European Football Thread

[Lineker]

Barcelona prosecutors are calling for the arrest of Lionel Messi’s father in a tax fraud case. Prosecutors have cleared Messi of wrongdoing but are seeking an 18-month prison sentence for his father, Jorge Horacio Messi, for allegedly defrauding Spain’s tax office of €4m (now £3m) in unpaid taxes from 2007-09.

The decision is considered a win for Lionel Messi, who also had been mentioned in the investigation. A Spanish judge had recently rejected an appeal filed by the player’s lawyers to drop the Barcelona star from the case.

In the documents made public on Tuesday, prosecutors also called for a fine of €2m (£1.5m) for the father of the Argentina playmaker.

[Lineker]

The former Liverpool striker Djibril Cissé is among four people who have been taken into custody by the French authorities regarding the possible blackmail of a French league player.

The alleged blackmail is believed to have taken place over a sex tape. However, Cissé is expected to be released and put “out of the question” in terms of his alleged role.

The judiciary police in Versailles are in charge of the case.

[The Lusophone]

Was just coming in to post that. The player is Mathieu Valbuena of Lyon, for the record.

[Lineker]

The former Stoke City midfielder Steven N’Zonzi missed the club’s player-of-the-year awards because he was in police custody.

The Frenchman won the player-of-the-year and the players’ player-of-the-year awards at Stoke’s annual dinner.

However, the 26-year-old missed the event at the Britannia Stadium for “unforeseen personal reasons”. Now details of his absence have been revealed – N’Zonzi is set to stand trial accused of assaulting his wife.

He denied beating Lynda N’Zonzi when he appeared before South Cheshire magistrates court. The midfielder is accused of assaulting her at an address in Crewe on 19 May, the same day as the Premier League club’s end-of-season awards party.

He pleaded not guilty to the assault at a hearing in Crewe on 27 May. The footballer was released on conditional bail. The trial will take place at the same court on 22 December.

N’Zonzi began his career with the French Ligue 2 side Amiens SC before moving to Blackburn Rovers in 2009 for £500,000. He joined Stoke City for £3m in 2012 before moving to Sevilla for £7m in July 2015.

[Lineker]

Johan Cruyff has been diagnosed with lung cancer, according to reports in Spain.

[Lineker]

A Ukrainian stadium director has proposed to combat racism on the terraces by segregating black supporters to avoid the scenes witnessed at Dynamo Kyiv’s recent Champions League draw with Chelsea.

Uefa has opened disciplinary proceedings against Dynamo Kyiv, who are facing thee charges including one of racist beahviour by supporters at the Olympic Stadium. Footage of an apparent attack on four black fans was obtained by the anti-discrimination network Fare, and passed to Uefa’s disciplinary body.

And the director of Dymano’s Olympic Stadium, Volodimir Spilchenko, has suggested that one of the potential solutions is to have a “black sector” in the ground.

“We are trying, maybe, to make a separate sector [for black fans] in order to avoid racism,” said Spilchecko in an interview reported by the Washington Post. Spilchenko also revealed that rather than coming up with the idea himself, it was proposed to him by a journalist, to which he replied: “We’ll probably listen to your offer.”

Piara Powar, executive director of Fare, told the Guardian of the footage during the Chelsea match: “This terrible incident reflects many of the continuing realities of football in central and eastern Europe. A report has been made to Uefa, who have regulatory responsibility for the match, and we will be lobbying for the strongest sanctions.”

.........

[Benji]

[stokeriño]

“We are trying, maybe, to make a separate sector [for black fans] in order to avoid racism,”

I am struck with wonder at just how terrible this sentence actually is. 

[MDK]

As Cypress Hill would say, insane in the Ukraine 

[Baddar]

Let's combat racism by doing a racist thing! 

[Gazz]

Hoffenheim have appointed their 28 year old U19's manager as their manager for next season.

What have I been doing with my life?

[Twist]

Hoffenheim have appointed their 28 year old U19's manager as their manager for next season.

What have I been doing with my life?

On a slighty related note. Getting to that age when you don't need to change your birth year on FM is the worst.

