Pia Sundhage took control of the US women’s national team a couple of months ago. Towards the end of 2007 the Swede came up with an unusual way of introducing herself to her future players at a training camp in Carson, California. The keen guitar player and singer belted out a version of The Times They Are A-Changin’by rock legend Bob Dylan before addressing the bewildered players with the following words: “For those who don’t know me, my name is Pia.” Sundhage, a world-class player in her day, knows Dylan’s songs inside and out. This is common knowledge in Sweden, as is the fact that she likes to pick up a guitar. At the official closing banquet for the 1989 European Championship that was attended by the German, Norwegian, Swedish and Italian squads, she borrowed a guitar from the hired band and started an impromptu party with the players.

Senegal international Ibrahima Sonko of English Premier League club Reading did not enjoy the best of luck over Christmas, as the central defender gave away three penalties in four matches. The third and final one (in the game against Portsmouth) also earned him a red card. “The sending-off was correct,” said Sonko, who apologised to the players and fans for his poor run of form and will have been glad to join the national team for the Africa Cup of Nations in Ghana in January. By the way: Portsmouth midfielder Nico Kranjcar missed the penalty that Sonko conceded, but his team stil! went on to win the game 2-0.

Arie Haan is the new national coach of Albania, the 59-year-old Dutchman having put pen to paper on a two-year contract. Haan has been tasked with steering Albania through the qualifying campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. His most recent job was as national coach of Cameroon. The former international midfielder won two World Cup runners-up medals with the Netherlands (1974 and 1978).