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July 2001 It was supposed to be a friendly match. However Sevilla's pre-season opener against Portuguese side Farense ended up in a near riot, with the Spanish side's Olivera getting himself sent off early in the first half and the home team's Pinhal joining him late in the second. Sevilla's new signing Javi Navarro was taken off with a broken arm as the game degenerated, and the game ended with a 2-0 victory to the Portuguese. As the referees entered the tunnel at the end an argument broke out between Olivera and a linesman, and suddenly a blow came from nowhere which left the official with a badly cut lip. Nobody was sure who had done it, and one of Sevilla's technical staff was incorrectly blamed at first. But then the following day the mystery was resolved when television cameras from Spain's Antena Tres revealed the truth. The culprit was none other than club captain José Miguel Prieto, who had been caught on film uncharacteristically lashing out in anger. On seeing the incident the quick thinking Sevilla staff got him out of the scene quickly and in to the changing rooms, and then in true James Bond style took him through the back window and in to a waiting car. Prieto has since apologised, but the incident was reported to the footballing authorities as well as the local police and the veteran defender could face a lengthy ban. (29.07.01) It was supposed to be a friendly match. However Sevilla's pre-season opener against Portuguese side Farense ended up in a near riot, with the Spanish side's Olivera getting himself sent off early in the first half and the home team's Pinhal joining him late in the second. Sevilla's new signing Javi Navarro was taken off with a broken arm as the game degenerated, and the game ended with a 2-0 victory to the Portuguese. As the referees entered the tunnel at the end an argument broke out between Olivera and a linesman, and suddenly a blow came from nowhere which left the official with a badly cut lip. Nobody was sure who had done it, and one of Sevilla's technical staff was incorrectly blamed at first. But then the following day the mystery was resolved when television cameras from Spain's Antena Tres revealed the truth. The culprit was none other than club captain José Miguel Prieto, who had been caught on film uncharacteristically lashing out in anger. On seeing the incident the quick thinking Sevilla staff got him out of the scene quickly and in to the changing rooms, and then in true James Bond style took him through the back window and in to a waiting car. Prieto has since apologised, but the incident was reported to the footballing authorities as well as the local police and the veteran defender could face a lengthy ban. (29.07.01) Ex-Barcelona and Real Madrid star Bernd Schuster is taking on a great new challenge or is getting himself into a real mess, depending on whom you listen to. Schuster has taken on his first coaching assignment in Spain at Xerez, newly promoted to the second division A. Having failed to sign on big name stars such as Davor Suker and Bebeto, he is building a more modest side, taking on several new players, including a couple of Atlético Madrid's cast-offs, Racing's Dani Cobo and Eintracht Frankfurt's Kutschera. But trouble is looming on the horizon, with controversial club president Luis Oliver fighting with the mayor of Jerez Pedro Pacheco, who wants the club to return to the hands of the local council. Pacheco has accused Oliver of being a 'gangster', and has refused to let the club use their Chapín stadium next season, which he wants to convert into a horse-jumping arena in time for next year's World Championship. Pacheco also advised Schuster to pack his bags and leave, saying that he did not have the qualifications to manage the team. Schuster however has said that he is staying, and Oliver is trying to register the Olympic stadium in Sevilla, 80 kilometres away, as the team's ground. The fun is just beginning. (20.07.01) The date is fast approaching when all clubs have to be up to date with their payments to their players, or face relegation. Last year both Mérida and Logroñes were unable to meet their debts and were forced to drop two divisions (incidentally both have gained promotion back up to the second division B). This year several clubs are rushing to sell off players to meet the deadline, with Las Palmas and Sporting Gijon the first to hit the headlines. Las Palmas are hoping to sell off young striker Guayre to bring in funds, with Villarreal reportedly prepared to deposit the Pta 1,000 million buy out clause with the federation. Sporting meanwhile are trying to convince the local council to buy their training ground for around Pta 1,500 million. The problem in both cases is that the tax authorities have embargoed their income to cover other debts, and unless the clubs can find another way to collect or persuade the taxman to back off, the income will do them no good. If they or others cannot sort things out by 31st July they will go down, with the club replacing them obliged to pay off the debts under new regulations being approved this summer. Time is rapidly running out. (14.07.01) A new scandal is brewing at FC