PRAGOTI

The greatest game event of this Universe is going to start within a couple of hours. Football or “Fussball” in Alemania or “Soccer” in Britain/USA is a game, which is being celebrated/cherished in most of the countries of the World, which includes the underdeveloped states, and the G-8 captioned developed nations. Thanks at least to Joao Havelange or Jo Shep Blatter for giving considerations to the African national teams on and from 1982 because these countries on virtue of long financial torture from USA and the racial discriminations from the British Empire are still in a crippled state of economy. However the proceedings of African National league, German Bundesliga or Copa American league are seldom forecasted in the televisions through cable network or are seldom elaborated vividly in our Indian newspapers. But our countries media takes it a pride to forecast/demonstrate the features of the English Premier League almost regularly (Although major part of the sports channel in India is covered by cricket news & desire of the Football lovers are not taken into account) and sometimes matches of Spanish La Liga are shown for very short intervals. (Obviously because Spanish clubs are equally rich as the English Clubs). At one instance, when I used to visit hills of Darjeeling District very often, I used to see some local boys playing football, wearing uniforms of Manchester United captioning “Beckham” or “Rooney” or of Liverpool Club captioning “Michael Owen” etc & etc. I got a chance of asking one of them as to what is there so fascinating of M United or English Clubs or why not for other clubs of Europe or Latin America. They expressed that they are well aware of other clubs but they had been made passionate for these clubs through daily deliberation of soccer of English premier league clubs and there no other scopes to know the performance of other football clubs. Hence there lies the reason of marketability of Manchester United sports Channel.

If we are aware of the daily sports caption of our Bengal’s Pride “Anandabazar Patrika” for the last one-month, We can observe that the said Magazine has become a spokesman of Sir Erick Ferguson, Wayne Rooney and the England team. Can you say why? Well. I do not have the answer but I am searching for it. No such news are ventilated regularly for Iran, African National Teams or Latin American teams or has our national media is into some shady business with the British media and has forgotten years of British torture over us, calling us “dirty nigers”. This may be kept in mind that Manchester United has presently being purchased by an American businessman.

Wayne Rooney as a Football Demigod and admired by Pele.

Few days ago I noted a picture in a Bengal Daily, showing an idol of Rooney being kissed by an admirer at his boots. This is a matter of utter surprise that What makes Rooney so different and above Thierry Henry, Ronaldinho or Messi or is it the English media trying to proclaim that whoever they declare to be the best is the best, although it is known to everybody about the excellence of Henry or Ronaldinho, in the Europe clubs. It seems that there is an unseen pressure upon the media to project Rooney as a demigod of Football. However it is not astonishing to learn that Pele is admiring Rooney because he was an ardent devotee of the American Club Cosmos and at a critical juncture, he left Santos and joined Cosmos. It may be noted that the media is so bothered about Rooney’s injury against Chelsea. However thanks God that it was against Chelsea or had it been against any other clubs of Europe except English clubs, the British media would have sent that club or player to the gallows. It is presumed that there shall be a great pressure over Goran Erickson, the national team coach, for safeguarding Rooney’s physic during this world cup season because Rooney is a so called goal making machine for his club and nobody is going to blame Rooney if he is absent in the important matches of this world cup.

Better to Organize World club cup for better efficiency from Players and safeguarding the prestige of this noble sport?

Converse to Rooney’s injury, in 2002 when the French national team was out of the World Cup in the 1st round. Many were astonished, some were sad and some media, obviously the British media must have been happy. Normally prior to World cup, there are lot of competitions between the clubs and the nations like UEFA, Champions League, Confederations Cup, FA cup etc and the players become tired and they get hardly a month or two to take rest, assimilate themselves and take a breathing time prior to this mega competition. On the contrary, it is also a bothering of these football clubs over the star players that they do not get seriously injured during the proceedings of the world cup and hence they create an unaccounted pressure over these football players and over those team managers to safeguard the physic of these costly players. For example, the Argentine team consisted of star players in 2002 world cup like Aimar (The Valencia club star), Zanetti (Inter Milan Star), Crespo (Chelsea Star), Veron (Man United star), Batistuta (Fiorentina Club star) but their performance proved as if they have come to the competition for some friendly matches and thus they were eventually out in the 2002 world cup. The prestige of their country matters little to them, as their clubs are their sole priority. The performance of Zidane proved worthless (or fabricated worthless by his club Real Madrid) in the 2002 world cup. Zidane was not in a position to play 1st match against Senegal and France, the last world cup champions, lost to Senegal (an ex colony of France) by a solitary goal. Zidane was introduced in the last crucial match against Denmark where Zidane seldom touched the ball and France lost by 2 goals. Was it to safeguard his legs for maintaining his sale value in Real Madrid? Can We recall how a star studded Brazilian team spearheaded by Ronaldo lost to France in 1998 world cup finals by 3 goals to nil. Impossible or can we smell traces of any shady deal from Ronaldo’s behavior in the field?

