Twin bombs in central Istanbul may not have targeted Besiktas JKâs newly refurbished Vodafone Arena stadium, but it underscores the propaganda value of attacking a soccer match for both jihadist and non-jihadist groups. They also raise questions about counter-terrorism strategies. The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons, a splinter of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), claimed responsibility …
The soccer soft power contrast between Qatar and Iceland speaks volumes. A comparison of the strategies of both countries demonstrates that it takes more than money to leverage soccer to create political, geopolitical, and economic opportunity. Money and world soccer body FIFAâs desire to take one of the worldâs foremost sporting events beyond Europe and …
Sunni scholars in Saudi Arabia and their Shiâa counterparts in Iran may be at war over who is a Muslim, but there is one thing they agree on: soccer detracts from religious obligations. Iran, in the latest skirmish between soccer and Islam, is debating the propriety of playing a 2018 World Cup qualifier against South …
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has accused world soccer body FIFA of allowing FIFA-sanctioned matches to be played on occupied land in the West Bank in violation of FIFA rules and has demanded that the group ensure that future games be staged within the borders of Israel prior to the 1967 Middle East war. The HRW …
An Egyptian businessman with close ties to general-turned-president Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi has submitted a bid for the broadcasting rights of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in a move that is widely seen as an effort to polish the image of Egypt, tarnished by massive abuse of human rights, failing economic policies, and a military …
Abu Otaiba, the nom du guerre of a self-taught imam and Islamic State (IS) recruiter in Jordan, uses soccer to attract recruits. âWe take them to farms, or private homes. There we discuss and organise soccer games to bring them closer to us,â Abu Otaiba told The Wall Street Journal in a recent interview. Abu Otaiba …
If Islamic State (IS) was serious about attacking Euro 2016, its plans clearly never materialised. Leaked transcripts of the interrogation of one of the attackers of Brussels Airport in March leave little doubt however that soccer is featured prominently on the groupâs target list. So does this monthâs beheading of four Syrian players in Raqqa. …
There are two games going on at Euro 2016 in France now – the sanctioned games on the field and those off the field run by gangs of hooligans who, as Fiona Clark reports, play by their own set of rules.
Major League Soccer (MLS) was founded in 1993 as part of the USâ successful bid to host the 1994 FIFA World Cup which boosted the popularity of soccer
Saudi Arabia and Iran, highlighting the domestic drivers of mounting tension that threaten to deepen and complicate the sectarian and the multiple other regional conflicts, have taken their fierce tit-for-tat battle from the realm of traditional diplomacy to the world of public spectacle. The past few days have seen a dizzying sequence of events that …
La Liga’s Barcelona has made a stunning show of force against arch-rivals Real Madrid by claiming a 4-0 victory. Real Madrid’s crushing defeat led to calls for the team’s president and coach to step down. Barcelona on Saturday brightened their hopes of a sixth La Liga title after humiliating Real Madrid with a stunning 4-0 …
With so much happening on matchday two of the Bundesliga, Jonathan Harding decided to wrap up the issues that struck a cord with him in his ‘harte Thesen’ (hard opinions) on the latest happenings in Germany’s top league.
Both Hertha Berlin and Werder Bremen had to share the spoils on Friday night, but based on the chances the opening game of matchday two in the Bundesliga could have been won by either side.
Israel and Palestine are playing political football, with Palestinian football as the ball. It is a match which Israel is unlikely to win and that could prove to produce a bruising loss. The stakes for Israelâ are far higher than for Palestine. Israel is effectively on probation as it seeks to definitively defeat Palestinian efforts to …
By James M. Dorsey World Cup host Qatar is discovering the reputational risk involved in hosting high-profile mega sporting events. Qatar Airways’ sponsorship of FC Barcelona is producing exactly the kind of publicity that is a corporate sponsor’s worst nightmare, while a Swiss investigation of the Qatari World Cup bid threatens to expose questionable financial …
In its 30th edition, the championship is attracting the interest of many fans following the qualifying tournament, which held many surprises after the loss of major teams against teams of little fame, experience, and history in the championship.
By James M. Dorsey A decision by the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) to abandon plans to adopt a unified contract for domestic workers increases pressure on Qatar to significantly revamp its controversial labour regime in a bid to fend off efforts to deprive it of its right to host the 2022 World Cup. It also …
Latest development in ongoing feud between club president and Ultras White Knights
Chelsea and Real Madrid continue on while Bayern Munich and Juventus had an early end
11 defendants retried after being convicted in absentia
Part of the State Departmentâs Sports Diplomacy programme, it aims to create dialogue through sport
About 230 street children from 19 countries are in Brazil to compete in the Street Child World Cup.
Street Children’s World Cup tournament to raise awareness for plight of homeless children worldwide
By James M. Dorsey When Aziz Yildirim, the head of Turkeyâs foremost soccer club, Fenerbahce SK, recently denounced an appeals court decision upholding his conviction in a massive match fixing scandal, he drew a parallel with a construction-related corruption scandal that is rocking the government of Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and pitting the countryâs …
By James M. Dorsey Bahrain has detained a soccer team as well as scores of other players and athletes since security forces squashed a popular uprising almost three years ago, according to human rights activists, journalists and officials. In one of the latest rounds of detentions, authorities last month arrested three soccer and two handball …
Mourners, many in tears, threw red and white Benfica scarves on the hearse and waved red and green Portuguese flags as it passed by, crying out: âEusebio, Eusebioâ.
One of Farida’s role models is a soccer star who has helped dismantle stereotypes about female athletes â Olympic gold medalist Alex Morgan of the US national womenâs team, who is also a model and published author.
Shikabala taken into custody after altercation with fan became physical
In a perverse way, the ultrasâ dilemma is not dissimilar from that of the Brotherhood, writes James M Dorsey
A ban on political slogans at football matches in Turkey reflects Erdogan’s attempts to criminalise fans, Dorsey argues
