GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Egyptian state television is reporting that at least 73 people have died, and numbers are being revised upwards late Wednesday 1 February, after two football teams’ fans clashed in Port Said. More than 150 people are reported to be injured. Fans of Masry and al-Ahly teams, both in the top group, poured onto the football field after a match between the two. Masry won 3-1, an upset that triggered the violence. The BBC reports that some fans appear to have carried knives into the stadium, with policy keeping a lower than usual profile after riots in 2011 that was often directed at police under former President Hosni Mubarak’s regime.
Links to other sites: BBC, Reuters
Aljazeera video
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – Frederic Veseli, a Swiss Under-17 defender, says he is “very happy” to be joining Manchester United, which pinched him from rival Manchester City. He moves onto the team’s reserve side initially.
Veseli, 19, went to Manchester City in 2008 from Lausanne Sport. He made his name in 2009 when he captained the Swiss team to the Under 17s World Cup championship.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – Xamax, the Neuchatel football team, lost its license Wednesday 18 January, the latest in a string of major distractions off the field, for the team and Swiss football fans. Controversial club owner Bulat Chagaev has five days to appeal and show that the club is financially sound.
TSR, Swiss public television, Wednesday evening carried a series of reactions to the club’s bump from the Super League as the result of the move by the Swiss Football Association.
The license was taken away after a string of financial incidents, from unpaid supplier bills to unpaid social security bills and alleged fake statements showing that the Chechen owner has $35 milion with which to back the club.
Fox Sports reports that the license loss has prompted an ownership group to prepare “to save the publicly humiliated club from an apparently inevitable demotion of at least two divisions, and possible bankruptcy under its current Chechen owners.” TSR, Swiss public television, reports Wednesday night that
Swiss football has been suffering in recent weeks from other off-the-field fights, with Sion being fined 36 points by the Swiss Football Association, a move the club has hotly contested.
Swiss first division football teams meet in Geneva.
Location: 16, route des Jeunes, Geneva
Link out: http://www.stade.ch/index.html
Date: 6 Nov 2011
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – Football hooligans: Zurich doesn’t want you. The city’s executive committee decided Monday to pursue a zero tolerance programme, folowing confrontations between fans of Grasshopper and FC Zurich Sunday 2 October. The winter pause will see Letzigrund stadium renovations that include separations between groups of fans and the players and referees. Any fireworks will result in the match ending immediately.
The next match at the stadium, between FC Zurich and Basel, considered high risk, will be covered by what the Swiss Football League calls emergncy measures, without detailing these.
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.
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – A 32-year-old Swiss man was treated in hospital and received 9 stitches when someone attacked him from behind and took a knife to his ear following a fourth league football match in Saint-Barthélemy, canton Vaud. Spectators at the match between FC Talent and FC Cugy began to whistle and verbally abuse each other after the second half started and shortly after the match three members of one team attacked a member of the other team. Fans and some team members then got into a free-for-all.
The player who was knifed was not involved in the fight and was leaving the field when he was attacked.
Bystanders called an ambulance, but the emergency team, too, was attacked when it arrived and had to call for police reinforcements.
Six police teams and a police dog found about 50 people when they arrived. Two were arrested later in the evening after several people were questioned. The police Hooligans squad will now determine if they are to be banned from Swiss football matches.
LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND – Skipass, a subsidiary of Kudelski, Lausanne-based world specialist in digital security, will be supplying secure access to half of the 2012 European Football championship matches, including those in Ukraine and at Poland’s largest stadium, the national stadium.
The Salzburg-based company said Monday it signed a contract in July to supply ticketing and secure entry facilities as well as food services ticketing.
Police check Servette supporters' buses en route to Sion for football match
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – Football (soccer) fans in Switzerland have had a lively weekend, starting with a peaceful protest by Turkish fans Friday in Nyon and ending with Geneva Servette fans setting fire to a field, among other hooliganisms, in Sion.
Turkey lays a club to rest in Nyon
Canton Vaud police say a protest Saturday 27 August by about 100 supporters of Turkey’s Fenerbahce football club gathered at Uefa, the European football offices in Nyon, to protest the club’s exclusion from the Uefa Champions League by the Turkish Football Federation. The group, which hadn’t received permission to gather, came from several areas in Europe and starting at 15:00 put on a fake funeral, laying wreaths at Uefa’s door. Police learned about the planned meeting in advance, via the Internet, and had patrols posted in the area as a precaution, but there were no incidents, they say.
