Meet the Harvard Professor who is Shaping the Destiny of Football Stars

Barcelona's Gerard Pique. (Reuters)
Barcelona's Gerard Pique. (Reuters)
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Meet the Harvard Professor who is Shaping the Destiny of Football Stars

Barcelona's Gerard Pique. (Reuters)
Barcelona's Gerard Pique. (Reuters)

Anita Elberse of Harvard Business School is discussing how it all started; how the world of football opened up to her teaching – which would see her become a mentor to some of the game’s A-list names, including Gerard Piqué, Kaká and Dani Alves.

Elberse, one of the youngest women to have been promoted to full professor with tenure in HBS’s history, had begun to cross over into sport from entertainment and media, making a case study for her students on the tennis player Maria Sharapova. This led to a research project into whether it paid to have an athlete endorsing a brand.

“There was a case on LeBron James and it started snowballing from there,” Elberse says, American accent obscuring her Dutch roots. “And then, all of a sudden, Alex Ferguson calls and, all of a sudden, I’m doing a project with him.”

It was the summer of 2012 and, according to Elberse, the then Manchester United manager and the people around him were “looking for what might be the next challenge for him after his active coaching career and maybe him talking about what he’s learned”. Elberse met Ferguson for breakfast in Boston. “I only realized later that it was a sort of audition,” she says. “He wanted to see if I could be the person to help him tell his story about the leadership that he’s brought to soccer.”

Ferguson would retire at the end of the 2012-13 season so Elberse might have been privy to a bombshell exclusive. “Looking back it was pretty naive not to have realized: ‘Oh, this might be his last year,’” she says, with a smile. “I didn’t know that was going to happen. I was able to follow him along for that last year. I visited the United training ground at Carrington, I went to his house and met his family, I saw him at the stadium. I even saw him in the famous room where he meets with the coach of the opposing team after matches.”

Elberse made a case study about Ferguson which asked what it took to run United, and they also wrote an article together for the Harvard Business Review, published in October 2013. It was entitled Ferguson’s Formula, and it distilled the eight leadership lessons that had formed the basis of his approach. Elberse commented at the time that “many of them can certainly be applied more broadly, to business and to life”.

By that time something else had changed in Elberse’s career. She had developed a course for HBS’s MBA students on entertainment, media and sport and, as the way she wrote and taught her case studies gathered repute, she was receiving more and more requests from people in various industries to sit in on her classes. She made a decision – to launch an executive education version of the course.

The first edition of the four-day Business of Entertainment, Media and Sport program took place in June 2013 and Ferguson was one of the guest speakers – “a very special moment,” she says. Ferguson has since been to Harvard several times to watch Elberse teach his case study and to answer questions from students.

In previous generations a retired footballer might open a pub or a sports retail store but, as Elberse says, it is rather different now. Top players can be brands in their own right and, in some instances, they have started to push high-end business ventures before they retire. Elberse’s executive course aims to highlight via open-ended case studies the patterns that exist in the worlds of film, television, music and sport; to show how to market and manage creative products and talent; and how to build businesses around content.

It runs every year for 80 people – each of whom pays $10,000 (£7,700) – with the admissions committee looking to offer a well-balanced room, containing athletes, actors, musicians, agents and senior executives. They live a student life on the Harvard campus, which is a great leveller, a facilitator of equality and what Elberse calls “one big community”. There is a cross-pollination of ideas in an environment that attendees have described as “inspiring”. It is a perfect space for networking.

Piqué was the first footballer to attend and he has been followed by Kaká, Alves, Mario Melchiot, Nuri Sahin, Edwin van der Sar, Tim Cahill and Oliver Kahn. There have been plenty of American sports stars, including Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Pau Gasol and Chris Bosh (all from the NBA), plus Michael Strahan and Brandon Marshall (from the NFL), while from the entertainment sector there has been the actor Channing Tatum, the rapper LL Cool J and the singer Ciara.

“If you look at Gerard Piqué – he is an active player at Barcelona but he has an investment company called Kosmos and he has already established a significant business,” Elberse says. “He’s had a stake in the Players’ Tribune from the get-go; he had a video game company as part of Kosmos and he has bought the Davis Cup in tennis for $3bn. It’s pretty simple what the footballers want from the course. They come to learn about the world of entertainment more generally, to discover patterns that are there in those industries that they can benefit from.

