Babbel safe until winter break: Stuttgart chief
BERLIN (AFP) - Markus Babbel will remain coach of VfB Stuttgart until the winter break despite his team being second from bottom of the Bundesliga with just two wins, the club's president said Tuesday.
Stuttgart have three German league games before the Bundesliga breaks on December 20 and Stuttgart's president Erwin Staudt has promised the 37-year-old former Germany midfielder will remain in charge for those games.
Babbel will oversee the German league games against fellow relegation candidates Bochum on Sunday, then mid-table Mainz 05 and title-contenders Hoffenheim, but he has two wins from 14 Bundesliga games.
Incredibly, a win over Romanian-side Unirea Urziceni on December 9 will put Stuttgart into the knock-out stages of the Champions League despite their struggling place in the Bundesliga.
Babbel safe until winter break: Stuttgart chief
BERLIN (AFP) - Markus Babbel will remain coach of VfB Stuttgart until the winter break despite his team being second from bottom of the Bundesliga with just two wins, the club's president said Tuesday.
Stuttgart have three German league games before the Bundesliga breaks on December 20 and Stuttgart's president Erwin Staudt has promised the 37-year-old former Germany midfielder will remain in charge for those games.
Babbel will oversee the German league games against fellow relegation candidates Bochum on Sunday, then mid-table Mainz 05 and title-contenders Hoffenheim, but he has two wins from 14 Bundesliga games.
Incredibly, a win over Romanian-side Unirea Urziceni on December 9 will put Stuttgart into the knock-out stages of the Champions League despite their struggling place in the Bundesliga.
Aragones tips Spain, Brazil as W.Cup favourites
MADRID (AFP) - European champions Spain are convinced they can win the World Cup this time around and are the favourites along with Brazil, says former Spain coach Luis Aragones.
"The World Cup is not the fairest competition but the big favourites are those two teams," he told Spanish public radio RNE.
Aragones claimed the Spanish were "psychologically" more confident since he led them to their Euro 2008 victory, the squad's first major title in over four decades, and are "convinced they can win" the 2010 World Cup.
Spain climbed back to the top of the FIFA world rankings last month displacing Brazil who had led since July following exhibition wins over fellow World Cup qualifier Argentina and Austria.
They booked their place in South Africa with two matches to spare and went on to win all 10 qualifiers.
Spain have never won a World Cup before. They were favourites in 2006 but were eliminated by France in the second round.
Aragones, 71, took over shortly after Euro 2004 and was replaced by former Real Madrid midfielder Vicente del Bosque after leading Spain to victory at the 2008 European championships.
"Nobody told me to stay on and I had said I was not going to stay, and besides the spanish Football Federation had already spoken to Vicente del Bosque," he said.
Aragones is currently unemployed after spending a year coaching Turkish side Fenerbahce. He said he was willing to coach a new club but not in Spain.
Aragones tips Spain, Brazil as W.Cup favourites
MADRID (AFP) - European champions Spain are convinced they can win the World Cup this time around and are the favourites along with Brazil, says former Spain coach Luis Aragones.
"The World Cup is not the fairest competition but the big favourites are those two teams," he told Spanish public radio RNE.
Aragones claimed the Spanish were "psychologically" more confident since he led them to their Euro 2008 victory, the squad's first major title in over four decades, and are "convinced they can win" the 2010 World Cup.
Spain climbed back to the top of the FIFA world rankings last month displacing Brazil who had led since July following exhibition wins over fellow World Cup qualifier Argentina and Austria.
They booked their place in South Africa with two matches to spare and went on to win all 10 qualifiers.
Spain have never won a World Cup before. They were favourites in 2006 but were eliminated by France in the second round.
Aragones, 71, took over shortly after Euro 2004 and was replaced by former Real Madrid midfielder Vicente del Bosque after leading Spain to victory at the 2008 European championships.
"Nobody told me to stay on and I had said I was not going to stay, and besides the spanish Football Federation had already spoken to Vicente del Bosque," he said.
Aragones is currently unemployed after spending a year coaching Turkish side Fenerbahce. He said he was willing to coach a new club but not in Spain.
DFB drop Ibisevic investigation
BERLIN (AFP) - The disciplinary committee of the German Football Federation (DFB) said Tuesday they had stopped an investigation into Hoffenheim striker Vedad Ibisevic for unsporting conduct.
The 25-year-old clashed with Borussia Dortmund's ex-Germany defender Patrick Owomoyela in the 81st minute of his side's 2-1 defeat at the hand of Borussia Dortmund in Saturday's Bundesliga match.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina forward was being investigated for unsporting conduct after the committee were alerted to a claim Ibisevic pulled Owomoyela's hair which was missed by the referee but later reported to the DFB.
