29 April 2018

Plenty amount of money gathered from five clubs and two associations

Nine days ago the world football organization has announced seven punishments mainly of third party interference in transfers and violating transfers of minor players. Some of them are very severe which were penalized five clubs and two football associatiions.
- A very low fine was issued for the Indonesian football association of failing to apply decisions of the 'mother' (world) association. Thus FIFA sanctioned them with 30.000 Swiss francs (25.048 euros).
- Fines also have to pay the following five teams: Rayo Vallecano 55.000 Swiss francs (45.922 euros), Celta Vigo 65.000 Swiss francs (54.271 euros), Sporting Clube de Portugal 110.000 Swiss francs (91.844 euros), 150.000 Swiss francs (125.241 euros) goes to Benfica and Al Arabi has to deliver 187.500 Swiss francs (156.551 euros). These four dissobedient clubs from Europe and one from Asia are punished for influencing third parties in transfers.
- We conclude this round-up with a record punishment for Laos football association. The affiliation has breached contracts of minors and for that has to give the highest fine of 690.000 Swiss francs (576.109 euros).
In short, FIFA collected a good sum just from second half of April.

26 April 2018

First regional champion for last tournament

United Arab Emirates will welcome all 6 regional champions for the last official competition in 2018: the fifteenth edition of FIFA Club World Cup. This tournament is going to start in December, and as months goes by, the first continental champion is already known.
After Al-Ain which is actually the winner of the Arabian Gulf league and host at the same time, this next club is basically the first who is a champion of a confederation. Chivas Guadalajara is going to represent the CONCACAF region after the Mexican club lost at home the second leg with the same result 1:2 in regular time, but won 4:2 on penalty shootouts.
Most interesting part is that these two teams will be for the first time in this event.

Visitors successful on first part

Bayern Munich - Real Madrid 1:2

Scorers: 1:0 28 Joshua Kimmich
              1:1 44 Marcelo Vieira
              1:2 56 Marco Asensio

Sincere apology

After an idiotic Internet company provider cut us off last Sunday without prior notice, now we are back online. Sorry for any inconvenience caused!

22 April 2018

Introducing a new beverage name

More and more players are opening various businesses to have some additional income after their retirement, and latest in line joins Kamil Grosicki. Last Friday on social media, the Polish international midfielder launched a new beverage under his name. 'Turbo Grosik' is an energy drink that can give you boost wherever you go. For the time being this drink can be tasted at his home country, but with a successful promotion and advertising it can be spread to other world markets as well.


21 April 2018

Determined pots for Asian championship

We are exactly 2 weeks away from learning which will be the groups for the AFC Asian Cup 2019. United Arab Emirates is going to host edition number 17 for 24 qualified teams at 8 stadiums in 4 various cities. This Asian championship will start early next year - just 05 days in, and on 01 February we are going to find out whether Australia is going to defend its title, which was won 4 years ago.
As everything is now known, we are only waiting on little balls to do its business and pair the teams in the groups. For the final there will be six groups of four teams. Immediately after the new ranking is published, last Thursday the confederation determined the pots. The draw itself is going to be in Dubai on the Armani hotel which is in the tallest skyscraper in the world Burj Khalifa on 04 May from 17.30 CET.

Pot 1: United Arab Emirates, Australia, IR Iran, Japan, Saudi Arabia, South Korea.

Pot 2: Iraq, PR China, Qatar, Syria, Thailand, Uzbekistan.

Pot 3: India, Kyrgyzstan, Lebanon, Oman, Palestine, Vietnam.

Pot 4: Bahrain, Jordan, North Korea, Philippines, Turkmenistan, Yemen.

20 April 2018

Chaos in a semi-final game

Just hearing the names of Fenerbahce and Besiktas, you might think that this duel will show everything that football have to offer from this derby in a good way. But instead it showed the opposite: the ugly side.
At the semi-final second leg played tonight, these two Istanbul giants did not finish this match. In the fifty-eighth minute Mete Kalkavan decided to suspend the game which also had earlier stoppages as well. Mainly home supporters are to blame, who threw objects on the pitch with one missile hit Besiktas coach in the head. Pictures from television showed how Senol Gunes fall to the ground, and later on social media the 65 year old was shown at the hospital with stitches around his head. And the duel itself had everything: incidents at the stands, brawl among players in the tunnel...

