chelsea boss Avram Grant back at Stanford Bridge.
Whether that would be as manager or sporting director is obviously unknown considering this story is just in the rumor stages.
Grant's job security at West Ham is also unknown, even though he signed a four-year extension in June and still has a chance to keep his club in the English Premiership. It is currently third from the bottom of the EPL table.
Dario Srna Gets Carded after Taking Elbow from Daniele De Rossi
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Imagine your home is robbed and the burglar sticks around for the police to show up. When they do, the police arrest you.
That's essentially what happened when AS Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk played the second leg of their Champions League tie. Roma's Daniele De Rossi intentionally elbowed Shakhtar's Dario Srna. Referee Howard Webb apparently didn't see the offense and booked Srna for his ongoing protest.
It ended up being a moot point as Shakhtar advanced easily to the final eight.
FA Charge Queens Park Rangers for Breaching Agent Regulations
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The FA has charged Football League Championship side Queens Park Rangers with violating Third Party and Agent Regulations.
There are seven charges surrounding an alleged agreement between a third party and the club in relation to the transfer of Alejandro Faurlin. The transfer was completed in July 2009.
The charges included failure to notify The Fa of the agreement, falsifying information and seeking to pay an unauthorized agent.
This threatens the FLC's leaders' potential promotion to the English Premier League.
