June 22, 2022
The brief from today:
Supply versus demand
World Cup organizers announced today that 1.2 million tickets have been sold after the initial lottery rounds which concluded in April. In the end, 2 million tickets are expected to be sold in total once the final round of first-come first-serve sales wrap up at a later date, which is yet to be announced. The issue with that then becomes accommodation. Qatar’s total population is roughly 2.8 million, and due to its relatively small size, there are only an estimated 30,000 hotel rooms in the country. Out of that number, 80 percent has already been assigned to FIFA and their guests. In addition to the remaining hotel rooms, approximately 65,000 apartments and villas will be made available, as well as 4,000 rooms aboard two cruise ships that will be docked at the port of Doha. Some quick calculations show a potential imbalance, and how this plays out in a few months remains to be seen.
Harry Kane continues shirt sponsorship
Tottenham striker, Harry Kane, first played senior level football while on on loan at lower league side Leyton Orient in the 2010/11, and he has kept his ties to the club over the years. Most recently, in 2020, he took over the League Two side’s shirt sponsorship and began paying to put various charities he supports on the jerseys, with 10 percent of sales going towards the foundations. Today he extended that agreement with Leyton Orient for a third year, and for the 2022/23 season Shout will be the shirt’s main sponsor. Shout is an organization that provides free mental health text helplines, as well as other wellness resources, to the public. Orient’s jersey will have the number where Shout can be reached, and will hopefully be of great benefit to the public, as well as the organization itself. Well done to Kane for partnership, and for this charity in particular.
Kane with the 2022/23 Leyton Orient jersey
Serie A being more progressive
Starting next season (2022/23), Serie A will have the first woman as part of the match day referee contingent. Thirty-two year old, Maria Sole Ferrieri Caputi, will be among the list of referees overseeing any one of the 10 matches each week. Caputi has previously officiated Serie B, Serie C, Serie D, and Coppa Italia matches, but this will be her first time in the top flight. Referee assignments are typically made during the same week as matches, so it won’t be until August before we know her first appointment.
Caputi joins the Serie A ranks