Snak

muligvis, men jeg kommer aldrig til at se en kamp med ham så længe han spiller der.

Mon ikke de trækker et PRL hold i Champions League, Barca, Real, Bayern eller FCK - så bliver de vist i Dansk TV - den ukrainske liga er virkelig interessant....fandt den her baggrunds ting.....

A Game of Thrones: How the Ukrainian Premier League explains Ukrainian politics

The Ukraine is in many cases the most exemplary country when it comes to the interconnection of the rich, politics, media and football. After the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991 the country became subject to a struggle over ownership of factories, farms, shops, and also football clubs. As in Russia a small group of oligarchs benefited the most from the uncertainty that came with the fall of the USSR.

In Russia the newly rich became known as Novyi Russkiy (New Russians) these were people who benefited from the privatisation of state owned companies under then President Boris Yeltsin in the early 1990s. The same process can be observed in the Ukraine, and just as in Russia the newly rich were given the term Novyi Ukrainets (New Ukrainians).

In Ukraine, however, the power struggle over property was even more violent. Technically the Ukraine was an independent country within the Soviet Union, it had it’s own army and police service, but in truth everything was run from Moscow. Therefore, with the end of the Soviet Union there was no authoritarian body that could keep the struggle over property in check.

The early 1990s were therefore dominated by the violent power struggle of different clans for power and money. These struggles were often centred in certain regions and football was not unaffected by the politics.

Ukrainian Premier League and the Novyi Ukrainets

The Donbass region is the home of Shakhtar Donetsk, which today is one of Ukraine’s most successful clubs, and has a budget that can compete with most teams from Western Europe. In the early 1990s, however, the Donbass was subject to one of the most violent struggles for the ownership of markets, retail, coalmines and factories of the region.

After the fall of the Soviet Union Shakhtar came under the control of Akhat Bragin, also known as Alek the Greek. Bragin was a controversial figure. He had left school early and worked as a butcher at the Donetsk Oktiabr Rinok (October Market).

A former convict, Bragin moved fast after the fall of the Soviet Union to take control of the market, and other retail sectors of Donetsk. Alek the Greek became a sort of underworld celebrity, when he took control over Shakhtar Donetsk the most popular club of the region.

Bragin was not without enemies, he survived one assassination attempt in 1994 in his hometown Pisky. One year later a bomb detonated in his VIP-Box at the Olimpiyskiy stadium killing Bragin and his bodyguards. The blast was so violent that identification of his body was confirmed by the golden watch that was found on a torn off arm.

Shakhtar was then taken over by the right hand of Bragin, Rinat Akhmetov. Akhmetov moved fast to secure Bragin’s possessions, which included Shakhtar Donetsk. Akhmetov was also able to bring stability to the region that was formerly scene of a violent power struggle. As stability increased in the Donbass so did the success of Shakhtar Donetsk.

Akhmetov was able to unite the most powerful men of the region behind him. These men all support the Partiia Regionov (Party of the Regions), which very much represents the Russian speaking business interests of the eastern half of the country.

The party is completely supported by the so-called Donetsk-Clan, which is centred on Rinat Akhmetov’s businesses. The current President of the Ukraine Yanukovich is the head of the party and a frequent visitor to Shakhtar home games as well as title celebrations.

This bizarre situation is a sort of barometer for the overall political situation in Ukraine

The big counter weight to the Donetsk-Clan in the Ukraine is the so-called Dnepropetrovsk-Clan, which is based in the city of Dnepropetrovsk. This is a city that is dominated by the skyscrapers of Ukraine’s biggest banks, a sort of Ukrainian Frankfurt. At the centre of the Dnepropetrovsk-Clan are two men Viktor Pinchuk and Igor Kolomoiskii.

According to Ukrainian Forbes Pinchuk (US$ 3.8 billion) is the second richest man of the Ukraine followed by Kolomoiskii (US$ 2.4 billion). Both men have made their fortunes through banking and television.

Kolomoiskii is the owner of the Ukrainian Bank PrivatBank as well as the Ukraine’s largest television stations 1+1 and 2+2. In recent years the business interests of Pinchuk and Kolomoiskii have also clashed and right now there is an uneasy stalemate between the two groups within the Dnepropetrovsk-Clan.