Blatter gives date for promised cleanup plan
Associated Press reported Sunday 28 August that Fifa’s president, Sepp Blatter, will provide details of his promised plan to clean up football in October, following a 20-21 October executive committee meetings in Zurich. Blatter promised to rid the sport of corruption when he was re-elected in June on the heels of a scandal that saw several officials, including his opponent for president, Mohamed bin Hammam, banned from football on various charges of corruption.
Basel improves feeble Super League season start, Servette moves up
Basel, Super League current national champions, improved their feeble start to the season by defeating Thun 2-1, after only six points during their first six matches of the season, on home ground.
Servette moves up “after inflicting a 4-0 away defeat on Uefa Europa League participants FC Sion,” reports Fifa, the International Football Federation. “Servette had the points all but wrapped up after netting three times in the opening 24 minutes through Christopher Routis, Mathias Vitkieviez and Ishamel Yartey, and Vitkieviez completed the triumph with his second in the 65th minute.
“The victory sees Servette move up to third, level on 11 points with fourth-placed Sion, who this week progressed through to the group stages of the Europa League after knocking out Celtic in the play-offs.”
Rubber bullets used after hooligans set fire to field, bash toilets
Police put out fire set in field near Sion by football fans
Servette’s victory was marred, however, by hooligans, who were kept in check, but with difficulty, by 180 police officers monitoring the Sion event, including 30 from Geneva.
Police initially intercepted buses with supporters from Geneva heading for Sion and checked them before escorting them directly to the Tourbillon stadium in Sion, to avoid confrontations between groups of supporters.
Servette supporters then broke through the security system to avoid checks at the entrance and once inside caused considerable damage, breaking doors and WCs. A young woman was hospitalized after being seriously cut in the hand.
Police remained on alert during the match, given that 20 or so supporters who have been banned from Swiss stadiums were spotted in the area. Once the match was over “clans” from the two groups of supporters, which had “copiously insulted each other” during the match, say police, tried to clash, with Sion fans rushing the other groups, but police kept them apart, using rubber bullets and pepper sprays.
Two police officers were checked at the hospital after being hit by rocks. Four FC Sion supporters were arrested, ages 33, 30, 28 and 19.
Swiss sports, football
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – The Geneva football team Servette will face local rivals Lausanne FC in the Super League, the top Swiss division, at the Stade de Genève, 17:45, 6 August. It is their first top level meeting for almost 10 years as they have battled against relegation and financial breakdown. The two clubs were promoted to the Super League at the end of last season.
Servette has added a little more spice to the confrontation by calling it “Le derby du lac de Genève” rather than “Lac Léman.”
Zurich will meet Bayern Munich in the play-off qualifying round of the European Champions League, following the draw made at the UEFA headquarters in Nyon, 5 August. The pick of the matches is Arsenal against Italian team Udinese Calcio.
Links to other sites: Le Matin, Tribune de Genève
International sports, football
WEMBLEY, LONDON, ENGLAND – Switzerland let slip the chance of a famous victory as they went from a two-goal lead to a 2-2 draw against England at Wembley, 6 June. Tranquillo Barnetta scored both Swiss goals from free kicks that beat English goalkeeper Joe Hart, once at the far post and once at the near post. England fought back with a penalty by Frank Lampard and a powerful blast by Ashley Young. The new-look Swiss team played some of the best football the fans have seen recently, but the single point is not going to see the team qualify for the finals of the Euro 2012 tournament.
SION, SWITZERLAND – Sion fans were celebrating Sunday night after their team defeated Neuchatel Xamax 2-0 in a one-sided match, with Neuchatel never rising to the occasion.
It was Sion’s 12th Swiss Cup victory in 12 finals.
The train trip to Basel, site of the final, left a less positive trail, with one person injured by the crowd as it passed through Lausanne, according to ATS news agency. The train cars were heavily damaged, with two fires set in one train and windows broken. A dozen people were reportedly arrested, mainly for having fireworks.
GENEVA, SWITZERLAND – It was a fine weekend for sports fans, with the best and the brightest putting on good shows:
Football – Barcelona defeated Manchester United 3-1 in a master class performance, with the Man United team and coach graciously afterwards that Barcelona is simply the best team in Europe. Details, The Guardian
Tennis – Roger Federer smoothly sailed past fellow Swiss player Stanislas Wawrinka 6-3, 6-2, 7-5. He now has his 28th consecutive Grand Slam quarter-final place. Details, Roland Garros
Formula 1 – Sebastian Vettel won in Monte Carlo, with Fernando Alonso second and Jenson Button in third. Details, Formula 1 de Monaco
Mohamed bin Hammam dropped out of the presidential race early Sunday and Fifa provisionally suspended him Sunday evening
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – Fifa, the international football body, Sunday 29 May provisionally suspended four officials from any involvement in football worldwide while it continues it investigation into possible breaches of the organization’s code of ethics.
