THE FORMER Republic of Ireland striker and coach of US Major League side New England Revolution Frank Stapleton, has become embroiled in a dispute with the American defender Alexi Lalas.
Stapleton signed Lalas from Italian club Padova at the start of the season but dropped him from the team and questioned his commitment after he opted to play in the Olympics.
Lalas remained on the bench throughout last night's 4-0 defeat by MetroStars in New Jersey and later stormed. "This is a joke today has been a difficult day to say the least."
The World Cup star added. "The audacity of someone to question my commitment to the New England Revolution boggles my mind."
The pair first fell out when Stapleton sold Lalas's former Padova team mate, the Italian Giuseppe Galderisi, to Tampa Bay Mutiny.
Lalas is particularly angry at the timing of being dropped just three days after the Major League transfer deadline. "Two days ago I was too important to be traded now I'm not start.
. This season's English Premiership runners up could have Champions' League consolation after UFFA yesterday decided to go ahead with controversial plans to expand their flagship competition. They are expanding the League from 16 clubs to 24 from the 1997-98 season, and England is one of the associations given an invitation to submit a second team.
They will have to take part in a pro-qualifying match next August for the right to take their place in the lucrative round robin League games.
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