The Archive

Jack Bell reports on the outcome of a misguided offer to FIFA

Earlier this year a website called footofgod.com closed down. Hardly a unique oc­currence, but this one did not die through the reckless ambition of its creators or for any lack of demand for its ser­­vices. Instead it was kicked in the teeth by the football gods – FI­FA. Like many websites, footofgod.com was a labour of love, not profit. This ardour be­longs to Kadima Lonji, a 29-year-old native of Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) work­ing in New York as director of web development for a major US department store chain.

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Ian Plenderleith looks at players  who reveal a small insight into their lives on the web

I’ve always had a bit of a thing about Bixente Lizarazu, and not just because of his qualities as an attacking full-back. There’s something boyish and innocent about his face, as if he would never, ever stamp on an opponent or sign for a new club because they were offering him an extra ten grand a week. Even when he moved to the hated Bayern Munich, I couldn’t help but want him to do well.

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Borussia Dortmund have just set a transfer record that should last. Matt Nation, the first of our far flung correspondents to get to the postbox, explains why

Günter Netzer recently complained that the Bun­desliga was lacking “personality players who com­mand a big fee”. While the rest of the country pondered the link between Alan Shear­er and the word “personality”, Borussia Dortmund snapped up the Bra­zilian forward Amoroso for DM 50 million (£15.7 million) from Parma.

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Derby County fan Peter Gutteridge talks stadiums, kits and youth players at pride Park

The board and manager. Do they know what they’re doing?
No. Jim Smith seems to have lost all notion of team tactics in the past couple of seasons. Owner Lionel Pickering seems disintereted in the club and wants to sell up. But he’s also big chums with Smith so there’s a stalemate.

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Sunday 1 Liverpool might enter the Vieira bidding war – “Of course we’d be interested in a player like him,” says M Gérard – though Arsenal continue to insist through collectively gritted teeth that he’s not for sale. Man Utd chief executive Peter Kenyon denies claims that United have been snubbed by several transfer targets. “Listening to all the speculation you'd think we were a club on the precipice. We’ve not had one rejection.” Brazil lose another World Cup tie, 1-0 in Uruguay, which leaves them barely hanging on to South America’s fourth automatic qualifying place.

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