Barcelona football fans could face 15 years in prison, $135K fine in UAE over Qatar sponsorship

Barcelona football fans could face 15yrs in prison, $135K fine in UAE over Qatar sponsorship:

In 2011, Barcelona FC signed a historic deal with Qatar Sports Investment to put a sponsor’s logo on their shirts for the first time in 111 years. Now, however, the club’s Emirati fans could face jail time and large fines for wearing Barca jerseys.
While the football club’s sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways ends June 30 – with Japanese e-commerce company Rakuten occupying the coveted spot during the 2017-18 season – the increasing tensions in the Gulf region have inflicted substantial collateral damage.

Read moreBarcelona football fans could face 15 years in prison, $135K fine in UAE over Qatar sponsorship

UK Soccer Players Abandon Pound, Demand Payment In Euros

UK Soccer Players Abandon Pound, Demand Payment In Euros:

Leading English Premier League football (soccer) stars are demanding to be paid in euros because of the weak value of the Pound, according to Manchester United, the wealthiest club in world football.

As The FT reports, speaking at the KPMG Football Benchmark event in London on Wednesday. Cliff Baty, the English Premier League side’s chief financial officer said that last summer’s Brexit vote, which led to a sharp drop in the pound against the euro, had complicated the transfers of big-name players.

Read moreUK Soccer Players Abandon Pound, Demand Payment In Euros

Germany: Three Explosions Occur Near Borussia Dortmund’s Team Bus, One Player Injured

Three Explosions Occur Near German Soccer Team Bus, One Player Injured:

Update: German Police provide more details and confirm Marc Batra is “ok” but in a state of shock:

  • *POLICE: THREE EXPLOSIONS OCCURRED NEAR GERMAN SOCCER TEAM BUS

The incident reportedly took place around six miles away from the Westfalenstadion in Hochsten, as the team left their hotel. Bild also report a device was planted on the street, which exploded and shattered windows on the bus.

Read moreGermany: Three Explosions Occur Near Borussia Dortmund’s Team Bus, One Player Injured

Real Madrid soccer team removes cross from logo to avoid offending Muslims

Real Madrid soccer team removes cross from logo to avoid offending Muslims:

“We have to be careful with regions of the Gulf where there is sensitivity about products that have a cross.”

Of course. But where do Muslims ever display a similar sensitivity to non-Muslims? The old adage always holds: when in Muslim countries, conform your behavior to suit Muslim sensibilities. When in non-Muslim countries, conform your behavior to suit Muslim sensibilities.

Real Madrid initially did this in 2012. This is just follow-through.

“Real Madrid remove cross from logo for Middle East fans,” as.com, January 24, 2017:

Read moreReal Madrid soccer team removes cross from logo to avoid offending Muslims

Euro 2016: Russia handed €150k fine, may be disqualified if more fan violence

Euro 2016: Russia handed €150k fine, may be disqualified if more fan violence:

The Russian Football Union has been officially warned by UEFA that the national team will be expelled from Euro 2016 if Russian fans are involved in more violent episodes. In addition, the federation has been fined €150,000 ($168,000).

The fine follows the clashes between Russian and English football fans in Marseille, southern France, the UEFA press service said in a press-release. The violence took place in the run-up to and immediately after the game between the two national teams on Saturday, which ended in a 1-1 draw.

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Battle of Marseille: Violent fans hurl missiles, clash with police ahead of Russia-England match

Battle of Marseille - Violent fans hurl missiles, clash with police ahead of Russia-England match

Battle of Marseille: Violent fans hurl missiles, clash with police ahead of Russia-England match:

Violence has marred the lead up to Group B opener between England and Russia in the French city of Marseille, with both sets of supporters conducting violent running battles.

Soccer fans clashed with police in Marseille for the second time in two days, ahead of the group’s opening Euro 2016 fixture, while gangs of Russian and English supporters have also doled out violence on each other.

Early reports suggest at least five people have been injured, with police telling BFMTV that one person is in a serious condition following brawls involving around 500 supporters.

One England fan is reportedly in critical condition after sustaining a serious head wound.

Read moreBattle of Marseille: Violent fans hurl missiles, clash with police ahead of Russia-England match

China’s Most Innovative Capital Outflow Yet: Buying Legendary Italian Football Club AC Milan

China’s Most Innovative Capital Outflow Yet: Buying Legendary Italian Football Club AC Milan:

Today, we find the latest, and perhaps most innovative attempt to circumvent capital controls yet when a group of Chinese investors has offered to buy AC Milan football club, one of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi’s most cherished assets. The offer values the club at around 700 million euros including debt, one of the sources said.

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US Lynches World Soccer to Harm Russia

sepp blatter world cup 2018

US Lynches World Soccer to Harm Russia:

But actions of this new global soccer police force from a country whose league is a total farce could backfire

Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter are set to launch appeals against their bans from soccer. Platini did so on Monday January 11th to FIFA’s (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) appeals committee and Blatter is expected to follow suit.

