sne Posted December 15, 2018 Share Posted December 15, 2018 Google translate alert but still a good read. Quote It has leaked for a long time, but now it's about a flood that causes the dirt to swirl up to the surface. The power of Football Leaks only grows. 2018 was the year when a mysterious young Portuguese with a laptop's arena got the football's greatest elephants to darra. Progress Report, December 2018: The world's most famous football player is Cristiano Ronaldo . He was sentenced to two years' imprisonment this summer, and is also suspected of rape under investigation. The world's best football player is Leo Messi. He was sentenced to 21 months' imprisonment for tax crimes this year, even though the sentence has been replaced by fines. The newly appointed winner of Guldbollen is Luka Modric. During almost 2018 he has been threatened with imprisonment for men, but was finally released by a Croatian court. And the world's most careless coach? His name is José Mourinho, and was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for tax breaks a couple of months ago. Football's top representative, the football's most clear role models. The kind of globally iconic celebrities that appear to be inaccessible. But apparently there is someone who can reach them right when he wants to. Apparently, there is a man who has access to their most protected secrets - and who decided to share them with both the public and the judiciary. He just wants him to know him as "John." If he alone is the man behind Football Leaks, we do not know - he has always said he represents a faceless collective - but at least he has become a spokesman and representative of the signature that continues to make the football world reckon. Since Football Leaks first made himself known three years ago, he has given a series of interviewees, but it is through the contact with German Der Spiegel journalist Rafael Buschmann that we gained insight into the thriller-like existence that Football Leaks threw him into. Reading the book as Buschmann published on the subject is really like reading a spy novel. "John" is a Portuguese nowadays originating in Eastern Europe, but is constantly in motion, constantly on the run. He communicates mainly through triple encrypted, self-routing mail. The GPS feature on his own phone has scrambled him to consistently position him near the North Pole. Pedal to the metal He is a young man who lives in outerfilm with the plate depressed in the carpet. A few hours of furious pace in front of the computers that spell out new secrets from the darkest stalls of the football industry, followed by a long night at any black club in the shadow area. Breakfast at 17 o'clock, and then the commute to any anonymous concrete deprivation where there are Soviet artifacts that can be sold as antiques on the internet. Back to the computer. A breathtaking revelation of any major player in a Champions League club - and then a quick farewell and a long time under the radar. Who he hides for? The organized crime syndicates who earn and wash money by utilizing the football, the club leaders who live in symbiosis with them, the lawyers who are going on their affairs, the private teams hired as mercenaries. Why does he do that? If you now believe him - because he is up in my last desperate attempt to actually save the football and because there is some way back from here. After "John" and Football Leaks agreed with Der Spiegel to collaborate, he left over eight portable hard drives that contained a total of 1.9 terabytes of material. The comparison they usually use is that it corresponds to the content of half a million copies of the Bible. How "John" has come across the material is still unknown. He himself denied that he would have hacked it, but instead claims that he and his group are continuously provided with new material through a network of contacts that will consist of disillusioned whistleblowers in the football industry. In his own eyes he is the football Zorro; the masked revenge that strikes back the exploits in the interests of the footer. "We are football fans who want our sport back. We want to stop the exploitation of industry, help people understand where our money takes the road and who gets rich in them. The system is sick, through corrupt. The sport that really belongs to ordinary people is taken further and further away from them. The players and the functionaries hide the millions they earn in mailboxes as far away from the European tax authorities they ever can. Transfer surplus disappears The central line of the Football Leaks document published so far is the cash flow. According to them, virtually every high-paid player in the European top-soccer team has set up wages to wrap around through different shell companies to avoid taxation. Transition amounts are reported, transfer surplus disappears. Hands are shaken, throbbing back and pockets filled without any third party having the slightest insight into what actually happens. Football Leaks demands - or rather requires - a regulatory framework reminiscent of what is found in American sport. There all public wages are published, where the transfer system is transparent in a completely different way, and consequently the sports economy becomes much harder to manipulate. - More and more we talk about money that is illegal, or at least unethical. Clubs pay agency fees as a kind of bribe to gain influence over their players. As the football works, it's a paradise for corruption. The billions moving around in this market must be subject to much more intensive external review. Politicians must stop talking and instead formulate new laws, internationally valid laws. The football is about to eat itself. Instinctively, most people are very easy to sympathize with the things that "John" says, and for that matter, even what Football Leaks actually does. But is there another side of the story? It always does. Among those who followed and portrayed the development from the beginning remains a suspicion that has not really shaken off. Did everything really start as a simple extortion attempt? By the end of October 2015 - while Football Leaks first opened its website - the Portuguese sports agency Doyen received a threatening mail from a man called Artem Lobuzov. The sender allegedly had access to virtually all of Doya's own documentation and correspondence. It was information that could lead to both moral and legal judgments, but for a sum that approached a million euros it could be eliminated and disappeared. Negotiations break, the information was published. Powerful men were both pressed and angry. "Looking for me? LOL " It did not even last six months - then Spanish Marca published what they claimed was the truth behind Football Leaks. According to the newspaper, "John" and Artem Lobuzov were two alias for the same person, a then 27-year-old Portuguese named Rui Pinto. He is educated at Computer Science at the Polytechnic Institute in Bragança, and has previously been convicted of trying to squeeze money from investment banks he hacked. There were details that correspond with Der Spiegel's depiction of "John", but the more that seemed to sue. Rui Pinto lived in Budapest for several years, and had the same lifestyle, knowledge and background as the mysterious football leaks phantom. In the football industry, the mystery is more or less cleared, and as recently as a few months ago, the portraiture magazine Sábado also published a major screening of Rui Pinto under the heading: "The Pirate Informatico que roubou os Segredos do Benfica" , "The Pirate who stole secrets of Benfica ". According to the article, the judiciary approached the young hacker. Portuguese police had requested investigations against Rui Pinto and requested to hand him out, but so far the Hungarian authorities had refused. A few days later, Football Leaks responded to his Facebook account, directed a message directly to the Portuguese police: "Looking for me? LOL #catchmeifyoucan ". Whether it is Rui Pinto who is behind Football Leaks? If he has been driven by greed and money? What is the meaning of that? So far, no single document has been found to be falsified, not a single task could have been rejected as incorrect. When commenting on the case, John "persistently denies that he would try to earn something on Football Leaks - that he would have suffered from any extortion attempt - but he realized that it is not obvious that the business is completely legal. "It is possible that we violate intellectual property rights in some jurisdictions, but it's the only way to show the world a glimpse of everything that kills the football. Three years later, "John" is still in motion, always on the run. He has explained that he neither wants to be isolated in any fast - like his role models Julian Assange and Edward Snowden - or liquidated by any mafia group. Just in recent months, Football Leaks has led to disclosures about how Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain fooled Financial Fair Play, how the biggest European clubs projected for a closed Super League, how Sergio Ramos played the Champions League final with doping-class preparations in the body and how Cristiano Ronaldo is suspected to have committed a rape and bought silence. Does it matter? Are there any consequences? Do we even want to know? Paradoxically, "John" himself holds Cristiano Ronaldo as his absolute favorite player, and follows the elite football bowling slave. He still loves the art, even though he lost faith in the artists. There are plenty of people who think about him and his work in much the same way. The content of Football Leaks should thus correspond to half a million copies of the Bible, and so far only a fraction has been published. You do not need to be either believer or atheist to be both interested and indignant. The follow-up book "Football Leaks 2" already has a release date. It will be in trading on April 29, 2019. Sources: "Football Leaks: The Schmutzigen Geschäfte im Profifussball" (Buschmann), Der Spiegel, Sábado, Expresso, Correiro da Manhã, Jornal de Notícias, Record, El Mundo, Media, Marca. https://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/a/VR7xxd/fotbollens-zorro-eller-en-simpel-utpressare 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted December 16, 2018 Share Posted December 16, 2018 16 hours ago, sne said: Google translate alert but still a good read Very interesting and what wonderful role models we have in this game. Could be an interesting little read and be worth investing in the book come April methinks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 Only 410 million Euro's... Quote Organisers of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar have unveiled designs for the huge Lusail Stadium, where the final will be held. The 80,000-seater stadium will be the largest venue in the World Cup, hosting the opening game as well as the final match in a bowl-shaped arena. The eye-catching shape of the round stadium has been inspired by the Middle East's ancient tradition of craftsmanship. It is the eighth and final stadium design to be unveiled, with construction already underway and scheduled to be completed in 2020. A colourful gala event was held at Lusail Marina, 15km north from Doha, to unveil the showpiece stadium of the iconic tournament. O “It has now been eight years since we won the rights to hos t the 2022 FIFA World Cup and we told the world to expect amazing," SC Secretary General HE Hassan Al Thawadi said. "With this stunning design of our showpiece stadium, I am proud today to once again be delivering on that promise. “Lusail is a city for the future, and once the World Cup is over it will – like each of our other seven stadiums – form a crucial part of the legacy of the tournament as it transforms to become the heart of a brand new community.” “I am delighted to see Qatar’s continued commitment to excellence in the spectacular Lusail Stadium,” added FIFA Secretary General Fatma Samoura. “Qatar’s stadiums are among the most eye-catching ever seen and the venue proposed for the final is absolutely gorgeous. "I particularly enjoy the fact that Middle East culture is reflected in Lusail’s and several other designs and look forward to seeing football fans from all over world discover the culture and history of this region.” The construction of the plush arenas has already attracted plenty of controversy, however, with an estimated 1,200 deaths directly linked to the construction of stadiums and workers sed to be poorly compensated. Organisers are desperate to ensure the facilities, which are all being built from scratch, will be ready in term for the tournament, which is due to get underway on November 21. https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/qatar-2022-world-cup-first-13746473 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Genie Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 I guess the tournament will just go back 3 months into Jan/Feb if the stadiums aren’t ready. Why not. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post Wainy316 Posted December 18, 2018 Popular Post Share Posted December 18, 2018 They'll probably be ready before the Spurs ground though. 