Capital Balls FIFA football balls

A shirt worn by Portuguese footballer Luis Figo was auctioned for 100,000 euros in Romania in May. Gigi Becali, President of Romanian giants Steaua Bucharest, secured himself Figo’s shirt with the number 7 on the back before a charity match between a “Figo and friends” select team and a Romanian all-star XI. Other stars’ shirts were also auctioned. The shirts of former Romanian internationals Gheorghe Hagi and Gheorghe Popescu sold for 60,000 and 50,000 euros respectively, while tops worn by their compatriots Mircea Lucescu and Adrian Illie went for 30,000 and 22,000 euros. A respectable 10,000 and 9,000 euros were also raised through the sale of shirts worn by Portugal’s Rui Costa and Pauleta. The proceeds from the auction of 30 famous footballers’ shirts raised almost 500,000 euros and will be used to help children in need.

France’s former world-class midfielder Alain Giresse quit his post as coach of Gabon in May. The 56-year-old an¬nounced his immediate resignation following the 2-0 defeat to Cameroon, out of fear for his own safety. However, Giresse, coach of Gabon since March 2006, has reversed his decision. “The government persuaded me to stay,” he explained in an interview with a French newspaper. “Their strong sup¬port touched me and showed me that my work in Gabon is appreciated.” Giresse’s team will meet Libya, Ghana and Lesotho in the preliminary com¬petition for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.

On the same day that Kahn played his final match abroad, German goalkeeper Silke Rottenberg surprisingly announced her retirement from the national team. The 36-year-old cited increasing injury problems as the reason for her decision. Moreover, she did not want to be number two behind Nadine Angerer at the Olympic Football Tournament in Beijing. Angerer kept goal for Germany at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in China last year, when Germany won the title, and was in¬strumental in the team’s success. Rottenberg intends to continue playing for another year for 1. FFC Frankfurt, with whom she recently won the UEFA Cup. Afterwards, the sports soldier from the German army plans to bring down the curtain on her playing career. As a player, Rottenberg has won virtually all there is to win in wom¬en’s football. She tasted success in the European Championship three times (1997, 2001, 2005), the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ twice (2003, 2007) and also won a bronze medal twice at the Olympic Games (2000, 2004). Her most memorable performance came at the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ in 2003, when she drove defending champions and hosts USA to despair with some unbelievable saves during Germany’s 3-0 semi-final victory. That same year, Rottenberg was crowned the World’s Best Goalkeeper.