July 25, 2022
The brief from today:
English FA plans response to pitch invasions
The end of last season in England saw multiple occurrences of pitch invasions by fans. The particular problem with these incidents was that they weren’t harmless in nature. When Nottingham Forest fans ran onto the field after a Championship play-off match, one of them attacked Sheffield United’s Billy Sharp during the commotion. There was a similar incident when Manchester City fans also stormed the pitch and hit Aston Villa’s keeper, Robin Olsen, as he exited the field. Coaches weren’t immune either, as Crystal Palace’s, Patrick Vieira, was taunted by Everton fans when they allowed their excitement to cause yet another pitch invasion after that match. In response to all of this, the Football Association, Premier League, and English Football League have outlined new methods they intend to use to stamp out such behavior. Fans who partake in any pitch invasions, or have flares and/or smoke bombs, will be instantly reported to the police, and receive a ban for the club. There will also be more sniffer dogs at venues as part of the increased checks on fans as they attend matches. Whether these measures will curtail such behavior remains to be seen, but it’s a step in the right direction for the time being.
Everton fans storm the pitch at the end of their match with Crystal Palace
PSG looking out for players’ welfare
PSG are weighing up the need for a staffing addition at the club. The French champions are considering including a psychologist as part of the coaching team to work with the players starting next season. The Parisians have had their share of dramatic knockout losses in the Champions League, most recently last season’s defeat to Real Madrid, in addition to the famous 2017 round of 16 collapse against Barcelona. While both of those matches saw PSG go into second leg matches with seemingly dominant odds, they also narrowly lost the Champions League final in 2020 to Bayern. With the Qatari ownership desperate for this title since they invested in the club, they are now exploring the benefits that could be gained by having a mental health professional offer assistance to the players. Slowly, but surely, the subject of mental health in the sport is becoming less stigmatized, and credit should be given to PSG for evaluating such options. Hopefully the club will follow through with the initiative, and the players can reap the benefits personally, and then professionally.
Bordeaux receives positive news
French side, Bordeaux, were relegated form Ligue 1 at the end of last season. Following their demotion to Ligue 2, their appearance before the DNCG, France football’s financial regulators, doubled their woes. The DNCG was not satisfied with Bordeaux’s plan to resolve the €40 million deficit they were operating at, and as a result they were sent down even further to the third division. The club made an appeal to the French Federation regarding the DNCG’s ruling, but that was also rebuffed, and there was a genuine chance that the club could lose its professional status altogether. In a last ditch attempt to counter the string of negative judgments, they filed one more appeal, this time with the French Olympic Committee—CNOSF. Unlike the previous rulings, the CNOSF sided with Bordeaux, and viewed recent player sales, combined with their updated forecasts, as being sufficient to offset their debts. This result is by no means definitive, it is purely advisory, and will have to be accepted by the French Football Federation (FFF) before Bordeaux is officially allowed to play in Ligue 2. With the season kicking off this weekend, the FFF’s final decision should be imminent.
