~theguardian-world | Bookmarks (7)

Paul Kagame flew to UK for Champions League match while national police told citizens to restrict activities including footballThe president of Rwanda, whose police force has asked the country’s people to restrict football-related activities during the 30-year anniversary of the Rwanda massacre, is facing questions after flying to the UK and watching Arsenal play Bayern Munich.Paul Kagame visited on Tuesday 9 April to watch...

Real Madrid star Vinícius Júnior’s tearful comments prompt questions over why racist fans can still act with impunityAntiracism campaigners in Spain have called on the country’s institutions to do more to crack down on racism in football, after Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior laid bare the personal toll exacted by years of racist insults.Breaking down in tears as he spoke of the systematic barrage...

Ex-Barcelona footballer on provisional release from prison term while he appeals against rape convictionThe former Brazil international footballer Dani Alves has been allowed out on bail having served 14 months of a four-and-a-half-year sentence for rape.One of the world’s most decorated footballers, Alves, 40, was found guilty last month of raping a young woman in the VIP bathroom of a Barcelona nightclub in the...

Last-minute decision on Tuesday’s match leaves football bodies searching for alternative venueNorth Korea has abruptly cancelled its 2026 World Cup qualifying match with Japan next week, leaving organisers frantically searching for an alternative venue.North Korea reportedly decided it would no longer host the match, which had been scheduled for next Tuesday at the Kim Il-sung Stadium in Pyongyang, a day before the teams met...

Former Manchester City striker taken into custody after court in Brazil ruled he should serve a nine-year sentence for offence committed in ItalyThe former Brazil and Manchester City striker Robinho has been arrested by federal police at his home in the city of Santos after a Brazilian court ruled he should serve a nine-year prison sentence for a rape he was convicted of committing...

The suspension of a Congolese player for a gun gesture referring to conflict in DRC raises questions over government’s refugee policyWhen a Congolese footballer made a brief gesture after scoring in an east African league match last weekend, it felt like little more than a talking point among the spectators.Yet the gesture by midfielder Héritier Luvumbu at the game in Kigali has prompted a...

Ex-Barcelona defender is accused of raping a woman in a nightclub in December 2022The former Brazil international footballer Dani Alves has denied raping a young woman at a Barcelona nightclub as he took the stand on the last day of his trial in Spain.“If she wanted to leave, she could have left, she was not obligated to be there,” the 40-year-old told the court...