Off the Pitch

Werder Bremen Coach Accused Of Using Fake Covid-19 Vaccine Certification

BERLIN — Werder Bremen coach Markus Anfang has denied using a fake COVID-19 vaccination certificate after an investigation was launched by German authorities, the club said.

Werder, playing in Germany's second division this season, said an investigation was under way but the coach had denied allegations he used a fake certificate following a meeting with club bosses late on Thursday evening.

"On Thursday evening the management of SV Werder Bremen was informed of an ongoing investigation into an alleged use of a forged vaccination certificate by Markus Anfang," Werder said.

Bosnia Fans Nearly Threw Hands With Ukraine Supporters After Comical Accidental Flag Mix-Up

Back in 2021 during World Cup qualifying there was a hilarious mix-up of flags between Ukraine and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Before the match there were hostile scenes as the Bosnian fans booed the Ukraine national anthem and some ultras attempted to attack the visiting Ukraine fans. This all came down to a Ukraine Bosnia flag mistake.

Seeing the two sets of fans react like this was bizarre. Bosnia and Ukraine don’t have a history of animosity like plenty of other European countries do. What could have possibly caused this vicious reaction from the home fans?

Chelsea’s Édouard Mendy Calls Out Media For Using His Image In Unrelated Rape Reports

It’s not uncommon, watching a European soccer match, to hear a British announcer repeatedly misname a Black footballer. It happens so often now I’m surprised EA Sports hasn’t decided to add the mistakes to its FIFA video games. After all, if it’s in the game, it’s in the game, right?

But what’s happening now with British and French media goes far beyond a broadcaster being unable to quickly discern a player on the pitch. What’s happening now is journalists being unwilling to take the time to discern who is in a photo before publishing it as an accused rapist.

Jamaica Fans Brought A Whole New Meaning To Feeling Horny And I Hate It

The USMNT grabbed a point in Kingston, Jamaica, on Tuesday after a tame performance and 1-1 draw in World Cup qualifying against the Reggae Boyz. The real defeat of the day happened to anyone watching the game on Paramount+ that was forced to listen to 90 minutes of horns.

The Jamaica horns from the few hundred fans in attendance were relentless. A limited number of spectators were allowed into National Stadium Independence Park due to Covid protocols. 

Taylor Twellman And Grant Wahl Are Bickering On Twitter And We’re All Losing

On Friday night, I was out of my element. 

Usually when the USMNT is playing a big match, I’m in front of a TV with a laptop and maybe a third screen for other matches, watching every possible second of pregame and checking lineups and the latest from social media. For USA-Mexico on Friday, I was out of town for a wedding, completely unfettered from requirements of covering the match for my job. I wound up at a sports bar in Austin (the Black Sheep Lodge) that promised to show the big game, but I wasn’t quite sure what that meant. 

South Africa Claims It Was ‘Robbed’ By Penalty Call, Wants Replay Against Ghana

CAPE TOWN — South Africa will make a formal complaint to the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and global soccer governing body FIFA over the officiating in its 1-0 away defeat by Ghana in the African World Cup qualifiers on Sunday.

The result meant Ghana leapfrogged their opponents to take top spot in Group G and advance to the final qualifying stage in March, where they will hope to be one of five teams from the continent to book their place at Qatar 2022.

Dutch Coach Suffers Bad Fall Off Bike, Says He’ll Still Coach Massive WC Qualifier

AMSTERDAM — Veteran Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal suffered a hip injury when he fell off his bicycle on Sunday but will be able to coach his team in Tuesday's World Cup qualifier against Norway in Rotterdam.

Van Gaal, who was cycling near the team hotel when he fell and was taken to hospital for tests, used a golf cart to conduct Monday's training before the Group G decider, where the Dutch need a draw to seal a place at next year's finals in Qatar.

Businessman Who Organized Flight That Crashed And Killed Emiliano Sala Gets 18-Month Prison Sentence

David Henderson, the businessman who organised the flight that crashed and led to the death of soccer player Emiliano Sala, was on Friday sentenced to 18 months in prison by the Cardiff Crown Court, local media reported.

Henderson, 67, was accused of failing to follow safety protocols that caused the death of 28-year-old Argentine Sala and pilot David Ibbotson when their plane crashed into the English Channel on a flight from Nantes to Cardiff in January 2019.

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