Tag Archives: defamation

Raul Meireles banned for 11 matches for spitting at a referee, says reports

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Turkish disgusting! Meireles hit with 11-match ban for spitting at referee in Istanbul derby

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UPDATED:

08:59 GMT, 21 December 2012

Former Liverpool and Chelsea midfielder Raul Meireles has been hit with an 11-match ban for spitting at a referee, according to reports.

The Portuguese international is now in Turkey with Fenerbahce and was accused following his dismissal in the country's most ferocious derby against Galatasaray last weekend.

Meireles confronted referee Halis Ozkahya after he was given a second yellow card in the second half of the 2-1 defeat. It was claimed then that he spat at the official while also making a homophobic remark.

*Scroll down for video of the alleged incident

Clash: Raul Meireles was accused of spitting at the referee and saying a homophobic remark during Fenerbahce's defeat to Galatasaray

Clash: Raul Meireles was accused of spitting at the referee and saying a homophobic remark during Fenerbahce's defeat to Galatasaray

And now reports have emerged the Turkish Football Federation have slapped him with a ban that sees him ruled out until the last week of February.

Speaking after the match, the 29-year-old vehemently denied the claims.

He said: 'I'm really annoyed at being accused of spitting at the referee. I have an eight year old kid, can you imagine if kids at school start saying your father spat at a ref, this could ruin my reputation in the eyes of my child.

'I have many gay friends who I deeply respects. The hand gesture I made is directed at the referee caving in to the pressure of the home fans.

'That hand gesture was to tell him he was scared. Look at my hairstyle, what I wear, I'm not a prejudice person, my hand gesture was in no way, shape or form a homophobic one.

'I don't know what the hand gesture for calling somebody gay is in Turkey but what I did was entirely based around the referee being a coward and bowing to the pressure.

'The referee's accusations are outrageous and are defamation, I will be taking legal action against him to prove my innocence.'

Meanwhile, Montpellier defender Cyril Jeunechamp has been banned for one year for hitting a journalist from French newspaper L'Equipe.

Mark Clattenburg cleared: Charge Chelsea, says Graham Poll

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Now charge Chelsea! Throw the book at Blues after false Clattenburg claim

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UPDATED:

17:16 GMT, 22 November 2012

Chelsea should be charged with bringing the game into disrepute, wasting FA time and potentially face a private prosecution from Mark Clattenburg for defamation of character.

There has been little or no thought as to the damage this has done to the referee and his reputation – as Sir Alex Ferguson asserted: 'It’s a problem for Mark and it is unfortunate. ‘Stigma does tend to stick and that is the real unfortunate part.'

Claim: Chelsea accused Clattenburg of racism towards their players

Claim: Chelsea accused Clattenburg of racism towards their players

Outside of football people are charged with wasting police time and if making a serious but unfounded allegation a jail sentence can follow.

And yet Chelsea appear to have emerged with nothing worse than a few more dents to an already tarnished reputation.

In this case it is hard to blame the players for they seemed convinced that they heard an inappropriate comment by a referee (how fortunate that referees don't react in a similar way).

Row: Chelsea midfielder Mikel has been charged with misconduct

Row: Chelsea midfielder Mikel has been charged with misconduct

However it seems unbelievable that the club were prepared to accuse a well-respected, senior International referee without first of all checking to see if there was sufficient evidence to back up such damaging claims.

One has to ask if that is because, other than damaging their reputation, there is no other cost involved.

There seems to be little or no point in financial penalties when the owner has almost limitless wealth and whilst a deduction of points would ensure that clubs checked their facts before such allegations are made, their legal teams would challenge any such penalty.

Claim: Chelsea players alleged that I had threatened them back in 2006

Claim: Chelsea players alleged that I had threatened them back in 2006

So, we appear left with the same situation as I found myself in six years ago after Chelsea players alleged that I had threatened them in a match against Tottenham.

A referee unfairly accused and left feeling a little more disillusioned with a game he once loved probably unable to referee a top four team again this season. Then again, why would he want to

Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jnr settle court case

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Court settlement clears path for $200m Mayweather v Pacquiao superfight

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UPDATED:

09:11 GMT, 26 September 2012

The hotly anticipated superfight between Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Manny Pacquiao could be taking a step closer as the two fighters are close to settling a long-standing defamation case in Las Vegas.

Fight fans around the world now hope this will pave the way for the $200million showdown in Sin City to be confirmed.

Pacquiao filed the lawsuit in
December 2009 seeking unspecified damages based on allegations that
Floyd Mayweather Jnr defamed him by suggesting he used
performance-enhancing substances.

