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FOOTBALL

German football clubs set to call Brazilians home from Olympics

Werder Bremen and Schalke 04 look set to bring their Brazilian stars home from the Beijing Olympics before a ball is kicked after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled on Wednesday in favour of the Bundesliga clubs' battle with FIFA.

Published: 6 August 2008 17:16 CEST
German football clubs set to call Brazilians home from Olympics
Still smiling? Rafinha and Diego might be heading back to Germany. Photo: DPA

Bremen want Brazilian midfielder Diego back in time for the new Bundesliga season which kicks off on August 15, while Schalke also want their Brazil star Rafinha. The clubs both appealed to CAS after arguing against FIFA’s insistence that all players aged 23 and under must be released by their clubs for the Olympics.

“We are pleased with the decision, because we have worked closely with the clubs in this legal matter,” said German Football League spokesman Holger Hieronymus. “It was always our opinion that under FIFA regulations we were not committed to allowing our players to go freely.”

Both Diego and Rafinha travelled to Beijing against the clubs’ wishes. The Olympics tournament begins on Thursday, when Brazil are set to face Belgium.

“FIFA failed to realize the legal implications of this decision early and the preparation of the clubs ahead of the new season has been affected,” Hieronymus.

Despite the ruling, Argentina coach Sergio Batista said he intended to play Lionel Messi in Thursday’s game against Ivory Coast despite Barcelona’s insistence that the player return to Spain.

RACISM

VIDEO: Spain’s La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

Spain's La Liga on Monday said it was reviewing a video of a child making racist insults towards Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior during the 2-2 draw with Valencia at the weekend.

Published: 4 March 2024 13:41 CET
VIDEO: Spain's La Liga reviews video of boy racially abusing Vinicius

“We’re in the process of studying and analysing the facts from a legal standpoint to see what we can and should do,” La Liga sources said.

In a video published by a journalist for ESPN Brasil, and picked up by Spanish media, a boy sitting in a woman’s lap can be heard calling Vinicius a “monkey”.

https://twitter.com/GravesenFumado/status/1764242481984491822

The Brazilian scored twice for Madrid as his team recovered from two goals down at Mestalla on Saturday.

Vinicius raised his fist in a “Black Power” salute after the first of his two goals at a ground where he was racially abused last season. Valencia subsequently banned three people from the stadium for life.

The 23-year-old has become a symbol of the fight against discrimination in Spanish football after suffering racist abuse on many occasions, and he was jeered repeatedly by home supporters on Saturday.

Jude Bellingham was sent off after the final whistle against Valencia for protesting after the referee blew the final whistle right before the England midfielder headed home what he thought was the winning goal.

READ ALSO: Football star Vinicius highlights racist behaviour from Spanish fans

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