The list of footballers who have retired at the end of their respective team's domestic seasons is ever-growing and is starting to read like a veritable who's who of late 90's / early 00's superstar footballers - Ryan Giggs. Carles Puyol. Javier Zanetti. Kevin Phillips. Sad times for the football fan indeed. Alas, fear not, for the World Cup is just weeks away and new stars will surely be unearthed. Here at Football Circus though, we've been preoccupied this week with the official World Cup merchandise - Condoms and toilet roll to be precise. We also bring you news of dead insects in World Cup sticker packets and a Bolivian club's most high profile signing ever...
Football Circus Clown Quote of the Week
"Well, Clive, it's all about the two M's. Movement and positioning".
- Ron Atkinson
Roll Up, Roll Up! Official World Cup Toilet Paper and Condom are here!
Many moons ago here on Football Circus, we reported on Ronaldinho releasing his own line of condoms, 'Sex Free'. Well, it would appear that condoms and football go hand in hand in Brazil as the official World Cup condom has been released and it's Brazilian themed.
Journalist Rafael Hernandez this week tweeted a photo of the yellow and green condom. As bizarre and even ludicrous as the condom may seem, it is all in aid of a good cause. It has been released as part of the #ProtectTheGoal campaign, which uses "power of sport and culture" to raise awareness and reduce the spread of AIDS and HIV.
The official World Cup toilet paper which Rafael Hernandez also tweeted a photo of, on the otherhand, is downright indefensible. Shameless merchandising at its best / worst!
Troubling Scenes at Osasuna as Barrier Collapses
Osasuna took on Real Betis on Saturday in La Liga and despite winning 2-1, the side were relegated as results elsewhere determined their fate. Irrespective of the on-pitch goings on though, the most shocking scenes came when a barrier collapsed after the home side's 12th minute goal. The match was duly stopped as sixty fans were treated, while a further ten were taken to hospital.
As the panic at the El Sadar Stadium unraveled, the club's official Twitter account warned fans and media alike of the happenings:
"The south grandstand’s fence has collapsed and people are being removed from the field.
"Everyone is working together to get through this tense moment. The game is, obviously, suspended.
"Once new security measures have been applied, the match can continue at El Sadar.
"Collaboration is being sought over the public address system to help restore security measures and continue the game".
Luckily, the Red Cross confirmed that nobody was seriously injured. Miraculously, the match resumed after around a thirty minute stoppage.
54 Year Old Bolivian President signs for Primera Division Club
Bolivian president Evo Morales has been announced as the latest signing of Primera Division side Sport Boys. The president has signed a professional deal with the side and he will receive a salary of $217 a month.
The 54 year old president is a massive football fan and his dedication to his chosen sport will now be tested, as his new club have said he will play around twenty minutes of every match, depending on what his schedule dictates.
Club president Mario Cronenbold said of the signing:
"He loves football and plays well," said Sport Boys' president Mario Cronenbold. "He'll wear the No 10 shirt".
"We'll send him a list of matches and he'll chose which ones to play in".
Well of course he bloody will, he's the president! Apparently the playing deal is a dream come true for the president, who has often played in friendly matches in the past.
Have, have, ha...Have I Just found a Huge Dead Insect?
World Cup season is almost in full swing and as with every World Cup, kids (and even adults) across the globe have stocked up on this year's Panini World Cup sticker album. The famous sticker album has been an institution for football fans for many a year now. Fans get excited when, after a four year wait, they again can attempt to complete the latest album and spend a fortune on packets of stickers in hope of finding their favourite players inside. One can only imagine how little Guilherme Amarelo must have felt when opening what must have been one of his very first sticker packets only to find...a rather large dead insect.
The four year old Brazilian boy had been given ten sticker packets as a present from his father Daniel, who must have been beaming with pride as he watched his son follow in his footsteps and embark on completing his first album. Daniel and Guilherme got more than they bargained for however, when they found what appeared to be a dead insect in one of the packets. Daniel told Brazilian website copadomundo.uol.com:
"I thought he had found some thing different between the cards, but it was an insect. As I imagine it's not a common thing, I took some photos of the packet and I contacted the customer care service of Panini, which manufactures Albums and figurines".