But the case against President Sepp Blatter was dismissed. Blatter appeared before the committee Sunday. He is now running for re-election, with no one else in the race.
Vice-president Jack A Warner and Fifa executive committee member Mohamed bin Hammam may not take “part in any football-related activity (administrative, sports or any other) worldwide after [the ethics committee examined] their cases in relation to alleged violations of the Fifa Code of Ethics linked to the upcoming FIFA presidential election”, the committee said in a statement issued Sunday evening in Zurich.
The election is scheduled for 3 June. “The allegation can be summed up as follows,” Petrus Damaseb, vice-president of the ethics committee said at a press conference after the all-day meeting. “The meeting was called to take place at the 10-11 of May in Port au Prince in Trinidad & Tobago, and at that meeting individuals there present were offered sums of money to vote for Mr bin Hamman, that is the essence of the allegation.” The sum in question was $40,000.
Petrus Damaseb, speaking for Fifa's ethics committee, led a press conference Sunday night
“The ethics committee considered that a provisional suspension was required while the investigation continues, taking into account the gravity of the case and the likelihood that a breach of the Fifa code of ethics and the Fifa disciplinary code has been committed. Meanwhile, regarding the ethics proceedings opened against Fifa President Joseph S Blatter at the request of Mohamed bin Hammam for a potential breach of the Fifa code of ethics, all charges were dismissed in full, as the ethics committee found that no breach of the code of ethics had been committed.”
Two Caribbean Football Union officials were also provisionally suspended: Debbie Minguell and Jason Sylvester. Their possible breaches of the code are also under investigation.
The members of the ethics committee panel reviewing the various accusations are: deputy chairman Petrus Damaseb (Namibia) and members Juan Pedro Damiani (Uruguay), Sondre Kaafjord (Norway), Les Murray (Australia) and Robert Torres (Guam).
Update 29 May 18:55 ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – (Ed. note: AFP is reporting Sunday evening, but it is not yet confirmed elsewhere, that Blatter has been cleared, bin Hammam has been suspended while the investigation continues, and the 1 June election is to go ahead)
The contentious vote for the new president of Fifa, the international football governing body, became a lot simpler Sunday 29 May, with current president Sepp Blatter remaining the only one running. Mohamed bin Hammam, who opposed him, declared on his web site in the early hours of Sunday that he is pulling out of the race.
The two appeared for hearings as part of an investigation by Fifa’s ethics committee, which is meeting Sunday 29 May.
“I cannot allow the name that I loved to be dragged more and more in the mud because of competition between two individuals. The game itself and the people who love it around the world must come first. It is for this reason that I announce my withdrawal from the presidential election,” he notes on his site.
“I will not put my personal ambition ahead of FIFA’s dignity and integrity. Besides, I believe my candidacy has been a catalyst for debate within FIFA and has brought change to the top of the agenda. I pray that my withdrawal will not be tied to the investigation held by the FIFA Ethics Committee as I will appear before the Ethics Committee to clear my name from the baseless allegations that have been made against me.”
Sepp Blatter (photo: Agencia Brasil, Roosewelt Pinheiro/Abr)
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – Down to the wire, with less than a week to go in the election for the post of president of Fifa, world football’s governing body, and the fight for the job is sullied by allegations of corruption against both candidates. The Fifa ethics committee Friday 27 May agreed to summon President Sepp Blatter, who is standing for re-election, acting on yesterday’s request by executive committee member Mohamed bin Hammam.
Blatter is to appear before the committee Sunday, three days before the election.
Bin Hammam was summoned to appear before the committee Wednesday.
The committee is investigating charges made last week of alleged cash payments to delegations attending a special meeting of the Caribbean Football Union. The latest accusations of corruption against Fifa officials continue a string of scandals, as well as questions about how the 2018 and 2022 games were awarded.
Britain’s sport minister, Hugh Robertson, said in a statement Friday that “The Fifa presidential election campaign has descended into a farce,” Robertson said in a statement.” Robertson has “hinted” that national football/soccer bodies may want to break away from Fifa, Reuters reports.