The Dnepropetrovsk-Clan, and especially Kolomoiskii, were also major supporters of the former Prime Minister and now imprisoned Yulia Tymoshenko. Kolomoiskii, however, officially has withdrawn his support, and now backs Vitali Klitschko’s party UDAR (an acronym that means Ukrainian Democratic Alliance for Reform, but Udar is also the Ukrainian term for punch).

Power struggle

Both his support of Bloc Tymoshenko as well as currently UDAR places Kolomoiskii in direct opposition to the Donetsk-Clan and the Partiia Regionov. Both clans dominate Ukrainian politics and have major influence on the financial and political situation of Ukrainian football.

In 2010 Partiia Regionov became the largest political force in the Ukraine and since then Kolomoiskii and his business operations have come under political and economic attack. His previously successful airline Aerosvit had to declare bankruptcy after the government refused licence agreements for planes to land on some of Ukraine’s major airports.

Recently his television stations 1+1 and 2+2 lost the rights to broadcast Ukrainian Premier League (UPL) matches. Instead UPL signed a deal with Akhmetov’s television station Futbol+. In a bizarre turn of events, however, some teams boycotted the new television station by refusing to have their home games broadcasted by Futbol+.

This led to a political compromise of sort in that the clubs whose owners either support or don’t oppose the Partiia Regionov and the Donetsk-Clan remained with 1+1 and 2+2. Clubs that supported the Donetsk-Clan and Partiia Regionov moved to show their home games at Futbol+. As an official partner of the Ukrainian Premier League however, players are forced to give interviews with Futbol+ but can refuse interviews with Kolomoiskii’s television stations.

This bizarre situation is a sort of barometer for the overall political situation in Ukraine.

Ukraine’s game of thrones

Metalist Kharkiv for example had their home games televised by 2+2 as their previous owner Oleksandr Yaroslavsky was embedded in the political camp of the Kolomoiskii-Clan. In a surprise move, however, Yaroslavsky sold Metalist this summer stating that he could no longer deal with the pressure of owning the club.

Several sources claimed that Yaroslavsky came under political pressure and was forced to sell the club.

Yaroslavsky was apparently made an offer he could not refuse. The club was then sold to Serhiy Kurchenko who was loosely associated with a company called GasUkrainia.

But even more telling is Kurchenko’s close friendship with the son of President Yanukovich. GasUkraina has since been rebranded as VETEK, and next year’s Metalist home games will be shown on Futbol+ which leaves no doubt about the club’s political affiliation.

The power struggle that has ensued in Ukrainian politics and business had an even greater impact on Ukrainian football as a whole.

As mentioned, Kolomoiskii’s businesses have more frequently come under attack. But Kolomoiskii through business partners controlled many of the smaller Ukrainian clubs in the UPL. Recently, however, he has withdrawn his business interests outside of Dnepropetrovsk leaving several clubs without financial backing.

One such club was Arsenal Kiev, which was owned by Vadim Rabinovich a business partner of Kolomoiskii.

Arsenal Kiev was eventually sold in April 2013 to Oleksandr Onyschenko a millionaire and self-declared Olympic athlete who competed at the 2012 Olympic Games in in equestrian events with little success. Most importantly, however, Onyschenko is a member of the Partiia Regionov and is therefore able to bring yet another club into the political camp of the Donetsk-Clan.

Dinamo Kiev also felt the withdrawal of Kolomoiskii as PrivatBank withdrew their sponsorship of both Arsenal and Dinamo Kiev. Pinchuk, however, has since announced a deal with Dinamo making his NadraBank the new main sponsor of the club.

In other parts of the Ukraine, the retreat of Kolomoiskii had disastrous effects. Kryvbas Kryvyi Rih for example had to declare bankruptcy and the club might leave Kryvyi Rih. This city with a population of 600,000 people will most likely be without any professional football for years to come.

The third political force in the Ukraine is the right-wing organisation Svoboda Partiia (Freedom Party). Oligarchs do not support this party, but has a major following among the fans of the Lviv based club Karpaty. Lviv is in the heart of the Carpathian Mountains in the very west of the country a place that is dominated by a Ukrainian-speaking majority.