Panini have reacted with the following statement:
"The production is fully automated, with double checking the envelopes, following high quality standards. There is no record of a similar case in the 25 years of the company's operations in Brazil, but Panini will investigate possible causes of the incident, including from the supplier the package in question".
They continued: "Unfortunately with the 2010 and 2014 World Cups, the presence of Mezut Ozil has made identifying actual bug-eyed insects all the more difficult".*
(*The last line may or may not have been fabricated by Football Circus).
What's Mad Mario Upto this Week?
It's been yet another unfortunate week for the subject of this weekly segment. Balotelli helped his AC Milan side to a 2-1 win over Sassuolo on Sunday, but failed to get on the scoresheet in a match which also saw Milan stars Mattia De Sciglio and Philippe Mexes sent off.
Furthermore, Milan failed to qualify for any European competition as Parma pipped them to a Europa League spot.
To compound Balotelli's misery, the striker had fallen victim to a burglary the night prior to the Milan game. While out for dinner with his brother Enoch, Balo's Porsche along with gold and watches were stolen from his home. Only when he arrived back to his house later on Saturday evening did he become aware of the burglary. The Porsche was later found abandoned.
Of his woes, Balotelli tweeted:
"I feel empty! No emotions ... But always fighting for the few people I love. They deserve it".
The burglary came just days after an attempted robbery of Balotelli's phone while he was in a nightclub with Enoch, as we last week reported. Mario will surely at this point be asking himself, "Why always me?".
Finally, Balo joined his Italy teammates this week for their World Cup squad bootcamp in Florence. He appeared an hour later to the training than his teammates on Tuesday morning. (Perhaps he was busy filing another police report).
As the training went on, four to five onlooking 'fans' were heard aiming racial abuse at Super Mario. Balotelli did not rise to the shameful taunts. However he did, apparently, remark to Claudio Marchisio: "I only ever get this in Rome or Florence".
Italian Football Story of the Week
- Milito and Cambiasso leave Inter
As the Serie A season drew to a close, the league said goodbye to many who have lit it up over the years, not least Javier Zanetti. But his Inter teammate Diego Milito, who helped the Nerazzurri to Champions League glory in 2010, has also decided to call time on his Inter career.
On his official Facebook page, Milito announced:
"The time has come to say goodbye...
"Unfortunately my time with the Nerazzurri has reached the final stop. I have decided to try a new professional adventure.
"I still don’t know what the future holds for me, but I still feel ‘alive’ and with a crazy desire to become a protagonist again.
"I want to thank everyone who, in these years at Inter, I shared our success and incredible joy with: the club, President Massimo Moratti, all the members of the staff and obviously all my teammates.
"Above all, the biggest thanks goes to you the fans for all you’ve given me in these five seasons... I will carry you in my heart forever, you’ve been fantastic.
"Thank you to everyone and forza F.C. Internazionale Milano forever!".
It would seem there is a mass Argentine exodus from Inter as following Zanetti and Milito through the exit door is servant of ten years, midfielder Esteban Cambiasso. When asked of Cambiasso's future at the club at a press conference on Saturday, Inter technical director Piero Ausilio (rather bluntly) responded:
"Cambiasso will not renew his contract because we haven't offered him a renewal.
"He waited for our decision until now, and for that he must be thanked, but I'm convinced that in his future he'll have a role at Inter.
"I speak to Cambiasso every day in an informal manner, as he is a friend.
"Today there was a difficult moment between him and I, as we talked about the future. Due to reasons of strategy, renewal and an Inter for young players, he will not be confirmed in the squad.
"We will not propose a new contract".
Artist's Impression of the Week
- 'Although Stadiums are Unfinished, the Official World Cup Toilet Roll and Condom are Ready for Action'.
Football Recommendation of the Week
- And Gazza Misses The Final; "A fresh look back at classic World Cup matches and moments, minute-by-minute as they really happened".
Non-Football Recommendation of the Week
- Luther; "Crime drama series starring Idris Elba as Luther, a near-genius murder detective whose brilliant mind can't always save him from the dangerous violence of his passions". Definitely worth checking out if you're a Netflix user.
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