La Nación reveals that Federal Police raids the Argentina FA and football clubs
Argentina’s popular newspaper La Nacion has revealed that following orders from a Federal Judge, the Federal Police has started raids on the Argentine Football Association and a group of football clubs as part of an investigation into alleged money laundering. Federal police entered the AFA’s headquarters in Buenos Aires on Tuesday morning. According to La Nacion reports, the raids have stemmed from allegations of money laundering tied to the financial services firm Sur Finanzas. The report also says the judge ordered raids on more than 10 football clubs, including top-tier clubs Racing, San Lorenzo, and Independiente. Sur Finanzas, the AFA, and a spokesperson for prosecutors did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The federal court in Lomas de Zamora, a district in the province of Buenos Aires, from which La Nacion said the judge ordered the raids, could not immediately be reached. Racing, San Lorenzo, and Independiente did not immediately respond to a request for comment. La Nacion said the probe had been made after a criminal complaint that focused on transfers of money between football clubs and Sur Finanzas’ payment service platform. The raids could increase tensions between AFA president Claudio “Chiqui” Tapia and President Javier Milei. Milei has pushed for Argentina’s clubs, which have long functioned as non-profit organizations run by their members, to become for-profit companies under private owners. The AFA has fought against legal efforts by Milei to allow for-profit clubs to join the association.
Will ISL resume in a ‘new model’? Three clubs agree before Wednesday’s crucial meeting!
Sudeep Pakrashi: Will ISL resume in a ‘new model’ this year, where the ISL clubs will be the owners of the League? The clubs, participating in the country’s top League, are reportedly encouraged to initiate the resumption of the stagnated Indian Super League this year after a Union Sports Ministry intimation that 14 ISL clubs (Inter Kashi is the new entrant in the League this year) will have to bear expenses to run the League. It is believed, according to the new model, the clubs, after building a consortium to make an agreement with the AIFF, will pay the AIFF-set amount of Rs 37.5 Crores. Then it will the clubs who make profits individually from own initiatives by roping in sponsorships, endorsements and profit-sharing of the broadcasting will be made according to the investments of the clubs. All the club representatives are scheduled to have a discussion in New Delhi on Wednesday. It is believed that among the 14, three like FC Goa, NorthEast United FC and Inter Kashi have already agreed to the ‘new model’. According to sources close to an ISL club, “For example, one ISL club is giving approximately Rs 19 crores to FSDL and in return the club is getting Rs 19 Crores. Additionally, the respective club has to invest a huge amount in the functioning of its football team. Now, in the ‘new model’, if the clubs can give the guaranteed amount of Rs 37.5 Crore to the AIFF, then it will be the clubs who will have sharing of profits from broadcasting according to their investments as all the clubs might not invest the same amount. Addiotionally the clubs can make profits from own initiatives.” He continued, “In this new model, an ISL club has to pay approximately Rs 2.5 Crores to the AIFF, and the respective club can make a profit from its own initiatives, roping in sponsorships. So, this can be an alternative model where ISL clubs can run the League, and the Federation can also be in a safe position.” It is also believed, the I-League will also resume this year in the middle of January.
Howrah-Hooghly Warriors FC sets its eyes on playing in the CFL and then in the elite I-League
Sudeep Pakrashi: Howrah-Hooghly Warriors FC, one of the debutants in the forthcoming Bengal Super League (BSL), are unlikely to be content satisfied only through participating in the BSL. Rather, the franchise team have set eyes on playing in the IFA-organised CFL and also a qualification for the elite I-League within the next couple of years! Deep Dey, the General Manager of the club, when asked about their plans for the future, revealed, “Our vision is to earn qualification for the elite I-League within the next four to five years, starting from the I-League Third Division. Not only that, our aim will be to build-up a team for the I-League consisting of 90 per cent footballers from the Howrah-Hooghly area.” Simultaneously, he divulged, “Initiatives have been taken to get affiliation from the IFA as well as Howrah DSA to field our team in the CFL First Division. We will also get affiliation from the Howrah DSA so that our boys can play in the district competitions.” The franchise, which has roped in Jose Ramirez Bareto as the team’s chief coach, is also in the process of finding land in the Hooghly area to build a residential football school in future. “Our project will have a non-residential coaching program also initially unless the needed infrastructure for the residential project gets developed.” The team, which has already registered 25 footballers, is likely to rope in two more foreigners, out of whom one is expected to come from Brazil, and the other foreign footballer who participated in the Kerala Super League. The team have been training under Barreto and assistant coaches Suman Dutta and Sanjay Palandar for the past month. The franchise has signed Brazilian Paulo Cezar as its first foreign player. Howrah-Hooghly Warriors will start their campaign, playing a home match at Howrah Shailen Manna stadium against FC Medinipur on 16th December.
