Clemente defies safety warnings to take over as Libya’s new coach

Javier Clemente

By Mark Baber
Ocotber 9 – Just days after US Army Delta Force snatched high-profile al Qaeda member Anas al-Libi from outside a mosque in Tripoli, and amidst Libyan jihadi calls for the country’s “courageous youth” to launch kidnappings of Americans, the Libyan Football Federation (LFF) has announced the appointment of 63-year old Javier Clemente as the new national team coach.

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Inside Insight: Obsessive-Compulsive (FIFA) Disorder, OC(F)D

Definition:

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is an anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive thoughts that produce uneasiness, apprehension, fear, or worry; by repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing the associated anxiety; or by a combination of such obsessions and compulsions. Symptoms of the disorder include excessive washing or cleaning; repeated checking; extreme hoarding; preoccupation with sexual, violent or religious thoughts; relationship-related obsessions; aversion to particular numbers; and nervous rituals, such as opening and closing a door a certain number of times before entering or leaving a room.

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FIFA and UEFA lead anti-racism debate at UN forum

Michel Platini 4

By Mark Baber
October 8 – At a special United Nations event on racism and football on Monday in Geneva, UEFA President Michel Platini gave the keynote speech emphasising UEFA’s fierce determination to fight racism, discrimination and intolerance in football. FIFA delegate Tokyo Sexwale said a new global “barometer of racism” would be set up to help in tackling discrimination.

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Third-tier AEK tops the Greek season ticket league

AEK fans

By Panos Bletsos
October 8 – Driven by sheer love for their club and despite its demise to amateur status in the third tier of the domestic league, AEK fans have once again shown their support by buying more season tickets than any other club in the Greek game – including European contenders Olympiakos Pirea and PAOK.

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Pieth blows out, Israelis and Palestineans blow in

Mark Pieth

By Andrew Warshaw
October 7 – With all the focus on the Qatar 2022 World Cup, a number of other ongoing issues went relatively unreported following FIFA’s executive committee in Zurich last week, not least the announcement that Mark Pieth (pictured), the Swiss governance expert appointed two years ago to make recommendations for change, would be terminating his association with FIFA at the end of this year, by mutual agreement.

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