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The Pitch Inspection

@thepitchinspection.bsky.social
2.4K followers 482 following 535 posts

Independent Reporting | Football | Politics Subscribe: thepitchinspection.substack.com Contact us at: thepitchinspection@gmail.com

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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
"Suggest you google this guy" Manchester City Council responded to my 2013 Freedom of Information request for details of their deal with Manchester City by flagging my background to City's chief communications officer. Deeply inappropriate (and that's being generous).
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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 07/10/2026
The coda to this is a senior Man City exec proving they have always had total contempt for anyone seeking to question their activities. bsky.app/profile/ncge...
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
My piece in @josimarfootball.bsky.social on what explains the UAE's aggressive legal strategy in the Manchester City case. It's what they do and they have consistently gotten away with it. josimarfootball.com/2026/10/05/m...
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JosimarFootball @josimarfootball.bsky.social · 06/10/2026
Manchester City har tapt første runde. Men striden om snaue 12 milliarder kroner er langt fra over. Skal klubben snu saken i anken, må den forklare ikke bare hvor pengene egentlig kom fra, men hvorfor bevis eventuelt først kommer nå. Kronikk av Egil André Berglund josimar.no/artikler/nar...
josimar.no
Når Premier Leagues integritet møter storpolitikken | Josimar
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
Typically informed, articulate and principled from Richie Sadlier on the question of Ireland's match with Israel. Joins Brian Kerr and Stephen Bradley in taking a clear stance on the matter. Remember: Irish football isin this situation because UEFA refuses to apply its statutory rules to Israel.
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Martin Calladine @uglygame.bsky.social · 20/02/2026
There's only two reasons Fifa would launch its own crypto (and they are not mutually exclusive): 1. To enable and disguise the payment of bribes. 2. To rinse fans of more money by lying to them that it's an investment or by making access to ticket contingent on having bought the crypto.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 09/02/2026
"The uncomfortable truth is that Infantino seems unwilling to risk his personal relationship with Trump by publicly criticizing policies that fundamentally contradict FIFA’s stated mission." Excellent from Rasoul Rahmani on @antoineduval.bsky.social's sports law Blog www.asser.nl/SportsLaw/Bl...
asser.nl
Asser International Sports Law Blog | A World Cup Without the World? How Trump’s Travel Ban Contradicts FIFA’s Values - By Rasoul Rahmani
Editor's note: Rasoul Rahmani is a PhD Candidate at the Faculty of Law, University of Turku, Finland
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 24/01/2026
This one seems relevant once more ⤵️
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James Dart @jamesdart.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
Re-upping … welcome @mlsist.bsky.social, @ellabrockway.bsky.social and @jeffrueter.bsky.social
theguardian.com
The Guardian expands its sports desk with key hires before 2026 World Cup in North America
The new permanent roles are part of the Guardian’s larger investment in the US, which has come to include more than 20 additional journalists in the past year
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Congratulations to Aida Youth Centre and all who supported them. Brilliant campaigning that put Infantino and Ceferin under serious pressure. This is a symbolic victory amid a much wider tragedy that FIFA amd UEFA have done nothing to arrest. www.nytimes.com/athletic/698...
nytimes.com
FIFA’s Infantino, UEFA’s Ceferin intervene to save local soccer pitch in West Bank from destruction
The IDF had been scheduled to demolish the pitch this week but that has been suspended after negotiations, sources said.
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
"FIFA can audit compliance with technical statutes but appears structurally incapable of – or uninterested in – confronting entrenched governance failures within member associations." Brilliant piece from @fidelisz.bsky.social for @playthegame-org.bsky.social www.playthegame.org/news/the-bro...
playthegame.org
How systemic corruption's killing South African football
As South African football struggles with unpaid players and collapsing development structures, this investigation traces the flow of legacy funds meant for the grassroots and explains the financial an...
