Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has claimed that Javier Mascherano will never play for Liverpool again, and that the English outfit must allow the midfielder to leave.
Indeed, the Argentine forward believes that the Reds are being more than unfair to Mascherano in the way that they are handling his situation.
Mascherano was omitted from the Liverpool squad which lost at Manchester City on Monday, with manager Roy Hodgson claiming that the player's head was not right for the game.
That reportedly created some bad feeling at Anfield, with Mascherano training alone at the club on Tuesday.
But Messi maintains that there can only be one outcome to the situation.
"Javier won't play for the club again, I can assure you of that, and I think the Liverpool coach knows that now," said Messi, according to the Daily Express.
"Javier's family are unhappy and the pressure of seeing that is making him depressed. Liverpool must act humanely and let him go."
Thursday, August 26, 2010
La Furia Liga: Week 1 Preview
For most football fans, the European soccer season started on August 14 with the kickoff of the English Premier League. On August 28, Serie A and La Liga finish the drawn-out start of the season as all of the top European leagues will then be underway.
From third place down to the middle of the table, La Liga appears poised to see a massive shuffle this season. Valencia’s financial problems have finally forced them to liquidate some of their prized on-field assets, Sevilla have looked poor in the Spanish Super Cup and UEFA Champions League qualification, and Mallorca are unlikely to overachieve again after losing some quality players (and their league position being a bit of an anomaly anyway). Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, and others are likely to improve on where they finished last season.
As for the title, only two teams appear in that race. Barcelona and Real Madrid should open up a massive gap on third place and make the title a two-horse race by October. Could a league have two teams reach 100 points? This might be the best chance of that happening most of us have ever seen.
None of the big boys square off against each other in the first week of action, but there are still plenty of intriguing fixtures.
Valencia at Malaga
Saturday, Aug. 28, 2:00 pm EST
Valencia are a team with a lot of questions to answer. This offseason, the team saw a mass exodus of talent. Most notably, David Villa and David Silva left on big money deals, but role players Nikola Zigic, Carlos Marchena, and Alexis departed as well. They have been replaced by considerably more cost-effective players like Mehmet Topal, Tino Costa, Aritz Aduriz, and Sofiane Feghouli. Valencia are a team in a serious financial crisis due to their inability to sell the old Mestalla and increasing construction costs on the Nou Mestalla, but they have done well to replace their high-priced stars with quality, affordable players. However, it remains to be seen whether or not these players can propel Valencia to yet another top-four finish.
Malaga appears to be a team with a bright future after Qatari billionaire Sheikh Abdullah purchased the team in June. He has a vision of Malaga as a team firmly placed in the top half of the table and he plans on achieving that goal through significant, yet responsible, investment in the squad. The reasonably priced yet solid additions of Eliseu Pereira, Javier Malagueno, Salomon Rondon, Sebastian Fernandez, Rodrigo Galatto, and Quincy reflect this. Even more important than the players may be the addition of manager Jesualdo Ferreira, a man who has managed Benfica, Braga, and Porto in recent years.
Valencia’s new boys might get off to a tough start on the road. Malaga won’t make them whipping boys, but a scoring draw seems like a reasonable outcome. Let’s call it a 2-2 draw.
Sevilla at Levante
Saturday, Aug. 28, 4:00 pm EST
After getting thoroughly embarrassed by Barcelona on the weekend in the Spanish Super Cup and crashing out of Champions League to Braga in the middle of the week, Sevilla are understandably void of confidence at the moment. Defenders Adriano and Sebastien Squillaci have departed the club and Sevilla appears to be struggling to replace them. Alexis was purchased from Valencia to fill Squilacci’s shoes, but most consider him a downgrade for Sevilla. Luis Fabiano is rumored to be out the door before the transfer window closes and Frederic Kanoute isn’t getting any younger. If Sevilla wants to finish this season in the top four again, they will need Jesus Navas, Alvaro Negredo, Diego Capel, and Didier Zokora to be as good as they were last season, if not better. Unfortunately for Sevilla, if the back four doesn’t shape up, the star power of those players might not prove enough to get them a Champions League place.
