Czech Republic punishes national team for ignoring fans after World Cup qualifier
Prague (AP): The Czech Republic soccer association stripped Tomáš Soucek of his captaincy and denied financial bonuses to national team players as punishment for ignoring their fans after their final World Cup qualifier against Gibraltar.
The Czechs, who had been assured of second place in Group L, won the home game 6-0 in Olomouc on Monday, but the players didn't go thank the diehard fans who were critical of their performance in the qualifying campaign.
The team will be seeded in Thursday's draw for the 16-team playoffs next March for four remaining European spots at next summer's World Cup.
The association Tuesday apologized to fans and said the players won't receive the financial bonuses for the game. Instead, the money will go to charities. Soucek will lose his captaincy for the team's next match.
“The fans have a full right to express their disagreement with the unsatisfactory performance in the recent games,” the association said in a statement.
“The reaction of the players should have been quite the contrary. They should have thanked the active fans.”
In Monday's, supporters repeatedly chanted “Fight for Czechia.”
The Czechs struggled in the qualifying campaign and fired coach Ivan Hašek following a humiliating 2-1 defeat to Faroe Islands last month.
Hašek's assistant Jaroslav Köstl led the team to a 1-0 win over San Marino in a friendly and against Gibraltar.
A new coach could be named for the playoffs.
The Czechs last qualified for the tournament in 2006.
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Lebanon appoints new representative for talks with Israel, rejects linkage to Iran
Beirut: Lebanon’s has moved to underline its independent position in ongoing regional developments, amid attempts to link the country to the broader conflict involving Iran, the United States and Israel.
President Joseph Aoun, while announcing the appointment of former US ambassador Simon Karam as Lebanon’s representative in talks with Israel, made it clear that Karam would be the sole representative for Lebanon and that there would be no substitute.
The move comes in response to what the Lebanese officials see as efforts by Iran to tie Lebanon’s situation to the wider regional conflict. Iran had indicated that there would be no ceasefire involving the US, Israel and Iran unless it also included a ceasefire in Lebanon.
Some groups, including Hezbollah and its supporters, had expressed support for linking the situations, citing concerns that the Lebanese government has limited leverage in negotiations with Israel. Lebanon is not formally a party to the conflict, and its army is considered weak.
However, others, including Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, have opposed this approach. They view Iran’s stance as an attempt to influence Lebanon’s internal affairs and see it as undermining the country’s sovereignty.
Officials backing the government’s position say the move is aimed at reaffirming Lebanon’s sovereignty and ensuring that decisions about peace and ceasefire within the country are not dictated externally.
They also see it as a safeguard, so that any breakdown in talks between the US, Israel and Iran does not automatically lead to renewed conflict in Lebanon.
