Though images of players and officials pocketing wads of cash are the first that come to mind when match fixing is discussed, the practice can take many forms. And now match fixers have developed a simple new way of living up to their name: having people bet on matches that don’t actually exist. Ghost games.
Tag: Dirty Tackle
Samuel Eto’o didn’t buy a cursed mansion in Italy
The Italian press ran a story this week worthy of a Scooby Doo episode: That new Sampdoria signing Samuel Eto’o purchased a 40-room villa in Portofino, Italy that is cursed by Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun for €25 million (marked down from €40 million).
DT Exclusive: David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson’s conversation during the PSG-Chelsea match
David Beckham and Sir Alex Ferguson sat near each other at the Parc des Princes for the first leg of PSG and Chelsea’s Champions League round of 16 tie. Though the two have had several cordial meetings since Beckham left Man United a few months after having a boot kicked in his face by Ferguson, this was the first time they’ve taken in a match together in this manner.
The following is an excerpt of their conversation while watching the game.
Anderson requires oxygen mask after 37th-minute substitution
Over the past few seasons, Anderson’s role at Manchester United was inversely proportional to his waistline: it got a lot smaller. In January, the Brazilian midfielder ended a seven-and-a-half year spell at Old Trafford with a free transfer to Internacional, but he hasn’t exactly impressed with his new club yet. Read more
Group of Chelsea fans, Arrigo Sacchi destroy the absurd fantasy that there’s no racism in football
It can be far too easy for people who aren’t directly affected by racism to dismiss it as a thing of the past. Over the last few years, both FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho have both denied the existence of racism in various aspects of football. But, in quick succession, a group of Chelsea fans in Paris and former Italy manager Arrigo Sacchi have provided crystal clear reminders of just how incredibly wrong that notion is at every level.
Australian defender scores own goal from 40 yards out
Central Coast Mariners defender Josh Rose scored one of the most excruciating own goals in recent memory when a misjudged backpass turned into an own goal from 40 yards out in the 89th minute of an AFC Champions League match against Guangzhou R&F.
Mariners keeper Liam Reddy was almost closer to Rose than he was to his own net when the 33-year-old defender attempted the pass in the 89th minute with R&F up 2-0. So Reddy had some distance to cover in his futile attempt to chase down the bouncing ball that made it 3-0.
The Australian club scored in added time, but losing 3-1 probably didn’t make them feel any better.
Bayern Munich fund 60 operations for children in Ukraine
Bayern Munich begin their Champions League round of 16 tie against Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday, but the first leg was moved to Lviv, a Ukrainian city 750 miles away from Donetsk. The decision to move the match came after Shakhtar’s Donbass Arena was damaged by artillery fire amidst the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine.
Chelsea break a window trying to park the bus in Paris
When parking the bus goes wrong. Chelsea suffer a broken window driving into Parc des Princes… pic.twitter.com/pxk7XSNqrK
— AS English (@English_AS) February 17, 2015
PSG’s Twitter account invoked the Chelsea parking the bus meme last weekend (jinxing themselves in the process) and before the two sides began their Champions League round of 16 showdown, Chelsea fueled a new round of jokes by literally having trouble parking their bus.
David Luiz won’t celebrate if he scores against Chelsea, but he does call Mourinho and Blanc ugly
David Luiz is a man who likes to spread and express joy, but, sadly, he has chosen a profession where one man’s joy is too often interpreted as a personal insult to others. This is a result of the #RESPECT syndrome and football is currently being choked by its bitter self-importance.
Players are now expected to react as if they just watched the euthanization of their childhood pet when they score against their former club in order to satisfy the delicate sensibilities of far too many supporters and members of the press. So when David Luiz was asked what he would do if he scores against his old club when PSG face Chelsea in the Champions League round of 16, there was only one answer he was allowed to give.
The key differences between Olivier Giroud then and now
Olivier Giroud scored both of Arsenal’s goals in their 2-0 FA Cup win against Middlesbrough over a span of just two minutes, highlighting his noticeable improvement since he joined the club three years ago.
“I believe that he is a different player today than the guy who arrived here,” said Arsene Wenger of the French striker, who was widely mocked for having the shooting accuracy of a drunk lemur in his first season with Arsenal.
If we compare 2012 Olivier Giroud to 2015 Olivier Giroud, we can pinpoint exactly how he has improved himself.