Latest news with #ChrisWaddle
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Gianni's Club World Cup Panini sticker prompts yet another question for lofty Infantino
I stole from my parents to complete Panini '87. It's not a confession. They know. They knew at the time. I was grounded for a week. Football stickers were an addiction for this eight-year-old. Once you'd bought a quarter of lemon bon bons and fizzy cola bottles and a can of Tizer, there was barely enough pocket money to get more than a few packets. How was I meant to complete it? Inside my dad's jacket pockets I found 10 pound coins. Treasure. I put them in my pocket and raced to Lavells newsagent and bought as many packets of stickers as I could. In a blind fervour I ripped and I ripped and I ripped. I even ripped Chris Waddle in half. I needed Chris Waddle. Seconds later I was caught red-handed. The shame. Months later I did manage to complete the album – swapping an insane number of stickers for one Jim Smith. But I felt a little flat, for reasons I couldn't articulate until now – 38 years later. Not because of the theft, buying the game with dirty money, but because something was missing from that album. Yes, there was Hoddle and Waddle in that beautiful Hummel kit, yes the shinies, but where in Sir Bert Millichip's name were the football administrators? Where was Ted Croker? Where was Graham Kelly in Football '89? No Havelange in Mexico '86? Indeed where was Sir Bert? Imagine the relief, then, to discover that Gianni Infantino, the president of Fifa, has rectified this oversight in the hotly anticipated album for the hotly anticipated (tickets still available, getting cheaper by the day) Club World Cup 2025. On his own Instagram, Gianni talks you through it: 'Look at this! What a collection – this is the brand new Panini Club World Cup sticker album.' He runs through some players – Messi, Kane, Haaland, Vinícius, Mbappé. 'The best of the best united in one sticker album for one incredible competition, together for the Club World Cup.' All seems fine until we near the end. 'The secret striker is this one here, I will not tell you the name, you have to find it out for yourselves but here you go, centre forward.' He doesn't have to tell you the name, because it looks exactly the same as the person talking to you. It's Gianni. A shiny sticker of Gianni with the words 'The Emblem'. You can imagine the meeting where this happened. He's leafing through the final design, interns quivering in front of him. 'I've got an idea.' The assembled employees look at the floor. They have see this movie before. 'How about a sticker of … me … the president?!' You like to think there are some good people at Fifa who care about the game continually biting their tongue and swallowing their souls as they prepare to sell this rubbish. Perhaps it's the footballing Lives of Others. Everyone thinks it's ludicrous but is too scared to mention it to anyone else – the walls are listening. It's possible it wasn't Infantino's idea at all, but a minion swathing around half way up the president – anything to climb the greasy pole. As the New York Times journalist Tariq Panja posted on BlueSky: 'There's a type of neediness to some of this behaviour that is hard to explain.' It does nothing to dispel the story that during the Qatar World Cup, TV directors were compelled to cut to Infantino, suit and trainers, during every match. Give the fans what they want. Disappointingly comments have been limited on Infantino's insta post. Fifa has replied with a happy smiley emoji with stars for eyes, followed up by former Swiss international, now Fifa employee, Gelson Fernandes, with two round of applause emojis. And that's it. And in many ways, Infantino has turned comments off for a while now. For someone who is meant to represent all football fans across the entire world, he isn't someone that keen on answering questions. He did recently sit down with YouTuber iShowSpeed for half an hour. Miraculously, Infantino found someone even more self-obsessed than himself. That may be, of course, quite a positive trait in a YouTuber. I am brutally aware that I am not in the iShowSpeed demographic. And he may be a seriously astute businessman, or just the guy who got lucky in a sea of people yelling 'damn right' about literally everything – and let's face it, anyone getting paid to talk or write about this game got lucky at some point, so good luck to him. Most of the interview features iShowSpeed trying to show Gianni clips of iShowSpeed singing or dancing or playing football incredibly badly – despite an extraordinary turn of, well, speed. Infantino meanwhile is desperately trying to flog the Club World Cup, showing off the trophy which he's hidden under a blanket in iShowSpeed's bedroom. Sign up to Football Daily Kick off your evenings with the Guardian's take on the world of football after newsletter promotion During a slightly strange lull in conversation, the young influencer apropos of nothing says: 'Hold on, I gotta show you my backflip man' – a technique I wish I'd thought of during some indie band interviews in the Soccer AM glory years. He proceeds to carry it off. 