The Warm-Up: World Cup fever reaches the PANIC! INJURY SCARE stage
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Updated 12/06/2018 at 07:58 GMT
Two days to go: Nick Miller is just about keeping it together to bring news of Patrick Vieira rocking up in Nice and Dejan Lovren belittling his brother.
A picture taken on June 8, 2018 in Saint-Petersburg, shows a flag bearing the official logo of the upcoming Russia 2018 World Cup in front of the Winter Palace building housing the State Hermitage Museum
Image credit: Getty Images
TUESDAY’S BIG STORIES
PANIC! INJURY SCARE! HAZARD WARNING! PANIC!
This is about the stage of World Cup fever where everyone loses their minds, perspective and sense, but if you are a Belgium fan you might have genuine cause to be concerned. At the very least.
During Belgium’s 4-1 friendly win over Costa Rica on Monday night, Eden Hazard limped off the field with 20 minutes remaining, causing palpitations, worry and presumably assorted Belgian tabloids to rustle up pictures of his thigh that people could place their hands upon and pray.
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Belgium's forward Eden Hazard reacts as he leaves the football pitch during the international friendly football match between Belgium and Costa Rica
Image credit: Eurosport
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez did not seem terribly concerned. “At the end he just came off because he had a little bit of a dead leg, a little bit of a knock on his leg,” he said. “Nothing to be worried about.”
No Roberto! You simply don’t understand! Perspective? Pah! Piffle to your perspective and sense. What the people want is blind panic and burgeoning crises! Down with your calm thoughts and truth. This is simply not what the World Cup is all about.
Vieira appointed Nice manager
If we can drag your attention away from the World Cup for just one second (no, seriously, we’re going to), Patrick Vieira has graduated from New York City manager to Nice manager.
The former Arsenal midfielder has broken free from the City Football Group clan, and will rock up back in his homeland for next season, replacing Lucien Favre who managed to score the Borussia Dortmund job, despite a slightly ropey season for Nice.
“There is really everything you need to prepare the players and to work well,” Vieira said at his unveiling.
“We are in extraordinary conditions. I can’t ask for more. I am happy, delighted. This is what I was looking for. I will work with passionate people, who will support me in the good and the bad times. They will be behind me: it gives me the confidence to work calmly and to give my best for the club.”
De Gea wants public apology from the top man
Alas, for you incorrigible scandal-hunters out there, this is not a rift between Spain’s goalkeeper and manager. Rather, this is David de Gea vs the Spanish Prime Minister. So much less important.
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David de Gea fordert eine öffentliche Entschuldigung
Image credit: SID
The short version is that Pedro Sanchez recently expressed misgivings that De Gea should be part of the Spain squad after some sexual assault allegations – which he denies and no charges were pressed – against him from 2016. De Gea wasn’t happy about this, and Sanchez apologised to him in person. But De Gea would like more.
“I politely accepted his apology,” said De Gea. “The issue is that what he said back in the day was in public and that is why I think the apology should also be a public one.”
IN OTHER NEWS
Imagine being Dejan Lovren’s brother, presumably known simply as that rather than his actual name (Davor, if you’re wondering), in the shadow of your sibling for most of your life. And then he does this. Still, at least he’s limbering up in appropriate fashion for the World Cup.
HAT TIP
The Brazilian press pulled no punches. “Embarrassment, shame, humiliation,” read the front page of O Globo, who labelled it “Mineiratzen” – a grim reference to the Maracanazo, the Seleção’s galling final-game defeat to Uruguay 64 years earlier. “Congratulations to the runners-up from 1950, who were always accused of bringing the greatest shame to Brazilian football,” howled EXTRA, running with that theme. “Yesterday, we truly understood what shame is.
It’s probably poor form to toot one’s own horn, but on this very Eurosport website, Jack Lang wrote a terrific piece on how Brazil have recovered from the shame of 2014, the 7-1 and their lives crumbling around their ears.
RETRO CORNER
On this day in 2002, an Argentina team featuring Batistuta, Zanetti, Ortega and Aimar CRASHED out of the World Cup, only managing to draw with Sweden when a win was required. Anders Svensson scored a free-kick for the Swedes, and Claudio Cannigia somehow managed to get himself sent off for dissent despite not playing in the match, and indeed not playing a minute in the whole tournament.
COMING UP
You could watch the last dregs of pre-tournament friendlies (Japan v Paraguay? Poland v Lithuania?) or some of the Women’s World Cup qualifiers…but we are now two days from the start of the men’s World Cup. Talk to your loved ones, because you ain’t going to be seeing them for a month.
Tomorrow’s Warm-Up will be brought to you by Alex Chick, who’s in the ‘Outbreak monkey’ phase of World Cup fever.
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