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☆ Why soccer players are demanding change to a calendar that has left them ‘at the limit’
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-27 | by ( Samuel Joseph | Sam Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

FIFPRO‘An industry-wide issue’European club teams are preparing for a revamped UEFA Champions League – the most prestigious competition in European club soccer – which will see teams play at least an additional two games. Manchester City hoist the Club World Cup trophy in December 2023. Conflict between national teams and clubs over minutes could arise, star players could see the field less and league structures would have to change. Over 40% of World Cup players surveyed by Football Benchmark said that they experienced extreme or increased mental fatigue after the tournament. Instead, it’s the calendar and consultation process that need to change for those in the game.

Persons: England CNN —, “, Maheta Molango, ” Molango, Amr Abdallah Dalsh, ”, Javier Tebas, Molango, Vinícius Júnior, Ballon d’Or, Ronaldinho, Jude Bellingham, Florencia Tan Jun, Wayne Rooney –, –, David Beckham, Takumi Minamino, Simon Brundish, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Brundish, ” Brundish, Kevin C, Cox, David Terrier, ’ That’s, Richard Masters, you’re, Umberto Calcagno, FIFPRO, Jorge Mas, Lionel Messi, Henry Winter Organizations: England CNN, FIFPRO, ’ Association, PFA, CNN Sport, UEFA, League, FIFA Club, Manchester City, Reuters, La Liga, FIFA, des, Associazione Italiana Calciatori, CNN, Super League, Copa, Champions League, Vinícius, Madrid, Bellingham, Manchester United, Japan, French, AS Monaco, Sports, France, Football Benchmark, Premier League Chief, AIC, Inter Miami Locations: London, England, Wales, U.S, Canada, Mexico, Manchester, Europe, Real Madrid, Brazil, Bellingham, Qatar

☆ Matthew Briggs made his English Premier League debut at 16. 11 years later, he was left feeling suicidal
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-19 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

That “surreal moment” seemingly was the start of an exciting career in the game – Briggs was once tipped as a future England captain. In the year when he walked away from soccer, Briggs moved in with his uncle. For the first time in his life, Briggs learned how to deal with the feelings he had struggled with for years. Briggs playing for England in the Under-20 World Cup in 2009. Thousands of young players are fed into the academy system every year, with only a tiny percentage ever making it.

Persons: CNN — Matthews Briggs, – Briggs, ” Briggs, “, ‘, ’, Briggs, ”, Middlesborough, Wayne Rooney, Lee Smith, I’m, Joe Giddens, Matthew Briggs, –, I’ve, Alex Livesey, “ I’ve, that’s, it’s, Matthew Ashton, ” Neil Saunders, Briggs leant, Harvey Elliot, Arsenal’s Ethan Nwaneri, Elliot Organizations: International Association for Suicide Prevention, Befrienders Worldwide, CNN, English Premier League, Fulham, CNN Sport, Fulham’s, Arsenal, Premier League, Professional Footballers Association, England, Guyana’s CONCACAF, FIFA, US, Danish, HB Køge, Guyana, CONCACAF, Panama, Academy, PFA –, PFA, Liverpool Locations: England, Dubai, “, Guyana, Panama, Trinidad & Tobago

☆ Soccer union launches legal action against FIFA over fixture congestion
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-13 | by ( Sammy Mncwabe | Samuel Joseph | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —FIFA is facing a legal challenge over the world governing body’s “unilateral” decision to set the international match calendar – notably an expanded 32-team FIFA Club World Cup – unions representing soccer players said in a statement on Thursday. CNN has reached out to FIFA for comment on the legal action. As their union, we have a duty to intervene and to enforce their legal rights as employees. Manchester City lift the Club World Cup trophy in 2023 - the competition is set to expand from seven teams to 32 in 2025. Francois Nel/Getty ImagesIn addition to the larger Club World Cup, all three European club competitions will be expanded to 36 teams for the 2024/2025 season.