After a two year sentence in the Segunda division, Levante has returned to La Liga. With limited resources, they have relied on free transfers and loan signings to build a side that can compete in the top flight. Still, they were only promoted by the slimmest of margins, leaving Sevilla’s rivals Real Betis in the second division in heartbreaking fashion. The additions of Uruguayans Christian Stuani and Nacho Gonzalez could be a big help for Levante, but ultimately, they lack a deep squad and will struggle to avoid the drop this season.
A match against a relegation battler to open the season is just what the doctor ordered for a shaky Sevilla side. 3-1 to Sevilla is my prediction, even Levante should be able to get one goal past the current Sevilla defense
Barcelona at Racing Santander
Sunday, Aug. 29, 1:00 pm EST
If you’re reading this column, you probably don’t have to be told about the squad that Barcelona possess. They sold off Yaya Toure and Dmytro Chygrynskiy while allowing Rafael Marquez and Thierry Henry to leave on free transfers, but they also added Adriano from Sevilla as well as the biggest signing in Europe this offseason, striker David Villa from Valencia. Additionally, the Mascherano saga is still brewing. The Liverpool defensive midfielder refused to play against Manchester City last weekend and appears to be on the move to Barca shortly. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s future hangs in the balanced with a rumored move to AC Milan possibly on the horizon, but for now Ibrahimovic is a Barcelona player who gives manager Pep Guardiola a ridiculous number of quality options in his attack. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Alves, Pedro, Pique, Puyol, Abidal, and Busquets all return, among others. Barcelona doesn’t have quite the depth of title rivals Real Madrid, but their first XI is almost certainly the best in the world.
Racing Santander are another team with financial restrictions that have been forced to scavenge for talent on loans and free transfers. They have been raided by Real Madrid in recent years, with both Ezequiel Garay and Sergio Canales departing. Those players have proven next to impossible to replace and Racing appear to be in for a long fight near the bottom of the table this season. They only finished three points clear of the drop last year with Canales on the team, so many bookmakers have made them favorites to go down now that he has departed.
Barcelona will likely pile on the misery for Racing this weekend. A 4-0 result wouldn’t shock anyone.
Real Madrid at Mallorca
Sunday, Aug. 29, 3:00 pm EST
After adding a variety of new Galacticos last season, Real Madrid made their new manager the biggest Galactico this season. A year removed from an impressive Internazionale treble, Jose Mourinho has taken over at the Santiago Bernebeu. While Real had no transfers of the magnitude of Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, they didn’t cut off the spending entirely, adding six quality players. Angel di Maria, Sergio Canales, Sami Khedira, Mesut Oezil, Pedro Leon, and Ricardo Carvalho have all joined the Special One’s new look Galacticos. Khedira, in particular, appears to be a symbol of the difference between Mourinho’s style and the classic reputation of Real Madrid. The German international is a true work horse and a two-way player, two elements that have been sorely lacking in Madrid in recent years. With club legends Raul and Guti now departed, little remains of the old guard of original Galacticos at Real Madrid. It truly is the Ronaldo and Jose show now. Real will have their work cut out for them all season to keep pace with Barcelona, but their depth is a certain advantage.
Mallorca finished fifth in La Liga last season, occupying fourth place for large chunks of the season. When the team failed to make the Champions League, their financial problems were exposed. Mallorca entered administration and it was revealed that their debts approached 50 million Euros. The club has since been sold, but due to their poor financial situation, Mallorca has been denied entry into this year’s UEFA Europa League. A variety of quality players have left the team and they are left with only 17 players who have high-level professional experience. The remaining players are of a sufficient quality that Mallorca should be able to avoid the relegation race this season, but a top half finish seems unrealistic.
Real Madrid will want to start the season emphatically, and they should succeed. 3-0 to Los Merengues.
Player to Watch
After a fairly successful career in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund, Paraguayan international Nelson Valdez surprisingly moved to Hercules in the offseason. His side opens with a tough match against Athletic Bilbao. It will be interesting to see if Valdez can aid a Hercules side that made multiple unorthodox signings out of the relegation fight.