Expanding on a new market

Barcelona was kicked out from the Champions league competition and immediately after the loss in the quarterfinals, media are moving Andres Iniesta to a new team. In fact, now is certain that the midfielder is going to play at the Chinese Super league in an unnamed club (probably Tianjin Quanjian) and with the new contract that is going to sign it is a good opportunity to put his product on a completely new market.
At Albacete province in its hometown of Fuentealbilla in 2010 is born 'Bodega Iniesta company' which produces a world class wine. Soon after, two sets of wines were launched under this label: Corazon Loco and Finca el Carril. As newspaper 'Marca' reported three days ago, directly from 120 hectares of vineyards, the black wine 'Corazon Loco' (Crazy heart) could be exported into the far East market with two million bottles of next year. Cheers and best of luck to the 33-year old!

19 April 2018

United trio for centennial World Cup

First it was Uruguay and Argentina, where their main stars and colleagues from Barcelona (Luis Suarez and Lionel Messi) photographed together with shirts 20 and 30, and now Argentina neighbors Paraguay wants to join in. This CONMEBOL trio have announced their joint bid in October 2017, and last Monday officials from these three countries have met again to discuss candidature for the World Cup 12 years from now. Not much is known for this bidding, but if this plan indeed succeeds, the best 48 teams will be dispersed in 8 Argentine cities plus two towns each at Uruguay and Paraguay. However, the 2030 event coincides with one anniversary: a 100 years from the first World Cup in Uruguay. There are also rumors that Chile and England alone wants to be hosts, but nevertheless the football spectacle has to come back home where it all began - in South America.
This news was for the future, and now back to the present: final tickets for 2018 edition are into sale as from today. From 10.00 CET and through the world football organization website can be bought remaining 'golden papers' just for the group stage duels, because matches from knockout rounds onwards are already gone.

18 April 2018

Animal on a pitch

We rarely see various animals on a pitch: cats, dogs, birds...but this is a totally different story. An unbelievable scene came from Russian professional football league - South division, which is equivalent to third tier, happening before the game between Mashuk and Angusht last weekend. Right before the kick-off, a bear stole all the glory from the spectators who gave the ball to fearless referee to begin the duel. However, the mascot of the home team did not help the players who lost this duel.


17 April 2018

Trouble with players

From 03 April almost all team from Olympiacos is on 'forced' vacation. Its president Evangelos Marinakis suspended his own players and punished them with 400.000 euros due to very poor performance. 'All you think is luxury houses and cars, the club is not in your interest at all. I have changed three coaches and the problem was not in them, but in you. With this money I will build Olympiacos from the start with amateur players as they are going to play for the club with their hearts' said the furious president, who also added that for the rest of the season only few footballers from the A team will remain, while the rest is going to be filled with players from the youth side. He is not far away from the truth, as for the first time in this decade the team from Piraeus is not going to win the Greek title.
Meanwhile, on the other hand, their fierce rival from the championship have a totally different story. Exactly seven days ago Panathinaikos players refused to train because of unpaid salaries. Their last wage were received in October 2017, and for returning to work out in the field they want to be paid at least for November and December of same year.

16 April 2018

Excellent purchase so far of World Cup tickets

Part two is over, while part three is going to begin. In less than two months the greatest sporting show on earth is going to start, and so far it has been sold nearly 1.7 million tickets. On 03 April, the world football organization have announced that 1.698.049 'golden papers' have been purchased from first and second stage together.
For the second phase, which was closed on the above date, fans bought in total 394.433 tickets. As in the first part, Russian spectators purchased the highest amount of tickets in the second as well - 216.134. From that second part on the foreign list, fans from United States of America have purchased most tickets - 16.462 pieces, followed by 15.006 Argentine football lovers, from Colombia is acquired 14.755 tickets, while Mexican fans bought 14.372 World Cup tickets.
Those who forgot to buy this 'golden piece of paper' will have another chance. The third and final phase of selling will begin next Wednesday (18 April). Although it is questionable to find one for a wanting game, it is surely worth to buy for any duel from those tickets who are left.

