Philippe Auclair
@philippeauclair.bsky.social
Writes and sings for Josimar, The Guardian and Tapete Records
In a better world, Miguel Maduro, the author of this article, would be among the first people drafted in to work on the complete reboot of Fifa. The headline is provocative; but, like @tariqpanja.bsky.social, I agree it is correct. Removing Infantino is only the pre-condition of an overhaul.
Infantino is not the problem
Fifa’s regulatory functions must be separated from its commercial activities
ft.com
Something I wrote on the relationship between Gianni Infantino and Donald Trump. inews.co.uk/news/world/i...
Infantino mistook Trump for an ally. Now he'll pay the price
The Fifa President borrowed from the US President's playbook, with disastrous results
inews.co.uk
Masterful presentation and analysis from @swissramble.bsky.social. One of the very, very best football newsletters around. open.substack.com/pub/swissram...
FIFA's Plan To Sell Football
Power Corruption and Lies
open.substack.com
Cruelty is the foundation of those 'policies'. Making us feel threatened is the purpose. We have no physical proof of our status, we are at the mercy of a glitch. We are aliens, and we must be made aware of it. Reform's 'plan' to strip us of our Leave to remain is just a darker shade of grey.
Lisa O’Carroll@lisaocarroll.bsky.social · 3d agoExclusive: Some EU citizens in the UK have been contacted by the Home Office to say they were granted settlement status after Brexit "in error". If you know anyone this happened to contact me on lisa.ocarroll@theguardian.com www.theguardian.com/politics/202...
It feels like they invented everything, and that we will never catch up, they're just too far ahead. It doesn't matter if the songs are fifteen minutes long, no self-indulgence (Jaki sees to it). A sacred document of the most inventive, exciting, spiritual band there has been in my lifetime.
Can - Free concert (Sporthalle Cologne 1972)
YouTube video by Andy Lamb
youtube.com
The diarrhea lettuce company, Taylor Farms, uses slave labor contracted from the Arizona Dept. of Corrections. The backbreaking labor is often performed by imprisoned Mexican nationals who would be otherwise ineligble to work in the US. They are paid $1.50 an hour.
The Diarrhea Lettuce Company Has Been Linked to Forced Labor
The lettuce-producing Taylor Farms was linked to the widespread use of prison labor before its involvement in a cyclospora outbreak.
futurism.com
As of this Sunday, users of generative AI will be legally obliged to add the "AI-generated" mention on their products throughout the European Union. More restrictions (metadata, production of "adult" content) will be introduced on 2 December.
Le Monde@lemonde.fr · 3d agoIntelligence artificielle : la mention « généré par IA » devient obligatoire dans l’UE
This is astonishing. One of the greatest bands of them all, playing their magnum opus, at the absolute peak of their powers.
Ben@benbl.bsky.social · 4d agoThe Beat-Club has just casually dropped some live footage of Can - unseen since 1972 👇
A month and a half ago, I'd written that Infantino was entering the most dangerous time of his presidency, and that many who were said to "support" him were exasperated with his autocratic style of "governance". It is *very* pleasing, delicious indeed, to see this catastrophe unfold. Gianni's toast.
"Sources with knowledge of the scheme say the intention was for Infantino to become the chief executive or commissioner after his presidency, with a basic salary — before any bonuses — of $30million (about £22.2million) a year". More stellar reporting by @martynziegler.bsky.social for @thetimes.com.
Gianni Infantino clinging to power as efforts to oust him intensify
Support is flooding away from the Fifa president, who will likely be asked to resign at emergency council meeting and is scrambling to establish base of backers
thetimes.com
Another non-canon Becker-Fagen song, later sung by Barbra Streisand; but I much prefer Linda Hoover's version, which went unreleased for 50 years. Don, Walt, Dennis Dias and the Skunk all play on this track. youtu.be/nHu6MG26gqY?...
I Mean to Shine
YouTube video by Linda Hoover - Topic
youtu.be
Becker and Fagen do Northern Soul. Well, almost - but not a joke: they really did, after a fashion, in 1975, providing this little gem to a now-forgotten Hawaiian band called Diamond Head. Would love to have @andylewis.bsky.social's verdict on this! youtu.be/y4-mrlet9KQ?...
Diamond Head - Proud To Be Your Slave
YouTube video by Skeevy Daniel
youtu.be
Another indication of the birth of a UEFA-Concacaf axis (90 votes out of 211 at the Fifa Congress). I'd suggested Concacaf president Victor Montagliani could be a UEFA-backed candidate at a Fifa election. Still do. I also think both may call for an extraordinary Congress to be convened.
Jonathan Tannenwald@jtannenwald.bsky.social · 4d agoConcacaf drops a hammer on Gianni Infantino: "This recent unilateral and egregious act of poor governance and leadership follows a pattern of missteps and similar behaviour. A comprehensive reckoning with this presidency is imperative." www.concacaf.com/news/concaca...
