Football features

ARGENTINA’S World Cup qualifier at home to Brazil on Tuesday night is unlikely to descend into September’s farce in Sao Paulo – when the game was interrupted by Brazilian health officials seeking to expel Argentina’s Premier League players.This one will go the full ninety minutes – and looks like a rare treat.
Messi and Neymar will lock horns as Argentina and Brazil face each other in a World Cup qualifierCredit: Alamy
Brazil have already qualified for Qatar, and Argentina have all but mathematically booked their place.
There is no pressure, then, of a desperate search for points. Instead, there is the opportunity to prepare for the World Cup by taking on a top quality rival – both teams are unbeaten in the marathon campaign.
And there is also the question of bragging rights between two of the world’s great football nations, the countries that can claim to have produced the best ever players in the history of the global game.
This is what makes Argentina vs Brazil so special. There is no background of war between them. It is pure footballing rivalry.
Not including the aborted game in Sao Paulo, this will be the ninth World Cup qualifier between them. It is a tradition that only began in the current century, with the 2002 campaign.
And while Argentina won the recent Copa America on Brazilian soil, beating the hosts in the final, when it comes to World Cup qualification, there is no doubt that Brazil are on top.

EPIC OFFER GET 50 FREE SPINS WITH POKERSTARS CASINO (T&Cs apply. 18+)

They have won four games to Argentina’s two, with two matches drawn, scoring 16 goals and conceding eight.
Three of the goals they scored came from one of the finest individual displays I have ever seen.
It was mid 2004, and the teams were meeting in the Germany 2006 qualifiers. The great, original Ronaldo had worked out the importance of the occasion.
This was to be the biggest match he ever played for his country on home soil – and it took place in what, for him, was a second home. The venue was the Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte, the venue where a decade earlier he first made his name as a skinny kid with Cruzeiro.
By 2004, of course, he was no longer a skinny kid. He had blown up into perhaps the best match of pace and power running with the ball that the game has ever seen, and he was inspired by the occasion.
TIME FOR ARGENTINA?
Marcelo Bielsa’s Argentina played most of the football, weaving pretty patterns all over the field. But they simply could not cope with Ronaldo. Three times he burst through the defence. Three times he was fouled. Three times he picked himself up to score from the penalty spot.
A year later Ronaldo was out of action and not part of the squad that travelled down to Buenos Aires for the return match. By this time Bielsa had resigned, and his replacement Jose Pekerman was building a team round the subtle talents of playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme.
Brazil picked an ultra-attacking side, gave Riquelme too much room and found themselves 3-0 down at half time. They roared back after the break.
Roberto Carlos scored a screamer from a free kick, Adriano hit the post, but 3-1 was the final score at the end of another classic from the great South American rivals.
It is the last time that Argentina beat Brazil in World Cup qualification. They will hope to put that right on Tuesday. We neutrals should just be hoping for a game worthy of the tradition.
Brazil legend Ronaldo scored a hat-trick of penalties against Argentina in a 2004 qualifierCredit: AP:Associated Press
Hernan Crespo was one of the scorers last time Argentina beat Brazil in a World Cup qualifierCredit: AFP More

PANINI football stickers were so big in the 80s that even the tooth fairy got involved.This reporter can recall vividly the thrill of lifting up the pillow to find that he had been left two yellow Football 81 packets instead of the customary 10p piece.
Football legends Bobby Moore, George Best, Pele and Diego Maradona as Panini stickers
Giuseppe Panini (second from the right) founded Panini with his brother Benito in 1961[
Countless memories like this – remember the smell of them – come flooding back as you look through a new book celebrating 60 years of Panini’s relationship with football.
What began as two brothers from Modena, Italy, selling cards became a multinational, multi-million-pound phenomenon.
And it still is, with The Sun offering free World Cup 2022 stickers to all readers this weekend.
From the launch of the first UK-specific album in 1978 up until 1993, collecting Panini stickers was an essential part of being a football fan.
Greg Lansdowne, author of Panini Football Stickers: The Official Celebration, said: “There were a few other staples – magazines such as Shoot, Match Weekly and Roy of the Rovers, plus football programmes.
“But Panini stickers had the most community spirit. Everything else divided but they brought football supporters together.
Managers who featured include Pep Guardiola, Antonio Conte, Arsene Wenger and Carlo Ancelotti
TV pundits as they appeared in Panini albums when they were players
“It didn’t matter which team a player played for, every sticker was worth getting.
“Everyone was in it together, everyone wanted to finish the album and everyone wanted to help each other.”
At the heart of the fun was swapping. Playgrounds up and down the country echoed with cries of, “Got, got, need”.
Every school had its own rules about how many normal stickers were worth a badge, foil or ‘shiny’ (in 1981 at St Mary’s in Royston, Hertfordshire, it was usually two).
As Lansdowne, 47, writes: “Swapping was a rite of passage that provided a whole range of life lessons far more character-building than endless hours spent trying to decipher algebra or fumbling with a Bunsen burner.
Some of the crazy moustaches that appeared over the years
Big hair was a big thing in the 1980s

