Whether it’s a “weird” and disastrous ball, bribes, affairs, or prostitutes, this year’s world cup has kept sports fans entertained on and off the pitch.
An Affair to Remember:
In January 2009 a judge lifted the gag order on a titillating football love triangle between Chelsea star and captain John Terry, Wayne Bridge and Bridges former girlfriend Vanessa Perroncel. Perroncel, a lingerie model, ended her relationship with Bridge a couple months before the tabloids got hold of the information that Terry was cheating on wife Toni with Perroncel, not the first time he had been accused of having an affair. Allegations of Perroncel being forced to abort a pregnancy during the affair made headlines and shook the Chelsea team and unhinged Terry’s two year marriage. Manager Fabio Capello demoted Terry from captain, who was not in a position to promote leadership and teamwork, but Bridge removed himself from participating in the World Cup.
The insistent tabloid articles slamming the Chelsea player’s private lives on news stands everywhere threatened to unhinge the teams overall moral and chances at the World Cup. So far the team has
Referee Bribes:
In May the FIFA ethics committee began an investigation claims made by David Triesman, former English Football Association chairman, that Spain had attempted to bribe referees at the World Cup. Unbeknownst to him, Triesman had been recorded by then assistant Meslissa Jacobs implying that Russia was going to aide Spain bribe the referees in return for Spain helping Russia with their bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
Triesman’s was fired, and replaced by Geoff Thomspon, a vice president of FIFA and UEFA. Jacobs also released a number of text messages confirming she and Triesman, 66, had an ongoing affair.
Under aged entanglements:
It was early spring when news stations broke the story of an alleged prostitution ring at a club on Pari’s Champs-Elysees Café Zaman. The story got interesting for football fans when police began investigating France national team wringer Franck Ribery. According to police Ribery, 27, admitted to sleeping with under-age prostitute Zahia Dahar, though denied knowing her actual age. The footballer converted to Islam to marry his wife Wahiba, the two were childhood sweethearts. The investigation remains on hold until after the tournament.
Flash-Marketing Schemes:
30 women clad in matching orange mini dresses were thrown out of the Netherlands Denmark game on June 16th on speculations of ambush marketing. FIFA Officials said the stunt was planned to promote a small Dutch brewery called Bavaria. FIFA has one official beer sponsor for the tournament, Anheuser Busch’s Budweiser, and does not take kindly to non-sponsored companies taking advantage of the tournaments international coverage and attendance to market their products.
Bavaria was relying on word of mouth exposure, since their logo was no were located on the dresses. “FIFA doesn’t have a monopoly on orange” the marketing director stated. The Netherlands game was a strategic setting for the marketing ambush of this Dutch brewery, founded in 1719.
Other notable non-sports related World Cup News:
- An elderly South African man was beaten to death by his family after changing the channel to watch the match between Germany and Australia match. David Makoeya, 61, fought with his wife Francina, 68 and two children, who wanted to watch a religious program, for control of the remote, but was overcome and fatally beaten.
Makoeya’s son Collin 36 and daughter Lebogang, 23, were arrested after they beat their fathers head against a wall, and called police once they realized he was badly injured. Lebogang was released on $200 bail last Tuesday while her brother and mother remain in custody.
- The South African government has urged its residential, commercial and industrial sectors to turn off the lights, cut back on unnecessary consumption, and use fewer appliances during the World Cup in an effort to keep lights on at the Stadiums. The nation needs to cut its electricity consumption by at least %20 if they want to stop the power shortages causing blackouts.
- Fans of South Africa’s soon to be eliminated national team Bafana Bafana are asked to switch their support to African nations still in the running for second round placements. This comes in an effort to maintain the level of excitement and energy South Africa’s fans have brought to the tournament. "This is not the time to pull back, regardless of the disappointment we may feel after Bafana Bafana's loss," said government spokesman Themba Maseko. The
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