Quote of the week
Alexei Sorokin, Russia’s Fifa executive, on 2018 World Cup head Vitaly Mutko’s IOC life ban for “an unprecedented attack on the integrity of sport”: “It has no connection to football. We’ll just keep on doing what we’ve been doing.”
• Fifa’s official line – the ban has “no impact” on Mutko’s fitness to deliver a credible World Cup: “We continue to work on delivering the best possible event.” Part of that planning last week – a 12-month ban for Peru striker Paolo Guerrero for his positive cocaine test: “Fifa has zero tolerance on doping. We always expect fair play.”
• Mutko’s own response: calling the IOC ruling “discriminatory”, and incriminating evidence published by the New York Times “edited, slanted in favour of some certain facts. It all looks ridiculous.”
His previous best press feedback: 2010: Mocks western media for portraying Russian sport as “a hotbed of corruption. It’s simply not true”. 2012: Says coverage of racism in Russian football is “stupid and untrue … Everyone’s against us.” 2014: Calls the Fifa luxury watch scandal “absolute nonsense fanned by foreign journalists. Fifa members are very much insulted. Why did the British press start all that?” 2014: Asks in response to more racism coverage: “Why should we be singled out? A lot of dark-skinned players play in Russia. I don’t see any problems”; and 2016: Calls more state-run doping headlines “part of a deliberate information attack on Russia. We are absolutely transparent.”
Meanwhile
From week four of the New York Fifa trial: a) Claims that ex-Brazil FA head José Maria Marin lacked restraint with bribe money: records showing $50,000 spent at Bulgari and $10,070.94 at Chanel in one day; and b) Kevin Jonas of the Jonas Brothers called as a witness to testify he attended a 2010 Paul McCartney concert in Buenos Aires. Defendant Juan Ángel Napout, accused of receiving tickets as a bribe, maintains the show never happened. The defendants deny all charges.
Plus: best timing
Launched last week: the 2018 World Cup official Fifa champagne, featuring “cosmic” Russian branding. Champagne partner Taittinger: “We are extremely proud to continue our adventure with Fifa. We look forward to a long and passionate connection.”
Other news: biggest stretch
Arsenal: still not an accredited living wage employer, finding £1.67m basic plus a £919,000 bonus for chief executive Ivan Gazidis. Also on the club’s emoluments list: billionaire directors Stan and Josh Kroenke, paid £25,000 each.
Sharpest banter
Sudan: Al-Hilal’s ultras group the Blue Lions, defending their banner of Hitler’s face and the word “Holocaust” after the club was fined £4,500: “The only aim was to send a mocking message to opposing supporters.” Al‑Hilal say the banner was at odds with their ethos of “peace, love and coexistence”.
Speech of the week
Qatar 2022 head Hassan al-Thawadi, revealing how human rights and workers’ welfare “has been at the forefront of our plan since the beginning”, and welcoming feedback: “Nations who resist scrutiny and criticism are an impediment to progress in our region. In Qatar, we embrace scrutiny, we understand the benefit of being under the spotlight, and we are open to constructive criticism.” (2012: Qatar jails poet Rashid al-Ajami for life for a poem perceived to be critical of the emir. He was released on appeal last year.)
Manager news: least conservative
Germany, 8 Nov: Cologne president Werner Spinner on coach Peter Stöger: “The team and the coach are a unit. People say he’s too friendly with the players, they say players should fear the coach – what a conservative view that is. My view is different. If the coach had no relationship with the team, then sack him. If the team aren’t listening to the coach, then sack him. But our coach has a relationship, and they listen to him. So why on earth sack him?” 3 Dec: Sacks him.
• Also standing firm – 27 Nov: Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke, telling fans to lay off coach Peter Bosz: “I feel just as shitty as you all do. But there is no magic solution.” 10 Dec: Finds one.
Clarification of the week
Brazil: Grêmio’s Arthur, under contract to 2021, pictured posing in a Barcelona top after meeting Barça sporting director Robert Fernández. Barça, who served a one-year transfer ban in 2014, apologised for the misunderstanding; Arthur told fans: “Let’s take it easy. I’m a Gremista in my heart. My blood runs blue.”
Reflex of the week
Uruguay: Defensor Sporting assistant Alejandro Acevedo, feeling “got at” after being filmed pretending to be head-butted by a fourth official. “I don’t care for social networks, or the things they say. I collapsed because I felt my glasses falling off. These things happen in matches.”
Alejandro Etcheverry
(@UruAlejandro)Y el premio para la mejor obra de teatro futbolera del año es para…. Alejandro Acevedo. pic.twitter.com/GRF6q01RhM
• Also suffering: Standard Liège coach Ricardo Sá Pinto, banned for two weeks for last month’s “vaudeville display” after a plastic beer cup landed near his foot. “I wasn’t acting. I’m just an emotional man.”
Model news
Brazil: Model Nanna Chara, revealing her “supernatural” plan to land Neymar: “I wrote his name on my left foot in red pen and covered it with tape. Now, when I meet him, I’ll stamp my foot three times, shout ‘you are mine by the power of good spirits’, and he’ll agree. It already worked once on a famous singer, but that romance is spent. Now I just love Neymar.”
Plus: most let down
Greece: Lamia keeper Nikos Papadopoulos, sent off, banned and fined for celebrating their 97th-minute equaliser by “hugging and holding” the referee. “I was beside myself: I felt someone was near me so I just hugged – I didn’t know it was him. I’m sad about the ban. For me, it was a human moment.”
Football Grec France
(@footgrec)Nikos Papadopoulos (Lamia), fou de joie sur cette égalisation à la 97e face au Panetolikos, a célébré le but en secouant l’arbitre (en haut de la vidéo). Résultat ? Il a été expulsé dans la foulée. CQFD. pic.twitter.com/V5USBtHafi