Svoboda is very much a grass roots party and has developed enough standing with the fans of Karpaty that the oligarch and owner of the club Petro Dyminskyi, has given up his political ambitions. Dyminskyi was previously a member of the Partiia Regionov and was even elected to the Verkhovna Rada (parliament). But Svoboda’s dominance in the region, however, has buried his political ambitions.

Football is an essential key to understanding the political alignments of the Ukraine. Clubs and their owners are part of certain political blocks. One can take a map of the Ukraine and draw invisible borders of alignment.

There are regions that are deeply committed to with one political party or another, some are neutral, and some switch sides. The emblems of football clubs placed on a map of the Ukraine are like medieval shields, which demonstrate allegiances to one master or another.

@ Kayokay

Houston Dynamo acquires Honduran international Lopez

HOUSTON -- The Houston Dynamo announced Wednesday that it acquired Honduras international Alexander Lopez via a transfer from Olimpia. Lopez was a standout at the recently completed CONCACAF Gold Cup, where he played in five games.

Both Houston and Olimpia are participating in the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League.

“We’ve seen him up close, including last year in Champions League and this year in the Gold Cup,” said Dynamo head coach Dominic Kinnear. “He is very versatile and a good fit for our team.

“He is a young international with a bright future and I thought he was good at the Gold Cup.”

Lopez also appeared in three games at both the 2012 Olympic Games and the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup.

The 21-year-old scored 18 goals in 51 career Honduran league games with the Lions

Arabe Unido, W Connection to face-off in meeting of CCL veterans

PANAMA CITY -- Three weeks into the Liga Panameña de Fútbol season, Arabe Unido finds itself in ninth place out of 10 teams.

And while Thursday’s CONCACAF Champions League encounter isn´t a domestic match, the “furia colonense” can acquire its first three points by defeating DIRECTV W Connection in the Group 1 opener for both at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City, Panama.

The Colon-based team started with a 1-1 home draw with San Francisco FC on July 19, followed it with a 2-0 loss at Alianza FC on July 26 and then fell 1-0 at home to Plaza Amador this past Sunday. David Daniels has the team´s lone goal.

Directed by Jair Palacios, Arabe is competing in its third CCL tournament, reaching the quarterfinals in 2009-2010 and playing in the group stage in 2010-2011.

The squad boasts eight Panamanian players who have played internationally --defenders Eric Davis, Alejandro Vélez and Nahil Carroll, midfielders Armando Cooper, midfielder-forward José Justavino and forwards Orlando Rodríguez, Víctor René Mendieta, Jr. and Manuel Mosquera.

The 2012 Panamanian Apertura champion will be looking to snap a four-game losing streak in the CONCACAF competition.

DIRECTV W Connection is taking this competition seriously. The Trinidad & Tobago power side has augmented its roster for the tournament and the upcoming TT Pro League season, adding three Colombian players -- midfielders Yefer Steven Lozano Rubiano and Yhon Stiven Reyes Lopez, plus striker Camilo Andres Ortega Diaz.

Coached by technical director Stuart Charles Fevrier, the Savonetta Boys are making their second consecutive third appearance in the CCL and third overall. They have posted some notable results in the competition, overcoming the New York Red Bulls 4-3 on aggregate in a 2009 preliminary-round series and winning 3-0 at over Guatemala’s Comunicaciones later in the group stage.

Last year, W Connection drew 1-1 at home against Guadalajara of Mexico thanks to a 66th minute goal by Clyde Leon.

It has ample talent to make life difficult on the Arabe. The T&T side contains a number of players with national team experience -- defenders Daneil Cyrus and Kern Cupid, midfielders Joevin Jones, Leon and Silvio Spann and forward Matthew Bartholomew (all Trinidad & Tobago) , defender Vernus Abbott (Saint Lucia), midfielder Gerard Williams (Saint Kitts and Nevis) and forward Stefano Rijssel (Suriname).

Man City offer €40m for Willian - report

Manchester City have lodged an offer of €40 million for Anzhi Makhachkala´s Willian according to reports in Brazil.

The offer was rejected by the Russian side but the Citizens are now prepared to come back with an improved offer according to ESPN Brasil.

The futures of Brazilian stars Willian, Jucilei, Ewerton and João Carlos were thrown into doubt after Anzhi Makhachkala´s owner declared his intention to offload a host of players.

