Tag Archives: organisation

Barcelona cash in on Lionel Messi & Co with Qatar Airways shirt deal

Posted on by

Barcelona break with tradition by cashing in on Messi & Co with Qatar Airways deal

By
Dave Wood

PUBLISHED:

11:22 GMT, 20 November 2012

|

UPDATED:

13:28 GMT, 20 November 2012

Barcelona have sparked controversy by turning their back on 112 years of history with their latest shirt sponsorship deal.

The Spanish giants have agreed for Qatar Airways to be emblazoned on their famous scarlet and blue shirts from the beginning of next season.

Major attraction: Barcelona star Lionel Messi

Major attraction: Barcelona star Lionel Messi

How Martin Samuel highlighted Barca's greed

Almighty Barcelona more than a club Not when they claim moral authority

Forget the halo, even the blessed Barcelona are tainted by greed

The Doha-state run airline will replace current sponsors The Qatar Foundation, who provide funding for health and education projects and will revert to the club's official human development partner.

The move is part of Barcelona's five-year deal with Qatar Sports Investments worth 125 million

But it has angered some fans as it will be the first time a corporate logo will appear on the shirts.

For years, Barcelona refused to follow their European rivals and have a shirt sponsor.

They finally relented in 2003 by allowing the children's charity UNICEF, to occupy their famous shirts.

In 2010 The Qatar Foundation, another charitable organisation, became the first brand to be allowed on the shirts.

Sandro Rosell, president of Barcelona, has welcomed Qatar Airways as 'an ambitious brand with global aspirations, always committed to achieving the utmost excellence in its field'.

Centre of attention: Messi training in Moscow for Tuesday's Champions League tie

Centre of attention: Messi training in Moscow for Tuesday's Champions League tie

Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, added: 'We are delighted to form this alliance with FC Barcelona, the biggest football club in the world. Qatar Airways has been voted best airline in the world for two consecutive years and will work with FC Barcelona on activities of benefit both to fans and passengers, offering tangible rewards to both organisations.'

Rosell also stressed that 'after sharing two fantastic years with Qatar
Foundation, we are delighted to be continuing our relationship by
welcoming them as our official Human Development Partner.'

A Qatar Foundation spokesperson said: 'When we started this fantastic journey with FC Barcelona, our objective was to work closely with the club, the team and the supporters to promote awareness of Qatar Foundation on an international scale. This has been a huge success.

'In fact, the first two years of the collaboration have surpassed our expectations and we are looking to deepen and strengthen our relationship with FC Barcelona and its supporters around the world in our continued role as a proud partner of the club.'

No logo: Rivaldo (right) in 2002

No logo: Rivaldo (right) in 2002

First step: Ronaldinho in UNICEF sponsored shirt in 2007

First step: Ronaldinho in UNICEF sponsored shirt in 2007

A big deal for Barca

When the Qatar Foundation agreed to become the new shirt sponsors at Barcelona, the club certainly did not make the concession on the cheap.

For the Catalan giants, who famously withstood commercial pressure for a shirt sponsor until 2011, agreed a 125m deal over five seasons that would see the non-profit making government-backed organisation of the Middle East state receive global exposure in return.

It was not a move that was free of controversy. Opponents highlighted Qatar's poor human rights record and argued whether it was right that Barcelona should be promoting such an organisation.

However, it appears that the goalposts have now been moved within two years of that orginial announcement. It would appear that Barcelona's members – who voted originally to accept the deal – are being weaned off the concept of the club promoting a quasi-charitable cause for one that is purely commercial.

Barcelona are able to do this because the contract was signed with the Qatar Sports Investment group – a company who have the power to change the name on the shirt in the third year of their agreement.

A clause in the contract has seen them to do just that. Barcelona will not receive any more money for the sleight-of-hand which has seen Qatar Airways take over the role as shirt sponsors next season, save for the 25m chunk that has already been agreed between the parties.

