Not my fault that Reina was sent off, says
Robben
Feb 8, 2006
The Straits Times
LONDON - CHELSEA, according to one British newspaper, will beat
Manchester United to signing Freddy Adu, the American teenager
widely regarded as the most exciting young player on the
planet.
But most of yesterday's media copy was reserved for a more familiar
Chelsea face - Arjen Robben.
Nearly every editorial in the English papers cried out against his
'simulation' in the Premiership match on Sunday, when Liverpool
goalkeeper Jose Reina was sent off for stroking the Dutchman's
face.
Robben, upon the contact, fell like a ton of bricks.
Liverpool must dread playing Chelsea. Over two seasons, Frank
Lampard broke Xabi Alonso's ankle, Michael Essien assaulted Dietmar
Hamann and an Eidur Gudjohnsen dive that got Alonso suspended for
the European Cup semi-final second leg, are some of the incidents
which the Reds claimed they have suffered at the hands of the
Premiership champions.
But it was Robben's playacting which has infuriated Liverpool
players. Worse, the player was less than sorry and put the blame
solely on the Liverpool goalkeeper.
'Reina was the one who got carried away, not me. He made a crazy
challenge on Eidur over by the touchline and I told him so when he
ran past on his way back to the goal,' said Robben.
'I can't remember the exact words I used, but it was something
along the lines of 'That was a stupid thing to do, wasn't it?' The
next thing I know, he swings round and reacts with his hands.
'I don't see how I can be blamed for that. I wasn't the one who
lost control. I don't think people from Liverpool should be talking
about me, either. They should be having a look at
themselves.'
His manager Jose Mourinho has told the squad not to discuss the
Dutchman. But, according to The Independent, some of the Chelsea
players felt that Robben's reaction to a gentle shove from Reina
was shameful.
Robben was described as 'embarrassing' by the former Chelsea player
Pat Nevin, and 'disgraceful' by the ex-Liverpool defender Alan
Hansen.
Reina, who will be suspended for three games after the red card,
said: 'Robben is a big actor and he did well enough to win an
Oscar. I would never hurt another player in the way Robben
suggested by collapsing.
'Robben is an excellent player but he was deceitful with the way he
behaved.'
The 2-0 victory effectively wrapped up Chelsea's quest for a second
Premiership title - they are now 15 points clear atop the table,
four more than this time last season.
Winning the FA Cup could be as easy.
The Blues face Everton today in one of four fourth-round replays
following last month's 1-1 tie at Goodison Park. The winner will
host Colchester of League One for a place in the
quarter-finals.
With last year's winners Arsenal already out, and Liverpool and
Manchester United facing each other in the fifth round, Mourinho
has a great chance to add soccer's oldest cup to his
collection.
He is already planning for Chelsea's continued domination.
According to The Times, Chelsea's negotiations for Adu with Major
League Soccer, which owns his registration, are at an advanced
stage.
The 16-year-old forward is expected to move to London in the
summer, by which time he hopes to have become the youngest player
to feature in a World Cup tournament.
News that Chelsea could snare Adu will upset United, given that
Chelsea will now have a entry point into the enormous commercial
benefits in the US.
Sources at Stamford Bridge say that the initial outlay will be
about £5 million (S$14.45 million) for Adu.
Last summer, Adu played against Chelsea for DC United in a friendly
in Washington and said: 'Hopefully one day I can end up playing
with those guys rather than against them. They're my favourite
team.'
Should Adu get his wish, it would be another remarkable development
in the life of a boy who moved to the US from Ghana at the age of
eight after his mother won a Green Card lottery.
