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UEFA Steps Up and Kolo Falls Down

By on September 15, 2009

Eduardo penalty

So what really happened here? Along with their rescinding of Eduardo’s two-match ban, UEFA released this brief statement:

The UEFA Appeals Body today accepted the appeal lodged by Arsenal FC against the two-match suspension handed to striker Eduardo.

Following examination of all the evidence, notably the declarations of both the referee and the referees’ assessor, as well as the various video footage, it was not established to the panel’s satisfaction that the referee had been deceived in taking his decision on the penalty.

Therefore, the decision of the UEFA Control and Disciplinary Body of 1 September, in which the player was suspended for two UEFA club competition matches, is annulled.

Good news for Arsenal… but better news for UEFA. They have obviously taken all the talk about precedence, not the least from Wenger himself, very seriously. What would it have meant for UEFA to institute post-facto reviews and punishments? For one, it would mean a lot of money. It would take a multi-person committee working double-time to review all possible incidents on a weekly basis. It would mean money would need to be spent to house and support this new body with the technology necessary to do the job right. Also, it would open UEFA up to criticism on individual incidents on a weekly basis from dozens of nations.

EduardoA final consideration for UEFA would have been that instituting the use of video like this, in any but the most exceptional and extraordinary incidents, would only pave the way more quickly for the use of video on the pitch, which UEFA diametrically oppose. The argument would be, if you can use video AFTER every match, why not just save the money spent on the committee and just use it during the match. Not that they might be pressured into it from outside but that it might become too easy for them to just finally give in on the video issue.

It also seems that Arsenal’s claim of having video evidence that Eduardo was indeed touched by Boruc has stood up. And none of this even addresses the absolute ridiculousness of awarding a player a two-match ban for an offense that is only worth a yellow card in the match. If UEFA really wanted to save face, they could have just issued Eduardo a yellow card.

We Expect Better From You, Kolo

Inevitably, the Adebayor issue drags on as the FA is expected to make a decision today. But even more disappointing is the fact that Kolo Toure has jumped into the fray now claiming:

Even though he was the first to go and salute them in the tunnel, even those who had an affinity with him didn’t want to shake his hand. For me that is unacceptable.

He is saying that the Arsenal players refused to shake Adebayor’s hand in the tunnel. This doesn’t seem to make sense considering everyone saw each player on the team shake his hand on the pitch after the lineups and some even hugged him. The culture and atmosphere at City is so corrupt that it has even turned Kolo Toure into a liar. Now, that is depressing.

Kolo also claims,

At the start of the game they were whistling at him as if he never brought anything to the club.

No, Kolo. They were whistling at him as if he had just insulted them all the day before in the national media. Adebayor deserves everything he koloade.jpggets and while I would hate to see Toure’s involvement in this case affect the reception he might get from Arsenal supporters at the Emirates, I can’t say he wouldn’t deserve it.

Even if it were true that the Arsenal players snubbed Adebayor, that is no excuse for his stomps on Fabregas’s ankle or van Persie’s face or even his kick out at Alex Song. And that is exactly what Kolo is saying here. He’s trying to justify Adebayor’s actions and that is even more despicable for him to do than Hughes.

The story has taken a turn where despite reprimands from Richard Scudamore and the Greater Manchester Police, some newspapers, including Martin Samuel at his rag, want to now put all the blame on the Arsenal supporters.

After Adebayor’s behavior throughout the match, I think he is lucky there wasn’t a bigger disturbance. He chose to antagonize the supporters because he knew he was in no personal harm and didn’t care if his actions put a few dozen under-paid stewards in danger.

Then Kolo goes on to comment on the circumstances regarding Adebayor’s departure from Arsenal:

Certain people want others to believe he left for the money but we know he was pushed to leave. I know it because I was present. I firmly believe he left to bring money to the club.

Well, which is it, Kolo? Do you “know” he was pushed to leave or do you “believe” it? Those are two different things. One implies fact and the other implies assumption. I highly doubt that the Board was keeping Kolo Toure abreast of either the club’s financial situation or their dealings with Man City regarding Adebayor. ‘

Kolo Toure was a faithful servant of the club for almost 10 years and won everything there was to win except the Champions League with Arsenal. However, in a few short weeks he has done damage to the great reputation and rapport he had built up in 7 years with Arsenal supporters. Kolo could have, in fact, would have been, one of those former players who were applauded upon their returns to North London. Whether that will now be the case is uncertain. [digg=http://digg.com/soccer/UEFA_Steps_Up_and_Kolo_Falls_Down]

16 Comments

  1. Vjs

    September 15, 2009 at 8:11 am

    What a gutless hatred article…..kolo clearly said “we knew” and “others believe”…..