Kerimov took over the club in January 2011 and initiated a huge spending spree, hoping to turn the side into Russia´s major power.

But Russian publication Sport Express reported that after Anzhi´s 1-0 defeat to Rostov on Friday, Kerimov suffered health issues leading to his decision to reform the club.

The news threw uncertainty over the futures of stars such as Cameroon captain Samuel Eto´o, Brazil´s Willian and Russian international Yury Zhirkov.

But according to Sport Express, Kerimov said he was not selling the club and that former manager Gadzhi Gadzhiev would take over the helm in the near future.

Luiz Gustavo wants Premier League move - report

Bayern Munich midfielder Luiz Gustavo wants to move to the Premier League, with Arsenal and Chelsea reportedly interested according to reports in Germany.

Bundesliga rivals VfL Wolfsburg are keen on the 26-year-old but Gustavo wants to play for a Premier League club in Europe and is only interested in a move to Wolfsburg as a last resort, according to Bild.

The €18m-rated enforcer is surplus to requirements at the Allianz Arena following the summer arrivals of Mario Gotze and Thiago Alcantara and manager Pep Guardiola.

The Seleção star was a key part of Bayern´s side over the last few years but Guardiola wants to reduce his Bayern squad ahead of the new season.

There is no indication that either Arsenal or Chelsea are keen on Gustavo but Bild believes the player wants a move to the Premier League this summer.

Maglio pide disculpas

BUENOS AIRES -- El árbitro Carlos Maglio admitió este jueves no haber sido "justo" en el partido entre Belgrano y Boca, y afirmó que con sus decisiones perjudicó al conjunto cordobés.

"Sí, porque no fui justo", contestó, sin vacilar, Maglio, al ser consultado sobre si perjudicó a Belgrano al anular mal dos goles y no sancionar un penal a Sebastián Carrera.

"Cuando uno priva de algo sancionable a un equipo, no es justo", precisó Maglio en declaraciones a radio La Red, y luego concluyó: "A la gente qué le puedo decir, me equivoqué. Lo que hice, lo hice sin mala intención".

SCIME: "NO TUVO UNA ACTUACIÓN ACORDE A SU PRESTIGIO"

Por su parte, el director nacional de Arbitraje de la AFA, Miguel Scime, reconoció las equivocaciones de Maglio en Belgrano-Boca al afirmar que no tuvo una tarea "de acuerdo a su experiencia y prestigio".

También admitió que su hijo Ariel, juez de línea 1 en ese partido, también se equivocó en la jugada de los dos goles anulados a Belgrano.

"No fue un arbitraje de acuerdo a la experiencia, al prestigio de un árbitro que tiene tiempo en haber dirigido partidos mucho más complejos que este", sostuvo Scime.

"Le tocó equivocarse y ayer fue el día que parecía que lo tocaron con la varita mágica. Habrá que trabajar el doble y conversar con él para ver los errores y que no le vuelvan a ocurrir", sostuvo el ex árbitro y actual director.

Sobre su hijo, admitió que el error en uno de los goles se produjo por una mala posición al "no estar parado perpendicularmente al plano del jugador que observa y toma la decisión errónea porque el jugador estaba habilitado".

GOBERNADOR CORDOBÉS DE LA SOTA ENOJADO

El gobernador de Córdoba, José Manuel De la Sota, sumó sus críticas al polémico arbitraje de Carlos Maglio en la derrota de Belgrano ante Boca, al afirmar que tanto el referí como sus colaboradores "ni a propósito" pudieron cometer tantos errores.

Pero De la Sota deslizó cierto tufillo de sospecha cuando volvió a acusar al gobierno nacional de "manejar" a la AFA.

De la Sota, también en campaña contra el kirchnerismo, ya había fogoneado la presencia de público visitante en las canchas, y militó contra la medida de la Nación y AFA de limitar a socios locales el acceso a los estadios en las dos primeras fechas.

El gobernador, hincha de General Paz Juniors, un equipo que anda de capa caída en certámenes menores, salió a hablar por distintos medios cordobeses para erigirse en defensor de Belgrano ante la pésima labor arbitral de Maglio, que con sus errores le allanó a Boca el camino a la victoria en un debut de torneo Inicial que venía mal cuadrado.

