Punishment pending for Chelsea players, Reynoso
So, soccer fans, who deserves to be punished more heavily, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba for going ballistic at an inept referee or Guadalajara’s Hector Reynoso for pretending to spread an infectious disease?
Do they get a slap on the wrist and a fine, or are they banned for periods long enough to make them realize the stupidity and unacceptability of their actions?
It was Drogba who was at the forefront of Chelsea’s furious ranting after the Blues had been eliminated in the European Champions League semifinals when they gave up a stoppage-time goal to Barcelona.
The Ivory Coast striker, eyes wide open and forefinger thrust out in accusation, confronted Norwegian referee Tom Henning Ovrebo after the game, spewing venom and yelling at television cameras that it was “a . . . disgrace” that Ovrebo had ignored Barcelona fouls that should have resulted in penalty kicks for Chelsea.
It was a vintage Drogba meltdown, ignited as much by the disappointment of Chelsea’s loss as by his failure to score and the fact that he was yanked out of the game with the outcome still in doubt.
Former Liverpool defender Mark Lawrenson, now a columnist for England’s Daily Mirror, wrote Saturday: “As bad as the referee was, no player can be allowed to do that, and Drogba should be hammered by UEFA.”
It remains to be seen how hard European soccer’s governing body comes down on Drogba, and what punishment it hands out to his fellow Chelsea players Michael Ballack and Jose Bosingwa.
Ballack’s furious reaction to being denied a penalty kick after his shot struck Barcelona’s Samuel Eto’o on the arm made for riveting viewing. The German was livid, with arms extended, fingers spread and mouth wide open as he chased down and berated the hapless Ovrebo.
Bosingwa’s postgame comment to Portuguese television station RTP that “I don’t know if he’s a referee or a thief” will not be met with amusement by UEFA, even if the defender later apologized and said he wanted to withdraw his remark.
Nor will Drogba’s abject apology carry much weight.
Conversely, authorities in South America and Mexico have Reynoso’s disgusting antics to deal with.
Officials of CSF, South America’s soccer confederation, already have provisionally banned the Chivas de Guadalajara defender for his deplorable behavior in Guadalajara’s 1-1 tie on the road with Everton of Chile in the Copa Libertadores.
According to CSF, Reynoso, 28, “following an incident in the game, reacted by spitting at Everton player Sebastian Penco and then releasing nasal secretions at the face of the player.
“This situation, lamentable in its own right, was aggravated by the risk of a possible infection of the disease AH1N1 [swine flu].”
Reynoso supposedly told Penco that he had the disease.
“I’ve cooled off now, but at the time I reacted and, perhaps, it wasn’t an appropriate thing that I was doing,” Reynoso said.
“I offer my apology to the club and player. . . . I know I am going to be punished.”
You think?
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Not backing down
In an era when conspiracy theories abound, soccer has its fair share, but one such notion was shot to pieces in Mexico City on Saturday night.
As the theory went, Club America, one of three Mexican league teams owned by the giant Televisa network, could save another Televisa-owned team, Necaxa, from relegation if it intentionally lost when they played each other at Azteca Stadium.
A victory for Necaxa would send the Tigres of UNAL down to a lower league.
But Club America’s Argentine defender Fernando Ortiz wasn’t having any of that. He scored a 29th-minute goal and the Aguilas made it stand up for a 1-0 victory.
Necaxa, a three-time league champion, will spend next year in the second tier, whether Televisa likes it or not.
Score one for integrity.
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Blame it on Rio?
Well, so much for believing anything Adriano says.
Two weeks ago, the former Brazilian international striker said he had “stopped my career for a while because I have lost the joy of playing.”
Now it turns out that was nothing more than a negotiating tactic, a way to spring himself free from his contract with Inter Milan so that he could join his former club, Flamengo, in Rio de Janeiro.
Adriano, 27, did so Thursday, at which time he made no mention of having rediscovered the joy of playing. Instead, he gave a different explanation for abandoning Inter Milan.
“I didn’t leave because I didn’t feel happy at the club,” he said, “but because I didn’t feel good in the country.”
Funny that it took him eight years to find out he dislikes Italy.
Meanwhile, Flamengo has set its sights on another Italy-based Brazilian, AC Milan’s Ronaldinho.
“Flamengo wants to acquire him and we have already contracted his brother,” a club director told Brazil’s Globoesporte.com.
“Flamengo are convinced that Dinho, who is having problems at Milan, could be willing to follow his friends Ronaldo, Fred and Adriano. Ronaldinho likes Rio de Janeiro, where his son lives.”
Ronaldo, meanwhile, has won a Sao Paulo state championship with Corinthians, whose celebrations last week almost turned disastrous, if not tragic.
As several players, including the team’s captain, William, and the trophy were being raised into the air on a sort of forklift from which fireworks were spewing flame, masses of confetti and paper streamers rained down.
The inevitable occurred, as can be seen on YouTube.
The streamers caught fire, setting fire to William. The blaze was quickly doused, but not before almost frightening the life out of the Corinthians’ captain.
Ronaldo bemoaned the disorganization.
“It was obvious that it was going to catch fire,” he said. “They should have thought of something better. William could have been burned and, instead of celebrating, we could now be visiting him in a hospital.”
In a week of bizarre incidents, this one topped them all.
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