91��̳ - Football

Silky skills, shonky deals and powerful displays of solidarity

Leo Earle — Fri, 21 Jul 2023 16:15:00 +1000

With the hopes of a nation delicately balanced, the Matildas took on the Republic of Ireland, in front of a record crowd of 75,784, in their opening game of the Women’s World Cup. Leo Earle takes a look behind the tournament.

Deadly Games: The worker casualties of Qatar’s World Cup

Binoy Kampmark — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 13:00:00 +1000

The FIFA World Cup, due to begin in Qatar in November, will be stained by one of the highest casualty rates amongst workers in the competition’s history, reports Binoy Kampmark.

How football fans fought greed in their sport — and won

Leo Crnogorcevic — Tue, 11 May 2021 16:00:00 +1000

The European Super League did not seek to grow the game, but rather promised a heavily marketised and Americanised product saturated with cash at the expense of traditions, writes Leo Crnogorcevic.

Adiós Diego Maradona: The football god who played on the side of the poor

Federico Fuentes — Sun, 29 Nov 2020 12:30:00 +1100

Diego Maradona will always be remembered as the football god who played on the side of the poor, writes Federico Fuentes.

Refugees seek safe haven in the ‘beautiful game’

Eline Yara Jeanné — Thu, 16 May 2019 13:15:00 +1000

Refugees are using football as a way to build communities of resistance report Eline Yara Jeanné and Beeke Katarina Melcher.

How big money took control of English football

Phil Shannon — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 14:00:00 +1100

The Club: How the Premier League Became the Richest, Most Disruptive Business in Sport|
Joshua Robinson & Jonathan Clegg
John Murray Publishing, 2019
338 pages

If football is a simple game (get the ball, pass the ball), then the football business is even simpler (buy the best players, bank the profits).

Football in Russia: From Soviet amateurism to World Cup riches

Javier Szlifman — Thu, 21 Jun 2018 12:45:00 +1000

A country that for more than 70 years maintained an amateur football (soccer) league is today hosting the biggest sporting event in the world, writes Javier Szlifman.

Palestinians score as Argentina cancels Israel match

Ali Abunimah — Wed, 06 Jun 2018 16:00:00 +1000

Palestinians are celebrating the news that Argentina – and its star Lionel Messi – will not be playing the “friendly” football match that had been set for Jerusalem in the coming days.

The cancellation is a huge blow to Israel and came after an intense campaign by Palestinians and their supporters, especially in Latin America and the Spanish state, urging Argentina not to help Israel whitewash its most recent massacres of unarmed civilians in Gaza.

How Manchester United’s ‘red rebels’ struck for democracy against the dollar

Phil Shannon — Thu, 22 Feb 2018 12:45:00 +1100

Sir Alex Ferguson was deeply affronted by the Manchester United Football Club supporters who got stroppy about the proposed takeover of the huge English Premier League club he then managed by the US corporate raider, Malcolm Glazer, in 2004.

“They carried on to the degree where they actually thought they should have a say in the running of the football club,” exclaimed the outraged manager.

Ferguson got to the core of things by starkly asking just whose club it is.

Palestine: Women’s football under siege

Kate Hadley — Fri, 17 Nov 2017 12:30:00 +1100

Eleven women from Britain and Germany travelled to the occupied Palestinian territory of the West Bank in October on a tour of friendship, solidarity and football.

The promise of participants in the “Freedom Through Football” tour was to share with the wider world the truth of life in Palestine. In particular, it was to highlight the story of women who play football in a country where football for women is far from a cultural norm.

How Big Money corrupted the people’s game

Phil Shannon — Mon, 06 Nov 2017 11:30:00 +1100

The Billonaires’ Club: The Unstoppable Rise of Football’s Super-Rich Owners
James Montague
Bloomsbury, 2017
330 pages

At this stage of the 2017 English Premier League (EPL) season, it looks like one of the two Manchester teams will win the championship — and with barely a Mancunian between them. Both Manchester United and Manchester City have overseas owners, overseas managers and overseas-dominated player lists.

Celtic fans show support for Palestine hunger strikers

Fred Fuentes — Thu, 11 May 2017 10:00:00 +1000

Fans of Glasgow’s Celtic football club showed their support for more than 1500 Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails, with large banners and Palestinian flags at Celtic’s May 6 football (soccer) match against fellow Scottish side St Johnstone FC.

Members of Celtic’s “ultras” fan group, the Green Brigade, along with Celtic Fans for Palestine, lifted a huge Palestinian flag, as well as large banners with the slogans “Freedom and Dignity” and “Hungering for Justice”.

