Rivaldo warns Turks not to seek revenge

Brazil's Rivaldo has warned Turkey not to seek revenge against him for play-acting in their stormy first-round clash when rivalries are renewed in World Cup semi-final.

He hit back by insisting Turkey had only made it as far as the last four because Brazil had defeated Costa Rica in their final group game.

The incident involving Rivaldo, which occurred towards the end of a controversial Group C encounter, has dominated the minds of several Turkey players in the build-up to the semi-final in Saitama.

When Hakan Unsal kicked the ball into Rivaldo's midriff in frustration just before a corner, the former World Player of the Year collapsed to the ground in feigned agony as he clutched his head.

That led to Unsal being sent off, joining Alpay on the sidelines as Brazil clinched victory with a debatable late penalty.

Alpay has been among those to warn Rivaldo, who received a fine and warning from Fifa amid general condemnation of his behaviour, to expect a team seeking revenge.

However, the Barcelona striker insisted: "It would be wrong if they are seeking revenge against me as, if it wasn't for Brazil, then they would not be in the semi-final.

"They needed us to beat Costa Rica for them to qualify from the group, and that is what we did."

If Brazil had drawn against Costa Rica then Turkey would have been unable to qualify for the knock-out stages, from which point they have beaten Japan and Senegal to reach the last four.

The incident nevertheless soured Rivaldo's reputation despite his obvious class and this game now presents him with a chance to redeem himself.

However, former Middlesbrough midfielder Juninho insisted: "He is a great player. I don't think any of us have anything to prove."