John Terry, Lex Immers, Coleen Rooney and This Week in World Football Scandals
Anti-Semitic chants, marital escapes, goalkeeping regrets and the latest attempts to erase those regrets: it's all part of this week's world football scandals.
Lex Immers of ADO The Hague got caught up in the wrong celebration after his club defeated Ajax. Now he's apologizing for running with a crowd that was belting some unsavory chants. Coleen Rooney, wife of England and Manchester United star Wayne, has fled from her husband temporarily to Barbados.
Arsenal is making a play for Juventus legend Gianluigi Buffon to improve its goalkeeper play. But could they have avoided the problem altogether by signing Petr Cech in 2002?
There's more news involving John Terry's captaincy of England, Jose Mourinho's possible return to the English Premier League and a national rivalry manifesting itself within Tottenham's dressing room.
Let's take a look at the most scandalous news in world football this week.
John Terry Acknowledges That His England Captaincy Isn't Accepted by All
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England manager Fabio Capello stripped John Terry of the country's captaincy just before last summer's World Cup for his alleged affair with teammate Wayne Bridge's ex-girlfriend. Since then, Rio Ferdinand had been made England's captain.
But when England battles Wales this weekend, Ferdinand will be sidelined with injury and Terry will once again be captain. This development has caused some uproar.
How could Capello go back on his decision? Why didn't Ferdinand know sooner? Is it only for this one match?
Although the answers to those first two questions are too difficult to figure out, the last one is worth a stab. You'd have to think there were other options available to Capello besides Terry if the captaincy were for one match. However, this appears more like an audition for retaining skipper privileges full-time.
Terry understands why the decision has come under scrutiny. He has simply maintained that he will do the job to the best of his abilities and that he has learned from the experience.
Jose Mourinho Already Looking Beyond His Time at Real Madrid
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The most coveted manager in the world appears to already be getting stir crazy in Spain. In the first year of a four year contract with Real Madrid, Jose Mourinho is already talking about his next job.
He said that ""I miss England and my next job will be in England. There is unfinished business. And I think England wants me back, no?"
Just about every club in the world would consider hiring Mourinho. Real Madrid had to try three times before landing its man. Last season under Mourinho, Inter Milan broke a 45 year European Cup/UEFA Champions League drought and achieved the first Treble (league championship, domestic cup and European cup winners) by an Italian club.
Mourinho spoke of unfinished business in England. It's safe to say he means winning a UEFA Champions League title with an English club. He's done so with Portuguese side Porto, in Italy with Inter and will have his opportunities in Spain with Real Madrid. Maybe a move back to Chelsea is inevitable for The Special One.
Arsenal Passed on Chelsea's Petr Cech
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If only life had a reset button, Arsenal may have the goalkeeper it so desperately wants now. In 2002, Arsenal's pursuit of Petr Cech fell apart. Much of the blame landed on Cech's inability to secure a work permit.
But Cech believes that the Gunners scouts didn't believe he had what it took to play in the English Premier League and told manager Arsene Wenger to steer clear.
He's definitively proven any such ideas wrong in his time at Chelsea, becoming one of the best goalies in the world.
Arsenal received terrific goalkeeping from Jens Lehmann instead but now is looking for someone to improve what has been marginal goalkeeping in 2010-11.
Do Arsenal Have a Chance at Juventus Goalie Gianluigi Buffon?
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He's an Italian legend and more specifically a Juventus legend. But is Gianluigi Buffon truly considering a move to London to play for Arsenal?
Buffon was admirably loyal to Juve in 2007 when the team was relegated to Serie B for being a part of a match-rigging scandal. Buffon could have left to any number of clubs that played in an elite league but stayed with Juventus.
That was then, however, and club and goalkeeper are not on the same page now. Juve wants to cut Gigi's salary. He believes he deserves what he is currently owed.
So does Arsenal.
The English Premier League club wants to make a run at Buffon this summer. Reports are that Buffon would consider the move despite having turned down an offer from Manchester United last summer. Arsenal striker Robin Van Persie may have to be part of the deal to get Juventus on board.
Lex Immers Apologizes for Post-Match Celebration Involving Anti-Semitic Chants
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Lex Immers was celebrating his club, ADO The Hague, beating Ajax 3-2 outside of a bar when a regrettable chant broke out behind him.
As the Associated Press reported:
"An Internet video appears to show Immers and others standing on a bar while fans chant 'We're going hunting Jews!' Ajax is identified with Amsterdam's Jewish community."
Ouch.
Immers was fined by his club and apologized on the club's website, stating that he was "not conscious at the time of the insulting tone" of the chant. Really? That's the defense you're going with, Lex?
It's be more believable to just claim that you were unconscious altogether. Better yet, how about just say it was unfortunate timing and encourage your fans to refrain form such chants?
Gago Looks to Be on His Way out of Real Madrid
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Injuries have slowed Fernando Gago at Real Madrid this season and the club has gone out and signed players that play his position. Gago was a signing of a different regime of Real Madrid and it looks like he is being ushered out.
Potential suitors are Tottenham, Everton and Liverpool. Maybe a move to England is what the once dynamic midfielder needs.
While the Argentine dazzled under Fabio Capello, he's greatly fallen out of favor under Jose Mourinho. There is still a strong possibility that Gago can find the form that made him a top player for Real Madrid. The English clubs hope to be the beneficiary.
Jermain Defoe Wants to Shut Teammate Gareth Bale Up
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Tottenham Hotspur teammate Gareth Bale and Jermain Defoe look awfully chummy while embracing on the pitch. But don't expect any of that this weekend when the Welshman and the Englishman meet with their national sides in a Euro 2012 qualifier.
Apparently, Bale has been talking trash leading up to the match despite being out several weeks with injury. He's fit now and looking forward to getting after Defoe and his English mates.
Defoe is anxious to get the decision and put an end to the banter. Or does he just want to start his own? That's what it sounds like.
For now, he's being cordial in stating that Bale is Wales' biggest threat to England.
Carlos Queiroz's Ban Overturned by Court of Arbitration for Sport
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Former Portugal coach Carlos Queiroz was banned for six months by Portugal's anti-doping agency for insulting an anti-doping team testing the Portugal nation team before the World Cup.
That ruling has been overturned by the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Allegedly, Queiroz disrupted the anti-doping team's work. However, the CAS deemed that no players were present during the alleged abuse and therefore the sample collection process was not disrupted.
That's all well and good, but Queiroz was still given a one month ban by Portugal's soccer federation and then fired for poor results.
What's still to come is whether or not Queiroz is given any restitution.
Newcastle to Discipline Trio That Went Nightclubbing Night Before Match
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Footballers love their tattoos. Some love them so much so that they go shirtless in nightclubs to show them off on the eve of English Premier League matches.
That's what Newcastle's Leon Best, Stephen Ireland and Stephen Folan did the night before being shellacked by Stoke City 4-0.
Pictures surfaced of the trio at Tup Tup Palace in Newcastle shirtless, flaunting their tattoos. Now they will face punishment from manager Alan Pardew.
Coleen Rooney Jets with Family to Barbados to Escape Wayne
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Wayne Rooney's infidelity by way of prostitutes while his wife, Coleen, was pregnant, has not surprisingly put a strain on the couple's marriage.
Coleen has reportedly flown off to Barbados with her family to remove herself from the relationship temporarily.
That's got to be nice. "Hey Sweetheart, I think we could use a few days apart. You go play football for one of the greatest clubs in the world and I'll go to one of the most wonderful places in the world. I'll load up my whole family while I'm at it."
It's true that money isn't everything, but it must surely help out from time to time.
