The Friday Five at Five (3) - News stories from the world of football

   If UEFA overturn the red card Darren Fletcher received against Arsenal in Tuesday night’s Champions League semi-final, it will be setting a troubling precedent. Fletcher would not be the only footballer to feel aggrieved for a wrongful dismissal this week. Barcelona full back Eric Abidal was also sent from the field in more than questionable circumstances. In fact, he didn’t even touch Nicolas Anelka to receive his marching orders. Like Fletcher he will miss the final in Rome.

  There appears to be no movement from the Catalan club to see his card rescinded, and rightly so. Any decision made by a referee during the game, whether rightly or wrongly, is tacitly sanctioned by the governing body UEFA, unless it falls within their remit to overturn. In neither case, UEFA’s ruling, limiting the appeal against red and yellow cards for mistaken identity only, can be remotely tested. 

  With the final being held just a few miles from the famous Roman Coliseum, by overturning Fletcher’s red card, they are quite fittingly throwing their officials to the lions.

 Gone for a Barton

Whatever future Joey Barton has in football, it will most certainly not be with Newcastle United. He will be sitting out the last three games of the season because he is a prat. Actually that is not entirely true. He is sitting out the games because he is suspended, for a vicious and needless challenge on Liverpool’s Xavi Alonso; but in essence it is because he is a prat.

  No stranger to seeing red in more ways than one, Barton has a charge sheet as long as Peter Crouch. He is quite possibly, the most reviled man in football. That he still remains in football leading a millionaire’s lifestyle, is quite extraordinary. Alan Shearer, the stand in Newcastle boss, has suspended the player from the club, which is commendable.

  Barton might not be totally out of luck though. The man who brought him to Saint James’ Park, Sam Allardyce looks to be interested in taking him to his new club Blackburn. The Rovers boss clearly sees something in the player, what he sees in the man, is open for debate.

 A fiery end to Corinthians' season

 If you thought your team’s chances of holding up a trophy had gone up in flames this season, spare a thought for Ronaldo (the fat one) and his Corinthians side. After a 4-2 win over rivals Santos, the Brazillian side were awarded the Paulista Championship trophy and the stadium burst into jubilation as confetti rained down on the victors and fireworks shot into the sky. As the team celebrated the fireworks and confetti combined beautifully to create a fireball within the trophy itself. In a frantic few seconds of confusion, amusement and panic, the fire was put out and the party continued. Ronaldo had dashed to find some quarter pounders to toss into the inferno but his dream of trophy flamed burgers was disappointingly, not to be.

 Blues to let Alec off the Leish?

After successfully bouncing back up to the Premiership on Sunday, Birmingham City manager Alex McLeish was being blown kisses from his Managing Director Karren Brady. These could turn out to be the kiss of death on the Scotsman who has been at loggerheads with his employers who feel that despite his promotion, the team have been ‘less than the sum of their parts’. McLeish fended off any talk of his future at the time, opting to enjoy the club’s success but the question marks over his continued tenure remain. Spend to survive – is his current take on the Midlanders return to the top flight and he is right. If joint chairman David Gold and David Sullivan do not open their cheque books and sign enough quality, Birmingham will undoubtedly struggle as their neighbours West Bromwich Albion demonstrated this season. If the right budget is not available to McLeish he would be wiser to walk away from St Andrews. He has achieved promotion, as asked by his chairmen, at the first time of asking. He owes them nothing. Should he walk away and the Blues be relegated again in 12 months time, ‘I told you so’ will never be said so smugly.

A Coyle-ed spring not Brown and out