Tottenham official Fabio Paratici to serve worldwide ban

Tottenham managing director of football Fabio Paratici will serve a worldwide ban for his part in a false accounting scandal involving Juventus, FIFA confirmed on Wednesday. (File/AP)
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Updated 30 March 2023
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Tottenham official Fabio Paratici to serve worldwide ban

  • Paratici, a former sporting director at Juventus who has taken up a new position at Tottenham, was handed the longest ban of 2½ years by the Italian soccer federation

MANCHESTER, England: Tottenham managing director of football Fabio Paratici will serve a worldwide ban for his part in a false accounting scandal involving Juventus, FIFA said Wednesday.

Italy’s most famous soccer team was hit with a 15-point penalty in January and bans were handed out to a number of its officials, including former president Andrea Agnelli and former CEO Maurizio Arrivabene.

Paratici, who had already left his role as sporting director and taken up a new position at Tottenham, was handed the longest ban of 2½ years by the Italian soccer federation. That has now been extended worldwide.

“FIFA can confirm that following a request by the Italian FA (FIGC), the Chairperson of FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee has decided to extend the sanctions imposed by FIGC on several football officials to have worldwide effect,” the governing body said.

The decision will have a significant impact on Tottenham at a time when the Premier League club is conducting a search for a new manager following the departure of Antonio Conte.

Conte, who is Italian, left the London club by “mutual agreement” on Sunday, just over a week after a post-match outburst in which he criticized the players and made withering comments about Tottenham’s ownership.

Paratici would have been expected to play a key role in identifying and hiring Conte’s successor, with former Bayern Munich coach Julian Nagelsmann among the names linked with the job.

On Tuesday, Paratici spoke about Conte’s exit and of his determination to see Tottenham have a successful end to the season.

“We will fight to achieve our targets. We are prepared to fight until the end of the season,” Paratici said. “Everyone has to be focused on the last part of the season.”

Prosecutors had been investigating since 2021 whether Juventus cashed in on illegal commissions from transfer and loans of players. Juventus said at the start of the coronavirus pandemic that 23 players agreed to reduce their salary for four months to help the club through the crisis. But prosecutors claim the players gave up only one month’s salary.

Juventus, who deny wrongdoing, have appealed the 15-point penalty to Italy’s highest sports court within the Italian Olympic Committee, known as CONI. An appeal hearing at CONI is slated for April 19.

On Monday, the club’s lawyers appeared before a judge to face the first in a series of court dates. The hearing was postponed until May 10 for administrative reasons.

Agnelli and 11 others face charges of false communications by a company listed publicly on the Milan stock exchange, obstructing watchdog agencies, false billing and market manipulation.


All 4 Brazilian clubs advance at Club World Cup, one is guaranteed to make the quarterfinals

Updated 43 sec ago
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All 4 Brazilian clubs advance at Club World Cup, one is guaranteed to make the quarterfinals

  • Flamengo and Palmeiras topped their groups — Flamengo stunned Chelsea 3-1 to be the first team to qualify for the knockout rounds
  • Botafogo, which shocked Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain, and Fluminense qualified in second place

SAO PAULO: One clear and unexpected force has surged as the group stage of the Club World Cup comes to a close: Brazil.

Flamengo, Palmeiras, Botafogo and Fluminense — all Copa Libertadores winners in recent years — all advanced to the second round. All offered tough competition to the powerful European clubs, and all have excited tens of millions of fans at home.

There’s renewed hope for Brazilian fans after years of defeats against European teams in FIFA competitions.

Flamengo and Palmeiras topped their groups — Flamengo stunned Chelsea 3-1 to be the first team to qualify for the knockout rounds. Botafogo, which shocked Champions League winner Paris Saint-Germain, and Fluminense qualified in second place.

“Our first objective was the Round-of-16, but that isn’t the end objective,” Fluminense midfielder Jhon Arias said Wednesday after a 0-0 draw with South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns. All four clubs from Brazil have similar expectations for the knockout stage.

Botafogo and Palmeiras will face off Saturday, a game which guarantees at least one Brazilian club a spot in the quarterfinals. Flamengo take on Bayern Munich on Sunday and Fluminense will face Inter Milan on Monday.

Corinthians were the last Brazilian club to win the world club title, beating Chelsea in 2012. That tournament format was much smaller than the current 32-team competition which features clubs from five continents.

New optimism

Copa Libertadores champion Botafogo produced the biggest group-stage upset with the June 19 win over PSG. Before that encounter, Brazilian fans and soccer pundits expected the French club to bulldoze the carioca side, which have had ups and downs this year.

