Sidelines

○…Allan Shearer (32-year-old, Newcastle, see the picture), the first player to score unprecedented 200 goals in Premier League history, expressed a negative opinion on possible championship of England in World Cup 2000. He said in an interview with an UK weekly on April 26, `Even though good signs are there for winning the championship such as good teamwork of the best players Beckham and Owen, the players are still too young and inexperienced, and the team spirit is not in top condition.` (AFP-Yonhap, London)

○…Team leader of England, David Beckham (26-year-old, belonging to Manchester United, see the picture), is stirring daily attention outside of the ground. According to the Sun, a daily newspaper of the U.K., Beckham, who will be the first male cover model of world-wide renown women fashion periodical `Marie Claire` in April edition, is most likely transform to a title-role character of `Go Go Beckham`, a computer game to be marketed in August, In the game, Beckham will appear as a warrior who defeats with free-kicks the monsters stealing soccer balls as they hate soccer. (AP-Yonhap, London)

○…Paolo Maldini (AC Milan), a veteran defense player of the Italian National Team, decided to quit from the national team after World Cup 2002. Maldini who has a record of the most frequent appearance of A-match games (121 times), said, `This is the last activity in the national team, and I will not participate in Euro 2004,` but added, `but, I will be active for the remaining contract period (two years) with AC Milan.` Maldini will do his share of Italian defense line with Nesta (Rachio) and Pabio Canabaro (Parma) in the coming World Cup final. (AFP-Yonhap, Millano)

○…G&B World Inc. (CEO Shim In-Hong), which operates the exhibition and sales center of World Cup official goods, will conduct `Special Seminar on World Cup Marketing of 16 Strong Teams` for related enterprises including FIFA licensed companies in SBS Academy located in Samsung-Dong, Kangnam-Gu, Seoul, at 3 P.M. on May 3.

Advertisement Consultant Hwang Ju-Seong (47-year-old) will present advertisement strategy and marketing sales concept postulation, and products sales increase method in relation to the World Cup at the seminar where World Cup marketing personnel of each enterprise might attend. Call 02-562-0550 for further information.

○… Yendo Yashiki Secretary General of the Japanese World Cup Organizing Committee expressed satisfaction on April 25, saying, `The preparation for the games is going well in general.` The secretary general forecasted, `Revenue in dollar terms will increase more than expected, ` even though he admitted unstable elements such as difficulties of getting revenue on overseas sales of tickets and unsatisfactory contribution record.

Jong-Koo Yang yjongk@donga.com