“I think the outside world looks at these people and says: ‘You are a footballer, this is what you do and that is probably all that you’ll do.’ Well, no. What I’ve learned is that they can do a lot more than what we’ve seen them do on the field. There are some lessons that are very transferable – performing under high-pressure situations, working as part of a team, which all businesses are. They have worked under great leaders and probably bad ones, too.

“One of the things we do, and it’s almost implicitly, is to show them that they actually know a lot more about business than they think they might. You might not know the jargon or the ins and outs of financial management or what it means to have the operations side of a business but there are a bunch of things that you do know and might be very good at.”

Kaká and Alves, former Brazil teammates, did the course together and Elberse remembers how the latter, now playing for São Paulo, turned up in full Harvard garb. “He had the Harvard tie, the Harvard cardigan, the Harvard pants – he was completely Harvard, which was very, very funny,” Elberse says. “He was by far the goofiest of the players that I’ve had in the program. He is completely crazy and he is proud of being as crazy as he is. But he was great to have for the group.

“He has an audience of millions through social media and he can do whatever he wants to do. The same goes for Kaká, who is a really smart business guy. I can imagine him being the president of a soccer club.”

Van der Sar was appointed the chief executive of Ajax in 2016, having hung up his footballing boots in 2011, which represented a relatively quick transition from player to businessman. “He was the Ajax CEO when he was in the class,” Elberse recalls. “It’s really interesting to hear what he’s learned from his playing career and how he’s trying to apply that now that he’s on the other side.”

Elberse’s case studies present a story and invite questions and discussion. “Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson is a famous film star – why would he bother with a digital channel?” she says. “What is LeBron trying to build in Hollywood? What is Disney trying to do with the investments it is making in films?”

Elberse focuses the bulk of the course on her case studies but, on the final full day, a tradition has built whereby some of the more well-known members of the class sit on a panel and take questions. What has stood out is the searing honesty of the answers.

“Kaká talked about when he went from Milan to Real Madrid and felt like the biggest failure,” Elberse says. “He’d been the world player of the year, the fee had been a record and it didn’t work out – he talked about what that does to you as a person and how you recover. That was very powerful.

“Similarly, when Oliver Kahn was here, he talked about having won the Golden Ball and Golden Glove at the 2002 World Cup and then, for the 2006 World Cup, which was in Germany, his country, he was dropped. He talked about how he had to support Jens Lehmann, who became the No. 1 goalkeeper, what he had to tell himself.

“Everyone was choking up. I was supposed to lead this and I was choking up. Those are the moments that have stuck with me.”

The Guardian Sport



Endrick and Yamal Shine as Vinícius Júnior’s Brazil Draws 3-3 with Spain in ‘One Skin’ Friendly 

Brazil's forward #21 Endrick celebrates with teammates scoring his team's second goal during the international friendly football match between Spain and Brazil at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, on March 26, 2024. (AFP)
Brazil's forward #21 Endrick celebrates with teammates scoring his team's second goal during the international friendly football match between Spain and Brazil at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, on March 26, 2024. (AFP)
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Endrick and Yamal Shine as Vinícius Júnior’s Brazil Draws 3-3 with Spain in ‘One Skin’ Friendly 

Brazil's forward #21 Endrick celebrates with teammates scoring his team's second goal during the international friendly football match between Spain and Brazil at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, on March 26, 2024. (AFP)
Brazil's forward #21 Endrick celebrates with teammates scoring his team's second goal during the international friendly football match between Spain and Brazil at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid, on March 26, 2024. (AFP)

Teenagers Lamine Yamal and Endrick took the spotlight as Brazil drew 3-3 with Spain on Tuesday in the “One Skin” international friendly that was set up to highlight the fight against racism after a series of insults aimed at the Real Madrid forward Vinícius Júnior.

Vinícius was relatively quiet in a match in which Brazil equalized with a penalty converted by Lucas Paquetá deep into stoppage time after Rodri's spot kick in the 87th had put Spain ahead.

Brazil had rallied from two goals down with an equalizer scored by Vinícius’ future Madrid teammate Endrick, the 17-year-old Palmeiras player who had made his scoring debut with Brazil just three days previous.

The Spanish lineup was led by 16-year-old Barcelona forward Yamal, who helped set up three goals and received a standing ovation from the crowd at Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu Stadium when he was substituted near the end of the match.

