Barcelona Ready to Sign Riquelme
Juan Roman Riquelme, billed as the next big star to come out of Argentina, is poised to join Barcelona in Spain from Boca Juniors in Argentina for $12.8 million, Spanish newspapers reported Monday.
“All we have to do is put on paper what we have already agreed verbally,” Pedro Pompillo, a Boca Juniors vice president, told the Barcelona sports daily Mundo Deportivo. “There shouldn’t be any problems now.”
Riquelme, a 24-year-old midfielder, narrowly missed being selected for Argentina’s World Cup team, but has helped Boca Juniors win the Copa Libertadores twice since joining the club in 1996 and also led it to the Toyota/Intercontinental Cup in 2000.
His arrival at Nou Camp could lead to the departure of Brazilian midfielder Rivaldo, if not this season then certainly in the near future.
A Russia Revolution
The Russian Football Union appointed Valery Gazzayev as its national coach and Gazzayev, 48, immediately promised a turnaround in the way things are done.
“My first steps as head coach will be to make the national team open to the media and to the public,” he said in Moscow. “I am for complete openness and democracy.”
Gazzayev, who will continue as coach of CSKA Moscow, the Red Army team, until December, replaces Oleg Romantsev, whose World Cup team and tactics were branded as being “from the Jurassic age” by a Russian media angered by the team’s first-round ouster.
New Coach for Slovenia
Slovenia has selected Bojan Prasnikar as its new coach in place of Srecko Katanec, who resigned after the country’s first-round elimination from the World Cup.
Prasnikar, 49, has twice previously coached the national team. He agreed to a four-year contract and will simultaneously coach six-time Slovenian champion Maribor.
Slovenia plays Italy in a friendly in mid-August before beginning qualifying play for Euro 2004 in September.
Seaman Hangs On
David Seaman, the England goalkeeper whose blunder gave Ronaldinho the goal that earned Brazil a 2-1 World Cup quarterfinal victory, said that he does not want to retire.
Seaman, 38, told SkySports News in England that he would like to play one more season for Arsenal if a contract agreement can be reached.
“What happened at the World Cup was a big setback, but you’ve got to keep with it as a goalkeeper,” Seaman said. “It’s like [Germany goalkeeper] Oliver Kahn found out--[he] played a great tournament and then he makes a mistake and that’s what people remember.”
Hiddink Takes Over PSV
As expected, Guus Hiddink, the Dutchman who coached South Korea to fourth place at the World Cup, agreed to become coach of the Dutch first division club PSV Eindhoven for the next two years.
Hiddink, 55, whose coaching career was launched as a PSV assistant in 1983, later went on to lead the club to three Dutch championships, three Dutch Cups and the European Champions Cup in 1988.
“It’s good to be back and to work with a warm and ambitious club,” Hiddink said. “Those were the most important reasons for me to come back. I am a happy coach.”
Venables Resurfaces
Terry Venables, former coach of both England and Australia, agreed to leave the television studio, where he has served as a pundit for the last couple of years, and become coach of Leeds United of the English Premier League.
Venables, 59, was wooed in whirlwind fashion, Leeds having first contacted him at his home in Spain as recently as Friday.
The club finished fifth in the league last season, thereby failing to qualify for the lucrative European Champions League, a fact that contributed to the ouster of former coach David O’Leary.
K-League Record Crowds
South Korea’s K-League opened its 2002 season in front of record crowds as World Cup fever showed little sign of abating.
Teams averaged close to 30,000 a game during the opening weekend, compared to last season’s average of 13,000.
The Pusan I-cons drew 34,000 for their home game against the Ulsan Tigers; there were 31,000 on hand to see Chonbuk Motors beat the Anyang Cheetahs in Jeonju, and similar crowds were reported in other K-league cities.
Senegal’s Cisse Moves On
Aliou Cisse, the 26-year-old defender who led Senegal into the quarterfinals of the World Cup, has agreed to join Birmingham City of the English Premier League from Paris Saint Germain of France for $6.9 million. Details of the four-year contract have yet to be finalized.