Potential Dud
Tino Costa had a good couple of years at Montpellier, but I’m not sure he’s going to have the same impact for Valencia. His life would have been easy feeding off David Silva and David Villa, but with those players gone, he’s going to be expected to grab games by the scruff of the neck. I’m not sure he’s up to the task.
Bored to Tears
Since entertaining sides Villarreal and Getafe play at the same time, I’d skip Almeria at Osasuna at 11 am EST on Sunday. Snoooore.
Upset Alert
It would only be a minor upset, but I like Espanyol to defeat Getafe this weekend. Los Periquitos added Sergio Garcia and Jesus Datolo in the offseason and I think that both can make a big impact. Datolo has struggled since moving to Europe, but he had a fantastic career at Banfield and Boca Juniors in Argentina and La Liga might be just the right kind of football for him. Getafe lost Pedro Leon’s creativity and eight goals to Real Madrid in the offseason and they should find him to be extremely hard to replace. I’m predicting Espanyol to win 2-1 in a small upset. Sorry, but there doesn’t appear to be any massive upset potential this weekend, unless you want to call an up and coming Malaga side getting a result against a crumbling Valencia club an upset.
From third place down to the middle of the table, La Liga appears poised to see a massive shuffle this season. Valencia’s financial problems have finally forced them to liquidate some of their prized on-field assets, Sevilla have looked poor in the Spanish Super Cup and UEFA Champions League qualification, and Mallorca are unlikely to overachieve again after losing some quality players (and their league position being a bit of an anomaly anyway). Meanwhile, Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, and others are likely to improve on where they finished last season.
As for the title, only two teams appear in that race. Barcelona and Real Madrid should open up a massive gap on third place and make the title a two-horse race by October. Could a league have two teams reach 100 points? This might be the best chance of that happening most of us have ever seen.
None of the big boys square off against each other in the first week of action, but there are still plenty of intriguing fixtures.
Valencia at Malaga
Saturday, Aug. 28, 2:00 pm EST
Valencia are a team with a lot of questions to answer. This offseason, the team saw a mass exodus of talent. Most notably, David Villa and David Silva left on big money deals, but role players Nikola Zigic, Carlos Marchena, and Alexis departed as well. They have been replaced by considerably more cost-effective players like Mehmet Topal, Tino Costa, Aritz Aduriz, and Sofiane Feghouli. Valencia are a team in a serious financial crisis due to their inability to sell the old Mestalla and increasing construction costs on the Nou Mestalla, but they have done well to replace their high-priced stars with quality, affordable players. However, it remains to be seen whether or not these players can propel Valencia to yet another top-four finish.
Malaga appears to be a team with a bright future after Qatari billionaire Sheikh Abdullah purchased the team in June. He has a vision of Malaga as a team firmly placed in the top half of the table and he plans on achieving that goal through significant, yet responsible, investment in the squad. The reasonably priced yet solid additions of Eliseu Pereira, Javier Malagueno, Salomon Rondon, Sebastian Fernandez, Rodrigo Galatto, and Quincy reflect this. Even more important than the players may be the addition of manager Jesualdo Ferreira, a man who has managed Benfica, Braga, and Porto in recent years.
Valencia’s new boys might get off to a tough start on the road. Malaga won’t make them whipping boys, but a scoring draw seems like a reasonable outcome. Let’s call it a 2-2 draw.
Sevilla at Levante
Saturday, Aug. 28, 4:00 pm EST
After getting thoroughly embarrassed by Barcelona on the weekend in the Spanish Super Cup and crashing out of Champions League to Braga in the middle of the week, Sevilla are understandably void of confidence at the moment. Defenders Adriano and Sebastien Squillaci have departed the club and Sevilla appears to be struggling to replace them. Alexis was purchased from Valencia to fill Squilacci’s shoes, but most consider him a downgrade for Sevilla. Luis Fabiano is rumored to be out the door before the transfer window closes and Frederic Kanoute isn’t getting any younger. If Sevilla wants to finish this season in the top four again, they will need Jesus Navas, Alvaro Negredo, Diego Capel, and Didier Zokora to be as good as they were last season, if not better. Unfortunately for Sevilla, if the back four doesn’t shape up, the star power of those players might not prove enough to get them a Champions League place.