However, the deal remains the most lucrative in world football, outstripping Bayern Munich's 23m with Deutsche Telecom and those agreed with English football's Manchester United, (Chevrolet) Manchester City, (Etihad Airways) and Liverpool. (Standard Chartered).

By Neil Moxley

Liverpool expect to improve shirt sponsorship deal

Posted on by

Liverpool can't buy a win at home or abroad but expect to IMPROVE 20m shirt deal

|

UPDATED:

10:08 GMT, 14 November 2012

Liverpool are confident they can improve their current 20million-a-year shirt deal with Standard Chartered, despite a lack of Champions League football.

The club negotiated their current contract, which has two years to run, in 2009 while second in the Premier League and in Europe's elite competition.

But Liverpool expect to conclude negotiations quickly and extend the deal.

Talks: Liverpool hope to extend their deal with Standard Chartered

Talks: Liverpool hope to extend their deal with Standard Chartered

Standard Chartered have a period of exclusivity but last season they expressed 'disappointment' at the way the Luis Suarez racism controversy was handed.

The 80m, four-year deal was a club record when it was agreed but commercial revenues at Anfield have increased since John W Henry took control of the club, despite disappointing performances on the pitch.

Big money: Manchester United also rake in 20m each season

Big money: Manchester United also rake in 20m each season

Premier League sponsors

Arsenal – Fly Emirates (airline company) ends 2014, 5.5m a year
Aston Villa – Genting Casinos (gambling company) 2013, 8m a year
Chelsea – Samsung (electronics ) 2015, 13.8m a year
Everton – Chang (brewery) 2013, 4m a year
Fulham – FxPro (foreign exchange) 2013, 4.2m a year
Liverpool – Standard Chartered (bank) 2014, 20m a year
Man City – Etihad (airline) 1922, 20m a year
Man Utd – AON (insurance) 2014, 20m a year
Newcastle – Virgin Money (finance) 2013, 10m a year
Norwich – Aviva (insurance) 2016, 1m a year
QPR – Air Asia (airline) 2013, 2.5m a year
Reading – Waitrose (supermarket) 2013, 500,000 a year
Southampton – Aap3 (IT services) 2014, 1m a year
Stoke – bet365 (gambling) 2015, 1.3m a year
Sunderland – Invest in Africa (non-profit organisation funded by oil company Tullow) 2014, 20m a year
Swansea – 32red (gambling) 2014, 1.1m a year
Tottenham – Investec/Auresma (financial services/augmented reality multimedia) 10m a year
West Brom – Zoopla (property) 2015, 1.5m a year
West Ham – SBObet (gambling) 2013, 1.7m a year
Wigan – 12bet.com (gambling) 2014, 1m a year

TV deal in tatters as RFU rule it offside and English clubs now face hostility

Posted on by

TV deal in tatters as RFU rule it offside and English clubs now face hostility

|

UPDATED:

22:42 GMT, 14 September 2012

Plans by England’s top clubs to revolutionise European rugby on the back of a lucrative TV rights agreement lay in ruins on Friday night, after the RFU ruled that they were not entitled to do the deal.

Premiership Rugby (PRL), the umbrella organisation for the 12 top clubs, have effectively been told that in agreeing a 152million four-year deal with BT Vision, they have sold a deal that wasn’t theirs to sell, on the basis of a product that does not exist.

It leaves their representative, Leicester’s executive director Peter Wheeler, facing a potentially angry meeting of European chiefs on Tuesday with a negotiating position that has been seriously weakened.

Switched on: BT will screen Aviva Premiership rugby next season

Switched on: BT will screen Aviva Premiership rugby next season

And now French clubs are warning that the row over the future of the Heineken Cup must be sorted out by Christmas to avoid years of being dragged through the courts.

The RFU took just 24 hours to give their verdict on the legality of the new TV contract, which as well as covering rights for the Premiership itself had included a breakaway European competition.

While attempting to soften the blow by pledging to help reach a solution, there is no doubt they have intervened to slap down the country’s elite clubs.