“Yamal and Endrick are players who have a chance to be stars at the 2026 World Cup,” Brazil coach Dorival Júnior said. “They both play at a very high level.”

The international friendly came a day after Vinícius broke down in tears while talking about the continued racist insults that he is subjected to in Spain, saying he was losing his desire to keep playing but pledged to continue his fight against racism.

Vinícius was loudly applauded when he was substituted in the 71st. The 23-year-old Brazilian, the Seleçao’s captain on Tuesday, received some of the loudest jeers when his name was introduced ahead of the match.

Brazilian players went onto the field wearing black jackets with the slogan “One Skin, One Identity.” The jackets will be auctioned to help an anti-racism campaign.

Vinícius, who has been accused of provoking fans and opponents, got into verbal altercations with Spanish players, including from the bench after leaving the match. He also shoved Spain defender Aymeric Laporte from behind while play was stopped.

Laporte tweeted after the match the question: “Maybe he wanted to dance...?” accompanied by a previous tweet with the image of Vinícius’ shove and quoting the Brazilian from Monday, when he said, “I just want to play soccer.”

The friendly game was set up by Spanish and Brazilian soccer officials amid the uproar that followed the racist insults aimed at Vinícius in a Spanish league game in Valencia 10 months ago. Many believed the incident would be a turning point for soccer in Spain, but another wave of racist abuse targeting Vinícius has followed.

While most of the attention was on Vinícius, it was Yamal threatening the most with his speed and quick moves to get past Brazilian defenders.

Rodri put Spain ahead by converting a 13th-minute penalty kick after Yamal made a run through the right side and was brought down by João Gomes inside the area.

Vinícius had Brazil’s first shot on goal in the 17th but it was easily saved by Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón.

Yamal set up Dani Olmo's 36th-minute goal and Rodrigo pulled Brazil closer in the 40th after a mistake by Simón.

Endrick, who will arrive in Spain at the end of the season, equalized and was also set to take the late penalty but instead gave the ball to Paquetá. The crowed jeered as it wanted to see the new Madrid player try to score again.

Vinícius went to defend Endrick from the bench after Spanish players loudly complained because of a hard foul by his future teammate late in the match.

The Spaniards appeared unsettled with how Brazilian players celebrated the late equalizer near the Spanish fans.

Spain, preparing for the upcoming European Championship in Germany, was coming off a 1-0 loss to Colombia on Friday in London.

“I'm happy because we were better than Brazil in all areas,” coach Luis de la Fuente said. “I'm proud of the match we played."

De la Fuente said he was “ashamed” by the jeers directed at Atletico Madrid forward Álvaro Morata by the crowd at the Bernabeu, where Morata used to play for earlier in his career.

Vinícius has been subjected to multiple racist insults since arriving in Spain six years ago. He complained on Monday about the lack of punishment for perpetrators and asked for help from FIFA, UEFA and other soccer institutions in the fight against racism.


Defending Champ Medvedev, No. 1 Seed Alcaraz Advance to Miami Open Quarterfinals 

Daniil Medvedev serves against Dominik Koepfer of Germany during their match on day 11 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 26, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Daniil Medvedev serves against Dominik Koepfer of Germany during their match on day 11 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 26, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Defending Champ Medvedev, No. 1 Seed Alcaraz Advance to Miami Open Quarterfinals 

Daniil Medvedev serves against Dominik Koepfer of Germany during their match on day 11 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 26, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)
Daniil Medvedev serves against Dominik Koepfer of Germany during their match on day 11 of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium on March 26, 2024 in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Getty Images/AFP)

Defending Miami Open champion Daniil Medvedev won his 350th career match to move into the quarterfinals for a fourth straight year, beating Dominik Koepfer 7-6 (5), 6-0 on Tuesday.

Top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz also advanced with ease in a 6-3, 6-3 win over No. 23 seed Lorenzo Musetti.

Alcaraz, who beat Musetti in less than 90 minutes and looked comfortable as ever on the court, said he's “probably” playing his best tennis since last summer. That ankle injury from last month is no longer a concern, he said.

“I don't know if this is the best game that I'm playing, but without a doubt it's the best feeling,” the Wimbledon champion said. “I'm feeling great on the court. I'm moving great. ... I'm not thinking about the ankle anymore on the court.”