Platini is regarded as one of the greatest footballers of all time, coming sixth in the FIFA Player of the Century vote and served as president of the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) from 2007 until 2015; Blatter has been FIFA president for 17 years.

Read moreUS Lynches World Soccer to Harm Russia

Germany Caught In FIFA Bribery Scandal After Report 2006 World Cup Was Bought

beckenbauer-niersbach

Germany Caught In FIFA Bribery Scandal After Report 2006 World Cup Was Bought:

With FIFA executive heads falling faster than Glencore stock (with Blatter and Platini most recently and today the entire Kuwait FA), it appeared we had reached some kind of peak debacle.. but no! German newspaper Der Spiegel reports that the German bidding committee created a slush fund in its effort to garner votes from Asian FIFA officials, land the rights to host the 2006 World Cup (which they did by 12 votes to 11).

As Der Spiegel reports,

Read moreGermany Caught In FIFA Bribery Scandal After Report 2006 World Cup Was Bought

Putin Slams US Over FIFA Arrests: “Another Blatant Attempt By The US To Meddle Outside Its Jurisdiction”

Putin Slams US Over FIFA Arrests: “Another Blatant Attempt By The US To Meddle Outside Its Jurisdiction” (ZeroHedge, May 28, 2015):

Following yesterday’s surprise DOJ indictment in which 14 FIFA affiliates were perp-walked out of Zurich’s swankiest hotel just days ahead of Sepp Blatter’s re-election, one person was quite displeased with this latest US intervention on the international arena: Russian president Vladimir Putin who accused the United States of meddling outside its jurisdiction by arresting officials from FIFA, further hinting that it was part of an attempt to take the 2018 World Cup away from his country.

FIFA “Rampant” Corruption Exposed Following DOJ Indictment, 14 Arrested In Swiss Hotel – FBI/DoJ Press Conference Live Feed

FIFA “Rampant” Corruption Exposed Following DOJ Indictment, 14 Arrested In Swiss Hotel – FBI/DoJ Press Conference Live Feed (ZeroHedge, May 27, 2015):

That FIFA has been a hotbed of corruption, shady backroom dealings and outright crime for years, has been known to anyone who has a passing interest in football. Which is why we were surprised to learn this morning that none other than the US Attorney General, seemingly content with all the wristslaps handed out to criminal US foreign banks (and subsequent SEC waivers) gave FIFA the red card in a charge detailing “rampant” corruption in international soccer hours after 14 officials were arrested on accusations of a 24-year scheme to enrich themselves through FIFA, whose office was searched in a series of dawn raids in Zurich.

Spot The Difference: Brazil’s World Cup Security Edition

Spot The Difference: Brazil’s World Cup Security Edition (ZeroHedge, may 17, 2014):

There are a few images that scream to mind when one thinks about Brazil – dazzling soccer footskills, illustrious dancing, and of course dark-skinned, scantily-clad females… but as The World Cup draws near for the soccer-savvy nation, there will be another image that will likely dominate the headlines

Left: Gratuitous “Brazil” soccer-playing bikini-wearing woman

Middle: World Cup secuirty “Protective Equipment” that will be worn by Brazil’s Major Events Police Battalion

Right: Robocop

Brazil's World Cup Security Edition

As The National Interest reports,

Members of a special unit set up for the tournament and the 2016 Olympics in Rio have been given 200 sets of the 22lb “RoboCop” protective equipment, which is flame resistant to up to 427C.

It includes a helmet and vest that protects the back, chest and shoulders, plastic shin pads, a pepper spray mask and a belt for a.40 calibre pistol, stun gun, handcuffs and baton.

Read moreSpot The Difference: Brazil’s World Cup Security Edition

US Senators Fail To Kick Russia Out Of The 2014 FIFA World Cup In Brazil

How stupid can they get?


General view of Mario Filho Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
General view of Mario Filho “Maracana” stadium in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Own goal: US senators fail to kick Russia out of 2014 World Cup (RT, April 3, 2014):

Football’s world governing body FIFA, has refused to kick Russia out of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, after two American senators said the country should be barred due to its actions in Ukraine.

Dan Coats and Mark Kirk wrote a letter to the organization based in Zurich in March asking for Russia’s membership to be suspended, and for the country to be barred from competing in this year’s World Cup in Brazil, as well as losing the right to host the event in four years’ time.

In a letter to the two senators, FIFA said participation in the World Cup is based on sporting merit and only a violation of FIFA statutes and regulations could lead to a suspension from a competition.

Coats, a Republican senator from Indiana, was deeply disappointed by the ruling, saying, “FIFA suggests that outrageous misbehavior by member states does not matter because such decisions are irrelevant to soccer.”

Read moreUS Senators Fail To Kick Russia Out Of The 2014 FIFA World Cup In Brazil