Month: December 2021

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Dozens arrested after police use gunfire to break up violent Ukrainian football hooligans (VIDEO)

Fifty-four suspected Ukrainian football hooligans have been in court in Portugal after police said stones, bottles and flares were thrown at them in wild scenes ahead of a Champions League clash involving Dynamo Kiev.

The incident occurred ahead of a decisive Champions League fixture for Benfica, who hosted rock-bottom side Dynamo in Group E on Wednesday.

Benfica’s 2-0 win saw the Primeira Liga team though to the knockout stage with group winners Bayern Munich, who beat Barcelona 3-0 in Germany to condemn the Liga giants to a Europa League Knockout Playoff.

In the hours leading up to kick-off, though, Kiev fans battled with rival supporters in the Alto dos Moinhos neighborhood of the Portuguese capital near the Estadio da Luz, in what officials believe was a pre-arranged meet-up.

Footage on social media appeared to show an explosive scene on the darkened main road, set to the sound of bottles smashing and mobs charging at each other while flares could be seen in the background.

Thirteen people and one officer were injured according to CNN Portugal, with 54 individuals – all believed to be part of the Dynamo faithful – reportedly arrested when the police showed up and ordered to appear before a court on Thursday morning. 

Lisbon Metropolitan Police confirmed the confrontation in a statement. “From what was [already] verified, there were behaviors that indicate that the meeting between the different groups was previously arranged,” the authority said.

“Of the detainees, 13 had injuries that needed medical treatment, and there was also one police officer who was not seriously injured.

“At the time of the intervention, the police were the target of several stones, bottles and flares being thrown, making it necessary to resort to coercive means to stop the clashes.

“Faced with the escalation of clashes between supporters and the following confrontation with police action, in order to preserve the physical integrity of police officers and third parties, it was necessary to fire 17 shots into the air and proceed with the arrest of the main [suspects].”

This is not the first time that Kiev fans have made headlines for the wrong reasons.

In 2018, they allegedly attacked traveling Liverpool supporters in a bar who were in their city for the Champions League final, and were also photographed having taken a flag off one bloodied fan with their victim held upside down. 

In August that year, they were also accused of attacking Ajax fans visiting the Ukrainian capital.

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Real Madrid take out a $254MN loan – to pay for an underground greenhouse

Real Madrid have hailed a massive loan that will allow the club to automatically remove the pitch via an underground greenhouse as part of a revamp of their stadium costing almost $600 million.

The loan is for €225 million ($254 million) and comes as part of the €525 million ($594 million) renovation to Madrid’s iconic Santiago Bernabeu stadium that the 13-times Champions League winners announced four years ago.

The agreement has a term of 27 years and a fixed interest rate of 1.53 per cent, partly paying for a retractable roof and, in what is likely to be one of the first of its kind, a removable pitch.

“These conditions are the best ever obtained for long-term financing in the sport industry,” claimed the club, which has faced high-profile recent financial challenges.

“The funding will be used for the construction of a large underground greenhouse which was not foreseen in the initial work due to its complexity and which was technologically resolved at a later date.

“This greenhouse will allow the automatic removal of the pitch and its preservation in optimal conditions and in perfect shape to be used when a football match is to be held.

“In this way, the number of events that can be held without impacting the grass will be maximized.”

When the work is finished, the ground should see its capacity boosted to 85,000.

Amid player pay cuts during the pandemic, construction work began in 2020, with Los Blancos winning the resumed season’s Liga title that year at their Alfredo Di Stefano training ground.

Despite president Florentino Perez claiming his outfit are broke enough to need to be part of the failed European Super League, Madrid still reportedly tabled a $200 million-plus bid for France and Paris Saint-Germain prodigy Kylian Mbappe.

Carlo Ancelotti’s Madrid side have now returned to the Bernabeu and currently lead the Spanish top flight by eight points.

Some of the stadium’s lower tiers are still visibly under renovation, and other remodeling work is yet to be finished.

On Twitter, fans gave the announcement a mixed reaction. “Xavi would do it for free, but whatever,” said one, referencing the new head coach at arch-rivals Barcelona, who are trying to revamp their own Camp Nou stadium.

“How about you finance [the] Mbappe announcement?” was one impatient suggestion.

Others questioned whether the design will work or not.

“You will always feel the gaps and lines in the field while playing on the pitch, it seems to me,” said one of the pitch innovation.

“It will [work]. Spurs’ new stadium uses the same technology,” replied another.

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English football fans are about to be told to provide vaccine passports and tests – report

Mooted plans by the UK government to introduce requirements for fans at large events to provide a vaccine passport or proof of their Covid status have received a mixed response.

Boris Johnson’s government is under increasing pressure after a widespread loss of public confidence following its unconvincing response to allegations that senior officials held a Christmas party at the height of lockdown in 2020.

Amid the escalating controversy, the British prime minister made the predictably unpopular move on Wednesday to announce that pandemic measures would be tightened – leading to accusations of hypocrisy from critics.

