English League Players Face Fines, Suspensions
Eight players from the Arsenal-Manchester United game last weekend were charged with improper conduct by the English Football Assn. and now face fines and suspensions.
Six of the players -- Patrick Vieira, Martin Keown, Ashley Cole, Lauren, Ray Parlour and Jens Lehmann -- are from Arsenal.
The two United players are Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo.
The charges stem from an on-field incident late in the game after United’s Ruud Van Nistelrooy missed a penalty kick and was taunted by several Arsenal players. A number of players also clashed at midfield afterward, but Keown also was charged with violent behavior for leaping and making contact with Van Nistelrooy.
The clubs have two weeks to respond to the charges.
UEFA Cup
Spanish power Barcelona gave up a goal in second-half injury time and stumbled to a 1-1 tie against low-budget Slovakian club SKM Puchov in the first-round of the UEFA Cup at Trnava, Slovakia.
Milan Jambor scored the tying goal for Puchov, which has a budget of only $1 million. Patrick Kluivert scored for Barcelona in the 49th minute.
In another surprise, Liverpool managed only a 1-1 tie against Olimpija Ljubljana at Slovenia. Michael Owen scored in the 78th minute for Liverpool to become the club’s top goal scorer in European competitions with 20.
Rivaldo Reveals
Brazilian World Cup winner Rivaldo has had trouble making an impression since joining European champion AC Milan last season.
Now the striker, who has made only one appearance as a substitute in the first month of the season, has said he would be delighted to join star-studded Real Madrid.
“If Milan agrees to let me go and if there’s an agreement between the clubs, I would love to play for Madrid,” Rivaldo told Spanish sports daily As.
Earlier this week, Real Madrid striker Ronaldo, also a Brazilian, said he would ask team President Florentino Perez to acquire his friend.
Stadium Messes
The Italian league ruled that Napoli, a Serie B team, will have to play its next five home games at a neutral stadium with no spectators after the death of a fan last weekend.
Sergio Ercolano, 19, died Monday of injuries suffered in a fall from the upper deck of the stadium during a melee involving angry fans and police.
Meanwhile, Turkish club Fenerbahce must give up a home game as punishment for fan trouble at a game two weeks ago, the country’s soccer disciplinary board ruled.
Mexican League
Tigres of Nuevo Leon increased their overall lead in the Mexican league after a 1-0 victory Wednesday.
Walter Gaitan of Argentina scored, helping give the Tigres a 6-1-1 record and 19 points.
Quick Passes
Chelsea, the big-spending English club, is set to begin pre-contract negotiations in January with England Coach Sven-Goran Eriksson, the Daily Mail of London reported.... Manchester United and Norway striker Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will sit out three months after having surgery on his right knee Tuesday.... The Colorado Rapids will play the Guatemalan national team Oct. 15 in Invesco Field at Denver. It is uncertain if Galaxy forward Carlos Ruiz will be part of Guatemala’s roster.
Times wire services contributed to this report.