"According to a statement from Patrick Owomoyela, there are no grounds for a charge of unsporting conduct," said the committee chairman Anton Nachreiner.
January transfer Chamakh not an option for Bordeaux
(GSM) - It didn't took Bordaux long to react on the news that Arsenal will make a move for Marouane Chamakh in January. Several British media reported that Arsene Wenger is desperate to sign the Moroccan striker to replace Robin van Persie wo will be sidelined until March. "I have no news about Arsenal's interest in Chamakh," assured Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud.
"For us it is out of the question," the chairman told France Football on Tuesday. "Marouane is such a decisive player, while we have important challenges in Le Championnat and Champions League.
"If we miss our aims because he was sold, we would lose money too. Anyway we won't do anything against the wishes of coach Laurent Blanc."
Chamakh's contract at Bordeaux expires next summer. He was linked with a move to the Premier League last summer but the interested clubs (Arsenal and West Ham United) decided his transfer fee was too high. After that, Chamakh said he wanted to serve his contract in the French wine city. This means he will be able to leave Bordeaux for free, next summer.
January transfer Chamakh not an option for Bordeaux
(GSM) - It didn't took Bordaux long to react on the news that Arsenal will make a move for Marouane Chamakh in January. Several British media reported that Arsene Wenger is desperate to sign the Moroccan striker to replace Robin van Persie wo will be sidelined until March. "I have no news about Arsenal's interest in Chamakh," assured Bordeaux president Jean-Louis Triaud.
"For us it is out of the question," the chairman told France Football on Tuesday. "Marouane is such a decisive player, while we have important challenges in Le Championnat and Champions League.
"If we miss our aims because he was sold, we would lose money too. Anyway we won't do anything against the wishes of coach Laurent Blanc."
Chamakh's contract at Bordeaux expires next summer. He was linked with a move to the Premier League last summer but the interested clubs (Arsenal and West Ham United) decided his transfer fee was too high. After that, Chamakh said he wanted to serve his contract in the French wine city. This means he will be able to leave Bordeaux for free, next summer.
DFB drop Ibisevic investigation
BERLIN (AFP) - The disciplinary committee of the German Football Federation (DFB) said Tuesday they had stopped an investigation into Hoffenheim striker Vedad Ibisevic for unsporting conduct.
The 25-year-old clashed with Borussia Dortmund's ex-Germany defender Patrick Owomoyela in the 81st minute of his side's 2-1 defeat at the hand of Borussia Dortmund in Saturday's Bundesliga match.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina forward was being investigated for unsporting conduct after the committee were alerted to a claim Ibisevic pulled Owomoyela's hair which was missed by the referee but later reported to the DFB.
"According to a statement from Patrick Owomoyela, there are no grounds for a charge of unsporting conduct," said the committee chairman Anton Nachreiner.
No chance Ireland will be at 2010 World Cup: FIFA
CAPE TOWN (AFP) - FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke on Tuesday ruled out any chance of Ireland playing at the 2010 World Cup after the Irish asked to be allowed to compete as a 33rd team.
"We have to be clear that Ireland will not be invited to play at the 2010 World Cup," he said at a press conference ahead of the draw on Friday.
"It's impossible. There is no hope that there will be more than 32 teams at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa."
FIFA president Sepp Blatter revealed this week that Ireland had asked to be allowed to compete as a 33rd team and that it would be put to the FIFA executive committee meeting here on Wednesday.
Irish players launched furious protests when they were eliminated in a play-off with France, after a controversial handball by French captain Thierry Henry led to the decisive French goal.
The play-off was poised at 1-1 on aggregate in the second leg in Paris when Henry controlled the ball with his hand before teeing up William Gallas for the decisive goal.
No chance Ireland will be at 2010 World Cup: FIFA
CAPE TOWN (AFP) - FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke on Tuesday ruled out any chance of Ireland playing at the 2010 World Cup after the Irish asked to be allowed to compete as a 33rd team.
"We have to be clear that Ireland will not be invited to play at the 2010 World Cup," he said at a press conference ahead of the draw on Friday.
"It's impossible. There is no hope that there will be more than 32 teams at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa."
FIFA president Sepp Blatter revealed this week that Ireland had asked to be allowed to compete as a 33rd team and that it would be put to the FIFA executive committee meeting here on Wednesday.
Irish players launched furious protests when they were eliminated in a play-off with France, after a controversial handball by French captain Thierry Henry led to the decisive French goal.
The play-off was poised at 1-1 on aggregate in the second leg in Paris when Henry controlled the ball with his hand before teeing up William Gallas for the decisive goal.