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Off the Pitch: Aussies on the move

18 May 2008 | 10:13 - SBS: Mariana Rudan

Movement... Could David Carney be Australia's next EPL star? (Getty Images)

A number of Socceroos will be playing their football at new clubs next season... but it's still anyone's guess where that actually might be.

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Former Sydney FC wide-man David Carney may have won the hearts of fans and coaching staff alike during his time in the A-League,  it seems the usually mild-mannered Socceroo has not had the same run with Kevin Blackwell at Sheffield United of late. Not to worry, we hear Carney is moving on out of Sheffield, and moving on up to a Premiership club. Which club? A ‘common-wealth’ club... that’s all we can tell you for now. Watch this space.

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Football coaches are well-known to be sacked one day and employed – on often a bigger wage and by a bigger club – the next. And now it seems that can also occur to football administrators. Former Sydney FC CEO George Perry quit his post in March – many in the game believe he was pushed – but don’t worry folks he has now landed on his feet at Football Federation Australia headquarters as a consultant. Is anyone else wondering what FFA supremo Frank Lowy makes of all this? Considering his close ties with the harbour city’s lone A-League franchise.

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On the FFA, don’t be too shocked to hear about some ‘transfer’ movements emanating out of College Street. Recent rumblings in the sporting landscape suggest that former FFA chief John O’Neill has been kept busy looking through the CVs of his past employees – not that he has been requesting them. Simply put, it seems their brief romance with a sport they have no passion or motivation for has come to an end and they are looking for ‘stage left’. Unfortunately most senior positions at the ARU are ‘spoken for’.

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Another young Australian who has impressed for club and country and is jetting off for greener pastures in foreign lands is Adelaide United’s Bruce Djite ( sigh). While he will certainly be missed, seems Djite’s agent is the same fella who signed Nicky Carle up to that club in Turkey whose name just slips off your tongue… you know the one – Generlerbirligi. Lets hope Bruce becomes a ‘Turkish’ delight and doesn’t slip off Turk radars like his fellow compatriot Carle and Mile Sterjovski did. But then again, Nicky has done pretty well for himself at Bristol City. You will be missed Djite.

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An Aussie expat, who was very close to a call up for Australia’s friendly against Ghana on May 23, is Eddy Bosnar. Last month, Pim Verbeek was on hand to watch Bosnar ply his trade for JEF United Chiba in the J-League. Problem is, a string of poor results saw coach Josip Kuze get sacked after 13 matches, a new one reinstated (Liverpool FC’s former assistant coach Alex Miller) and Bosnar’s hopes of earning himself a cap at the SFS denied as a result... seems the club need the defender than his country does on this occasion.

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And while Alex Miller may be hoping to squeeze a few victories out of his newly acquired men in the J-League, we hear Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was squeezing the assets of a certain lady man recently instead. On a night out with wife Alex Curran, while walking past Liverpool’s Pink Bar, Gerrard made a grab for a transvestites inflatable boob, before adding “ pretty in pink, makes the boys wink”, as he walked off with his missus. Ah see Ronaldo, this is how you do it, try before you buy, then walk off with your missus.

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And while were on the subject of Brazilians, it’s anybody’s guess these days if or when Milan will ever sign Ronaldinho in the pricey tug of war that’s unfolded with Barcelona of late. It’s understood, the Rossoneri have made their final offer of £20 million, while Manchester City have offered £24 million, but the toothy superstar says he only wants to join the Milanese big guns. Well someone’s gotta take over from Ronaldo, might as well be Ronaldinho right?

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Meanwhile, Barca have put Samuel Eto’o up for sale. The Catalan giants are asking €40million to finance the purchase of a big name next season but according to Spanish sports paper Marca, the striker does not want to leave. The same newspaper reported that Tottenham’s chairman Daniel Levy is flying to Barcelona to sign the Cameroon ace as Juande Ramos’ White Hart Lane revolution continues.

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While Marco Materazzi may not be Italy’s (or rather Inter Milan’s) favourite man at the moment seems Barcelona’s new man in charge, Pep Guardiola has a different opinion. Does this mean another Materazzi may be heading to the land of the Matadors next season?

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And while OTP intuition will confirm ahead of time that Cristiano Ronaldo will not be leaving Manchester United for Real Madrid, the same cannot be said for the future of Chelsea’s Didier Drogba. Which will it be then, Inter or Milan? Well if reports that Drogba recently branded current team-mates as complacent and careless ahead of the UCL final in Moscow are true, then I’d say any team will do And it may just be the red and black rather than the black and blue.

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Finally, the man who once graced Italy with his magical footballing ability recently returned to grace them with his ‘backside’ brilliance in a charity match featuring a host of Italy’s best actors and singers.

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