Uefa cracks the whip
The News Review:
- Uefa cracks the whip
- Chairman defends Wenger selection
- Wenger is victim of new low in home talent
- Arroyo vows annihilation of rebels
Uefa cracks the whip
Guardian Unlimited – Feb 16, 2005
‘ Uefa have warned that clubs who flout quotas for home-grown players will have their squads slashed for European competition. Arsenal made English football history on Monday night by naming a 16-man squad which did not contain a single English player. From 2006-07, clubs participating in Uefa competitions will have to include four homegrown players in the 25-man ‘A’ squad they submit to the European governing body – two trained within that club’s own academy and two by a club within the same national association. This quota will increase to three club-trained and three association-trained players by 2007-08 and again to four and four from 2008-09. Failure to do so will mean clubs being weakened in relation to the number of players by which they are under the quota…
Failure to do so will mean clubs being weakened in relation to the number of players by which they are under the quota. “The sanction is fairly simple – if you don’t have the four and four for 2008-09, your squad will be cut by the number of players that do not meet the criteria,” Uefa head of communications William Gaillard said. “If you have only four home-grown players instead of eight, you will have a squad of 21. “The aim of the proposals is to strengthen the football academies of the clubs and to create again a link between the clubs and the community where they grew; that’s the main goal. “A minimum of 50% of the home-grown players must be club-trained: there is no maximum on the number of academy players in the 25-man squad. The nationality of the players will not matter in order to avoid any Bosman-style challenge in the European courts. The next step will see Uefa’s 52-member associations vote at the Congress in Tallinn, Estonia, in April on whether the same rule should apply to domestic competitions.
Chairman defends Wenger selection
Telegraph.co.uk – Feb 16, 2005
“You should not forget the huge impact one player has had in changing the club and helping us to a higher level – and that is Dennis Bergkamp, a Dutchman. ” Arsenal vice-chairman David Dein has still been criticised by Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Players’ Football Association, for opposing UEFA’s new quota system on home-grown players for the Champions League and UEFA Cup. This will require clubs to field four home-grown players in European competitions from 2006, rising to eight by 2008. However, the plan does not require those players to be English or even British, just brought through the academy system for three years between 16 and 21. Alternatively, you may have to open a web browser, such as Firefox or Internet Explorer, and copy the link over into the address bar.
Wenger is victim of new low in home talent
Telegraph.co.uk – Feb 17, 2005
And if Ashley Cole played for someone else, Wenger would not be in a position to go tapping him up. On this point, however, there is the feeling that Wenger does slightly mistrust the innate merits of Britons. Take a look at his decision to rescue Manuel Almunia from obscurity in Spain rather than taking a punt on the home-grown Stuart Taylor, rated very highly by goalkeeping coach Bob Wilson. Going further back, the Frenchman discarded Matthew Upson, allowing the centre-half to join Birmingham City where he has positively thrived since. The highly vulnerable Pascal Cygan was deemed a better bet. Nobody gets it right all of the time of course. But it would be nice now and again if he gambled on retaining a stronger British presence.
Arroyo vows annihilation of rebels
The Age – Feb 16, 2005
“We must not pull back but move forward to wipe out the remnantsof the Abu Sayyaf,” President Arroyo said, rejecting calls for atruce on Jolo. “This is not a fight against Islam. But her national security adviser, Norberto Gonzales, said:”We’re looking at several angles, including the networking offoreign militants and home-grown rebel groups. Army and police intelligence officials said they were not rulingout a role by Jemaah Islamiah, a shadowy regional network linked toal-Qaeda and the suspected fund-raiser for previous attacks by AbuSayyaf and other Philippine groups. National police chief Edgardo Aglipay said his 115,000 officerswere on full alert to hunt for suspects in the attack. The three blasts came close together on Monday evening as peoplewere travelling home, shopping and going out for dinner onValentine’s Day. “The people were screaming and running in all directions,” saidone man in General Santos, also in the troubled south, after fourdied at a shopping mall.