SOCCER
FIFA seeks damages
FIFA on Wednesday demanded tens of millions of dollars in damages from the “sordid” officials facing charges in the US over mass bribery scandals that have rocked world soccer. In a wide-ranging admission on the scope of soccer corruption, just two weeks after Gianni Infantino replaced Sepp Blatter as its president, soccer’s governing body called on US authorities to investigate the assets of former FIFA vice president Jeffrey Webb. It said the Cayman Islands official was leading an “extravagant lifestyle” in a US home that might have been bought with bribes. FIFA also made its most explicit accusation yet that South Africa paid a US$10 million bribe to get votes to back its bid for the 2010 World Cup.
SOCCER
PSV fans humiliated beggars
Fans of Dutch side PSV Eindhoven came under fire in Spain on Wednesday for throwing money at beggars and mocking them as they desperately scrambled to scoop up the coins. Spanish Minister of the Interior Jorge Fernandez Diaz described the scenes as “an absolute disgrace,” while the president of the Madrid regional government Cristina Cifuentes was outraged by the “lamentable” behavior”. “I feel ashamed that in Madrid — even if the hooligans are from a foreign team — we see such scenes. It’s not only racism, but an absolute lack of humanity.” Images broadcast by Spanish media showed Dutch fans seated on the terrace of a bar in the Plaza Mayor a few hours before Tuesday’s game against Atletico Madrid, throwing coins on the ground to force beggars to collect them. “This behavior is outrageous. We want to clearly dissociate ourselves from the conduct of some fans,” PSV president Toon Gerbrands said. “PSV will take appropriate action, which could include stadium bans or tougher sanctions.”
RUGBY UNION
Marler escapes sanction
Joe Marler will be available for England’s Six Nations finale against France tomorrow after escaping punishment for striking one Welsh opponent and verbally abusing another last weekend. Marler faced a disciplinary hearing in London on Wednesday for an incident involving Rob Evans in England’s 25-21 Six Nations win at Twickenham. Marler accepted he had committed foul play. While the citing was upheld, the panel found that it was not a red-card offense and so no punishment was issued. Marler was also investigated for using a slur toward another Wales player, Samson Lee, during the first half — and faced a potential four-week ban. However, Six Nations Rugby said no disciplinary action would be taken as Marler had apologized to Lee unprompted at halftime, had “deeply regretted what he had said” and had been reprimanded by England coach Eddie Jones.
OLYMPICS
Kyrgios, Tomic warned
Australia’s Olympic chef de mission Kitty Chiller has warned Tennis Australia that bad behavior will not be tolerated in Rio in a clear broadside to troubled stars Nick Kyrgios and Bernard Tomic. “When push comes to shove, I won’t be afraid to discipline someone if they are not adhering to the standard we expect,” she said on Wednesday. “I will be sending people home if they don’t respect what they are part of.” The warning followed angry exchanges between the two young stars both off and on court earlier this month. During a Davis Cup game against the US, Tomic accused Kyrgios of faking illness to avoid playing, before the latter quickly hit back on social media.
Soccer officials yesterday offered “full support and assistance” to the Iranian team in Australia for the AFC Women’s Asian Cup after the US and Israel launched massive attacks on their homeland. Iran’s 26-strong squad arrived on the Gold Coast days before the strikes on Saturday killed supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, as Washington and Tel Aviv seek to topple the Islamic republic. They are due to open their tournament today against South Korea. The AFC in a statement said it “continues to closely monitor the recent developments in the Middle East during this challenging period.” “The AFC’s foremost priority remains the welfare, safety and
ROAD RASH: Marc Marquez retired after a crash, marking the first time after 88 consecutive races stretching back to 2021 that a Ducati bike failed to make the podium Marco Bezzecchi yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening grand prix in Thailand from pole position as defending world champion Marc Marquez retired late with a buckled wheel. Aprilia’s Bezzecchi led from start to finish to top the podium in Buriram, with KTM’s Pedro Acosta second and Trackhouse’s Raul Fernandez third. Ducati’s Marquez is chasing a record-equaling eighth world title this season, but he exited the race in dramatic fashion while in fourth place with five laps to go. The Spaniard, who started from second on the grid, took a corner wide, with the jolt to his bike dislodging the rear tire, badly damaging his
EVERY DAY A VICTORY: Players on the women’s team faced pressure from society just getting out onto the field as they prepare for their first Women’s Asian Cup game today Bangladesh’s national soccer team face daunting odds at their first-ever Women’s Asian Cup, but have already scored a major victory by qualifying. In the South Asian nation of 170 million, social stigma, family expectations, poverty and religious hardliners have long relegated women and girls to sports sidelines. The first women’s soccer league matches took place in 2011 and the squad, known to fans as the Red and Green, have kept pressing forward despite deeply embedded prejudices. “Many more girls would have joined us if the community had been even slightly supportive,” captain Afeida Khandaker told AFP ahead of her side’s March 3
Liverpool on Tuesday suffered an embarrassing 2-1 defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers as Andre’s stoppage-time strike sealed a dramatic victory for the English Premier League’s bottom club. Arne Slot’s side fell behind to Rodrigo Gomes’ strike in the closing stages at Molineux. Mohamed Salah hauled Liverpool level with his first goal in 11 top-flight games dating back to November last year. However, Andre’s first goal for Wolves inflicted the latest humbling loss in a chastening season for Liverpool. It was the first time the Premier League’s bottom club had beaten the reigning champions since Crystal Palace defeated Chelsea in 2017. Liverpool
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