Setting the record straight
27 Jan: Barcelona float the prospect of removing Qatar as sponsors due to reputational brand damage from “social and political issues”. 5 Feb: Qatar float the prospect of a new more lucrative deal. Barça vice-president Javier Faus: “We have zero, zero, zero problems with Qatar.”
• Trailing the details of the possible new deal - Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker: “Qatar Airways and Barcelona share the same values. It’s possible our name will be added to Camp Nou.” Al Baker says the earlier “political remarks” from Barça’s Josep Maria Bartomeu should be ignored. “Don’t get carried away by comments from people who may say things they don’t really mean.”
Meanwhile: best warning
Sepp: taking his strongest public stance yet on alleged Qatari abuse of migrant labour. Sepp said he’d noticed Qatar’s men’s handball team is now full of hired-in, well-paid naturalised foreign stars – “contradicting the spirit” of fair play.
Elsewhere: stand of the week
Dave King - still clearing up misconceptions about his 41 tax convictions - eyeing a “forensic investigation” of the books if he takes over at Rangers. ‘If people have acted improperly it should not be swept under the carpet. It’s important they are held to account.”
• Meanwhile, balancing his priorities: Mike Ashley - loaning Rangers £10m and five players to shore up his Scottish investment, and facing a £10m claim from 300 Sports Direct zero-hours workers excluded from his firm’s bonus scheme.
Pledge of the week
Leeds chairman Andrew Umbers on why owner Massimo Cellino plans to respect the spirit of his Fit and Proper timeout. “He took it on the chin because he wants to totally respect the Football League and come back with the club not in dispute. Massimo Cellino wants to do the right things.” (2010: Cellino on the League’s Fit and Proper scrutiny of his record. “Believe me I don’t care … who are they anyway?”)
Dictator of the week
Setting the tone ahead of last week’s ill-fated Africa Cup of Nations semi-final against Ghana: Equatorial Guinea dictator Teodoro Obiang: “Where there is a will there is a way... We have won the battles. Now we must win the war.”
• Also in Africa for the final, presidential election campaigner Sepp, taking a stand against racist western press coverage. “I don’t see the negative side of African football that the media presents. Good news is no news … we only get the bad. Today, the world opens the newspapers and turns on television and sees only murders and killing. We never talk about princesses marrying any more.”
Zero tolerance news
New from Russia: 2018 World Cup head and sports minister Vitaly Mutko weighing up Russia’s problem with youth coaches drugging children to accelerate results and win bonus money. “We will go into schools and give them a slap on the wrist.”
FA latest
Last week’s governing body headlines:
• Italy’s FA asked to explain why it paid €107,000 plus VAT for 20,000 copies of FA president Carlo Tavecchio’s new book. FA officials said the books were “bought at a discount” as “gifts for the young”, and deny wrongdoing.
• Spain’s FA president Ángel María Villar still upset by a state audit of their accounts flagging €17m of “unusual loans”. Villar said sports minister Miguel Cardenal was “abusing his power and Spain’s law” by running a campaign of “excessive interference”.
Manager news
Last week’s movers:
• 28 Jan, Tenerife president Miguel Concepción: “Álvaro Cervera’s future isn’t up for debate. He’s eager and strong, he’s the right person with the right knowledge to right this ship.” 2 Feb: Sacks him.
• 18 Jan, Harry Redknapp: “Do I look like I feel under pressure? When I get home I’ll take my wife for a nice meal, then in the morning wake up and take my dogs for a walk. My life’s very good.” 3 Feb: “I can’t walk. I can barely stand.”
• 6 Nov, Hertha Berlin director Michael Preetz: “I get it, fans are restless, but Jos Luhukay is the ideal coach and if he wants a longer contract he can have one. We’ve been looking for years for a coach who is 100% hands on. He stays.” 5 Feb: He goes.
From the training ground
Italy, 25 Jan: Sampdoria manager Sinisa Mihajlovic on new signing Samuel Eto’o. “He’s high profile but he won’t bring us any distractions. We work hard all week, and give our all in games. He needs to settle fast into the Sampdoria world, but, knowing him, I don’t think that’ll be a problem.” 2 Feb: “He just walked out of training. It’s a grave lack of respect.”
Best lessons
2013: Uzbek dictator Islam Karimov celebrates some positive PR after Fifa award his nation the “Fifa Fair Play Award” for sporting decency. “Fifa has recognised us … Others should learn lessons in fairness from the Uzbek people.” 2015: South Korea learn theirs.
Thought for the week
Brazil: Model Júlia Menezes on how being an elite body-builder means she likes to avoid football romances. “I’m in the world of sport myself, so footballers are like my co-workers. You don’t shit where you eat.”
Plus: more love news
Brazil: Model Ariany Nogueira on the impact of modern technology: “Social media has changed our game. Footballers still marry respectable ladies, but now they also pursue the more exotic ones online. You know, every day I’m surprised by my inbox.”