Leading footballers jailed for pending trial in Turkey gambling probe
A Turkish court has sent 20 suspects, including Super League footballers, involved in a widening football betting investigation, state-owned Anadolu news agency said on Tuesday. Last week, prosecutors ordered the detention of 46 people, including players, club presidents, commentators, and a referee, over insider betting in Turkey’s professional leagues. Anadolu reported that among those detained in the operation, Galatasaray player Metehan Baltaci and Fenerbahçe player Mert Hakan Yandas, as well as former Adana Demirspor president Murat Sancak, were now formally arrested and jailed. Anadolu reported that Baltaci pleaded with the court that he had placed bets on a few matches when he was a youth team player and had not done so after joining the Galatasaray first team. According to another local newspaper, Fenerbahce’s Yandas had reportedly said in his submission to the court testimony that he denied involvement in gambling on matches. Representatives of the two players and the former club official could not immediately be reached for comment. Last month, Turkey’s football federation suspended 149 referees and assistants after an investigation found that officials in the professional leagues were betting on games. The net then widened with the arrest of eight people, including the chairman of a top-tier club, and the suspension of 1,024 players from all leagues, on whom the federation (TFF) imposed bans.
East Bengal start their campaign in the SAFF Women’s Club Championship in style
Indian Women’s League (IWL) champions East Bengal women started their maiden SAFF Women’s Club Championship campaign, trouncing the Bhutanese champions Transport United Ladies 4-0 in their opening group fixture on Sunday. Their Ugandan striker Fazila Ikwaput (36, 72) struck the brace while youngster, Sulanjana Raul (60), and the Ugandan midfielder, Resty Nanziri (63), scored one goal each for Red and Gold Brigade in Kathmandu. Player of the Match Fazila mentioned that this is just the beginning, and the team will be aiming something bigger. This tournament will help them identify what they need to do to move ahead. East Bengal started the domination from the beginning and was able to create plenty of space on the wings for Sulanjana and Soumya to make quick runs. Still, they had to wait 35 minutes for their opening goal. On a counterattack, Soumya found some space on the right flank, which she made full use of before laying an accurate cross to Fazila, who headed home cleanly. After that, the Indian side got plenty of chances in the opening half, but they couldn’t convert them, and the score-line remained unchanged at halftime. In the second half, they showed better chemistry in their forward line, which led to two beautiful team goals near the 60-minute mark, from Sulanjana and Nanziri. In the 72nd minute, Sulanjana again showed her magical footwork to cut past her marker and assisted a chip ball to Fazila, who calmly controlled it before completing her brace. East Bengal is now in joint top position with Nepal’s APF Club with 3 points. They will next take on Pakistan’s Karachi City FC in the second group match on 11th December.
Marquez feels FC Goa needs to qualify for ACL-2 every year to improve quality
FC Goa’s Spanish coach Manolo Marquez believes the team must have to make a habit of playing at the highest level to grow up. He means by saying ‘highest level’ is the AFC Champions League-2 at least. After Goan outfit edged past East Bengal via a tie-breaker to lift the Super Cup for the third time on Sunday in Margao, Goa Marquez said, “We have to play competitive games every year. We need to qualify every season to increase our level because when you play against better players, your level improves and at the moment, I mean ACL-2 is a much better competitive tournament.” East Bengal’s assistant coach, Bino George felt his team created better opportunities, taking the game to the defending champion. “We had more chances at the home of FC Goa. We played a good game, but penalty shootouts are unpredictable. We dominated the first half entirely,” he said. Marquez, though, felt the goalless draw in the end was a fair reflection of the game. “I don’t share this opinion. There were some moments for both teams. We hit the post twice and had the clearest chances. Both teams were better in certain moments. It was a very tactical game, and the score was fair in my opinion. “I don’t believe too much when people say penalty shoot-outs are lotteries, but today, I felt it was because both teams were completely dead,” he said
Winner FC Goa players say playing in ACL-2 helps them grow stronger
FC Goa defended their title in the Super Cup, edging past East Bengal 6-5 in a dramatic penalty shoot-out at Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium in Margao, Goa, on Sunday evening after 90 minutes and then an additional 30 minutes ended goalless. In their third Super Cup triumph, FC Goa were fortunate as East Bengal missed two key shoot-outs in the tie-breaker through Mohammed Rashid and PV Vishnu. Sahil Tavora struck the winner for Goa in the tie-breaker. While speaking to the official broadcaster of the tournament, FC Goa’s two key footballers Sahil Tavora and Spanish captain Borja Herreira who won third Super Cup title, twice for FC Goa and the first one for East Bengal, revealed that playing against the stronger teams in the ACL-2 has helped to grow stronger, both psychologically and physically. “We knew how to handle the pressure of the final. East Bengal dished out a brave show also. They dominated us in the first session, while we fought back in the second half and also during the additional 30 minutes. But we did not give up,” said team captain Borja after the match. Coach Manolo Marquez also emphasised his boys’ fighting spirit despite the embarrassing situation, currently going on in Indian football. “We have been training for the last five months, obviously for the preparation for ACL-2. But it was difficult for us to keep motivating the footballers, especially the team’s foreigners, amidst the ongoing stalemate in India’s domestic football. So, from that point of view, I am happy to have seen the boys’ mental strength and fighting spirit in the final,” stated Marquez.