ZURICH, SWITZERLAND – The FA, England’s national football association, has decided against voting for the next president of Fifa, the Zurich-based International Football, saying in a brief statement issued Thursday afternoon 19 May that it cannot support either candidate. AP sports writers put it more baldly, saying that the FA is “unable to choose between two candidates tainted by allegations of corruption scandal”.
The statement issued by FA Chairman David Bernstein, in its entirety:
“There are a well-reported range of issues both recent and current which, in the view of The FA board, make it difficult to support either candidate.
The FA values its relationships with its international football partners extremely highly. We are determined to play an active and influential role through our representation within both UEFA and FIFA. We will continue to work hard to bring about any changes we think would benefit all of international football.”
The two candidates are Sepp Blatter, who is seeking a fourth term from 2012 to 2016 and Mohamed bin Hammam of Qatar, who successfully obtained the 2022 World Cup Games for his country.
Blatter has headed Fifa while a scandal involving members of the executive board unfolded, while there have been charges that Qatar paid Fifa board members to vote for it.
Chateau de Bethusy, Lausanne, where the CAS sports arbitration court, holds its hearings
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The CAS, the international arbitration court for sports in Lausanne, says it has accepted for review the appeals by two former officials of the international football federation, Fifa.
Former Fifa executive committee member Amos Adamu of Nigeria has asked that he be found not guilty and his three-year suspension overturned.
Ahongalu Fusimalohi of Tonga is asking that his ban be lifted.
The two were part of a group of six officials found guilty on various corruption charges linked to the 2018 and 2022 football World Cup bidding contests. Fifa in November 2010 handed out fines ranging from CHF5,000 to CHF10,000 and the officials were banned from participating in any football-related activities for a period of one to four years.
The CAS has not yet set a date for the hearings.
Rangers FC was quick to get the bad news to fans
Update 22:00 Geneva / Nyon, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Scotland’s Rangers football club has been handed a 40,000 euros fine and its fans have been banned from the team’s next away match, by the European football union, Nyon-based Uefa, Thursday 28 April. The Uefa decision noted that the fine and sanctions come “as a result of the discriminatory behaviour of fans in a tie against PSV Eindhoven.”
The team expressed bitter disappointment at the decision, after putting forth the case that it has made clear it does not support and tries to weed out fans who sing “sectarian songs” at matches, such as the Glasgow anti-Catholic and anti-Irish version of “Billy Boy”. The club has argued that it is being singled out unfairly, since the practice of racist or otherwise discriminatory singing is widespread, but to little avail.
Martin Bain, chief executive, said in a statement, “To be clear, we condemn sectarianism and there is no doubt the mindless behaviour of an element of our support has exposed the Club to a very serious situation. The people who engage in this type of behaviour are damaging the Club they claim to support. It is abundantly clear from this decision that if there is any sectarian singing at future matches the suspended bans will take effect. Those fans who engage in such activity need to take that message on board.”
A second away-game ban was issued, but suspended, as was a home game fans ban with additional 40,000 euros fine, which now hang over the club.
Links to other sites: Guardian, The Scotsman, Sky Sports, Rangers site
Chelsea and Man United will face off during the UEFA quater-finals
Geneva and Nyon, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The Friday morning Uefa draw for the Champions League quarter-finals will provide real tension for the 5-6 and 12-13 April matches. Chelsea and Manchester United face off, and as the Uefa report on the draw points out:
“Sir Alex Ferguson’s team denied Chelsea a first European Champion Clubs’ Cup in a dramatic penalty shoot-out in Moscow three years ago, and the London club will have a shot at revenge next month. While Chelsea are reigning English champions, United currently lead them by nine points in the Premier League and have history on their side in the competition having been crowned Europe’s finest three times.”
FC Internazionale Milano will meet FC Schalke 04. The two clubs last met in a major tournament in 1997.
Nine-time trophy winners Real Madrid CF is up against Tottenham Hotspur FC, so Madrid escapes playing Barcelona at this stage, but the Spanish teams could face each other in the semi-finals if FC Barcelona chases out FC Shakhtar Donetsk.
Quarter-final draw (5/6 and 12/13 April)
Real Madrid CF (ESP) v Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)
Chelsea FC (ENG) v Manchester United FC (ENG)
FC Barcelona (ESP) v FC Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
FC Internazionale Milano (ITA) v FC Schalke 04 (GER)
Semi-final draw (26/27 April and 3/4 May)
1: Inter/Schalke v Chelsea /Manchester United
2: Madrid/Tottenham v Barcelona/Shakhtar
Final (28 May, Wembley)
Winner semi-final 2 v Winner semi-final 1
Zurich, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Ottmar Hitzfeld, German coach who took Switzerland’s football team to the World Cup in 2010, will stay on until the summer of 2014, the Swiss Football Federation announced Thursday 10 March. Hitzfeld is widely considered one of Germany’s most successful football coaches; he joined the Swiss team in 2008 for a contract until 2012.
