Governing Bodies
ORIGINAL PIERRE DE COUBERTIN DRAWING OF OLYMPIC RINGS GOES FOR AUCTIONING
An original drawing of the Olympic rings sketched by Baron Pierre de Coubertin is set to go up for auction in Cannes next Sunday (July 26) and is estimated to sell for as much as €100,000 (£91,000/$114,000).
The founder of the modern Olympics created the five interlocking rings in 1913 in blue, yellow, black, green and red on a white field.
It is believed he intended the rings to represent the five continents of Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe and Oceania.
He claimed the colours of the rings together with the white of the background included the colours composing every competing nation’s flag at the time.
Coubertin introduced the rings in the August 1913 edition of Olympic Review.
His original drawing is in graphite and gouache on a 21×27.5 centimetre piece of white card, which he has autographed.
The new Olympic symbol and flag were due to be unveiled for the first time publicly at the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Congress at the Sorbonne University on June 17 in 1914 to mark the 20th anniversary of the decision to revive the Games and the formation of the Olympic Movement.
But the shadow of World War One hanging over the world meant the rings and flag did not make their official debut until the Opening Ceremony of the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp.
Cannes Auction House have put a reserve of €50,000 (£45,000/$57,000) on the item – which is from a private Swiss collection – but are estimating bidding will reach between €80,000 (£73,000/$91,000) and €100,000.
Last December, the manifesto drawn up by Coubertin which led to the revival of the Olympic Games sold for a record $8,806,500 (£6,764,543/€7,916,191) at an auction in New York City.
The 5,000-word, handwritten document highlighted why Coubertin wanted to bring the Ancient Greek tradition of Olympic competition back during an address he gave at the Sorbonne University in Paris two years before the formation of the IOC in 1894.
He outlined how he believed the Games could be a way to provide peaceful competition between countries.
In February, it emerged that Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov, the President of the International Fencing Federation, had bought the document and donated it to the Olympic Museum in Lausanne.
Cannes Auction House have promised to donate 15 per cent of the amount raised at the sale of this latest piece to the Pierre de Coubertin Family Association, an organisation dedicated to preserving the memory of the Olympic founder and spreading the philosophy of Olympism.
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FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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The supporters of Vancouver Whitecaps, a professional football (soccer) club in Canada, have staged a protest outside the FIFA Congress on Thursday, voicing fears that the Major League Soccer club could be relocated as uncertainty deepens over its ownership and long-term future.
The club is one of Canada’s most historic football institutions and has long been a central part of Vancouver’s sporting identity.
Around 100 fans gathered as delegates arrived for the annual FIFA meeting in Vancouver, chanting, singing and waving club flags in a show of solidarity. The demonstration comes just days after Vancouver Whitecaps FC revealed difficulties in securing a buyer willing to keep the club in the city.
The Whitecaps disclosed earlier this week that “stadium economics, venue access and revenue limitations” have complicated efforts to sell the club, despite a 16-month search for new ownership.
Season ticket holder Derek Hawksworth said supporters felt compelled to act amid growing fears of relocation.
“I wanted to come down given the threat of the team possibly moving,” he said. “It’s a rich history with the Whitecaps in North America… we want Vancouver to stay and not relocate. The history is here, and we want to continue with that history moving forward.”
The Vancouver Whitecaps are a professional football (soccer) club based in Vancouver, Canada. They currently compete in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top-tier league in the United States and Canada.
Concerns were heightened by reports that cities such as Las Vegas and Phoenix are leading contenders should the club relocate.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim has urged intervention, calling on the provincial government — which owns BC Place — to negotiate a “bridge deal” that would allow the team to remain while plans for a new stadium are explored. The club’s current lease at BC Place expires at the end of the year.
Despite the off-field uncertainty, the Whitecaps have been one of the standout teams this MLS season. They currently sit second in the Western Conference with 24 points from nine matches, just three points behind the San Jose Earthquakes.
For supporters, however, performances on the pitch offer little comfort as the future of their club hangs in the balance — a situation they hope global football leaders gathering in Vancouver will not ignore.
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