“Diplomacy, persistence, perseverance, fortitude – all of these character traits and more were required to survive the law of the Panini jungle.”
In an era before the internet and wall-to-wall TV coverage of football, Panini albums were the best way to find out what players looked like.
The World Cup and European Championship editions provided first glimpses of the kind of exotic foreign stars who would later flood into English football as players.
Or as managers – it is fun to see Pep Guardiola and Antonio Conte with their original hair.
By 1987, Panini was selling 100million packets of football stickers a year in the UK alone.
Panini stickers show off some weird and wonderful haircuts
England legends Stuart Pearce, Paul Gascoigne, Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer
Stars of today including Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gareth Bale, Mohamed Salah and Neymar
The company lost the Premier League rights in 1994 but the international tournament albums maintained their presence.
And the company’s embracing of digital technology means they have become stronger than ever by adding a new generation of collectors.
The first virtual album was produced for the 2006 World Cup, with online swapping, player rating games and non-fungible tokens (NFTs) – a sort of digital proof of ownership – bringing football stickers into the 21st century.
Lansdowne, who also wrote Stuck On You, about the rise, fall and rise of Panini, said: “The revival began with Germany 2006. In the UK alone,
Brazil 2014 was back to the 100million packet mark and around the world it was their biggest seller ever.
Stuck on you60 YEARS OF PANINI
1961 Brothers Giuseppe and Benito Panini start selling cards of Italian players under brand name Calciatori -“footballers”.
1970 First World Cup album, mostly containing cards but some stickers.
1974 All sticker “Munchen 74” World Cup album.
1977 Euro Football is free in the UK with Shoot.
1978 First UK-specific album, Football 78.
1989 Robert Maxwell buys company for £96million.
2006 First virtual album for World Cup in Germany.
2011 First women’s World Cup album.

“Panini pulled off a masterstroke by giving away albums for the first time. Lots of people, especially lapsed older collectors, saw them and thought, I’ll give it a go.
“They enjoyed it so much they’ve been doing all the albums since.”
Now interest in the stickers is set to hit a whole new level, thanks in part to the pandemic.
Lansdowne explained: “In America, there’s a big culture of collecting cards for investment, particularly sports cards.
Some of the album covers through the years
“About 18 months ago, lots of
Americans in lockdown decided they were going to collect football stickers and cards.
“As a result, the prices, especially for the really big names, have risen exponentially.
“A few months ago, a version of Diego Maradona’s first Panini sticker sold for $555,960 (more than £400,000) in America.
David Beckham’s various hairstyle over the decades
Diego Maradona through the years
“We haven’t even seen the tip of the iceberg. When the World Cup is in America in 2026, I think it’s going to explode even more.”
That means it is going to be difficult ? and expensive ? for Lansdowne to complete all the unfinished albums he found at his parents’ house a decade ago.
But he and millions of others will continue to collect Panini products.
Lansdowne said: “You still can’t beat getting a card or a sticker with a player from your favourite club.
“Whereas in the old days we were reliant on our parents to give us money to get a couple of packets, we can buy whole boxes and almost live out our childhood dreams.”
And we all “got, got need” to do that once in a while.

Another Panini brother, Umberto, invented the Fifimatic, a machine that ensured stickers were distributed randomly into packets.
Juventus defender Carlo Parola, known as ‘Mr Bicycle Kick’, was thought to be the player depicted on the iconic Panini packets. In fact, he was one of a number of inspirations.
The only player to feature in every UK Panini album from 1978 to 1993 was Bryan Robson (West Brom and Manchester United).
The Football 83 sticker bearing the name of Manchester United’s Arthur Albiston actually carried an image of team-mate Kevin Moran.
When Panini asked for images for the first women’s World Cup album in 2011, the Mexican FA initially sent photos of the men’s team.

