Man of the week
Blackpool owner Karl Oyston - banned last year for calling a fan “a massive retard, thick twat, special needs fuctard” - still looking to sue 10 of 150 fans who invaded the pitch to protest against him in 2015. Oyston says the rest will stay banned “until they sign an acceptable behaviour order”.
• Oyston’s message on dissent in July 2015: “In over 27 years the Oystons have always defended the right of the fans to express their views and to criticise the Oystons and the club. The Oystons have always admired the passion of the fans.”
Reformer of the week
Fifa 2.0 president Gianni Infantino – drawing a line under a tough run of disputed headlines over ethics and the Panama Papers: “I go my way. We have embraced reforms. We have embraced transparency. We have embraced good governance. We have turned a page.”
• Helping define the new era: secretary general Fatma Samoura, revealing how Fifa saved £99,500 last week by using a cheaper five-star hotel for executives - “money that will be invested in football”. It comes five months after a leak detailed Infantino’s expenses – including £1,100 for a tuxedo and £660 on flowers – on top of £1.15m basic plus bonuses, car, house and £1,542 monthly allowance. Fifa’s ethics committee: “The benefits enjoyed by Mr Infantino were not considered improper.”
Also feeling got at
Zimbabwe’s FA head Philip Chiyangwa – multimillionaire YouTuber AKA “Captain Fiasco” – denying his landslide election win last year was rigged via “blatant” vote-buying and threats of beatings. Chiyangwa says the new claims from rival Trevor Carelse-Juul are “sore loser” talk: “He’s been saying this since time immemorial, without giving any impeccable evidence.”
• Chiyangwa’s best explanation for the rush of allegations against him, as set out last summer: “It is clear ... people tend to see my looks and the fact that I am rich, then they reach certain conclusions. A combination of looks and riches always attracts problems, so I am a victim of my good looks and riches. Everybody who has money attracts problems.” His first act when he won the vote: taking a three-week holiday. “I am going on leave. I’ll be back towards the end of December.”
Plus: best Fifa story arc
2012: Costa Rica’s FA president Eduardo Li says hosting the 2014 Under-17s Women’s World Cup will be of “huge benefit, especially to all the young girls out there. Women’s football, like a caterpillar, just needed time to become a butterfly. Now it spreads its wings.”
2013: Unveils the tournament’s butterfly mascot and predicts a year of “great pride for the country, especially for its children”.
2014: Job done, looks ahead to the legacy having secured new grassroots funding. “It gives me great pride and satisfaction. We have crossed frontiers, dispelled old misconceptions – this is a triumph for the people.”
2016: Admits he embezzled $90,000 of that funding, pleads guilty to additional racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud, and wire fraud conspiracy charges, forfeits $668,000, and faces up to 20 years in prison for each his three charges.
Other news: best analysis
West Ham co-owner David Sullivan, revealing why fans are upset with ticketing, atmosphere, violence and stewards at their new ground. “I’m increasingly fed up with negative campaigning against the stadium by some sections of the media.”
Swings and roundabouts
£4m: Amount invested by the FA in grassroots coaching over 12 months. £1m: Amount given to Sam Allardyce as a payoff for lasting 67 days of his £6m contract.
Other manager news
• Romania, 12 Sept: CSM Poli Iaşi chairman Florin Prunea defends coach Nicolò Napoli: “Fans are shouting but it’s way too much to ask me to sack him. It’s the players’ attitude that bothers me. I won’t even think about sacking him.” 5 Oct: Thinks about it. 6 Oct: Sacks him.
• Most creative solution: York City, sacking manager Jackie McNamara with immediate effect “in the best interests of York City Football Club”, and unveiling Jackie McNamara as caretaker to see them safely through “the transition”.
• Most considerate: Egypt’s Zamalek SC coach Momen Soliman: “If we lose the game I’ll resign. And I’ll do it by phone in order not to embarrass anyone.”
• And most democratic: Ghana’s former Asante Kotoko coach David Duncan on winning Worst Coach of the Year in Happy FM’s Golden Bin Awards. “It’s the right of the callers to vote me the worst. I will not contest the verdict.”
Rebuttal of the week
Villa owner @Dr_TonyXia: “Being listed as 10crazy owners by an Italian!!!paper. I wasn’t that crazy2spend millions2change a right one but’ll do whatever good2the club.”
Plus: still got it
Diego Maradona: marking the pope’s 2016 Match for Peace with an on-pitch row and pre-game attack on Mauro Icardi as a “traitor” over the Inter striker’s affair with ex-team-mate Maxi López’s wife. Icardi: “He’s tasteless. His words are not compatible with peace.”
• 2014’s inaugural Match for Peace highlight: Maradona attacking organisers for involving Icardi – who should be “punched in the face”. He pledged to keep speaking out on all football’s moral issues. “In me, the pope has a soldier, an ally. I will fight by his side.”
