22:43 AEDST Thu 22 Nov 2001
Socceroos to get better security in Uruguay
Uruguay has apologised and pledged tougher security after the Socceroos were spat on, jostled and abused in a hostile start to their World Cup mission to Montevideo.
Coach Frank Farina, captain Paul Okon, midfielder Steve Corica and team leader Greg Woods were all spat on by a volatile crowd of up to 50 who were waiting at the airport in the Uruguayan capital.
All players were manhandled, one was punched and another kicked, as they ran the gauntlet from the airport to their team bus.
Kevin Muscat, who scored the penalty that beat Uruguay in the first leg in Melbourne on Tuesday, was also among players targeted with verbal abuse.
The predominantly male crowd, but including some women and girls as young as eight, also made offensive gestures at the Australians, including one-fingered salutes and cutting motions with their fingers across their necks.
After wiping spit from his face, Farina slammed the reception for his team as disappointing and uncivilised.
"It's not unexpected but it's a little bit disappointing," Farina told reporters.
"I think there was a ... lack of security on behalf of the Uruguayan federation."
"It will have to be reported - you can't have that happening, it's not civilised," Farina said.
The players were briefed not to react to the provocation, but were said to be "extremely concerned" for their safety.
So concerned were they that they left their equipment in the hands of gear stewards at the airport.
Soccer Australia protested to Uruguayan football officials and expressed concern about the safety of its players.
The ugly scenes even prompted action at a diplomatic level, with Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer voicing his concern to Uruguayan ambassador Pablo Sader, who expressed his regret.
Mr Sader said security had been stepped up at the team's hotel and would be upgraded at training sessions and the match itself.
"I was assured by police that they will guarantee the Socceroos are not molested again," Mr Sader told ABC radio.
An Australian Federal Police officer and Australian diplomats have also been sent to Montevideo from Argentina to ensure security is tightened, Mr Downer said.
An apologetic Mr Sader condemned the thuggish behaviour of some Uruguayan fans and said: "We have been playing international games like this for over a century and an episode like this one never happened before."
However the psychological war against the Socceroos appeared to start as soon as they touched down in Montevideo, with customs men making thorough searches of every second player's luggage and taking objection to minuscule specks of dirt on their boots.
"The boots were clean," said one member of the party.
The Australians had a police escort to their hotel, but even during that trip motorists sounded their horns and made offensive gestures to them.
©AAP 2001