Well done FA

[Red Phoenix]

The world's media were left stunned after England's news briefing for Sunday's World Cup clash with Germany lasted barely five minutes and featured only questions taken from British TV reporters.

 

More than 250 journalists from around the world plus around 30 TV crews packed into the media tent at the Free State Stadium for the briefing with England coach Fabio Capello and captain Steven Gerrard.

 

Reporters, many of whom had travelled long distances to be at the briefing, left in anger after the FA's head of media Adrian Bevington took only eight questions from hand-picked reporters.

 

Giancarlo Galavotti, football correspondent of Italy's Gazzetta dello Sport who has reported on English football from London for more than 25 years said: "That was typical. They do not seem to appreciate this is the World Cup, with the emphasis on the word 'World'.

 

"The idea that the English set-up is not the friendliest among the top teams is reinforced by this sort of arrogance.

 

"And this, despite the coach being able to answer in three languages: Italian, English and Spanish. The FA do not seem to think the rest of the world is important."

 

Jorge Luiz Rodrigues of Brazil's O Globo newspaper was stunned by what he saw.

 

"That was bad. This is the World Cup. This guy doesn't know what the World Cup is. He only asks for questions from his friends. This is not professional.

 

"If you go to Brazil you will have questions in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian.

 

"All the journalists have the same opportunity. And Brazil is five times champions, not once."

 

Bevington said afterwards: "We complied fully with FIFA's regulations by bringing the coach and a player, our captain, to the conference.

 

"Furthermore, and as agreed with FIFA, we had a further five minutes with English newspapers and a further five minutes with FIFA.com."

 

In the five minutes access allowed to the wider world, journalists learnt that manager Fabio Capello knew his team - which he did not reveal - and that skipper Gerrard was confident of victory.

 

Platitudes delivered, Bevington declared after five minutes and 12 seconds: "OK, everybody, thank you very much. I would like to invite the English Sunday newspapers to join us in a separate room."

 

One reporter sarcastically clapped and with that the England delegation swept out of the room.

 

Although German coach Joachim Loew failed to appear before the media on Saturday, he did speak to them for 45 minutes on Friday and the German FA, at least, gave reporters the chance to quiz goalkeeping coach Andreas Koepke for 30 minutes on their preparations for the game.

 

 

World Cup 2010 - English team enrage world's media - Yahoo! Eurosport

 

 

 

Bunch of cunts. Good luck with your bid for the world cup in however many years time if you carry on being like that.

[Rex Banner]

Fuck em they all ask the same stupid inane questions anyway. How are you feeling? What's the mood in the camp? Hows Wayneo holding up blah blah blah.

[Le Poof]

Fuck em they all ask the same stupid inane questions anyway. How are you feeling? What's the mood in the camp? Hows Wayneo holding up blah blah blah.

Oh, and I suppose that the likes of Sky Sports and other English reporters ask insightful, meaningful questions?

 

It's the World Cup. It even said some of them traveled a long distance to get there. It's disgraceful and typically arrogant from the English FA, National Team, and annyone else involved.

 

I hope they get humiliated tomorrow. They deserve no better.

[Red Phoenix]

It's disgraceful and typically arrogant from the English FA, National Team, and annyone else involved.

 

I hope they get humiliated tomorrow. They deserve no better.

 

This is exactly the problem I think the FA are causing. I'm sure it's more the FA that are doing this, and not the team or coaching staff. They really are a fucking disgrace. I hope that people can at least see that this might be the case, because it'd suck to see people from other countries hating on the team, manager, etc, just because of those fucking pricks. They really should clear out the whole FA. Lord Triesman was probably just the tip of the iceberg. Scudamore should take a walk for a start, and if they all leave he should be the first to hang his head in shame.

 

Like I said, bunch of cunts.

[Red Phoenix]

Of course if we learn that Capello was worried that Pearce would be sitting down for too long and wanted to quickly get back to tell him to stand up, all is cool.

[Red Phoenix]

Germans seem to have had their own problems too :

 

Meanwhile, Koepke said he replaced Loew at the news conference because the head coach could not get to the Bloemfontein venue in time.

 

No German player was present at the briefing either - contrary to Fifa regulations - and there was speculation the Germans were angry at not being allowed to train on the Free State Stadium pitch.

 

BBC Sport - Football - World Cup 2010: Cacau to miss England encounter

[AngryOfTuebrook]

England are the arrogant and unfriendly ones... even when they're up against Germany.

 

Frankly, after all the UK media's shit-stirring with Mongo last week, I'd be giving in-depth profiles to the Tirana Herald before giving a cursory few seconds to our shitehouse hacks.

[Red Phoenix]

England are the arrogant and unfriendly ones... even when they're up against Germany.

 

Frankly, after all the UK media's shit-stirring with Mongo last week, I'd be giving in-depth profiles to the Tirana Herald before giving a cursory few seconds to our shitehouse hacks.

 

If the twats that organized that in the FA are anything like Scudamore, money will probably be involved.

[sir roger]

I personally wouldn't give the press the steam off my shit so I'm not feeling the hurt for them.

 

Having said that I would probably have reversed the slight & thrown the British press out first owing to the Triesman & Terry things, but then again plenty of the squad earn money off them for their platitudes don't they.

[Cardie]

Fuck em they all ask the same stupid inane questions anyway. How are you feeling? What's the mood in the camp? Hows Wayneo holding up blah blah blah.

 

I'd rather listen to the 'foreign' press than any English journo. In alot of cases they understand their football more and are less likely to indulge in the cliche's.

[Sandman]

It's shit like this that turns a lot of neutrals off England at these tournaments. From the massive, undeserved hype, the heavy handedness, the patronizing of the opposition, the delusion of some of the players (Defoe, the other day, we are a great team), plus the pure cuntishness of Mongo, Cole, Fwank, Shrek etc.

 

Hope they get twatted today.

[DiddisSillyRun]

Funny as funny can be.

[Pidge]

England are the arrogant and unfriendly ones... even when they're up against Germany.

 

Frankly, after all the UK media's shit-stirring with Mongo last week, I'd be giving in-depth profiles to the Tirana Herald before giving a cursory few seconds to our shitehouse hacks.

 

If Germany did it it would be called "efficient"

[Babb'sBurstNad]

Do we even know who made the decision?

 

To want a national squad, or any football side for that matter to do badly because of a decision that might not emanate from anywhere near the playing side/manager is frankly moronic.

 

Yes it was tight, but does anyone think that a truly insightful question was going to come up? Are you confident? What's the mood like? Why does Capello's forehead look like a scrotum? etc etc.

[The Dude Abides]

Fuck em they all ask the same stupid inane questions anyway. How are you feeling? What's the mood in the camp? Hows Wayneo holding up blah blah blah.

 

No, thats the British press, the foreign lads tend to actually ask questions regarding football and tactics and all that other stuff.