Is football at the frontline of the next financial crisis? Private Equity firms are using complex offshore arrangements to channel insurance money into football. This Bermuda Triangle strategy ended badly for 777 Partners, but could be a preview of the future. www.playthegame.org/news/investm...
Why investment funds could trigger football’s next crisis
Firms that specialise in buying and selling companies are using complex offshore arrangements to channel insurance money into football clubs. This Bermuda Triangle strategy has already ended badly for...
playthegame.org
As @davidgoldblatt.bsky.social wrote in his magnificent column, "Dystopia", for @josimarfootball.bsky.social on 14 July, "this could be the moment when the process of reclaiming and reforming the governance of football begins". No paywall. josimarfootball.com/2026/07/14/d...
Dystopia - josimarfootball.com
Every World Cup is meant to have a legacy, this one could be the moment when the process of reclaiming and reforming the governance of football begins.
josimarfootball.com
Just putting it there: the last week has shown how Bluesky has grown into the most reliable, noise-, bot- and BS-free resource for anyone interested in football governance and politics. The coverage of Fifa's and Infantino's debacle has been fantastic. Size isn't everything.
UEFA going for the jugular. "The current FIFA leadership has not only lost UEFA’s confidence but also that of many other members of the football family." Translation: UEFA will back a opponent to Infantino in the Fifa presidential election on 18 March 2027. Montagliani?
The official website for European football
UEFA.com is the official site of UEFA, the Union of European Football Associations, and the governing body of football in Europe. UEFA works to promote, protect and develop European football across it...
uefa.com
A lot of attention ok FIFA these - not least due to the excellent work by journalists. They do it everyday. All year. To follow the great journalists who write the most important stories on football, check out this group! Great initiative by @philippeauclair.bsky.social go.bsky.app/6oxTr7j
Walked into the Lexington to be greeted by Rufus Thomas's "Push and Pull". Who were the bass player and drummer on that record? Pure dynamite (before the fuse has been lit, but you know the explosion is coming).
This is becoming a worrying trend and a major disincentive for media to be as forthright as they'd like to be when they put questions to individuals or entities they are investigating/writing about.
Rob Davies@byrobdavies.bsky.social · 5d agoLast one from me on this, because it's pretty inside baseball. The documents support the theory of some who worked on this story that, after we put questions to Chelsea FC, they front-ran some of our findings with another media outlet. The link that facilitated that is not hard to identify.
Tip of the hat to Fifa official Kevin Lamour, who basically assured himself of the sack when speaking on the record to AP's @gdunbarap.bsky.social. Fifa staff were “deceived” by Infantino’s lack of openness planning the private investor scheme and “deserve better than contempt and intimidation.”
Senior FIFA official resigns over Infantino's World Cup sell-off plan. Second says it deceived staff
Two senior FIFA officials have criticized Gianni Infantino’s World Cup sell-off plan with one resigning as a presidential adviser and a second saying staff were deceived by project that must not go ah...
apnews.com
"Is Gianni toast?" is the question I ask in my French column for Eurosport, written in a daze as statement was following statement and Carlos Cordeiro announced he'd seen enough of Fifa and slammed the door on his way out.
eurosport.fr
Le registre des sociétés du Royaume-Uni montre que le fonds "britannique" est en fait contrôlé à plus de 75% par un Francais, Franck Tuil, qui faisait partie du directoire de Milan lorsque le club italien fut repris par Elliott...lesquels étaient les "partenaires" de Lopez au LOSC.
Le Monde@lemonde.fr · 5d agoAccord pour la vente des Girondins de Bordeaux à un fonds britannique, vers la fin de l’ère Gérard Lopez
Guys - Gianni - I have a column to finish, could you just ease up a bit? No words anymore. Gianni Cash*'s gone mad. *(c) Henry Winter, speaking on radio earlier.
The rumours were, alas, true. A true giant of the game has gone, only 66 years old.
Former Milan and Italy defender Baresi dies aged 66
Former AC Milan and Italy defender Franco Baresi, one of the most recognisable players of the golden era of Italian football in the 1980s and 1990s, has died at the age of 66.
share.google
CONCACAF (41 federations) join Uefa to reject Gianni Infantino's proposal.
Statement on behalf of Concacaf and its 41 Member Associations | Concacaf
Statement on behalf of Concacaf and its 41 Member Associations
concacaf.com
Come on, read the replies, unless you're attending a funeral and the eulogies are about to begin.
Marie Le Conte@youngvulgarian.marieleconte.com · 6d agofriend who's still on Twitter informs me that this absolute howler passed us by yesterday (yes, this was Burnham's speech on social care)
