Warro Bantan
19-08-2004, 07:41
On the latest edition of the Club vs country row:
AC Milan is now in the “bad books” of the Brazilian FA for not releasing the club’s Brazilian players for what is essentially a political :yuck: friendly in Haiti.
Inter in their “wisdom” have allowed their star forward Adriano to go, and other clubs such as Madrid have given the irreplaceable Ronaldo the nod to play in the friendly, as have Barca re Ronaldhino.
As a Jamaican, I have great misgivings over the recent man-handling of Haiti’s government by the US, and as such would not look kindly at whatever efforts are made to prop up this artificially created Haitian government, which this friendly is hoped to achieve. (Brazil now has a major force of “peace-keepers” in Haiti, at the USA’s request, and, so as to boost relations with the Haitian people, have used their most potent weapons, their revered footballers, to help win favour.)
Politics aside however…. but wait, this match is political, so it cannot be put aside, but so useless is this friendly in actual footballing terms that for Brazil to name all their European stars for the game is just a slap in the face for the clubs who pay these players, and rely on them to perform…I can see the headlines now…“Ronaldo to miss season with career threatening injury!”…all as a result of an over-enthusiastic tackle or a poor pitch.
The risks are just too great in my opinion, worse with Milan having a major match coming up (vs Lazio for the Italian Super-Cup) to have key players such as Kaka, Cafu and Dida travel, play, and travel again all in a very short time frame. Jet-lag and a sprain, contusion, niggle, or break, would render an important part of Milan’s team unfit to play, with repercussions for the season at large depending on the severity of the injury.
Ultimately it will be the players that feel the CBF’s ire, as they are to be dropped from the next competitive fixture, a World Cup qualifier, vs Bolivia.
Yet this will suit the clubs whom the CBF are trying to spite…or is it a strategy aimed at scaring the players into being recalcitrant to their employers, fussing and fuming, throwing fits and sulking like spoilt children so they can be released to play in Brazil’s next match? The Fu…ing world cup is in 2006, a whole 2 seasons away…give me a break CBF…I cant believe this federation, but anyone who has seen the chaos that is Brazilian domestic football can well understand the motives and actions of this group of unbelievable imbeciles.
I seem here to be running the risk of upsetting my Brazilian friends, so let me hasten to add that I have been to your beautiful country, and have the utmost respect for your people, culture and your football, yet the CBF remains a blot on your national reputation.
It seems that the least said about them (CBF) the better at this point, however, let me say this, that I hope our Brazilian players have the fortitude to resist the childish impulses of their federation, and realize that they have all the time to shine for their clubs and so force the hand of the selectors/coach come time for the actual finals, that undoubtedly, with even the “C-team” Brazil will qualify for.
As far as I am aware, and my Italian milanisti are welcome to correct me here, having a certain amount of “caps” has not the impact in Italy as it has in say England, where the number of national team caps can mean the granting or denial of a “work-permit”…therefore the CBF is forced to censure the players, as that is their only sphere of influence insofar as Italian clubs are concerned….is it because Adriano and Ronaldo twisted managements hands why they were allowed to play? Or is it because there is no competitive fixture on the horizon for these clubs? Doesn’t Madrid have a UCL 2nd leg qualifier to play shortly? Or will Ronaldo have time to recover? Or have they instructed the CBF/Coach to play Ronaldo for 15 minutes of the 1st half?
The Milan contingent can ill afford a trip rite now, with the Super Cup on the horizon, and the CBF should recognize this and back off, rather than preventing players whose desire to represent their country of birth is both admirable and a beacon of hope in a world where some players demand compensation from their FA’s for the “honour” of wearing their countries’ colours.
AC Milan is now in the “bad books” of the Brazilian FA for not releasing the club’s Brazilian players for what is essentially a political :yuck: friendly in Haiti.
Inter in their “wisdom” have allowed their star forward Adriano to go, and other clubs such as Madrid have given the irreplaceable Ronaldo the nod to play in the friendly, as have Barca re Ronaldhino.
As a Jamaican, I have great misgivings over the recent man-handling of Haiti’s government by the US, and as such would not look kindly at whatever efforts are made to prop up this artificially created Haitian government, which this friendly is hoped to achieve. (Brazil now has a major force of “peace-keepers” in Haiti, at the USA’s request, and, so as to boost relations with the Haitian people, have used their most potent weapons, their revered footballers, to help win favour.)
Politics aside however…. but wait, this match is political, so it cannot be put aside, but so useless is this friendly in actual footballing terms that for Brazil to name all their European stars for the game is just a slap in the face for the clubs who pay these players, and rely on them to perform…I can see the headlines now…“Ronaldo to miss season with career threatening injury!”…all as a result of an over-enthusiastic tackle or a poor pitch.
The risks are just too great in my opinion, worse with Milan having a major match coming up (vs Lazio for the Italian Super-Cup) to have key players such as Kaka, Cafu and Dida travel, play, and travel again all in a very short time frame. Jet-lag and a sprain, contusion, niggle, or break, would render an important part of Milan’s team unfit to play, with repercussions for the season at large depending on the severity of the injury.
Ultimately it will be the players that feel the CBF’s ire, as they are to be dropped from the next competitive fixture, a World Cup qualifier, vs Bolivia.
Yet this will suit the clubs whom the CBF are trying to spite…or is it a strategy aimed at scaring the players into being recalcitrant to their employers, fussing and fuming, throwing fits and sulking like spoilt children so they can be released to play in Brazil’s next match? The Fu…ing world cup is in 2006, a whole 2 seasons away…give me a break CBF…I cant believe this federation, but anyone who has seen the chaos that is Brazilian domestic football can well understand the motives and actions of this group of unbelievable imbeciles.
I seem here to be running the risk of upsetting my Brazilian friends, so let me hasten to add that I have been to your beautiful country, and have the utmost respect for your people, culture and your football, yet the CBF remains a blot on your national reputation.
It seems that the least said about them (CBF) the better at this point, however, let me say this, that I hope our Brazilian players have the fortitude to resist the childish impulses of their federation, and realize that they have all the time to shine for their clubs and so force the hand of the selectors/coach come time for the actual finals, that undoubtedly, with even the “C-team” Brazil will qualify for.
As far as I am aware, and my Italian milanisti are welcome to correct me here, having a certain amount of “caps” has not the impact in Italy as it has in say England, where the number of national team caps can mean the granting or denial of a “work-permit”…therefore the CBF is forced to censure the players, as that is their only sphere of influence insofar as Italian clubs are concerned….is it because Adriano and Ronaldo twisted managements hands why they were allowed to play? Or is it because there is no competitive fixture on the horizon for these clubs? Doesn’t Madrid have a UCL 2nd leg qualifier to play shortly? Or will Ronaldo have time to recover? Or have they instructed the CBF/Coach to play Ronaldo for 15 minutes of the 1st half?
The Milan contingent can ill afford a trip rite now, with the Super Cup on the horizon, and the CBF should recognize this and back off, rather than preventing players whose desire to represent their country of birth is both admirable and a beacon of hope in a world where some players demand compensation from their FA’s for the “honour” of wearing their countries’ colours.