A statement released from Twickenham read: ‘Whilst the RFU has not given consent to Premiership Rugby to grant European broadcasting rights, we believe it is important to work with them and with all parties involved to find common ground.’

Euro bash: English and French clubs want to quit the Heineken Cup

Euro bash: English and French clubs want to quit the Heineken Cup

Under IRB regulations, the mandate to sell such TV rights lies with national unions, who can in turn pass on that mandate. In this case, the RFU and France and Italy have handed that role to ERC (European Rugby Cup). They announced a four-year deal with Sky on Wednesday, hours after PRL trumpeted their breakaway agreement.

The English clubs must now hope their aggressive strategy will still go some way to overhauling the qualification process for the Heineken Cup, and the division of revenue in their favour.

But they are bound to face hostility for the way they have acted.

PRL maintain that ERC themselves do not have a tournament to sell from the start of the 2014-15 campaign, as the English and French clubs have served notice of their intention to remove themselves from the competition due to various grievances.

But ERC at least hold the mandate to do the business, whatever the event they will have on their hands in two years’ time.

And it is thought that the French are prepared to sign on with ERC again, subject to an agreement to move the date of future finals to April, rather than May.

Patrick Wolff, the vice-president of the French National Rugby League, said: ‘We want a quick answer. If we waste two years on the TV rights, everyone will lose — Celts, English and French.’

BT turns up the heat on Sky by snatching live TV rights to Premiership rugby

Posted on by

BT turns up the heat on Sky by snatching live TV rights for Premiership rugby

|

UPDATED:

11:07 GMT, 12 September 2012

BT have stepped up their bid to rival
Sky as a heavyweight sports broadcaster by sealing a 152m deal to screen
Premiership rugby next season.

The British telecoms group has has
already secured the rights to Premier League football from 2013-14 at a
cost of 246 million per season in a bid to promote their internet TV service.

New deal: BT will screen Aviva Premiership rugby next season

Switched on: BT will screen Aviva Premiership rugby next season

And now BT has snatched the broadcast rights for Premiership rugby from BSkyB to show up to 69 Aviva Premiership Rugby matches and the J.P. Morgan Asset Management Sevens from the 2013-14 season.

It will also show matches played by Aviva Premiership Rugby clubs in European competitions from 2014-15 for three years.

Top clubs in England and France have served notice of their intention to quit the Heineken Cup and organise a rival competition as they believe the current format is weighted too heavily in favour of the Celtic nations.

Live Aviva Premiership matches are currently split between BSkyB and ESPN so the new deal means that from next season, rugby fans will be able to catch all of the excitement of the Aviva Premiership in one place with the bonus of additional live coverage from future European competitions from 2014.

'This is a game-changing agreement and will deliver a service that I know our club supporters will enjoy,' said Mark McCafferty, Chief Executive of Premiership Rugby, the umbrella organisation of the Aviva Premiership Rugby clubs.

'We are delighted to have concluded our discussions with such an ambitious partner that will help bring Premiership Rugby to new audiences.

'BT is a company at the cutting edge of technology and that is one of the reasons it makes them such an exciting broadcast partner for Premiership Rugby.

'We will develop a broad partnership. As well as showing the live games, BT will assist us in further upgrading the technical infrastructure of our clubs’ stadia and by building Community programmes with us.'

Marc Watson, BT Vision CEO added: 'BT is delighted to have secured this deal. Rugby Union is entering a thrilling phase with the World Cup being staged here in 2015 and rugby returning to the Olympics in 2016. We plan to bring the excitement of the very best matches to as wide an audience as possible. We will also be bringing all of the action together in one place and will look to distribute it on a variety of platforms.”

'BT is serious about sport and this deal means we will be offering the very best rugby action alongside some of the most thrilling football matches from the Premier League. That is a winning combination and one that will appeal to fans of both sports.'