Who's next Pacquiao will face Marquez in December... but will Mayweather come after that

Who's next Pacquiao will face Marquez in December… but will Mayweather come after that

Terms of the agreement cited in
documents filed in the US District Court in Las Vegas are confidential,
said Malcolm LaVergne, a lawyer representing Floyd Mayweather Jnr's
father in the case.

LaVergne said documents filed under
seal ask US District Judge Larry R. Hicks to dismiss the lawsuit, and
that others involved in the case were preparing a public statement.
Documents filed publicly said each side would bear its own attorney fees
and costs.

In a statement the Mayweathers said: 'We wish to
make it clear that they never intended to claim that Manny Pacquiao has
used or is using any performance-enhancing drugs, nor are they aware of
any evidence that Manny Pacquiao has used performance-enhancing drugs.'

'The matter has been resolved,' LaVergne said. 'Any alleged terms of the resolution would be strictly confidential. Floyd Mayweather Snr is very happy that this lengthy case has finally come to a conclusion.'

Money matters: Mayweather won his last bout in May against Miguel Cotto

Money matters: Mayweather won his last bout in May against Miguel Cotto

The direction of the case took a turn against Floyd Mayweather Jnr last week, when the judge issued a ruling ordering him to pay 70,000 in legal fees and costs for avoiding questioning under oath from Pacquiao's lawyers.

Hicks faulted Mayweather for failure to comply with a court order. But he earlier rejected a bid by Pacquiao's lawyers to end the lawsuit with a more severe sanction – a default judgment for Pacquiao.

Nevada State Athletic Commission chief Keith Kizer said he wasn't aware of any talks between the two camps about scheduling a fight. But Kizer said such a fight could set records for the highest purse, gate and number of cable television paid viewers.

A Mayweather-Pacquiao fight might eclipse the Mayweather super welterweight fight against Oscar De La Hoya that drew 17,078 fans to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in May 2007, Kizer said. Paid attendance was 11.3m.

'Based on my dealings with the boxing public and boxing insiders, the proposed Mayweather-Pacquiao fight has as much interest as any fight I can remember in the last 20 years,' Kizer said. 'I think this would be our first gate over 12.3m.'

Craig Whyte threatens court action against Scottish FA

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Rangers owner Whyte threatens defamation case against 'inept' Scottish FA

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UPDATED:

17:11 GMT, 7 June 2012

Rangers' controversial owner Craig Whyte has turned the tables on the Scottish Football Association by threatening to take them to court for defamation.

Whyte had already been deemed unfit to hold an official position in the game by the SFA when he was handed fines totalling 200,000 by the ruling body in April for bringing the game into disrepute.

At the same time the administration-hit Ibrox club were handed a 12-month transfer embargo – which was successfully appealed – and fined 160,000 after being found guilty of five charges relating to their financial affairs and the appointment of Whyte as chairman.

See you in court: Whyte has threatened action against the SFA

See you in court: Whyte has threatened action against the SFA

The Motherwell-born businessman has refused to pay the fine, which he initially described as 'a joke' and it was reported this week that the SFA's legal team were ready to pursue him through the courts for the money.

However, when Whyte was asked for his reaction to the prospect of legal action being against him, he replied: 'I will be going after them. I will be looking at legal options against the SFA.

'They have a lot to answer for with their defamatory statements about me which formed the basis of their so-called investigation.

'Scottish football's regulators are inept and have showed themselves up. But they have no jurisdiction over me.'

The SFA declined to comment.

Whyte has agreed to sell his 85 per cent shareholding in Rangers for 2 to Charles Green, who is leading the consortium in place to take control of the club.

Defiant: Rangers fans have vowed to back the club all the way

Defiant: Rangers fans have vowed to back the club all the way

The former Sheffield United chief executive's group has pledged 8.5million for creditors who will be able to vote on a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) next week.

Should creditors reject the CVA, then Green would form a newco.

Whyte is giving the CVA his full backing and is ready to walk into the sunset following his traumatic period as owner of Rangers, which began when he bought the club from Sir David Murray last year for 1.

'I am 100 per cent behind the CVA, I am very much in favour of it,' he said.

'I hope it goes through because it is the best way forward for the club and it will leave Rangers in an excellent situation.

'My shares will form part of the consortium's shareholding and after that I will focus on other activities.

'It has certainly been eventful year but I did what needed to be done, unpopular as it was. There was no alternative. It had to be done.

'If it wasn't me it would have been someone else. People will look back in a year or two with a different view.

'People have conveniently forgotten the state Rangers were in at that time.

'I should have taken the club into administration on completion of the deal. But there was no way the situation would have been avoided unless someone came in and put in 100million and we have seen in recent weeks how difficult it is to get anyone to put money into a football club.'

