Barton to take up coaching as ban expires
FLEETWOOD, ENGLAND — Joey Barton, who once stabbed a teammate in the eye with a lit cigar and also served a jail sentence for assault, will take up his first coaching job in June once his suspension for breaking betting rules has expired.
The 35-year-old Barton was hired as the new coach of thirdtier team Fleetwood on a threeyear deal on Wednesday.
Barton will bring “experience and profile” to Fleetwood, said club chair Andy Pilley, who believes the former midfielder “has the potential to become one of the best in the new generation of coaches.”
Barton started his career at Manchester City and went on to play for Newcastle, Queens Park Rangers, French side Marseille, Glasgow club Rangers and Burnley. At Burnley he was banned for 18 months for placing 1,260 bets on soccer over the last 11 years, including games he played in.
That ban expires on June 2. In an incident-filled career, Barton was fined six weeks’ wages by City for stubbing a lit cigar in the eye of teammate Jamie Tandy during the club’s Christmas party in 2004, and was jailed for six months in 2008 after admitting to common assault and affray.
A year earlier, he was charged with assault and received a fourmonth suspended jail sentence after a training-ground altercation with Ousmane Dabo at City that left his teammate needing hospital treatment.
Barton was handed a 12-game ban by the Football Association for that incident, and again in 2012 for various incidents of foul play while playing for Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the Premier League season at City.
His 18-month ban for betting virtually ended his playing career.
“My first job in management was always going to be a big decision for me,” Barton said, “and I’m delighted with the opportunity ahead, I’m joining a club with big ambitions.”
FIFA council member arrested
KINSHASA, CONGO — FIFA council member Constant Omari has been arrested on suspicion of corruption in his home country of Congo and questioned for alleged involvement in embezzling money.
Omari, who is also a vice-president of the Confederation of African Football, was arrested on Tuesday on the orders of Luzolo Bambi, Congo President Joseph Kabila’s special adviser on corruption.
Omari, the president of the Congo soccer federation, was arrested along with two other federation officials and a government sports ministry official. They were still being detained Wednesday at the public prosecutor’s office.
The four were being questioned on suspicion of embezzlement of money given to the federation by the government to fund the Congo national team and various Congolese clubs playing in competitions across Africa, according to a statement from Bambi’s office.