Fans of Deportivo Riestra not overly familiar with the YouTuber world would have done a double take when they saw their line-up for their recent league game against Velez Sarsfield in Argentina. Up front was one Iván Raúl Buhajeruk Fernández, better known to his seven million subscribers on YouTube as Spreen. He’s not actually a footballer, so his inclusion in the team was a touch surprising.
It was, of course, a publicity stunt, Riestra saying after that “our goal was (and is) to attract new audiences to football, generating bridges between different worlds and platforms to continue enhancing the product and our club”.
“It’s something contractual that was signed a long time ago,” said coach Cristian Fabbiani. “The club depends a lot on publicity. It was probably a one-time thing.”
How did it all go down? Not very well. Former Argentinian international and Real Madrid coach Jorge Valdano accused Riestra of “shitting on football”, while another ex-Argentina player, Juan Sebastian Veron, said the club had shown a “total lack of respect for football and footballers”.
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Riestra could find themselves in exceedingly hot water after the Argentinian Football Association announced that it had launched an investigation into the stunt to see if it had breached its code of ethics.
How did Spreen play? Well the 24-year-old didn’t really get a chance to settle in to the game – he was taken off after 56 seconds without touching the ball.
Former president of Turkish club gets a very public transfer to jail
Turkish football club Ankaragucu was up in arms last week after its former president Faruk Koca was sentenced to three years and seven months in jail. The club’s chairman Mert Firat said that it was “impossible to interpret the sentence with good intentions” and that the court had given into public opinion.
What did Koca do? He was found guilty of “intentionally wounding a public official”, and was also given a suspended sentence for making threats and violating laws related to violence in sport. After a 1-1 draw with Rizespor last December, he punched the referee in the face, fracturing his eye socket. “No disgraceful crime” had been committed, insisted Firat. Eh ...
Angriest agent of the week?
We’ll go with Fahid Ben Khalfallah whose client Juan Mata is getting very limited game time with Western Sydney Wanderers this weather.
“I’m so sick, so sick of those coaches saying, ‘oh yeah, but the intensity of the A-League’ ... we are talking about someone who won the World Cup, won the Euros, Champions League, played in England for 10 years. And we’re talking about A-League intensity? You must be kidding.”
And in a tribute to Mata’s Sydney team-mates, he added: “Put horses on the pitch, they will run – but they can’t play football.” Strewth.
Ivan Toney very much at home in Saudi Arabia
With just three goals in his first 13 appearances Ivan Toney hasn’t quite been the roaring success Jeddah-based club Al Ahli hoped he would be when they signed him from Brentford for €48 million during the summer.
The good news, though, is that Toney has settled in well in Saudi Arabia and feels very much at home in Jeddah. According to a friend of his, who spoke to the Sun, “he’s loving life there because it reminds him of Milton Keynes. They have the same system of roads and buildings. If it wasn’t for the sunshine, you could think you were in Buckinghamshire.” Jeddah must be chuffed.
Quote of the Week
“You’ve got an Irish fella, Lee Carsley, getting you to the top of the group and you’ve got a German, Thomas Tuchel, coming in.” – Roy Keane severely winding up ITV viewers.
Number: 210
San Marino’s Fifa ranking, the lowest in the world – but if they beat Liechtenstein on Monday night they’ll be promoted to Nations League Group C. Heady days.
