Sports
The Brief — The football cartel
Est. 5minThe behaviour of football associations like FIFA and UEFA can best be understood when they are seen as economic cartels in an industry favouring natural monopolies.
The EU and its member states must impose a diplomatic boycott on the Beijing Olympics
Est. 6minThe EU and its member states must adopt statements in advance of the Beijing Olympics and boycott the games at the political level, a group of MEPs and national MPs write in a letter sent to EURACTIV.
The Brief – Watch your Olympic (flag) politics
Est. 6minSince their start in 1896, modern-day Olympic Games have rarely been free of politics. The upcoming Tokyo Games, opening on Friday, seem unlikely to break away from that pattern.
The Brief, powered by Greens/EFA – Notti Magiche
Est. 5minAfter the grand finale, came the mourning after; if you are an England fan, that is.
The Brief, powered by UNESDA – Dreams of summer
Est. 5minAfter four weeks of a European Championship that started with the horror and near tragedy of Danish star Christian Eriksen’s collapse on the pitch, football’s coming home. Or to Rome.
The Brief, powered by Martens Centre – Football in the time of COVID
Est. 5minThe idea to have a continent-wide Euro 2020 was a romantic idea when it was first proposed in the salubrious days of 2012. But to plough ahead with it in 2021 – as national authorities are scrambling to prevent COVID variants from spreading – smacks of pig-headedness.
The Brief, powered by VDMA – When greed is not good
Est. 6minThe absence of sport, and particularly football, Europe’s favourite game, made last year’s lockdowns to stop the spread of Covid-19 even harder to bear. Since last summer, we have had the eerie spectacle of football without supporters. Lockdown football is …
COVID-19 teaches us about the need for a unified approach to health
Est. 5minCould World Health Day 2020 mark a milestone in global health history? Perhaps, but not in the way that one might immediately imagine, writes David S. Evangelista.
FIFA Guardians™: a landmark step in ensuring the safeguarding of children in football
Est. 5minMillions of children all over the world are involved in football – and they have the right to enjoy the game in a safe environment and a culture of respect and understanding. With this firmly in mind, FIFA recently launched the child safeguarding programme FIFA Guardians.
First FIFA Women’s Football Convention inspires diversity and inclusion
Est. 4minThe kick-off of the eighth edition of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ was not the only marquee occasion in France last week. On the eve of the tournament, a stellar line-up of global leaders from the worlds of football, politics, business and society assembled in Paris for the first FIFA Women’s Football Convention.
More than ammunition: AFEMS’ commitment to sports, environment and social inclusion
Est. 4minThe Association of European Manufacturers of Sporting Ammunition (AFEMS) is a non-profit, Europe-wide association based in Brussels. Its mission, however, goes beyond protecting its members’ interests and is at the forefront of defending social and environmental issues.
National team competition is vital for preserving European sports model
Est. 6minAt the latest Education, Youth, Culture and Sports Council meeting, a number of European sports ministers expressed concern over the impact of commercial trends in elite sports on the integrity of the European sports model, based on solidarity. Kamil Novak explains what role the EU should play
Barrier-free environment for fans at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™
Est. 3minWith just a few weeks to go before the kick-off in Russia on 14 June, everything is set for the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ to be a truly inclusive event for everyone.
Tackling corruption in football is actually a fight for democracy
Est. 4minFootball can be a force for good and democratisation but it can also shelter some of the worst aspects of society, like corruption and money laundering to mask illegal activities, warns MEP Stelios Kouloglou.
No room for discrimination at the 2018 FIFA World Cup™ in Russia
Est. 3minRacism and discrimination affect society as a whole and football is no exception. The position of football’s world governing body, FIFA, on the issue is unequivocal: there is no place for racism or for any other form of discrimination in football.
Weighing the tradeoffs of joy versus long term health
Est. 5minConsumers make hundreds of choices every day, some of which imply weighing the tradeoffs of joy versus long term health. These are highly subjective decisions, and in a free society adult consumers should have the right to make these choices and not have them dictated to them by public health tsars, writes Fred Roeder.
Paris 2024 is a bet on Europe
Est. 3minOn Tuesday 6 June, a delegation for the Paris bid for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be received by the European Parliament in its assembly. It is a big opportunity for Paris, and also for the European Union, writes Julian Jappert.
A healthy environment means healthy citizens and a more vibrant EU
Est. 5minEuropeans have some of the highest rates of anxiety, depression and other non-infectious diseases in the world. Today, on World Health Day, nature is an overlooked remedy, argues Magda Stoczkiewicz.
Nationalism, technology, and the Olympics
Est. 9minThe Olympic Games have turned into a competition between nations, rather than individuals, writes George Friedman.
How to fix FIFA
Est. 4minAnne Brasseur spells out exactly what Sepp Blatter or his successor must do to “lance the boil” and clean up football’s world governing body.
Tourist boom in Georgia and Azerbaijan helps mitigate low oil prices
Est. 8minGeorgia and Azerbaijan, two South Caucasus countries that offer breath-taking natural beauty, architectural treasures and rich histories, are going all-out to develop their tourism industries, writes Giorgi Meladze.
The other side of Bansko, Bulgaria
Est. 3minOpen letter from young Bulgarian skiers to the participants in the Ladies Ski World Cup held in Bansko, Bulgaria 2015.
Engage sports federations in politics
Est. 4minEngaging sports movement in politics would be a chance for Europe. In 2010 only 1% of French people were members of a political party - one of the lowest rates among EU member states - while 24% signed up to belong to a sports federation, writes Nadège Chambon.
The fight against corruption in sport is a major European issue
Est. 6minWithout a stricter Europe-wide approach to combat corruption in sport, one of humanity's oldest pastimes risks losing its value, concludes a recent EU-commissioned study by KEA, a Brussels-based consultancy. The think-tank Sport and Citizenship says illegal betting and the recent examples of match-fixing pose among the biggest threats. In the opinion of Philippe Kern, Europe needs stricter laws with new and better methods for prevention, detection and punishment to combat the problem.