Franz Beckenbauer says England has “gone backwards” under coach Fabio Capello and the team’s discouraging start to the World Cup has occurred partly because of a lack of domestic talent in the Premier League.
Beckenbauer expressed his opinions in a column for South Africa’s The Times newspaper.
England got off to a bright start against the United States on Saturday, taking the lead just four minutes into the game. But the U.S. tied the contest 1-1 when goalkeeper Robert Green fumbled a shot by Clint Dempsey and the ball rolled across the goal line. The game ended in a tie.
“What I saw of the English against the USA had very little to do with football,” said Beckenbauer, one of just two men to win the World Cup as both a player and a coach. “It looked to me as if the English have gone backwards into the bad old days of kick and rush.”
Beckenbauer was part of the West German team that lost the 1966 final to England and later was captain of the team that won the 1974 World Cup in Munich. He was coach of the German team that won the 1990 World Cup in Italy, defeating England in the semifinals and Argentina in the final.
“The English are being punished for the fact that there are very few English players in the Premier League as clubs use better foreign players from all over the world,” Beckenbauer said.
Beckenbauer’s comments were published widely in the British media, with The Times carrying the story under the headline: “Franz Beckenbauer puts the boot into ‘kick and rush’ England.”
Iniesta ready to play
Spanish midfielder Andres Iniesta will be available for today’s match against Switzerland after taking part in a full training session Tuesday.
Iniesta injured his right leg in a 6-0 win over Poland last week.
“Iniesta trained well” Monday and Tuesday, Spain’s coach, Vicente del Bosque, said. “We still have some hours to talk with the doctors and it’s they who will make the decision.”
World Cup tragedy
Police say two Ugandan children died in a fire while their parents watched a World Cup match on television nearby.
Police in Uganda have warned parents against leaving children alone in houses following the death of an 8- and 10-year-old in the Kayunga district west of Kampala.
Kayunga police official Henry Kolyanga said the house in which the children were sleeping caught fire. “The mother and father of the children left a candle burning and went to watch the match on television in a nearby trading center,” Kolyanga said.
The candle apparently fell over and ignited a tablecloth, Kolyanga said.
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