Paul Nicholson, Author at Inside World Football - Page 1699 of 1897

Matt Scott: West Brom’s history of attritional shareholder war shows why one man is at peace

WBAfinishingposition

“The strongest of all warriors are these two – Time and Patience.” War and Peace, Leo Tolstoy

Threaded within a fabulously entertaining Napoleonic soap opera, Leo Tolstoy’s masterwork properly explores the human condition. In short, the greatest of all the Russians tells us, if you think you have any free will of your own you are very much mistaken.

Tolstoy conveys that we mortals are swept along by predetermined currents towards outcomes preordained.

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World Cup semi-final: NED vs ARG, match preview and stats

July 9 – As Brazil and the rest of the world comes to terms with the exit of the hosts, the Dutch and the Argentines face off to see who will meet Germany in the Maracana on Sunday. This match will be close but it might not be pretty. Will Messi’s genius overcome Van Gaal’s preparation.

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World Cup of contrasts: Brazil stunned as Costa Rica welcomes heroes home

Costa Rica celebrates

July 9 – Thousands of fans turned out to greet Costa Rica’s footballers when they arrived home after reaching the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in their history.

Morning after the Brazilian disaster finds a country in shock and a world open-mouthed

Brazil mourns

By Andrew Warshaw
July 9 – In this most extraordinary and unpredictable of World Cups, nothing even came close to the humiliation of brutal proportions that unfolded in Belo Horizonte. Anyone who has watched Brazil during the tournament knows that the squad, for all the expectations, was full of deficiencies, a far cry from the great Brazilian teams of the past.

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Nike end Man Utd kit deal as club target a £600m partner

ManUtd 2014 kit

By Mark Baber
July 9 – Nike has confirmed that they will not be bidding for the right to sponsor Manchester United kits. The 2014-15 kit, unveiled on Monday, will be the last made by Nike, bringing a 13-year relationship to an end.

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FIFA reports a doping-free World Cup from first 58 games

FIFA doping control

July 9 – All doping tests on players competing at the World Cup have proved negative, according to FIFA. Jiri Dvorak, FIFA’s chief medical officer, said both blood and urine samples from the first 58 games came back clean as did 777 out-of-competition tests conducted between March 1 and June 11.

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Business as usual as Match backs staff but cuts tickets to suspected touts

world cup tickets

By Andrew Warshaw
July 9 – Match Hospitality, part of the Byrom group that is one of FIFA’s key partners, is standing by its British director arrested as part of the investigation by Brazilian authorities into the illegal sale of World Cup tickets.

Africa

Nigerian football film festival tackles major social issues in its second edition

afff2013 01 screening

July 9 – The second African Football Film Festival (AFFF) takes place in Lagos, Nigeria, this weekend. Organised by PLAY!YA, the event mixes films and discussion of the social issues raised in the films, with interviews, games and music.

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David Owen: Brazil’s year of living dangerously and the death of jogo bonito

Brazil eye

July 8 – The last few weeks, with the tournament in full swing, have been a lot better. But I don’t think anyone could justifiably argue that Brazil’s first of three years in the global sporting spotlight has gone entirely to plan. Today in Belo Horizonte Brazilians must face up to the distinct possibility of more bad news: can their yellow-shirted warriors, shorn of their two best players, feasibly get the better of a typically well-drilled,

Massimo Cecchini

Massimo Cecchini: In Italy, time has stopped

Tempo fermo. L’orologio del calcio italiano non si è mosso da quel triste ultimo 24 giugno, quando l’uruguaiano Godin ha rispedito subito a casa la Nazionale azzurra, togliendola di scena dal Mondiale in Brasile. In realtà sembrava che tutto dovesse cambiare in fretta. Pochi minuti dopo il fischio finale il commissario tecnico Cesare Prandelli rassegnava le sue dimissioni “irrevocabili”, seguito nel giro di una manciata di secondi da quelle del presidente della Federcalcio, Giancarlo Abete.

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Net tightens in ticket sale scandal as Brazilian police swoop for further arrest

Match Hospitality

By Andrew Warshaw
July 8 – Brazilian police have arrested a British director of a FIFA partner company as the ongoing investigation into the illegal sale of World Cup tickets intensifies. Ray Whelan from Match Hospitality, a familiar face at recent World Cups, was detained at a Rio de Janeiro hotel where officials from the world’s football governing body were also staying.

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Money makes the boardrooms go round at English clubs

Boardroom cash

By Paul Nicholson
July 8 – English club ownership continues to attract investors though the anticipated sale of Premier League Aston Villa by its American owner Randy Lerner has faltered. Neighbouring Premier League club West Bromwich Albion has seen ownership control shift further to chairman Jeremy Peace, while mercurial sports entrepreneur Barry Hearn has sold his League 2 club Leyton Orient to Italian businessman Francesco Becchetti.

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9.15 Fair Play spray now poised to make its mark globally

vanishing spray

By Andrew Warshaw
July 8 – The man who devised the revolutionary vanishing spray that been used at the World Cup to keep defensive walls 10 yards (9.15 metres) from the ball at freekicks says he has no immediate interest in making money and just wants his invention to be taken up globally.

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Brazil v Germany: World Cup semi-final preview and match stats

July 8 – The first of two Europe vs South America giant clashes. In 20 meetings Brazil have won 12 times and Germany just four times. But Germany may not come across a better time to meet a Brazil team without their inspirational goalscorer Neymar out, and with their dominant captain Thaigo Silva suspended. Bring it on!

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Tributes pour in for football legend Alfredo Di Stefano, died aged 88

Alfred0 di Stefano

July 8 – Tributes are pouring in for Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano, who died on Monday after suffering a heart attack at the weekend 24 hours after his 88th birthday.