He will now stay on long enough to see Switzerland into the next World Cup if the team qualifies.
International sports, football
Anfield, Liverpool (GenevaLunch) - Liverpool may not win any titles this season but they might well have played a role in denying one to Manchester United. They deservedly beat their archrivals 3-1, with a hat-trick by Dirk Kuyt, 6 March. Man United fielded a side weakened in defense because of the absence of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand, but they were comprehensively outplayed in all departments.
Arsenal could only draw 0-0 against Sunderland but are just three points behind United in the Premier League and still have a game in hand. Man City stay third after a 1-0 win over Wigan.
Tottenham travelled to Wolverhampton for the best game of the weekend: a thrilling 3-3 draw.
In the Spanish La Liga Barcelona and Real Madrid both won. Inter Milan beat Genoa 5-2 and AC Milan beat Juventus in Series A. In the Swiss Super League Basel are still on top after a 3-1 win over Zurich. Neuchatel lost 1-2 to Bellinzona while Thun-Luzern ended 3-3.
Links to other sites: Premier League, Guardian
International sports, football friendly in Geneva
Messi training in Geneva 8 February - Photo courtesy AFA
(video) Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – Lionel Messi was busy at work kicking his zapatillas, as Argentinians call their trainers, at the Stade de Genève where his team will meet the Portuguese squad in the first exciting football friendly of the year.
Messi and the rest of the team were busy “training offensive and defensive plays and keeping their goalkeeper Sergio Romero and his replacement Mariano Andúja busy” reported their official Argentinian website.
Training was anything but soft in Geneva with three Argentinian players reporting some light injuries.
Sergio Romero twisted an ankle and Gabriel Milito hurt his nose and had to be taken to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with a cut. Nicolás Pareja was having problems with his ankle and was ordered to sit out today’s game.
Portuguese prepare for tough game
The Portuguese know their fans will back them up in Geneva and are preparing for a difficult game.
“We will not change our strategy for the game against Argentina” said Paulo Bento, the Portuguese coach. It makes “no sense” he added.
When asked if he thought Cristiano Ronaldo, who will lead the squad, will match up against Ballon d’Or winner Messi, he refused to compare them.
“I’ve said it before. This is not the way I approach football. What we want to do now is to leverage the qualities of Ronaldo in the collective context,” he said.
The Portuguese please their fans, the Argentinians shun them
Portugal’s Seleçao trained to a full stadium in Meyrin. Their public training 8 February attracted more than 3,000 fans. A video report on Swiss public television TSR shows the Portuguese squad enjoying their fans’ attention.
The Argentinians, however, shunned the attention, training away from cameras and fans at the Geneva stadium and keeping Messi away from everyone. “We are very disappointed” said one of them who waited outside for a glimpse of the star.
The team is giving fans another chance, however: they have just made it public that they are staying at La Réserve in Bellevue, and that they will leave 11 February at 18:35 from the Geneva airport. They will fly via Madrid to Buenos Aires.
This might be another chance for Geneva football fans to catch Messi, although he won’t be wearing zapatillas this time.
TSR
(video) The Green Bay Packers, from the northern US where daunting amounts of snow are the norm, took the minds of the rest of the US off snow-provoked worries to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in the Super Bowl, played in Arlington, Texas. It was the fourth Super Bowl title for the Packers, against the record six held by the Steelers but despite the Steelers’ legendary strength and what Sports Illustrated describes as a “furious” fight, the Packers never let the Pittsburgh team get a foothold.
But what really had social networks talking was the singer, Christina Aguilera, messing up her lines partway through, although the crowd appeared to love her singing in any event.
A Portuguese fan worried about his team - Photo Euro208 by Amir Rijaveck
Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The Portuguese Seleçao has confirmed that Ronaldo Cristiano will lead the squad in Geneva 9 February in the friendly match against Argentina, and football fans everywhere are preparing for the Swiss showdown between Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Portugal and the South Americans have played only six times previously, with Argentina beating the Portuguese four times and tying once. Portugal has only been able to beat the Celeste once and that was back in 1972.
The game was moved to Geneva from London where it was originally scheduled to take place.