So there must be some breathing time for these players for attaining fitness for at least three months so that they can bring up the beauty of this game but again these professional clubs will not allow FIFA to exercise the same. Hence the beauty and charm of this game and the skill of the players are slowly and steadily engulfed by the harsh professional attitude of these clubs. Hence this world cup cannot bring in limelight the skill of the football wholeheartedly and thus it is better to organize World club cup than World Cup.

English media, the Ultimate Judge in Soccer Game.

English media are very keen in grumbling against the Latin American States. The Said media also seems to have some sense of racial discrimination. The said may be true because during the tenure of Manchester United tour in South Africa, there was a friendly hug between Beckham and Mandella and finally Beckham was condemned by his club coach Erick Ferguson and team players due to his attitude. Some may say that the English Clubs have accommodated lot of black players but they are there due their excellence above the English players. Please consider Arsenal for instance. After France were out of the world cup’2002 in the 1st round, their French Government was cornered for introducing the black players like Thuram, Henry, Wiltord, Desaily, Viera & Trezeguet. Zidane was not questioned any where and he remained at ease. So we can imagine the extent of racial discrimination in these developed countries although they know that their team shall have no meaning without these black players.

Against Argentina, the English media have their political reservations from the Falkland war. And hence in 1986 world cup in Mexico, they got a chance to grumble against Maradona’s “Hand of God”. They continued to defame Maradona for the next ten years or were the “dope test positive” against in 1994 world cup, revenge. Jorge Valdano, a teammate of Maradona in the Mexico world cup in 1986, explained that a professional player should always try to make any move in the field in a crafty manner, concealing his weakness, from the opposite team players and the Referee, and try to score a goal granted by the Referee. Thus Maradona did it accordingly and such an activity exalts his position in world football and does not defame him. If minutely noted, it can be observed that after the said act of “Hand of God”, Maradona Looked at the Referee and the Linesman and he did not try to impress them. He waited for their decision and then celebrated the goal with his teammates. In the 1966 world cup when England won the Jule Rime in their own ground, Every media was very happy and direly tried to camouflage the rough tackles made over Pele several times leading to his fracture leg. Nobody dared to highlight the same. Perhaps Pele has forgotten those events of racial discrimination, when he was moved outside the field with tears and a fractured leg. Now Pele is an executive member in FIFA, not Maradona, although he was not granted Sir from the English media but already Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore & Eric Ferguson have been crowned as Sir, by their own country and not from FIFA.

Diego Maradona, KING OF FOOTBALL and follower of the “Gambetta *” process.

(* Courtesy Discovery channel)

Rio Ferdinand of the English National team was caught for doping. Was there any uproar? Paulo Rossi was suspended by FIFA for match fixing after 1982 world cup. Was there any special news in the English Media? Italian Star Roberto Baggio slept often and on with celebrity actresses e.g. Madonna. Italians took it very easy as if these were act of excellence from excellent players. The Germans have a Character to defame star players of the opposite teams in their home soil thorough various sexual scams and keep them under severe mental pressure. The 1974 world cup took place at West Germany and Johan Cryuff of Holland was the best striker in the World during that period and Holland team were best in their performance. But prior to the final match between the West Germany and Holland, there was an attempt, which proved to be success by the Germans, to entangle the Dutch players in sexual scams. The Dutch players were in a severe mental pressure in the Final match and West Germany narrowly won the World Cup. There was hardly any upheaval. The Germans (may be by virtue of traces of Nazism) and the English (by virtue of their Jealous Character) believe in Power football, which hampers the beauty of the Game and degrades the skill of the players. They always try to provoke the star players of the opposite team through nasty tackling, unnecessary man-marking and as usual referee is always on their side.

