World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

“Sadtoseethatin2021,inFranceaswellasinEngland,for

some,Blackpeoplehaveneithernamesnordistinctfaces”

ChelseaandSenegalgoalkeeperEdouard Mendyrespondstomediaoutlets usinghispicture

instoriesaboutBenjaminMendy,whohasbeenaccusedandcharged withsixcounts of rape

lossofrevenue.TheEnglishFootballLeague
believes thatthepaymentsonlyworsenthe
disparitybetweenthe topflightandthe rest
ofthe football pyramid.
Whilethe reviewwaswarmlywelcomed
bymany,itdidhaveits critics,most notably
amongPremierLeagueboardmembers.
Steve Parish of CrystalPalacedescribed
theplansasa “hugeactofself-harm”,West
HamUnited vice-chairmanKarrenBrady
wrote in hercolumninTheSunthatCrouch
“isconfusingcompetitionwithfairness”,and
Aston VillachiefexecutiveChristianPurslow
claimedtherecommendationswouldrisk
“killingthegoldengoose”of thePremier
League.Leeds United’s chiefexecutive Angus
Kinneardrewplentyofireforcomparingthe
plansto“Maoist collectiveagriculturalism”.

ITALY

SerieA

transfersunder

investigation

ItaliangiantsJuventusareat theheartof
aninvestigationbyItalianauthorities into
potential financialirregularitiesregarding
transfers.Theinvestigationcentreson
plusvalenza(capitalgains),andofthe 6 2
dealsbeinglookedat, 42 involve theTurin
club.Transfers involvingNapoli,Sampdoria
andParmaarealsounderthe spotlight.

ENGLAND

Fanscouldhave

causeddeath

atWembley

A report into thedisorderatthe Euro 2 020
finalbetweenEnglandand Italyhasconcluded
that“ticketless,drunkenanddrugged-up
thugs”couldhavecauseddeathduring
thechaosatWembley.
BaronessCasey foundthatover2,
peopleaccessedthestadiumillegally due
largelyto 17 massbreachesofdisabledaccess
gates andfiredoors,while a further6,
peoplewouldhavestormed thegroundif
Englandhad wonthefinal.“We aregenuinely
luckythattherewasnot muchmoreserious
injuryorworse,” saidCasey.“Iamclearthat
theprimaryresponsibilityfor whatwent
wrongatWembley thatdaylieswith those
wholost controloftheirown behaviour.”

GLOBALFOOTBALLINTELLIGENCE

Struck down...

Marseille’s Payet

FPF

ThePortugueseFootballFederationcameunder

fireafter a leaguematchbetweenBelenenses

andBenfica descendedintocompletefarce.

Despite a COVIDoutbreakfor thehoststhat

forcedthemtofieldjustnineplayers,including

goalkeeperJoaoMonteiroin midfield,noFPF

decisionwas forthcomingona postponement.

After Benficahadtaken a 7-0half-timelead,

thematchwasabandonedinthesecondhalf

asinjuriesreducedBelenensestosixplayers.

MARKUSANFANG

TheGermanresignedfromhisroleasWerder

Bremencoachafterallegationsheuseda forged

coronavirusvaccinationcertificate.Inanofficial

statementreleasedbytheclub,Anfangsaid:

“Becauseofthe extremestresscausedtothe

club,theteam,myfamilyandmyself, Ihave

decidedtoimmediatelystepdownfrommyrole.”

MOHAMEDABOUTRIKA

KickItOutcondemnedQataribroadcasters

beINSportafterpunditAboutrika embarked

ona homophobictiradeaboutthe Premier

League’sRainbowLacescampaign,describing

homosexualityas“against humannature.”beIN

insisted in astatementthatthey“represent,

championandsupport people,causesand

interestsofeverysinglebackground,

languageandculturalheritage.”

LYONFANS

TheLigue1 clubhavebeenforcedtoinstall

protectivenetsaroundthestadiumafter

Marseille’sDimitriPayetwasstruckonthe

headbyhomefansinNovember, afterwhich

thegamewas abandoned.Lyoninstalledthe

nettingatthe GroupamaStadium“reluctantly”

inordertoprotectplayers.Payetwasalsoat

thecentre of apitchinvasionatNice,andhas

metwith fansofhisownclubtoremindthem

ofthe costsofthrowingprojectilesatplayers.

HEROES VILLAINS

TROMSOIL

Havingalreadytaken a leadingroleinthe

protestsagainst theQatar 2 02 2 WorldCup,

theNorwegianclubmadeanotherstatement

highlightingtheirhumanrightsconcernswith

theirlatest kitrelease.Designedincollaboration

withAmnestyInternational,the newshirtis the

first in theworldtofeature a QRcodethat,

whenscanned,willdirectuserstoa website

thatdetailstheworkingconditionsinQatar.

MalcolmBidali,a formermigrantworkerwho

wasarrestedin Qatar, helpedpromotetheshirt.

BRENTFORD

ThePremierLeagueclubhaveannouncedthat

theywillbe keepingthisseason’s homekitfor

anotheryear. Thepracticeofreleasingnew strips

every seasonhasbeenwidelycriticised,for

itsimpact on boththeenvironmentandfans’

pockets.“Fanshavetoldusthattheywould

beinfavourofthesavings,” saidclubCEOJon

Varney.ThehopeisthatBrentford’sdecision

willseta newtrendamongotherclubs.

SERBIA

AsiftheirdramaticlatewinagainstPortugal

wasn’theroicenough,Serbia’splayers then

donatedtheirentirewinbonustocharity. Before

thegame,Serbian presidentAleksandarVucic

promisedtheplayers€1miftheysecuredtheir

placeinQatar but,after AleksandarMitrovic’s

90th-minute winner, theplayerschoseinstead

tosendthe money to helptreatsickchildren.

LEAMRICHARDSON

TheWiganmanagerwaswidelypraisedfor

savingoneofhisplayers’livesafter performing

CPRduringtraining.After strikerCharlieWyke

sufferedacardiacarrest, Richardsonacted

quickly, allowingclubdoctorJonathanTobin

(whoalsohelpedresuscitate FabriceMuamba

in 2012 ) to fullyresuscitate the28-year-old.

After Euro 2 02 0,charityResuscitationCouncil

UKurgedpeopletolearn howtoperform CPR.

Campaigner...

MalcolmBidali

Credit:Twitter@TromsoIL