Barcelona. Chus Pereda, ex Barcelona player, Spanish international and under 21 coach, claims that the club paid well over the asking price for new signing Geovanni. Pereda, acting as intermediary for the club at the time, claims that he had negotiated a price of twelve million Dollars for the Brazilian international, but that the final price paid was 50% higher after Pereda was sidelined in the negotiations. The obvious interpretation of Pereda's statements was that somebody had trousered the difference, and club president Joan Gaspart, sporting director Anton Pareda and the club's advisor and well known football agent José María Minguella were considered by local press to be in the firing line. Pereda also pointed out that two other Brazilian players, Rochenback (just about to sign) and Cris (who's transfer fell through in the winter) had the same agents, and that there were anomalies in payment and receipt of transfer money from the signing of Petit and Overmars last year. Sour grapes, or is there some truth in the accusations? The club denies everything, saying that Pereda is either lying or had been used by someone to defame their name. Only time will tell, we suppose. June 2001 Villarreal's Gica Craioveanu got himself into trouble with the police when he broke a lady driver's nose in an argument after she apparently jumped a stop sign right in front of his speeding vehicle. The lady was travelling with her son who recognised the Romanian striker and pleaded with him not to hit his mother as they got out of their cars following the incident (you can just imagine, "hi Gica, after you've finished bashing up my mother can I have your autograph?"). Until the player's side of the story came out, Craioveanu was heavily criticised by his club and the local press for what appeared to be an unprovoked attack, and there was even talk of dropping him from the squad. Later though it transpired that he was with his pregnant girl friend, and feared for her life when the car shot out in front of them. The player was in any case very repentant, and offered to make good any damage caused. There was no excuse for what he did, but anyone who has experienced something similar will possibly have some inkling of sympathy for him. No disrespect meant, but lady drivers...... May 2001 If this was the United States they would call it Blatter's Folly. FIFA's postponement of the World Club Championship until 2003 due to the bankruptcy of the commercial organiser has gone down like a lead balloon in Spain, where the tournament was due to be played this summer. The competition was always going to be a bit of a non-starter despite FIFA's insistence, with clubs that nobody in Europe had heard of taking part, and several ties scheduled for the height of the summer in Madrid, which is unbearably hot and completely empty at that time of the year. The two Spanish clubs taking part, Real Madrid and Deportivo, have had to reschedule their summer break as the players would normally be taking their brief holidays at that time, and both clubs (plus Atlético Madrid, whose stadium was to be used as well) had been ordered to make expensive ground improvements by FIFA. On top of that thousands of young volunteers had been recruited for the festivities, countless travel arrangements, hotel bookings and the rest had been made, etc., etc. Now everything is off and the clubs have been left in the lurch. FIFA had better have a good excuse. Former Barcelona president José Luis Nuñez appears to be in trouble with the Spanish tax authorities. Police carried out a dawn raid on his private residence and the head office of his construction conglomerate in Barcelona and took away papers, computers and mobile telephones. Nuñez and his son are apparently implicated in a case currently under investigation whereby local tax inspectors have been accused of offering to let companies off possibly damning tax inspections in exchange for favours. Reportedly one of the accused inspectors bought prime property in Barcelona from the family at a price below market value at round about the same time that over 200 inspections of group companies were closed rapidly with little or no penalties to pay, something which unfortunately is unusual in Spain. Some more sensationalist press reports suggest that irregularities have been found in the companies' accounts, and even that Nuñez was forced to resign from FC Barcelona as a result of the ongoing investigation. The case continues. Apr 2001 Oviedo's Keita became the latest player have his licence cancelled in the ongoing passport scandal. Reports said that his French passport had been forged, replacing the name and details of the actual owner with his own. Although this makes one think that he took a crayon and an old photo and changed the details himself, it does not appear to be the case, and the player has not been accused of any misdemeanour. The club are checking with the federation if they can re-register him as a non-EU player, which they say would be possible if they can prove that one of the squad has a long term injury which would keep him out to the end of the season. Tenerife are studying the same move for their Brazilian striker Barata, who has also had