The week in football: Rio's best campaigns; why skincare matters; the ghost of Dragão; plus an ugly affair
The week in racism: best campaigner
Rio Ferdinand – joining the protest against Kick It Out's "ineffective" campaign message. Rio's own campaign highlights: 2008, calling on Uefa to act against homophobic abuse, two years after calling Chris Moyles "a faggot" live on air; 2009, fronting a new Nike campaign aimed at deglamorising gang violence – a month after agreeing to co-fund gangland drugs movie Dead Man Running, starring 50 Cent.
Runner-up
Serbia's FA president Tomislav Karadzic: reacting to Uefa's misconduct charge by launching a new FA anti-racism campaign, sending "a clear, sincere message around the world: we are together in this fight" – seven days after denying "any occurences" of racist abuse at the Under-21 match. "Serbian people have never been, nor will be, racist."
Plus: Most consistent
The Spanish FA fining policy: €3k: Fine for Luis Aragonés for calling Thierry Henry a "black shit" in 2005. €3k: Fine for Real Madrid in 2009 after fans sang about gas chambers. €3k: Fine last week for Celta Vigo for delaying a kick-off by four minutes due to their substitute keeper not being ready to come on. FA: "This betrayed a remarkable lack of foresight."
Other news: ban of the week
Uefa – 12 months after extending their 20-year sponsorship deal with Ford to 2015 – blocking Racing Genk's plan to wear T-shirts and armbands in support of 4,500 local Ford workers set to be laid off. Uefa ruled Genk could put out a video or PA message instead, "before kick-off".
PR news: big week for
Silvio Berlusconi: looking to protect Milan's image while fighting underage prostitution charges, his fraud conviction and the court's ruling that he has a "natural capacity for crime". Last year Berlusconi revealed he ruled out a Milan bid for Mario Balotelli due to the striker's negative "moral image". "There is a Milan code of behaviour that I don't think is very close to that of Balotelli. I just don't like his style."
Last week's exits
• 16 Oct: Senegal coach Joseph Koto: "Yes there are goals written into my contract, but bosses are reasonable when they set goals. I trust my bosses, and I thank them all for their confidence. I will continue the work I started." 24 Oct: Sacked. FA: "He did not realise his goals."
• 22 Oct: Paul Jewell, Ipswich: "If [owner] Marcus Evans was looking for somebody else he would have told me. We have a really open and honest relationship. He wants me to stay. I want to stay." 24 Oct: Chief executive Simon Clegg says replacing Jewell will be easy. "Marcus and I have been brainstorming for weeks."
• Plus Peter Taylor: sacked by Bahrain after 15 months, despite staying on-message. Asked in April about the arrest and torture of up to 150 pro-democracy athletes, including three of his players, Taylor told reporters: "Don't go there. You're getting boring."
Clarification of the week
Turkey: Besiktas board member Tamer Kiran, clarifying why vice-president Ahmet Nur Cebi told the press their winger Ricardo Quaresma had "urinated on the kit man" and "exposed himself to staff". Kiran: "Journalists were asking him outrageous questions. He gave those answers to get rid of them." Quaresma is "considering legal options".
Verdict of the week
Paraguay: Referee director Esteban Torres on why one of his officials at a youth game sent off all 22 boys plus 14 subs after a mass brawl. "He was agitated. He did it after retreating to the changing room, the only safe place. Young people today are very rebellious."
Reflection of the week
Mario Balotelli's agent and advisor Mino Raiola, reflecting on a run-in with Johan Cruyff: "When Cruyff starts talking, everyone else zones out. If he says that the world is flat, everyone says OK. But no one asks what the demented bastard actually means."
Ghost of the week
Monday: Portuguese press reprint a photograph "clearly showing a ghost celebrating a goal" at Porto's Estádio do Dragão. Experts reveal the image, of a dark figure in "clothes from another era with an outdated haircut", could not have been doctored. Tuesday: Other angles reveal it was actually "an old person". Press: "There is no ghost of Dragão."
Skincare news
Brazil: Atlético Mineiro's Richarlyson on why footballers must "be serious about skincare": "Am I am beautiful? Yes. I have three creams, for the night, for the day and for the eyes. You cannot take care of your image with dark eye circles, right?"
Plus: Model news
Argentina: Model Cinthia Fernández says reports she responded to a Huracán fan calling her partner Matías Defederico "rubbish" by "beating him while swearing" are overplayed. Fernández: "I only reacted to defend my family. I thank all the nice people who intervened. This was an ugly affair."
Read more... http://www.chelseamashup.com/2012/10/31/said-done-the-week-in-football-rio-silvo-and-the-ghost-of-dragao/
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