Neal Collins soccer
Lucas Radebe this week likened rumours of inducements to perform well in European soccer matches to the Hansie Cronje match-fixing scandal.
The Leeds United and Bafana captain was upset by offers allegedly made to Milan’s players by Barcelona. The Spanish club was accused of offering Milan 1,6-million to beat Leeds in the midweek European Champions League group match – a result that would ensure the Catalans’ survival in the competition.
An obviously angry Radebe said: “I’ve heard these rumours about Barca offering money, and apparently it would not be technically breaking the rules – but it would be so wrong, it would not be fair.
“Milan should always play to win – money should have no part of it. I hate it when these things happen. They don’t belong in football. Look what happened to cricket in South Africa when Hansie Cronje admitted cheating – now the whole game is seen as corrupt. I’m not saying the same thing will happen to football, but that is the danger if we start going down this road.”
Meanwhile, fears over Radebe’s soccer future are receding. Radebe was given the all-clear to travel with Leeds to Milan by his neurologist after the most worrying two months of his career. Radebe, concussed twice earlier in the season, has been suffering debilitating headaches.
His comeback against Tranmere in the Worthington Cup last week saw Radebe (31) complaining of feeling unwell again. Last Friday Radebe was in hospital for tests and he was forced to miss the dramatic 4-3 win over Liverpool on Saturday.
But Tuesday’s all-clear was a welcome step forward for the man still regarded in England as one of the finest defenders in the game.
Radebe said: “I’ve had a few problems but I feel fine now. It was only a matter of time – I wasn’t really worried. Yes, I had some bad headaches and some sleepless night but I’m ready to play after being given the all-clear.”
Radebe hasn’t been inactive during his period on the sidelines. He is negotiating a deal that would see him own half of South African Premiership club Wits University. Wits are seventh in the Premier Soccer League and claim to have one of the biggest junior sections in the world, with a series of junior teams down to under-six level.
Crucially, Radebe is hoping to set the club up as a Leeds nursery, and he hopes to send promising youngsters over to Leeds to train with the English giants.
Radebe is thought to have offered R8-million and Wits chair Ronnie Schloss believes the deal will be done “within two months”. Radebe’s move would put him on the same footing as two other Bafana stars – Quinton Fortune, whose second-division outfit Fortune FC in Cape Town have links with Manchester United, and Mark Fish, who has a share in Pretoria club Arcadia Sherpherds.
Former Orlando Pirates star Fish completed his controversial move from Bolton Wanderers to Premiership club Charlton Athletic this week for R8,5-million. Wantaway Fish has been accused of under-performing by Bolton officials in recent weeks.
Fish, with more than 40 caps, should cruise through the work-permit conditions and will relish a return to the top flight in England. He arrived at Bolton from Italian giants Lazio in August 1997, but couldn’t prevent Wanderers from being relegated to Division One, where they have languished since.
Charlton manager Alan Curbishley has been trying to hook Fish for some time and the 26-year-old Pretorian, by refusing to sign a new contract, was prepared to go for free at the end of the season under the Bosman ruling.
Bolton’s no-nonsense manager Sam Allardyce said: “It is disappointing but Mark’s recent performances have shown everyone he doesn’t want to be here. The situation meant I had to act and I did that by moving him on as quickly as I could.
“I’m glad the Fish situation has been resolved. It has dragged on too long and not been good for team spirit. He was out of contract at the end of the season when we would not have been able to command a fee for him,” said Allardyce.