'Man!' responds Infantino, 'You are the best' – before leaning into a hug no middle-aged man should attempt. It's all pretty harmless stuff, and why shouldn't the man who runs football try and speak to young football fans? Well, it would be perfectly fine if Infantino was prepared to host regular press conferences, or sit-down interviews with people with some serious questions. As a starter for 10 (and with thanks to Philippe Auclair for suggesting many of these questions): is it normal that you did not face any candidate in the last two Fifa presidential elections? Have you given back your order of friendship medal from Vladimir Putin? Why hasn't Fifa made a decision on banning Israel? How did Fifa's Bid Evaluation Report of Saudi Arabia's bid to host the Fifa World Cup 2034 receive 419.8 out of 500, the highest ever score in Fifa World Cup history, despite stadiums (and in one case a whole city) not existing? Why has Fifa ignored its own recommendations and ruled out paying compensation to families of migrant workers who died in Qatar? You've spent a lot of time with Donald Trump but are yet to meet the leaders of Mexico and Canada who are also hosting World Cup 2026, how come? Do you need to travel by private jet (600,000km in three years)? Does that fit Fifa's own climate ambitions? Do you care about multi club ownership? Why don't you talk to the football media? Are you worried that the Club World Cup has been shunted into an already overcrowded schedule? What do you make of Fifpro, the players' union, filing a legal complaint over the scheduling accusing you of an 'abuse of dominance'? Do you care that the Club World Cup overlaps with the Women's Euros? WHY IS THERE A STICKER OF YOU IN THE PANINI ALBUM? Football governance is a complex business, and perhaps he has some excellent answers, but we're not going to find out if he limits himself to meaningless PR. While chatting to iShowSpeed, Infantino said of the Club World Cup: 'It's the past, the present the future, everything – and it's here to stay for the next 1,000 years.' Maybe he's right. What we're learning right now is that you can't just invent a competition and expect people to come to it – especially in a country where people aren't particularly welcome. History matters. And the Club World Cup might be popular in a millennium, it might also take that long to find somebody to run the game who genuinely loves it above his own self-importance.
BBC News
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Rebellion, ritiros & Waddle - 'ultra' De Zerbi's year at Marseille
"When I was aged 13-14, in the AC Milan youth academy, my coach told me to start following Marseille and Chris Waddle," Roberto de Zerbi discreetly revealed after Marseille's final game of the season. "That's when I fell in love with Marseille. I started following the club because of (former England winger) Waddle."It followed a season full of lively - and at times fiery - pressers at the Velodrome and the La Commanderie training ground. The Italian found in France's oldest city something that mirrored his past and his own temperament."The city of Marseille and the club of Marseille are similar to me in a way. I was looking for an environment that could make me dream," said the former Brighton boss in early Zerbi is a natural fit for the heat at Olympique de Marseille. His football demands conviction, and so does the city. As local poet Jean-Claude Izzo once wrote: "Here, you have to take sides. Be passionate. Be for, be against. Just be, intensely."At the end of the season the Italian was caught up in jubilant celebrations, waving a flare with supporters that had greeted the Marseille squad at 4am at Provence Airport. "I was born an ultra," De Zerbi exclaimed to DAZN only weeks was not a title win - but finishing second in Ligue 1 and qualifying for the Champions League felt nonetheless appointment of the passionate Italian was viewed as an "impossible dream" by club president Pablo Longoria when he made a call last summer after De Zerbi departed dream teetered on the edge of chaos several times this season, testing the tactical and emotional limits of one of the most promising coaches of the past decade. 'The Port of Exiles' - OM's summer overhaul "Marseille has always been the port of exiles... Here, anyone who arrives one day at the port is inevitably at home," Izzo also wrote about an eighth-placed finish last season, the club kicked off a radical overhaul - welcoming an eclectic collection of misfits and experienced players attracted by De Zerbi's new project. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Neal Maupay and Adrien Rabiot all arrived citing De Zerbi as a pair Jonathan Rowe and Mason Greenwood joined the Anglophone contingent at the club along with Canada international Derek Cornelius."The big difference was Roberto de Zerbi calling me out of the blue. I was a bit taken aback by it because it's the first time a manager has gone out of his way to call me and say he wants me," former Norwich winger Rowe told BBC Sport."The coach has been a bit more intricate with the details: your body shape, how you go into games, how you think and stay focused in a game. There's a lot of information to take in.""He's very demanding, one of the best coaches in the world. He's one of the reasons why I came here," added Greenwood before the final game of the season. "We have a great relationship and he puts me in the best position so that I can express myself."We've also had to learn when to be patient, when to play a bit quicker when we have a lot of the ball and break down defences. So he's taught me a lot about how to play my game."Greenwood joined the club from Manchester United last summer in a deal worth up to 31.6m euros (£26.6m). Serious charges against him, including attempted rape and assault, were dropped in February 2023."We took the decision internally. OK, there was some opposition, that was objective," said Marseille club president Longoria in September. "But at the same time that gave us power to maybe not investigate, because I'm not a judge, but to use all the information to make the best decision, which I think we did."Greenwood scored twice on his Ligue 1 debut in a 5-1 win over Brest and went on to finish with 21 goals, breaking the record of the most goals in a debut season for a Marseille player in the 21st century, ahead of Bafetimbi Gomis (20) and Didier Drogba (19).His goals won 16 additional points for the club - the highest of any player in Ligue 1 this season, according to ability for attacking explosivity on the pitch under De Zerbi was abundant from the start of the season. Les Olympiens broke several goalscoring and possession records, scoring 74 goals in 34 games this season, with only an all-conquering Paris St-Germain side netting more in Ligue 1. Reports of mutiny & a Roman rebirth Yet after a run of five losses in seven games, the season would take a turn for the surreal. Following defeat by Reims in March, a report from French newspaper L'Equipe alluded to tensions arising between De Zerbi and his players - going as far to suggest a 'mutiny' had taken Zerbi hit back: "Some people made me out to be a criminal. It's not fair. I'm a good person. My mum called me this morning and asked: 'What did you do?'""There is no rift between us," claimed former Brentford and Brighton striker Maupay during the same news conference. "He is so passionate and committed... In families or couples, you have to be able to talk things through."After concerns around the team environment, De Zerbi - along with Longoria and sporting director Medhi Benatia - made the collective decision to take the squad on a training retreat to had been on a team bonding camp following a defeat earlier in the season by Auxerre, but this 'ritiro' - often a practice for Serie A teams - involved the team's 50-man sporting operation moving to the outskirts of the Italian capital late in the season."We've thought with the club about doing everything we can to reach our objective," said De Zerbi. "It's not a punishment - it's simply to help the team reconnect. The players agreed. It won't change their lives, but it could change their careers."As the world turned its eyes to Rome following the death of Pope Francis, Marseille found a kind of rebirth of their own in the Eternal City. De Zerbi visited the Vatican with club representatives to pay his respects - before focus switched back to Champions League rooftop barbecues and work on the training pitch, away from the prying eyes of La Commanderie, ended up being what was needed to make the difference in the final games of the season."I had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday there - I had never been to Italy before," smiled Rowe. "We really managed to create better cohesion and become more united."Sixteen goals in the final five games of the season earned big wins over Brest and Montpellier, with a victory at Le Havre sparking scenes of celebration. A release of tension as De Zerbi, his players and staff all flooded the away section."I believe this is more than a miracle," the Italian said afterwards."We spent time together, had dinner together. We trained less, but we worked a lot on unity and it showed on the pitch; it's a family."It's not true that the players were against me; that hurt me. There was never any mutiny." 'I love conflict, I love controversy' The first act of the De Zerbi story at Marseille has proved to be a whirlwind that has reached a satisfactory conclusion for all parties: Champions League qualification."I love conflict, I love controversy. I think it's part of football and part of this club's DNA. You can't change that," said Longoria at his end-of-season news conference."With Roberto, we started a cycle that we set out in a three-year contract. I think we're in a good place."We want to find continuity, let the adrenaline that is associated with this club die down."After a summit held in the US, Marseille confirmed the commitment between Longoria, De Zerbi, Benatia and American owner Frank McCourt to continue working so there will be a second act to De Zerbi's odyssey in the south of France, one that will see the coach compete in Europe's elite competition for the first time since his tenure at Shakhtar Donetsk in than 30 years after first falling for the OM of Waddle, it will be the Italian's turn to try to re-energise Marseille's proud European heritage.