Alcaraz will face No. 11 seed Grigor Dimitrov on Thursday in the quarterfinals. Dimitrov beat No. 8 seed Hubert Hurkacz 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) after a tiebreaker in which Hurkacz was penalized for touching the net with his foot.

Tied at 2-2 in the tiebreaker, the match referee said Hurkacz’s foot touched the net as he charged forward on a return. It cost him a point. Hurkacz slammed his racquet in protest.

In a match that lasted well into Wednesday morning, 2018 finalist and No. 4 seed Alexander Zverev reached his fourth Miami Open quarterfinal with a 6-1, 6-4 win over 15th-seeded Karen Khachanov 6-1, 6-4.

No. 3 seed Medvedev, after a tight opening set, pulled away to win his ninth straight match in south Florida and continue his run at back-to-back titles.

Medvedev trailed 4-0 in the tiebreaker before rallying to take the set. He said he used that momentum to get out to a fast start and finish his milestone victory.

“I would say before the match, the desire to win is the same, but for sure, the feeling of winning, and during the match while you're winning, is different,” he said. “The feelings are different, but the desire is the same and that's what keeps me going."

Medvedev goes for victory No. 351 on Wednesday against Nicolas Jarry, the No. 22 seed who ousted No. 7 seed Casper Ruud 7-6 (3), 6-3.

Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, seeded No. 2, improved to 19-1 in matches this year with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Christopher O'Connell to reach the quarterfinals.

In the middle of the match, commentators said a spectator had fainted in the 82 degree temperatures and play was stopped. Sinner came to the sideline and passed up drinks and towels to the person.

Also advancing was Tomas Machac, who reached the quarterfinals to face Sinner with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Matteo Arnaldi.

On the women’s side, No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina outlasted No. 8 seed Maria Sakkari 7-5, 6-7 (4), 6-4 in a grueling match that lasted 2 hours and 48 minutes to earn a spot in the semifinals.

Two-time Grand Slam champion Victoria Azarenka defeated Yulia Putintseva 7-6 (4), 1-6, 6-3 to also make the semifinals. It was the second time that Azarenka, 34, has made it to the semifinals this season after going that far just once in 2023. She has won the Miami Open three times.


Saudi National Team Postpones Advancement to 2026 World Cup Final Qualifiers

Saudi national team players celebrate a victory at the World Cup qualifications. File Photo/ Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi national team players celebrate a victory at the World Cup qualifications. File Photo/ Asharq Al-Awsat
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Saudi National Team Postpones Advancement to 2026 World Cup Final Qualifiers

Saudi national team players celebrate a victory at the World Cup qualifications. File Photo/ Asharq Al-Awsat
Saudi national team players celebrate a victory at the World Cup qualifications. File Photo/ Asharq Al-Awsat

The Saudi national football team has postponed its qualification to the decisive third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
This came following a 1-1 draw with host Tajikistan in a match played on Tuesday evening in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, for the fourth round in Group Seven as part of the second round of qualifiers.
The Saudi national team opened the scoring with a header from Feras Al-Brikan after a precise cross from Mohammed Al-Brik in the 46th minute, SPA reported.
However, the home team applied pressure to equalize, which Tajikistan succeeded in through its player Rustam Soirov in the 80th minute, resulting in a 1-1 draw.
With this draw, the Saudi team raised its tally to 10 points, leading the group. Nevertheless, it still needs one point to officially advance to the final qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
Meanwhile, Tajikistan's team increased its points to five, securing second place in the group.


Ukraine Raise Country's Spirits with Euro 2024 Qualification

26 March 2024, Poland, Wroclaw: Ukraine fans cheer in the stands during the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying play-off final soccer match between Ukraine and Iceland at the Wroclaw Stadium. Photo: Krzysztof Zatycki/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
26 March 2024, Poland, Wroclaw: Ukraine fans cheer in the stands during the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying play-off final soccer match between Ukraine and Iceland at the Wroclaw Stadium. Photo: Krzysztof Zatycki/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Ukraine Raise Country's Spirits with Euro 2024 Qualification

