Al-Ahram Weekly | Sports

		21 - 27 November 2002 Issue No. 613 Sports	Current issue Previous issue Site map
Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875

Still Man's boss
MANCHESTER United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has hinted he could postpone his decision to retire for a second time -- to rebuild his struggling side. The Scott, who changed his mind about quitting at the end of last season, is due to stand down as Old Trafford boss in two years.
"I could go on for another three years -- my next challenge may well be to rebuild another team," said Sir Alex Ferguson. He added: "I would consider staying on again, postponing my retirement. It will depend on how I feel in two years. The thing about life is that your health determines everything. You can never take your health for granted. If it is still the same in three years I could reconsider retiring." And Ferguson revealed just how deeply he feels for the club he has steered to so much success.
"My burning desire is United. When you have built something like I have here you don't throw it away," he added. Ferguson looks to Keane for leadership and admitted there was no decision about rebuilding the team yet. "I think in fairness to these players they deserve my trust, but at the end of the season I will analyse it all."
Beckham hit by new injury
MANCHESTER United midfielder David Beckham has fractured his ribs and will be out for three weeks. Beckham was in pain after the Leverkusen match.
The England captain is thought to have picked up the injury in the Premiership win over Southampton a fortnight ago. He played in the Champions League victory over Bayer Leverkusen last week but was in pain after the match and tests revealed the rib injury.
Beckham definitely missed United's Premiership trip to West Ham last Sunday. He could also miss the Premiership matches against Newcastle, Liverpool and Arsenal, plus the Champions League match away to Basle and a Worthington Cup tie at Burnley.
The news is the latest injury blow for United, who are currently without skipper Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand and Nicky Butt. Beckham, who broke a bone in his left foot in the run up to the World Cup finals, is due to link up with the England squad for a get-together on Monday.
F1 bosses slam Ferrari 'insult'
BERNIE Ecclestone has accused Ferrari of "taking the mickey" out of the sport with their team tactics this year. And motorsport boss Max Mosley added that Ferrari "insulted" the public by intervening unnecessarily in the battle between drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.
Ecclestone, who has helped instigate new rules that will ban team orders from next season, said Ferrari had treated the sport as if it was their own private playground. F1 rule changes explained "The English, the Germans and Italians were ranting. They were super upset. People don't like being made fools of. What Ferrari were saying, really, was, 'We can do what we like'.
"People started to think F1 was boring because the same team was winning. Not only that, they (Ferrari) were taking the mickey," Ecclestone told the News of the World.
Max Mosley -- the president of the sport's governing body, the FIA -- said: "It was insulting to the public and their reaction was the same as mine."
Ferrari imposed team orders on several occasions in 2002 to help Schumacher to the championship, even though they were dominating the season. Most notorious was the Austrian Grand Prix, when Barrichello was ordered to hand the win to the German on the run to the finish line. The Ferrari drivers were booed on the podium at that race and the team were fined $1m for the incident. The drivers were prevented from racing for at least part of the race on several other occasions as well -- at the European, Hungarian, Italian and US Grands Prix.
Schumacher outraged fans again at the US race when he inadvertently handed the win to Barrichello while trying to orchestrate a formation finish.
F1 boss debates rule changes Ferrari have always refused to apologise for their use of team orders and say they can do what they like to ensure they win the title.

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