Latest news with #UnionofEuropeanFootballAssociations
Middle East Eye
2 days ago
- Politics
- Middle East Eye
Uefa Super Cup: 'Stop killing children' banner labelled 'cowardice' as calls for Israel ban grow
The Union of European Football Associations (Uefa) is being accused of "virtue signalling" and "empty gestures" after displaying a banner ahead of the Super Cup final in apparent support for Palestinian civilians and children without mentioning Israel or its ongoing genocide in the Gaza Strip. A "Stop killing children stop killing civilians" banner was unfurled ahead of the match between Paris Saint-Germain and Tottenham Hotspur in Italy on Wednesday. Two Palestinian refugee children also took part in the medal ceremony alongside Uefa president Aleksander Čeferin, following an invitation from the Uefa Foundation for Children. Most fans interpreted the banner to refer to Palestinian victims of Israel's war, which has killed over 61,000 people, the majority women and children. "The message is loud and clear," the European football's governing body posted on X. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters But many argued that it was not. "A call to who? Who is killing children? who is killing civilians?" asked Rohan Talbot, director of advocacy and campaigns at NGO Medical Aid for Palestinians. "To name the crime but not to name the perpetrators is cowardice," commented Amnesty UK. This is meaningless. You displayed a banner that said stop killing children and civilians. Are you referring to Israel? Stop gaslighting. Hold Israel accountable for killing journalists, children, doctors, football players. — Ahmed Eldin | احمد الدين (@ASE) August 14, 2025 "Vague, lofty slogans like these are lazy, meaningless, and ambiguous enough that even Israel can exclaim them as it slaughters children and civilians," posted writer Tariq Kenney-Shawa. "Enough bullshit virtue signaling. Calling Israel out by name and booting them from the @UEFA are bare minimum first steps," he continued. PR move Others accused Uefa of platforming Palestinian refugee children to deflect from mounting calls by football fans and clubs to boycott Israel. When reached out to for comment, Uefa directed MEE to a media release about the children invited to the ceremony. "These two Palestinian children are refugees because Israel has been occupying their land and ethnic cleansing their people for 77 years - and you still won't hold them accountable for it," wrote sports journalist Leyla Hamed. "You can't platform them while protecting their aggressors." Others called it a "public relations" move, highlighting that Maccabi Tel Aviv would play in a European league match a day after the Super Cup finals on Thursday. "Don't you dare parade Palestinian children as PR cover while letting the very team tied to those who want them dead wear your badge," posted journalist Ahmed Eldin. As Martin Luther King said: 'Cowardice asks the question: Is it safe?' To name the crime but not to name the perpetrators is cowardice. Israel is carrying out war crimes and a genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza. — Amnesty UK (@AmnestyUK) August 14, 2025 Uefa's posts also sparked renewed calls for "concrete action" from the league, with many urging the football body to ban Israel from competing. Social media users denounced what they described as "hypocrisy", questioning why Russia was swiftly banned over its invasion of Ukraine while Israeli clubs continue to compete despite its ongoing military offensive in Gaza. Some performative bullshit there from UEFA 'stop killing children' but doesn't ban Israeli football associated teams from their competitions. Hypocritical from their stance on Russia too. — Jasmine 🍉 (@_jasminehahn) August 13, 2025 'Russia was cut off IMMEDIATELY upon attacking Ukraine," said one commenter. "You've been dragging your feet TWO YEARS on Gaza and now just coming out with passive messages instead of being deliberate and decisive against Israel's genocide.' The Salah effect? Uefa establishes partnerships with Medecins du Monde, Medecins sans Frontières and Handicap International, charities 'providing vital humanitarian help for the children of Gaza, who are enduring what UN Secretary General António Guterres has described as, 'a… — Henry Winter (@henrywinter) August 12, 2025 On Tuesday, the Uefa Foundation for Children announced it had expanded its humanitarian efforts to "relieve the suffering of children in Gaza", partnering with three charities providing humanitarian aid. The move was said by some social media users to be a result of "the Salah Effect", referring to a post by the Liverpool and Egypt forward Mohamed Salah on Saturday, who criticised the football association for paying tribute to Palestinian footballer Suleiman al-Obeid - who was killed in and Israeli attack while seeking aid in Gaza - without mentioning the circumstance of his death. According to the Palestinian Football Association, at least 400 footballers have been killed by Israel in Gaza. Nearly 300 sports facilities, including stadiums, gyms and club buildings, have been destroyed.
Egypt Independent
2 days ago
- Sport
- Egypt Independent
Did Mohamed Salah's tweet change the UEFA's stance on Gaza?
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) has announced partnerships with several international organizations to provide urgent humanitarian assistance to children in the Gaza Strip. This comes just days after Mohamed Salah, the star player for Egypt and Liverpool, questioned the continental federation regarding the death of former Palestine national team player, Suleiman Al-Obeid. The UEFA had previously offered its condolences for the veteran Palestinian player, Al-Obeid, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike in the Gaza Strip a few days ago. In response, Mohamed Salah posed three questions to the UEFA, putting the organization in an awkward position globally. He questioned the circumstances of Al-Obeid's death—who was often called the 'Pelé of Palestine'—and criticized the UEFA's failure to reveal the details of his killing, especially since he was reportedly waiting for aid at the time of his death. On its official X (formerly Twitter) account, the UEFA had posted, 'Goodbye Suleiman Al-Obeid, the Pelé of Palestine, a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times.' Mohamed Salah reposted this and asked: 'Can you tell us how, where, and why he died?' Mohamed Salah's tweet make headlines Renowned English journalist Henry Winter believes that UEFA's new initiative to support children in Gaza is a direct, albeit indirect, response to Salah's message, Youm7 reported. On his official X account, Winter wrote: 'Salah's impact? After Mohamed Salah's tweet criticizing the UEFA's limited statement on the Palestinian player's death, the UEFA announced a partnership with charities providing vital humanitarian aid to Gaza children.' The news of Al-Obeid's death, who had played 24 matches for the Palestinian national team, shocked the sports community as he was one of the most prominent Palestinian football stars in history. Salah's public comments sparked a massive reaction among football fans and international media outlets. Fans and many European newspapers saw Salah's tweet as an embarrassment to the UEFA, which had only offered condolences without mentioning the circumstances of his death or who was responsible. Supporters in Egypt and from Liverpool praised Salah's courage in raising these questions, which highlighted the Palestinian issue and the suffering of civilians, including athletes. Some saw the Egyptian star's stance as highlighting the contradiction in the positions of international sports institutions, which are quick to condemn certain issues while remaining silent on others.