26 March 2024, Poland, Wroclaw: Ukraine fans cheer in the stands during the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying play-off final soccer match between Ukraine and Iceland at the Wroclaw Stadium. Photo: Krzysztof Zatycki/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
26 March 2024, Poland, Wroclaw: Ukraine fans cheer in the stands during the UEFA Euro 2024 Qualifying play-off final soccer match between Ukraine and Iceland at the Wroclaw Stadium. Photo: Krzysztof Zatycki/ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Ukraine's qualification for the Euro 2024 soccer finals has cheered a country suffering hardship in its conflict with Russia and for a few weeks in June and July the tournament will provide a welcome distraction from the harsh reality of war.
The team came from behind to defeat Iceland 2-1 in their playoff final in neutral Poland on Tuesday and book a fourth successive appearance in the continental finals, Reuters reported.
They will be in Group E with Belgium, Slovakia and Romania, who they face in their opening game in Munich on June 17.
Russia's war with Ukraine has now entered a third year and, despite heavy casualties on both sides, it shows no sign of coming to an end following Russia's invasion of February 2022.
"I am very proud to be a Ukrainian, to be of the same blood as those who are now giving their lives for our freedom," team captain Oleksandr Zinchenko said after Tuesday's victory.
"We need to talk about it, shout about it every day. This is the only way we can win. It was one of our most emotional games.
"It is an amazing feeling. I am very happy because it is another dream come true. A big thank you to our fans, they helped us through these difficult times amazingly."
Coach Serhiy Rebrov said in the build-up to the Iceland match that it was hard for his team to concentrate on football.
"The missiles are flying every day. Our mission is to show that we're all alive and fighting against the Russians and that we need Europe's support," Rebrov said.
The coach hailed the "character of our players and our nation" to keep going in a qualifying campaign where, as refugees from the war themselves, Ukraine have staged 'home' matches spread across Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy praised the team's resilience in difficult times.
"Thank you, team. For the important victory and making it to EURO," Zelenskiy said in a post on X.
"For proving once again, whenever Ukrainians face difficulties they do not give up and continue to fight, Ukrainians certainly win.
"In times, when the enemy tries to destroy us, we demonstrate every day that Ukrainians are and will be. Ukraine is, and will be! Glory to Ukraine!"


Australia, Iran, Iraq and Uzbekistan Advance in Asian Qualifying Tournament for World Cup

John Iredale (L) of Australia fights for the ball with Nassar Nassar of Lebanon during the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Asian Qualifiers match between Australia and Lebanon at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia, 26 March 2024.  EPA/LUKAS COCH
John Iredale (L) of Australia fights for the ball with Nassar Nassar of Lebanon during the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Asian Qualifiers match between Australia and Lebanon at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia, 26 March 2024. EPA/LUKAS COCH
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Australia, Iran, Iraq and Uzbekistan Advance in Asian Qualifying Tournament for World Cup

John Iredale (L) of Australia fights for the ball with Nassar Nassar of Lebanon during the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Asian Qualifiers match between Australia and Lebanon at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia, 26 March 2024.  EPA/LUKAS COCH
John Iredale (L) of Australia fights for the ball with Nassar Nassar of Lebanon during the FIFA World Cup 2026 AFC Asian Qualifiers match between Australia and Lebanon at GIO Stadium in Canberra, Australia, 26 March 2024. EPA/LUKAS COCH

