Victory face sanctions over fan trouble

Football Federation Australia on Monday threatened to sanction Melbourne Victory after fans lit flares, hurled bottles and assaulted journalists in the latest unruly A-League game.

The club was given until Wednesday to show why they should not face penalties for bringing the game into disrepute following Saturday's derby match against Melbourne City.

It is the second such scandal in recent weeks after the FFA gave Western Sydney Wanderers a suspended three-point penalty and a Aus$50 000 (US$36 000) fine after their fans let off a series of flares at a game.

The governing body said it had received reports from state police, stadium management and the FFA's security advisers about incidents that took place before and during Saturday's game.

A total of nine flares were lit before and during the game, while some spectators also hurled bottles at Melbourne City's Danish goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

Police said a television reporter and cameraman were assaulted on the way into the stadium and 20 people were evicted.

FFA chief executive David Gallop said he was stunned at the incidents, given that they happened at a time when A-League spectator misconduct has been in the spotlight.

"FFA has today issued Melbourne Victory with a show cause notice after receiving detailed information from Victoria police and others that identifies some Melbourne Victory supporters as taking part in actions that have cast a shadow on football," he said in a statement.

"The timing of these incidents has shocked many people given the acute focus on these issues.

"No one could have missed the fact that FFA, our clubs, players and coaches have been explicitly clear in our condemnation of actions over the last week around the ignition of flares.

"We must continue to hold the safety and enjoyment of true football fans at the heart of our decisions."

Victory chief executive Ian Robson said those involved were not fans of the club.

"They are not welcome and we do not want them involved. We will be reviewing all of the matters raised in the show cause notice, before we respond to FFA," Robson said.

"Further, we will also be reviewing all facets of our match day operations to heighten our vigilance in eradicating this behaviour."

FFA said it would work with police and stadium security to identify individuals and ensure they were subject to new procedures to ban troublemakers from grounds.

The new procedures would include an 'intention to ban' notice and provide an appeals process for people who receive bans.

Under the new rules, a total of 198 people currently banned across the A-League will be able to apply to have their case reviewed by a committee.

The new procedures follow a furore after a leading newspaper printed names and photographs of the 198, prompting fans to boycott A-League games in protest.

Dutch matchfixing attempts uncovered

Attempts to fix the result of a Dutch league match seven years ago have been uncovered by a Dutch football association (KNVB) investigation, it said on Monday.

It is the first time such a case has been established in the Netherlands, the KNVB added in a statement.

It said the probe had uncovered a bid by Ibrahim Kargbo, then a player at Willem II Tilburg, to fix the outcome of a league match against FC Utrecht in August 2009 in co-operation with convicted Singaporean fraudster Wilson Raj Perumal.

"Dutch football is one of the last in Europe to lose its innocence in this matter," said KNVB operational director Gijs de Jong.

"We have long warned this could happen in the Dutch league but it is still difficult to swallow now that this has been established. Hopefully it will add urgency in the Netherlands to the fight against this plague."

The KNVB said Kargbo had promised the then captain Michael Aerts and a third unidentified player would work together with him to throw the match against Utrecht in return for 25 000 euros ($28 025) each.

But although Utrecht won 1-0, Perumal, who has already been prosecuted and jailed in other countries for match fixing, refused to pay saying the agreement had been for a win by more than a single goal.

"Nevertheless, it has been established that they agreed on the outcome of the match. There is not enough legal evidence to determine whether Aerts was involved and it is unclear who the third person was," added the KNVB statement.

BENEFIT MATCH

It also said a benefit match between Willem II and the Sierra Leone national team in November 2009 was specifically organised with the objective of manipulating the result on behalf of an Asian betting syndicate.

Results of Sierra Leone national team in other competitions might also have been fixed by Kargbo, who was captain of the team, according to the statement.

Allegations made by a Dutch newspaper last year that other Willem II matches had been manipulated were not proven, the statement added, with KNVB saying it would send the report to soccer governing bodies Fifa and Uefa and the Dutch police.

The 33-year-old Kargbo, who last played at English non-league club Thamesmead Town, would not be allowed to participate in any capacity in Dutch football in the future, said the statement.

Kargbo has already been suspended in Sierra Leone for alleged match fixing.

Perumal, 50, has featured in cases involving more than 100 manipulated matches around the world and been jailed in Finland and Hungary.

Shaqiri sings Imbula praises

Gianelli Imbula's smooth transition to Premier League football has not gone unnoticed by fellow Stoke City midfielder Xherdan Shaqiri after the Frenchman helped the team end a run of four league games without a goal against Bournemouth on Saturday.

Signed from Porto at the end of the January transfer window for a reported 18.3 million pounds ($26.6 million), the 23-year-old impressed in just his second league appearance, lashing home in the ninth minute to put Stoke on course for a 3-1 victory.

