Portugal Loses Three Players
Three Portuguese players were suspended by UEFA on Sunday and the federation was fined for attacks on game officials during their Euro 2000 semifinal loss to France.
Defender Abel Xavier, whose hand ball led to the winning penalty goal in overtime for France, was suspended for nine months of international play. Top scorer Nuno Gomes, who received a red card for protesting the penalty, was banned for eight months, and Paulo Bento, who verbally accosted the officials, was suspended for six months.
The fine was $107,000 for the federation, which will host the next European Championship in 2004.
FIFA is expected to adopt the penalties, in which case the suspensions will coincide with the opening games of the Portuguese qualifying season for the 2002 World Cup, robbing the team of three starters.
The suspensions also apply to Champions League and UEFA Cup games. The Portuguese federation has until Wednesday to appeal.
*
1990 World Cup hero Rudi Voeller will head Germany’s troubled national team for the next year, then make way for Bayer Leverkusen Coach Christoph Daum.
In a five-hour crisis meeting of the top German soccer officials and Bundesliga clubs, the unusual compromise was hammered out as Leverkusen resisted pressure to release Daum from his contract that runs through the next Bundesliga season.
Voeller, who doesn’t have a coaching license, will have a coach at his side during his interim year replacing Erich Ribbeck, who resigned after Germany’s miserable showing at the Euro 2000.
The 46-year-old Daum, the overwhelming favorite for the job, will then take over on June 1, 2001, after the Bundesliga season concludes.
*
Players from France and Italy dominated the 16-player all-star team from Euro 2000.
France was represented by goalkeeper Fabien Barthez, defenders Laurent Blanc and Marcel Desailly, midfielders Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane and forward Thierry Henry.
Italian players selected were goalkeeper Francesco Toldo and defenders Alessandro Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro.
The other selections were defender Frank de Boer (Netherlands), midfielders Luis Figo (Portugal), Josep Guardiola (Spain) and Edgar Davids (Netherlands) and forwards Patrick Kluivert (Netherlands), Nuno Gomes (Portugal) and Raul (Spain).
