Cornerkicks - Montreal Gazette

Thumbing his nose at rules

Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho is in hot water with European soccer governing body UEFA after appearing to order two Real Madrid players to pick up yellow cards intentionally. It goes like this: Real's Sergio Ramos and Xabi Alonso had already been assessed two yellows in earlier games in the Champions League group phase. One more yellow for either and they would be suspended for the next game. But Real has already qualified for the round of 16, meaning its final group game nest week against France's Auxerre is essentially meaningless. So Ramos and Alonso could pick up yellows, wiping the slate clean, and miss that nothing game. If they didn't, then picked up yellows against Auxerre, they'd be suspended for the first game of the knockout stage. Manager Mourinho was captured speaking to Alonso on the sidelines, then reserve goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek was sent to talk to Real 'keeper Iker Casillas, who then talked to Ramos. Sure enough, Alonso and Ramos were booked for, of all things, time-wasting -taking too much time over free kicks, with Real already comfortably ahead 3-0. UEFA announced it was investigating Mourinho, Ramos, Alonso, Dudek and Casillas for "improper conduct." Even the Spanish media said the players were acting on Mourinho's instructions. Then came a statement from Real director-general Jorge Valdano that appeared to confirm the two had deliberately picked up yellows, but cited precedent. Two years ago, two Olympique Lyon players, Brazilians Cris and Juninho, were fined by UEFA for getting deliberately booked to miss a meaningless Champions League game. "I can't go into details, but there have been many players who have done something similar and were not punished," Valdano told a Spanish radio station. Expect a fine, but a suspensions would be a shock.

Mourinho slammed

AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri has joined the swelling list of Mourinho bashers. "He sets a bad example and insults everybody in Italy," Allegri said of Mourinho, who coached Inter Milan to a pair of Serie A titles and a Champions League crown. "He was here for two years and insulted everybody in Italy." Allegri also slammed Mourinho for allegedly ordering Alonso and Ramos to be sent off. "Would I do that? No," Allegri said. "I wouldn't do what he did to us (in a Champions League game earlier this season) either. With (AC Milan's) Andrea Pirlo on the ground with his head cracked open, my players put the ball out. Real gave it back, but on the throw-in, there was already a fullback pressing us. He sets a bad example."

Eto'o sorry

Inter Milan's Samuel Eto'o, barred for three matches after head-butting a Chievo Verona player last weekend, has apologized, but not to the player he butted, defender Cesar. "I wish to offer my sincere apologies to all the people who could have been shocked and surprised by my unfortunate gesture," Eto'o said. He then said sorry specifically to the referees, his teammates, the fans, the coach, and even Inter president Massimo Moratti.

Non-apology

Wayne Rooney, who did a U-turn in October after announcing he'd leave Manchester United, then signed a contract extension with the team (at double his salary), finally said sorry -well, sort of -to United fans. Manager Sir Alex Ferguson had urged Rooney to say sorry way back then, and the player finally issued a statement last week that was a carefully crafted non-apology. "I feel like I have apologized to the fans, but everyone keeps saying that I haven't, and if that is the case, then I apologize for my side of things." Huh?

Lengthy ban

The Dutch league has suspended Ajax Amsterdam's Luis Suarez for seven games after he bit PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal on the shoulder. Fans might recall Suarez as the Uruguayan who deliberately used his hand to stop a Ghana goal in the World Cup quarterfinal, then celebrated wildly when Ghana missed the subsequent penalty. Suarez says he isn't sorry for snacking on Bakkal. "No, I do not regret what happened," he said.