Persons: –, ”, David Terrier, “ It’s, Maheta Molango, “, Molango, Gianni Infantino, ” Infantino, Francois Nel, Vinícius Júnior, Ballon d’Or, Ronaldinho, Vinícius Jr, Jude Bellingham, Wayne Rooney –, David Beckham Organizations: CNN, FIFA, FIFA Club, English, ’ Association, des, FIFPRO, European Court of Justice, of Fundamental, Commerce, PFA, World League, of Football, FIFA Congress, Manchester City, Champions League, Europa League, Conference League, Manchester United Locations: FIFPRO Europe, Europe, United States, Brussels, FIFPRO, Bangkok, Manchester, Real Madrid, Brazil, Madrid, England, Bellingham

CNN —US and AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah is used to hostility – passionate and aggressive crowds are part of the game after all. Instead, Italian soccer found itself in the midst of another alleged racism scandal – one that Musah was around to witness firsthand. “So it was really, really important that when we saw that, the whole team reacted great. Prior to joining Milan, Musah spent the first three years of his senior career with Spanish side Valencia. During a league match against Real Madrid in May last year, a Valencia fan subjected opposing forward Vinícius Jr. to persistent racist abuse.

Persons: Yunus Musah, “ We’re, ” Musah, Darren Lewis, Mike Maignan, Noah Okafor, Musah, Mike, “, ”, ” Maignan, Fabio Maresca, Maignan, Romelu, Vinícius, Pablo Morano, Reuters Musah, ” “, they’re, Omar Beckles, George Floyd, Germany's Leon Goretzka, Mike Lawrence, “ We’d, ’ ”, Milan Women’s Christy Grimshaw, You’ve, “ We’ll Organizations: CNN, US, AC Milan, Soccer, Serie, Udinese, Milan, ” Udinese, Serie A, Ciancaphoto, Udinese Calcio, Italian, Roma, Spanish, Real Madrid, Reuters, England’s, ’ Association, Getty, Milan’s, ” Locations: Italy, Lazio, “, Valencia, New York, London, England

☆ Roberto ‘Pico’ Lopes: He ignored a Linkedin message once, but not the second time. When he responded his life changed forever
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-12 | by ( Alasdair Howorth | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

I just thought it was a welcome message … so I ignored it.”Fortunately for Lopes, Cape Verde head coach time Rui Águas messaged the Shamrock Rovers defender again nine months later – this time in English – asking if he had considered his offer. Roberto Lopes, who plays for Cape Verde, was born and raised in Dublin. French forward Just Fontaine (L) scores in France's World Cup 5-2 semifinal defeat to Brazil in 1958. France’s captain at the first ever World Cup in 1930 was Algerian-born Alexandre Villaplane. But having recently reversed that policy, the Taifa Stars will have a number of players born outside the continent in its squad for the 2024 tournament.

Persons: CNN —, Roberto “ Pico ” Lopes, Lopes, “, ” Lopes, Rui Águas, Roberto Lopes, Ulrik Pedersen, Mohamed Salah, Lopes won’t, Alexandre Villaplane, Fontaine, Eusébio, Samuel Eto’o, Bryan Mbeumo, Yoane Wissa, ” Wissa, Darren Lewis, Benoît Assou, Ekotto, Ryan Byrne, ”, ‘, ’, Abdoulaye Doucouré, Wilfred Zaha, Les, Patrice Beaumelle, I’ve, I’m, ” Carlos ‘ Caluccha ’ Lopes, Roberto’s, Roberto, “ It’s, he’s, hasn’t Organizations: CNN, Shamrock Rovers, Cape, CNN Sport, Africa, of Nations, LinkedIn, AP, Google, Blue Sharks, Rovers, Professional, Association of Ireland’s, body’s, AFP, Getty, France, UEFA, Benfica, English Premier League, Cameroon soccer, Brentford, Ireland, Democratic, Former Cameroon, Tottenham Hotspur, Lions, League of Ireland Premier Division, Everton, Mali, Ivorian national team, Galatasaray, Cape Verde Locations: Dublin, Republic of Ireland, Cape Verde, Lopes , Cape Verde, Ireland, Egypt, Cape Verde’s, Ghana, Mozambique, Brazil, Africa, Algerian, French, Marrakech, Morocco, Mozambican, Angolan, Portuguese, Portugal, Algeria, Tanzania, Cameroon, Europe, Democratic Republic of Congo, DRC, France, Poland, you’re, Ivory Coast, Cape Verdean, Verdean