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 21/01/2026
If only there were some prominent figure ostensibly friendly with Trump, without political pressures, who could show diplomatic skill, and who has spoken about the uniting power of football… Greenland crisis exposed Infantino’s new sports diplomacy www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...
independent.co.uk
How Trump’s Greenland obsession could spark a World Cup boycott
Gianni Infantino’s cosying up to the US President has left Fifa in an awkward situation, writes Miguel Delaney, with the real prospect of lasting ramifications for the World Cup this summer
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 26/12/2025
How U.S. immigration policies and visa reforms spell disaster for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. A thread. 🧵
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Le Monde @lemonde.fr · 15/01/2026
Comment Gianni Infantino a vu ses rémunérations s’envoler en dix ans de règne à la FIFA
lemonde.fr
Comment Gianni Infantino a vu ses rémunérations s’envoler en dix ans de règne à la FIFA
D’après des documents fiscaux américains, dont « Le Monde » a pris connaissance, la Fédération internationale de football a payé en 2024, pour son patron, un peu plus de six millions de dollars annuels en salaires, bonus, et autres avantages contractuels.
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FairSquare @fairsqprojects.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Senior British politician has raised the spectre of UK sanctions against Manchester City owner Sheikh Mansour Al Nahyan. "Sheikh Mansour is possibly the most high profile UAE investor in the country. What are we going to do about that?"
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
New Post Will FIFA turn its back on the UN? The “Football Unites the World” initiative was created to support major UN organisations. The main host for the 2026 World Cup, is now withdrawing from all of them. Please Read / Comment / Share thepitchinspection.substack.com/p/will-fifa-...
thepitchinspection.substack.com
Will FIFA turns its back on the United Nations?
As Donald Trump withdraws the United States from long standing United Nations treaties, what does it mean for FIFA and the 2026 World Cup?
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Sam Kunti @samindrakunti.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
From Aruba and Mauritania to the Seychelles, FIFA is commercialising as many lower-level games as possible via FIFA+. Stats Perform will be collecting the data for betting operators. Here is more background. With @stevemenary.bsky.social. www.playthegame.org/news/fifa-li...
playthegame.org
FIFA+ livestreams fuel global in-play betting markets
New research from Play the Game shows how unlicensed betting companies are using FIFA’s own streaming platform to offer in-play wagers on low-level matches worldwide. Many smaller federations are unaw...
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The Athletic | Football @theathleticfc.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
Paris Saint-Germain have been knocked out of the Coupe de la Ligue — by Paris FC. Jonathan Ikone's goal knocked the holders out in the round of 32.
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
As Donald Trump withdraws the United States from long standing United Nations treaties, what does it mean for FIFA and the 2026 World Cup? A Thread. 1/13
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
As Donald Trump withdraws the United States from long standing United Nations treaties, what does it mean for FIFA and the 2026 World Cup? A Thread. 1/13
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 12/01/2026
New Post Will FIFA turn its back on the UN? The “Football Unites the World” initiative was created to support major UN organisations. The main host for the 2026 World Cup, is now withdrawing from all of them. Please Read / Comment / Share thepitchinspection.substack.com/p/will-fifa-...
thepitchinspection.substack.com
Will FIFA turns its back on the United Nations?
As Donald Trump withdraws the United States from long standing United Nations treaties, what does it mean for FIFA and the 2026 World Cup?
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 11/01/2026
As Gianni Infantino promotes World Cup tickets on his instagram account, the reality that awaits travelling football fans at the U.S. based World Cup games in just 5 months time ⤵️
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Jonathan Ladd @jonathanmladd.com · 08/01/2026
Earlier today, Elon Musk endorsed full-on Neo-Nazi blood and soil ideology.
Elon Musk tweet
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Libero @liberopodcast.com · 09/01/2026
New Libero You come at the Sporting Director, you best not miss @rorysmith.bsky.social @migueldelaney.bsky.social @jameshorncastle.bsky.social pod.fo/e/37506c
pod.fo
Libero: Libero 086 | Amorim, Maresca And The Battle For Power
That’s been quite a week, hasn’t it? On today’s Libero, Miguel Delaney, Rory Smith and James Horncastle explore how the sackings of Enzo Maresca and Ruben Amorim shed light on where power lie...
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Philippe Auclair @philippeauclair.bsky.social · 09/01/2026
Link to the @thefsa.bsky.social's blueprint document "Stop Exploiting Loyalty": thefsa.org.uk/wp-content/u...