Floyd Mayweather accuses Manny Pacquiao of taking drugs

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He's at it again! Mayweather accuses Pacquiao of taking drugs in bizarre rant

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UPDATED:

10:16 GMT, 2 May 2012

Floyd Mayweather Jnr has accused Manny Pacquiao of taking performance-enhancing drugs – casting further doubt over whether the two will ever meet in the ring.

The pair are considered the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world but have repeatedly failed to agree terms to fight.

And just days before he faces Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas, Mayweather, 35, has taken another swipe at his Filipino rival during a sensational expletive-ridden ten-minute rant.

Sitting on his throne: Floyd Mayweather lashed out at his rival Manny Pacquiao

Sitting on his throne: Floyd Mayweather lashed out at his rival Manny Pacquiao

Pacquiao, 33, has denied taking drugs
and is already suing his great rival for defamation after he made
similar accusations in 2009 but that did not stop Mayweather having his
say yet again.

The
latter, the WBC wwelterweight champion, has continually insisted that
Pacquiao adhere to strict testing in the run-up to any fight.

Pacquiao,
currently the WBO welterweight belt holder, is an eight-weight world
champion having moved from flyweight through to light-middleweight and
Mayweather queried whether this was a natural progression.

Fans favourite: Mayweather takes on Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas on Saturday

Fans favourite: Mayweather takes on Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas on Saturday

Fans favourite: Mayweather takes on Miguel Cotto in Las Vegas on Saturday

‘I’m going up in weight but I’m not just walking through no damn fighters,’ Mayweather said. ‘This motherf***er was 106lbs [when he started] and he’s just walking through Cotto. And Cotto can’t knock down [Shane] Mosley, but he can Come on man.

‘Go back and look at the pictures. His head is small and then all of a sudden his head just grew Come on man, stop this. Go back and look at the pictures and tell me this man’s head didn’t get bigger. You’re going to tell me this s*** is all natural. Come on man, stop.’

When asked why the super-fight has yet to happen, Mayweather revealed he was concerned his health would be in danger, giving another nod to his suspicions.

Hitting out: Mayweather has repeatedly accused Pacquiao (right) of taking drugs

Hitting out: Mayweather has repeatedly accused Pacquiao (right) of taking drugs

Health is more important than anything,’ he said. ‘Because guess what When my career is over, if I’m hurt because of something that has happened in a fight, I can’t come to you and say, “I need [money].”

‘People say, “We don’t give a f*** if he’s taking or not; we just want to see the fight. We don’t give a f*** about your health and we don’t give a f*** about your family.”

‘I care about my family. I love my family. They’re going to be there when no one else is there. When my career is over, you’re all going to move on to the next one.’

In training: Mayweather takes part in a public workout ahead of his bout with Cotto this weekend

In training: Mayweather takes part in a public workout ahead of his bout with Cotto this weekend

Mayweather’s fight with Cotto on Saturday was made after he was unable to agree terms with Pacquiao despite calling him out on Twitter and making a personal phone call.

Pacquiao meanwhile will fight Timothy Bradley on June 9, also in Las Vegas, by which time Mayweather will have started a prison term for attacking his ex-girlfriend. He was initially to begin his stretch inside in January but was given special dispensation in order to fight Pacquiao, which he has been unable to do.

He will spend 90 days inside, pushing what would be the richest fight in history back to later this year at the earliest.

Last dance: Mayweather will begin a prison term next month after being found guilty of assault

Last dance: Mayweather will begin a prison term next month after being found guilty of assault

Last dance: Mayweather will begin a prison term next month after being found guilty of assault

Mayweather has vowed to see out his jail term and stay in training however as he looks to extend his 42-fight unbeaten record.

'I want to stay active, I want to
fight again in 2012 before the year is up,' he revealed. 'I want to
constantly go out there and test my skills and I want to continue to
push myself to the limit. I still plan to retire at 37 – but I want to
fight plenty of times before then.

'You've got certain obstacles that
get in your way throughout your career, but you have to be a strong
individual. If anyone has followed my career they know that there's been
a lot of obstacles and a lot of ups and down through my career.

Next up: Miguel Cotta will take on Mayweather on Saturday in Las Vegas

Next up: Miguel Cotta will take on Mayweather on Saturday in Las Vegas

'My thing is I try to turn anything
negative into something positive. That's why when I go to the gym, when I
see my family and I see my team and I see my fans come support me every
day it's a motivational builder for me.

'So even when I go away, the only thing it can do is make me mentally strong and grow mentally strong as a person.

'It's all part of life, you have good days, you have bad days. But the main thing is to grow mentally.'