Saudis fired up, just not in the right place
June 19 – Russia’s aviation watchdog Rosaviatsya is investigating an incident on a plane that was carrying the Saudi team to a World Cup game in Rostov-on-Don on Monday.
Author: Paul Nicholson
FIFA in the spotlight as defiant beoutQ pirates World Cup signals from NBC and beIN
By Paul Nicholson
June 18 – The pictures flashed around the world of FIFA president Gianni Infantino sitting majestically between his two new best friends, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia on his right and Valdimir Putin on his left at the opening match of the 2018 World Cup, will have left FIFA’s high paying rightsholders wondering if there is another game in play that they are not part of.
Lightning strike: Mexican joy as Germany lose opening match of their World Cup defence
By Andrew Warshaw in Moscow
June 18 – Somehow Germany always manage to get the job done. Not this time. In the biggest shock so far at the World Cup, the defending champions lost their opening game for only the second time in their history after Mexico pulled off an historic 1-0 win in Moscow – their first ever win over the Germans.
From Russia with Love: Paddy Power promo pays out on hosts goals to LGBT community
June 18 – Russia’s 5-0 opening win over Saudi Arabia has resulted in an immediate £50,000 win for the LGBT community as a Paddy Power marketing gimmick looks set to cost the bookmaker a lot more than they expected.
Inter Milan build on their Chinese connections with Monalisa addition
June 18 – The work Internazionale have been doing in China is paying off with the country’s Monalisa Group having signed a partnership with the club.
Iranian women take to World Cup stage to protest stadium their ban at home
By Samindra Kunti in St Petersburg
June 17 – Iranian women, who have been banned from attending football in the Islamic state since 1980, have protested at Iran’s World Cup opening game against Morocco, seizing the exposure the world’s biggest sporting event, the World Cup, offers.
Defining moments: Ronaldo hat-trick leaves Messi out in the Icelandic cold
By Andrew Warshaw in Moscow
June 17 – A freekick that will be talked about for years to come followed, 24 hours later, by a penalty miss that was equally, in its own way, memorable if only for the context involved.
Italian ‘disruption’: Serie A sell 114-game live package to Perform’s DAZN
By Paul Nicholson
June 18 – The controversial on-off sale of Italy’s Serie A TV rights have taken a new technology turn with Perform’s streaming service DAZN picking up a package of 114 matches a season in a three-year deal.
Finally! Iran end eight years of World Cup disappointment for Asia
By David Owen
June 16 – Iran ended eight years of Asian hurt at the World Cup finals in St Petersburg on Friday, cashing in on Aziz Bouhaddouz’s stoppage time own goal to record a hard-fought 1-0 win over Morocco.
Icelandic warriors warm World Cup hearts before biggest fight of their lives
By Andrew Warshaw in Moscow
June 15 – They’re back. And before they’ve even kicked a ball, everyone has fallen in love with them – again. Two years after making the quarterfinal at Euro 2016, guess what were Icelandic head coach Heimir Hallgrimsson’s first words at his media conference on the eve of the country’s World Cup debut against mighty Argentina.
Ronaldo settles tax fraud case with £16.4m fine and 2-year suspended jail sentence
June 15 – On the day Portugal opened their World Cup campaign in Russia against Spain, their superstar player Cristiano Ronaldo has accepted a suspended prison sentence to settle his tax fraud case, and agreed to pay £16.4 million to the Spanish tax authorities.
Palestine’s Rajoub comes under FIFA fire over Messi shirt burning call
By Andrew Warshaw in Moscow
June 15 – Palestinian football has suffered a second off-the-field blow in a matter of days after FIFA announced it is taking disciplinary action against Jibril Rajoub (pictured), the federation’s tub-thumping leader, for threatening Lionel Messi.
Adidas off to dream start in Russia 2018 Battle of the Brands
By David Owen
June 15 – It was a dream start for the host nation; but Thursday’s 5-0 thrashing of Saudi Arabia in the opening match of Russia 2018 was also the perfect entrance for sports equipment group Adidas at the 21st FIFA World Cup.
Matchfixing: Skenderbeu lose first round of CAS appeal to have European ban stayed
By Paul Nicholson
June 15 – Albanian club KS Skenderbeu has failed in its bid at CAS to have its ban from European competition stayed. The club is appealing a 10-year European ban and €1 million fine imposed by UEFA for matchfixing.
Bookmaker William Hill opens up US club sponsorship with Las Vegas Lights deal
June 15 – With the US having opened up the market for legal sports betting nationwide, it now looks set to embrace another of Europe’s football phenomena, the growth of the football betting sponsorship dollar.