15 April 2018

Latest record in Primera

Today Barcelona registered three points from the derby duel with Valencia. With this new win and its last defeat at 08 April 2017 against Malaga, the Spanish leaders also have made a new record: 39 matches without a loss in LaLiga (and maybe more will follow in the coming weeks). In 1979/80 season Real Sociedad kept the undefeated games at the championship on 38.

Renaming its own stadium

Amsterdam arenA is going into history. This gorgeous stadium from the capital of Netherlands from next football season will be known by a new name. Last Thursday Ajax decided to rename it into Johan Cruijff arenA, by giving tribute to its best ever player. One of the best strikers of all time, who died two years ago, helped the club to: win 3 consecutive European Cups (1971-1973) and 8 times has won the local championship as a footballer, plus like a coach lifted the Cup winners' Cup trophy in 1987.

Invitation accepted from Asia

Besides the Asian football championship that is going to happen early next year at United Arab Emirates, in 2019 we have another two official summer competitions that will play in both American continents. One of them is in Brazil, where it will host one of the oldest official football championship event in the world on the international scene: edition number 46 of Copa America. At the first Thursday in April the organizers have sent an invitation, which is accepted one week later (two days ago) to Qatar to join the event.
As all 10 members in CONMEBOL region are eligible to participate at the tournament, we are needing six more teams to complete the line-up of 16. One spot is already taken and it speculates that in the largest country in South America from 14 June 2019 could also arrive PR China, Japan, Mexico plus two more states.

13 April 2018

Plan for last two duels at Champions league

Four different teams are going to play on four dates of the last two matches of the season. This is the introduction of the 'strongest' competition, which on unusual time made the draw for semi finals. First legs are scheduled for 24 and 25 April, while second 90 minutes (or more) are seven nights later (01 and 02 May).

Bayern Munich - Real Madrid.

Liverpool - Roma.

The winner of play number one will be presented as 'host' and is going to play the winner of duel number two in the final at Kyiv on Saturday, 26 May from 20.45 CET.

Europa league layout

In a little reverse order, the Europa league draw began first on Friday 13 April. The semifinal line-up has just made up as playing dates as well: it is going to be on Thursdays - last in this and first at the following month.

Olympique Marseille - Red Bull Salzburg.

Arsenal - Atletico Madrid.

For the final on 16 May, the winner of pair number one will 'host' the winner of pair two in Lyon.

After leading follows four minutes of nightmare for the Italian representative

CSKA Moscow - Arsenal 2:2

Scorers: 1:0 38 Fyodor Chalov
              2:0 50 Kirill Nababkin
              2:1 75 Danny Welbeck
              2:2 90+2 Aaron Ramsey

Sporting Clube de Portugal - Atletico Madrid 1:0

Scorer: 1:0 27 Fredy Montero

Red Bull Salzburg - Lazio 4:1

Scorers: 0:1 54 Ciro Immobile
              1:1 56 Munas Dabbur
              2:1 72 Amadou Haidara
              3:1 74 Hwang Hee-Chan
              4:1 76 Stefan Lainer

11 April 2018

Title holders escaped humiliation with a last second penalty to progress

Bayern Munich - Sevilla 0:0

Real Madrid - Juventus 1:3

Scorers: 0:1 01 (76 seconds) Mario Mandzukic
              0:2 37 Mario Mandzukic
              0:3 60 Blaise Matuidi
              1:3 90+7-pen Cristiano Ronaldo

10 April 2018

Miracles can happen: three goals enough for passage

Roma - Barcelona 3:0

Scorers: 1:0 06 Edin Dzeko
              2:0 58-pen Daniele de Rossi
              3:0 82 Konsantinos Manolas

Domestic tournament with a foreign referee

In the following couple of nights the European Champions league will continue quarterfinal plays with its second 90 minutes, while on the other part of the world this tournament under the same name is going to write a little bit of history. As well as in this competition, it will also play games with its second leg, the only difference here is that we are one round higher than the mentioned one.
Slowly and slowly we may say that 'men in blue' are becoming too boring to be referees within its own borders of confederation, but no one thought that this unusual move will come...and yet is still possible. As part of the agreement signed between Asian and CONCACAF regions from 2017, officials from the North American organization came to this unique idea: last Thursday it was announced that an AFC referee will lead a CONCACAF Champions league game. One of the best referee at its zone Ravshan Irmatov from Uzbekistan is going to be a main one at the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions league (full name of the competition) game between Club America and Toronto FC. This second leg of the semifinal is going to be played on Wednesday, 11 April at 04.00 CET which is equivalent to Tuesday, 10 April at 21.00 local time.
Part one is never enough, so part two have to follow: in October CONCACAF is going to return the favour where will send its well known official to lead an AFC Champions league semi final game.

