Paris police attacks on Liverpool fans at the Champions League final was yet another example of the hosts’ big game failuresUefa’s report on last season’s Champions League final is impressively uncompromising. It was, it said, “through no merit of those in charge” that another Hillsborough was avoided. “The Préfecture de Police were in effect acting unilaterally to direct supporters toward an entry point that would be unable to cope with the level of demand placed upon it … several key stakeholders have not accepted responsibility for their own failures but have been quick to attribute blame to others.”The report is thorough and unsparing in criticising Uefa and the French authorities. There were supplementary factors, such as the rail strike, problems...
From his Russian tumble to a Spain prison sentence, the erstwhile United manager has had a dim week. At least it’s entertainingAfter so many years of refusing to give the public what they want, it’s great to see José Mourinho finally serving up something highly watchable. On Monday the erstwhile Manchester United manager staged a spectacular pratfall at an ice hockey game in Russia. By Tuesday he was being handed a prison sentence. (Suspended, agonisingly, but still.)Barely a week after Gemma Collins made her ice‑fall in ITV’s Dancing on Ice, the Portuguese supplanted The Only Way is Essex star as the most hilariously viral rink‑based tumble of 2019. Related: José Mourinho accepts prison sentence for tax fraud but will not...
Russia’s equivalent of Grimsby Town overcome odds with the help of some powerful friends but crowd-pleasing morality tale is not quite what it seemsThe second-division team from a distant and ill-favoured coastal town are in the cup final. They’re playing in a big stadium against the country’s most glamorous and history-laden club. They go two goals down, and a pall of inevitability settles over the match. But then, suddenly, they start to score. The first goal receives applause. The second gets a cheer. When the third goes in, the place erupts. Related: ‘This debt must be settled’: IAAF extends Russia’s doping ban Continue reading...
The presence of Ramzan Kadyrov in the front row of the UFC’s first show in Moscow highlights a troubling link between the Chechen strongman and the world’s largest MMA promotionOn Saturday 15 September, Ramzan Kadyrov walked into Moscow’s Olimpiyskiy Stadium to watch the evening’s fights. Dressed in beige jeans and a white t-shirt with a matching jacket, the notorious Chechen strongman was surrounded by three of his most loyal henchmen – one of whom has been accused of torture and another of plotting an assassination – as he made his way to the front row of the 35,000-capacity arena. Seated just a few feet away from the cage, Kadyrov and his cronies watched the evening’s fights in an entirely new...
On the eve of the Confederations Cup, the focus for officials is on having a smooth event now that shows fans there is nothing to fear from coming to Russia for the 2018 World CupWith less than a year to go until the World Cup kicks off at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, excitement is building inside Russia as the country prepares to host the Confederations Cup, the eight-team warm-up tournament designed as a dress rehearsal for 2018.As the authorities promise a spectacular, exciting finals next year, the setup is beset with all the usual worries that accompany a major tournament, as well as a couple of Russia-specific ones. Related: Fifa ‘has come up short’ in protecting Russia 2018 stadium workers Related:...