"Estos árbitros ni a propósito podrían haber hecho esto", dijo sobre los fallos polémicos de Maglio, e incluyendo a Ariel Scime, el primer asistente que falló en marcar dos posiciones adelantadas, en verdad inexistentes, con lo cual el referí principal anuló dos goles al conjunto local.

Inmediatamente, hilvanó las críticas por la labor de los árbitros con el tándem AFA-Nación.

"El Gobierno maneja la AFA hoy y utiliza el fútbol para hacer propaganda política", señaló De la Sota y agregó que las resoluciones de la entidad que encabeza Grondona "son antifútbol".

Pizzi quiere un San Lorenzo "valiente"

BUENOS AIRES -- El entrenador de San Lorenzo, Juan Antonio Pizzi, aseguró que su equipo buscará ser "valiente" y tomará "riesgos" cuando el viernes visite a Racing porque así lo exige "la historia del club".

Pizzi, quien tal su costumbre evitó confirmar la formación, reconoció que evalúa hacer "algunas modificaciones" ante "la necesidad de mejorar en algunos aspectos y la necesidad que tienen algunos jugadores de descansar y de recuperarse de lesiones".

Esos cambios serían cuatro: Matías Catalán por Gonzalo Prósperi, Santiago Gentiletti por Pablo Alvarado, Néstor Ortigoza por Julio Buffarini e Ignacio Piatti por Gonzalo Verón.

Ante una consulta sobre cómo afrontarán el clásico en Avellaneda, respondió: "Siendo valientes, tomando los riesgos correspondientes y afrontando los compromisos sabiendo que en el fútbol solamente con eso no alcanza".

"Mi forma de ver el fútbol, la historia de este club y las cualidades de los futbolistas coinciden para que juguemos de una forma. Cuando coinciden todas las cosas que uno cree que están bien, no veo por qué hay que modificar eso", enfatizó el técnico en conferencia de prensa.

A su vez, expresó su deseo de que se dé "una disputa similar" al vibrante clásico que Racing le ganó 4 a 1 a San Lorenzo en el torneo anterior, pero "con una diferencia en el resultado final".

Hvor er rygtet om Gustavo fra? En eksotisk ESPN variant eller?

En ny Gilberto ville varme, forstår du.

Sporting Cristal announces the departure of coach Roberto Mosquera

Sporting Cristal has announced the departure of coach Roberto Mosquera due to poor performance in the 2013 Peruvian tournament.

"The club has decided to end the relationship with coach Roberto Mosquera and his technical team," the team said in a statement.

The directors of the institution "are in the process of getting another coach in order to continue in search of a championship in Peru," the statement continued.

The coach of the reserve team of Sporting Cristal, Francisco Melgar, will assume coaching duties of the team until a new permanent coach can be found.

Mosquera, 57, managed Sporting Cristal for a year and a half and got them qualified to play the 2013 Copa Libertadores, where they were eliminated in the group stage. Last Saturday, Sporting Cristal was thrashed 3-0 by Universitario de Deportes.

The Peruvian first division is led by Real Garcilaso with 51 points, followed by Universitario with 44 and Sporting Cristal with 43​​.

Sporting Cristal is the Peruvian club who has qualified the most times for the Copa Libertadore with 13.

Their best performance was in 1997, when they reached the final of the tournament, losing to Brazil´s Cruzeiro.

Pellegrino, Argentine coach of Estudiantes, dislocates his shoulder

The coach of Estudiantes de La Plata, Mauricio Pellegrino, dislocated his right shoulder in an unusual way, while making a vehement gesture while giving instructions in his team´s victory (1-0) over All Boys on Wednesday night, in the second game of the Argentine tournament.

Pellegrino was injured near the end, when he stretched his right arm very violently and dislocated his shoulder. He was immediately attended to by doctor Hugo Montenegro.

"I have never seen that before. I have always had a chronic shoulder injury, so that´s why it popped out of place, but I´m fine," said the coach at the press conference after the match played in La Plata.

Pellegrino, 41, has been Estudiantes coach since April, his first experience in Argentina, having begun his career as coach for Spanish club Valencia, the club he also served as a player during his time as a professional. He also played for Argentina club Velez Sarsfield.