Bruiser Blair put Berlusconi in hospital say papers

[Kellanved]

LONDON - It's hardly the way to treat your host, but Britain's Tony Blair always plays to win.

The sports-loving prime minister tackled his Italian counterpart so hard in a "friendly" soccer game at their recent holiday get-together that Silvio Berlusconi needed hospital treatment for an injured knee, Sunday newspapers reported.

Berlusconi is still limping from the clash with Blair at a five-a-side game with aides on the lawn at the Italian's mansion in Sardinia earlier this month, they said.

But at least the right-wing Italian leader could see the funny side of his tough tackle by the centre-left Blair.

...
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3587712&thesection=news&thesubsection=world

Was this whole cuddling up with RW leaders just a ruse to get a kick out of it? I hope he has a matches scheduled with his other friends. .

[rooboy]

1. There was also a 5-a-side game played on the Whitehouse lawn...

John Kerry scored three goals, but this is disputed by several correspondents who weren't at the game. According to them, the president actually played a leading role in the victory, yet for some reason the video footage of the event has been lost.

[Kellanved]

2. I guess this is the reason:

http://www.spiegel.de/img/0,1020,381254,00.jpg


Where is Silvio's hand in this pic?