Amidst refusal to ISL, IWL gets a bidder for this season!
Amidst the stalemate when ISL is stuggling to have a bidder, Indian Women’s League, the AIFF-organized franchise-based women’s football’s league has at least received single bid from Capri Sports in response to its tender to monetize the commercial rights of the first and second divisions of the Indian Women’s League (IWL) for five years. The bid comes in the wake of a failed tender for the top-tier men’s football tournament, Indian Super League (ISL). The AIFF’s three-member Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC) will now examine the documents and is likely to make an announcement in the next 48 hours. The bidder has already made an investment in women’s football and recently acquired Rudra FC, now named Warriorz FC, which takes part in the Mumbai Football Association-organized Women’s Premier League, with former India captain Aditi Chauhan as the mentor. The AIFF is also likely to consider the ‘conflict of interest’ issue while allowing Capri Sports to join the IWL as the major investor. The AIFF had stipulated in its RFP that the bidder should have a net worth of Rs 30 crore at the close of the 2024-25 financial year. The selected bidder will have to pay Rs 3 Crore annually to the AIFF as ‘governance and development’ fees. The next edition of the IWL will be played in two phases, with the opening phase being held centrally in Bengal between 20th December and 6th January next year. The league will take a break to allow the national teams to prepare for the AFC Asian Cup, AFC U-17 Asian Cup and AFC U-20 Asian Cup, before the second phase kicks off on 20th April.
Amidst Bengal’s 9-0 humiliation, Malati Munda’s national call-up is the gain
Bengal girls suffered a humiliating 9-0 defeat at the hands of fancied Manipur in the Dr. Talimeren AO junior national girls’ football final held at Anantapur, Andhra Pradesh, on Sunday morning. Mira Chanu, who scored a hat-trick, received the man-of-the-match award, while Radima Debi also struck a hat-trick, Thokchom scored a brace, and Pushpa Rani Debi scored once for the winners. Amidst the misery, Bengal had the only consolation that their striker Malati Munda had been selected in the under-17 national preparatory camp. Even in the final, Bengal scored the goal first in the final courtesy of Malati Mumnda, but that was canceled due to an offside decision. According to Bengal coach Rinku Ghosh, the key reason behind such an embarrassing score-line was central defender Kaberi Roy’s exit in the early session following a knee injury. “Kaberi was consistent throughout the tournament. She had to be replaced after I found she was limping. With her exit, our whole defensive organization crashed, and Manipur’s attacks flooded into our box,” explained. Ghosh mentioned another point, adding, “We have been playing matches every alternative day, while Manipur got more than a week’s rest before the final. Our girls received only eight days of training, while Manipur took almost a month of preparation before heading to Andhra Pradesh. The girls said after the match that they were exhausted.”
This World Cup may witness one of the most exciting duels between Messi and Ronaldo!
If he finally plays, then the 2026 World Cup may watch one of the most exciting duels between the two icons, for the first time and also for the last time in a World Cup. Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have never clashed each other in a World Cup match. There can be two situations which can guide Argentina paly against Portugal in the World Cup quarterfinal and if not, then in the semi-final. The quarterfinal is scheduled to be held at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, on 11th July while the semifinal has been scheduled on 15th July at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. But for the quarterfinal meeting, Argentina will have to top in the Group J in the first round. And in the case of second situation, if Argentina tops Group-J, Portugal qualify as a runner-up or one of the third-placed teams then they will be meeting in the last-four of the tournament. Then Messi and Ronaldo will lock horns in the World Cup semi-finals on 15th July The venue is one of America’s busiest multi-purpose stadiums, having hosted a Super Bowl in 2019 and staged six matches of the FIFA Club World Cup, including the quarterfinal between Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich, earlier this year. Messi led Argentina to the World Cup title four years ago, while Ronaldo guided Portugal to its first-ever international trophy, the European Championship, in 2016.