After a two year sentence in the Segunda division, Levante has returned to La Liga. With limited resources, they have relied on free transfers and loan signings to build a side that can compete in the top flight. Still, they were only promoted by the slimmest of margins, leaving Sevilla’s rivals Real Betis in the second division in heartbreaking fashion. The additions of Uruguayans Christian Stuani and Nacho Gonzalez could be a big help for Levante, but ultimately, they lack a deep squad and will struggle to avoid the drop this season.
A match against a relegation battler to open the season is just what the doctor ordered for a shaky Sevilla side. 3-1 to Sevilla is my prediction, even Levante should be able to get one goal past the current Sevilla defense
Barcelona at Racing Santander
Sunday, Aug. 29, 1:00 pm EST
If you’re reading this column, you probably don’t have to be told about the squad that Barcelona possess. They sold off Yaya Toure and Dmytro Chygrynskiy while allowing Rafael Marquez and Thierry Henry to leave on free transfers, but they also added Adriano from Sevilla as well as the biggest signing in Europe this offseason, striker David Villa from Valencia. Additionally, the Mascherano saga is still brewing. The Liverpool defensive midfielder refused to play against Manchester City last weekend and appears to be on the move to Barca shortly. Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s future hangs in the balanced with a rumored move to AC Milan possibly on the horizon, but for now Ibrahimovic is a Barcelona player who gives manager Pep Guardiola a ridiculous number of quality options in his attack. Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Alves, Pedro, Pique, Puyol, Abidal, and Busquets all return, among others. Barcelona doesn’t have quite the depth of title rivals Real Madrid, but their first XI is almost certainly the best in the world.
Racing Santander are another team with financial restrictions that have been forced to scavenge for talent on loans and free transfers. They have been raided by Real Madrid in recent years, with both Ezequiel Garay and Sergio Canales departing. Those players have proven next to impossible to replace and Racing appear to be in for a long fight near the bottom of the table this season. They only finished three points clear of the drop last year with Canales on the team, so many bookmakers have made them favorites to go down now that he has departed.
Barcelona will likely pile on the misery for Racing this weekend. A 4-0 result wouldn’t shock anyone.
Real Madrid at Mallorca
Sunday, Aug. 29, 3:00 pm EST
After adding a variety of new Galacticos last season, Real Madrid made their new manager the biggest Galactico this season. A year removed from an impressive Internazionale treble, Jose Mourinho has taken over at the Santiago Bernebeu. While Real had no transfers of the magnitude of Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo this summer, they didn’t cut off the spending entirely, adding six quality players. Angel di Maria, Sergio Canales, Sami Khedira, Mesut Oezil, Pedro Leon, and Ricardo Carvalho have all joined the Special One’s new look Galacticos. Khedira, in particular, appears to be a symbol of the difference between Mourinho’s style and the classic reputation of Real Madrid. The German international is a true work horse and a two-way player, two elements that have been sorely lacking in Madrid in recent years. With club legends Raul and Guti now departed, little remains of the old guard of original Galacticos at Real Madrid. It truly is the Ronaldo and Jose show now. Real will have their work cut out for them all season to keep pace with Barcelona, but their depth is a certain advantage.
Mallorca finished fifth in La Liga last season, occupying fourth place for large chunks of the season. When the team failed to make the Champions League, their financial problems were exposed. Mallorca entered administration and it was revealed that their debts approached 50 million Euros. The club has since been sold, but due to their poor financial situation, Mallorca has been denied entry into this year’s UEFA Europa League. A variety of quality players have left the team and they are left with only 17 players who have high-level professional experience. The remaining players are of a sufficient quality that Mallorca should be able to avoid the relegation race this season, but a top half finish seems unrealistic.
Real Madrid will want to start the season emphatically, and they should succeed. 3-0 to Los Merengues.