Australia thrashed Lebanon 5-0 and became the first team to advance to the third round of Asia qualifying for the 2026 World Cup on Tuesday.
An early goal from Kusini Yengi in Canberra sent the Socceroos on the way to a fourth successive win in Group I and ensured progress to the next stage with two matches to spare.
Palestine stayed second in the group after beating Bangladesh 1-0 and on course for a first appearance in the third round of qualifying.
With less than two minutes on the clock, the impressive Craig Goodwin crossed from the left for Yengi to score his first goal for Australia from close range, The Associated Press reported.
Australia put the game beyond Lebanon in the first three minutes of the second half. Bassel Jradi knocked in an own goal following a corner and Goodwin fired home a third.
John Iredale came off the bench to make it 4-0 midway through the second half with his first international goal, and Goodwin added his second and Australia’s fifth with nine minutes remaining thanks to an Iredale assist.
“It means the world to me personally, and to the boys,” Iredale said. "We set out to score more goals tonight and we’re pleased we did that.
“Craig Goodwin's got an unbelievable left foot, and having him in the squad really boosts our quality. I was really pleased to help him get his second goal.”
Michel Termanini scored Palestine's winner in Dhaka four minutes into stoppage time.
Palestine has seven points, five more than Lebanon and six clear of Bangladesh.
Australia will be joined in the next stage by Iraq, which defeated the Philippines 5-0 in Manila to win a fourth straight game in Group F. Iran and Uzbekistan progressed from Group E thanks to respective wins over Turkmenistan and Hong Kong.
Son Heung-min scored for the second time in five days as South Korea defeated Thailand 3-0 in Bangkok. It was the first victory for Hwang Sun-hong, appointed as interim coach after Jurgen Klinsmann was fired in February.
“This was a difficult match, and the players came together as one and had a great desire to pull out this win,” Hwang said. “We couldn’t have won this match without the players’ drive and determination.”
Korea has appeared at every World Cup since 1986 and is top of Group C with 10 points, three clear of China — which beat Singapore 4-1 — and six above Thailand.
Saudi Arabia also has 10 points in Group G after drawing 1-1 in Tajikistan. Afghanistan defeated India 2-1 in Guwahati.
The North Korea-Japan qualifier in Pyongyang was canceled by FIFA after North Korea said it couldn't host the game.
The top two teams from each of the nine groups in the second round progress to the next group-stage round where six of Asia’s increased automatic allocation of eight World Cup places will be on offer. The first 48-team men’s World Cup will be co-hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.
Two more World Cup entries from Asia will be decided in a subsequent group stage in October 2025. An Asian confederation team also can advance in the intercontinental playoffs scheduled in March 2026.


Former China Football Chief Given Life Sentence for 'Huge' Bribery

Chen Xuyuan has been jailed for life for bribery - AFP
Chen Xuyuan has been jailed for life for bribery - AFP
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Former China Football Chief Given Life Sentence for 'Huge' Bribery

Chen Xuyuan has been jailed for life for bribery - AFP
Chen Xuyuan has been jailed for life for bribery - AFP

The former chairman of the Chinese Football Association has been sentenced to life in prison for accepting bribes worth $11 million, state media said Tuesday, as a string of sports officials were jailed for corruption.

Under President Xi Jinping a sweeping crackdown on official graft has struck hard at China's sports industry, especially football.

About 10 senior leaders and executives of the CFA, including former national team coach Li Tie, have been brought down in recent years.

Former chairman Chen Xuyuan took advantage of his positions at the CFA and other bodies to "illegally accept sums of money from other people totalling 81.03 million yuan ($11 million)", the Communist Party-run People's Daily newspaper said.

The bribes were "particularly huge" and his actions "seriously damaged fair competition and order", the report said.

He "caused serious consequences for the national football industry", it added.

Xi is a self-confessed football fanatic who has said he dreams of his country hosting and winning the World Cup, according to AFP.

That ambition appears further away than ever after the corruption probe and years of disappointing results on the pitch.

National skipper Zhang Linpeng last week quit international football over the "disgrace" of a World Cup qualifying draw with Singapore, before reversing his decision.

Chen held other positions in football before serving as CFA chairman from 2019 until he came under investigation in February last year.

In January, Chen appeared in a televised documentary confessing to having accepted money from those wishing to get in his good books.

"Fans can accept the fact that the state of Chinese football is bad," Chen said in the documentary.

"But they cannot forgive corruption."

Rulings in other major graft cases are expected to be announced on Tuesday, according to state news agency Xinhua.

They may include the fate of the former coach Li, who was close to Chen.

The former Everton midfielder admitted in the January documentary that he arranged nearly $430,000 in bribes to secure that position and also helped fix matches when he was a club coach.

"There were certain things that at the time were common practices in football," he said.

In separate bribery verdicts announced Tuesday, former senior CFA official Chen Yongliang was handed a 14-year sentence.

Former Chinese Super League general manager Dong Zheng received eight years.

State media also reported that Yu Hongchen, the former chairman of the China Athletic Association, had been sentenced to 13 years for the same crime.

Another case that sent shockwaves through the Chinese game and beyond was that of South Korean international footballer Son Jun-ho, who was detained by Chinese authorities last May.

Beijing said at the time that the World Cup midfielder was detained "on suspicion of accepting bribes by non-state employees", without providing details.

Seoul's foreign ministry said Monday that he had been released and returned home.

