Mad Brit Diary

Anelka changes tune on wearing Les Blues.

(Friday, March 29, 2004) -- So who's sorry now?

Manchester City striker Nicolas Anelka, an arrogant, aloof and stubborn player, is now crawling on his knees in a desperate attempt to get back on France's national team as Euro 2004 looms on the horizon.

Anelka issued an apology this week to French coach Jacques Santini saying in a brief statement: "I feel it's necessary to publicly apologize to Mr. Jacques Santini and the French team." Boy, how things have changed for the tall moody forward.

In November 2002, Anelka refused to play for France. Later, he fired off a vulgar slap at the coach, when a reporter asked whether he would play for France again. "If Santini gets down on his knees in front of me and says sorry, then I'll think about it," he told the magazine Paris-Match last August. "I still maintain that they've shown me no respect."

He then told France Football magazine:" I don't need the France team. Everything I've achieved with Manchester (City) is enough to satisfy me. And I want to thank his (Santini's) predecessor (Roger Lemerre) for not selecting me for the World Cup in Asia, where the team had a total disaster. At least I managed to avoid that."

Anelka certainly holds a grudge, but expects people to forgive his transgressions. Well what do you expect from a spoiled soccer star who, since he was in diapers, has been told he's the next Michel Platini?

The last time Anelka wore France's jersey was a 0-0 home draw against Russia in a 2002 World Cup warmup in April 2002. He has scored six goals in 28 games for the French team. Ah, but how things change in life. Earlier last year, Anelka was threatening never to play for his country again. Now, he wants to wear the beloved blue jersey.

The bad blood between the current French coach and Anelka began on November 17, 2002, when Santini called up Anelka to play against Yugoslavia as a late replacement for the injured Sidney Govou. Anelka had a hissy fit, throwing patriotism out the window and refusing to play for his country.

This is not the first time Anelka has been forced to apologize. Back in 1999, the former Arsenal player, snubbed the Professional Footballers Association's dinner where he was awarded the "Young Player of the Year" award by his fellow professionals. Instead, the youngster was partying at a hotel a few blocks away.

"I would like to pass on my apologies to the PFA for not attending the ceremony on Sunday evening," Anelka said in a statement at the time. "Unfortunately, I was not aware of the full significance of this award and I am sorry for any misunderstanding, upset or ill-feeling it may have caused."

Not long after, he turned his back on Arsenal and ran off to Real Madrid in what was called one of the "most acrimonious transfers in history." He had an awful time in Spain, telling the newspapers that no one passed the ball to him. Then, he ran back to France to play with Paris Saint-Germain before arriving at Manchester City where he has notched 34 goals in 74 games.

France's next game is an exhibition at the Netherlands March 31 and Santini will issue his roster March 25. Anelka will be watching closely and hoping others will show him forgiveness, something he has just only learned to offer to others.

Here are the top goal scorers in Europe's big leagues. In England, French striker Thierry Henry has 21 goals for his club Arsenal. In Germany, Werder Bremen's Brazilian star Goncalves Ailton has 22 goals. In Italy, Ukrainian star Andrei Shevchenko has 18 goals for AC Milan. In France, Djibril Cisse has 18 goals for his club Auxerre, while in Spain, Brazilian ace Ronaldo has 22 goals for Real Madrid.

Bayern Munich coach Ottmar Hitzfeld, who has won the European Cup with two different clubs, has turned down the opportunity to coach Chelsea next year, replacing Claudio Ranieri. Hitzfeld, 55, has won the European Cup with both Bayern and Borussia Dortmund.

Former Celtic star Mark Burchill, 23, could be set to move to New Jersey's Metrostars. Burchill, currently signed with Portsmouth, was once a highly-touted striker before a knee injury kept him out of the game for nearly a year. He has played six times for Scotland's national team.

Europe's top clubs, known as the G-14 group, which includes AC Milan, Manchester United and Real Madrid, are demanding that teams be compensated when players are called up for international games. The group is also threatening to boycott the re-launch of the World Club Championship, an event that is planned to include 16 teams.

American goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, who plays in English First for Reading, is out for up to a month with a knee injury. Meantime, in-form American winger Eddie Lewis will be out of the lineup at Preston Nort End for six-to-eight weeks after surgery on a nagging hernia.

Tom B. from San Francisco writes: "Hi, Mad Brit -- love your insights into the beautiful game! I thought that two of the best changes were increasing the winning team's points from two to three (in league standings) and the introduction of the "away goals" tiebreaker (in total-goals series). Both encouraged offensive strategies. What about another change for leagues, whereby a team that draws only gets a point if it scores at least one goal? Teams would be very eager to score if they knew that no goals equaled no points."

Doug Rhodes writes: "I enjoy your column and writing about a sport I am very fond of (for a Yank). I am a soccer "fan" or football "supporter." I've enjoyed soccer since my first match at Portman Road (in Ipswich, England) in 1972, the first North American Soccer League game in San Jose (original Earthquakes -- 1974). I've played since 1974 and refereed and coached. I keep wondering when Major League Soccer is going to go with sponsored kits, shirts with advertising like those in other leagues. I don't like the current team logos across the front of the shirts.

"What's wrong with a shield and a sponsor's logo\brand? I know there are sponsors on some of the shirts, but why can't they be like teams elsewhere?"

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