Inside World Football - Page 1757 of 2115 - For the Business of Football

Lee Wellings: Tahiti the whipping boys

What on earth are Tahiti doing in the Confederations Cup?

They will be the biggest Tahitian whipping boys since Captain Bligh sailed the south Pacific in the 18th century and there was a ‘mutiny on the Bounty’.

It underlines the problem FIFA have had since Australia became part of Asia’s football family, and even they would not be an ideal ‘eighth’ team in a major tournament on current form.

Australia’s departure in 2006 has given opportunities to New Zealand in international and club football that may not be entirely fair,

Archive

Lionel Messi faces tax fraud charges in Spain

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By Gareth Messenger
June 13 – Barcelona forward and World Player of the Year Lionel Messi is under investigation by Spanish tax authorities for allegedly defrauding the state of more than €4m. The Argentina international and his father Jorge have reportedly filed fraudulent tax returns for 2007, 2008 and 2009, according to a spokesperson for the prosecutor’s office, for tax crimes in Catalonia.

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Argentine FA issues two-match ban on away supporters after fan shot dead

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By Mark Baber
June 12 – Argentinean fans have been banned from attending away games for the next two matches following the death of Lanus football fan Daniel Jerez at the Clausura match between Estudiantes de La Plata and Lanus at the Ciudad de La Plata Stadium, near Buenos Aires, on Monday night

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Gerrard testimonial to open BT Sport’s assault on Sky Sports dominance

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By Paul Nicholson
June 12 – BT will kick off its live football coverage on its new sports channel, BT Sport, with excusive Liverpool and England captain Steven Gerrard’s testimonial game, Liverpool vs Olympiacos, August 3.

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Quebec Soccer suspended over refusal to lift turban ban

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By Mark Baber
June 12 – The Quebec Soccer Federation has been suspended by the Canadian Soccer Association after failing to reverse its decision to ban the use of turbans/patkas/keski on the football pitch.

Africa

Lagos football film festival opens with ‘slave ship’ story

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By Paul Nicholson
June 12 – The first African Football Film Festival (AFFF) opens tomorrow in Lagos, Nigeria. Starting small, the first edition of the festival will be over three days and will screen five films. The organisers, non-government organisation (NGO) PLAY!YA have set up a cinema in Gowon Estate in Lagos, one of the more neglected districts in the Nigerian capital Lagos.

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David Owen: Not being there – how television became football’s chief paymaster

Nothing in recent years has changed football as much as television.

The box in the living-room corner has spawned Manchester United fans from Tacoma to Tahiti and made top players as wealthy as successful bond traders.

Few of us now, not even the most avid groundhoppers, consume as many matches live as on TV.

Even professional football reporters, who think nothing of covering 100 games a season, will turn instantly to the screens scattered around the press stands to assess whether a foul has been committed or the ball has crossed the line.

Africa

Togolese players refuse to travel to Libya for World Cup qualifier

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By Mark Baber
June 12 – Despite FIFA’s decision to move Friday’s Libya-Togo World Cup qualifier from Benghazi to Tripoli, Togo’s captain Alaixys Romao (pictured) and Jonathan Ayite are refusing to take the trip on the grounds of personal security.

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Global fan vote opens for first ever ‘All Star’ football concept

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By Paul Nicholson
June 12 – Pick the best 30 players in the world and play them off against each other – Europe vs Rest of the World – is something that could generally only happens in a computer game. Having football fans globally pick the top 30 players makes it slightly more unlikely. Or is it?

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Malaga out of Europa League opens door for Rayo…or Sevilla

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By Gareth Messenger
June 12 – Spanish Primera side Malaga are out of next season’s Europa League following The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejection of their appeal against the UEFA ban imposed last December.

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Chelsea’s new stadium could be back on with new build site available

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By Mark Baber
June 11 – The saga over Chelsea’s search for a new stadium has taken a new turn, as Jose Mourinho returns, with the revelation that the club may be invited to bid on a 17-acre plot of land, owned by Transport for London (TfL) near Earls Court and just a mile north of current home Stamford Bridge.

Africa

Outgoing Cameroon president arrested over company fraud as elections held today

Iya Mohammed

By Mark Baber
June 11 – Iya Mohamed, the president of Cameroon Football Federation (Fecafoot) and CEO of the Cameroon Cotton Development Corporation (Sodecoton), a state owned company, was arrested by the police on Monday on his return home from Togo where he attended Sunday’s Cameroon’s World Cup qualifier.

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Jordan’s Prince Ali says AFC top job is not for him

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By Andrew Warshaw
June 11 – Prince Ali, head of the Jordanian FA, has had an increasingly influential and vocal role as a member of the FIFA executive committee and successfully championed the lifting of the ban on the hijab in women’s football.

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Putin signs off on FIFA’s ‘World Cup Law’ as Russia readies for 2018

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June 11 – Russia’s preparations for the 2018 World Cup have taken another step forward after President Vladimir Putin signed off on the so-called ‘World Cup Law’ that has caused so much debate.

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SAP and Hoffenheim continue their journey together

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By Mark Baber
June 11 – SAP, the leading business software provider, has extended its long-standing partnership with TSG Hoffenheim, becoming the new main and kit sponsor, in an initial three year deal.