09 April 2018

Second part of quarterfinal games

The second week of this month is reserved for return legs of the quarter final matches for both European Cup competitions. Eight duels are going to make a fierce fight on the pitch and each one will try to enter to be among the best four clubs on the continent and knowing this, additional time or even penalties are always included.

As always, Champions league duels are equally divided over two days. The defending champion is still active at the tournament and is playing on day two.

Tuesday, 10 April at 20.45 CET: Manchester City - Liverpool.
Tuesday, 10 April at 20.45 CET: Roma - Barcelona.

Wednesday, 11 April at 20.45 CET: Bayern Munich - Sevilla.
Wednesday, 11 April at 20.45 CET: Real Madrid - Juventus.

As games goes by, here we are witnessing many goals and that is why Europa league is so thrilling and full of emotions (than its predecessor). For second consecutive time all matches are going to begin equally.

Thursday, 12 April at 21.05 CET: CSKA Moscow - Arsenal.
Thursday, 12 April at 21.05 CET: Olympique Marseille - RasenBallsport Leipzig.
Thursday, 12 April at 21.05 CET: Red Bull Salzburg - Lazio.
Thursday, 12 April at 21.05 CET: Sporting Clube de Portugal - Atletico Madrid.

08 April 2018

Financial boosts announced for the newly formed competition

We all know that the newly formed Nations league is going to begin in two different continents starting from this September. At the old continent the European football organization last Wednesday has announced rewards that 55 member will receive. The prize fund for this tournament amounts 76.25 million euros.
All entrants are divided in four leagues (marked with letters), and rewards are allocated depending on the strength of those leagues. According to its ranking each one is going to earn:
- Participation and winners. Just for showing at the event teams are going to get: 1.5 million euros in A, one million euros for B, teams from C are receiving 750.000 euros while D weighs 500.000 euros. Also, these numbers are valid for being the prime team in its groups. In other words: more money can be won if participants are playing its very best and become champions in their respective groups.
Final four. This section applies for the only, final four system that will play winners from each groups of the strongest league A in a mini competition (semifinals, match for third place and final) in June 2019. That team who will lose both games is going to earn 1.5 million euros, while the bronze medalist 2.5 million euros. The unfortunate team which is going to lose the final will receive 3.5 million euros, and besides the trophy 4.5 million euros is going to receive the first UEFA Nations league champion.

07 April 2018

Determined 'men in yellow' for 2018 World Cup

More than two months is remaining until the beginning of the biggest sporting event on earth and eight days ago referees are appointed for that occasion. At the last Thursday in March, the world football organization announced 99 'men in yellow / blue...but not black' from all six confederations which are coming from 46 various countries.
We are not going to write all names here (you can read them on FIFA website), but instead we will mention six regions. European continent is giving most referees: 10 main and 20 assistants. Africa, Asia, CONCACAF and CONMEBOL regions each are giving 6 judges who will be on the pitch. However, those who are going to move along the line are not equalled: 12 are coming from CONMEBOL, 10 each are from AFC and CAF while 8 is giving CONCACAF. The tiniest zone from all, Oceania is sending 2 referees and 3 assistants. Adding it all up we are coming to 36 referees and 63 helpers.

