FIFA Updates

BASEL, Switzerland (AP)—England coach Fabio Capello says Wayne Rooney will
play in a European Championship qualifier against Switzerland on Tuesday,
despite a sex scandal at home.

Capello says the Manchester United forward is in the correct frame of mind
to play football.

Two Sunday tabloids have alleged that Rooney cheated repeatedly on his
then-pregnant wife last year with a prostitute.

Rooney flew to Basel with the England squad on Monday following speculation
he could miss the match to be with his family.

Rooney helped create all England’s goals when it beat Bulgaria 4-0 Friday to
begin Euro 2012 qualifying.

LONDON (AP)—England coach Fabio Capello is confused by his sudden
transformation from a “god” to a “monster” since his team faltered at the
World Cup.

Preparing for European Championship qualifying, a combative Capello fought
back against claims by pundits and columnists in England that he is a clueless
coach lacking the tactical ability to turn the team into title winners.

Ahead of the World Cup, when the Italian presided over nine out of ten
victories in qualifying, comparisons were being drawn with Alf Ramsey, who led
England to its only world title in 1966.

But the team was inert throughout the tournament in South Africa and went
home after being outclassed by Germany in a 4-1 second-round loss.

Capello may have clung onto his lucrative England contract, which runs
through to Euro 2012, but the hostile headlines have persisted as the team
prepares for its first competitive match since the World Cup against Bulgaria on
Friday night.

The former AC Milan and Real Madrid coach accepts he is unable to control
public perceptions of him, preferring instead to remember the past achievements
before the media turned on him.

“You create the God, and you create the monster,” Capello quipped in
broken English at a briefing on Thursday. “We lost one game in the World Cup
against Germany after one big mistake for the referee (disallowing a goal). You
don’t remember this. I think so.

“But after this, your opinion about me changed completely. You wrote a lot
of things different, but I live with this situation. It’s no problem for me. I
remember what you wrote about me a short time before this period. I live the
same moment when you write well of me as when you write badly of me. It’s my
job. You have to live with the pressure.”

Many critics have denounced the 64-year-old Capello for being a tactical
dinosaur for rigidly retaining a 4-4-2 formation.

And FIFA’s tactical study of the tournament, which was released Thursday,
concluded that “the most successful teams were flexible and able to adapt their
style of play to the match situation.”

Capello’s critics maintain that such flexibility is lacking in his game
plan, but the coach hit back when a reporter started to ask whether the FIFA
comments applied to England.

“You are a lot of managers, a lot of managers. I’ve read that,” Capello
said. “Where is the different style? 9-1? Teams play 9-1. Where is the
different style? Is there a difference between 4-4-2, 4-5-1 or 9-1? You are
happy to write different numbers. One forward, nine defenders. Five attacking?
Five defending? That’s the modern style.

“You can see Barcelona, other teams. All the players have to defend, all
the players have to go forward. That’s the modern style, and we played this
style, always. When you win you play the perfect style. When you lose you
question positions on the pitch. Why, why, why? That’s good. It’s your job. It’s
my job to find the best solution.”

Capello pledged to usher in a new era with young players after the World
Cup, but the first Euro 2012 qualifier will have a familiar feel about it.

There will only be three changes from the Germany lineup against Bulgaria,
with Joe Hart replacing the 40-year-old David James in goal, while Frank Lampard
and John Terry are only missing through injury. Wayne Rooney and Jermain Defoe
will spearhead a 4-4-2 formation.

But captain Steven Gerrard has urged the critics to lay off Capello, despite
the Football Association already starting to plan for his successor, who will be
an Englishman.

“It’s important that Fabio is still given a chance. For me, he’s a
fantastic manager,” Gerrard said. “Who out there that is an English manager
has the CV that Fabio Capello has got?

“Will his future decided by these two games (against Bulgaria and
Switzerland)? I don’t know. I hope not … it would be a knee-jerk reaction to
sack a manager after one bad tournament, then think everything will be rosy when
you start with a new guy and we’ll go on and win Euro 2012. That’s crazy.”

Gerrard insists the players should shoulder the responsibility for the
woeful World Cup campaign.

“It seems as if there’s a lot of blame going towards the manager, but it
was the players who underperformed out there,” Gerrard said. “People talk
about tactics and stuff, but there’s only so much that a manager can do. The
players have to deliver, and the players never delivered.”

LONDON, Aug 24 (Reuters) – United States coach Bob Bradley
said on Tuesday he wanted to work in the Premier League and
would be interested in managing Aston Villa.

Bradley’s name has been on a list of possible candidates to
take over since Martin O’Neill quit days before the start of the
Premier League season.

“I would love to have a discussion and hear more,” the
52-year-old American said in an interview with Sky Sports News.

Bradley, who steered the U.S. to the second round at the
World Cup finals in South Africa, said he was keen to test
himself in the Premier League, calling it the best league in the
world.

“The possibility of working in the Premier League at some
point would be a goal for sure,” he said.

However, he said there had been no contact from Villa or the
club’s American owner Randy Lerner.

“Everyone knows that for the moment Kevin MacDonald is the
caretaker manager and the first step is for a decision to be
made with him. He’s a good man,” Bradley said.

“As a manager the first thing you always want to have is
respect for other managers.

“I know the reputation Kevin MacDonald has within the club
and first things first, (there needs to be a) decision in terms
of his future.

“Aston Villa is a tremendous club. They have such a strong
following, so that would be a club that I think anyone would
have an interest in.”

MacDonald, thrust into the Villa Park hot seat, began with a
3-0 defeat of West Ham United and a 1-1 draw with Rapid Vienna
in the Europa League but Villa suffered a 6-0 hammering by
promoted Newcastle United on Sunday.

Bradley, whose son Michael plays in Germany with Borussia
Moenchengladbach, has never coached outside the U.S.

“I feel I have the ability to work in Europe and it’s
something I’d like to do in my career,” he said. “I’m excited
about that possibility whenever it comes and wherever it comes.”

No American has ever managed in the top flight of English
football.
(Reporting by Martyn Herman; Editing by Clare Fallon; To query
or comment on this story email
sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)

PORTO ALEGRE, Brazil (AP)—Pele says young Brazil striker Neymar would make a
mistake if he moved to Chelsea to play in the Premier League.

Chelsea has reportedly been trying to sign Neymar, but Brazil legend Pele
said Wednesday he thinks the 18-year-old Santos sensation is “not prepared to
play in England” yet.

Pele says Neymar would not easily adapt to the style of play in the English
league and would be better off staying in Brazil for the time being.

Chelsea’s initial offer reached ?20 million ($26 million) according to
reports, but Santos says it will not sell Neymar unless the ?35 million ($45
million) buyout clause is paid.

Brazil coach Mano Menezes and Sports Minister Orlando Silva are also said to
be in favor of Neymar staying in his home country.