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Ronaldo voted Europe best player
RONALDO VOTED EUROPE BEST PLAYER
MONACO, Aug 27 - Brazil's Ronaldo was awarded the trophies for best forward and most valuable player in the 1997-8 European season on Thursday night. Ronaldo, who helped Inter Milan win the UEFA Cup in May, was presented with both trophies at UEFA's gala dinner on the day the draw for this season's Champions' League was made.
Inter, runners-up to Juventus in the Serie A championship, were drawn to meet European Cup holders Real Madrid away in group C on the opening day of the competition on September 16.
In the voting by the coaches of the 24 teams that reached the quarter-finals of Europe's three club competitons last season, Juventus' Marcello Lippi was named best trainer.
Peter Schmeichel of Manchester United won the best goalkeeper award, Real Madrid's Fernando Hierro was named best defender and France's Zinedine Zidane of Juventus picked up the best midfielder award.
Gullit promises entertaining football at NewcastleONDON, Aug 28 (Reuters) - Newcastle manager Ruud Gullit promised on Friday his team would play exciting, entertaining soccer when he takes over the English premier league club.
Newcastle announced on Thursday that Gullit would replace Kenny Dalglish just two games into the new season. Shares in the publicly quoted club rose for a second day on Friday.
"I want to be entertained and to win playing good, attractive football," Gullit told Newcastle's Club Call.
"When I'm sitting on the bench as coach I'm like the fan. The Newcastle fans know me. They saw me play, they know I like style."
Dutchman Gullit was due to arrive in Newcastle later on Friday to sign a two-year contract and outline his plans at a news conference.
The first game in charge for the former Chelsea boss will be Sunday's home game against Liverpool.
British newspapers reported on Friday that Dalglish was taking legal advice after a statement from Newcastle saying he had offered to resign.
"The chairman of Newcastle FC was advised on August 18 by Kenny Dalglish that he wished to resign as quickly as possible but not before a replacement was announced," the statement said.
"The club reluctantly agreed to release Kenny Dalglish from his contract."
Dalglish told local reporters: "I want to respond to this and give my side of the story but I feel I need to take legal advice and that will take time."
He also said he had not taken seriously reports in Thursday's newspapers that he was about to be sacked.
"I thought it was a wind-up," Dalglish said.
Zoff appointed Italy's national coach
ROME -- Dino Zoff, the man once hailed by the head of the soccer federation as a "national monument," was named Italy's new coach Wednesday following the departure of Cesare Maldini.The federation said in a statement the former goalkeeper had been given a four-year contract until July 31, 2002 and his task would be to guide Italy to the European Championship and World Cup.
Zoff, 56, is hailed as a living legend in Italy -- he is the most capped player in the nation's soccer history with 112 appearances for his country during a dazzling 15-year career.
Serious and unflappable, Zoff captained the national team 59 times. It was Zoff who, at the age of 40, led Italy to one of its most cherished moments -- victory in the 1982 World Cup.
Veteran fullback Giuseppe Bergomi, who was just 18 at the time, remembered Zoff as the anchor of the side.
"Dino Zoff was the leader of the squad without a doubt. ... (Coach Enzo) Bearzot prepared us for the matches but Zoff was always by his side," he told reporters last month.
"He was a real leader even though he's not the kind of guy who talks a lot."
Zoff made his international debut on April 20, 1968 against Bulgaria, in a match Italy won 2-0, and hung up his boots after Italy beat Sweden 2-0 on March 29, 1983.
In 1972 he joined Juventus, which won six Serie A titles during his stay at the Turin club. He also took Juventus to UEFA Cup and Italian Cup victory as coach in 1990.
He then moved to Rome-based club Lazio, where he is currently president, serving as coach from 1990-94 and again at the end of 1996-97. Lazio lost only two of the 16 games under his tutelage that season and finished fourth.
At the national level, Zoff steered Italy's Olympic squad through an unbeaten qualifying campaign for the Seoul Games in 1988 and has long been tipped as a future first team supremo.