“Botafogo were the team that best defended against us in the entire season,” PSG coach Luis Enrique said. “They deserved it.”

Two factors have helped Brazilian clubs: they’re halfway through their season, unlike the European clubs which have finished, and they’re familiar with the kind of heat that has blanketed the tournament.

Still, Brazilian coaches, executives, players and fans weren’t showing much optimism before the tournament began. That has also changed, as Flamengo fans showed in Philadelphia by chanting “the time is coming” for Bayern Munich after the German club were confirmed as their next opponent.

“The cemetery of football is full of favorites,” Botafogo coach Renato Paiva said after victory over the European champions. “Almost nobody can openly face PSG. Could I try that? I could, but that was a big risk in a competition of this kind.”

Atletico Madrid’s late 1-0 over Botafogo was the only defeat for a Brazilian club in the group stage.

South American power

Brazilian teams are so competitive in South America that they have won the past six editions of the Copa Libertadores, including five all-Brazil finals. Their regional superiority can also be seen in this Club World Cup as their two Argentinian rivals in the tournament, Boca Juniors and River Plate, failed to get through the group stage.

Much of that success for Brazilians comes from talent of the rest of South America, as it has happened in the Club World Cup.

The Brazilian league attracts young footballers from across the region before they move elsewhere for money and more prestige. But some choose to stay and grow in a tough league outside of Europe, with up to six serious contenders for the trophy every year.

Flamengo playmaker Giorgián de Arrascaeta is Uruguayan. Botafogo’s key player is Venezuela’s Jefferson Savarino. Fluminense highly depend on Arias. Palmeiras are trusting more goals will come from Argentina’s Flaco López. And none of those have ever played in Europe.

“Many good things in all history that happen in football come from South America,” Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola said Sunday. “The greatest players come from there.”

Real Madrid coach Xabi Alonso said ahead of Thursday’s game against RB Salzburg that European teams will benefit from “seeing the competitive level from outside.”

“Adapting is important, but we can see teams that we don’t have to day-to-day and they are very good,” said Alonso, who mentioned the Brazilian teams and River Plate among those who caught his interest. “Before the start we said it was going to be in a way with the Europeans, and now we have opened our eyes.”

Brazil has also brought in several Portuguese coaches, with success. Paiva took over Botafogo from his countryman Arthur Jorge. And Abel Ferreira has won almost every title with Palmeiras since he joined the club in 2020. That has also made Brazilian clubs more competitive.

“I am very proud to be in Brazil. I had many chances to leave and I did not,” Ferreira said at the start of the tournament.

Asked how big the gap is between his team and European clubs, Ferreira said: “It is minimal. We have to compete.”

The knockout stage of the Club World Cup will tell whether he is right.


Ronaldo renews Al-Nassr contract until 2027

Updated 26 June 2025
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Ronaldo renews Al-Nassr contract until 2027

  • “Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027,” the club wrote in a post on X
  • Ronaldo later posted a message on his Instagram, confirming the extension

RIYADH: Cristiano Ronaldo inked a two-year extension with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, the club announced Thursday, following months of speculation over which team he would sign for next season.

“Cristiano Ronaldo is staying at @AlNassrFC until 2027,” the club wrote in a post on X.


Minutes before the official confirmation, the team posted a teaser video, with the 40-year-old Ronaldo walking along a beachfront and saying: “Al-Nassr forever.”

Ronaldo later posted a message on his Instagram, confirming the extension.

“A new chapter begins. Same passion, same dream. Let’s make history together,” read the post.

The Portuguese superstar arrived in 2023 in the kingdom to play with the club, heralding a rush of players in the latter stages of their careers to the Kingdom.

Last month, Ronaldo posted “This chapter is over” hours after the Saudi Pro League wrapped up with Al-Nassr finishing third and trophyless once again.

“Ronaldo’s presence is a key factor in developing the Saudi league in the last two years and a half. He opens the door for elite and young players to come to Saudi Arabia,” a source from the Public Investment Fund (PIF), a major investor in Saudi football, told AFP last month.

Ronaldo’s announcement in May came just months after Brazilian star Neymar ended his injury-plagued 18-month stay in January, after playing just seven times for Al-Hilal — on a reported salary of around $104 million a year.

Although Ronaldo was the Pro League’s top scorer with 25 goals, he has been unable to win a Saudi or continental trophy with Al-Nassr, who lost in the Asian Champions League semifinals last month.

Last year, the five-time Ballon d’Or winner said he could end his career with the Riyadh team.