☆ England women, FA reach agreement over bonuses, says Bright
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-21 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

The squad had initially paused discussions ahead of the Women's World Cup, where England finished runners-up after losing the final to Spain. But the FA's decision not to offer the England team bonus payments on top of the fees they will earn from FIFA had been a bone of contention in the build-up to the tournament. FIFA had announced a financial contribution specifically earmarked for all World Cup players, which meant the allocation per England squad member was $195,000 as they were runners-up. England manager Sarina Wiegman said she was expecting the agreement and looked forward to turning attention back to football. "The conversations had been going really well but the World Cup was ahead of us, so they needed to stop and then start up after the World Cup," she said.

Persons: Millie Bright, John Sibley, Bright, Leah Williamson, We've, We're, Sarina Wiegman, Rohith Nair, Ken Ferris Organizations: Soccer, UEFA Nations League, England Press, England, Football Association, Friday's Nations League, Scotland, FIFA, Reuters, Association, World, FA, Thomson Locations: George's, Burton, Trent, Britain, Spain, England, Bengaluru

☆ PFA asking trades unions to support equal rights for England women's players
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-12 | by ( Lori Ewing | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"We want our legacy to be that we leave the women's game in a better place for those who follow us. That includes contracts, conditions and protections for players," Lucy Bronze, who helped England to a runners-up finish at the Women's World Cup, said in a statement. Molango urged fellow trade unions to support the implementation of recommendations from Carney's review, including the need to establish a Professional Football Negotiating and Consultative Committee (PFNCC) for the women's game. "There's so much changing in the women's game right now," said Lioness Katie Zelem, who is a member of the PFA's Players' Board. The Lionesses' talks with the FA around bonuses - paused during the World Cup - are expected to resume later this month.

Persons: Jaimi, Maheta Molango, Molango, Karen Carney's, Lucy Bronze, Katie Zelem, Lori Ewing, Christian Radnedge Organizations: Soccer Football, FIFA, England, Association, TUC, World, Thomson Locations: New Zealand, Spain, Australia, Sydney, England, Liverpool, United States

☆ Haaland wins UEFA award, Wiegman dedicates prize to Spain
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Wiegman dedicated her award to the Spain women's team after the kiss incident involving federation president Luis Rubiales took the spotlight when Spain secured their first Women's World Cup title. "I would like to dedicate this award to the Spanish team - the tam that played in a World Cup such great football that everyone enjoys. World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati, who helped Barcelona to Women's Champions League and Spanish league title, won the women's player of the year award. The 25-year-old registered a competition-high 13 goal contributions in the Champions League with five goals and eight assists. "We have just won the World Cup, but they are talking about other things."

Persons: Manchester City's Erling Braut Haaland, Massimo Pinca, Erling Haaland, Pep Guardiola, Aitana Bonmati, Sarina Wiegman, Kevin De Bruyne, Lionel Messi, Guardiola, Luciano Spalletti, Napoli, Simone Inzaghi, Wiegman, Luis Rubiales, there's, Sarina, Bonmati, Anita Kobylinska, Ed Osmond Organizations: Soccer Football, Monaco, FC Barcelona's Aitana, Rights, Manchester City, UEFA, City, Champions League, English Premier League, FA, Association, Serie, Inter, SPAIN England, Brazil, Wembley, Spain women's, Spanish, Women's Champions League, Thomson Locations: Manchester, Spanish, Norwegian, Monaco, Inter Milan, SPAIN, Spain, Barcelona, Gdansk

☆ 2023 Women’s World Cup: Four ways the tournament is breaking new ground
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-19 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Co-hostsThis year will be the first time the Women’s World Cup will be hosted by two federations, New Zealand and Australia. But this year’s event will mirror the format used in the men’s World Cup for the first time. New Zealand's Eden Park will host the opening game of the Women's World Cup. “The future is women – and thanks to the fans for supporting what will be the greatest FIFA Women’s World Cup ever,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino told reporters last month. Zambia is one of the teams making its debut at the Women's World Cup this year.

