Football (Soccer) Thread

[Duque de Bragança]

Adeus, Rei.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-64125254

Pelé is no more, quite predictably, given the last few days.

Brazil's government has declared three days of national mourning.

A country with its priorities straight

Well, it improved over the years. Years ago, an early send-off from a World Cup resulted in three days of mourning.
Still, Brazil could only do something very special and original since shooting oneself in the foot is best left to Brits. 

[Tamas]

That Real Madrid penalty was the least penalty-like situation awarded a penalty that I have ever seen.

Not sure why I am surprised though.

[FunkMonk]

Arsenal top of the league at new years and now 7 points clear. Decent year I'd say.

Maybe 2023 will be even better 

[Zoupa]

I predict a spectacular crash out of European position in the next few months.

Or rather, I hope. How the fuck are you scoring so much. 

[Josquius]

Man Utd and Spurs really need to pull their fingers out.
The horse punchers cannot be allowed in the CL.


And oh balls. What I feared given evertons season has come to pass and they've recalled simms. He was doing really well for Sunderland.

[FunkMonk]

I predict a spectacular crash out of European position in the next few months.

Or rather, I hope. How the fuck are you scoring so much. 

 

Sorry about getting Good Ebening'ed by former Arsenal manager Unai Emery and his plucky Aston Villa.

[The Larch]

Fifa's Infantino will ask every country to name stadium in honour of Pelé
Fifa president makes comment while in Brazil for Pelé's funeral
Rio de Janeiro halted plans to name Maracanã after Pelé in 2021

Fifa will ask every country in the world to name a stadium in honour of Pelé, its president, Gianni Infantino, said on Monday.

Pelé, the Brazil great who won the World Cup three times and scored more than 1,000 goals, died last Thursday aged 82.

Infantino, who is in Brazil for Pelé's funeral, told local reporters: "We're going to ask every country in the world to name one of their football stadiums with the name of Pelé."

In April 2021 Rio de Janeiro abandoned plans to name the famous Maracanã stadium after Pelé after it was vetoed by the state governor.

Pelé's coffin was placed inside the Vila Belmiro stadium in Santos on Monday, the home ground of the club where he spent virtually his entire career.

Infantino released a statement on the day of Pelé's death which began: "For everyone who loves the beautiful game, this is the day we never wanted to come. The day we lost Pelé."

[Zanza]

Narrator: No country named a stadium after Pele.

[mongers]

Narrator: No country named a stadium after Pele.

But happily, several named kindergardens after Infantino to 'honour' him.

[The Larch]

It seems that not only Russia has the UK as an international boogeyman.

Iranian sports minister accuses UK of 'sedition plot at World Cup'
Tehran parliament told plan was for national football team to defect on pitch in Qatar but plot was foiled

The UK was plotting for the Iranian national football team to defect on the pitch at the World Cup in Qatar, the minister of sport and youth has told the Iranian parliament, without providing any evidence.

The sports minister, Hamid Sajjadi, told MPs the country's enemies had attempted "the height of sedition". He said the "Old Fox", by which he meant the UK, had planned for Iran's players to walk off the pitch at specified moments and seek to defect.

Sajjadi claimed the Iranian authorities had foiled the plot. He was willing to substantiate his claims in a private session, in what appears to have been part of a failed attempt to stave off an MPs' vote of censure for the state of the national game, after the team was knocked out of the World Cup at the group stage.

Many prominent Iranian footballers have been subjected to harassment by state security services for supporting the protests that have swept the country, but this was the first time a minister claimed there was a plot to subvert the Islamic Republic on the pitch at the tournament.

His remarks came as an Iranian chess player, Sara Khadem, arrived in Spain on Tuesday after receiving what a source close to her said were warnings not to return to Iran after competing without a hijab at an international tournament in Kazakhstan.

Khadem, born in 1997, took part in last week's FIDE World Rapid and Blitz Chess Championships, in Almaty, Kazakhstan, without wearing a hijab, the mandatory headscarf under Iran's dress codes.

The source, who did not want to be named due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Khadem subsequently received multiple phone calls in which individuals warned her against returning home after the tournament, while others said she should go back, promising to "solve her problem".

The sports minister's claims, for which there is no evidence, underline the atmosphere of paranoia that surrounded the men's national team at the World Cup as many of the players struggled with conflicting pressures from protesters and officials.

The claims did not stop him from being censured by the parliament, which accused of him of allowing foreign-based players and coaches to be given massive salaries.

Over the past three months a number of Iranian footballers have been publicly threatened and harassed by the authorities. The former Iran national captain Ali Karimi was forced to flee the country after he expressed support for the protesters on social media, and all his properties and assets in Iran were confiscated by the order of the judiciary. The football manager Ali Daei has also been banned from leaving Iran.

[Sheilbh]

Iran with a little more recent justification.

There's a famous novel and TV series there (I think banned by the Islamic Republic) called "My Uncle Napoleon" where uncle Napoleon basically sees every struggle, minor frustration or problem in his life as being because of a British plot

Edit: It's also one of those ideas where, because the UK is particularly devious/perfidious in using others to advance its interests, that the weaker it becomes the more evidence it is of the British deviousness

[FunkMonk]

Lampard surely has to go. Sheilbh?

[The Larch]

Gareth Bale has just announced his retirement.

[celedhring]

Portugal has appointed Roberto Martínez as manager, my condolences to Duque.

[Duque de Bragança]

Portugal has appointed Roberto Martínez as manager, my condolences to Duque.

Did not expect that one though I obviously wanted some change, Fernando Santos overstayed his welcome but he will be remembered positively.

Obrigado. I have already received condolences from Belgians as well. Makes Fernando Santos look like a success, which he had in the beginning at least, unlike Roberto Martínez, nicknamed disparagingly El Táctico in Belgium. Time for O Táctico I guess, 3-4-3 here we go! Pity Dias has lost his level Pepe is on the way out and Danilo more of a 6 these days. 

Seems like a panic choice by the FPF until a big Portuguese name is available or do they want a foreigner to get rid of some aging players?

André Villas Boas not god enough for them?  I know most coaches would rather go for lucrative deals even in minor leagues or just make money around but not in football (hello Jardim) but still.

You had it coming celedhring 



If you complain, you'll get a Portuguese summary of his press conference.