Come to Russia, FIFA ambassador tells England fans
MOSCOW: Victoria Lopyreva, glamorous ambassador for the World Cup and a former Miss Russia, urged England fans to ignore politics and travel to Moscow to support their team in Wednesday’s semifinal against Croatia. The number of England fans in Russia has been low amid diplomatic tension over the poisoning of a Russian former double-agent and his daughter, and now the death of a woman who police say was poisoned with the same nerve agent. There were also fears before the tournament that there could be violence or racism, although no major incident has been recorded. “Soccer is separate from politics because people who work in politics should concentrate on politics, and people who work in soccer should concentrate on soccer,” Lopyreva, briefly married to Russia striker Fyodor Smolov, said. “And now I want to say to English fans: ‘Guys, get it together, come to Russia and support your national team because they have gotten into the semifinal’,” she said.
Banks lambasts FA over treatment of 1966 winners
London: England’s 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeper Gordon Banks said he hoped if Gareth Southgate’s team lifted the trophy, the Football Association would look after the players better than they did his generation. The 80-year-old said he and his teammates never felt they received proper recognition. “I hope if these guys succeed they feel more appreciated by the FA than we were,” said Banks. “They should be. They will have deserved it. The FA has done nothing for us. I have been very disappointed with the FA.” Banks said he and his teammates had been forced to sell memorabilia to make ends meet. “In my case it was my shirt,” he said. “That was 10 or 15 years ago. I still have the medal.” Banks added that even reunions were organised by their hat-trick hero Geoff Hurst instead of the FA. But the players have stopped meeting after various deaths and for reasons of ill health.
Ukraine fans deluge FIFA’s Facebook page with posts
MOSCOW: Ukraine supporters have flooded the Facebook page of football governing body FIFA with over 158,000 comments, most saying “Glory to Ukraine”, after it fined Croatia’s assistant coach for a video in which he used the same slogan. FIFA hit Ognjen Vukojevic with a 15,000 Swiss franc fine and a warning after he and Croatian defender Domagoj Vida said “Glory to Ukraine” in a video posted after Croatia beat Russia. Both men have played for Ukrainian club Dynamo Kiev. Croatia’s Football Federation later sacked Vukojevic from the national team’s coaching staff. Meanwhile, The Ukrainian football federation (FFU) will compensate Vukojevic for the fine imposed on him by FIFA, FFU president Andriy Pavelko said on Tuesday.
England LMA chief hails Germans for retaining Loew
London: England’s League Managers Association (LMA) chief Richard Bevan, a fierce critic of soccer’s hire-and-fire culture, has heaped praise on Germany for keeping faith with national coach Joachim Loew despite a calamitous World Cup. Loew’s contract runs until 2022 but his side’s shock exit in Russia sparked speculation about whether he would keep his job before the German football association (DFB) confirmed his position last week. Bevan said: “It is great to see a world-class proven manager such as Joachim Loew being supported by his football association. Loyalty to managers is still the best recipe for success.” Last November Bevan complained that a culture of sacking managers was “severely damaging” English football.