Persons: Eden, don’t, Brett Phibbs, “, –, Gianni Infantino, Lionesses, Michael Bradley, Melchie Dumornay, Nicolas Delepine, there’s, ” Infantino, ”, David Aganzo Organizations: CNN, Sydney’s, United States Women’s National, Reuters, FIFA, Republic of Ireland, Spain, Africa, Nations, Qatar, Getty, Olympique Lyonnais –, ” Locations: Australia, New Zealand, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Zealand, Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington, Dunedin, Norway, China, Eden, Canada, Republic of, Haiti, Republic of Ireland, Morocco, Panama, Philippines, Portugal, Vietnam, Zambia, Japan, Costa Rica, Moroccan, South Africa, Europe, ” Haiti, Thailand, –

☆ Repetitive heading may increase risk of cognitive impairment in later life - FA study
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

July 17 (Reuters) - Researchers have found evidence suggesting that repetitive heading of balls during a professional soccer career is associated with a higher risk of cognitive impairment in later life, according to a study commissioned by England's Football Association (FA). The independent research study, jointly commissioned by the Professional Footballers' Association (PFA), was conducted by the University of Nottingham and spoke to over 450 retired professional footballers over the age of 45. According to the study, former players who headed the ball in a match more than 15 times were even more likely to score below the test threshold. The first findings of the study, released in June, established that former footballers were 3.46 times more likely to have neurodegenerative diseases. "This study is another step in understanding any potential link between neurodegenerative disorders and former professional footballers," FA Chief Executive Mark Bullingham said.

Persons: Mark Bullingham, Aadi Nair, Christian Radnedge Organizations: England's Football Association, Professional Footballers, Association, University of Nottingham, FA, Thomson Locations: Bengaluru

☆ Viral ad makes gender statement as Matildas call for equal prizes in Women's World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Hilary Whiteman | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Brisbane, Australia CNN —Days out from the start of the Women’s World Cup, teams are turning up the pressure on the sport’s governing body and spectators to give women players equal pay and respect. The women players say it’s not enough. “Many football ‘fans,’ without ever having watched women’s football, have strong opinions about the level of the players,” according to according to trade journal Marketing Communication News. At the end, it’s revealed that viewers have been watching members of the women’s team. “What we need to reach equality and justice on the pitch and beyond is a gender revolution.”Sakina Karchaoui of France in action during a friendly match between Australia and Canada ahead of the FIFA Women's World Cup in Melbourne, Australia on 14 July, 2023.

Persons: it’s, Eugenie Le Sommer of France, Baptiste Fernandez, Marcel, “, Stacey Pope, Mark Avellino, …, —, Gianni Infantino, ”, Infantino Organizations: Australia CNN, Orange, French national, Zealand, FIFA, Tallaght, Communication, Football, French Women’s, Durham University, Australian, Twitter, Australia, Socceroos, ”, FIFA Women’s Locations: Brisbane, Australia, New Zealand, Norway, Eden, Qatar, Ireland, France, Tallaght, Orange, French, United Kingdom, Canada, Melbourne

☆ Dele Alli: Soccer star says he was molested during chaotic childhood. Two decades later he entered rehab.
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-13 | by ( Thomas Schlachter | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

“If God created people, it was them,” Alli told Neville of his adopted family. I decided to go to a modern day rehab facility for addiction, mental health and trauma” said Alli. It’s something people don’t want to do, going into rehab, it definitely sounds scary. The former Spurs star added that he had only checked out of rehab three weeks prior to appearing on Neville’s podcast. If you are outside of the US, please check CALM’s list of international services offering mental health support.

Persons: Dele Alli, ” Alli, Gary Neville, “, ”, Alli, we’ve, Neville, they’ve, Dan Istitene, can’t, Everton, ” Everton, “ It’s Organizations: CNN, England, Manchester United, Daily Mail, Turkish Süper Lig, Beşiktaş, Everton, English Premier League, Premier League, Turkish, Seskim, Tottenham Hotspur, Spurs, Tottenham, English Football Association, PFA, ’ Association, Chance, The FA Locations: Africa, Turkey

☆ Manchester United: Despite $800 million squad, reality hits home for Erik ten Hag after another 'unacceptable' Red Devils meltdown
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

In truth, Ten Hag will likely be counting himself lucky that his team only lost by three goals on a night United was second best in every department. “We have to face that we let ourselves down and we let the fans down,” Ten Hag told the club’s website. “We didn’t match the standards that you can expect from a team like Manchester United. Everyone can expect higher standards from Manchester United.”It was a night to forget for David de Gea and Harry Maguire. Erik ten Hag now turns his attention to a huge FA Cup semifinal against Brighton.