Saudi Arabia has shaken up football by spending heavily on stars from Europe, starting with Ronaldo’s move in late 2022, and the desert nation will host the World Cup in 2034.

For the past two years, Saudi football fans could watch the likes of Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, with six Ballons d’Or between them, on any given weekend during the football season in the kingdom.


Mbappe files harassment complaint against PSG and judicial officials are investigating

Updated 26 June 2025
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Mbappe files harassment complaint against PSG and judicial officials are investigating

  • The Real Madrid star is at odds with his former club, arguing PSG owes him $61 million in unpaid wages
  • Mbappe stunned PSG in June 2023 by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year

PARIS: Kylian Mbappe has accused Paris Saint-Germain of moral harassment in a legal filing, the Paris prosecutor’s office confirmed on Thursday.

The Real Madrid star is at odds with his former club, arguing PSG owes him €55 million ($61 million) in unpaid wages.

Mbappe is also unhappy with the way he was treated by the Ligue 1 club when the France captain was sidelined before the 2023-24 season, following his decision not to extend his club contract.

The prosecutor’s office said Mbappe is “denouncing the ‘lofting’ he claimed to have been subjected to at Paris Saint-Germain.” The word lofting is used in France to describe a practice that involves isolating a player from the main squad for sporting, administrative, or disciplinary reasons.

Mbappe joined Real Madrid last summer on a free transfer after scoring a club-record 256 goals in seven years at PSG, which won the Champions League without him this year.

Mbappe’s relationship with PSG ended amid deep tensions, and some fans booed him in his last home game at Parc des Princes. PSG felt let down by Mbappe after offering him the most lucrative contract in club history when he signed a new contract in 2022.

But Mbappe was frustrated because he felt promises to sign key players were not kept. When he signed that deal, he was paraded in front of fans holding up a jersey with 2025 on it. Mbappe was reportedly annoyed because the contract was until 2024 — with a player’s option for an extra season.

Mbappe stunned PSG in June 2023 by informing the club he would not take the option for an extra year. With his contract effectively into its final year, it put PSG in the position of needing to sell Mbappe to avoid losing him for nothing when the contract expired.

His PSG career could have ended that summer amid a tense transfer standoff.

After telling the club he would not extend, Mbappe was left off a preseason tour to Japan and South Korea and forced to train with fringe players. PSG said it would rather sell him than let the player leave for free in 2024, but he rejected a €300 million move to Saudi Arabia team Al-Hilal.

PSG left Mbappe out of the opening league game of that season but he soon returned to the lineup following talks.

Mbappe’s legal team said in April it would start an action against PSG for harassment because of the way he was treated at the time.


Delap makes his mark as Premier League clubs’ hunt for strikers hots up

Updated 26 June 2025
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Delap makes his mark as Premier League clubs’ hunt for strikers hots up

  • Chelsea’s new signing from Ipswich scored his first goal for the club against ES Tunis at FIFA World Cup
  • Liverpool, Arsenal and Manchester United among clubs looking to strengthen their attacks with new strikers

DUBAI: It was third time lucky for Chelsea’s new striker Liam Delap — who arrived from Ipswich Town earlier this month — when he opened his account on Wednesday for the Blues in their 3-0 win over ES Tunis at the FIFA Club World Cup.

Following last Friday’s 3-1 defeat at the hands of Flamengo, Enzo Maresca’s team required a victory for a place in the knockout stages of a competition they won in 2022.

The result never looked in doubt once defender Tosin Adarabioyo had given them the lead with a well-taken header.

The advantage was doubled moments later as Delap scored his first Chelsea goal, collecting a pass from Enzo Fernandez before holding off one challenge, evading another and dispatching a low drive into the bottom corner.

It was brilliant center-forward play, combining strength, skill and a killer instinct in front of goal. For any striker, their first goal at a new club, regardless of the competition or opposition, is an important milestone.

It settles early nerves, eliminates any negative outside noise and helps to build a positive relationship with the fans, who enjoy nothing more than watching a new forward showcase his goalscoring capabilities.

Delap, who confidently took the Chelsea No. 9 shirt after signing, had shown encouraging signs during his first two performances at the tournament.

In their opening fixture, a 2-0 win over Los Angeles FC, the 22-year-old came off the bench and made an instant impact, providing a superb cross which was converted by Fernandez to put the game to bed.

He was then handed his first start against Flamengo and proved a handful for opposition defenders prior to his withdrawal shortly after the hour mark with his replacement, Nicolas Jackson, shown a red card for a reckless challenge just four minutes after coming on.