FIFA capitulates to Israel again

Ali Abunimah — Thu, 11 May 2017 10:00:00 +1000

FIFA, the governing body of world football (soccer), has capitulated once more to intense pressure from the Israeli government. It has removed from the agenda of its upcoming congress the issue of teams from Israel’s illegal settlements on occupied Palestinian land playing in Israel’s national league.

Will FIFA bow to Israeli pressure over illegal settlement teams?

Ali Abunimah — Tue, 09 May 2017 10:00:00 +1000

Calls are mounting on FIFA to require Israel’s national league to exclude teams from West Bank settlements or face suspension from the governing body of world football (soccer).

But there are warning signs FIFA may be succumbing to intense pressure to once again give Israel a pass to continue violating Palestinian rights with impunity.

FFA cuts Indigenous football funding in Indigenous Football Week

Kerry Smith — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 10:00:00 +1000

The Football Federation of Australia (FFA), which governs football (soccer) in Australia, has contributed just $10,000 to Indigenous football this year — slashing its annual funding in half from last year, the Sydney Morning Herald revealed on March 31.

Will FIFA ever stand up to Israeli teams in illegal settlements?

Dave Zirin — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 11:00:00 +1100

The situation for Palestinian and Arab football (soccer) players in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza has, for some time, been dire.

On one side of Israel’s Apartheid Wall, within the formal borders of Israel, segregated youth teams, racist abuse, and heckling — including charming chants such as “Death to the Arabs” — are frequent. On the other, in the Palestinian territories occupied by Israel since 1967, checkpoint detention, jailings, and the bombing of stadiums have become regular features of what is supposed to be the people’s game.

Given the powerful role that football plays as a point of community cohesion in the West Bank and Gaza, this everyday violence feels like a full-frontal attack on civil society, normalcy and hope.

Brazilian, Costa Rican footballers stand against gendered violence

Fred Fuentes — Sat, 11 Mar 2017 11:00:00 +1100

The Brazilian football team El Cruzeiro wore T-shirts highlighting the many issues that women in the South American country still face on a daily basis. Meanwhile, a similar initiative was announced by the Costa Rican football league. On March 8, players did not celebrate goals scored as part of a campaign meant to express solidarity with women victims of violence.

Argentine footballers strike over pay, reach agreement

Fred Fuentes — Sat, 11 Mar 2017 11:00:00 +1100

Professional football players are the latest sector to hold strikes in Argentina amid a struggling economy and harsh austerity measures imposed by right-wing President Mauricio Macri.

With rainbow flags, Wanderers fans back diversity

Stuart Munckton — Sat, 11 Mar 2017 11:00:00 +1100

Fans from Western Sydney Wanderers A-League football team distributed hundreds of rainbow flags to those attending the club’s March 5 match against Adelaide United. The move came after two weeks of controversy sparked by a banner raised by some Wanderers fans during their team’s 1-0 victory over cross-town rivals Sydney FC, which was widely condemned in the media and among many fans for being homophobic.

Mexico and US footballers unite to oppose Trump’s bigotry

Tony Iltis — Thu, 17 Nov 2016 11:00:00 +1100

The Mexican and US national teams defied protocol on November 11 in their World Cup qualifier as they posed together for a team photograph. The move was a display of unity as US president-elect Donald Trump threatens to tear the two nations apart.

Mexico won the game, hosted in Ohio, with a 2-1 final score.

Normally, football teams pose separately before the game, but this time the players decided to pose together to strike back at Trump’s proposal to make Mexico pay for a wall between the two countries to keep immigrants out.

W-League footballers forced to pay to play

Stuart Munckton — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 11:00:00 +1100

In a dramatic depiction of the vast differences in resources and respect between men’s and women’s sport, a report by the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) has laid bare the woeful pay and conditions for W-League football (soccer) players.

AAP reported on September 23 that he report by the PFA, the union representing Australian footballers, surveyed almost two-thirds of W-League players last season. The report suggests players could walk away from the game because of the financial strain.

Kurdish footballer faces jail for social media posts

Tony Iltis — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 11:00:00 +1100

Kurdish footballer Deniz Naki has been indicted by a Turkish court on “terrorist propaganda” charges for sharing posts on Facebook and Twitter about Turkey’s destruction of Kurdish cities and killing of civilians and militants.

Naki, who plays as a striker and playmaker for Kurdish team Amedspor, in Turkey’s Second League, will face up to five years in prison if found guilty. Amedspor are based in Diyarbakır, the unofficial capital of Turkish Kurdistan.

