International Football
PSG Must Sell Players to Buy Neymar, Says UEFA
The ripple effect of Neymar switching from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for a record transfer fee has started manifesting.
It is just matter of days, if not hours for the Brazilian to move to the French capital on a transfer fee of €220 million. But information just gathered has it that UEFA has informed the French Ligue 1 side that it must make €110 million from selling some of its players in order to sign on Neymar.
This, Sports Village Square gathered is to make the French side complying with UEFA Financial Fair Play ruling. In effect, some players in Paris Saint-Germain will have to be offloaded and their value must be at least half of the amount the club is paying out to get Neymar.
Getting Neymar at €220 million has already more than double the current world transfer record.
So, by January 31 next year, the French club must make that amount of money in sale of players, otherwise it will face sanctions in the 2018/19 season.
The essence is to curtail excessive spending by clubs and save them from bankruptcy which in turn affects the clubs’ players.
According to 90min, potential candidates to be put on sale in order to legally acquire Neymar are Marco Verratti, Lucas Moura and Angel Di Maria, the Argentine striker whose solitary strike denied Nigeria the gold medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games’ football tournament.
When the club eventually gets Neymar into its fold, the Brazilian, it is gathered, will be offered a contract worth close to €30 million annually.
This is more than double of the €11million he earns every year in Barcelona. The amount he will be earning will also be tax-free as Paris Saint-Germain will be paying his taxes as it is currently did for Zlatan Ibrahimovic and currently doing for Thiago Silva.
International Football
Two Moroccan football players lost at sea, says club official
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Abdellatif-Akhrif.png)
Two Moroccan players from top-flight soccer side Ittihad Tanger have been missing at sea since Saturday after strong currents drifted their small yacht, a club official said on Sunday.
They were in a group of five players from the club who went cruising off the northern city of Tangier when strong currents and heavy winds drifted their yacht away as they were swimming in deep waters, club deputy president Anass Mrabet told Reuters.
“Three players have already been rescued on Saturday, while research is still ongoing for the missing Salman Harraq and Abdellatif Akhrif,” he said.
The players did not have buoys on them when they jumped from the small yacht to swim, he said citing recounts by rescued players.
While Akhrif, 24, is already a full member of the squad, Harraq, 18, was about to move up to the senior team this year, Mrabet added.
Ittihad Tanger have been in the Moroccan top flight since 2015 and won the league title for the first and only time in their history in the 2017-18 season. However, they have struggled in the lower half of the standings in recent years.
-Reuters
International Football
FIFA launches ‘Football Manager’ World Cup with $100,000 in prize money
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/arsene-wenger.jpg)
FIFA will host its first ever FIFAe World Cup of Football Manager this year to crown the best virtual manager on the highly-popular video game, world soccer’s governing body said on Thursday.
FIFA is partnering with Sports Interactive, the developers of the game that has sold millions of copies and has also been used by several football clubs to scout players and opponents thanks to its extensive database.
Players will compete for $100,000 in prize money in the final event from Aug. 29 to Sept. 1.
“This competition requires participants to demonstrate a profound understanding of football strategy and tactics,” said former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, who is the ambassador for the esports event.
“Success demands not only mastery of game mechanics but also in-depth football knowledge, making this format a fascinating blend.”
FIFA said in the inaugural year of the event, selected member associations will be invited to be represented at the final event.
Member associations from all six confederations are expected to be invited while players can sign up on FIFA’s website.
-Reuters
International Football
Former Italy international Roberto Baggio robbed at gunpoint
![](https://sportsvillagesquare.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/baggio.jpg)
Former Italy international Roberto Baggio was assaulted and robbed at gunpoint at his home in northern Italy while watching his country’s match against Spain in the Euro 2024 tournament on Thursday, local police said.
Burglars broke into Baggio’s house near Vicenza, hit him on the head with a gun butt and locked him and his family in a room while they stole jewellery, watches and cash, daily Il Corriere della Sera reported. It said he suffered a deep wound.
“Luckily, the violence I suffered only resulted in a few stitches, bruises and a lot of fear. Now it is to overcome the fear,” Baggio was quoted as saying by Italian news agency ANSA.
Baggio, 57, played for clubs including Juventus (JUVE.MI), opens new tab, AC Milan and Inter Milan. He also played 56 times for Italy, scoring 27 goals, and is widely seen as one of his country’s all-time greats.
After the robbery, Baggio, widely known as the “divine ponytail”, was treated at a local hospital where he received stitches for the head wound, Italian media reported.
Italy lost to Spain 1-0 on Thursday and now must avoid defeat by Croatia to guarantee progression in the tournament.
-Reuters
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