Telegraph
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Sonia Bompastor: The Chris Waddle fan who guided Chelsea to a treble in her first season
There is a surprise in store for Sonia Bompastor as she sits down to speak to Telegraph Sport. The France-born Chelsea manager grew up when the likes of Eric Cantona, Emmanuel Petit and David Ginola were the national heroes of her home country. But it was a Geordie with an unusual hairstyle who caught her eye. Bompastor revealed in her autobiography that Chris Waddle, who spent three years with Marseille, was her first idol. So, with Bompastor having won a domestic treble in her first season at Chelsea, Telegraph Sport thought it fitting to arrange a video message from her childhood hero. At first, she is taken aback. Then, after a few seconds, she smiles and points to her head: 'He changed his hair!' Waddle, who was nicknamed 'Magic Chris' by Marseille fans, entertained on the pitch but also stood out because of his mullet hairstyle. 'At maybe eight or nine years old, I had the same haircut,' Bompastor says, before laughing. 'It was not a success for me. It looked really bad. But I really loved him and I was trying to do the same. 'Watching him on TV, for me he was a role model but I couldn't access him. To have these words from him means a lot to me. I have a bit of emotion now. He made me really enjoy watching football. He created a lot but he was always [playing] with a smile. 'I always say it's really important to enjoy every day what you are doing and I am lucky to have a job that is my passion. That is probably the best luck you can have in life.' There has been nothing lucky about Bompastor's first season with Chelsea. Taking over from Emma Hayes, who had won 16 trophies over 12 years, was deemed one of the hardest jobs in football. Bompastor has made it look easy. On Sunday, she lifted the FA Cup to complete a treble which included an unbeaten season in the Women's Super League. Bompastor is relaxed as she talks but this is a rarity, for players have described her as the most competitive person they have ever met. 'I think that comes from my childhood,' says Bompastor, whose father was a referee and who played football from an early age with her eldest brother. 'I had to fight just to play football. It was a really difficult time because people were telling me that, just because I was a girl, I wasn't allowed to play. 'It was really difficult but I think my personality started to grow because I really wanted to prove to people that they were wrong and that, if I wanted to play football, I could. Even if the mentality and the culture in France at that time was not ready to accept that.' During her 13-year professional career, she won 14 trophies, most of which came at Lyon, and earned more than 150 caps for France. She then spent eight years as head of Lyon's academy before being named the club's first female manager in 2021, becoming the only person to win the Women's Champions League as both a player and a manager. In short, she is a serial winner. 'I hate to lose, I don't know why it's so strong,' Bompastor says. 'I can be really bad when I'm losing and I can lose my friendship with some people for one or two days just because I am losing something – a football game or even games at home sometimes, I get really mad. 'When I was a player it was really bad sometimes. I am trying to learn with more maturity but it's still difficult. I think my kids are really helping me in that way because you can't show them you get really, really mad when you lose something. They also need to learn that sometimes when you play against someone that is better than you, you need to accept that. That is something I don't know how to do.' Bompastor pauses when asked about the angriest she has felt during her football career. 'When I was a player I stayed for maybe one or two days without eating,' she says. 'I couldn't eat because my stomach was so upset. I didn't even feel like I was hungry, I was 'hangry' mad, but not hangry to have food. 'Sometimes in training sessions I was getting almost in fights with some of my team-mates.' Bomapstor then clarifies: 'Not bad fights. But if they were next to me, I was pushing them. 'Sometimes I regret it because I just feel like it was intense and too much. But I couldn't control that. It was too difficult for me to manage that emotion when it was coming in the moment. 'I made progress as a manager. I think I still have that competitive edge but I need to deliver to my players in the right way and I think that's really important. When we talk about the winning mentality, ruthless mentality, it's about making sure we understand what can we accept and can we not drop off.' Surprisingly, management is not something Bompastor was immediately attracted to when she retired. She has four children and wanted a job that allowed her to 'prioritise my family' and 'stay more at home', hence taking the academy role at Lyon. 'When the opportunity came for me to become the head coach in Lyon, I was still questioning whether I was the right person,' she says. 'My family and my wife, Camille, just told me, 'Why not? You are the right person, just go!' This is how it started.' Bompastor first opened up about her relationship with Camille Abily, who is also her assistant manager, in February following the publication of her autobiography. Previously team-mates at Lyon and the French national team, they have been together for 13 years. 