Son played for Shandong Taishan in the Chinese Super League and also appeared in three of South Korea's four matches during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

International teammate Lee Jae-sung told media that he was grateful for Son's release.

"It broke my heart when I first heard about his detention last year," he told a press conference in Bangkok, where South Korea play Thailand later Tuesday in a World Cup qualifier.


Germany Plans Border Controls for UEFA Euro 2024

25 March 2024, United Kingdom, Cardiff: A general view during the training session of Poland's national soccer team at the Cardiff City Stadium, ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against Wales. Photo: Nick Potts/Press Association/dpa
25 March 2024, United Kingdom, Cardiff: A general view during the training session of Poland's national soccer team at the Cardiff City Stadium, ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against Wales. Photo: Nick Potts/Press Association/dpa
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Germany Plans Border Controls for UEFA Euro 2024

25 March 2024, United Kingdom, Cardiff: A general view during the training session of Poland's national soccer team at the Cardiff City Stadium, ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against Wales. Photo: Nick Potts/Press Association/dpa
25 March 2024, United Kingdom, Cardiff: A general view during the training session of Poland's national soccer team at the Cardiff City Stadium, ahead of the UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying match against Wales. Photo: Nick Potts/Press Association/dpa

Germany will introduce temporary border controls as part of ramped-up security around soccer's 2024 European Championship which it is hosting, the interior minister said.
The tournament starts on June 14 and is set to attract 2.7 million fans to stadiums and up to 12 million at public viewing events.
"For the Euros, we are pooling the forces of the security authorities even more strongly and preparing for possible threats," Interior Minister Nancy Faeser told the Rheinische Post newspaper, according to Reuters.
"During the tournament, we will conduct temporary border controls at all German borders to prevent potentially violent actors from entering," she said.
The comments follow a mass shooting at a concert in Moscow. Western intelligence has linked the attack to ISIS and France said it was raising its terror alert warning to the highest level following the attack.
Germany already has temporary controls at its borders with Poland, the Czech Republic, Austria and Switzerland, as part of efforts to combat migrant smuggling gangs.
These could be extended but no specific measures have been decided yet, an interior ministry spokesperson said on Monday when asked about security surrounding the European championship.


Argentina's Di Maria Threatened by Drug Gangs in Hometown

25 March 2024, US, Los Angeles: Argentina's Angel Di Maria, Nicolas Otamendi along with teammates attend a training session at Los Angeles Coliseum ahead of the international friendly soccer match against Costa Rica. Photo: Javier Rojas/PI via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
25 March 2024, US, Los Angeles: Argentina's Angel Di Maria, Nicolas Otamendi along with teammates attend a training session at Los Angeles Coliseum ahead of the international friendly soccer match against Costa Rica. Photo: Javier Rojas/PI via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
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Argentina's Di Maria Threatened by Drug Gangs in Hometown

25 March 2024, US, Los Angeles: Argentina's Angel Di Maria, Nicolas Otamendi along with teammates attend a training session at Los Angeles Coliseum ahead of the international friendly soccer match against Costa Rica. Photo: Javier Rojas/PI via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa
25 March 2024, US, Los Angeles: Argentina's Angel Di Maria, Nicolas Otamendi along with teammates attend a training session at Los Angeles Coliseum ahead of the international friendly soccer match against Costa Rica. Photo: Javier Rojas/PI via ZUMA Press Wire/dpa

Argentina forward Angel Di Maria received a threat at his family home on the outskirts of Rosario, domestic media said, amid an intense wave of drug-related violence in the central city from which Lionel Messi also hails.
Monday's message, following a similar threat last year to Argentine captain Messi, came a week after Di Maria, now playing for Portuguese champions Benfica, said he would like to end his career at his boyhood club, Rosario Central.
"Tell your son Angel not to come back to Rosario because we will kill a family member," the message read, according to the news portal Infobae, which cited police sources.
"Not even Pullaro is going to save you," it added, referring to the provincial governor, Maximiliano Pullaro. "We don't leave paper notes. We leave bullets and dead people behind."
According to Reuters, media said the motivation for the threats remains unclear, however, with police unable to discard any potential lines of investigation.
Police did not immediately respond to a Reuters email seeking comment.
A car left a sign carrying the message addressed to the Di Maria family in front of the private neighborhood where the 36-year-old usually stays, media said.
Di Maria will start in Tuesday's friendly game against Costa Rica, Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni told reporters later on Monday.
"Di Maria knows that he has our full support for whatever he needs. The important thing is that he plays, that will relax him a little."
Rosario, one of the world's largest agro-port hubs, is awash in violence as drug-trafficking groups have been lured by its appeal, experts say, as an outlet for illegal drugs to be sent other countries.
Last year's threat to Messi followed an attack by unidentified gunmen on a supermarket owned by the family of his wife, Antonela Roccuzzo.
Last week, the Argentine government said it would send a bill to Congress to allow the armed forces to intervene in internal security operations to fight drug trafficking and crime in Rosario.