Turkey: Police raid Kurdish football club after cup win

Kurdish Question — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 11:00:00 +1100

Police officers from the Diyarbakir Anti-Terror Department in south-eastern Turkey raided the facilities of football club Amedspor after its 2-1 cup win at Bursapo on January 31.

Senate calls for end to over-policing football fans

Stuart Munckton — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 11:00:00 +1100

The Senate has called on Football Federation Australia and A-League clubs to take action to ensure football fans are not over-policed, AAP said on February 2.

A-League fans rebel for democratic rights

Carlo Sands — Thu, 03 Dec 2015 11:00:00 +1100

Red and Black Bloc banner on November 29. A large-scale revolt of fans of the A-League, Australia's leading football (soccer) competition, has broken out. With several “active support” fan groups on an indefinite strike and fans from each of the 10 clubs protesting in one form or another, it is one of the largest sporting-related protests in Australia's history.

Football fans 1 — Police 0

Stuart Munckton — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 11:00:00 +1100

This week Parramatta found itself the shocking scene of terror — the sort of thing you might expect in foreign nations, but which many Australians surely believed would never happen on our streets.

Greek footballers protest for refugees

Stuart Munckton — Sun, 07 Feb 2016 11:00:00 +1100

“In a touching tribute to thousands of refugees who lost their lives crossing the Mediterranean from Turkey into the EU, two Greek football teams orchestrated a sit-in at the start of the match to protest against the policies of 'brutal indifference',” RT.com said on February 1.

Liverpool fans' protests force ticket price back down

Stuart Munckton — Fri, 19 Feb 2016 11:00:00 +1100

Liverpool fans at Anfield protesting against ticket price hike. Owners of English Premier League side Liverpool FC have caved to fan protests against rising ticket prices, backing down after raising tickets to £77 and apologising to fans. On February 6, 10,000 Liverpool fans walked out of their team’s home game against Sunderland in the 77th minute in protest against the planned ticket price rise.

Footballers battle for better pay, collective agreement

Stuart Munckton — Fri, 28 Aug 2015 10:00:00 +1000

With industrial disputes breaking out on wharves and warehouses around the country, conflict is also brewing between those who kick the roundball on the nation's football (soccer) pitches and those who administer the game. Football Federation Australia (FFA) is locked in a long-running dispute with players — represented by their union, the Professional Footballers Australia (PFA) — over a new collective bargaining agreement. The PFA is seeking a better pay deal for the national men's team (Socceroos) and national women's team (Matildas), as well as an A-League salary cap and wage rise.

Palestine’s football team unites supporters in Asian Cup

Lisa Gleeson — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 11:00:00 +1100

More than 10,000 followers of the beautiful game sang, danced, shouted and chanted their way into AAMI Park for the Palestine vs Jordan match in this year’s Asian Cup. Although the 5-1 result in Jordan’s favour was no real surprise, supporters were as jubilant at the mere presence of the Palestinian team as they were at its first tournament goal.

91������̳ - Football

Silky skills, shonky deals and powerful displays of solidarity

Deadly Games: The worker casualties of Qatar’s World Cup

How football fans fought greed in their sport — and won

Adiós Diego Maradona: The football god who played on the side of the poor

Refugees seek safe haven in the ‘beautiful game’

How big money took control of English football

Football in Russia: From Soviet amateurism to World Cup riches

Palestinians score as Argentina cancels Israel match

How Manchester United’s ‘red rebels’ struck for democracy against the dollar

Palestine: Women’s football under siege

How Big Money corrupted the people’s game

Celtic fans show support for Palestine hunger strikers

FIFA capitulates to Israel again

Will FIFA bow to Israeli pressure over illegal settlement teams?

FFA cuts Indigenous football funding in Indigenous Football Week

Will FIFA ever stand up to Israeli teams in illegal settlements?

Brazilian, Costa Rican footballers stand against gendered violence

Argentine footballers strike over pay, reach agreement

With rainbow flags, Wanderers fans back diversity

Mexico and US footballers unite to oppose Trump’s bigotry

W-League footballers forced to pay to play

Kurdish footballer faces jail for social media posts

Turkey: Police raid Kurdish football club after cup win

Senate calls for end to over-policing football fans

A-League fans rebel for democratic rights

Football fans 1 — Police 0

Greek footballers protest for refugees

Liverpool fans' protests force ticket price back down

Footballers battle for better pay, collective agreement

Palestine’s football team unites supporters in Asian Cup

91��̳ - Football