his licence removed. Meanwhile Rayo's Bartelt has been thrown out of the club after his licence was revoked, and he has returned to Roma to try and sort things out. The saga goes on. Three more players have been banned in the passport scandal, all with Italian passports. Rayo Vallacano's Bartelt is the only first division player involved, and even though his passport is apparently valid, the application papers for this were not. Tenerife's Brazilian striker and second top scorer Barata is also out, and Betis are appealing a decision by the football federation not to overrule an earlier result between the two sides on the grounds of fielding an illegitimate player. Granada's Moya is also suspended, and Oviedo have left Keita out of their squad for the time being after questions about his French passport. The first player to have his licence revoked, Espanyol's Delio Toledo, will play out the rest of the season in Paraguay's Cerro Porteño and could return as a non-EU player next season if his Spanish passport is finally ruled invalid. On the other hand, Herrera's licence was returned to him after he proved his passport was correct. Sad news about the break up of Steve Archibald's Spanish armada at Airdrie. Now that the ex Barcelona and Espanyol striker has had to give up running the Diamonds due to financial difficulties, his foreign players are all having to seek employment elsewhere. Most of them are not leaving Scotland though, at least for the time being, with García Sanjuan and Calderón joining Kilmarnock, Salva and Alfonso going to Raith Rovers and Sánchez Broto moving to Livingston. David Fernández could go to either Kilmarnock or Livingston, and Moreau has gone South to join Notts County. They must like the climate or something? Mar 2001 Passport scandal latest. Another player has been suspended temporarily in Spain pending investigation of passport irregularities. Following the banning of Espanyol's Toledo, last year's top keeper Martín Herrera of Alavés has had his licence revoked provisionally. Herrera, who shares an agent with Toledo, obtained his Italian passport shortly before coming to Spain from Argentina a couple of years ago on the strength of the nationality of his great grand parents. Several other players are also under investigation, including Rayo's Bartelt and Tenerife's Basavilbaso and Barata. Although no decision has been made on them yet, Betis decided to appeal to the Spanish football federation to have the result of their defeat at the hands of Tenerife last weekend overturned (not the first time that Betis have tried to win in the back office a game they lost on the field). However, their appeal was turned down on the grounds that the two players had valid licences when the game was played. Watch this space for more news. Espanyol's Spanish international centre forward Raúl Tamudo has been a bad boy. Tamudo has been fined around 3,000 euros for sending a friend to take his driving test for him. The friend turned up at the testing centre for the written part of the test pretending to be the player, but when he saw that they were closely checking identity cards he panicked and left quickly. Unfortunately he left a signature on the form in the name of Tamudo and was picked up afterwards. Tamudo is more adept at steering his way through opposing defences, but this time he was well and truly tackled. Feb 2001 The false passport scandal is slowly being unravelled, with a little bit of news every day. There is a saying in Spanish 'en el palacio, todo va despacio', in the palace everything goes slowly, 'palace' usually referring to any government organisation, civil service, law courts etc., but they always get there in the end no matter how long it takes. After the scandal broke in Italy and France the Spanish federation asked the clubs to present all the relevant documentation for their foreign players. Having checked with the central registry in Spain, the first anomaly they found was that there was no trace of Espanyol's Toledo, and the player's licence was therefore withdrawn temporarily pending criminal investigation. Toledo claims his innocence, but at the moment is unable to play. Others are expected to follow in the future, especially players coming from South America with Italian or Portuguese passports. Financial problems continue at Logroñes. The club from Logroño in the wine growing region of Rioja dropped two divisions at the end of last season from the second division A to the regional third, firstly for finishing in the bottom four and then again for not paying the salaries of their players. The club struggled on in the hands of administrators, but the players finally took matters in their own hands recently after only getting paid twice in the last five months. At first they locked themselves in the dressing room, only coming out to play matches, and when matters did not improve they threatened to abandon the team completely. The problem was solved, temporarily at least, when the administrators dug deep into their own pockets to pay them up to date. Only a few years ago Logroñes were in the first division. The false passport scandal which is blowing up in Italian football may have repercussions in Spain. The