Thus in the 1994 World cup held in USA, Maradona was suspended for doping and Argentina’s hopes were shattered. The English media was satisfied. But just after the said World cup finals, I recall a tiny article in a Bengal daily, so tiny to avoid the snarling eyes of America and England. The article briefed that the machine used for testing urine of Maradona, was not properly cleaned and the said was used for a person just before Maradona’s test, who gave positive dope test results. But no other media dared to bring in light the said eruptive news. Maradona must be thrown out of the world cup and that too in America, because how could a beggar Latin-American football team be so agile in the soil of America? Similar type of incident occurred with the Brazilian Leonardo in the said World cup, who was red carded for “nasty foul” over USA’s Alexi Lallas, against USA although it appeared that lallas was pulling the shirt of Leonardo in an attempt to grab the ball. Brazil had to play with 10 men against USA.

Maradona was a one-man army for Argentina. Unlike Pele who had with him Garrincha, Giarjinho, vava etc, Maradona was a single man versus rest of the World. He followed the concept of gambetta. The latin word gambetta means the art of dribbling in a crafty manner, which projects the skill of a footballer, his strength, fitness and stamina. Can we recall Maradona’s second goal against England in the 1986 world cup. He dribbled 11 players of England to render a historic goal, which the English media perhaps have never seen and perhaps can never see. Pele used to show his skills within the penalty box of the opposition and after getting a gifted pass from Garrincha but Maradona used to show his skills throughout the field like a complete footballer and thus he could make his country champion in the 86 world cup and runners in the 90 world cup. This is a matter of great lament that no Latin-American team could lift FIFA world cup in the soil of Europe. In 1974 Germans in Germany (Europe), in 1978 Argentina in Argentina, in 1982 Italy in Spain (Europe), in 1986 Argentina in Mexico, in 1990 Germany in Italy (Europe), in 1994 Brazil in USA, in 1998 France in France (Europe) & in 2002, Brazil in Korea & Japan.

In the 1990 world cup, Germany won the cup in the finals against Argentina by a lone goal in penalty (sole effort was given by Maradona to drag the team in the finals). Prior to the finals, Argentina’s limbs were categorically chopped off by red carding their star striker Claudio Cannigia in the semifinals. In the finals, Maradona was several times fouled in the German penalty box but referee remained silent. There was again an unforgettable event in the said finals. The German custodian came outside his box, caught the ball by his hand and returned back to his goal post. The commentators started laughing over the referee’s inertness. The end of Maradona’s era ended the concept of Gambetta. Modern football presented by the national teams and obviously by the clubs, is playing by long passes and score goal through powerful shots from the far end of the penalty box. The goal is to be scored anyhow without caring for skills and fare play. Even the Latin American players have started to practice the same because they have to survive in the European clubs.

In 1982 World cup, Maradona was man marked by the Italian defender Claudio Gentile at every instances. Maradona started to bleed from his legs resulted from repeated aggressive tackles from Gentile. The referee was neutral. Peter Briegel of West Germany & Claudio Gentile of Italy had tried to defame the sanctity of the Football game through their aggressive tackles over the opposition’s star players. Italian media however relishes these events claiming that it is their style of playing. However nothing could be expected from Argentina in the 82-world cup because it was their period of national mourning as thousands of Argentine soldiers were killed every day in War.

Serbia & Montenegro, African National teams and Indian football.

The event of participation of the poor African football teams can highly be admired and more surprisingly Serbia & Montenegro because America had mutilated Yugoslavia into 4 pieces through their international policy of robbery and communal politics not long back and Serbia being one of those pieces, by virtue of their struggling attitude, are competing this world cup. Let us take the example of Mexico. The said state has been converted to a desert by the USA but their football team is still highly respected and feared by many football teams of the Developed countries. Such events are inspiring for the third world nations fighting against the wrath of Britain and America. But We Indians must be shameful. Since 1974 Olympics, Indian football is out of the world scenario for the last 32 years. Too much fund is being rolled in Cricket (Without any positive output in world cup cricket after 1983) compared to that in Football and nowadays, dirty politics is cropping in Indian cricket. Although a multitude of my Indian brothers & sisters may criticize me but I cannot stop myself from expressing the fact that out of several reasons causing barrier to the progress of our Nation, One of the reasons is too much involvement in Cricket. It is not the right time for us to be so much involved in Cricket because we are a developing Nation. The game Cricket is very slow accordingly making us slow and sluggish, wasting couple of hours of busy time and even a whole day, causing Offices and workplaces to be deserted by employees, which we cannot afford in this stage of development of our country. Hence the forecasting of this game must be controlled. It may be assumed that our Indian political leaders, if they wish to invest at least fifty percent of fund in football to that rolled in Cricket, We can compete in the World Football Stage but at the same time politicians without any experience in Football (like in Cricket) must not warm up any seat of the IFA for the sake of vested interest and for devouring unauthorized funds.

Parijat.