International Football

DENMARK WITHDRAWS FROM WORLD CUP

Published

7 years ago

October 19, 2017

Pay disputes involving national teams’ players which are common occurrences in Africa have seeped into Europe. Denmark has been forced to cancel a women World Cup qualifying match against Sweden following pay dispute the Danish football federation has with members of its national team.

The federation has already informed the continental body, UEFA as well as FIFA over the decision to scrap from the match that is expected to hold this Friday.

Denmark will most likely be slammed with a fine and suspension from the next edition of the competition.

According to information from AP, the Danish football federation had set Wednesday morning as deadline for the women players to return to negotiation table but that did not happen.

“Many things are dividing us,” the federation’s spokesman Kim Hallberg told Denmark’s TV2.

In Sweden, the country’s national soccer federation said its women would continue to prepare for the match hoping it would eventually take place.

“It is a really special situation in which we never have been before,” Swedish federation general secretary Hakan Sjostrand said.

The Danish federation said it had offered to increase the annual investment to the women’s team by 2 million kroner ($316,000) to 4.6 million kroner ($727,000) to be used on higher salaries, among other things.

In September, the DBU cancelled a friendly rematch of the Women’s European Championship final between Denmark and the Netherlands after wage talks collapsed.

The Netherlands beat Denmark 4-2 to win its first European women’s title. Denmark knocked out six-time defending champion Germany in the quarterfinals and reached its first final after losing in five previous semi finals.

After cancelling the friendly, the two sides reached a partial agreement, allowing the women to play a World Cup qualifier against Hungary. However, differences between the DBU and the Danish Football Players’ Association remain. It was uncertain whether the Danish side would play Croatia on Tuesday in another World Cup qualifier.

In neighboring Norway, the soccer association became the first national federation to say their women’s team will now be paid the same as their men’s side.

In April, the U.S. women’s team struck a new collective bargaining agreement with its federation, ending more than a year of at times contentious negotiations, with players seeking comparable compensation to the men’s team.

UEFA, which is responsible for European qualifying games for the women’s World Cup, said any disciplinary case could only be opened after Friday’s match date.

World Cup regulations allow for punishments including disqualification — wiping previous Denmark results from the group — withholding of payments from TV rights and paying compensation to opponents.

International Football

BREAKING – Video: Osimhen accepts to join Galatasaray

Published

6 days ago

September 3, 2024

Kunle Solaja

At last, Nigeria’s striker Victor Osimhen is out of the limbo. He has accepted to join Galatasaray on loan.

He is now asking for a release clause at Napoli to become €75m instead of €130m

He also wants a break clause for January in case top clubs approach him over move.

The final points are being discussed. He has been videoed celebrating with the Turkey club’s fans.

International Football

Uruguay striker Suarez to play last international match on Friday

Published

6 days ago

September 3, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Uruguay striker Luis Suarez announced his international retirement on Monday, ending a 17-year career with his national team as their top scorer with 69 goals.

The 37-year-old, who has 142 caps for his country, made his international debut in 2007 and was key in the squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2010 World Cup and won the Copa America a year later.

“Friday will be my last match with my country’s national team,” an emotional Suarez told a press conference.

“The fact that is my decision to retire and that I’m not retired because of injuries or that they stop calling me for one thing or another, that gives me a lot of comfort, it helps me individually.

“It’s difficult but it gives me peace of mind that until the last game I have given my all, and that flame has not been extinguished little by little,” the striker added.

Uruguay take on Paraguay at the Centenario stadium in Montevideo on Friday in the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup before facing Venezuela four days later.

Suarez scored the stoppage-time goal against Canada that secured third place at the Copa America in July and the striker added that one of his aims was to show he could continue to contribute to the national team.

“My dream was for my children to see me win something important with the national team … that last goal was very nice for them and even though it wasn’t a trophy to take home, it was very nice for them,” he said.

“I wanted to show people again that I can continue to contribute to the national team and, well, I had the Copa America and yes, I could have done it (retired) perfectly after that, but having analysed the situation, I want to do it with my people, in my stadium.

“I want my children to live this experience. Saying goodbye with the people here is something that I don’t know if many have done.”

Suarez has already said Inter Miami will be his last club after joining the Major League Soccer side last year to reunite with former Barcelona teammates Lionel Messi, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba.

-Reuters

International Football

Quitting Portugal never crossed my mind, says Ronaldo

Published

6 days ago

September 3, 2024

Kunle Solaja

Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo dismissed suggestions he had considered ending his international career in the near future, adding that post-Euro criticism did not worry him.

Portugal host Croatia in their Nations League opener on Thursday before welcoming Scotland in League A Group One on Sunday.

“That’s all from the press. It never crossed my mind that my cycle (with Portugal) had come to an end. Quite the opposite: it gave me even more motivation to continue to be honest,” Ronaldo told a press conference on Monday.

“The motivation is to come to the national team to win the Nations League … We’ve already won it once and we want to do it again. I might say the same thing over and over again, but I don’t think long term, it’s always short term.”

Ronaldo captained Portugal to success in the opening edition of the Nations League in 2018-19, three years after they became European Champions for the first time in France.

“Until the end of my career, I will always have the mindset that I will be a starter,” Ronaldo added.

“What I feel at the moment, and the coach’s (Roberto Martinez) words also demonstrate this, is that I continue to be an asset to the national team and I will be the first (to admit it) if that isn’t the case.

“When I’m (no longer) an asset I will be the first to leave. But I will go with a clear conscience, as always, because I know who I am, what I can do, what I do and what I will continue to do.”

The 39-year-old appeared untroubled by criticism he faced for failing to score at the 2024 European Championship.

“Criticism is great because if it doesn’t exist there’s no progress. It’s always been like this. Is it going to change now? It won’t,” Ronaldo said.

“So I try to follow my path, be as professional as possible, help in the best way possible with my professionalism and not just with goals, assists, discipline, and example, because football is much more than just playing well or scoring a goal.

“The people who give their opinions have never been in a locker room, and I often laugh because it’s the same thing as me talking about Formula 1.

“How can I give my opinion on Formula 1 if I don’t know anything about tires, rims or the weight of the car … It’s normal and that’s why for me criticism is good and part of it, it’s no problem at all.”

-Reuters