年度归档 2023年3月12日

Eight teams involved in the Super League were investigated for match-fixing, and the Shanghai seaport in Taishan, Shandong Province was among them.

Eight teams involved in the Super League were investigated for match-fixing, and the Shanghai seaport in Taishan, Shandong Province was among them.

Text/Jiang Shihua

At present, there is no definite time when the Super League will kick off in the new season, but the anti-corruption wave in China football triggered by Li Tie’s investigation shows no sign of abating. In particular, the news of match-fixing and gambling involved in the Xinghan Wu incident may not be an individual phenomenon. According to a well-known domestic football media source, as many as eight Chinese Super Clubs have begun to be investigated by relevant departments, among which the Shanghai Harbour in Taishan, Shandong Province is one.

Recently, a football media person surnamed M posted a message on social media that investigators had gone to Guangzhou and Jiaying to investigate the local gambling situation in the last two years. As we all know, there used to be four Super League teams in Guangdong, and the clubs in Guangzhou are Guangzhou City and Guangzhou Team. It is inevitable that one of these two teams will be investigated by the relevant departments this time. The Shenzhen team has been mentioned many times before. The most typical case is: in the 2019 season, the Shenzhen team drew 4-4 with Wuhan Zall at home, and the head coach of Wuhan team at that time was Li Tie, who is now in prison.

After Chen Xiaoyuan was investigated, because of his relationship with Chen Xiaoyuan, the Harbour Club is likely to be investigated by relevant departments. During Chen Xiaoyuan’s tenure as chairman of the Harbour Club, some accounts and other issues were the focus of investigation by relevant departments. Previously, the news of match-fixing involved in the Xinghan Wu incident made Shandong Taishan deeply involved. If nothing else, in the final stage of last season, Shandong Taishan team beat Shenzhen 8-0 at home, and this game was questioned by many fans. If it’s not a match-fixing, it’s at least a tacit match.

Mr. Mo Yan’s writing style is magical realism, so is China football?

Parisians left to contemplate familiar failure

Paris Saint-Germain were convinced that persuading Kylian Mbappe to stay would finally deliver them Champions League glory, but the failure to build a strong enough team around the France superstar has contributed to another early European exit.

A 2-0 loss to Bayern Munich in Germany saw the Qatar-owned club lose their last-16 tie 3-0 on aggregate, falling in the first knockout round for the fifth time in seven years.

There were celebrations last May when Mbappe agreed a new three-year contract to stay with Lionel Messi and Neymar in the French capital rather than join Real Madrid.

The appointments of super scout Luis Campos as head of recruitment and Christophe Galtier as coach to replace Mauricio Pochettino were supposed to be followed by the building of an exciting new team.

“It is not about the construction of the squad. It is just the story of the season,” said Galtier. “We were missing important players. The squad, over the two legs, was seriously weakened.”

He had a point, with Mbappe only able to make a cameo appearance off the bench after a thigh injury as PSG lost 1-0 in the first leg.

Neymar is missing with an ankle injury, while Presnel Kimpembe is out and fellow defenders Marquinhos and Nordi Mukiele both came off during yesterday’s game.

“It has been a very busy season. Players’ bodies have been asked to do a lot,” Galtier said.

“There was the World Cup, and obviously when you get to the last 16 it is good to have everyone available.”

PSG placed their hope in Mbappe and Messi turning the tie around in Munich, but the Argentine World Cup winner had little impact while the 24-year-old Mbappe saw just 32 touches of the ball.

“As I said in my first Champions League press conference this season, we were going to do our maximum. The truth is this is our maximum,” admitted Mbappe, whose own future will now again become the subject of increasing speculation

Tiger’s ex-girlfriend wants gag removed

Tiger Woods’ ex-girlfriend has filed a lawsuit seeking to be released from a nondisclosure agreement that she says the golf star made her sign in 2017, court filings showed.

Erica Herman, who lived with Woods at his Florida mansion until late 2022, filed the request in Florida court.

According to records, Herman’s attorneys are arguing that the NDA she signed is “invalid” under the Speak Out Act. It makes NDA unenforceable in cases involving sexual assault and harassment.

On the filing which reads “Does this case involve allegations of sexual abuse?” Herman’s attorneys have chosen “Yes.”

Masters: Invite sent to US golfer Scott Stallings’ namesake

US golfer Scott Stallings was handed a shock after discovering his Masters invitation had been sent to another person of the same name.

The 37-year-old tweeted he had been “checking the mailbox five times a day” for his invitation before receiving a direct message from another Scott Stallings.

The three-time PGA Tour winner posted the message from his namesake, which included: “I’m 100% sure this is NOT for me. I play but wow! Nowhere near your level.”

The message began: “Hi Scott. My name is Scott Stallings as well and I’m from GA (Georgia). My wife’s name is Jennifer too!!

“I received a FedEx today from the Masters inviting me to play in the Master’s Tournament April 6-9, 2023.

“It’s a very nice package complete with everything needed to attend. I think we have some confusion because of our names, our wife’s names and geographical location.”

He then attached a picture of the invitation adding: “I’m really not kidding I promise.”