Now a new report has claimed that new rules could be brought in within 48 hours requiring supporters attending Premier League matches to show contentious vaccine passports or prove they have recently tested negative.

When the concept was initially raised, there were fears that a ‘two-tier’ society would be created between the vaccinated and those who have not had a jab.

Fans who are unable to produce their vaccination certification upon request at matches have been reminded to carry it until now.

They will now reportedly be turned away from games as part of planned spot checks, although the logistics behind carrying those out effectively among vast crowds is questionable.

“Spoke with some stewards at Manchester United yesterday evening,” claimed one reader.

“They say they don’t want to enforce Covid passes even if the Premier League insists due to potential law-breaking under discrimination laws and also for practicality reasons.”

Another sarcastically responded to the report: “Wow. It’s almost like they have decided this thing spreads in crowds.

“If we’d have known that two years ago, we could have acted quickly and saved a lot of lives.”

The new legislation will apply to major events and stadiums holding more than 10,000 people, according to The Times.

Unseated indoor events of more than 500 people and unseated outdoor events of more than 4,000 people will also be affected.

Top-flight clubs are said to have initially suspected the move would require all fans to have taken a vaccine, although Johnson has said that a negative lateral flow test will be adequate.

Johnson has reportedly hinted that more restrictions could be placed on unvaccinated people.

That could affect players being selected for matches, with Premier League sides Manchester United and Brighton reputedly falling behind other teams in terms of vaccinated players.

League bosses said in October that 81 percent of players had received one jab, with more than two-thirds fully vaccinated.

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Net profits: Williams sisters beat Sharapova prize money as Serena eyes $100MN

Maria Sharapova has made the most prize money of any female tennis player in history apart from the Williams sisters – with veteran Serena still within reach of $100 million as part of a fortune dwarfing her sibling’s winnings.

Five-time Grand Slam title winner Sharapova is said to have raked in almost $39 million in tournament earnings during her sensational career, setting the Russian icon up for a career as an investor since her retirement in 2020.

Sharapova’s earnings over 17 years pale in comparison to the sisters, though, with figures showing they have made a colossal total of almost $137 million, according to Tennis365.

Turning professional on Halloween in 1994 as a 14-year-old, Venus spent 19 weeks as world number one and has earned more than $42 million, remaining active on the tour as a 41-year-old.

Her more successful sister Serena, who has won 23 Grand Slam titles, joined the pro ranks at the same age in October 1995, and still needs $5.5 million more to make $100 million, according to the list.

That is more than double Venus’ earnings, and the Williams sisters could be poised to add more to their fortunes on the court.

On Wednesday, however, Serena revealed she will not be swelling her bank balance at the Australian Open in January, which she has had to pull out of.

“Following the advice of my medical team, I have decided to withdraw from this year’s Australian Open,” she said in a statement.

“While this is never an easy decision to make, I am not where I need to be physically to compete.”

The next best earners after the mentioned trio are Simona Halep (almost $38 million) and Caroline Wozniacki (more than $35 million).

Elsewhere on the list, Russian Svetlana Kuznetsova (almost $26 million) is tenth. At 36, she is unlikely to budge ninth-placed Polished star Agnieszka Radwanska, who has earned almost $2 million more than Kuznetsova despite never claiming a Grand Slam.  

Serena is the only female athlete to have been named on Forbes’ list of the most powerful women in 2021, finishing 85th.

Away from the court, fellow tennis star Naomi Osaka became the highest-paid female athlete ever after making $60 million in 12 months, including $55 million from endorsements alone.

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Iran takes aim at US & UK over Beijing boycott

The spokesman for the Iranian Foreign Ministry has vowed “solidarity” with China and accused the US of leading a “smear campaign” after the White House confirmed a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.

“Whether it’s ‘diplomatic boycott’ of #Beijing22, or depriving Iranian teams from accessing financial resources, everyone should denounce politicization of sport,” tweeted Iranian Foreign Ministry Saeed Khatibzadeh on Thursday.

“Looking forward to participation in the event, we express solidarity with China that is targeted by smear campaign.”

Khatibzadeh shared an image of a tweet from US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi in which she “applauded” Joe Biden’s decision not to send US diplomats to the Games in Beijing, which get under way in February.

READ MORE: Washington’s Beijing Olympics boycott will not go unanswered

Khatibzadeh also shared a Sky News article on UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s decision to follow suit and boycott the Games. Canada also announced this week that it would do the same.

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Justin Trudeau has announced that Canada will be carrying out a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing Olympics © Blair Gable / Reuters
Trudeau leading countries ‘clinging to Cold War mentality’, warns Chinese embassy

China has dismissed the boycotts as a “farce”, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin saying: “Sports has nothing to do with politics. It is they who have written, directed and performed this farce.

“As of now, numerous heads of state, leaders of government and royal family members have registered to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics, and we welcome them.

“China is committed to making greater contributions to the international Olympic cause and will offer up a streamlined, safe and exciting Olympics to the world.”

The boycotts are ostensibly over China’s human rights record, although some – including figures in Russia – have accused the US and its allies of pursuing a political agenda against China.