Reuters Soccer Blog

Belgrade derby was full of nice not nasty surprises

I attended my first Belgrade derby on Saturday and all the preconceptions I might have had were happily blown away in the brisk Serbian wind.

The fixture is widely regarded as the most fiery and dangerous derby in world football but despite the game almost being a title decider, the sting was taken out of the occasion by Red Star ultras refusing to turn up at Partizan’s stadium.

Religious convictions had told them the game should not be played on Easter Saturday so they boycotted.

So there was no violence whatsoever, but that didn’t stop a huge number of riot police being there.

You wonder how the fans manage to cause trouble with the meanest-looking police unit imaginable. Massive men covered in thick riot gear which has led them to be nicknamed ‘Ninja Turtles’.

I also never realised how close Partizan’s ground was to Red Star’s stadium. There are almost as near as Anfield and Goodison Park.

Partizan’s home was smaller than I imagined, an open bowl with a running track, but the fans still made for a decent atmosphere despite the lack of Red Star supporters. There were a few flares and banners but nothing I had not seen in Italy or Marseille.

Soccer Break Friday

It’s gone quiet on the football news front though the sun’s still out in Europe as we await another weekend of unrelenting on-pitch drama in the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Anyone out there lucky enough to be attending the Serbia v Northern Ireland match? 240 fans got the nod.

World Cup winners Spain are also playing against Czech Republic. Fascinating country Spain, full of interesting dynamics. Read here for a thorough explanation.

Sticking with politics, and Libya’s qualification for the 2012 London Olympics could be in danger after the conflict in north Africa.

Heading to South America, people are still reeling from the death of a fan over the weekend and here’s a more considered piece on Argentina’s tarnished game.

Our David Beckham blog is still attracting comments. What is your view on the former England captain? Would you pick him for England?

Last but not least, an amusing look at some of the most garish football kits of all time. What sticks in the memory for you?

Soccer Break Wednesday

Happy middle of the week to you all, and if like me you are in London where the sun is out and there is very little football to write about, you are forgiven for thinking the season is over and the grasscourt tennis season is about to kick in.

Don’t look so worried, David (right). While the weather will probably change before I’ve finished writing this blog, the good news is it’s only March and there is plenty more football left. It’s just this week it’s the international break.

One of the most intriguing matches is Friday’s qualifier between Serbia and Northern Ireland. Why? There will be no supporters in the ground after Serbia’s clash with Italy in October was abandoned following crowd trouble and the 2006 World Cup winners were handed a 3-0 win.

Also in action on Friday are Italy, France and the 2010 World Cup finalists Spain and the Netherlands, while on Saturday Wales host England in a British Isles derby and Norway host Denmark in a Scandinavian battle. Germany and Russia are two other big names playing.

Chelsea fans fond of Guus Hiddink should also keep a close eye on next Tuesday’s Turkey v Austria match. Blues supporters, should Carlo Ancelotti go if Chelsea fail to win any silverware this year?

Back to European football, and read here for a very dedicated look at the major European leagues including an analysis of AC Milan’s loss in form that has made the Serie A title much more open.

Some good news for Barcelona fans on Tuesday was fullback Dani Alves renewing his contract until 2015.

Serb violence shows soccer still struggling to stop flares

Italian police and stewards knew Tuesday’s Euro qualifier with Serbia could be a tense affair given the two countries’ problems with hooliganism and the high-profile nature of the match.

Why then were so many Serbian fans able to smuggle in flares and cause an abandonment?

Fans are meant to be searched as they enter a ground but this obviously did not happen sufficiently.

In almost every Serie A league game, at least one fan invariably manages to bring a flare or firecracker into the stadium.

They are not partypoppers, they are highly dangerous weapons which can cause serious injury. Italy goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano narrowly avoided a flare hitting him while another was hurled straight into a group of Italy fans, who luckily escaped harm.

Speaking to people in Genoa last night after all the chaos had calmed down (although it later started again with Serbs fighting police as they were cooped up in the stadium car park), I was informed of some of the devious ways fans get flares through turnstile checks.

Certain flares can be broken up into little pieces and then put back together again with special glue while some fans have been caught with flares hidden inside baguette sandwiches or in the inner lining of trousers where the sewn crease should be.

Prandelli breaks the mould by naming his teams a day early

In rugby, teams are often named several days before matches — a habit I’ve never really understood.

If there is any doubt about what lineup you will field, surely it makes sense to keep the opposition coach guessing until the final moment? The advantage may be slight, but it’s there and it might make the other coach mess up his preparations if he guesses wrongly.

In soccer, teams are thus traditionally announced just one hour before kick off. It adds to the drama of matchday for those watching.

However, new Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has broken the mould and has been naming his teams a day before matches. He reads out the lineup and given he is such an honest guy, no one even thinks he is pulling a fast one. Indeed, the Italy teams he has named so far have always lined up the day after.

His opponent for Tuesday’s Euro 2012 qualifier here in Genoa, the Serbia coach Vladimir Petrovic, was bemused by Prandelli’s tactic.

“I can’t tell you much about the formation, it’s a fundamental game,” he said.

Prandelli’s reasons for such openness are his wish to bond with the press and the belief that if players know a day before that they are playing, they can prepare better mentally. There’s no point just telling the players and no one else, the news will leak out. He also named three Sampdoria players and one Genoa defender, hoping to excite the Genoa crowd.

