Arok warns Socceroos of Serbia threat

Former Australia boss Frank Arok believes his home country, Serbia, could cause the Socceroos real problems from set-pieces at the World Cup.


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Frank Arok led Australia from 1984 to 1990
After facing Germany and Ghana, Australia meet Serbia in their final Group D game and the match could prove vital in what is considered one of the stronger groups in this year's competition.

And Arok, who managed Australia from 1984 to 1990, believes preventing Manchester United's Nemanja Vidic and Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic from providing an aerial threat from set-pieces will be the key to success.

"It will be decided by corner kicks and free-kicks," he told the Sydney Morning Herald. "If I was the Australian coach, I would put them under pressure, maybe play two small, quick, guys up front and spread it out, because the big guys at the back for Serbia don't like that.

"The big danger for Australia will be the two guys [Vidic and Ivanovic] who play in England. They don't have good strikers, but these guys are so dominant in the penalty area. They'll come up for corners and free kicks, and they are so dominant in the air. It's going to be a close game, but an ugly game, and one free-kick can decide everything."

Source:soccernet.espn.go.com/

Serbia charges 15 with murder of French soccer fan

BELGRADE (Reuters) - The Serbian authorities have charged 15 people with the premeditated murder of a French soccer fan in Belgrade last September, the state prosecutor said on Tuesday.

Brice Taton, 28, sustained multiple head and chest injuries when Partizan Belgrade fans attacked him with iron bars and baseball bats on Sept. 17 before a Europa League match against Toulouse. He died 12 days later despite several operations.

"The group mercilessly attacked Taton, fully aware of the severity and illegality of their act," said a statement issued by the Serbian State Prosecutor's office.

If convicted, the defendants face up to 40 years in prison, the maximum sentence under Serbian law.

Police have arrested 13 suspects, including one they consider the main perpetrator of the attack on Taton in front of a central Belgrade bar. Two suspects remain at large.

The death of the French soccer fan prompted President Boris Tadic and the government to launch a campaign to root out violence in sport as well as racist attacks and those on foreigners and minority groups such as Roma or homosexuals.

Taton was the first foreigner to die in soccer-related violence in Serbia, though about a dozen Serbs have died or been seriously injured in similar incidents in the last decade.

Source:in.reuters.com/a

Iceland Ties Serbia in Handball Championship

The Icelandic national team in men’s handball tied Serbia in their first game in the European Championship in Austria last night. Iceland lost their four-goal lead in the last five minutes of the game and the final score was 29-29.

Serbia’s goalkeeper deflected a penalty shot from Snorri Steinn Gudjónsson in the last second. “Óli [captain Ólafur Stefánsson] and I watched each other and he pointed at me. Then it was my job to take the penalty throw,” Gudjónsson told Fréttabladid.

“But the tournament isn’t over. It was a tie after all, not a loss, and now we are determined to win the remaining games in our qualifying group,” Gudjónsson added.

The Icelandic team led the entire game and Iceland’s coach Gudmundur Gudmundsson was disappointed with the final result. “We absolutely had them. That is why this is so frustrating.”

“We have a difficult game against Austria next so we just have to win it,” Gudmundsson added. The game against Austria is tomorrow.

Source:icelandreview.com/

Germans cool on World Cup tickets

The German football federation (DFB) said that German fans have only bought 579, 655 and 682 tickets respectively for the national team’s three group matches against Australia, Serbia and Ghana.

However DFB general secretary Wolfgang Niersbach said there was no cause for concern as the figures were similar to those for the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan.

“Sales are normal and similar to the 2002 World Cup, and the comparison with 2002 offers itself because of the similar distance and the resulting costs,” said Niersbach.

“…we should not compare it with the 2006 World Cup when Germany were hosts. Even for the 2002 final in Yokohama (between Brazil and Germany) we only sold 2,144 tickets to German fans.”

Source:sportbusiness.com/

Jose Mourinho moves in on Manchester City target Milos Krasic as Inter Milan bid to sway Serbia star

Jose Mourinho hopes to convince CSKA Moscow winger Milos Krasic to snub a move to England in favour of joining his Inter Milan side.
The Italian champions are prepared to make a concrete offer in the summer for the Serbia international, who has already warned off Manchester City this month.
Krasic has been holding out for an offer from one of Europe's elite clubs and has little appetite to move before the World Cup finals.
Red marauder: CSKA Moscow winger Milos Krasic is in demand
Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson spoke in glowing terms about the right-sided player after facing CSKA in the Champions League group phase.
Hard sell: Jose Mourinho
Arsenal and Liverpool scouts also watched him dazzle at Old Trafford when the Russians drew 3-3 with the Barclays Premier League champions, while Chelsea have also been linked with a move.
Krasic's agent Dejan Joksimovic denied he was in Italy for talks, but Inter have moved ahead of neighbours AC Milan as the favourites for his signature.
The former Vojvodina star prefers the Italian game, though friends have tried to convince him that a move to England would be in his best interests.
'Many English teams like Milos,' said Joksimovic. 'Roberto Mancini is thinking of him, but currently Manchester City nor the other interested teams have elaborated an official offer.
'CSKA Moscow want to keep him until June. If he leaves in January, Italian clubs are virtually cut off because the player has no EU passport and he costs a lot.'

Source:dailymail.co.uk/

Standard Liege’s Jovanovic in Liverpool talks

Recent reports suggest that Liverpool are in discussions with Standard Liege’s Milan Jovanovic.

The 28-year old Serbia international is out of contract this summer and intends to leave the Belgian club on a Bosman transfer.

Jovanovic has been linked with moves to Spanish outfit Valencia as well as Atletico Madrid and Italian giants AC Milan but Liverpool have now moved to attempt to lure him to Anfield.

It is understood Jovanovic will not give an answer this month and could even wait until after the World Cup to switch clubs.

Source:ribalfootball.com/