World Cup Archives - Page 92 of 170 - Inside World Football

‘No crisis, no changes’, but three 2014 stadia will miss end 2013 deadlines

World Cup draw

By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – With the eyes of the world on Friday’s World Cup draw, the last thing the Brazilian local organisers need is more negative publicity about preparations for the tournament. But FIFA has said that up to three of the 12 stadiums being used will not meet the end-of-year deadline for completion. Arena Pantanal in Cuiaba, Curitiba’s Arena da Baixada and Sao Paulo’s Arena Corinthians stadium – which is hosting the opening game and where two workmen were killed in a crane accident last month –

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Adidas kicks off a week of World Cup events with Brazuca launch in Rio

Brazuca launch

By Paul Nicholson
December 4 – Adidas officially launched the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil ball, the Brazuca, at Parque Lage in Rio de Janeiro last night. Normally launched alongside the World Cup draw, which takes place at a beach resort near Salvador this Friday, adidas chose to stay in Rio for its global launch and a spectacular 3-D light show.

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Qataris focus on building own football culture as Academy shows results

Ivan Bravo

By Paul Nicholson
December 4 – Put aside winter or summer 2022 and overseas players’ contracts and workers’ rights generally - big issues that have to be dealt with – what else is happening in Qatar? Is there actually any football being played or is that on hold until 2022?

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FIFPro keep pressure on Qatar to end ‘kafala’, but ITUC reports no progress

FIFPro

By Andrew Warshaw
December 2 – The international players’ union FIFPro has again urged Qatar’s World Cup organisers to abolish the kafala employment system for footballers in the wake of the Zahir Belounis case that made worldwide headlines following meetings with Qatar 2022 officials at the weekend with players’ contracts and rights at the top of the agenda.

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Belounis says club ‘blackmailed’ him and this ‘is not finished’

Zahir Belounis with mother

By Andrew Warshaw
November 29 – Zahir Belounis, the French-Algerian footballer who has returned home after finally securing his exit permit to leave Qatar courtesy of a wave of international support, says he has nothing against the country itself but everything against the club that hired him.

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Exclusive: ‘Freed’ Belounis returns home but Qataris refuse to settle his wages

zahir belounis 2

By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
November 28 – Zahir Belounis, the French-Algerian footballer finally granted his exit visa from Qatar, would not have been allowed to leave without huge international pressure on the Qatari authorities, according to his brother. But, claims Mahdi Belounis, hundreds of thousands of Euros owed to Zahir – who had claimed 18 months of unpaid wages – remained unpaid right up until his departure from the Gulf state today.

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Corinthians mourn workers after Sao Paulo crane collapses on World Cup stadium

Sao Paulo crane collapses

By Andrew Warshaw
November 28 – Brazil’s World Cup preparations, dogged by the probability that many of its 12 stadia will not be completed before FIFA’s end-of-year deadline, have been further rocked by the deaths of two workers at the Sao Paulo venue due to host the symbolic opening game next year.

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Joy as Belounis granted Qatari exit visa and set to return to France

Zahir Belounis2

By Paul Nicholson and Andrew Warshaw
November 27 – Trapped French-Algerian footballer Zahir Belounis’ was finally granted his exit visa today and will leave Qatar on Thursday, bringing to an end a tortuous saga that made worldwide headlines and heaped embarrassment on the Qatari authorities.

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Shirt off adidas’ World Cup back…Nike unveils Brazil’s 2014 kit

Brazil kit

November 27 – On the field, Brazil’s famous yellow jersey is one of the most iconic pieces of apparel in world football. Off it, the recent unveiling of the kit Brazil will wear when it hosts the World Cup next summer has sparked the latest battle in the war for shirt supremacy between fierce rivals Nike and Adidas.

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FIFPro sends delegation to Qatar for urgent talks on player rights and Belounis

FIFPro-WFA-600

By Paul Nicholson
November 26 – International players union FIFPro is sending a delegation to Qatar on a four-day visit (November 28-31) to hold urgent talks with the country’s football authorities and organisers of the Qatar 2022 World Cup regarding the rights of players and in particular the plight of French footballer Zahar Belounis who has been trapped in the country by the kafala work visa system.

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De Boer says that Qatar in May is the best option to maintain the calendar

Ronald de Boer

By Andrew Warshaw
November 26 – Ronald De Boer, the Dutch legend who finished his illustrious career in Qatar, has re-iterated his view that a summer World Cup in 2022 is still possible – but only if it is staged in May.

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Exclusive: New hope that Belounis could receive Qatar exit visa in days

Zahir Belounis2

By Andrew Warshaw
November 25 – Zahir Belounis, the journeyman footballer trapped in Qatar claiming 18 months of unpaid wages, may be on the verge of winning his battle to get out of the country. The plight of the French-Algerian, who says he is a ‘destroyed’ man after being forced to sell all his possessions, has caused outrage among human rights organisations and has added to global concern over Qatar’s notorious kafala employment system that ties migrant workers to so-called ‘sponsors’.

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EU sends message to Qatar and FIFA with resolution on ‘slave labour’

construction workers 2

By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – The European Parliament is the latest body to denounce Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers with a powerful demand to the authorities to radically improve human rights and put an to end to “forced and slave labour”.

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Jordan sign off with pride as Brazil 2014 places fill up

world cup

November 21 – Uruguay became the 32nd and final country to reach next year’s World Cup finals on Wednesday at the predictable expense of Jordan. But the underdogs returned home with their heads held high.

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Germans pile on the pressure on as Blatter says Qatar must change

Blatter 6

By Andrew Warshaw
November 21 – Just days after Amnesty International’s explosive report into what it described as the endemic mistreatment of migrant workers in Qatar, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has wracked up the pressure on the Qatari authorities to ensure the safety of those working on 2022 World Cup projects.