The last time Argentina played in Geneva was in 2005 when it was defeated by England 3-2 during a friendly.
Three employees have been fired and two suspended at the University of Iowa Hospitals in the US for breaching patient privacy in a case involved 13 Iowa Hawkeyes football players, the university announced 3 February. The 13 have contracted a rare disease, rhabdomyolysis, according to their coach, and the hospital has been searching for the cause of the disease. It is unclear, while the hospital investigation goes on, if the five leaked the information, to which they had electronic access, to the public or media.
AP reports that the disease “causes muscle fibers to be released into the bloodstream and can cause kidney damage. They checked into the hospital last week complaining of soreness and discolored urine after undergoing intense workouts following winter break. The players spent several days getting treatment and were all discharged by Sunday.”
The Iowa Hawkeyes football team is currently ranked fourth in the Big Ten of US college football.
Links to other sites: CBS sports, ESPN, U of Iowa press release
Chateau de Bethusy, Lausanne, home of the international sports arbitration court
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - Oleh Oriekhov, the Ukrainian football referee accused of game fixing, has lost his appeal. He was handed a life ban “on exercising any football-related activity” by Uefa, the European football federation based in Nyon, in July 2010. Oriekhov took his case to Cas (international sports arbitration court) in Lausanne, which announced Tuesday 18 January that it has upheld the ban, citing repeated contacts between Oriekhov and “and the members of a criminal group involved in match-fixing and betting fraud”.
The referee, under Uefa regulations, should have immediately alerted the football federation when he was first contacted, and it was his failure to do so that is behind the court’s decision.
A 15 December Cas hearing showed that “it has been convincingly established” that Oriekhov had contacts before and after the specific match in question between FC Basel and CSKA Sofia, Cas notes in a statement. “The existence or not of an effective manipulation concerning the Europa League match between FC Basel and CSKA Sofia could not be established during the Cas procedure.”
“On 5 November 2009, the referee Oleg Oriekhov officiated a match between FC Basel and CSKA Sofia in group E of the 2009-2010 UEFA Europa League.
International sports, football
In 2008 Portuguese fans in Geneva saw their team kicked out of the Euro Cup, the 2010 friendly could be their chance to make it up to their fans - Photo Euro208 by Amir Rijaveck
Update 20:00 / Geneva, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – February 9 is the date for a battle of the famous when footballer Cristiano Ronaldo of Portugal and his national team face the world’s most valuable player in football, Lionel Messi from Argentina, and his squad.
Ronaldo, the highest paid soccer player in the world, and the Portuguese squad facing off with Messi, widely considered the best player of his generation, are expected to draw thousands of fans to the Stade de Genève.
The Portuguese living in Geneva made up an estimated seven percent of the city’s population in 2008.
The friendly will kick off at 20:00 on 9 February.
The game was moved to Geneva from London where it was originally scheduled to take place, a change confirmed by the official site of the Argentina football team.
The last time Argentina played in Geneva was in 2005 when it was defeated by England 3-2 during a friendly.
Fifa named best for press facilities for 2010 World Cup by world sports journalists
Rafael Nadal wins US Open 2010 (photo, Ella Ling)
Lausanne, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) – The AIPS (International Sports Press Association) has named Rafael Nadal the world’s top male athlete and Blanka Vlasic the top female, in its annual sports awards. Nadal, Spanish is the number one tennis player in the world and Vlasic, from Croatia, has won 18 of 20 high-jumping competitions in 2010, and she currently holds the world indoor and European titles.
The AIPS named Fifa, the world football federation, as the organization providing the best media facilities, at the 2010 football World Cup matches in South Africa. The IOC, International Olympic Committee, was second, for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Games. The AIPS and the IOC are both based in Lausanne, Switzerland.
International sports, European Champions League football
Nyon, Switzerland (GenevaLunch) - The draw for the first knockout round of the European Champions League took place in Nyon from 12:00 Friday 17 December. Highlights include a re-match of last season’s final between Inter Milan and Bayern Munich, while the crowd pleaser is likely to be Arsenal against Barcelona, another rematch from last season. AC Milan play Spurs while Chelsea travel to Copenhagen for their first match. Manchester United meet Marseille. The full fixture list is:
Roma v Shakhtar Donetsk
Milan v Tottenham
Valencia v Schalke
Internazionale v Bayern Munich
Lyon v Real Madrid
Arsenal v Barcelona
Marseille v Manchester United
FC Copenhagen v Chelsea
In the Europa League FC Basel meet Spartak Moscow while Young Boys meet St Petersburg.
