At the start of 2016, we already knew FIFA would change after both Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini recieved long bans from the ethics committee which practically ended their careers. The question was how much it would change, and in which ways. The February elections gave hope, as delegates surprised everyone, and elected Platini’s favourite UEFA bureaucrat Gianni Infantino instead of sheik Salman, who had accusations of serious human rights violations against him. A reform plan had already been sketched up, and the ethics committee, which since its birth have been widely criticized for just being Blatter’s window dressing to…
Master of Puppets
The UEFA presidential chair has been empty since Michel Platini was suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee right before last Christmas. The final decision to keep the Frenchman banned, even if the initial six-year ban was lowered to four, was upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) 9th of May. Platini had no choice but to step down (although technically he hasn’t resigned yet), and a new president will be elected at an extraordinary UEFA congress in Athens on the 14th of September. …
Sport Club Internacional de Porto Alegre is a giant in football terms. It has been since the 1920’s, in fact, when they dominated bitter rivals Grêmio in the Rio Grande do Sul championship. They were the people’s club, allowing black players decades before Grêmio did. Inter, as the club is called in short, has later gone on to win the Copa Libertadores and the World Club Championship, and is by member mass the largest in South America with 105.000 registered members. That’s sixth in the world.
But it is a single goal that is the most revered among the Nação…
Det er merkelig hvor mye ett eneste bilde kan endre noe. Normalt er det god presseetikk å la være å publisere slike bilder. Det har sin årsak. For mange for ofte, og de mister effekten. Det er grundig dokumentert at soldater i krig blir immune mot å være vitne til (og noen ganger utføre) grusomheter som ville vært høyst traumatisk i det sivile liv. Det har også med anstendighet å gjøre ovenfor de etterlatte. I mange land hvor denne mer eller mindre uskrevne regelen ikke følges, blir det å se lik på forsiden dagligdags. For eksempel i Mexico, hvor enkelte…
JOÃO HAVELANGE — THE IMMORTAL EMPEROR OF WORLD FOOTBALL
In a hotel room in Frankfurt, right before the start of the 1974 World Cup finals, the face of Adidas empire heir Horst Dassler transformed from one full of confidence to horror and shock. Moments earlier he had been in a splendid mood. Because the next morning Sir Stanley Rous was to be reelected as the president of FIFA. Dassler was his campaign manager, and could look forward to huge profits from lucrative merchandise deals. But now his guest told him he was backing the wrong horse. Dassler had invited the…
I know many will now say that we were cruel for what we did to the old man. I know, there will always be people like that, but now it’s easy to say that. You had to be in Rosario in these days to understand…
…it’s better to die like that, brother! He died happy, hugging his mates, with the euphory of having destroyed the asshole of the lepers for all the centuries to come! That is the way to go! I feel jealous, brother! Yes, jealous! Because if one can choose how to die, I will choose that way!
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El Condor — The biggest cheater in World Cup history
The year is 1989. In front of a 130.000 crowd at Maracaná in Rio de Janerio Brazil and Chile play a decisive world cup qualifier for the right to attend the finals in Italy the following year. The Chileans have to win, while the home team goes through with a draw. The canarinhos take the lead through Careca in the first half, and looks set to accomplish their goal when the incident dubbed “the other Maracanazo” happens.
The Chilean star goalkeeper Roberto Rojas falls to the ground, far away from play. Next to him a fireworks rocket…
Pål Ødegård
Norwegian sailor and freelance football writer. Love a good story, and hope you do to. Live in Valencia,Spain.