Player to Watch
After a fairly successful career in the Bundesliga with Werder Bremen and Borussia Dortmund, Paraguayan international Nelson Valdez surprisingly moved to Hercules in the offseason. His side opens with a tough match against Athletic Bilbao. It will be interesting to see if Valdez can aid a Hercules side that made multiple unorthodox signings out of the relegation fight.
Potential Dud
Tino Costa had a good couple of years at Montpellier, but I’m not sure he’s going to have the same impact for Valencia. His life would have been easy feeding off David Silva and David Villa, but with those players gone, he’s going to be expected to grab games by the scruff of the neck. I’m not sure he’s up to the task.
Bored to Tears
Since entertaining sides Villarreal and Getafe play at the same time, I’d skip Almeria at Osasuna at 11 am EST on Sunday. Snoooore.
Upset Alert
It would only be a minor upset, but I like Espanyol to defeat Getafe this weekend. Los Periquitos added Sergio Garcia and Jesus Datolo in the offseason and I think that both can make a big impact. Datolo has struggled since moving to Europe, but he had a fantastic career at Banfield and Boca Juniors in Argentina and La Liga might be just the right kind of football for him. Getafe lost Pedro Leon’s creativity and eight goals to Real Madrid in the offseason and they should find him to be extremely hard to replace. I’m predicting Espanyol to win 2-1 in a small upset. Sorry, but there doesn’t appear to be any massive upset potential this weekend, unless you want to call an up and coming Malaga side getting a result against a crumbling Valencia club an upset.
Sergio Ramos: Real Madrid Are Not Inferior To Barcelona
Sergio Ramos has insisted that Real Madrid are not an inferior team to Primera Division champions Barcelona, and claims that los Blancos' target for the season is simple – to win everything.
The Spanish international conducted an interview with publication Marca, during which he discussed his aspirations for the year ahead, and how things have changed under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho, but began with his assessment of the current title incumbents.
Ramos said of Pep Guadiola’s champions, “Barcelona are not invincible. They have demonstrated in recent years that they have a great team, and right now they are one of the best, but we do not feel inferior to them or anyone.
“We are a team with aspirations to will titles in all competitions. Of course, we will fight against Barcelona, and those who are ahead of us.”
The former Sevilla defender also fielded questions comparing the arrival of Mourinho to the atmosphere at the club under previous coach Manuel Pellegrini, and added that the squad are delighted to have the Special One in the dugout.
He exclaimed, “We are privileged to have a coach like him, because he is very hard working, always seeking perfection, and brings the best performance from all of the players. He loves to work, and asks you to train like you play.
He has a great track record, and has won titles at every club where he has been, because of the treatment provided to his players and the harmony he has had with them.
The Spanish international conducted an interview with publication Marca, during which he discussed his aspirations for the year ahead, and how things have changed under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho, but began with his assessment of the current title incumbents.
Ramos said of Pep Guadiola’s champions, “Barcelona are not invincible. They have demonstrated in recent years that they have a great team, and right now they are one of the best, but we do not feel inferior to them or anyone.
“We are a team with aspirations to will titles in all competitions. Of course, we will fight against Barcelona, and those who are ahead of us.”
The former Sevilla defender also fielded questions comparing the arrival of Mourinho to the atmosphere at the club under previous coach Manuel Pellegrini, and added that the squad are delighted to have the Special One in the dugout.
He exclaimed, “We are privileged to have a coach like him, because he is very hard working, always seeking perfection, and brings the best performance from all of the players. He loves to work, and asks you to train like you play.
He has a great track record, and has won titles at every club where he has been, because of the treatment provided to his players and the harmony he has had with them.
Diego Milito Is The UEFA Club Footballer Of The Year
Inter striker Diego Milito has been selected as the UEFA Club Footballer of the Year at the Champions League group stage draw in Monaco.
Meanwhile, the individual position awards were decided as well as the Nerazurri took a clean sweep. Goal.com breaks it down.
UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year: Julio Cesar
Nominees: Julio Cesar, Hugo Lloris, Victor Valdes
UEFA Club Defender of the Year: Maicon
Nominees: Lucio, Maicon, Gerard Pique
UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year: Wesley Sneijder
Nominees: Xavi, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder.