With Jackson’s one-match ban extended to two following a FIFA disciplinary committee review, Delap is likely to start once again when Chelsea face Benfica in the round of 16 on Saturday, providing the youngster with another opportunity to stake his claim.

It is a summer transfer market in which many of the Premier League’s biggest sides are on the hunt for strikers, and Chelsea appear to have stolen a march on their rivals.

Had Arsenal invested in a proven goalscorer in the last couple of years, they could easily have won a title under Mikel Arteta’s stewardship. The fact he was forced to use midfielder Mikel Merino as a makeshift striker during last season’s run-in spoke volumes, and so the search goes on.

Manchester United are yet to reap the rewards of their investment in Rasmus Hojlund who has struggled since moving to Old Trafford in 2023.

The recent signing of Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers, and the probable arrival of Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo, suggest Ruben Amorim is far from satisfied with the output of his current attackers.

Yet while both players are undoubtedly strong additions who will elevate the United forward line, they are not traditional center forwards.

Premier League champions Liverpool, who are certainly not short of attacking options, are also thought to be hunting for a striker, with rumors of an audacious bid for Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak continuing to persist.

That particular deal will be a difficult one to pull off, but Arne Slot clearly views the position as an area which needs strengthening, particularly if Darwin Nunez departs.

Of the strikers available on the market, many of the headlines have focused on Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and RB Leipzig’s Benjamin Sesko. While both players are clearly talented, any transfers would naturally involve a huge financial outlay, which many clubs are now wary of given the implications of the Profit and Sustainability Rules.

For Chelsea, the signing of Delap makes perfect sense. As well as being young and hungry, he boasts Premier League experience having scored 12 goals for relegated Ipswich last season.

Additionally, the fact he has played under Maresca, and alongside Cole Palmer and Romeo Lavia, in Manchester City’s academy, ensures he should quickly adapt to the team’s playing style.

Under the Clearlake ownership model, Chelsea have been widely criticized for spending huge sums of money on players who have failed to justify their price tags, with a few notable exceptions.

The acquisition of Delap for $41 million, however, might just prove to be the club’s smartest business move yet.


Borussia Dortmund defeat Ulsan HD 1-0 to win Group F

Updated 26 June 2025
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Borussia Dortmund defeat Ulsan HD 1-0 to win Group F

  • With the victory, as well as a draw by Fluminense, Dortmund (2-0-1, 7 points) claims the top spot in Group F to earn a July 1 matchup in the Club World Cup’s round of 16 in Atlanta

A 36th-minute goal from Daniel Svensson was all Borussia Dortmund needed to put away winless Ulsan HD in a 1-0 Group F win in Cincinnati on Wednesday.
With the victory, as well as a draw by Fluminense, Dortmund (2-0-1, 7 points) claims the top spot in Group F to earn a July 1 matchup in the Club World Cup’s round of 16 in Atlanta with an opponent that has yet to be determined. Fluminsense, which could have won the group with a victory over Mamelodi Sundowns, also moves on to the knockouts as the group’s No. 2 seed.
While the score indicates a close match, Dortmund dominated the pitch, putting 11 shots on goal among their 28 overall attempts. Compare that with Ulsan’s three shot attempts, all on goal and all occurring within a 16-minute period in the second half.
Dortmund put the pressure on early and often to open the match, ripping off 20 shots — eight on goal — in the first half. While Ulsan didn’t even get a shot off during the first 45 minutes plus stoppage time, goalkeeper Jo Hyeon- woo continued to deny Dortmund with seven saves.
That included a seven-minute stretch midway through the first half during which BVB put four shots on goal, only for Hyeon-woo to turn away each attempt.
Dortmund did not relent, however, and it paid off in the 36th minute as Svensson collected a touch pass from Jobe Bellingham in the box and put a left-footed shot past the keeper to put BVB in front 1-0.
Both Serhou Guirassy and Bellingham had prime chances to add to that advantage in the closing minutes of the half. Again, though, Hyeon-woo stood his ground to keep Dortmund from extending its lead.
Ulsan strung together their first strong chances at goal early in the second half. In the 48th minute, Kang Sang-Woo’s attempt from the right side of the box was saved by BVB’s Gregor Kobel. The goalkeeper was tested again in the 60th and 64th minutes as Kobel saved left-footed blasts by Lee Jin-Hyun and Ko Seung-Beom, respectively, to maintain the one-goal edge.
That was all that Ulsan (0-3-0, 0 points) could muster, however, as the South Korean side wrapped up Club World Cup play last in Group F. Hyeon-woo finished the day with 10 saves.