October 1, 2022
The brief from today:
Lille city council set for protest
Football and politics are set to collide as the city council of Lille declared they won’t broadcast World Cup matches on any big screens within the city limits. As a sign of protest against Qatar’s human rights record, the local authorities have decided this is the way to voice their discontent. Whether it is within local club side, Lille OSC’s, Stade Pierre Mauroy venue, or at any typical fan zones around town, there won’t be any public viewing available on giant screens. Lille mayor, Martine Aubry, who represents the Socialist party in France, made the following statement on Twitter confirming the decision: “Tonight, the City Council of Lille unanimously voted a statement disapproving of the World Cup in Qatar, which is a nonsense in terms of human rights, the environment and sport. We will not broadcast any match on a giant screen.” Denmark kit maker, Hummel, recently released a line of jerseys that will be worn during the World Cup which are also meant to be a form of protest, while England captain, Harry Kane, is set to wear an anti-discrimination armband during the tournament as a political statement. As the competition draws closer, more forms of protest may yet appear as the sensitive political climate around this World Cup has been present since Qatar’s bid was selected by FIFA in 2010.
Lille’s city council joins a host of others who are protesting the World Cup in Qatar
John Textor’s takeover of Lyon delayed
American investor, John Textor, has been trying to expand his portfolio of clubs by becoming the new owner of Ligue 1 side, Lyon. The deal was originally announced in the summer, but recent developments haven’t been quite as certain. News filtered out earlier this week that Lyon’s current creditors weren’t convinced by some of the investors in Textor’s consortium, and as a result the original bid stalled. In response, Textor reorganized who was involved in the takeover, and with some mediation by current Lyon owner, Jean Michel Aulas, a compromise was said to be reached with the creditors. The deal was meant to be finalized yesterday, but suddenly reports are stating the takeover is now pushed back until October 21. The delay is said to be purely technical, and will mainly involve ensuring all the legal paperwork is in order. The issue with this, however, is that it was recently reported that Chelsea co-owner, Todd Boehly, saw the recent glitch as an opening for him to make his own attempt to purchase Lyon. He was ultimately rebuffed, but the prolonging of the transaction will raise question marks considering the way dealings have progressed thus far. Textor, for his part, is clearly having his patience tested, and will undoubtedly be counting down the days until October 21.
John Textor (left) is forced to wait another three weeks before his takeover of Lyon is finalized