Edited October 28, 2015 by Twist

[Lineker]

A referee was locked in the Trabzonspor stadium for several hours after making a controversial late penalty decision.

Cagatay Sahan and his assistants were held on the orders of club president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu after failing to award the hosts a late spot-kick in their 2-2 draw with Gaziantepspor.

Haciosmanoglu claims he only allowed the officials to leave after a call from president Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The Turkish Football Federation has launched an investigation.

An angry mob of fans had also gathered at the stadium after Sahan's decision.

[Lineker]

The Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has been arrested by police investigating an alleged plot to blackmail a fellow international in France over a sex tape.

AFP reported on its Twitter feed: “Real Madrid and France striker Karim Benzema under arrest over sex tape blackmail accusations, legal sources say.”

Earlier this month, the former France and Liverpool striker Djibril Cissé was detained for questioning over the case before being released by police.

Cissé protested his innocence on French television, saying he had nothing to do with the case.

He later announced his retirement from the game.

Benzema is said to have visited the premises of judicial police before being placed in custody.

[The Lusophone]

I'm not sure why they're not saying who the player is. It's Valbeuna, currently of Lyon.

[Lineker]

It'll be legal reasons.

We all know it's Valbuena. This isn't a new story.

[Lineker]

The French international footballer Karim Benzema has been placed under formal judicial investigation in connection with an alleged attempt to blackmail a fellow footballer over a sex-tape.

A statement from the Versailles prosecutor said the alleged crime of conspiracy to blackmail and participating in a criminal group for which he was being investigated could carry a prison sentence of at least five years.

Benzema’s lawyer Sylvain Cormier, told reporters after a hearing that Benzema was innocent and took no part in any blackmail. “He played no part, I repeat no part, in any blackmail or attempted blackmail,” Cormier said.

The prosecutor’s move to place Benzema under formal investigation — which in the French justice system does not confirm wrongdoing but means investigators have serious grounds for pursuing the matter — exposes Benzema to a lengthy period of doubt ahead of the European Championship that France hosts next year.

Investigators will now have to determine whether Benzema played a role in the alleged extortion attempt against a footballer over a sex-tape.

Benzema was also placed under judicial supervision, meaning he cannot meet with the victim or other people charged in the case.

The Real Madrid striker admitted involvement in the alleged extortion case, telling investigators he approached the fellow footballer about the tape on behalf of “a childhood friend” but claims he did not think he was harming the other player.

A source close to the investigation told AFP that Benzema had admitted while he was in custody that he had spoken to the player who was the alleged target of the sex tape.

“Karim Benzema has admitted speaking to [him] at the request of a childhood friend, who was approached by three blackmailers who were in possession of the sex tape,” the source told AFP.

“Benzema said he had agreed with his childhood friend on what he should say so that his team-mate would negotiate exclusively with him.”

The three alleged blackmailers, who are all in custody, had first contacted a friend of Benzema’s brother seeking to involve the player in their extortion attempt, a source said.

Detectives had detained Benzema for questioning a fortnight after the former France and Liverpool striker Djibril Cissé was interviewed and released as part of the same investigation.

Benzema, 27, was summoned to the police station at Versailles shortly before 9am on Wednesday morning and spent the night in custody.

The affair centres on the alleged attempted blackmail of an international midfielder with a sex tape apparently recorded on a mobile phone.

Three suspects said to be in the “entourage” of several footballers have been officially mis en examen – the French equivalent of being charged – since October.

The police investigation into the alleged blackmail attempt was opened at the end of July. Cissé was interviewed and immediately released from further inquiries.

Cissé protested his innocence on French television, saying he had nothing to do with the case. He later announced his retirement from the game.

The France coach Didier Deschamps is due to name his squad for matches against Germany and England on Thursday, an announcement that will be closely watched to see if Benzema is omitted.

Benzema was driven away from the police station in Versailles outside Paris on Thursday in a police car with tinted windows.

[Lineker]

Ronaldo - so modest!

[The Lusophone]

Why should he be modest? He is the best player in the world...

[Gazz]

That belief, ego and drive is probably why he is the best player in the world.

Also, ridic from Neymar today.