SPORTS

Women Footballers Call On FIFA To End Partnership With Saudi Aramco

Published

16 hours ago

October 21, 2024

On Monday, over 100 professional women’s football players issued an open letter urging FIFA to end its partnership with Saudi Aramco, the oil and gas conglomerate.

The players expressed their concern about FIFA’s decision to align with the company, calling for the world football governing body to reconsider the relationship.

Earlier in April, FIFA signed a four-year partnership deal with Saudi Aramco.

This agreement grants Aramco a worldwide partnership role, extending to major tournaments such as the 2026 World Cup and the Women’s World Cup in 2027.

In recent years, Saudi Arabia has made significant investments in sports, including soccer, Formula 1, and golf. However, critics, including women’s rights organizations and members of the LGBTQ community, accuse the kingdom of using its Public Investment Fund (PIF) to “sportswash” its human rights record. These groups argue that the country uses its involvement in global sports to distract from ongoing human rights issues.

Saudi Arabia has denied these accusations. The kingdom asserts that its laws protect national security. Saudi Arabia maintains that it does not abuse human rights.

Prominent football players were among those who signed the letter.

They include Manchester City striker Vivianne Miedema, Canadian national team captain Jessie Fleming, and former U.S. team captain Becky Sauerbrunn. Indeed, they added their voices to the growing call for FIFA to reconsider its ties with Saudi Aramco.

“We urge FIFA to reconsider this partnership and replace Saudi Aramco with alternative sponsors whose values align with gender equality, human rights and the safe future of our planet,” the players said in the letter.

They also suggested forming a review committee that includes player representation to assess the ethical implications of future sponsorship deals.

Emphasizing how sponsorship revenues contribute to increased investment in women’s football, FIFA said,

“FIFA values its partnership with Aramco and its many others commercial and rights partners,” a spokesperson for FIFA said.

“FIFA is an inclusive organisation with many commercial partners also supporting other organisations in football and other sports.

“Sponsorship revenues generated by FIFA are reinvested back into the game at all levels and investment in women’s football continues to increase, including for the historic FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup and its groundbreaking new distribution model.”

A representative for Aramco said they will respond to the letter as soon as possible.

Check here for more sports news.

Related Topics:FIFA Football Saudi Aramco sports

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Leverkusen Striker, Victor Boniface Only ‘slightly injured’ In Car Accident

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Nottingham Forest Manager, Nuno Espirito Santo Given Three-Match Touchline Ban

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SPORTS

Leverkusen Striker, Victor Boniface Only ‘slightly injured’ In Car Accident

Published

15 hours ago

October 21, 2024

Reporter

Bayer Leverkusen striker Victor Boniface, 23, was slightly injured in a car accident on Sunday, the Bundesliga club confirmed to German media.

Boniface, who plays for both Leverkusen and the Nigerian national team, shared footage and photos of his wrecked car on social media before deleting the post. The video showed Boniface looking into the camera and revealing his arm, which appeared to be dripping with blood.

In the now-deleted post, Boniface expressed his gratitude, writing, “God is the greatest” and “God says my time hasn’t come.”

According to reports from the German tabloid Bild, Boniface was a passenger in the car at the time of the accident. The vehicle was on its way to pick up a friend at Frankfurt Airport when it collided with a truck.

Leverkusen representatives assured Bild that Boniface was examined in the hospital and is doing fine. Fortunately, the driver of the truck escaped without injury, although the total damage from the collision was estimated to be around 200,000 euros.

God is the greatest ❤️

— Victor Boniface (@boniface_jrn) October 20, 2024

Victor Boniface joined Bayer Leverkusen last season and quickly became instrumental in the team’s success. His contributions helped the club remain unbeaten in both the league and the cup, securing their first-ever Bundesliga title. His impressive performances also earned him a debut call-up to the Nigerian national team.

This season, Boniface has already scored seven goals in 10 appearances across all competitions. In Leverkusen’s most recent match on Saturday, Boniface missed a penalty. But he redeemed himself by heading in the winning goal during their 2-1 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt at home.