You can still watch Ukraine v England on TV … you just have to come to Croatia

A quick look around the blogosphere suggests that for many England fans the idea of watching the World Cup qualifier against Ukraine in front of a computer screen at the mercy of an ISP, or at a crammed cinema, sounds about as appealing as making the long trip to Dnipropetrovsk.

But do not despair, England fans, because there is an option for those of you determined to watch it on telly.

Croatia’s HRT 2 state television, also viewable in Serbia on cable, is showing the game live, so here is your chance to combine a bit of light football watching with an autumn dip in the Adriatic somewhere along Croatia’s mesmerising coast, or an evening spent sampling Belgrade’s unique and vibrant nightlife, epitomised by boat-bars and clubs along the Danube.

And fear not that the Croatian faithful might have a go at you after their team’s recent 5-1 drubbing at Wembley. They will be praying for an England win that would leave their boys in the driving seat for a runners-up spot in Group Six.

PHOTO: A subscription page is shown on a laptop computer at a cafe in central London October 5, 2009. REUTERS/Toby Melville

Tosic back with a bang for Serbia, can he break through at United?

Serbia winger Zoran Tosic has boosted his chances of playing more first team football for club and country after scoring his first two international goals in a 3-1 friendly win over South Africa in Pretoria.

The 22-year old has made only a couple of competitive first team appearances for Manchester United since his move from Serbian champions Partizan Belgrade in January and was consequently dropped by Serbia coach Radomir Antic for their 2010 World Cup qualifiers.

But Tosic’s inspired performance and two goals after he came on as a substitute against the South Africans must have delighted Antic and given United manager Sir Alex Ferguson something to think about too.

With a vital qualifier against France coming up on September 9, the rejuvenated Tosic has added the much-needed depth to Serbia’s squad as they aim to qualify for the finals for the first time as an independent nation.

Ferguson, on the other hand, should also welcome the extra option at hand on the left wing, especially after Nani dislocated his shoulder in United’s Community Shield clash with Chelsea on Sunday.

Tosic may not break into United’s first team just yet, but a good pre-season tour in Asia and the blistering performance against the World Cup hosts will certainly give him hope that he will not end up as surplus to requirements at Old Trafford.

Can the Balkans do a World Cup quadruple?

Soccer leagues in the Balkans are suffering from an uncontrolled outflow of talent to wealthier and more competitive environments in Europe and it’s a trend that’s benefiting some of the region’s national teams.

At least three countries that emerged from the former Yugoslavia stand a good chance of reaching next year’s World Cup in South Africa.

Serbia, who tightened their grip on Group Seven with a 3-2 win over neighbours Romania, are in the best position after a masterclass performance by Manchester United centre-back Nemanja Vidic and captain Dejan Stankovic, plying his trade at Italian champions Inter Milan.

Serbia have only two home-based players in their squad, which has been given a new lease of life under coach Radomir Antic in their bid to reach a first major tournament as an independent nation.

Even more impressive were Serbia’s bitter Balkan foes Bosnia, who demolished Belgium 4-2 and have an excellent chance of securing a play-off spot in Group Five, where European champions Spain seem untouchable.

The Bosnians, also aiming for a maiden World Cup appearance, are reaping the benefits of having experienced exiles such as Eintracht Frankfurt striker Zlatan Bajramovic, Zvjezdan Misimovic and his 22-year old Wolfsburg team-mate Edin Dzeko, who all scored in their surprise success in Genk.

Croatia may not be able to leapfrog England into the driving seat in Group Six but they should also win a play-off berth available to the eight best second-placed teams.

Tosic and Ljajic not yet United class

Speculation that Manchester United are after Serbia winger Zoran Tosic has gained momentum after reports that Sir Alex Ferguson had gone to some length to obtain a work permit for the 21-year old Partizan Belgrade player.

Tosic, who has made 12 international appearances but is yet to score for his country, is a decent player with a sweet left foot from set pieces but he appeared to be as stunned as many of my colleagues here in Belgrade after being told that Ferguson sees him as an ideal long-term replacement for Ryan Giggs.

“It’s fantastic to know that such a great coach speaks so highly of my abilities and I am truly honoured that he has so much faith in me,” Tosic told Belgrade’s daily newspapers.

Can a player yet to be tried and tested at top level fill Giggs’s boots on United’s left flank?

Will he, if United sign him, turn out to be a real asset like compatriot Nemanja Vidic or merely a fringe player?

Tosic’s diminutive and frail-looking posture suggests he could find it very difficult to adapt to the physical exertions and torrid pace of the Premier League. Croatia playmaker Luka Modric certainly found it tough at Tottenham.

Role model Milosevic hangs up international boots

When Savo Milosevic joined Partizan Belgrade from little known Bosnian outfit Radnik Bijeljina as a 19-year old in 1992, few people imagined he would become the most capped Yugoslav player with 101 international appearances to his name.

Later this month, Milosevic will draw a curtain on his international career when Serbia entertain neighbours Bulgaria in a friendly in Belgrade. Ironically, it will be his only appearance for Serbia as he has not played for his country since it became an independent nation after the 2006 World Cup.

Never acclaimed as one of the game’s most talented strikers, Milosevic still earned his place at the top level through a work ethic which was second to none. (more…)