2 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 18, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted December 18, 2018 "The eye catching shape of the round stadium..." It's the same shape as every other bowl stadium that's been built in the last 20 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 410m euros isnt that bad! but construction has already started and this is the 8th design...its not staying at 410m and with an estimated 1,200 deaths directly linked to the construction of stadiums is an absolute lie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted December 18, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted December 18, 2018 1 hour ago, Stevo985 said: "The eye catching shape of the round stadium..." It's the same shape as every other bowl stadium that's been built in the last 20 years. In fairness they couldn't really draw attention to the stadium's real unique feature, being the first modern stadium to have a foundation of purest Indian slave bodies. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sne Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 12 minutes ago, villa4europe said: 410m euros isnt that bad! but construction has already started and this is the 8th design...its not staying at 410m and is an absolute lie Just imagine what it would have cost to build had they not used slaves instead of workers. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 (edited) 3 minutes ago, sne said: Just imagine what it would have cost to build had they not used slaves instead of workers. it balances out with all the management being on 200% of what they earn in the UK Edited December 18, 2018 by villa4europe 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HanoiVillan Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 FA Cup 5th round replays bite the dust, and 5th round games will be played in midweek, announced randomly in mid-season. The reason is to 'reduce fixture congestion for top four sides'. Here's an idea: win your **** 5th round fixture at the first try then: Plan to scrap FA Cup fifth-round replays brought forward to this season 'The plan to scrap FA Cup fifth-round replays have been brought forward to include this season. The decision had been made to get rid of fifth-round replays from the start of next season, deciding last-16 ties with extra time and penalties in order to create space for a winter break from February 2020 onward. The qualification of four Premier League teams – Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham for the Champions League knockout stages, along with Arsenal and Chelsea’s progress in the Europa League, has persuaded the Professional Game Board to bring the change forward, in order to reduce fixture congestion. “This season’s fifth round will remain as originally scheduled on the weekend of 16-17 February, moving to midweek in 2019/20 – with no replays – as part of the mid-season player break agreed by the FA, Premier League and English Football League in June,” an FA statement read. “Therefore, from this season onward, fifth-round games will be played to a finish on the day, with extra time and penalties if necessary.”' moron link: https://www.theguardian.com/football/2018/dec/18/fa-cup-fifth-round-replays-scrapped-this-season Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 It is really only a matter of time before the football fan has enough of this shit for a select few teams 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa4europe Posted December 18, 2018 Share Posted December 18, 2018 no replays im not really bothered about, i can imagine fans of lower league teams would be royally pissed off, robbed of a potential day out after getting a great draw at home, but that said the whole magic of the FA cup for me is hoping you draw some lower league team that you have to look up on a map and get the buzz of taking over their shit hole town for the saturday, i didnt want wolves or liverpool, i didnt want swansea home or away either, i wanted fleetwood away, so the midweek move is bullshit then again the likes of man utd that probably doesnt bother them because they play their games friday, sunday, monday some TV day anyway Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheAuthority Posted December 18, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted December 18, 2018 34 minutes ago, Zatman said: It is really only a matter of time before the football fan has enough of this shit for a select few teams And no-one that runs the game will give a shit because $ 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stevo985 Posted December 19, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted December 19, 2018 Replays are shit anyway. I don't really mind that they're scrapped. I suppose it's a shame for smaller clubs who get a pay day from a replay at a big club. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fightoffyour Posted December 19, 2018 VT Supporter Share Posted December 19, 2018 I like the replays, particularly from the smaller clubs' perspective, but what particularly bothers me about this is the inconsistency of having just one random round without them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wainy316 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 Remember when they used to have replays in cup finals. How anti climatic would a draw be! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AvfcRigo82 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 5 hours ago, Stevo985 said: Replays are shit anyway. I don't really mind that they're scrapped. I suppose it's a shame for smaller clubs who get a pay day from a replay at a big club. This. To some clubs that is a massive payday and was part of the buzz/giant killing feel imo. I guess they will all just have to hope for away ties from now on against a big club. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zatman Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 5 hours ago, Stevo985 said: Replays are shit anyway. I don't really mind that they're scrapped. I suppose it's a shame for smaller clubs who get a pay day from a replay at a big club. Maybe to even it up the lower team thats drawn gets home advantage e.g Man City vs Burton automatically goes to Burton ground I know some countries in Europe do this Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
villa89 Posted December 19, 2018 Share Posted December 19, 2018 7 hours ago, Zatman said: Maybe to even it up the lower team thats drawn gets home advantage e.g Man City vs Burton automatically goes to Burton ground I know some countries in Europe do this Problem is that the lower league teams would want the opposite to get the payday. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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