FIFA and almost every soccer governing body try to evade any politics from the game, and that is why whenever something like a political protest happens on the field, governing body punishes the responsible. In London Olympics, Jongwoo Park, South Korea player celebrated his team’s bronze medal by displaying a banner bearing “Dokdo is our territory.” More importantly, South Korea defeated Japan to win its medal, and it has been a decades old dispute between two countries over Dokdo. So, it was taken as a prohibited protest whereby FIFA and IOC banned the player for two matches and reminded Korean Football Associated “of its obligation to properly instruct its players.” Additionally, player has also been slapped with 3,500 Swiss francs fine for warming diplomatic spat between two countries. However, during the disciplinary proceedings against him, he said that the banner was not brought in by him; perhaps he picked up a thrown banner from the crowd. Even then, FIFA found it in violation … [Read more...]
A 21 year old Football Manager player becomes manager of FC Baku
Soccer has always been a game of many surprises: may it be its high mounting prize money, or its in-ground chit chats that become more than critical some times. Close followers of professional football know how difficult it is to become a manager of a professional soccer club, especially in the time when Clubs like Chelsea and QPR have fired their managers over deprived results. An interesting event happened last month, when Vugar Huseynzade, a 21 year old, was appointed as the manager of Azerbaijan Premier League club FC Baku. Apart from his age, his only quality, as far as the game of soccer is concerned, is his mastery with a virtual soccer simulator game Football Manager. Yes, he used to play a video game like virtual simulator and grasp the knowledge of the game, perhaps, his knowledge found to be so perfect that FC Baku’s think-tank decided to crown him as their manger. He even defeated his close rival for the job Jean-Pierre Papin, who was 1991 European Player of the Year. … [Read more...]
Asamoah Gyan: Life after His Mother’s Demise
Al-Ain striker and Black stars captain: Asamoah Gyan has had a bad news last week when his mother died after a road accident. She reportedly had his car crashed on a wall nearby Ghana National Association of Teachers Hall. She died immediately though it was confirmed later when she was taken to a nearby hospital. Asamoah Gyan is a popular soccer personality in African nations along with other parts of the world, especially in France where he used to play. This news spread in the whole world like a fire, and whole community gave its condolences to this gloomy departure of a star’s mother. Though, it was a major blow for the Ghana national team’s captain, yet he promised to give his 100% despite his personal life’s ups and downs. He said after the death, “Life is full of ups and downs; you don’t always get what you want. I planned celebrating her birthday with her today but it is unfortunate we didn’t meet her. We want to wish her happy birthday wherever she is. I am close to my mum, but … [Read more...]
Chidzambwa and others are banned for life by ZIFA
It was a match fixing scandal that happened in 2009 in Asia and there were many Zimbabwean players and officials who were since being investigated by Football Association. Now a final verdict has been pronounced by Zimbabwean Football Association (ZIFA) and found many accused as responsible for that fixing; hence they all are banned for life. Prominent names among them are former player Sunday Marimo Chidzambwa who is now a national soccer coach of Zimbabwe along with Henrietta Rushwaya, its ex-chief executive officer. Judgment was passed on yesterday by the supreme soccer governing body of Zimbabwe. ZIFA’s current chief executive officer Cuthbert Dube said, “We say zero tolerance to match-fixing and illegal betting. The dark episode should now be consigned to history's dump site and it is incumbent upon the entire family of football to jealously safeguard the beautiful game from its enemies.” Notably, the said investigation was independent and headed by a retired judge Ahmed … [Read more...]
Now Singapore to have Lie Detector tests to cure soccer match fixing
After some African and Bulgarian clubs, Singapore is the next to take on match fixing much seriously than others. In the latest developments, Football Association of Singapore’s general secretary Winston Lee has confirmed their intentions to use mandatory polygraph tests to cure rising complaints of match fixing. Perhaps, match fixing is a global cancer which is hollowing the proudest sport in the world. In many parts of the world, some big clubs or rather big players are often alleged for their involvement in some sort of match fixing. Moreover, recently, many Premier League’s players have been suspended by FA for their proved conviction in deciding a match outside the field. Lee told the media that how recently some foreigners entered in Singapore and offered huge money to their goalkeepers. He said, “Recently some foreigners flew into the country and offered a large sum of money to a goalkeeper, and he reported this to our FA and we had these people arrested and they are now in jail … [Read more...]