Italian judge investigating the fraud has said that he will follow through the case to other countries if necessary, and there are concerns that players based in Spain could be involved. Valencia's new signing Fabián Ayala is one of the names rumoured to be on the list, but there are no less than 27 South American footballers with Italian passports playing in Spain, including such famous names as Palermo, Esnaider, Pellegrino, Bizzarri, Pandiani, Scaloni, Leo Franco, Turdó, Navas, etc., etc. Should any of their papers prove to be false the players could be in for a prison sentence and their original club in Italy could be sued for misrepresentation. The situation is not new in Spain however. Some 35 years ago it was discovered that many South Americans were playing under false Spanish passports. Valencia's Adorno gave the game away claiming that his father was from Celta, and another player said his grandfather was from Osasuna. A bit like saying he was born in the town of Arsenal or Hotspur! Jan 2001 Barcelona's Iván De La Peña had a lucky escape driving home after training. The 'little Buddha' was followed by an escaped criminal who it appeared intended to rob or even kidnap him inside his own car park. Iván realised as he was waiting for the automatic door to open that a car with a man in a mask was right behind him, and in true James Bond style he wheeled his sports car around and lost him, having the cool presence of mind first to make a note of the number plate. The man was later arrested in a spectacular car chase and shoot out in which a policeman was shot and injured. If only De La Peña could leave defenders standing still as quickly! Maybe he should change sport and take up formula one motor racing? Pablo Alfaro is concerned that his reputation as a dirty player is going against him. Alfaro was sent off in Sevilla's match at Tenerife after a brawl between the players, and he claims that this time he was innocent. "When the red card is justified I always accept it. However this time I was not involved and the two match ban was unfair". Alfaro, who played at several clubs including Atlético Madrid, Barcelona and Zaragoza, holds the records for the number of sendings off in the Spanish leagues, having seen the red card twenty-two times. That is already four more than Real Madrid's legendary Juanito, and the player is still only 31 years old. Eat your heart out, Vinny Jones! Barcelona's youngest fan received his membership card in December. Pablo Nicolás Urdangarín, better known as the second child of ex-Barcelona and Spain handball player and Infanta Cristina, the younger daughter of the King of Spain, was only weeks old when his parents registered him for membership. You have to join the queue early if you want a seat at the Nou Camp these days! Dec 2000 Real Madrid players Albert Celades and Alberto Rivera are in trouble with their club after crashing their cars into each other at six o'clock in the morning in the centre of the capital. The two were returning from a night out to celebrate the two week holiday break when it happened. No other cars were involved, and the two tested positive in police alcohol tests afterwards, although both they say they had only had a glass of wine or two with their dinner. Hands up all those who have used that excuse! A Sherlock Holmes style mystery is developing after the Alavés recent game with Lilleström. As well as being given team shirts and bottles of wine as souvenirs of the tie, the refereeing trio apparently received seven balls for use in the game. However when the match was over only one remained. One theory is that the balls were deflated and carried off with the officials' kit. Referee Attila Hanacsek from Hungary strongly denies he had anything to do with it. "Why am I going to steal balls, I'm a police inspector!" he replied indignantly. Then how did someone get them past the security guards at the club's yellow front door? It's a lemon entry, my dear Watson! Nov 2000 Tenerife's Pier is going through a bad patch. When he left Sporting Gijon a few years ago the player should have paid a buy-out clause of 300 million Pesetas, but for whatever reason it was not paid. The club agreed to settle out of court for 150 million, but Pier doesn't have that sort of money and couldn't settle. They are now taking him to court and he has put his assets, including a BMW, up for sale. The players association will be organising testimonial matches to help him out. Athletic Bilbao players finally revealed what they shout when they huddle together at the start of their games. It's quite simple really, "one-two-three, Ath-let-ic". They do it in Basque though, which translates as "Bat, bi, hiru, Ath-let-ic".... Oct 2000 Valladolid's ex player Arilson Gilberto Da Costa is wanted by police. The Brazilian was driving his car apparently under the influence of alcohol eighteen months ago when he was involved in an accident with a motorbike in which a girl was badly injured. Arilson failed to turn up at court recently to give evidence, and the court has put out a search and arrest order for him. When told about the order in his home in Brazil, the player was surprised, saying that his lawyers had advised him not to turn up.