Leverkusen will continue their Champions League campaign on Wednesday with an away match against French side Brest.

Check here for more sports news.

SPORTS

Nottingham Forest Manager, Nuno Espirito Santo Given Three-Match Touchline Ban

Published

4 days ago

October 18, 2024

Reporter

Nuno Espirito Santo given three-match touchline ban | fab.ng

Nottingham Forest manager, Nuno Espirito Santo and midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White have been suspended. Meanwhile, Brighton & Hove Albion boss Fabian Hurzeler has been fined for misconduct during their Premier League match.

The FA announced the punishments on Friday, following a 2-2 draw between the two sides last month. The referee showed red cards to both managers after they had an altercation on the sidelines. The referee showed Gibbs-White a second yellow card (and subsequent red) after he made a strong tackle.

The midfielder expressed frustration over the decision. The referee dismissed both Nuno and Hurzeler for their “unacceptable technical area behaviour”.

“Nuno Espirito Santo, Morgan Gibbs-White and Fabian Hurzeler admitted to their respective charges,” the FA said in a statement.

“The independent Regulatory Commission imposed a two-match touchline suspension and £55,000 ($71,753) fine on the Nottingham Forest head coach, which activated a further one-match touchline ban that had been suspended.”

Nuno Espirito Santo and Morgan Gibbs-White have been sanctioned by an independent Regulatory Commission, and Fabian Hurzeler has been fined.

Full statement: https://t.co/hQ9XMPHZvU pic.twitter.com/pXFDWrW2CV

— FA Spokesperson (@FAspokesperson) October 18, 2024

The FA imposed a one-match suspension and a £20,000 fine on Gibbs-White.

In addition, Huerzeler received an £8,000 fine for his role in the incident. The FA reviewed the events and held both individuals accountable for their actions.

Gibbs-White’s suspension means he will miss the next game, while Huerzeler faces financial penalties without a suspension.

By enforcing these fines and the suspension, the FA aimed to send a clear message about maintaining discipline and sportsmanship within the league. The sanctions are part of the FA’s broader effort to ensure fair play. Also, it is to uphold the standards of conduct expected from players and coaching staff.

As a result, both Gibbs-White and Huerzeler will have to comply with these penalties immediately. The FA emphasized that it must take such actions to preserve the sport’s integrity, and it must properly address any inappropriate behaviour on or off the pitch.

Check out more sports updates here.

SPORTS

Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo Out For A Few Weeks Due To Muscle Injury

Published

4 days ago

October 18, 2024

Reporter

Kobbie Mainoo out for a few weeks due to muscle injury | fab.ng

Manchester United has confirmed that their promising 19-year-old midfielder Kobbie Mainoo will remain sidelined for several weeks. Initially, Mainoo sustained a muscle injury during the team’s match against Aston Villa earlier this month.

Subsequently, both Mainoo and his teammate Harry Maguire were forced to withdraw from England’s Nations League campaign. Specifically, they missed crucial matches against Greece and Finland. Maguire’s injury, which occurred during the goalless draw at Villa, will also keep him out of action for a few weeks.

However, there’s some positive news for the club as forwards Alejandro Garnacho and Amad Diallo have now resumed training. Previously, both players had missed their international commitments this month due to injury and illness respectively. As a result, they are now available for selection ahead of Saturday’s home fixture against Brentford.

Additionally, Moroccan defender Noussair Mazraoui has made a successful return to training. Earlier, he had been substituted during the Villa match due to illness.

Unfortunately, United’s injury woes continue to mount as several key players remain unavailable. Currently, Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia, Mason Mount, and Leny Yoro are all recovering from various injuries. Consequently, these multiple absences have significantly impacted the team’s performance this season.

Most notably, these injury setbacks have contributed to Manchester United’s challenging start to the Premier League campaign. At present, the team occupies 14th position in the league table, having collected just eight points from their opening seven matches.

This concerning situation has placed additional pressure on manager Erik ten Hag, who must now carefully manage his depleted squad while attempting to improve the team’s league position. Moving forward, the return of several players from injury could prove crucial in United’s efforts to climb the Premier League table.