Azeri boss Vogts attacked at news meet
Source: Agencies |
June 6, 2011, Monday
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AZERBAIJAN coach Berti Vogts was attacked by three men during a news conference in Baku yesterday ahead of tomorrow's Euro 2012 qualifier against Germany but said he would still sit on the bench.
The German, under fire in Azeri media following his team's disappointing run, told German reporters in Baku that he had filed a report with police and would discuss his next steps with his lawyers.
He said three men, who were not journalists, attacked him before being stopped by security guards in the room. Vogts said he was unhurt.
Vogts, who coached Germany to the 1996 European title, said he would still coach the team tomorrow despite the incident. "I would have long ago left if it were not for my friendship with the federation president," he told Germany's SID agency. "I have experienced many things but nothing like that. I do not have the words to describe this."
Pressure on Vogts, who won the 1974 World Cup as a player, has been mounting since his team's 1-2 defeat to bottom-placed Kazakhstan on Friday that left it with three points from five matches in Group A.
"This is a no-go. To attack a coach is unacceptable whatever the outcome of a match. I am surprised to hear the news," Germany coach Joachim Loew said in Vienna as the team prepared to leave for Azerbaijan following its 2-1 win against Austria on Friday.
"Azerbaijan may have lost against Kazakhstan but they have, for example, won a crucial game against Turkey and that shows their development that is strongly linked to Berti Vogts. So this really is a surprise."
Loew has dropped midfielders Sami Khedira and Simon Rolfes from the squad because of minor injuries and called Lewis Holtby and Sebastian Rudy to replace them.
Real Madrid midfielder Khedira had raced back from injury to be fit for the two qualifiers.
"Yesterday afternoon we decided not to count on Sami Khedira because he did everything possible in the past two to three weeks to play against Austria," Loew said. "There is no problem and the injured muscle is fine but we do not want to take a risk and decided it'd be better if he did not play."
Rolfes has been ruled out with a pulled muscle.
Germany tops the group with 18 points from six games.
The German, under fire in Azeri media following his team's disappointing run, told German reporters in Baku that he had filed a report with police and would discuss his next steps with his lawyers.
He said three men, who were not journalists, attacked him before being stopped by security guards in the room. Vogts said he was unhurt.
Vogts, who coached Germany to the 1996 European title, said he would still coach the team tomorrow despite the incident. "I would have long ago left if it were not for my friendship with the federation president," he told Germany's SID agency. "I have experienced many things but nothing like that. I do not have the words to describe this."
Pressure on Vogts, who won the 1974 World Cup as a player, has been mounting since his team's 1-2 defeat to bottom-placed Kazakhstan on Friday that left it with three points from five matches in Group A.
"This is a no-go. To attack a coach is unacceptable whatever the outcome of a match. I am surprised to hear the news," Germany coach Joachim Loew said in Vienna as the team prepared to leave for Azerbaijan following its 2-1 win against Austria on Friday.
"Azerbaijan may have lost against Kazakhstan but they have, for example, won a crucial game against Turkey and that shows their development that is strongly linked to Berti Vogts. So this really is a surprise."
Loew has dropped midfielders Sami Khedira and Simon Rolfes from the squad because of minor injuries and called Lewis Holtby and Sebastian Rudy to replace them.
Real Madrid midfielder Khedira had raced back from injury to be fit for the two qualifiers.
"Yesterday afternoon we decided not to count on Sami Khedira because he did everything possible in the past two to three weeks to play against Austria," Loew said. "There is no problem and the injured muscle is fine but we do not want to take a risk and decided it'd be better if he did not play."
Rolfes has been ruled out with a pulled muscle.
Germany tops the group with 18 points from six games.
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