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Philippe Auclair @philippeauclair.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
The best book about what is happening in our world right now was written in the mid-1930s by a German lawyer called Sebastian Haffner. Bis repetita. uk.bookshop.org/p/books/defy...
uk.bookshop.org
Defying Hitler: A Memoir
A Memoir
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
🚨🚨🚨 Israel continues to destroy Palestinian football infrastructure unopposed by FIFA & UEFA. Please read and sign this important petition to help save the football pitch at the Aida refugee camp. More in 🧵 1/5. Read | Share 🙏 secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/...
secure.avaaz.org
Don’t bulldoze our pitch
URGENT: Children in Bethlehem are about to lose the only place where they can play and feel safe. Help them reach FIFA before Israel destroys their pitch. Sign and share.
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Raimo Kangasniemi @rk70534.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
"People like Infantino (FIFA) and Čeferin (UEFA) won’t be able to look away anymore. When the football world pays attention, FIFA, UEFA and governments listen. Sign now and share our call to Gianni Infantino & Aleksander Čeferin."" secure.avaaz.org/campaign/en/...
secure.avaaz.org
Don’t bulldoze our pitch
URGENT: Children in Bethlehem are about to lose the only place where they can play and feel safe. Help them reach FIFA before Israel destroys their pitch. Sign and share.
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Football Supporters Europe @fanseurope.org · 08/01/2026
2026 is well underway & it seems FIFA's New Year's resolution is to bury its head further into the sand. 🚫 not a whisper on tickets for fans with disabilities 🤏still only a handful of tokenistic 60 USD tickets 🚂full-steam ahead on ripping off fans
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
“The concept of supply and demand” means selling a single ticket to the World Cup final at a price equivalent to 4-6 times the weekly wage in the host city. bsky.app/profile/thep...
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Bellingcat @bellingcat.com · 07/01/2026
We’ve analysed the use of force in previous immigration raids in Washington DC, Illinois and Los Angeles. You can read our reporting here: www.bellingcat.com?s=immigration
bellingcat.com
You searched for immigration - bellingcat
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Bellingcat @bellingcat.com · 07/01/2026
Using imagery online of the shooting by an ICE agent in Minneapolis, we’ve created an animated sequence which highlights the approximate positioning of officers and vehicles at the scene. The red dot represents the agent who fired the shots. Yellow dots are other agents who arrived at the scene.
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
“The concept of supply and demand” means selling a single ticket to the World Cup final at a price equivalent to 4-6 times the weekly wage in the host city. bsky.app/profile/thep...
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
A reminder of ICE activity within the U.S. World Cup host cities below through 2025. The world saw today the brutality of ICE agents. This is what awaits travelling football fans.
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Tom Williams @tomwfootball.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Punchy cartoon about the Chelsea/Strasbourg situation in today’s L’Equipe. “You’ve even got a little steering wheel to drive with, did you see?”
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Miguel Delaney @migueldelaney.bsky.social · 08/01/2026
Arsenal’s biggest opposition is now themselves www.independent.co.uk/sport/footba...
independent.co.uk
Why Arsenal’s clash with Liverpool is more than just ‘a big game’
Arsenal’s own internal psychodrama has been decisive in their previous unsuccessful title tilts but victory over Liverpool could finally put it to bed
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
bsky.app/profile/thep...
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Is now the time world leaders unite and call for a boycott of the 2026 World Cup? The Trump administration has shown major acts of aggression against 6 FIFA member associations: Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Iran, Denmark (Greenland) 1/8 Thread www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
White House says using US military is ‘always an option’ for acquiring Greenland
European leaders push back forcefully against US president’s desire to seek takeover of Arctic territory
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
If you read anything today please make it this, urgent action required. ⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️⤵️
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George Monbiot @georgemonbiot.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
If the Palestine Action hunger strikers die - which they could do at any moment, as they are now very close to the end - it will be the government that killed them. Today’s column explains why. Please share, and write urgently to your MP. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Let’s be clear: if the Palestine Action hunger strikers die, the government will bear moral responsibility | George Monbiot
The three remaining hunger strikers have been convicted of nothing. Yet with astonishing cruelty, ministers refuse to listen to their reasonable demands, says Guardian columnist George Monbiot
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 07/01/2026
Is now the time world leaders unite and call for a boycott of the 2026 World Cup? The Trump administration has shown major acts of aggression against 6 FIFA member associations: Venezuela, Colombia, Mexico, Cuba, Iran, Denmark (Greenland) 1/8 Thread www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026...