Roya News
6 days ago
- Politics
- Roya News
Mohammad Salah blasts UEFA for silence on Gaza after footballer death
The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) is facing sharp criticism after a social media tribute to a killed Palestinian footballer, Suleiman al-Obeid, was perceived as intentionally omitting the circumstances of his death. The post, which honored al-Obeid as "the 'Palestinian Pelé'," was immediately challenged by global football star Mohamed Salah, who publicly demanded details about the athlete's death. Farewell to Suleiman al-Obeid, the 'Palestinian Pelé'. A talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times. — UEFA (@UEFA) August 8, 2025 On a Friday, UEFA's official account on the social media platform X posted a tribute celebrating al-Obeid as "a talent who gave hope to countless children, even in the darkest of times". The post, however, provided no details about the cause of his death. This stood in stark contrast to a statement from the Palestine Football Association (PFA), which said the 41-year-old was killed on a Wednesday in southern Gaza by an "Israeli strike targeting civilians waiting for humanitarian aid". Liverpool and Egypt star Mohamed Salah responded to UEFA's post by quote-tweeting: "Can you tell us how he died, where, and why?" Can you tell us how he died, where, and why? — Mohamed Salah (@MoSalah) August 9, 2025 The incident has highlighted a long-standing critique of UEFA's policy of avoiding political statements in football. Human rights groups have accused the organization of "dangerous double standards," noting its swift decision to suspend most Russian teams after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine while its Secretary General, Theodore Theodoridis, has refused to consider similar action against 'Israeli' teams. The PFA has also reported that al-Obeid's death is part of a broader toll on Palestinian sports, with at least 662 athletes and their relatives, including 421 footballers, killed since the conflict began.
LeMonde
19-07-2025
- Sport
- LeMonde
Are female footballers' performances being accurately measured?
"UEFA Women's euro 2025 had a lot to live up to after England 2022 set new standards across the board with prolific goalscoring feats and unprecedented stadium crowds. However, the tournament in Switzerland is raising the bar even more across the board." When reviewing the group stage of the competition on July 17, the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) made no effort to hide its delight. The day before, in Geneva, more than 26,000 fans attended the match between Italy and Norway, once again setting a new benchmark for a quarterfinal not hosted by the home nation. However, as UEFA pointed out, "the record may not last long," with France set to face Germany in Basel on July 19 for a spot in the semifinals. While the tournament's success appears evident, are fans truly recognizing the performances of the women's teams? That was the question raised on June 26 by Einstein, a popular science show on the German-speaking Swiss public channel, which had grown tired of the often condescending judgments about female players – who are supposedly slower, less technical and more error-prone, especially in goalkeeping − than their male counterparts.
CNBC
05-05-2025
- Business
- CNBC
How CNBC calculated its Official Global Soccer Team Valuations 2025
CNBC's Official Global Soccer Team Valuations 2025 are based on revenue and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or EBITDA, figures for the most recent fiscal year. CNBC's valuation results for the European teams are for the 2023-24 season, and for Major League Soccer teams, results are for the 2024 season. For the European teams, which report financial results in euros or pounds, CNBC converted revenue and EBITDA figures to U.S. dollars based on the average exchange rates during the 2023-24 season (1 euro = $1.0816; 1 pound = $1.2608). CNBC used an average exchange rate for the income statement because revenue and expenses are accrued over 12 months. Team values and debt figures have been converted to U.S. dollars using the exchange rate as of March 27, 2025 (1 euro = 1.0788; 1 pound = $1.2938). CNBC uses enterprise values — equity plus net debt — to measure team values. CNBC includes the economics of the team's stadium — but excludes the value of the real estate — based on comparable transactions and the expertise of sports bankers. Soccer teams in Europe can make a lot of money from winning their league title, or advancing far in the annual Union of European Football Associations, or UEFA, Champions League. They could also lose a lot of money by being relegated out of the top division of their respective domestic league. To the extent possible, CNBC's valuations consider prospective revenue changes due to current domestic league standings and Champions League prospects. Likewise, CNBC has attempted to capture stadium upgrades, which can add money via more tickets, hospitality and sponsorships, into our valuations. Sources for CNBC's Official Global Soccer Team Valuations 2025 include the teams' annual reports and documents; team executives and investors; research reports from banks and credit ratings agencies; and sports bankers. CNBC also used the annual Deloitte Football Money League report and Swiss Ramble to check figures. European teams break down their revenue into three categories: match day revenue, broadcasting revenue and commercial revenue. Match day revenue is largely derived from gate receipts, including ticket and corporate hospitality sales, as well as premium seating and membership revenue. Broadcasting revenue includes prize money and distributions from participation in domestic leagues, cups and UEFA club competitions, such as the Champions League. Commercial revenue includes sponsorships, merchandising, revenue from other commercial operations and non-soccer events. MLS teams do not break down their revenue into categories.