Saudi U21 Faces Egypt to Determine 3rd Place in WAFF Championship

Saudi Flag fluttering - File Photo/Reuters
Saudi Flag fluttering - File Photo/Reuters
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Saudi U21 Faces Egypt to Determine 3rd Place in WAFF Championship

Saudi Flag fluttering - File Photo/Reuters
Saudi Flag fluttering - File Photo/Reuters

The Saudi national under-21 (U21) team is scheduled to host its Egyptian counterpart at 20:00 Tuesday evening at Al-Fateh Club Stadium to determine third and fourth place in the West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) U23 Championship in Al-Ahsa Governorate.
The Saudi national team, nicknamed “Al-Akhdar" or "the Green," held a training session on the reserve pitch in Al-Ahsa-based Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sports City, under the supervision of Brazilian coach Marcos Suarez, SPA reported.
In addition to the Saudi Green U21, the championship includes the teams of Australia, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, South Korea, Thailand, and the UAE.


Top-ranked Swiatek, US Open Champ Gauff Knocked Out of Miami Open

Mar 25, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Ekaterina Alexandrova (L) shakes hands with Iga Swiatek (POL) (R) after their match on day eight of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Ekaterina Alexandrova (L) shakes hands with Iga Swiatek (POL) (R) after their match on day eight of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
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Top-ranked Swiatek, US Open Champ Gauff Knocked Out of Miami Open

Mar 25, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Ekaterina Alexandrova (L) shakes hands with Iga Swiatek (POL) (R) after their match on day eight of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 25, 2024; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Ekaterina Alexandrova (L) shakes hands with Iga Swiatek (POL) (R) after their match on day eight of the Miami Open at Hard Rock Stadium. Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

Top-ranked Iga Swiatek and US Open champion Coco Gauff have been knocked out of the Miami Open.
Swiatek lost to Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-4, 6-2 on Monday night, hours after the third-seeded Gauff fell in three sets to No. 23 Caroline Garcia 6-3, 1-6, 6-2.

In the men’s draw, top-seeded Carlos Alcaraz advanced to the round of 16 with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Gael Monfils.

Garcia defeated her second straight Grand Slam champion to reach Miami’s quarterfinals. She ousted four-time Grand Slam winner Naomi Osaka 7-6 (4), 7-5 on Sunday.

According to The Associated Press, Garcia said it had been a while since she had a victory over a top-10 opponent like Gauff.
“You keep working and trying to stay positive about what’s coming, that it’s going to pay off,” she said. “Sometimes, it’s very hard. But I’m lucky enough to have very good people behind me to help me and stay positive when I’m struggling.”
“It means a lot to have this little reward and keep going in the tournament,” she said.
Also moving into the quarterfinals was No. 4 seed Elena Rybakina, who defeated 17th-seeded American Madison Keys 6-3, 7-5.
Rybakina will next face No. 8 seed Maria Sakkari, who advanced to her second Miami Open quarterfinal when Anna Kalinskaya, seeded 22nd, withdrew with a right thigh injury.
Victoria Azarenka, who’s won the Australian Open twice, made the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-1 victory over Katie Boulter.
Yulia Putintseva also advanced, defeating No. 27 seed Anhalina Kalinina straight sets, 6-4, 7-6 (5), and No. 5 seed Jessica Pegula beat Emma Navarro 7-6 (1), 6-3.
Alcaraz will next face Lorenzo Musetti, who beat Ben Shelton 6-4, 7-6 (5).
Alexander Zverev, the fourth seed, defeated Christopher Eubanks 7-6 (4), 6-3, and No. 9 seed Alex de Minaur beat Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6 (3), 6-4.