"Danko Lazovic insults everybody"

Tuesday 24 February 2009

From a simple hand in the air, through cradling a baby to displaying their muscles: cheers of players who have scored a goal have changed dramatically over the years.

Brazilian Bebeto was the first who would pretend to cradle his newborn baby after he had scored.

Roger Milla of Cameroon introduced the frivolous dance steps around the corner flag and in Holland Ajax players Andy Van der Meyde and Mido staged an entire play after they had scored against AZ Alkmaar in October 2002.

These are all innocent although sometimes perhaps rather irritating expressions of joy, as were the typical thumbs pointing at the number on his back by Mateja Kezman.

His fellow countryman Danko Lazovic added a new variant last Saturday.

After he had scored the winning goal in the 93rd minute of the game against FC Groningen with an aggressive look on his face he showed his muscles to the technical staff and the crowd.

"The whole world is against me. In newspapers and talkshows on TV I'm burned down to the ground. This was my answer. Nothing can bring Danko down," was his explanation of his - again - odd behavior.

When he said the Serb had come to his senses again.

Off the pitch he's a nice bloke, but on it he's a ticking time bomb ready to go off any moment, especially when he feels he is being treated unfairly.

Bu he feels that way rather quick, especially when the coach doesn't start him.

Huub Stevens knows all about it.

Everyone still vividly remembers his outburst when he scored against Ajax, shouting at his coach (in Serbian) that he would 'fuck his mother'.

Lazovic was fined for it.

Sports psychologist Hardy Menkehorst doubts the effect of such a penalty.

"A club draws the line. Emotions are part of football, the club culture determines what is acceptable and what isn't," says Menkehorst.

"PSV are known as a warm provincial club, where you do not expect the behavior as shown by Lazovic. To suppress unwanted behavior with money rarely helps. It's better to first set the standards, then add the values and then clearly draw the line. One should attempt to divert bad behavior."

Basketball coach Ton Boot has little faith in that soft approach.

"I have totally had it with Lazovic. A bad apple. Wrap it up and cast it out. He annoyed me even at the end of last season. After a goal he would pull up his shirt and show a shirt with some devout referral to god. With someone who does about everything that that god says you shouldn't it's a bit over the top. With his behavior he insults everybody. I have worked abroad as a coach. There you are the one you should adapt."

"Adapting is not in his dictionary and that is the ultimate sin for a sportsman. He should go out on his own and run the marathon. If I were the coach of PSV he would be sent away. He disturbs the group process. It will be good for the quality of the squad and thus for the club as a whole when you show him the door."

Boot has spotted an increasing fading of values within sports and he is surprised that so few take offense.

"Do we have any self respect?" he wonders.

"We consider everything to be normal. Where will it end? With murder?"

"I was a bit disappointed in Mario Been last week. He had a clear chance to make a statement after a fan threw a cigarette lighter at the referee during NEC-HSV. In stead he talked down the incident.’’

PSV coach Dwight Lodeweges stood up for his player on Saturday, but he added that he had not yet seen the TV footage: "Danko is emotional. He is from another culture. He doesn't mean it in a bad way."

Menkehorst does not agree: "Lazovic indeed seems to be an emotional person, but that says very little about the culture he comes from. There are many Serbian players. Do they all act like him? No. It's his individual way of dealing with emotions. It has nothing to with his background."