☆ Lineker row grows as another BBC soccer presenter pulls out
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Other presenters have also pulled out of BBC appearances after former England soccer captain Lineker, who presents the flagship "Match of the Day" soccer highlights programme, was taken off air by the BBC on Friday. Jason Mohammad, who presents the BBC's "Final Score", also said on Saturday that he has pulled out of his programme. "As you know, Final Score is a TV show very close to my heart," Mohammad wrote on Twitter. Presenter Kelly Sommers, who has appeared on a number of BBC shows, wrote on Twitter on Saturday: "just to confirm I won't be on BBC television today." The BBC said that neither "Football Focus" nor "Final Score" would air on Saturday.

☆ BBC crisis escalates as players and stars rally behind suspended soccer host Gary Lineker
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-11 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

The BBC said it was "sorry for these changes which we recognize will be disappointing for BBC sport fans. Lineker, 62, was a household name in Britain even before he became chief "Match of the Day" presenter in 1999. Last year, the BBC found Lineker had breached impartiality rules with a tweet about the Conservatives' alleged Russian donations. Former BBC Director General Greg Dyke said the network had "undermined its own credibility" by appearing to bow to government pressure. Keir Starmer, leader of the main opposition Labour Party, said the BBC was "caving in" to political pressure from Conservative lawmakers.

☆ Tim Sparv: Staying silent is ‘not an option’ with soccer heading in ‘dangerous’ direction after Qatar 2022
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-13 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —Former Finland captain Tim Sparv says he hopes this month’s World Cup in Qatar will be a turning point for a sport that he believes is heading in a “dangerous” direction. AFP/Getty ImagesFIFA’s changesAmid the continuing criticism of Qatar, FIFA has urged nations participating in the tournament to focus on soccer and to leave politics out of the game. “I think there’s been a shift in our understanding of where sport is heading. He has since written two pieces for The Players’ Tribune which have outlined his opposition toward the World Cup in Qatar, the latest publishing earlier this month. This work will continue long after the World Cup has concluded, as it is important to us that we continue to instil and build on the progress made over the last decade.”

In a video message produced by Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) and released Wednesday, 16 Socceroos called on Qatar to recognize same-sex relationships and improve the rights of migrant workers. The PFA also released an open letter to Qatar expressing need for reform. “No country is perfect, and every country – hosts of major events or not – has its challenges,” the spokesperson said. The report – “categorically” denied by tournament organizers – did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN. The World Cup kicks off on November 20 and runs through to the final on December 18.

☆ Australian footballers call for reform in Qatar ahead of next month’s World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Jacob Lev | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Australia’s men’s footballers, the “Socceroos,” have called for reform in Qatar ahead of next month’s World Cup. In a video message produced by Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) and released on Wednesday, 16 Socceroos called on the host country to recognize and legalize same-sex marriage and improve the rights of migrant workers. The PFA also released an open letter to Qatar expressing the need for reform. The report – “categorically” denied by tournament organizers – did not connect all 6,500 deaths with World Cup infrastructure projects and has not been independently verified by CNN. The 2022 World Cup kicks off on November 20 and runs through December 18 in the Gulf nation.

☆ Australian players call out Qatar's human rights record ahead of World Cup
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SYDNEY, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Australia's national soccer team spoke out against World Cup host Qatar's record on human rights and same-sex relationships in a video released on Thursday, adding to criticism of the country in the weeks ahead of the tournament. Qatar, the first Middle Eastern country to host the World Cup, has come under intense international pressure for its treatment of foreign workers and restrictive social laws. A separate statement from Football Australia, the peak soccer body, on Thursday acknowledged reforms but said the games had been associated "with suffering for some migrant workers and their families." Disquiet over the country's human rights record has led to calls for teams and officials to boycott the games. Australia will play against France, Denmark and Tunisia after the World Cup kicks off on Nov. 20.

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