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By Nick Mulvenney

SYDNEY, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Dutchman Edwin Lugt quit as chief executive of Australia’s soccer champions Sydney FC on Tuesday, eight days before the start of the club’s Asian Champions League campaign.

Lugt, who joined the A League club in September 2009 after running the Dutch second division for several years, will stay on until the end of the ACL campaign in May, according to a statement on the team’s website (www.sydneyfc.com).

“I have thoroughly enjoyed continuing building the foundations of our club, in particular by further strengthening the relationship with our fans as well as with the wider community including grassroots football,” Lugt was quoted as saying. “Without fans there is no football club.

“I am happy that I have been able to make a contribution to this process during the last 18 months but it is now time to move on.”

Local media reports said Lugt had become increasingly frustrated after being sidelined by vice-chairman Scott Barlow, the son-in-law of Russian owner David Traktovenko.

“On behalf of the board I would like to thank Edwin for the contribution he has made to Sydney FC during his time at our club and wish him all the best for the future,” Barlow said.

The club, once considered the glamour team of the A league, suffered a terrible season as champions, finishing ninth out of 11 teams this term, and playing in front of dwindling crowds of under 10,000 at their 45,500-seater ground.

Sydney face South Korea’s Suwon Bluewings in their opening ACL Group H match at Sydney Football Stadium on March 2.

(Editing by Ossian Shine) (For the sports blog Left Field go to: http://blogs.reuters.com/sport))

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Labels: Chief, executive, quits, Reuters, Sydney

From Australian football to rugby for Italy ... Kris Burton. Photo: Getty Images

AUSTRALIAN-born Italy five-eighth Kris Burton has set his sights on a place in the Azzurri World Cup squad for this year's tournament in New Zealand after forcing his way back into reckoning for the first team.

With fellow Australian Craig Gower on the treatment table, Burton earned a call-up to Italy's Six Nations squad for their first two games, against Ireland on Saturday and England next weekend.

With just four caps for Italy since switching allegiance seven years ago, Burton is determined not to let his goal slip through his fingers this time, four years after his hopes of representing the Azzurri in the 2007 World Cup in France were dashed. ''It's important to me because it's my objective,'' he said of the World Cup.

''My primary objective is to play well for my club, and only from there can you be selected for the national team. So for me, after missing out on the 2007 World Cup from being in the 40-man squad and dropping out a few weeks before, I've always had in my mind that I'd do everything I could to get to this World Cup.

''At the end of the day, I can only play as hard as I can. If I get selected, I get selected. It's not something I can say I'm going to be there, because other players can play better than you, you can't control that. I can only control how I'm playing, and hopefully I can be there.''

Burton's route to being on the verge of making his Six Nations debut for Italy has been a peculiar one. He played Australian football in Brisbane from four before taking up rugby nine years later.

''I've been kicking a football since I was four but it's a bit different to Italy where they kick a soccer ball around,'' he said. ''I played Aussie rules until I was 13, and actually played rugby union and AFL in the same year, one day training one and one day training the other.

''Then I chose to stay with union because I was at a private school so you had to pick one sport to play … It was the first time I'd played rugby union, and I thought I'd give it a go, and from there I got better.''

Burton qualified to play for Italy through his mother's antecedents, and decided to move to her homeland when he failed to make the grade at the Queensland Reds.

''I was originally with the Queensland squad but didn't get selected for the Super 12 the following year,'' he said. ''So my mother said, 'I have an Italian passport,' so I could go and play in Italy if I'd like to have another experience, playing a different type of rugby, the European game, so we decided to come to Italy.''

Now he is on the brink of making his Six Nations bow as Italy strive to improve on their previous showings. They have finished last in eight out of 11 participations.

AFP

Labels: Burton, Herald, hopes, Italy, Morning, Nations, passport, performance, Sydney