    If you don velieve that ade was pushed out of the club even afte kolo said it….then my friend you dont trust anyone but only your hatred..you hate so much that you dont believe even kolo, such a great servant to us and go about calling him a liar!!!!

    Shame on you and your so easily wavering faith…

    lets be critical of wenger and the board too sometimes and agree on what kolo said tat ade WAS pushed out….

  2. Drew

    September 15, 2009 at 8:19 am

    have to disagree.. kolo is after all the captain of the team.. he has to back his under fire player//
    he has been appreciative of the fans, trying to curb adebarndoor’s celebration and then immediately apologizing to the fans//

  3. ArsenalStation

    September 15, 2009 at 8:20 am

    “gutless”… excuse me? Kolo said, “I know” and “I believe.” Look at the quotes, you idiot. He didn’t CLEARLY say what you said. In fact, he didn’t say that at all. The quotes are there.

    I don’t believe Ade was pushed out of the club for money. If that was the case, why did we not sell him for far more money to a team that we weren’t in direct contention with last year? If the club really needed money and were really a “selling club,” would we have sold two players who seriously underperformed last season or would we have sold our even bigger players who would fetch more money like Arshavin or Fabregas?

    And I don’t hate at all, my friend. You want to be critical of Wenger but not Toure or Adebayor? You obviously have your own agenda. I didn’t hate on Toure, but merely expressed my disappointment in him for defending the irreprehensible actions of Adebayor.

    My faith in Arsenal doesn’t waiver, unlike some… but my faith in former players who feel the need to attack the club does.

    What proof is there that Ade was “pushed out” of the club? He was pushed out by his own behavior last summer and also by his mediocre performance in the season that followed it. He also then criticized Arsenal fans on national television after the season was over… if anyone pushed Adebayor out of the club, it was Adebayor himself.

    For those who think the club is in a desperate situation financially, I would just ask you to read the financial reports. The stadium debt in no way hampers the operations of the club since the stadium’s revenues are 3x the amount it takes to service the debt (Match-Day revenue: approx. 90m; approx. debt payments: 35m). Also, the Highbury Square and real estate interests are technically held by another company and do not affect the football part of the club. So before everyone wants to go off spouting about Arsenal have no money and sold Adebayor for money they should first take a look at the club’s finances. Also, why would Kolo Toure know what was going on in the board room anyway? Give me a break.

    • Vjs

      September 15, 2009 at 8:45 am

      You not gettin the point mate….MONEY MAY NOT HAVE BEEN THE REASON!!!!!!!!!!

      thats why kolo said “I believe it was money”

      But the reason is not of importance…what is important is that he was pushed out…thats FOR SURE…kolo says”I/WE KNOW HE WAS PUSHED OUT”

      So leave the reason out(leave the finances out!!!)….no one knows why it was…you are personal with wenger…then you may get a hint of the truth 🙂

      • ArsenalStation

        September 15, 2009 at 7:51 pm

        But what I’m saying is how does Kolo know what on between the club and Adebayor? I understand he’s defending his teammate but he’s flat out lying about the Arsenal players not shaking Adebayor’s hand before the match. Watch the match again and you’ll see after the lineups that they all shook his hand after the lineup and some even gave him a hug. That’s my problem with Toure… he’s lying to protect the despicable attempts by Adebayor to injure former teammates and friends of his.

  4. Vjs

    September 15, 2009 at 8:31 am

    To be clear in what im saying, ive capitalised the knows and believes…”CERTAIN PEOPLE want others to BELIEVE he left for the money but WE KNOW he was pushed to leave. I KNOW it because I was present. I firmly BELIEVE he left to bring money to the club.”

    HE KNEW-Ade was pushed out….(and tats wat is importanrt)

    He BELIEVED it to be money minded- The reason was not sure…thats where you are right pal..this is what you said..
    “He was pushed out by his own behavior last summer and also by his mediocre performance in the season that followed it. He also then criticized Arsenal fans on national television after the season was over… if anyone pushed Adebayor out of the club, it was Adebayor himself.”