UEFA Club Striker of the Year: Diego Milito
Nominees: Lionel Messi, Diego Milito, Wayne Rooney.
Meanwhile, the individual position awards were decided as well as the Nerazurri took a clean sweep. Goal.com breaks it down.
UEFA Club Goalkeeper of the Year: Julio Cesar
Nominees: Julio Cesar, Hugo Lloris, Victor Valdes
UEFA Club Defender of the Year: Maicon
Nominees: Lucio, Maicon, Gerard Pique
UEFA Club Midfielder of the Year: Wesley Sneijder
Nominees: Xavi, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder.
UEFA Club Striker of the Year: Diego Milito
Nominees: Lionel Messi, Diego Milito, Wayne Rooney.
Champions League Comment: Europe's Elite Level Of Competiton Needs Europe's Elite Level Of Refereeing
The Champions League is an expensive business.
The penalty shoot-out between Anderlecht and Partizan was valued at €15 million by commentators relishing the prospect of villains being forged at the dramatic conclusion of a riveting tie. Sadly, the spot kicks were conducted on a patch of earth with no more integrity than a cow pat. This set of strikes were more variable than usual as a result of the dreadful, soft condition of the Constant Vanden Stock turf.
However, the Anderlecht goalkeeper, Silvo Proto, did his best to redress the balance in the home side's favor by making two fine saves. What was not taken into account by the matchday officials was the fact that the Belgium international raced two yards off his line to make the saves each time. Quite how a referee and a designated official on the goal-line failed to spot or penalize the infringements is outrageous at this stage of a competition.
It was in keeping with the level of refereeing displayed by Craig Thomson and his team of assistants on the night. A perfectly legitimate goal by the precocious Romelu Lukaku had been chalked off when the momentum was with the Belgian team in the second half. To embellish a slipshod situation, the forward was booked for taking off his shirt in celebration before noticing the assistant referee's errant flag. And where was the fifth/sixth official? If he was not monitoring the action in the penalty box, then what on earth was he looking at? The mind boggles. Anderlecht could yet receive the €15m that this play-off was worth as the 17-year-old may now depart for a higher profile side still in the Champions League.
The standard of officiating in Tuesday night's Champions League play-offs was nothing short of scandalous. In a similar fashion to the day at the World Cup when Frank Lampard and Carlos Tevez found themselves at varying ends of the poor refereeing spectrum, the incompetence came thick and fast. Vital calls were blundered all over the continent; now eliminated teams need to countenance their absence from this season's edition, the financial implications of failure and the regret that, on occasion, circumstances beyond their control dictated their doom.
Hapoel Tel Aviv have just secured their first-ever passage to the Champions League group stage, and congratulations to them. Nonetheless, the wheels of progress were slicked by Peter Vink, the referee. Douglas da Silva, on the hour mark, clearly felled Gonzalo Zarate inside the Hapoel area only for play to be waved on. Bizarrely, the assistant referee signaled a corner, although the Brazilian defender did not touch the ball. Again, the role of the goal-line officials needs to be questioned. Had Douglas da Silva been dismissed and a penalty awarded to Salzburg, then the outcome could have been much different.
Sheriff of Moldova were clearly the underdogs against FC Basel but were managing to stay in the tie at home against the Swiss team. That was until, when 1-0 down on the night, captain Vazha Tarkhnishvili was dismissed for the most innocuous of fouls on the edge of his own area. His opponent did him no favors by drawing the official's attention to a non-existent facial injury.
It's not unreasonable to ask the six most important men in the stadium to keep track of the key events of a football match. By missing such vital, game-changing calls, the officials are seriously compromising the integrity of the competition. The play-offs are designed to weed out the weaker teams in the tournament and increase the standard of the group stages. Let's hope the UEFA panel of referees take note of that.
The penalty shoot-out between Anderlecht and Partizan was valued at €15 million by commentators relishing the prospect of villains being forged at the dramatic conclusion of a riveting tie. Sadly, the spot kicks were conducted on a patch of earth with no more integrity than a cow pat. This set of strikes were more variable than usual as a result of the dreadful, soft condition of the Constant Vanden Stock turf.