Bradford Bulls owe 1.5million

Posted on by

Endangered Bulls' debts revealed to be around 1.5m

|

UPDATED:

11:55 GMT, 3 August 2012

Bradford are around 1.5million in debt, it has been revealed.

The beleaguered Bulls are the subject of a takeover offer from Super League (Europe), the umbrella organisation for the 14 top-flight clubs, which, if accepted, would stave off the threat of liquidation and ensure they see the season out.

Joint administrator Brendan Guilfoyle, who has been running the club since it went into administration on June 26, is expected to give his answer early next week.

Debt: Bradford Bulls owe about 1.5million

Debt: Bradford Bulls owe about 1.5million

In the meantime, Blake Solly, the Rugby Football League's director of licensing and standards, shed more light on the financially-stricken club in a meeting with BullBuilder, the Bradford supporters trust.

In the meeting Solly said he could not guarantee the Bulls would remain in Super League for 2013 and revealed that, if the bid is accepted, the Bradford players would be free to speak to other clubs to secure their futures for next season.

A statement released by BullBuilder said: 'In a constructive meeting, we established that SLE look on this as a short-term measure and are confident of attracting a long-term, unconditional bid in the near future.

'Solly could give no guarantees about the division in which the club will play next season: he commented that the debt of the club remains a concern and is estimated to be approximately 1.5m.

'However, he assured BullBuilder that the club would continue to play at Odsal for the foreseeable future.

'If the SLE bid is accepted, we understand that players will then be free to speak to other clubs to secure their future for next season.'

Bradford head coach Mick Potter, who met with Solly and RFL chief operating officer Ralph Rimmer and his squad yesterday, said the players – 17 of whom are out of contract at the end of the season – remain frustrated by the continuing uncertainty.

While the players have received their wages on time throughout the crisis, Potter and his coaching assistants, along with several members of the office staff who were also made redundant by the administrator, continue to work on a voluntary basis.

The statement continued: 'Where recently redundant backroom and coaching staff are concerned, there is a likelihood that some may be re-employed.

'However, in the interim, those staff are still not being paid and are unlikely to be reimbursed for their unpaid work in the meantime, so the hardship fund instigated by BullBuilder is still required.

'Therefore, BullBuilder intend to carry out a bucket collection in support of the hardship fund at Sunday's home game against Widnes.'

The fund, administered by the club's pastor, Warren Evans, has raised 4,200 so far to help relieve financial distress.

The Super League players' association, 1eagu3, gave a cautious welcome to SLE's offer to buy Bradford on behalf of the other 13 clubs.

'I am pleased that the uncertainty that has shrouded the Bulls in the short term has been lifted,” said 1eagu3 chief executive Ernie Benbow.

'However, there remains a significant question mark over the Bulls as a Super League club following this season.'

Tour de France 2012: Luis-Leon Sanchez wins Stage 14

Posted on by

Under at-tack… Wiggins retains yellow jersey for seventh day as controversy reigns

|

UPDATED:

17:00 GMT, 15 July 2012

Tour de France leader Bradley Wiggins believes the sabotage of stage 14 – when tacks on the road caused a number of punctures in the peloton – showed how vulnerable riders are on the road, where more severe incidents could yet occur.

Jean-Francois Pescheux, competitions director of Tour organisers Amaury Sports Organisation, confirmed around 30 riders suffered punctures on the climb of Mur de Peguere on the 191-kilometre route from Limoux to Foix.

Seventh heaven: Wiggins retains the yellow jersey once again

Seventh heaven: Wiggins retains the yellow jersey once again

Tour de France – results and standings

Click here for the complete rundown

With Wiggins and defending champion
Cadel Evans (BMC Racing) among those to suffer flat tires, the stage was
neutralised, initially by the Briton's Team Sky squad, as the peloton
rolled in more than 18 minutes behind stage winner Luis-Leon Sanchez.

