NY Coed Soccer

Graveson: Capello "Arrogant"

Thomas Gravesen has criticised his former club, Real Madrid, and their new manager Fabio Capello over their treatment of him on the eve of his debut for Celtic.

The Danish international midfielder is expected to make his bow for the Parkhead club against Aberdeen in the Bank of Scotland Premierleague at Pittodrie tomorrow after completing a £2m move from the Santiago Bernabeu last week.

His availability was triggered by Capello, whom Gravesen believes wanted him out from the moment the Italian stepped was appointed coach. Gravesen insists Capello is an "egotist".

He told television channel TV3: "Capello arrived and said to me, without having seen me play, that he had other ideas. He is not a very good type and never gave me an opportunity. In a very arrogant way, he said to me that he did not want me and didn't even call me by my name. In my eyes, he is an arrogant man and an egotist."

Capello, meanwhile, responded on Real Madrid TV by saying...

"I prefer not to talk about what players have said in the press, as I prefer to talk with them face to face. All I can say is - that from the first moment I met Gravesen, I knew he wasn't going to play any part in my plans and informed him accordingly - and may I add with education."

Ouch.

Hearts Defeat Celtic In 2nd Week of SPL

When Roman Bednar's second and decisive goal trickled over the line in the dying minutes yesterday, the Tynecastle crowd erupted with unconfined glee and the Hearts manager, Valdas Ivanauskas punched the air like Tyson:  Hearts Defeat Champions

In other action, Paul Le Guen's Rangers only manage a 2-2 tie with Dundee United:  Rangers Draw At Home

Which leaves St. Mirren and Falkirk as the only other teams with maximum points:  SPL Round-Up

Scottish Season Kicks Off

Champions Celtic start with a 4-1 win over Kilmarnock:  Celtic

While Paul Le Guen's revolution at Rangers begins with an away win at Motherwell, which The Times called "truly breathtaking":  Rangers

Others Scores:

Dundee Utd 1-2 Falkirk
Dunfermline 1-2 Heart
Hibs 1-1 Aberdeen
Inverness CT 1-2 St. Mirren

Unfortunately, Scotland's Under-19 side lost out 2-1 to Spain in the European Championship Final on Saturday.

Scottish News

Celtic have been attributed with an interest in Ukraine midfielder Anatoliy Timoshchuk and Holland striker Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. Timoshchuk, 27, plays for Shakhtar Donetsk, while Vennegoor of Hesselink, also 27, is with PSV Eindhoven.

Donetsk general director Sergei Palkin told the Daily Record: "There was a call to express Celtic's interest, they have not yet made an offer."

Meanwhile, Van Hesselink's father said: "We have a meeting with Celtic."

Both men featured at the World Cup, with Timoshchuk, part of the Ukrainian team which reached the quarter-finals in Germany, while Vennegoor of Hesselink was a substitute in the second-round defeat by Portugal.

Celtic’s need to strengthen their squad comes on the back of a poor pre-season which culminated last night in a 3-0 home defeat at the hands of a Manchester United team filled with youth and reserve players.

The performance was enough to enrage one Celtic fan to run onto the field, remonstrate with the players and throw his scarf away:  Unhappy Fan Footage

Meanwhile to the blue side of Glasgow and this summer’s most exciting acquisition, Paul Le Guen’s appointment as manager of Rangers. The Frenchman, coveted by many of Europe’s elite, prepares himself for the beginning of the SPL season this weekend:  PLG & SPL

While the Old Firm await their competitive debuts 2006/2007, last year’s SPL runner-ups Hearts kicked off their season with the first leg of the 2nd round of Champions League qualification. The Jambos managed to secure a 3-0 win against Siroki Brijeg of Bosnia:  Hearts

Hoops A-Daisy

Scottish Champions Celtic kicked off their US tour last night in the nation's captial and were comprehensively outplayed in a 4-0(!) loss to DC United.

"They blew us off the pitch with their energy, especially in the second half," said Hoops manager Gordon Strachan. "As the game went on, our players felt less energy. That is disappointing. If you are lethargic, you will give chances away. If you cure that then the other things will be cured. We need to work on the lethargy problem."

The defeat was Celtic's third successive friendly reverse following a two-match tour of Poland.

Next up for the Bhoys is an outing against Chivas Guadalajara at Giants Stadium on Friday in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

For a full match report of last night's game from the Scottish press:  Celtic Crushed

For highlights:  DC-Celtic

Vive La Revolution

The much-sought-after Frenchman Paul Le Guen is only the 12th manager in the 134-year history of Rangers. After a poor season that saw the Glasgow giants fail to qualify for the Champions League, his appointment could not have come at a better time. This is his first interview:  Le Guen

Don't Go Breaking My Hearts

With chairman Vladimir Romanov at the helm, the manager's position at Hearts has become the job no one wants. Not even Graeme Souness, who remember was

the man who caused a riot at the Istanbul derby by planting a flag in front of rival fans, and who still provokes anger from Celtic fans 15 years after he left Rangers. Returning to Edinburgh, though, was simply far too dangerous.  The job no one in Britain wants to take on now

Weekend Round-Up

From Austria to Turkey, find out how your European favorites performed over the weekend.

For those with more British tastes, click on the following for results from the SPL and the English Premiership.

And for news of goals from around the rest of the globe: Soccerway.com

Hearts Sack Yet Another Manager

In a season now reaching Spanish soap opera proportions, convicted sex offender Graham Rix is given the old heave-ho from the managerial hot-seat at Tynecastle. Having sacked previous manager George Burley, who guided Hearts to an unbeaten start to the season and top of the SPL, it is safe to say that megalomaniac Lithuanian businessman Vladimir Romanov and his son Roman are difficult men to please. 
Rix sacked by Hearts

The principals and setting for this SPL drama:
Who is Graham Rix?
Who is Vladimir Romanov?
And who are Hearts?

Hearts Manager Hung Out to Dry for Refusing Rehab

Apparently former Hearts manager George Burley was sacked for refusing to take a three-week sabbatical in an alcohol clinic.  Burley 'sacked' for not going to alcohol clinic