ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – The Swiss Supreme Court has just ruled against Fifa in the case of Brazilian footballer Matuzalem, Forbes is saying the International Olympic Committee (IOC) should be worried about Fifa, and the Zurich-based football group is about to publish the measures it envisages to fight corruption. Few would accuse Fifa, the world football federation, of leading a quiet life, but this is a particularly busy news week for the group.
Matuzalem was ordered to pay $15.8 million to his former club, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Fifa ruled that if he fell behind on his payments he would be banned from the sport. But the high court ruled that this was taking things too far. SI/AP notes that this is a rare victory in the five-year battle between the player and his former club. “A CAS (Lausanne-based sports arbitration court) panel ordered the eight-figure compensation after Matuzalem broke his Shakhtar contract in July 2007 to join Zaragoza, increasing the amount previously awarded by Fifa. That CAS decision in May 2009 was hailed as a victory for clubs and contractual stability against the growing trend of player power.”
Meanwhile, Forbes writes, all is not as smooth as it might be in Brazil, Matuzalem’s home, with the 2014 World Cup coming up. Fifa has been showing its muscle there, too, and, writes Forbes, it appears to be reminding the country that “Fifa ultimately calls the shots and when Brazil signed on for the event they agreed to a governance structure that makes the local organizing committee ‘subject to the supervision and control of Fifa, which has the last word on all matters relevant to the 2014 Fifa World Cup. The decisions of Fifa are final.’”
Fifa will be in sports headlines Friday with the long-awaited proposal on how Fifa corruption and reform, by a team led by Mark Pieth. The former UN investigator was hired by Fifa President Seth Blatter in November 2011 to draw up the proposals based on his research into Fifa’s past problems. AP reports that while Blatter appears to be backing the report, Pieth warns the proposals will be “tough” on Fifa.
BASEL, SWITZERLAND – Basel FC has moved to the top of the Champions League after defeating newcomer Otelul Galati of Romania 2-1 in Basel 14 September. Manchester United slipped after a 1-1 draw against Benfica in Lisbon, with an unimpressive opening. The favoured UK team never rose to the challenge.
Uefa announced 13 September that all 32 clubs taking part in this year’s Champions League can expect a minimum of euros 7.2 million, while the winner stands to take in at least euros 31.5 million.
Uefa also confirmed earlier this week that FC Sion, under disciplinary action, will not take part in the Europa League and will be replaced by Celtic FC.
Look for a very special party at the Mad Club in Geneva 11 March: DJs from Switzerland and the US will play tech-house, electronic, trip-hop and other cool sounds from 23:00 to 5:00.
This soirée is different because a Nuit Blanche? team will be visiting the club to promote alternatives to drugs and alcohol. Nuit Blanche? is an organization, well-known among clubbers, that works to keep people “informed on their choices”.
A “chill-out” area will offer an alcohol-free space for those who want to “keep it cool”.
The group visits clubs around the region regularly.
Location: Geneva
Link out: http://mad-geneve.ch/index.php?2011/03/11/432-o…
Date: 11 Mar 2011
Coach and co-owner of the Geneva Servette Hockey Club, Chris McSorley
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Christophe Stucki joined the Geneva-Servette Hockey Club Monday 14 February as the company’s new general director, with responsibility for the staff, monitoring revenue and developing game operations, according to Chris McSorley, one of the club’s two owners.
The move by club President Hugh Quennec comes shortly after the team hit a rough spot in the 2010-2011 season, with several crippling injuries and the loss of top player Thomas Déruns in order to keep the club’s finances healthy.
The team has slipped slightly in Swiss A league club rankings to 6 out of 12 teams, but it has made it to the playoffs for the eighth time in nine years. McSorley says that while he expected this, he is proud of the club’s efforts despite what he calls “an abnormal amount of injuries”.
The team has won 17 of 46 matches this season.
Stucki’s addition will not deplete the hockey team budget, which is separate from that for administration. It’s the latest in a step-by-step effort to professionalize the entire operation, says McSorley, moving beyond previous director Philippe Kneubuehler, who left in 2009 after four years and Louis Christoffel, former director.
“Our ambition is to be one of the biggest, best-run sports franchises in Europe,” McSorley says, noted “for the quality of the administration and the players on the ice.”
Stucki’s background is in finance, most recently in the jewelry industry, and includes a stint as a senior auditor for PriceWaterhouseCooper. He was head of finance and administration for Cartier Joaillerie, a branch of the Geneva Richemont group, until 2008, and he has worked as an independent consultant since then.
“We’re not only the owners, but it’s an owner-managed company,” says McSorley of his role and that of Quennec, his partner. “Hugh is involved as a poliltician, in the renovation project at Les Vernets, the new arena project and monitoring the programme of the foundation. I still have my hockey club responsibilities. I’m both manager and coach, two fulltime jobs in one.”
Two new additions after Lausanne-Basel match set early-season example, say Vaud police
(video) Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The hooligans cell of the Vaud Police Department has issued a “perimeters” ban against two Lausanne Hockey Club (LHC) fans, following an ice rink ban issued by the Hockey Club Bienne (HCB) against the two after they caused post-match damage in April in Bienne.
The new ban brings to 49 the number of hooligans given perimeter bans by Vaud authorities since 1 July 2010, when the bans became cross-sport: the two cannot approach any football stadiums or hockey rinks in Vaud.
Cantonal bans can be enforced country-wide, effectively banning the two from all hockey and football arenas throughout Switzerland, for an indefinite period.
“We’re sending out a message at the start of the hockey season,” Vaud police spokesperson Jean-Christophe Sauteral told GenevaLunch. “There are no borders. We want to make it clear that we’re working with other cantons, that we’re all working together.”
Vaud has a relatively small population of hooligans, who cluster around Swiss National League A teams in Zurich, Zug, Basel, Fribourg and Geneva, for example. But the problem, says Sauteral, is Swiss-wide and police are working more closely together than in the past.
Sports clubs can ban hooligans from their own stadiums or rinks, with a national extension for their sport, but the bans don’t carry the weight of law. Seventeen Vaud hooligans have been banned from stadiums and ice rinks in Vaud since July. The sports clubs share the information with police, who can take a ban to the next level: breaking a perimeters ban is a criminal offense under Swiss law.
The two LHC fans were tracked and investigated by the Bienne police hooligans cell, which transmitted information to Lausanne. The two are men, age 20, Swiss and members of the “Ultras” fan club Section Ouest 93. They explained their actions by saying they were down about their team’s loss to Bienne 24 April, and they were provoked by Bienne fans.
They have each been issued a two-year ban.
Swiss Hockey is launching a “respect” campaign for the start of the season to encourage better behaviour on and off the ice:
Check out Nextstop‘s brilliant list of all the trendiest night spots in Lausanne! (from Rambling Epicure, Jonell Galloway-White, on GenevaLunch)