Job done: Luis-Leon Sanchez celebrates as he crosses the finishing line and at the presentation

Job done: Luis-Leon Sanchez celebrates as he crosses the finishing line and at the presentation

Job done: Luis-Leon Sanchez celebrates as he crosses the finishing line and at the presentation

Wiggins said: 'What can you do It's something we can't control. There's nothing stopping more of that sort of stuff happening.

'It's sad. Those are the type of things we have to put up with as cyclists.

High hopes: the pack twist through the mountain roads

High hopes: the pack twist through the mountain roads

'I think people take that for granted sometimes, just how close they can get to us.

'If that happened in a football stadium, or wherever, you'd be arrested, CCTV.

Under at-tack: Around 30 punctures, including three for Cadel Evans (below) marred Stage 14

Under at-tack: Around 30 punctures, including three for Cadel Evans (below) marred Stage 14

Under at-tack: Around 30 punctures, including three for Cadel Evans (below) marred Stage 14

'But we're out there, quite vulnerable at times, very close to the public on climbs.

'We're just the riders at the end of the day and we're there to be shot at, literally.

Team effort: Wiggins rides along with the other members of Team Sky

Team effort: Wiggins rides along with the other members of Team Sky

'It's quite sad and hopefully that's not going to continue.

'There's nothing you can do about it. We just have to get on with it.'

More to follow…

Seventh heaven: Wiggins has broken Chris Boardman's British record

Seventh heaven: Wiggins has broken Chris Boardman's British record

Sunderland announce Invest in Africa as new shirt sponsor

Posted on by

Sunderland seal landmark shirt deal with oil company to promote Invest in Africa

|

UPDATED:

11:49 GMT, 25 June 2012

Sunderland have announced it had reached an agreement for Invest in Africa to become their official partner and shirt sponsor.

The Black Cats will wear the name of the not-for-profit organisation on their shirts for at least the next two seasons. Invest in Africa is a partnership of leading companies formed to promote business opportunities on the continent.

Getting shirty: Craig Gardner joins Aidan Heavey, CEO Tullow Oil (L), Sunderland chairman Ellis Short and vice chairman David Miliband to luanch the club's new sponsor

Getting shirty: Craig Gardner joins Aidan Heavey, CEO Tullow Oil (L), Sunderland chairman Ellis Short and vice chairman David Miliband to luanch the club's new sponsor

Owner and chairman Ellis Short said: 'We are very proud to have augmented our relationship with Invest in Africa through this wonderful agreement.

'It is a partnership which sets a new benchmark for the club commercially, but what stands out is while doing so, it truly gives something back to both our own region and to a continent which has become a firm part of our club's success story over recent seasons.'

Good to talk: MP David Milliband reveals the details of the new deal for Sunderland

Good to talk: MP David Milliband reveals the details of the new deal for Sunderland

Short added: 'Extending our relationship will enable us to put the club's knowledge and experience – allied with its immense global reach as part of the Premier League – fully into practice.

'It fits perfectly with our own aims as we continue showcasing Sunderland AFC to a global audience which simply loves football.'

Rio Ferdinand caught up in Asian cigarette row

Posted on by

Ferdinand accused of 'endorsing cigarette firm that promotes smoking among children'
Anti-smoking charities accuse the Manchester United star of promoting Indonesian tobacco firm Gudang Garam InternationalUnited say Rio is 'sorry for this misunderstanding'

|

UPDATED:

13:37 GMT, 17 June 2012

Rio Ferdinand is at the centre of a row over tobacco advertising after anti-smoking charities accused him of promoting a company that owns one of Asia's biggest cigarette brands.

The Manchester United defender features in billboard advertisements and YouTube videos in Indonesia that promote Gudang Garam International's internet-based sports channel, Intersport.

But the company is one of Indonesia's largest tobacco firms and its cigarettes, flavoured with spices such as cloves and cinnamon, are popular with children.

Apology: Manchester United said Rio Ferdinand was sorry for any misunderstanding resulting from his appearance in the ads

Apology: Manchester United said Rio Ferdinand was sorry for any misunderstanding resulting from his appearance in the ads

A spokesman for Ferdinand, who supports the global children's charity Unicef, insisted that the footballer, who does not smoke, was advertising the sports channel and not tobacco.

