8 SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2010 SUNDAY MORNING POST

This Week – Injury time Alvin Sallay

rust the Hong Kong between the Maldives and their comfort zone and bring out Football Association to Myanmar, and up the world their best. make a straightforward rankings. At the top level, or even under-21 task of selecting a new Indeed, PR skills are important. and under-23, there is no way a national coach into a Yet one would have thought that coach can shape a player afresh. He Tcontentious topic by putting their more important than being able to will have to deal with whatever feet in their mouths by adding talk the talk, you should also be able skills the player has, and collectively utterly bizarre criteria to the skills to walk the walk. What good would as a team, mould them into a the man should possess. Jose Mourinho be if he wasn’t able winning unit. With South Korean Kim Pan- to show results on the field. He Kim has this quality. A former gon’s caretaker contract ending last wouldn’t be the “Special One” then. boss of K-League side Pusan, Kim week, the HKFA has begun a search Lee had a short spell as a stop- starred as a player for Hong Kong for a new head coach who will be in gap Hong Kong coach in 2007, but clubs such as Instant Dict, Double charge of the national side as well as said he was still not quite ready to Flower and Rangers in the 1990s the under-21 and under-23 squads. take on the job fulltime. He and later became coach of the The advertisement carried on admitted that he still had “a lot to Rangers. He knows the system well. the HKFA website said the new learn to become a good coach” and It is a shame he cannot continue on person should be “fluent in English, it wasn’t the right time for him yet. a more permanent basis. Cantonese and Mandarin” as well Kim, coach of champions South Yet his commitments to South as having “knowledge in MS Office China, has been filling in since last China come first. That is unless the application and Chinese input”. August. He has done quite a good club’s big boss, Steven Lo Kit-sing, The immediate question that job taking Hong Kong to the gold has a change of heart and allows springs to mind is whether the medal at the East Asian Games last Kim time split his time between the HKFA is looking for a secretary to its December. club and Hong Kong. chairman Brian Leung Hung-tak, or It might have been against However, with Hong Kong now if they are xenophobic and intent second-rate, if not third-rate, teams preparing for the Asian Games in on closing the door to foreigners. from Japan, South Korea, North Guangzhou in November and also If it is the former, this is Korea etc, but Kim somehow the 2014 soccer World Cup sublimely ridiculous for, while we injected passion and pride in the qualifiers soon, the HKFA feels it is are not sure how adept Leung is on Hong Kong team, who still had to best to have a person from outside the computer, we are certain he can go out and perform. And beating in charge. The association is all but handle himself in English, lesser quality teams from Asia’s top bankrupt. Thanks to the gold- Cantonese and Mandarin. nations is still not easy, so all kudos medal winning effort at the East A nation gives thanks. Manchester United and England striker suffers minor Yet if it is the latter, it should be to Kim for instilling the self-belief. Asian Games – once again mainly a worrying and serious questions This is the major requirement the result of Kim providing the belief – ankle ligament damage in his side’s 2-1 Champions League quarter-final, first-leg defeat by need to be raised as to how this new person has to bring – the ability the governing body has found the Bayern Munich on Tuesday. England fans were relieved to hear that England’s talisman would advertisement got into print and to inspire players to achieve greater funds to pay for a new coach thanks who is responsible for such a faux things. to a HK$1.5 million grant from the be sidelined only three weeks and be fit for the World Cup finals in June. Sir , pas. We will never know. The new coach must have the Hong Kong Sports Institute. United’s manager, said: “The nation can stop praying; we are relieved.” Photo: EPA Open to ridicule, the HKFA has knack of taking his charges out of This money will go a long way reacted with the dazzling speed of a towards paying for a coach from Lionel Messi, and quickly kicked outside Hong Kong for a year at out these outrageous requirements Maybe they need least. And the HKFA should look at Monday Tuesday from the website advert. bringing in fresh blood. There is talk We can only wonder how things a coach who can that Tsang Wai-chung, who worked work inside the HKFA. If they can’t do a good PR job by for the association as technical get such a simple thing as putting director, but quit two years ago, is a His words of advice were ‘controlled We are in a difficult group; it will not out an advert for a new coach right, speaking different strong favourite for the job. how can they put the state of soccer Yet why look back. If Tsang quit panic’. So that’s what I did. I just rode be easy, but I think the Ivory Coast, back on track in this city? languages a couple of years ago why bring him like a loony – like a bat out of hell with all their talents, can get through it Lee Kin-wo, one of the most ...... back. Isn’t it time for a fresh start? ...... famous players Hong Kong has Lee Kin-wo, speculating on the skills After all, even the government- the HKFA wants the new coach to have Hong Kong-raised British cyclist David Millar listens to the Sven Goran Eriksson, the new manager of Ivory Coast, produced, said perhaps the HKFA sponsored consultancy study has advice of Garmin teammate Christian Vande Velde to win considers his team’s chances at the World Cup finals wanted the new coach to have the called for the winds of change to the Criterium International time trial in Corsica language skills so he could blow through the halls of local communicate easily. “Maybe they soccer if the game is to resurrect the need a coach who can do a good PR glory days. Wednesday Thursday Friday job by speaking different Let’s get a new coach whose languages,” Lee suggested. He main credentials are that he has the didn’t throw any light on how gift to inspire players into believing computer skills and inputting in themselves, and not someone Our original bid for the We missed Najeeb badly. There are some Chinese characters would help the who is multilingual, but cannot new man forge a team that could speak the language that matters World Cup was a bid for He is our best bowler, his suggestions he played move from 140th, sandwiched most – soul talk. Asia... having watched batting is crucial and he with a broken bone; that the Sevens it’s important is the captain; there were is not true. If he said, ‘No, WHAT DO YOU THINK? Do you agree or disagree with what Alvin has to say? E-mail us at [email protected] to recognise what a lot of complications I feel pain’, I would never Hong Kong can offer out of our control force anybody to play ...... Nobby Mashimo, chairman of Japan Rugby Hong Kong cricket captain Najeeb Amar Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger denies Jason Dasey Football Union, hopes to convince the misses his team’s 118-run defeat by Nepal at that Cesc Fabregas, his captain, was made Internation Rugby Board to allow the city to the ACC Trophy in Kuwait because of visa to play against Barcelona in the Champions host a few games at the World Cup 2019 problems with immigration officials League with a broken leg

