Frei cleared, Advocaat jeered
ALEXANDER FREI, the Switzerland striker accused of spitting on Steven Gerrard, has been cleared by Uefa and is free to play against France in tonight’s game in group B. Videotape supplied by a German broadcaster appeared to show Frei spitting at the England midfield player last Thursday. Uefa held a hearing after studying the video and taking statements from the players involved, as well as David Beckham. The FA did not make a complaint. “There was no conclusive proof that Frei was guilty of what he had been accused of,” Peter Gillieron, secretary-general of the Swiss Football Federation, said.
The Holland players told Dick Advocaat, the coach, that they disagreed with his decision to take off Arjen Robben, a winger, and replace him with Paul Bosvelt, a defensive midfield player, in Saturday’s game with the Czech Republic. Holland were winning 2-1 at the time but went on to lose, 3-2. “The players had their own view,” Advocaat said. “I don’t regret the substitution. On the bench I felt we were not controlling the match.”
In the wake of the defeat, Dutch fans at Euro 2004 have clubbed together to buy a plane ticket out of Portugal for Advocaat. “We collected the money in just three minutes,” Johan de Laat, who organised the scheme, said. “All he needs is his passport. He doesn’t have to come back to the Netherlands.”
Lucky charm?
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Pierluigi Collina was in charge when England drew with Turkey last October in Istanbul to secure qualification for Euro 2004 and when Argentina were beaten 1-0 in the 2002 World Cup. He awarded England penalties in both games. He was also the man in the middle for the famous 5-1 defeat of Germany in 2001 and the 1-0 win against Germany in Euro 2000. What is more, Collina says in his autobiography that David Beckham is his favourite player. Then again, he refereed England’s 1-0 defeat to Scotland at Wembley in the Euro 2000 qualifying play-offs and a defeat to Sweden in 1998 . . .