    This is the reason why he was pushed out, what you said…the true ones only wenger and the board know…But the fact is
    “HE WAS PUSHED OUT”-for wateva the reason…KOLO said it…trust him….Ade dint wanna leave this season…and he was kicked out and he had no choice….Kolo has spoken the truth…not gone down any level!!!

    • ArsenalStation

      September 15, 2009 at 12:35 pm

      You don’t seem to be getting the point. The point is he pushed himself out. He very consciously created the situation that led to the club being forced to sell him. Do you seriously think that if he had scored 30 goals last season that the club would’ve sold him. His behavior in the summer, then his lacklustre and indifferent performances during the season, followed by his insulting Arsenal fans on Football Focus created the situation that led to him leaving. All his own actions. If he had done none of those things, both the club and the supporters would’ve wanted him to stay.

      I supported Adebayor throughout his time at Arsenal. Even after the summer flings with Barca and Milan I came into last season looking to get past that and give him a fresh start, unlike many other supporters. However, he never looked like he cared and it showed on the pitch. So I was glad we sold him but still had no ill will toward him. That all changed this week… again due to his own actions.

      He insulted American Arsenal supporters and then set out to injure our key players. And then after all that, he antagonized the fans into an uproar that put innocent stewards in real danger. This is not a man to be defended… especially by Gooners. He tried to single-handedly end our season by putting Fabregas and van Persie out for long stretches and only the fact that he got away with it allowed him to then cause the problems with the celebration.

      And if I want to finally criticize Adebayor for actions I have overlooked in the past because he was a Gunner especially the Bendtner incident, then I will. And I will not feel bad about it in the slightest. Thanks for reading, Vjs.

  5. anthony

    September 15, 2009 at 8:33 am

    i am arsenal fan and for long i have felt that the vitriol and bile directed at adebayor was unjustified and excessive and i think the indignant fans like you deserve everything he did as for you replying a comment with an insult it tells about the class of fans we have now.

    • ArsenalStation

      September 15, 2009 at 12:37 pm

      You castigate me for an insult yet defend Adebayor for doing the same thing on much grander scale. That’s just hypocritical.

    • ArsenalStation

      September 15, 2009 at 7:49 pm

      I was insulted first, anthony by being called “gutless” in case you missed that.

  6. Jerome at work, Gadget at home

    September 15, 2009 at 8:36 am

    Considering Toure wanted to leave in January, and Adebayor has brazenly coveted other teams, it’s difficult to believe such claims.

    If we had sold someone who really wanted to stay at the club, then fair enough, but the fact is they were two players who wanted out.

    Toure has an agenda and that’s to defend his team-mate. That’s understandable, but I’ve never seen Toure stamp on people’s ankles or face. Interestingly, I wonder if Toure’s questioned why Adebayor never put in that type of effort for us last season. If he had, I’m sure the fans would have given a warmer reception.

  7. Clock End Gooner

    September 15, 2009 at 8:38 am

    Quality read!

    • ArsenalStation

      September 16, 2009 at 12:51 am

      Thanks, CEG!

  8. Peter Goal

    September 15, 2009 at 12:06 pm

    I really can’t wait for the return leg. I wish it was yesterday

  9. alwaysgunner

    September 15, 2009 at 7:14 pm

    What a load of crap the greedy c..t Ade was after money money money. No one pushed him he wanted out to get more money; and if you can not see that then you are dumb deaf and blind and to top it off a bloody clown. He is nothing other than a greedy greedy c..t. He should be in the Maffia in his own country with the gans he said he would have grown up with. HE HAS ABILITY AS A FOOTBALLER BUT HE IS A BULLY A WASTE OF SPACE ON THIS PLANET. I hope the FA throw the book the bath and the bloody sink at the greedy git. His intent was to maim fellow ex teams mates. Toure has unfortunately had to support him but I bet if and when he tells the true story he will say the same as us what a greedy git he is. I just wish Paddy or Tony where playing today.
    p.s. keep up the good work fella’s, your article is so right.

    • ArsenalStation

      September 16, 2009 at 12:52 am

      As always, thanks alwaysgunner. I appreciate you reading and commenting as much as you do.

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