However, the Anderlecht goalkeeper, Silvo Proto, did his best to redress the balance in the home side's favor by making two fine saves. What was not taken into account by the matchday officials was the fact that the Belgium international raced two yards off his line to make the saves each time. Quite how a referee and a designated official on the goal-line failed to spot or penalize the infringements is outrageous at this stage of a competition.
It was in keeping with the level of refereeing displayed by Craig Thomson and his team of assistants on the night. A perfectly legitimate goal by the precocious Romelu Lukaku had been chalked off when the momentum was with the Belgian team in the second half. To embellish a slipshod situation, the forward was booked for taking off his shirt in celebration before noticing the assistant referee's errant flag. And where was the fifth/sixth official? If he was not monitoring the action in the penalty box, then what on earth was he looking at? The mind boggles. Anderlecht could yet receive the €15m that this play-off was worth as the 17-year-old may now depart for a higher profile side still in the Champions League.
The standard of officiating in Tuesday night's Champions League play-offs was nothing short of scandalous. In a similar fashion to the day at the World Cup when Frank Lampard and Carlos Tevez found themselves at varying ends of the poor refereeing spectrum, the incompetence came thick and fast. Vital calls were blundered all over the continent; now eliminated teams need to countenance their absence from this season's edition, the financial implications of failure and the regret that, on occasion, circumstances beyond their control dictated their doom.
Hapoel Tel Aviv have just secured their first-ever passage to the Champions League group stage, and congratulations to them. Nonetheless, the wheels of progress were slicked by Peter Vink, the referee. Douglas da Silva, on the hour mark, clearly felled Gonzalo Zarate inside the Hapoel area only for play to be waved on. Bizarrely, the assistant referee signaled a corner, although the Brazilian defender did not touch the ball. Again, the role of the goal-line officials needs to be questioned. Had Douglas da Silva been dismissed and a penalty awarded to Salzburg, then the outcome could have been much different.
Sheriff of Moldova were clearly the underdogs against FC Basel but were managing to stay in the tie at home against the Swiss team. That was until, when 1-0 down on the night, captain Vazha Tarkhnishvili was dismissed for the most innocuous of fouls on the edge of his own area. His opponent did him no favors by drawing the official's attention to a non-existent facial injury.
It's not unreasonable to ask the six most important men in the stadium to keep track of the key events of a football match. By missing such vital, game-changing calls, the officials are seriously compromising the integrity of the competition. The play-offs are designed to weed out the weaker teams in the tournament and increase the standard of the group stages. Let's hope the UEFA panel of referees take note of that.
Champions League Draw: Inter Face Tottenham Hotspur; Manchester United Draw Valencia
The 2010-11 UEFA Champions League group stage is now set after the draw took place in Monaco on Thursday and it proposes some interesting match-ups and intriguing possibilities.
The trophy holders Inter have been dealt a tough hand in Group A facing Werder Bremen, Tottenham Hotspur, and Twente. The likely group of death would seem to be Group G with Real Madrid, Milan, Ajax, and Auxerre.
Meanwhile, Barcelona in Group D will be relatively pleased to battle against Panathinaikos, Copenhagen, and Rubin Kazan.
Last year's finalists Bayern Munich also have a Germany - Italy duel versus Roma. Basel and Cluj round out Group E.
English giants Manchester United will take on Valencia, Bursaspor, and Rangers and Chelsea's Didier Drogba will visit his old stomping ground versus Marseille.
The trophy holders Inter have been dealt a tough hand in Group A facing Werder Bremen, Tottenham Hotspur, and Twente. The likely group of death would seem to be Group G with Real Madrid, Milan, Ajax, and Auxerre.
Meanwhile, Barcelona in Group D will be relatively pleased to battle against Panathinaikos, Copenhagen, and Rubin Kazan.
Last year's finalists Bayern Munich also have a Germany - Italy duel versus Roma. Basel and Cluj round out Group E.
English giants Manchester United will take on Valencia, Bursaspor, and Rangers and Chelsea's Didier Drogba will visit his old stomping ground versus Marseille.
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