theguardian.com
White House says using US military is ‘always an option’ for acquiring Greenland
European leaders push back forcefully against US president’s desire to seek takeover of Arctic territory
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
According to people in Aida refugee camp this demolition could happen as soon as tomorrow. They wrote today to FIFA and the Swiss government urging them to call on Israel to desist from any demolition plans. The pitch is a lifeline for hundreds of Palestinian boys and girls.
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MeidasTouch @meidastouch.com · 06/01/2026
This is where we are. Read this joint statement by France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Denmark on Greenland: "Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland."
6 January 2026
Joint Statement on Greenland
Statement by President Macron of France, Chancellor Merz of Germany, Prime Minister Meloni of Italy, Prime Minister Tusk of Poland, Prime Minister Sánchez of Spain, Prime Minister Starmer of the United Kingdom and Prime Minister Frederiksen of Denmark on Greenland.
Arctic security remains a key priority for Europe and it is critical for international and transatlantic security.
NATO has made clear that the Arctic region is a priority and European Allies are stepping up. We and many other Allies have increased our presence, activities and investments, to keep the Arctic safe and to deter adversaries. The Kingdom of Denmark - including Greenland - is part of NATO.
Security in the Arctic must therefore be achieved collectively, in conjunction with NATO allies including the United States, by upholding the principles of the UN Charter, including sovereignty, territorial integrity and the inviolability of borders. These are universal principles, and we will not stop defending them.
The United States is an essential partner in this endeavour, as a NATO ally and through the defence agreement between the Kingdom of Denmark and the United States of 1951.
Greenland belongs to its people. It is for Denmark and Greenland, and them only, to decide on matters concerning Denmark and Greenland.
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Albert Pinto @70sbachchan.bsky.social · 05/01/2026
Tooze disagrees that Resource imperialism is an explanation for Trumpists actions. Why not? 1 Assets are small. Oil is heavy & difficult to recover economically 2 Financial liabilities of VZ govt are large Concludes that trump likes "cosplaying" as imperialist adamtooze.substack.com/p/chartbook-...
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Andrew Downie @adowniebrazil.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
It's astonishing how the intelligent and accomplished people who lead our nations don't seem to realise that the more unable and unwilling they are to stand up to Trump, the more he'll take advantage of them. www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
theguardian.com
Europe’s failure to condemn Trump’s illegal aggression in Venezuela isn’t just wrong – it’s stupid | Nathalie Tocci
The more European countries act as colonies, unable and unwilling to stand up to Trump, the more they’ll be treated as such, says Guardian Europe columnist Nathalie Tocci
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Full video on the complete annihilation of the football pyramid / infrastructure in Gaza. Hundreds of footballers killed. Illegal matches by Israel on Palestinian land. The importance of football in Palestine and why Israel is targeting the sport. 🧵5/5 Read | Share 🙏 youtu.be/cfjDXFif8Yw?...
youtu.be
Gaza's Vanishing Stadiums. The Football Story That Is Being Ignored.
YouTube video by The Pitch Inspection
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The Pitch Inspection @thepitchinspection.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
To see the true extent of the damage caused to football infrastructure in Gaza by Israel watch the short video here ⤵️ Full video on next page. 🧵4/5 continue on. youtube.com/shorts/yqW2o...
youtube.com
Sanction Israeli football now. FIFA / UEFA must act. Like/Share video #football #news #worldcup
YouTube video by The Pitch Inspection
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Nick McGeehan @ncgeehan.bsky.social · 06/01/2026
Gianni Infantino: “We will help rebuild all football facilities in Gaza and Palestine. We will bring football back in every corner of the country.” Israel, meanwhile, is planning to demolish a pitch used by Palestinian children in Bethlehem's Aida refugee camp. www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-...
middleeasteye.net
Israel is threatening to demolish a popular West Bank youth football pitch
Football ground in Bethlehem's Aida refugee camp is built on land owned by the Armenian church in the shadow of the separation wall
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