‘Vast majority’ of footballers reject biennial World Cup plan, says players’ union Fifpro February 15, 2022 Plans to make football’s World Cup a biennial event have received a major blow after global players’ union Fifpro said its members overwhelmingly opposed the idea. The proposal, which has caused a stand-off between world governing body Fifa and European federations and clubs, was rejected in a survey of male players by Fifpro. “The vast [...]
Fifpro boss Jonas Baer-Hoffmann on player power, biennial World Cups, Super League and Qatar February 15, 2022 There is a common thread that connects the two biggest football stories of the last 12 months, the failed European Super League breakaway and debate over biennial World Cups. It can also be seen in concerns about player welfare, disagreements over economic models and what global players’ union Fifpro says is a tidal wave of [...]
Super Bowl ads: Which showpiece commercials were the best? February 14, 2022 There’s nothing remotely like the Super Bowl in the UK – and the commercials aired during the game are unlike any commercials on the planet. With an audience of more than 100m watching from home, the Super Bowl ads are a big deal. They cost a lot to make and even more to air – [...]
Hard not to love France as they keep Grand Slam hopes alive February 14, 2022 As the Six Nations rolled on into round two on Valentine’s weekend, of course it was an evening in French capital Paris that stole the show. France and Ireland served up an absolute peach of a Test match which provided the 80,000 onlookers at the Stade de France a showcase of skill, power, perseverance and, [...]
Teenage figure skating star Valieva cleared to compete at Winter Olympics February 14, 2022 Teenage Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva has been cleared to continue competing at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics despite a failed drug test. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) ruled that Valieva’s provisional suspension could be lifted, meaning the 15-year-old is free to go for gold in the women’s individual event tomorrow. But Valieva [...]
Business travel: What does 2022 hold for your work trips? February 14, 2022 A combination of factors will determine how often we will be packing a suitcase this year. Firstly, heightened sensitivity around carbon footprints will drive businesses to be more responsible and look carefully at the number of flights employees are taking. When Zoom will suffice, that lunch in Brussels may not cut the mustard (although there [...]
Formula 1 teams up with Fight Club and Puttshack founder to launch motor-racing venues on UK high streets February 14, 2022 To launch ambitious plans for a series of entertainment venues with motor-racing simulators across the UK, Formula 1 has joined forces with the founder of Flight Club and Puttshack. Adam Breeden, founder and chief executive of Kindred Concepts, said the company that runs the international motor-racing series has taken an undisclosed investment into the proposed [...]
These are the pictures Chinese officials ordered a Finnish athlete to delete from social media February 14, 2022 When water flooded the athlete’s village last week, and was floing out of light fixtures at the Olympic Village, Finnish skier Katri Lylynpera took to social media to post a number of pictures. The pictures exposed electrical equipment and water pouring down from the ceiling. She wrote “help” next to one of the pictures, and [...]
Smith proved himself as England get Six Nations campaign back on track February 14, 2022 It wasn’t brilliant and it wasn’t woeful, but the result stuck to type: another England win against Italy in the Six Nations and a yet another loss – their 99th in the competition – for the Azzurri. While England’s 33-0 victory was expected, however, there were moments of magic in Rome that signalled a brighter [...]
Wolves join top-four race: five talking points from Premier League February 13, 2022 Are Wolves the fifth team in the race for the last Champions League spot? Sunday’s 2-0 victory at Tottenham Hotspur, their rivals for fourth place in the Premier League, would suggest so. The visitors took advantage of sloppy Spurs defending to race into an early two-goal lead in north London and kept the hosts at [...]