Crew Official Is Fined Over Comments
Major League Soccer on Tuesday fined Jim Smith, president and general manager of the foundering Columbus Crew, $500 for “conduct unbecoming an MLS representative,” after Smith had sharply criticized Los Angeles-based referee Kevin Stott.
Smith’s comments were made after the defending U.S. Open Cup champion Crew surrendered a two-goal lead and lost, 4-3, to the MetroStars in an Open Cup game in Columbus on Aug. 6.
Stott, one of only seven FIFA-level referees in the U.S., had been in charge of the Manchester United-Barcelona match in Philadelphia three days before the game in Columbus. He drew Smith’s ire after red-carding Crew forward Brian West for using what Stott judged to be “excessive force” in a tackle on the MetroStars’ Edgar Bartolomeu.
“You ask referees not to make big mistakes,” Smith told the Columbus Dispatch at the time. “Referees are going to make mistakes. That was a big mistake.
“It was a terrible, terrible decision. For one thing, the referee was out of position. Unfortunately in this game, [in] a single-elimination tournament, that is a colossal mistake by the referee.
“Who knows what he’s thinking. It wasn’t the only bad call he made.... Very interesting that he would get the [Manchester United-Barcelona] game and then turn around and do as poor a job as he did in this game.”
The Crew is in last place in the Eastern Conference with only five victories in 18 MLS matches in 2003. Stott is widely considered a future World Cup referee.
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United Duo
Manchester United signed its first Brazilian player and its first Portuguese player when it acquired Brazilian midfielder Kleberson, 24, from Atletico Paranaense for $9.5 million and Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo, 18, from Sporting Lisbon for $19.7 million.
Cristiano Ronaldo is so highly thought of that he was assigned the No. 7 shirt formerly worn by David Beckham.
“He is one of the most exciting young players I’ve ever seen.” United Coach Sir Alex Ferguson said.
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Mutu to Chelsea
Romanian international forward Adrian Mutu became Chelsea’s seventh major signing of the last few weeks when the 24-year-old passed a physical and thus all but completed his $25.4-million move from Parma in Italy.
Mutu is expected to be granted a work permit in time to play for Chelsea in its English season opener against Liverpool on Sunday.
Since being bought by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich in July, Chelsea has spent $120 million on players, including Mutu from Parma, Juan Sebastian Veron from Manchester United, Geremi from Real Madrid, Joe Cole and Glen Johnson from West Ham United, Damien Duff from Blackburn Rovers and Wayne Bridge from Southampton.
The French daily L’Equipe reported that Chelsea’s next target is Russian midfielder Alexei Smertine of Bordeaux.
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Peru to Play Mexico
Peru has agreed to fill in for Spain and will play Mexico in an international friendly at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J., on Aug. 20. Spain dropped out this week, citing player fatigue and television coverage problems.
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Juventus Leader
Italian champion Juventus named Franzo Grande Stevens, a lawyer for the Agnelli family that owns the 27-time Serie A winner, as president of the Turin-based club. Grande Stevens replaces Vittorio Chiusano, who died July 31.
Juventus also said it was financially in the black for the seventh consecutive year, with net profits of $2.5 million. The statement was issued on the same day that Italy’s top financial daily, Il Sole 24 Ore, reported that Italian clubs as a whole are $568 million in debt, mostly as the result of high player salaries.
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Times wire services contributed to this report.
