Football (Soccer) Thread

[Syt]

Didn't FIFA lobby Brazil to change their laws that prohibited alcohol in stadiums (which Brazil had introduced to curb fan violence)?

[Josquius]

Has there ever been an opening game where more people couldn't point to either side on a map?

[The Larch]

Didn't FIFA lobby Brazil to change their laws that prohibited alcohol in stadiums (which Brazil had introduced to curb fan violence)?

I guess some hosts are easier to bully than others.

Or maybe Qatar offered to pay whatever compensation Budweiser will ask from FIFA.

[Syt]

Out of curiosity I had a look what DAZN is doing the next few weeks (they cover part of German Bundesliga here, Seria A, La Liga, Ligue 1, parts of the Eeredivise, I think?

Anyways, they have riveting program tomorrow. Friendly matches:
Sweden - Algeria
Estonia - Lithuania
Latvia - Iceland
Turkey - Czech Rep
Gibraltar - Andorra
Kosovo - Faroe Islands
Albania - Armenia

They also have two matches from the EFL, and one from the women's league in Spain.

Kinda curious to watch Gibraltar v. Andorra (not gonna sub for it, though )

[Maladict]

Or maybe Qatar offered to pay whatever compensation Budweiser will ask from FIFA.

Yeah, I wouldn't be surprised if that was the plan all along. A few million more doesn't matter to Qatar, and they get to push back against the slave labor obsessed westerners.

[The Larch]

On non-WC news...

Manchester United to sue Cristiano Ronaldo and ban him over interview

Club allege breach of contract over comments in interview
Ronaldo told not to return to training base after World Cup

Manchester United have appointed lawyers to sue Cristiano Ronaldo for alleged breach of contract after claims made by the forward in a recent interview, with the club seeking a swift resolution to the issue.

It means Ronaldo will almost certainly never play for United again and it is understood the 37-year-old has been instructed not to return to the club's Carrington training base after his participation with Portugal in the World Cup in Qatar.

When speaking to Piers Morgan on Talk TV Ronaldo made a series of allegations about United. These included that he is being forced out by the club, that senior executives lacked empathy after his newborn son died in April, that the owners, the Glazer family, do not care about the club, and that the manager, Erik ten Hag, does not respect him.

On Friday a club statement said: "Manchester United has this morning initiated appropriate steps in response to Cristiano Ronaldo's recent media interview. We will not be making further comment until this process reaches its conclusion."

Ronaldo's contract is worth about £500,000 a-week and expires in July. United had no prior knowledge of the interview given by Ronaldo, who wanted to leave in the summer. He is due to arrive in Doha on Friday at 11pm local time with the Portugal squadbefore the team's first training session on Saturday afternoon.

Ronaldo is in his second spell at United after a supremely successful six years that ended in 2009 with his having won three Premier Leagues, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the Champions League and the Ballon d'Or. His individual contribution made him a hero for United fans and ranked him among the club's greatest players.

Ronaldo's return in summer 2021 was greeted ecstatically by supporters and hailed as a coup by Ten Hag's predecessor, Ole Gunnar Solskjær. But in going public with his claims against United Ronaldo has seriously damaged this standing and status.

This followed his walking out before the end of the July friendly with Rayo Vallecano and October's 2-0 league win over Tottenham. Despite this Ten Hag made Ronaldo captain for the 3-1 loss at Aston Villa on 6 November. It seems this will be his final appearance for the club.

[Josquius]

Out of curiosity I had a look what DAZN is doing the next few weeks (they cover part of German Bundesliga here, Seria A, La Liga, Ligue 1, parts of the Eeredivise, I think?

Anyways, they have riveting program tomorrow. Friendly matches:
Sweden - Algeria
Estonia - Lithuania
Latvia - Iceland
Turkey - Czech Rep
Gibraltar - Andorra
Kosovo - Faroe Islands
Albania - Armenia

They also have two matches from the EFL, and one from the women's league in Spain.

Kinda curious to watch Gibraltar v. Andorra (not gonna sub for it, though )

Is there some kinda "yeah well we didn't wanna be in your tournament anyway" micro nation Cup going on?

[The Larch]

Btw, I recently read that Infantino actually lives in Qatar. Is Switzerland losing the global battle for amoral heads of private sports bodies?

[Sheilbh]

Didn't FIFA lobby Brazil to change their laws that prohibited alcohol in stadiums (which Brazil had introduced to curb fan violence)?

Yeah - they also got changes to Russian policing on their stadiums. I don't think it's normally lobbying but a condition of hosting.

I thought it was one of those things - maybe like the Olympics? - where, technically, for the duration of the tournament the stadiums are not really subject to national law but basically the laws of "Fifaland"/the IOC.

Is there some kinda "yeah well we didn't wanna be in your tournament anyway" micro nation Cup going on?

Yeah I'd not thought of it but presumably the interruption to domestic seasons still applies to countries/players who haven't qualified so I suppose they need to do something to fill the time?

[garbon]

Didn't FIFA lobby Brazil to change their laws that prohibited alcohol in stadiums (which Brazil had introduced to curb fan violence)?

I guess some hosts are easier to bully than others.

Or maybe Qatar offered to pay whatever compensation Budweiser will ask from FIFA.

I feel like 'bully' is strange terminology to use when talking about Qatar.

[The Larch]

Didn't FIFA lobby Brazil to change their laws that prohibited alcohol in stadiums (which Brazil had introduced to curb fan violence)?

I guess some hosts are easier to bully than others.

Or maybe Qatar offered to pay whatever compensation Budweiser will ask from FIFA.

I feel like 'bully' is strange terminology to use when talking about Qatar.

Well, this might be a first in this time it being the host bullying FIFA, rather than the other way around. 

[Grey Fox]

DAZN here has a lot of League One games along with the international friendlies.

And also, the NFL.

[The Larch]

Over here only the 1st division will stop. 2nd division and everything downwards continues as usual.

[FunkMonk]

Qatar is altering the deal. Fifa should pray Qatar doesn't alter it further.

[Sheilbh]

Qatar is altering the deal. Fifa should pray Qatar doesn't alter it further.

That's the point Daniel Storey made - the pitch of the "fan experience" in this World Cup was get to the stadium early, have a drink with friends and watch the game.

Qatar are changing what the fan experience will be two days before the tournament starts. Just have to hope it's the only thing they change.