It appears that Ferdinand, one of many international football stars to appear in the ads, had been unaware that Gudang Garam International makes much of its profits from tobacco or that his image would be used on billboards which carry the cigarette brand logo.

Its Intersport channel shows Premier League football matches and helps to raise the profile of English football in Asia,

The spokesman added that Ferdinand was consulting lawyers about the use of his image in the campaign.

Talking point: The clip with Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand

Talking point: The clip with Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand

The World Health Organisation predicts smoking will kill one billion people worldwide this century.

Deborah Arnott, chief executive of the anti-smoking group Ash, said sponsorship deals such as this were banned in the UK because of concerns that they promoted cigarettes to young people.

She also called on Ferdinand to dissociate himself from GGI.

'Rio talks a good talk about putting children first when he tweets for Unicef, but he has to put his money where his mouth is,' Ms Arnott told The Observer.

'Well over a third of 15-year-old boys in Indonesia smoke and smoking rates among the young have increased sixfold since 1995.

'Rio is estimated to be worth 40m and to earn more than 100,000 a week; does he really need to do this

'I hope now he realises what he's done he'll apologise.'

Message The promo clip with Rio Ferdinand

Separately, Indonesia's National Commission for Child Protection has written to the Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson urging him 'to have this unhealthy promotion removed immediately'.

In the YouTube videos, Ferdinand, wearing a red football kit and displaying the GGI corporate badge, says how 'football is everything and everything about football is only on Gudang Garam Intersport'.

The final scene cuts to the Intersport logo, which is then followed by the Gudam Garang International logo and a tobacco health warning.

The gaffer: United boss Sir Alex Ferguson

The gaffer: United boss Sir Alex Ferguson

Tobacco firms worldwide are keen to cultivate the next generation of smokers, but their efforts are hampered by blanket advertising bans in Europe.

No such laws apply in Indonesia, where GGI also operates a music website – which anti-smoking groups claim is another attempt to reach young people.

Andrea Crossfield, the director of
Tobacco Free Futures, which is campaigning for cigarettes to be sold in
plain packets in the UK, said: 'I don't believe that it is a coincidence
that Gudang Garam chose a Manchester United player to promote their
brand sponsorship of Indonesian football, as the iconic Manchester
United kit so closely resembles their own cigarette brand colours.'

Ian
Gray, from the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health, told
Environmental Health News: 'We must be concerned about the prevalence
of smoking internationally, particularly in the developing world, where
it is a major killer.

'It is particularly galling to see a prominent UK celebrity recognised by young football supporters the world over participating in such a distasteful and ill-advised campaign.'

A United spokeswoman told The Observer: 'The contractual agreement between Rio and Gudang Garam Intersports runs to 31 October 2012, at which time all forms of advertising will cease.

'Both Manchester United and Rio Ferdinand are sorry for this misunderstanding and will endeavour to ensure that it is not repeated in the future.'

Bahrain Grand Prix: Warning over "casualties"

Posted on by

F1 chiefs warned of 'casualties' ahead of controversial Bahrain Grand Prix

|

UPDATED:

13:46 GMT, 17 April 2012

A former leading Bahraini politician
has claimed there are 'fears we could see some casualties' during the
course of this weekend's Formula One Grand Prix.

Economist Jasim Husain represented
the primary opposition group, Al-Wefaq, for five years prior to
resigning in protest following the anti-government demonstrations that
rocked the country last year.

Volatile: Protesters clash with police in Bahrain

Volatile: Protesters clash with police in Bahrain

Husain did so, along with 17 others, in the hope of pressing the authorities to seek solutions to the issues currently dividing the kingdom.

However, 14 months on from the 'Day of Rage' that resulted in the deaths of many protesters, such reforms appear too slow in coming given the publication of a 58-page report into Bahrain by Amnesty International.