Monday Tuesday he logo says “England 2018’, when I talk about English football,” region, going on pre-season tours of but the accent of the man Ginola said. “I know what the game Asia with his former waxing lyrical with the is about there and about the passion clubs and representing France at the flowing grey locks could of the fans so if I say as a Frenchman 1994 in Japan where he never have come from near that after 52 years it’s time for played with , Fabien Tthe White Cliffs of Dover or north of England to get the World Cup again, Barthez and . the Watford Gap. it’s a fair ask.” However, his modest French , best known for his During their trip to AFC House, international career – just 17 caps Gallic flair down the left wing in the 43-year-old Ginola and his fellow from 1990 to 1995 – still haunts him. 1990s and his famous falling out with England 2018 bid representatives Ginola was singled out for Les Bleus’ then France manager Gerard gave a 30-minute presentation to failure to make the 1994 World Cup Houllier, is about as French as you members of the AFC executive under Gerard Houllier when he gave can get. So why is the former heart- committee, including president away possession, allowing Bulgaria throb and one-time star of a famous Mohamed bin Hammam, who was to score late on the break and secure shampoo TV commercial (“Because given autographed shirts from a 2-1 away victory in the final I’m worth it” was the punch-line) Manchester United, Arsenal and qualifying game. aligning his highly marketable image England. “My France career was pretty bad with the bid of England to host the One wonders if bin Hammam’s when compared to my club career,” 2018 Fifa World Cup? photogenic smile was through he said. “Obviously they put all the Last week, Ginola, the former gritted teeth, given the challenges blame on me, but I didn’t deserve Tottenham and Newcastle United that AFC competitions face to that. I was from the same generation Brazil’s Angelica Kviecczynski wins individual-hoop gymnastics Rafael Nadal of Spain fires a return against compatriot David star, joined England 2018 president establish themselves in the wake of as Cantona and , but gold at the South American Games in Colombia. Photo: Reuters Ferrer during his Sony Ericsson Open win in Florida. Photo: AFP and chief executive Asia’s ongoing obsession with the they didn’t say a word to defend Andy Anson in wooing Asian English Premier League. me.” Football Confederation (AFC) Yet Ginola argued that the Ginola was left out in the cold as Wednesday Thursday Friday officials in Kuala Lumpur. prosperity of the sport in the UK France won the 1998 World Cup and “My time in England was flows out to all corners of the globe. 2000 European Championship. In probably the best years in my career “English football has put massive 1999, Dutch great and I’m very proud of what I input into every aspect of the game: described him as the best player in achieved there when I was a player,” not only on the pitch, but with the world. Ginola said. “It’s just a fantastic merchandising and how to manage “In 1998, they didn’t even pick feeling to promote English football a club,” Ginola said. “If you look at me in the top 40 players to make around the world and to say good Manchester United and other clubs final selection for the World Cup and things about it is very easy, there are connections with many yet I was voted player of the year in a especially in Asia.” different federations, especially in country like England,” he said. Ginola spent seven years with Asia.” “Maybe it was the game against four English Premier League clubs Ginola is no stranger to this Bulgaria. I don’t want to be and won two awards for 1999 Player remembered for that because it was of the Year, although it was during just 10 seconds of a fantastic career. the same season that Manchester It’s an honour to But some words are remembered United collected their treble of more than others because when you trophies. In 2008 he was inducted represent a country shout people listen.” into the Tottenham Hotspur Hall of which has made Ginola’s decision to help England Fame. He had helped the club lift 2018 seems as much a way to thumb the 1999 League Cup. such an effort .... to his nose at the soccer bosses in . Since retiring in 2002, the Indeed, the mention of the name charismatic Ginola has dabbled in promote football Houllier – now technical director of acting, modelling, golf and ...... the French Football Federation – got winemaking, but is now busy David Ginola on working on his blood boiling. helping his adopted home of England’s 2018 Fifa World Cup bid Yet Ginola said he was simply England win the right to host the continuing a love-affair with English 21st edition of the World Cup. The soccer that began in 1995 when he six other bids are from Australia, left the security of Paris Saint- Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal’s captain, breaks Toronto’s baseball pitcher Brian Tallet Melanie Bartels of Hawaii in action at the Holland/Belgium, Japan, Spain/ Germain to step into the exciting his leg before scoring in the 2-2 Champions warms up before a training game with the Rip Curl event at the ASP World Tour, in Portugal, Russia and the United and uncertain world of Kevin League draw with Barcelona. Photo: AP New York Yankees in Florida. Photo: AP Victoria, Australia. Photo: ASP International States, with Fifa, world soccer’s Keegan’s Newcastle United. governing body, announcing its “I live in London and it’s an decision in December. honour to represent a country which “I speak as a Frenchman so has made such an effort over the people cannot think I’m arrogant past 20 years to promote football.”