Other soccer news in brief

Ancelotti sees Baresi and Maldini attributes in Terry

CHELSEA MANAGER Carlo Ancelotti has described John Terry as a mixture of Italian legends Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini.

It is Ancelotti’s latest backing for his captain, who at the weekend was accused of taking secret cash payments for a tour of the club’s Cobham training ground, a claim that led to Chelsea releasing a statement insisting the 29-year-old did not “ask for or accept money”.

Terry has been publicly supported by Ancelotti, and the former AC Milan coach sees the same qualities in his captain as two defenders he played with at the San Siro.

“Terry is like Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini in personality, character and leadership,” Ancelotti said. “I am very lucky to have this player as my captain.”

Ancelotti also sees similarities between Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich and Milan counterpart Silvio Berlusconi.

“Abramovich is like Berlusconi,” Ancelotti said. “He has a passion for his club, he likes to speak about football, as does Berlusconi.”

Lippi has no plans to return to Juve

ITALY COACH Marcello Lippi insists he will not be returning to Juventus after next summer’s World Cup.

Speculation has been rife for several months that Lippi, whose contract at the helm of the Azzurri expires at the end of the tournament, will join the Bianconeri as director of football.

But the 61-year-old World Cup-winning coach, who had two spells in charge of Juventus totalling eight years until he took over the national team in 2004, has categorically denied he is planning on heading back to Turin.

“I don’t know what I will do after the World Cup,” he said yesterday.

“I have said it a billion times, that I will not be returning to Juventus, neither as coach, nor as technical director.”

Numbers of arrests at games down

THE NUMBER of English football hooligans arrested by the police fell last season, official figures revealed yesterday. British Home Office statistics showed there were 3,752 arrests at matches in England and Wales – a fall of 2 per cent on the 2007/’08 season.

Half were for disorder and around a third for alcohol offences. Other arrests were for ticket touting and violence.

Manchester United fans topped the Premier League arrest charts. Of 1,600 arrests of fans with clubs in the top flight, 185 were followers of the league title holders.

Second was relegated Newcastle United with 144 arrests and third was Everton with 139. Fulham had the fewest fans arrested with just 13.

Cork delay managerial appointment

CORK CITY will not now appoint a manager until at least next week, but the club insisted yesterday that it would reach agreement on the payment of wages owed to players in time for the money to be handed over before Christmas, reports Emmet Malone.

Around €150,000 is owed to players, some of whom have left the club, and it had been hoped that the money would be paid by Monday when the club’s initial application for a licence for next season had to be lodged. The FAI’s licensing committee is to meet today and could take a tough line on City’s application because the money is still outstanding.

The PFAI is hoping that its members will receive the cash today but says that in the event they do not then some money from the Foras-backed hardship fund will be made available.

Roddy Collins, meanwhile, met with club owner Tom Coughlan yesterday, but it seems that no final agreement was reached on the Dubliner’s appointment and it may now be the new year before the matter is resolved.

German FA ban referee

THE GERMAN Football Association have suspended an assistant referee suspected of fixing matches. The official in question is Cetin Sevinc, who has acted as an assistant five times in the second division this season, the DFB confirmed in a statement yesterday.

“The DFB will for the time being not longer use Cetin Sevinc as a referee or an assistant,” the statement read. “This precautionary suspension has become necessary because of the fact that Bochum prosecutors are supposed to have started investigations against the 27-year-old because of possible match manipulation.”

DFB vice president Rainer Koch added: “We have already been informed about the suspicion against Cetin Sevinc and have made all our relevant information to the Bochum prosecutors.

“Of course the presumption of innocence applies for Mr Sevinc, but as long as the investigations against him are not closed, we will no longer call upon him for the protection of him and the current competition.”

Donovan cleared to join Everton

UNITED STATES international Landon Donovan has been granted a work permit and can now officially join Everton on loan next month.

A deal to bring the 27-year-old forward from Los Angeles Galaxy to Goodison Park for two and a half months was finalised between the two clubs last Friday.

However, Donovan, who has won 120 caps for his country, had to go through the formality of applying for his permit.