Team News

The Czech government said it has banned all athletes representing Russia from participating in local competitions because of the Russian occupation of Ukraine.

In its statement, it is stated that the Czech Government prohibits “the participation of individual athletes and sports teams representing the Russian Federation in sports competitions and games organized on Czech soil.”

Likewise, athletes and teams representing the Czech Republic should not participate in competitions held in Russia.

This decision was taken at the request of the Czech sports associations.

Previously, Czech ice hockey players competing in the Russia-based Kontinental Hockey League could not play for the Czech national team.

But the current ban will apply to all sports and athletes competing under the Russian and Czech flags.

There is still no information whether this ban will also affect Belarusian athletes.

The Czech Olympic Committee stated earlier this year that it was opposed to allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to participate in the 2024 Paris Olympics under a neutral flag.

The Czech Republic, a member state of the European Union and NATO, has provided Ukraine with significant military and humanitarian aid since Russia launched its invasion of its neighbor in February 2022.

Two government decisions, which are directly related to football. The Italian government approved measures that do not allow the use of the number 88 on jerseys from the new season, as well as the suspension of matches for anti-Semitic chants.

The law was signed by the Italian interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, and is included in measures to combat anti-Semitism, signed on 27 August.

Starting next season, Atalanta’s Mario Pasalic and Lazio’s Toma Basic must change the numbers on their backs. 88 is used by neo-Nazi groups as a sign of respect for Adolf Hitler. The letter H is the eighth in the German alphabet, the 88th translates to two H’s, which then translates to the Nazi salute.

In the past this number was held by Gianluigi Buffon at Parma. The legendary goalkeeper changed it after only a few friendly matches, precisely to avoid any hypothetical connection with extremist groups. Controversies were not absent at that time, where Mateusz Praszelik, Marco Borriello and Rincon were among the accused.

In addition to banning the number 88, in the Italian Serie A the law of stopping matches also comes into force if anti-Semitic chants are made in the stands. Fans are prohibited from using symbols reminiscent of Nazism, and must not use discriminatory language.

The famous Hollywood duo, Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, after the success achieved with the Welsh club Wrexham, promoting it to the Football League (EFL) after a 15-year absence, have also invested in Formula 1.

British media has struck a stunning £171m deal to buy a stake in motor racing team Alpine.

The actors are already part of a large investment group that has bought 24% of the scuderia’s shares.

The team’s parent company, Renault, announced today that Reynolds and McElhenney will join Otro Capital and RedBird Capital Partners. The deal values ​​British-based Alpine Racing at around £706m.

Alpine chief executive Laurent Rossi said: “This association is an important step to increase our performance at all levels.”

Rossi says the investment will raise Alpine’s media profile as well as support their performance in the long term.

Alpine currently sit fifth in the F1 Constructors’ Championship.

Lionel Messi says his relationship with Paris St-Germain fans “fractured” after a “significant” number of supporters started to treat him differently.

Messi, who won the World Cup with Argentina in December, left PSG at the end of last season after two years and has joined Inter Miami.

In the second half of last season, Messi was repeatedly booed and PSG had to increase security around his house.

“I think in the beginning it was something wonderful,” said Messi.

Speaking to beIN Sports, the 36-year-old said: “But then some people started to treat me differently, a part of the Paris supporters. I think the vast majority still see me and treat me as they did at the beginning, but there was a fracture with a significant group of the Paris fans, which obviously wasn’t my intention, far from it.

“It happened just as it had happened before with [Kylian] Mbappe, with Neymar. I know that’s the way they behave.

“I’ll take away with me the people who respected me, as I always respected everyone since I arrived and that’s all.”

Messi said he did not know if Argentina beating France in the World Cup final was a factor.

He was booed by some PSG fans after being suspended for an unauthorised trip to Saudi Arabia, and again during his final match for the Ligue 1 champions.

In a wide-ranging interview, Messi also said he found it “very difficult” to adapt to life in Paris on and off the pitch following his 2021 move from Barcelona, having missed pre-season and then later having a month out mid-season with Covid.

In contrast, he said he felt “very comfortable” at the start of his second season at Parc des Princes but the mid-season winter World Cup “affected the whole season for everyone”.

‘I’ve achieved everything’

In winning the World Cup – Argentina’s first in 36 years – Messi added football’s biggest prize to a list of trophies that includes a record seven Ballon d’Or titles – awarded to the best footballer each year – four Champions Leagues, one Copa America, 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona and two Ligue 1 crowns with PSG.

In May, he broke Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for the most goals scored in Europe’s top five leagues and, to date, has scored a combined 807 goals for club and country.

“I have nothing left to achieve, I’ve achieved everything,” he said.

However, Messi said his individual achievements were secondary to those won with his teams, though he did concede they were “nice recognitions”.

“I achieved the most important goal I had, which was to win the World Cup with my national team and it was something extraordinary, the way everything happened,” he said.

“I never thought about individual awards and I never gave them more importance than the collective awards.

“To have achieved the objectives with the Argentina national team and to have achieved everything at an individual level, at a team level, for me it is to close an extraordinary career.”