05 April 2018

Quickest goal this season from both European Cups in Wanda Metropolitano

Arsenal - CSKA Moscow 4:1

Scorers: 1:0 09 Aaron Ramsey
              1:1 15 Aleksandr Golovin
              2:1 23-pen Alexandre Lacazette
              3:1 27 Aaron Ramsey
              4:1 34 Alexandre Lacazette


Lazio - Red Bull Salzburg 4:2

Scorers: 1:0 08 Senad Lulic
              1:1 29-pen Valon Berisha
              2:1 48 Marco Parolo
              2:2 71 Takumi Minamino
              3:2 74 Felipe Anderson
              4:2 76 Ciro Immobile

Atletico Madrid - Sporting Clube de Portugal 2:0

Scorers: 1:0 01 (22 seconds) Koke
              2:0 39 Antoine Griezmann

04 April 2018

Goals in its own net continued to fall for second night in a row

Barcelona - Roma 4:1

Scorers: 1:0 38-own goal Daniele de Rossi
              2:0 55-own goal Konstantinos Manolas
              3:0 59 Gerard Pique
              3:1 79 Edin Dzeko
              4:1 87 Luis Suarez

03 April 2018

Guests have big advantages from first 90 minutes

Sevilla - Bayern Munich 1:2

Scorers: 1:0 31 Pablo Sarabia
              1:1 37-own goal Jesus Navas
              1:2 68 Thiago Alcantara

Juventus - Real Madrid 0:3

Scorers: 0:1 03 Cristiano Ronaldo
              0:2 63 Cristiano Ronaldo
              0:3 71 Marcelo Vieira

Significant changes from next season

After the revamped format for the European Cups (leagues) for 2018/19 (mostly in qualification process and some in group phase), both tournaments will face couple of more changes for next season as well (this time from the knockout stage).
The most important one is that if matches are going to go into extra time, one more substitution will be allowed for those 30 minutes. And only for the finals of: Champions, Europa league and Super Cup substitution players is going to be increased from 18 to 23. Thus coaches will have 12 players on the bench than previous 7 for the important game of the year.
Also last Tuesday the European football organization has decided where 2018 Super Cup is going to play. Winners of Champions and Europa league from this season will face each other at the capital of Estonia, Tallinn on 15 August.

02 April 2018

It is time for quarterfinal

After international friendlies, European competitions are going to resume next week. We have come to last 8 duels of the season where first 90 minutes will be performed.

Three Spanish teams are opposing two Italian plus one German club, while couple of English plays against each other. That is the line-up for Champions league who in short looks like this:

Tuesday, 03 April at 20.45 CET: Juventus - Real Madrid.
Tuesday, 03 April at 20.45 CET: Sevilla - Bayern Munich.

Wednesday, 04 April at 20.45 CET: Barcelona - Roma.
Wednesday, 04 April at 20.45 CET: Liverpool - Manchester City.

For the first time in Europa league all games are starting at the same time. Unlike previous tournament (who slowly and slowly becomes boring every year), here we have various teams from 8 different states or in long words: clubs for final 8 are competing from 8 different countries.

Thursday, 05 April at 21.05 CET: Arsenal - CSKA Moscow.
Thursday, 05 April at 21.05 CET: Atletico Madrid - Sporting Clube de Portugal.
Thursday, 05 April at 21.05 CET: Lazio - Red Bull Salzburg.
Thursday, 05 April at 21.05 CET: RasenBallsport Leipzig - Olympique Marseille.

01 April 2018

Put all blame on one club only and everything will be fine

Today in Greece continued the local championship after the ugly scenes which happened from 11 March, and that case was finally 'solved' this Thursday (like a one way street).
Only one club is to blame at the suspended game of PAOK and AEK on that date and no one else. As all accusations are assigned to the team from Thessaloniki and everyone know the details, the outcome is the following: the guests 'stole' victory behind the green table although they lost in ninetieth minute by a single goal. The 'presidential gunman' from the pitch can not step on stadiums for the next three years and has to deliver 100.000 euros. Slovakian former referee Michel Lubos, who is sporting director for the club, is removed 3 months from the sport plus received a fine of 15.000 euros. Home team itself is punished with 63.000 euros together with: deduction of 3 points, next three duels in their own Toumba stadium are going to play without spectatotrs, while from 2018/19 season will start from minus two points. To all this injustice the club has decided that is going to take this case to court.
In all these punishments announced here, there is absolutely no word on the actual referee on the game: who first allowed the goal, then he cancelled it (for which was the cause of this ruckus), so at the end allowed it again.