Zoff was last year named one of the world's top 25 footballers of all time -- in the company of Brazil's Pele, Britain's Bobby Charlton and France's Michel Platini -- after a vote by fans, players and sports writers.
Federation President Luciano Nizzola once hailed him as a "national monument" and "one of the athletes who has given most to Italian soccer."
Maldini took over from Arrigo Sacchi less than two years ago but his days as coach were numbered after the Italians' lackluster World Cup performance, in which they crashed out to France in the quarterfinals.
Italy almost did not make it to France at all, scraping through only after a two-match playoff. Once there, the 66-year-old father of captain Paolo Maldini was criticized for relying too heavily on dull, defensive tactics.
Money and contractual details held up negotiations over Zoff's contract. As Lazio president, he earns about one billion lire ($570,000) a season and has a deal until 2002, compared with Maldini's salary of around 650 million lire, Gazzetta said.
The federation gave no details but called a news conference for next Tuesday and said Zoff would take over Aug. 1.
That means he will take the helm for Italy's European Championship qualifier against Wales on Sept. 5.
The replacement of Maldini, a former defender, with Zoff, a goalkeeper, is unlikely to change the Italian side's recent focus on defence, commentators said.
Aside from a great season at Juventus in 1990, Zoff was not considered a daring coach. Indeed, his willingness to settle for a draw if a win looked out of reach earned him the nickname "Mr X" as a reminder of the crosses on football pools coupons.
Maldini's own future looks bleak. Nizzola said he would offer him a still-to-be-defined role at the federation. But the bluntly spoken Maldini was dismissive. "What as? Driver, maybe," he said.
BACK TO TOP
Chelsea in for a Ruud awakening
By Ken Dyer
Friday, August 28, 1998Tonight's Super Cup clash in the spectacular Stade Lous II Stadium was always meant to be a showpiece occasion.
Unfortunately for Chelsea, however, the undoubted star of the show was sacked from the cast list last February.
Gianluca Vialli will, of course, be in charge when Chelsea meet European champions Real Madrid here tonight but it is the image of those dreaded locks which is in the sharpest focus after the events up in Newcastle over the last 24 hours.
There is a glittering array of talent on display tonight, and that's only in the waterfront cafes or strolling seductively along the boulevards.
Back in the stadium there is a veritable galaxy of stars - Clarence Seedorf, Roberto Carlos, Fernando Redondo for Real Madrid - Marcel Desailly, Gianfranco Zola, Brian Laudrup for Chelsea.
There is no doubt though, which name will have top billing - Chelsea's former manager Ruud Gullit.
It is not difficult, in the world's most glamorous principality, to think of Gullit.
Whatever you may think of his methods, you have to admit the man has style - just ask my wife.
i s more difficult though, and no offence is meant here, to imagine Gullit and the uncommonly lovely Estelle, closeted for any length of time up in the North-East.
There is no doubting the city's passion for football but there is a clash somehow - like Christian Gross and Tottenham if you like.
Frank Leboeuf, an admirer of Gullit, summed up the feeling when he said: 'I'm happy for Ruud but I won't be visiting him. It's too far away.
'This is amazing to me. I did not expect to see Ruud back so soon.
'It is a good thing for Newcastle though. He will do well there.
'He was a friend, a good manager and a good player as well.
'I hope he has plenty of good results up at Newcastle, except when he is playing us of course.
'If he wants to come and sign me he must talk to Chelsea but I am under contract here and very happy.'
There was no sign of gritted teeth as Chelsea player-manager Vialli added his tribute. 'I've got nothing against Ruud,' he said.
'I wish him all the best for the season. Having said that, Kenny Dalglish is a great person and a great manager. It is a great shame that he has gone from Newcastle.'
Gullit's return to the Premiership will, there is no doubt, inevitably concentrate Vialli's mind even more than before.
He will be aware that comparisons will constantly be made between the two men, their achievements, their strengths and weaknesses.
'We have a good squad here and we will try and we will do well in the Championship,' he said today, 'although I can't guarantee we will win it.'
Fair enough but unfortunately, with Mr Gullit up in the north-east urging his team to play 'sexy' football, the stakes as they say here in the casino, have just been raised.
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