WEST HAM DEAL JUST THE START?

Byline: SCOTT FRENCH SOCCER

It seemed the coup of the summer when it came down Thursday, at the close of FIFA's transfer window. Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano, Argentine stars targeted by Europe's biggest and richest clubs, were coming to London lightweights West Ham United.

This, it turns out, was more riddle-inside-a-mystery-wrapped-in-an-enigma territory, part of a huge intrigue involving shadowy Russian (and Georgian and Iranian) oligarchs that has European soccer officials concerned (but apparently powerless), FIFA promising new club-ownership rules, and Hammers fans praying their club can follow the path paved across town by Chelsea.

Tevez, South America's premier striker the past half-decade, and Mascherano, a defensive midfielder, are huge additions for West Ham, which has never won an English Premier League title and two seasons ago was playing second-division soccer. Both are 22, featured prominently in Argentina's World Cup campaign, and arrived in England following tumultuous spells with Brazilian club Corinthians.

All speculation had Chelsea or Manchester United swooping in to claim them, and West Ham chairman Terence Brown called their arrivals ``a momentous day'' for the club and ``without a doubt the biggest deal in our history.''

It appears to be much more: the opening salvo in a secretive takeover of the club by an Iranian-born businessman who has been linked to Russian billionaires Roman Abramovich, who has made Chelsea the world's richest club, and Boris Berezovsky, Russian President Vladimir Putin's chief rival.

The primary figure is Kia Joorabchian, who started the Media Sports Investment two years ago to take charge of Corinthians, a lucrative investment that has benefited both parties. MSI owns Tevez's and Mascherano's contracts, and their move appears to be the first step in the consortium's purchase of West Ham.

Berezovsky, Abramovich and Georgian billionaire Badri Patarkatsishvili have been identified as MSI investors, but Joorabchian denies their involvement and says he's not interested in purchasing West Ham.

West Ham officials have said otherwise, confirming Friday in a statement to the London Stock Exchange that they have held ``exploratory'' talks with Joorabchian and MSI about a potential bid.

Joorabchian, 35, fronted a group that last year made a failed $135 million offer for West Ham, but he resigned from MSI in June, following his father's death, and says his focus at the moment is on his family's affairs. Patarkatsishvili, 50, who has close ties to Joorabchian and Berezovsky, also is thought to be a key player in the negotiations.

UEFA expressed alarm over the murky details of the Argentine duo's move, and FIFA says it will clamp down on anonymous investors, a move toward better ``transparency.'' Hammers fans, meanwhile, look at Chelsea's success since Abramovich began sinking millions into the club and wonder if that could be them in a year or two. Tevez and Mascherano seem a solid first step.

`Slave' Makelele isn't finished yet

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho caused a firestorm of sorts by declaring that Claude Makelele, the influential holding midfielder so vital to France's run to the World Cup final, is little more than a slave.

Makelele on the day after Les Bleus' title-game loss to Italy informed the French federation he was finished with international soccer, but Raymond Domenech would have none of that. The France coach called up Makelele for the first two Euro 2008 qualifiers -- Saturday's 3-0 victory at Georgia and Wednesday's showdown with Italy at Saint-Denis -- and threatened to invoke a FIFA rule, which would have prevented Chelsea from using the midfielder, if he failed to show. ``Pavel Nedved, Paul Scholes, Luis Figo have all retired from international football,'' Mourinho said. ``With the Czechs, England and Portugal, it is OK, but France? They don't have liberty. ... Makelele isn't a footballer, he's a slave.''

The comment, made to Sky Sports, spurred sharp criticism from France defender Lilian Thuram, who has postponed his international retirement, and led FIFA to declare that players may retire from national teams and continue to play for their clubs. Makelele, 33, dutifully joined France's camp, noting that ``playing for France means a lot to me,'' and suffered an ankle injury against Georgia that might keep him on the sidelines Wednesday. Mourinho says he'll seek a resolution after the midfielder returns to London.

Gallas on his own

Mourinho has had enough of the French, certainly. After absorbing massive criticism for sending defender William Gallas, arguably the best defender in the English Premier League, to Arsenal for defender Ashley Cole and $9.5 million, Mourinho lashed out at the French star. Chelsea, in a statement, declared that Gallas, one of the World Cup's breakout stars, threatened to ``score an own goal or get himself sent off, or make deliberate mistakes.''

An unbeaten failure

No U.S. women's team had finished worse than third in a major world championship before Tim Schulz's under-20 team, featuring six players from UCLA and USC and Thousand Oaks High grad Kelsey Davis, sputtered to fourth at the FIFA U-20 World Championship in Russia.

The Americans, officially, were unbeaten, but they fell on penalty kicks after scoreless draws with China in the semifinals and Brazil in the third-place game. The U.S. was the better team in both games, for what it's worth, but the final result, Schulz acknowledged, ``disappointed.''

``I have two jobs,'' he said. ``One is to win a world championship, but the other is to produce players for the senior (national) team. I think several of the players are ready for that jump and that step.''

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 2 boxes

Photo:

(1) Argentine forward Carlos Tevez's move from Brazil's Corinthians to England's West Ham United has sparked controversy.

Johannes Eisele/AFP/Getty Images

(2) Brittany Bock is inconsolable after the Americans fall to China.

Box:

(1) TOP TRANSFERS

(2) Etc.