Sideline Ban on Smoking Set for Europe
The days when coaches, in moments of nervousness or high tension during key matches, could light a cigarette in search of relief are drawing to a close in Europe.
On Thursday, UEFA, European soccer’s governing body, said that starting with the 2004-05 season, smoking would be banned on team benches and in the “technical areas” immediately surrounding them.
The executive committee of UEFA said from its headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland, that smoking “damages football’s image” and has a “negative impact on young players.”
The rule will apply to all UEFA competitions such as the European Champions League, the UEFA Cup and the European Championship, and coaches who defy the edict will face disciplinary measures.
“Cautions, suspensions [and] fines are all possibilities,” said Gerhard Aigner, UEFA’s chief executive.
“In the present climate, it is no longer acceptable to smoke on the bench when smoking is banned in so many public places. There are players on the bench, and we know smoking hurts the health.”
Nedved Wanted
English Premier League leader Chelsea, whose Italian coach, Claudio Ranieri, said only days ago that the London club had finished spending, has renewed its interest in Czech midfielder Pavel Nedved of Italian champion Juventus.
Nedved, 31, who Thursday was chosen World Player of the Year in a poll by London’s World Soccer magazine, is reportedly the target of a $43.5-million bid by Chelsea, according to his agent, Zdenek Nehoda.
Under owner Roman Abramovich, a Russian billionaire, Chelsea has spent more than $160 million on players since July and Abramovich has given Ranieri carte blanche to spend more.
Deisler and Spies
German international midfielder Sebastian Deisler, whose injury-plagued career has been punctuated by five knee operations and who has been hospitalized for the last month because of depression, has accused his club, reigning German champion Bayern Munich, of spying on his friends.
“Who has the right to spy on me to see who my friends are?” Deisler asked in an interview with the Berlin newspaper Tagesspiegel. “Who has the right to take apart my private life?”
German newspapers have questioned the company Deisler, 23, keeps, and the club is said to have been checking into those reports. Uli Hoeness, Bayern Munich’s general manager, declined comment on Deisler’s remarks other than to say: “We have nothing to apologize for.”
Greek Apology
One team that was apologizing Thursday was Olympiakos, the Greek club that was thrashed, 7-0, by Juventus in the Champions League on Wednesday.
“The humiliating defeat has saddened and disappointed us all,” said Socrates Kokkalis, chairman of the reigning Greek champion. “The club’s management, and I personally, will make sure that there will be consequences for those responsible for the result and we will take corrective action.”
Olympiakos’ Ukrainian coach, Oleg Protasov, said after the loss that he would not resign.
Quick Passes
Manchester United’s 27-year-old Dutch striker, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who earns $64,000 a week, will be offered a five-year, $37.4-million contract that will more than double his weekly salary, several English newspapers reported.... The Dutch soccer federation said it hopes to organize a friendly match against the United States in Rotterdam on Feb. 18.... River Plate of Argentina salvaged a 3-3 tie with Cienciano of Peru on a goal by Chilean striker Marcelo Salas in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final in Buenos Aires.
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Times wire services contributed to this report.
