International Football
FIFA boss Infantino helped set free, a World Cup pitch invader
The protester who ran onto the field during the World Cup game between Portugal and Uruguay holding a rainbow flag has told Reuters that FIFA president Gianni Infantino intervened to ensure he was set free by Qatari authorities.
Wearing a blue t-shirt with the message “Save Ukraine” on the front and “Respect For Iranian Women” on the back, Mario Ferri, who goes by the nickname of Falco, was tackled by security personnel and led away.
“Gianni Infantino is intelligent – Falco is free, no problem in Qatar,” he explained in a Zoom interview from his home in Italy.
The 35-year-old said that he thought Infantino, who was born in Switzerland and the son of Italian immigrants, wanted to avoid a diplomatic incident or negative media coverage, so he intervened to have Ferri set free.
Reuters has contacted FIFA for comment.
“The police from Qatar are very like gentlemen, very friendly, asked me if I wanted water, coffee, a croissant. Very friendly,” he said.
Ferri said he was in custody for around half an hour when the FIFA president suddenly appeared.
“After I gave my personal documents to police, I was waiting and in 30 minutes, Gianni Infantino, he’s the president of FIFA, came to help me,” he explained.
PREVIOUS INVASIONS
Ferri said Infantino recognised him from previous pitch invasions, of which he claims to have made 11 in total, including at the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
“He asked me, ‘Why? Qatar is very dangerous for you, but I have the plan to help you’. He went to talk to important people from the police of Qatar, and in 30 minutes I’m free. I’m free, out of the stadium.”
Ferri revealed that he had spent a month as an aid worker in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv in March of this year, and it had a profound effect on him.
“I remember everything, I remember the children escaping their houses, the old ladies and the old men who didn’t have houses, food or water. It’s very important to me to stop the war,” he said.
Ferri has left Qatar and says he will continue with his protests.
“I’m forever trying to fight for a new world, I want no war in the world. I want peace in the world,” he said.
-Reuters
Former Chelsea manager Thomas Tuchel has been named the new head coach of the England national team, the country’s Football Association said in a statement on Wednesday.
The German, who is England’s third foreign manager, after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello, will be assisted by Englishman Anthony Barry, the statement added.
“We are thrilled to have hired Thomas Tuchel, one of the best coaches in the world and Anthony Barry who is one of the best English coaches to support him,” FA CEO Mark Bullingham said.
Tuchel replaces Lee Carsley, England’s under-21 manager, who has been in temporary charge since the resignation of Gareth Southgate after England’s defeat by Spain in the Euro 2024 final in July.
-Reuters
German Thomas Tuchel has been appointed head coach of the England national team on Wednesday.
Born: Aug. 29, 1973 in Krumbach, Germany.
PLAYING CAREER
* Tuchel played for his local club TSV Krumbach, before moving to FC Augsburg’s academy at the age of 15.
* He never played for Augsburg’s senior side and joined German second division team Stuttgarter Kickers in 1992.
* After eight league appearances for Kickers, Tuchel moved to fourth-tier SSV Ulm.
* Tuchel made 69 league appearances for Ulm as a central defender before he was forced to retire in 1998 at the age of 25 due to a knee injury.
COACHING CAREER
* Tuchel began his coaching career with a youth team role at VfB Stuttgart in 2000, working with future Germany internationals Mario Gomez and Holger Badstuber.
* He returned to Augsburg and took charge of their reserve team for the 2007-08 season.
* Tuchel was appointed Mainz 05 manager in 2009, replacing compatriot Juergen Klopp.
* He guided Mainz to Bundesliga stability during his five-year stint at the club, gaining plaudits for his team’s high energy, attacking style of play.
* Tuchel took over from Klopp as Borussia Dortmund coach in 2015.
* He led Dortmund to a 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2017 German Cup final. He was sacked by Dortmund three days later.
* Tuchel joined Paris St Germain in 2018 on a two-year contract, replacing Unai Emery.
* He won two Ligue 1 titles, including a domestic quadruple in his second season, and guided the club to their first Champions League final, where they lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich.
* Tuchel was sacked by PSG on Christmas Eve in 2020, despite the club finishing top of their Champions League group and sitting third in the Ligue 1 table.
* He was named Chelsea manager in January 2021 on an initial 18-month contract following the dismissal of Frank Lampard.
* Tuchel revived the team’s Premier League season and guided the London club to the Champions League final, where they beat Manchester City. Chelsea also won the Super Cup and Club World Cup.
* Chelsea sacked Tuchel in September 2022 following a shock 1-0 defeat at Dinamo Zagreb in their opening Champions League group game.
* Bayern Munich appointed Tuchel to succeed Julian Nagelsmann in March last year.
* Bayern decided to let Tuchel go at the end of the 2023-24 season despite a contract until 2025. Tuchel steered Bayern to the Bundesliga title in 2022-23, but they finished the last campaign without any silverware for the first time in more than a decade.
* Tuchel will become England’s third foreign manager after Sweden’s Sven-Goran Eriksson and Italian Fabio Capello.
* Tuchel will take over the team in January ahead of the qualification campaign for the 2026 World Cup.
-Reuters
Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Mateus Mane has become hot property after Portugal named the 17-year-old in their Under-18 squad on Friday, one day after England included him in their squad.
Mane was called up for a second successive England youth camp by coach Liam Bramley before the team travel to Marbella for a four-team tournament this month.
Mane is eligible for both teams having played for the Portugal Under-17 side last season. As the Under-18 team is a non-UEFA age group, both nations are entitled to call the player up.
He made his England international debut last month against the Portugal Under-18 side who have named Mane in their squad for a four-nation tournament this month.
With both tournaments running concurrently, Mane can only play for one team and Wolves and England confirmed he would feature in Bramley’s side.
Reuters has contacted Portugal’s football association for clarification.
While players with multiple nationalities have played for more than one country if they are eligible, they are not allowed to switch allegiances at senior level – unless they have played only in friendly matches for the first country.
-Reuters
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