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sports Diamars 8 maart 2022

FIFA lets foreign players leave Russian clubs until June

(AP) — FIFA intervened told by FIFA that players from international soccer
to allow foreign players and coaches “will have the games last week but has yet to
and coaches based in Rus- right to unilaterally suspend suspend its soccer federation
sia to leave their clubs on their employment contracts or officials.
Monday, although only for with the (Football Union
the rest of the season. of) Russia-affiliated clubs in But the umbrella organiza-
question until the end of the tion representing European
Clubs in other countries will season in Russia,” which is leagues has already expelled
be allowed to sign up to two June 30. Russia’s top leagues as mem-
players who had been at clubs bers.
in Russia or Ukraine outside Global players’ union FIF-
of the normal transfer win- PRO criticized the FIFA de- There are hundreds of for-
dow periods. cision as “too timid.” eign players in Russia who
would typically not be able
Ukraine’s league has been “It will be hard for play- to leave their clubs or sign
suspended since war en- ers to find employment for for new ones outside the two
gulfed the country, and its the remainder of the sea- transfer trading periods in Infantino has been in contact
players are also allowed to son with uncertainty loom- the year. with Putin, who awarded him With players and coaches at
temporarily leave until June ing over them and, within a Russia’s Order of Friendship Ukrainian clubs facing so
30. few weeks, they will be in a FIFA President Gianni In- medal. much uncertainty, FIFPRO
very difficult situation once fantino has close ties with said it was “essential that
FIFPRO and the organiza- again,” the Netherlands- Russian President Vladimir Russian clubs are already see- UEFA and FIFA widen pro-
tion representing the world’s based union said in a state- Putin after Russia staged the ing foreigners leave, includ- fessional football’s response
soccer leagues — the World ment. 2018 World Cup. FIFA has ing two German coaches. to the war by establishing a
Leagues Forum — sought declined to respond to ques- Daniel Farke quit Krasnodar fund to support all those in
permission for Russia-based After Russia launched its in- tions from The Associated after seven weeks in the job the industry who are affect-
players to terminate their vasion of Ukraine, FIFA sus- Press in detail about Russia and Markus Gisdol left Lo- ed.”
contracts. But they were pended the country’s teams over the last week or whether komotiv Moscow.

Mexico suspends 5 officials over soccer match brawl

(AP) — State authorities state line when they are re- Alfaro refused to comment city of Queretaro during the sues recently with violence
in north-central Mexico leased from hospital, to pro- on whether drug gangs were fixture between Queretaro among its fans. Last year, the
have suspended five of- tect them. involved, but said “all I can and Atlas.” It called the vio- “classic” with crosstown ri-
ficials after a huge brawl say is that what we saw, be- lence “unacceptable and in- val Chivas saw a brawl in the
among fans during a week- The Saturday match was sus- cause we all saw it, looked tolerable.” stands.
end match left 26 people pended in the 62nd minute like something more than a
injured, three critically. after multiple fights broke fight between people. I am “FIFA joins the Mexican Queretaro Gov. Mauricio
out in the stands. Security convinced of that.” Football Association and Kuri condemned the violence
Guadalupe Murguía, the in- personnel opened the gates Concacaf (the North Ameri- and said the owners of the
terior secretary of Queretaro to the field so that fans, in- Pablo Lemus, the mayor of can soccer federation) in con- Queretaro club would have
state said late Sunday the pri- cluding women and children, Guadalajara, said Monday demning this barbaric inci- to answer for what happened.
vate company partly respon- could escape the stands. there was a growing consen- dent and encouraging the lo- He also pledged to investi-
sible for security at the soccer sus that teams’ “barras” — cal authorities to bring swift gate whether authorities or
stadium would also have its Queretaro state authorities organized fan clubs that are justice to those responsible. anyone else had been remiss
contracts cancelled. said Sunday that only 7 of the often implicated in violence Our thoughts are with all in not quelling the violence.
injured men remained hos- — not be allowed to attend those who suffered its conse-
Police were also at the venue pitalized; 19 were released away matches. quences,” the statement said. “I have given instructions
when the brawl occurred from hospital Monday, but that the law be applied with
Saturday at a match between three were still in critical “What we want to avoid is After the melee broke out, all of its consequences,” he
host Queretaro and Atlas condition. having the barras of visiting players from visiting Atlas said. Both teams issued state-
from Guadalajara, the reign- teams in the stadiums,” Le- quickly fled to the locker ments condemning the vio-
ing league champion, but They may have been the mus said. rooms as did some from the lence.
were also unable to contain three men who were seen Queretaro side. Other Que-
the violence. unconscious or badly beaten Mikel Arriola, president of retaro players, including State authorities said some
on the ground, being repeat- the MX League, said it would Uruguayan goalie Washing- police were on duty at the
The five suspended officials edly kicked and pummeled likely adopt biometric or fa- ton Aguerre, stayed near the stadium, but that it was large-
include police and civil de- in videos posted on social cial recognition systems at bench trying to calm the fans. ly staffed by private security
fense employees, and three media. stadiums to identify trouble- officers. Video footage of the
people responsible for plan- makers. After several minutes some match suggested the security
ning and preparations. Enrique Alfaro, the gover- of the fights moved to the force was largely made up of
nor of Jalisco state, whose “We have to implement digi- field where they continued female officers, who unsuc-
All matches in Mexico’s top capital is Guadalajara, was tal security measures to iden- punching and kicking. Some cessfully tried to break up
division were cancelled Sun- asked Monday about local tify those who attend, start- people were armed with fights.
day and the league may im- press reports the brawl may ing with the barras,” Arriola chairs and metal bars.
pose bans on rowdy fans from have involved local criminal said, adding he would pro- Large squads of police are
attending away matches. gangs fighting visitors who pose at a club owners meet- One fan could be seen pull- assigned to security at some
purportedly belonged to the ing Tuesday that those clubs ing a knife to cut the nets of soccer matches in Mexico.
Showing just how bad the Jalisco drug cartel. be barred from their teams’ one goal. Others destroyed
blood was between Quere- away matches. one side’s bench and some “The security at the stadium
taro fans and visitors from “What it seems to me is that fought in the tunnel to the is a private responsibility, but
Guadalajara, in Jalisco state, what we saw was not a nor- FIFA, the international soc- field. despite that, I recognize that
Murguía announced that mal dispute between fans,” cer governing body, said law enforcement was insuf-
some of the men injured in Alfaro said. “What happened in a statement that it was In fact, violence between ficient and did not act with
the brawl — presumably vis- there was something that “shocked at the tragic inci- gangs of rival soccer fans is sufficient speed,” Gov. Kuri
iting Atlas fans — would be looked different.” dent that took place at La commonplace at stadiums in said.
given a police escort to the Corregidora stadium in the Mexico. Atlas has also had is-