'I wrote that book just because I felt it was the right timing for my kids to know a little bit more about my story. I didn't want to mention anything about my private life because I think me and Camille, we are people who are really humble, not secretive, but really quiet. It's difficult for us to be exposed. I don't feel I need to talk about my private life. 'My life with Camille and my family are part of my life, I'm really proud of that and it was difficult to write the book without mentioning that, but I knew people would be almost only interested by that. I'm still not comfortable talking about it but if it can help people, that's really important. My main message on that point is: I want people to realise, especially in 2025, when you are different, you have to let people live the life they want to live. 'It's about the freedom you need to give to people – colour of skin, religion. I think in France, we are struggling a little bit with that. I think coming into London, maybe not everywhere in London is the same, but there are some parts where I feel people can live together with big differences and it's more accepted.' Bompastor is not as well known in England as predecessor Hayes, but that is gradually starting to change. She tells the story of how a cyclist spotted her in her car when parked outside her house and knocked on the window to say: 'I'm a huge Chelsea fan, well done on your job.' She also recalls people recognising her when she caught the train to watch England at Wembley, but being 'nice and respectful'. When I suggest people may be surprised to see her on the train, Bompastor laughs. 'I go in central London biking. When I tell people that they are like, 'You are the Chelsea manager!' and I go, 'Yeah, and? Can I not bike?' 'It's the easiest thing to bike everywhere in London, even with the kids. Sometimes people don't recognise me but because we have six people on the bikes and it's a long queue, they look at us and they go, 'Oh, it is the Chelsea manager! Look, Chelsea manager on a bike!' 'That's so funny! Life in London is really enjoyable. We made the right choice for our kids for them to have the opportunity to live in a city like London. We have settled in well, the club has been really supportive and we already feel part of a family here at Chelsea. But I know my job is to make sure we win games, because that's the way it is.' Bompastor says her four children are her 'balance' but managing family life and football management is not easy. She is keen to make sure that both her staff and her family get her full attention when she is with them, albeit that on occasions she has to work when the children are in bed. 'Sometimes I have to work until midnight or one o'clock just to make sure this job is done, but not in a time where it can affect my family or my staff,' she says. The narrative around Bompastor's appointment was that Chelsea had brought her in specifically to win the Champions League, the one trophy that alluded them during Hayes's reign. Chelsea suffered an 8-2 aggregate defeat in the semi-final against Barcelona, but Bompastor said after the game she knows what the club need to be better next season. 'I'm used to assuming pressure in my job. I don't take the pressure in a negative way. I think Chelsea has everything to be able to perform in the Champions League. When you look at Barcelona, Lyon, they have a really talented squad and a lot of experience. But I know we have the quality to give them trouble. We will work really hard to make sure we have a chance to succeed. I'm confident it will happen one day. I hope it will happen really soon.' Those close to Chelsea say Bompastor has been a breath of fresh air since her arrival and that players appreciate her human qualities as well as her tactical nous. 'I care about my players,' Bompastor says. 'Sometimes things look easy, but nothing is easy. I think in different moments of the season we've had to fight in different games for different reasons. 'I always say to my players our mentality is to always think anything is possible and to have belief going into every game. When we are all together, with that mentality and psychology, we can do anything.' With a domestic treble under her belt after just one season, Bompastor is ready for more.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'A big ask for Man City now'
It is now a "massive ask" for Manchester City to turn their Champions League paly-off tie around in Madrid, says former England winger Chris Waddle. Pep Guardiola's side suffered a late 3-2 defeat against Real Madrid in the first leg of their Champions League play-off to reach the last-16. They will now head to the Bernabeu next Wednesday having to overturn the one-goal deficit. "With Manchester City, I think it is fatigue. The players are running on empty. At this level, playing against a team like Real Madrid, it is tough," Waddle told BBC Radio 5 Live. "The second half, they dropped the pace and Madrid were getting in more often and making more and more chances. "You feel for Pep Guardiola now. Every game he tries to put his best team out but someone limps off or they are unavailable the next week. "He has lost players tonight, will they be fit for the return leg? Doubt it. He will have to go to Madrid with a different game plan. "It is a big ask for Man City now. "Looking at the players, a little bit of confidence has gone and they were running on empty at times. It is a massive ask to turn it around out there. "They will get chances, they are a quality side, but can they keep Real Madrid out at the other end? I don't think so."
