SOCCER / JULIE CART : French Official Is in Middle of a Terrible Fix

European soccer is reeling from a bribery scandal that last week took a much more serious turn. Police on Friday arrested Olympique Marseille General Manager Jean-Pierre Bernes as he left a Paris hospital, where he spent a week being treated for exhaustion and depression.

Bernes is charged with arranging bribes for opposing players on the Valenciennes team to go easy in a recent French first-division match so that Marseille’s players could conserve their energy for the Champions’ Cup final against AC Milan on May 26.

In an upset that shocked the soccer world, Marseille defeated Milan to become the first French team to win the prestigious European club championship. In the aftermath of last week’s new allegations, club officials at AC Milan are demanding the final be replayed, this time against the Rangers of the Scottish League, who finished second in Marseille’s qualifying group.

Bernes had checked himself into the hospital only hours before police were expected to take him into custody. Now, following his arrest Friday, he is in custody at a prison hospital, and Valenciennes Judge Bernard Bessy, who is leading the investigation, has ordered Bernes be transferred to Valenciennes within four days.

Bernes’ attorney, Jean-Louis Pelletier, said a doctor had described Bernes as “sick and fragile” and in no shape to travel for at least two weeks.

The furor started after Gennady Kostyelev, manager of CSKA Moscow, claimed that his players were twice offered bribes to play poorly. Kostyelev said none of his players accepted the money.

Kostyelev has since retracted his allegation.

Earlier, Marseille had been accused of attempting to rig a match held before the Champions’ Cup final. In that incident, a player for Valenciennes claimed he received a telephone call before the game from director-general of Marseille.

The player, sweeper Jacques Glassman, said he had been offered “substantial sums” to ensure an easy win for Marseille. Glassman filed an official complaint and French League authorities launched an investigation.

One of Glassman’s Valenciennes teammates, Christophe Robert, found the offer too much to refuse. Robert was charged and jailed after he admitted receiving $45,000 to play poorly. The money was found in Robert’s back yard after police made a sweep of the team’s training camp in the Pyrenees. Twelve players were questioned by police during that raid.

A Marseille player, Jean-Jacques Eydelie, is accused of being the go-between and has also been jailed. Eydelie, 27, is alleged to have met Robert in a hotel parking lot at midnight before the Marseille-Valenciennes game.

Charged last week was Valenciennes goaltender Jorge Burruchaga, an Argentine who played for his national team in the 1990 World Cup. Burruchaga was charged with “passive corruption,” having accepted the bribe offer but no money.

The French League is conducting its own investigation.

Bernard Tapie, the club’s flamboyant owner-politician, is not implicated in the scandal.

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Talks between the U.S. team’s representatives and the USSF are continuing.

According to Leigh Steinberg, who represents the players in their dealings with the federation, negotiations are moving quickly. Steinberg is scheduled to meet with the team today and give the players a status report. The players have an array of concerns, chiefly marketing opportunities, salary and housing.

“I think the players will be pleased,” Steinberg said. “They’ll have some decisions to make. It is clear that the players, as well as the federation, all have a mutual interest in the future development of a professional soccer league. Certainly, there are issues on which all parties don’t agree. But real progress has been made.”

Steinberg said marketing executives have been taking part in the discussions. Players have complained about the USSF’s lack of coherent strategy to market the sport, while at the same time the federation severely restricts the national team players’ rights to seek independent sponsors.

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Spanish-speaking soccer fans in Los Angeles have been able to listen to the Copa America tournament, which serves as the South American championship, on radio station KWKW.

KWKW has carried the entire tournament, including Sunday’s championship game, won by Argentina, 2-1, over Mexico.

“The interest in the tournament has been amazing,” said Jim Kalmenson, the station manager. “It became obvious to us that the interest level kept building as the tournament progressed.”

Also, he added, as Mexico advanced from round to round.

Kalmenson said that sponsors have even felt the impact. He said that sponsors have reported that fans have gone to stores that advertised during the games and shouted “Viva, Mexico!”

“If we didn’t already know it,” Kalmenson said, “we have had it emphasized with the Copa America--people really want to hear soccer games on the radio.”

Mexico and the United States were invited to participate for the first time. The U.S. team was eliminated after the first round and Mexico played brilliantly to get to the final.

Soccer Notes

U.S. team injury update: midfielder Brian Quinn had surgery to his long-troubled left leg. The problem, compartment syndrome, was corrected and he is expected to be out six weeks. Midfielder Yari Allnutt had hernia surgery and is expected to be out seven to eight weeks. Frank Klopas is still awaiting surgery to repair ligaments in his left knee.

Midfielder John Harkes, who has been playing for Sheffield Wednesday in the English Premier League, is now a free agent. He spent his few weeks off pondering his future, which may include a new team. So, too, may be Eric Wynalda, whose German club, Saarbruecken, was relegated.

The end of the year tournament, tentatively scheduled to be held at East L.A. College, appears to be off. Italy, Holland, Mexico and the United States were to compete, but the Italians are balking. . . . The Statue of Liberty is adding its pound of ‘flesh’ for the benefit of the World Cup. Brass used in the statue’s 1986 restoration is being recycled into one-ounce medallions commemorating the World Cup. 70,000 medallions are being minted, and will cost $45 each.