The leading human rights organisation insist “not much has changed in the country since the brutal crackdown” last year.

Given the daily clashes between police and protesters, there are concerns the latter will use F1's arrival and its global reach to ram home their message.

Although the majority demonstrate peacefully, there are groups such as the Coalition Youth of the 14 Feb Revolution who have said 'three days of anger' will occur this weekend.

Husein says one serious incident would be 'very likely' to hit F1's presence hard in Bahrain, and it is up to the authorities to ensure they do not over-react.

Green light: FIA president Jean Todt confident Bahrain race will go-ahead

Green light: FIA president Jean Todt confident Bahrain race will go-ahead

Husein, insisting his views are his own and not that of Al-Wefaq, said:
“I don't see lots of protests throughout the country, especially outside
the vicinity of the racing area.

'But yes, there is this fear, the fear is there that we could see some casualties.

'So it's now a challenge for the security forces who have to handle things properly. They should avoid using force.

'Of course, people should be free to express their views, but the
responsibility is with the authorities who have to show professionalism
in managing any protest.

'The good thing is people are peaceful, protesters are peaceful, that
violence is not really any particular part of the political challenge in
the country.

'But things have to be handled properly by the authorities.'

F1's rulers have naturally been eager to distance themselves from the
political or moral argument, although there is the suggestion it is
being used as a tool for the former.

Campaigners are set to step up the protests

Concern: Anti-government protesters are expected to step up their campaign

Given the daily protests against the ruling Bahraini regime, operating
under the slogan 'UniF1ed – One Nation in Celebration' would appear to
underline F1's significance when it comes to purporting all is well,
when it is far from the case.

Instead, FIA president Jean Todt asserts his organisation 'are only
interested in sport not politics', with Husein believing it wrong F1 is
portrayed as being in support of the ruling al-Khalifa royal family.

'That's the problem really. It should not be presented this way,” said Husein.

'F1 is a sport, an economic positive, and I hope neither side will see the race as a political tool.

'We do have political issues which have to be addressed, and F1 coming or not coming does not mean those problems will go away.

'But certainly this is not a political event and should not have political implications.

'However, we are suffering from this problem because it is being presented this way.

'People are simply pressing for democratic reforms, and ensuring there
is equal opportunity for all, to have real participation in decision
making.

Race must go on: F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says Bahrain GP will go ahead

Race must go on: F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone says Bahrain GP will go ahead

One unnamed protester, however, believes F1 does Bahrain no favours as
he said: 'People here are getting killed, and with F1 here we feel like
they are driving on our blood, on our bodies.'

Further demonstrations are due to take place over the next few days,
with one in particular today on the doorstep of the Gulf kingdom's
international airport.

It is understood the focus will not only solely centre on pro-democracy rights, but also anti-F1.

On Wednesday, when most F1 personnel are due to arrive, what has been
described by a risk assessment group as “a vehicular rally” is to take
place along the two highways that lead up to the airport.
end

Footballers trafficked from Africa to Europe

Posted on by

Spotlight on human trafficking as 4,000 young footballers are shipped to Europe

|

UPDATED:

21:53 GMT, 26 March 2012

Football is being used as a vehicle
for human trafficking, with at least 4,000 young players illegally
shipped from Africa to Europe to pursue dreams of a career in the game.

Foot Solidaire, a French organisation that works to protect young footballers from exploitation, said it is dealing with at least 20 new cases each week and has called on FIFA to act.

Parents are spending thousands of pounds to send their sons to Europe in the hope they will earn lucrative contracts, but the teenagers are then abandoned on the street.

Foot Solidaire against trafficking

Foot Solidaire against trafficking

In a special TV report shown on Sky Sports News, a FIFA-licensed agent in Cameroon was exposed offering to sell 14-and 15-year-olds for 25,000.

A FIFA statement said: ‘Should any evidence be made available of any wrongdoing or abuse of FIFA’s regulations, we would naturally support any investigation.’