FOOT IN MOUTH
Considering how much of his working life is spent apologising for his own shortcomings and those of the Football Association he seems to constantly undermine, you could be forgiven for thinking Martin Glenn might be better at it. The FA chief executive’s week got off to a – cough – sorry start when he was forced to issue a mea culpa to Jewish people everywhere, after weirdly likening the Star of David to famous symbols of oppression that once had a place on certain football shirts but for obvious reasons no longer do, such as the hammer and sickle, swastikas and – only in Glenn’s fevered imagination, one presumes – pictures of Robert Mugabe.
These are not the kind of things we “want to see” on a football field, announced Glenn, apparently oblivious to the fact that the Star of David features prominently on the shirts worn by Israel players, their Football Association’s crest and the flags waved by their supporters. When it was pointed out to him by Simon Johnson, Glenn’s opposite number in the Jewish Leadership Council, that “the Star of David is a Jewish religious symbol of immense importance to Jews worldwide” and “to put it in the same bracket as the swastika and Robert Mugabe is offensive and inappropriate” Glenn was quick to publicly apologise, albeit for any offence caused by his mindbogglingly stupid remark, rather than the actual mindbogglingly stupid remark itself. “Martin apologised, explained the context for his comments and stated that he did not intend to cause offence, which I accepted,” said Johnson graciously.
The FA chief executive had been needlessly tying himself in knots as he attempted to explain why Pep Guardiola should not be allowed to wear a yellow ribbon in support of prominent fellow Catalans who have been imprisoned since the Spanish government decided their independence referendum was illegal, a gesture for which the Manchester City manager has come under fire on the grounds that he has no qualms in cosying up to a Qatari regime that is also renowned for incarcerating critics unjustly. Glenn put his foot in his mouth while explaining why Guardiola’s continued wearing of a yellow ribbon contravenes rules over political symbols. Rules, it’s worth noting, that don’t extend to the wearing of poppies, despite what was once a subtle symbol of respect and remembrance for war dead having become one of the most contentious political symbols of them all since being deemed acceptable apparel for footballers by the FA.
Guardiola was charged with “wearing a political message” during City’s FA Cup defeat at the hands of Wigan Athletic and while insisting he doesn’t think his yellow ribbon is any such thing, has hinted this is not a particular mountain he’s willing to die on just to make a big statement. By way of compromise, Glenn might consider asking Manchester City to plant an old oak tree in a secluded corner of their training ground, around which their manager can tie his yellow ribbon without fear of repercussions.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Ciao Grande Asto. That’s what I called you when we’d meet, for a game that saw us as opponents or for a national team get-together. A smile, an embrace – one of the real ones – a person who was fair, honest and humble … that smile that never ended and that made it clear how much goodness there was within you. You have gone to play football up there and you’ll do it with the same big smile. The smile you always had” – Leonardo Bonucci pays tribute to Fiorentina captain, Davide Astori, whose death at the age of 31 has rocked Italian football.
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FIVER LETTERS - NOBLE FRANCIS GUEST EDITION
“I see that Russia Today has signed up ‘Enigmatic football manager and self-styled ‘Special One’ José Mourinho’ for their World Cup coverage. How will RT cope with interviewing a paranoid, megalomaniac who thinks he should be loved by everyone and believes the world is against him? ” – Noble Francis.
“It would be easy to mock Roma for their rather surreal Tupac Shakur reference at the weekend but whoever runs their Twitter account must now be thinking All Eyez on Me and that they require Changes but I would say to them that I Ain’t Mad at Cha. Tupac released six albums while alive and has released 20 since he died. If my boss is expecting me to produce any economic forecasts after I’ve passed on, she is mistaken” – Noble Francis.
Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. And if you’ve nothing better to do you can also tweet The Fiver. Today’s winner of our prizeless letter o’the day is … Rollover.
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FOOTBALL WEEKLY
NEWS, BITS AND BOBS
An investigation has been opened into the possibility that Fiorentina captain Davide Astori was the victim of manslaughter though lead prosecutor, Antonio De Nicolo, said the cause of death had not yet been ascertained. “For now, the charge is made against unknown persons and we have arranged the autopsy to take place shortly,” he said.
Eden Hazard has made the shock claim that he doesn’t like chasing long balls hoofed upfield by an utterly unambitious Chelsea. “It’s difficult to play a good game when you only touch the ball three times,” he sniffed.
Laurent Koscielny reckons Arsenal’s confidence after the defeat at Brighton couldn’t be much lower if it was rolled flat, slipped in an envelope and dropped to the bottom of the Kola Superdeep Borehole. “We know we are in a bad situation,” he sobbed.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain reckons he’s made Thierry Henry and Gary Neville look like big dozy dumdums with his fine recent performances. “Those comments were probably a bit stupid,” boomed the Ox, after the punditing duo had sniffed at his move to Liverpool.
And Alan Pardew is still West Brom’s man, but only because they can’t find anyone else masochistic enough to take his job.
STILL WANT MORE?
Premier League talking points, 10 of them, right here.
Serie A pauses for Davide Astori then vows to keep his memory alive, writes Paolo Bandini.
It’s not all just about Lionel Messi at Barça you know, writes Sid Lowe, even though it kind of is.
Dijon have mustered the courage to play exactly how they wanted after winning promotion, and mon dieu it’s working too. Adam White and Eric Devin have more.
Dortmund’s players now look like they give a flying one – and it’s all thanks to Peter Stöger, writes Andy Brassell.
Eden Hazard: the Belgian, out-of-form Jermain Defoe. So says Barney Ronay.
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