The Frenchman also played a vital role in controlling the centre of the pitch, leading Swiss international Shaqiri to praise his potential.

"Gianelli is a young guy, he has a lot to learn but he is a top player," Shaqiri told reporters, while likening Imbula's style of play to an Arsenal legend.

"You can compare him to Patrick Vieira, only Gianelli is all left-footed.

"He has that ability to play secure passes all match and that is so important in a midfielder. He has an unbelievably good technique and plays that key pass between the lines.

"There is always a little pressure when you move for big money but he is only going to improve here. He makes us better."

Weekend Football Review

It was raining goals in world football this weekend with some spectacular performances all round. Never mind Arsenal’s 2-1 win over Leicester or Spurs win over Man City as the main talking point was delivered by Lionel Messi and his Barcelona aliens.

Barcelona maintained their grip on the Spanish title thanks to a wonderful Luis Suarez hat-trick to see off a spirited Celta Vigo 6-1 on Sunday.

Atletico Madrid remain three points behind as they were 1-0 winners at Getafe thanks to Fernando Torres's first minute goal.

Real Madrid slip down to third, a further point adrift of Barca, who also have a game in hand on both clubs from the capital.

Lionel Messi's brilliant free-kick opened the scoring at the Camp Nou, but Celta deservedly drew level before half-time through John Guidetti's penalty. However, Suarez took over in the final half hour as he swept home Messi's fine through ball and before prodding home from point-blank range.

The best was still to come, though, as Messi passed a penalty into Suarez's path to complete his hat-trick before Ivan Rakitic and Neymar rounded off the scoring.

Chelsea confident ahead of PSG clash

Chelsea head into Tuesday night's Champions League match against Paris St Germain with renewed confidence in their scoring abilities after putting five past Newcastle United on Saturday, defender Gary Cahill has said.

Last season's Premier League champions have mounted an abysmal defence of their title so far this season, but turned in arguably their best attacking performance of the campaign against Steve McClaren's relegation-threatened side.

Diego Costa, Pedro, Willian and Bertrand Traore got the goals as interim manager Guus Hiddink's men warmed up for the midweek European tie against PSG, who knocked Chelsea out of the competition last season.

"We want to go as far as we can in the Champions League and the FA Cup and this is a very important week for the football club," Cahill told the club's website (www.chelseafc.com).

"We got off to a great start this weekend and we have arguably the biggest games of the season coming up for us now, so we go into the week with the confidence from this game and knowing how important it is going to be."

Cahill, making his first league start of 2016, also praised the intensity shown by his teammates against Newcastle.

"We chased back, we harassed, we won the ball back numerous times very quickly after we lost it," Cahill said.

"That was pleasing but the flair players were on fire and we played really well. We didn't get everything right because we conceded late on, but most things we got right."

Jackson sustains brutal leg injury

Kotoko have confirmed midfielder Jackson Owusu has been ruled out of the 2015/16 Premier League after sustaining a horrible leg injury on Sunday while playing with friends.

Initial tests reveals the combative midfielder has suffered a shin injury and will undergo surgery on Monday. "That’s the report the doctors are giving to us after examinations at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital. He’s expected to undergo a surgery on Monday,” Kotoko General Manager Opoku Nti told the club’s official website

The former Berekum Chelsea midfielder has been an integral part of David Duncan’s plans since the former Hearts boss took over. His absence will certainly hit Kotoko hard but will hope Kojo Poku will step up and fill the void.

Kotoko play the first league game of the season on Saturday with a trip to WAFA.

Hayford quietl

AshGold coach Bashir Hayford is upbeat about his side’s chances of qualifying to the next round of the CAF Champions League despite a slim 1-0 victory over Algerian side MO Bejaia.

The Miners, who took the lead on the hour mark through Joshua Tijani, were guilty of squandering many chances in a game to give them a comfortable lead heading to Algeria.

Despite playing with a numerical advantage in the latter stages of the second half, the Miners failed to extend their lead which leaves the return leg wide open.

However, Hayford believes his side can put up a good display in a fortnight’s time and scale the Algerian hurdle. “Man proposes and God disposes,” Hayford told Joy Sports.

“We thought we could score more than two but we scored only one. We don’t have a problem at all.”

“It’s a victory. So we have to prepare well and go there. Once they have come here and played for ninety minutes we will also go there and play for ninety minutes.”

“At the end of ninety minutes you’ll also hear the scoreline,” he added.

“The boys will not go there and 'chook' themselves. They will go and prepare very well.”

Prior to the return leg, the Miners will play Medeama in the opening fixture of the Ghana Premier League in Obuasi.