Panini Football Stickers: The Official Celebration by Panini and Greg Lansdowne (Bloomsbury Sport, hardback) releases on Thursday, November 25 and is available to pre-order now.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been one of the most popular stickers More

ASTON VILLA part-owner Wes Edens is used to winning.After all, his basketball franchise the Milwaukee Bucks were crowned NBA champions this year.
Wes Edens is part-owner of Aston VillaCredit: Rex Features
The 60-year-old, believed to have a fortune of around £1billion, owns a luxury boutique hotel and ski resort in millionaire’s playground Jackson Hole, Wyoming – where the Kardashians once stayed.
His stunning daughter Mallory, if not seen courtside cheering on the Bucks, is posing for fashion shoots as a model.
Edens also went into business with NBA legend Michael Jordan and launched tequila brand Cincoro.
While his next mission is to bring an MLS team to Las Vegas.
BILLIONAIRE BOY
Edens made his money as a private equity investor, before founding a energy company.
His first foray in sport came in 2014, when he joined forces with partner Marc Lasry to buy the Bucks from Herb Kohl for around £400million.
They said they would keep the team in Wisconsin, as well as build a new 18,000 capacity arena.
The latter promise was delivered in 2018, when the Fiserv Forum opened its doors for the first time.
This year, Edens tasted his first success as the Bucks won the NBA Finals by defeating the Phoenix Suns.
Milwaukee Bucks owner Edens celebrates winning the NBA FinalsCredit: Getty
Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris and Edens took over from Chinese businessman Tony Xia in 2018Credit: Aston Villa
Aston Villa were promoted to the Premier League in 2019 – with Edens in attendance at WembleyCredit: Getty
It’s now been three years since he joined forces with Egyptian billionaire Nassef Sawiris to take over from Chinese businessman Tony Xia.
In that time, they’ve eased Villa’s financial woes, made sensible board room decisions, including hiring Christian Purslow, who is credited with bringing Steven Gerrard to the club, as chief executive.
Promotion from the Championship was also achieved in 2019.
ON THE PISTE
A keen skier, Edens was a regular visitor to beautiful, mountainous Jackson Hole in Wyoming, where A-list stars go to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
He loved it so much, he decided to build his own sky lodge and alpine club called Caldera House.
The hotel boasts four four-bedroom suites and four two-bedroom suites, so it’s incredibly intimate and private.
There’s also a lobby lounge, two restaurants, and a spa that features a cedar sauna, fitness studio, heated outdoor infinity plunge, and lots of treatments.
The smallest suite will set you back £1,200-per-night.
The amazing Caldera House is a premium sky lodge in Jackson Hole, WyomingCredit: Caldera House
The luxurious sky resort is often visited by A-list stars, including the KardashiansCredit: Caldera House
Suites cost up to £1,200Credit: Caldera House
Caldera House offers incredible views of the mountains of Jackson HoleCredit: Caldera House
Caldera House featured in Keeping Up With The Kardashians in 2019, when Kim, Kourtney, Khloe, Kendall and Kris Jenner stayed there for an episode of their reality TV series.
Other celeb fans include supermodel Gigi Hadid.
MODEL DAUGHTER
Mixing in similar circles, Eden’s daughter Mallory, 25, is a model too.
She is signed up to Elite in New York, where she poses for photoshoots and at 5ft10in is catwalk ready.
Mallory has over 500,000 followers on Instagram, who she shares her amazing lifestyle with.
Often, she can be seen at her dad’s sky lodge.
While, the stunner isn’t afraid to show off her amazing bikini body on social media.
Mallory is a keen Bucks supporter, sometimes sat courtside, cheering the team on.
Mallory Edens is a model for Elite in New York CityCredit: Instagtram malloryedens
Edens and her dad are often seen courtside at the BucksCredit: Getty
TEQUILA

In 2016, Edens set up Cincoro Tequila, along with Chicago Bulls icon Michael Jordan and basketball rivals, Wyc Grousbeck, Jeanie Buss and Emilia Fazzalari.
It was born out of a chance meeting between the five at an Italian restaurant, when they exchanged pleasantries and talked about their favourite alcoholic drinks.
Tequila was the common denominator, so they put their allegiances to one side and established the business.
It’s one of the most expensive tequilas around, with bottles sold for around £100.
There’s also a special £1,500 bottle for the real tequila connoisseurs.
VIVA LAS VEGAS
Edens has clearly caught the football bug.
His next project is to set up an MLS franchise in Las Vegas, with the expansion of the league in 2023 to 30 teams.
Sacramento pulled out, which gave Edens an in and he quickly registered the name Las Vegas Villains and declared his interest.
The idea could see a football team share the 60,000 capacity Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL team the Raiders.
Edens owns Cincoro Tequila with NBA rivals’ bosses and Michael JordanCredit: Getty
Under Edens and Sawiris Aston Villa have a bright futureCredit: Getty Images – Getty
With the attraction of tourists, it would possibly be a huge pull for overseas fans.
However, they face competition from other cities including San Diego and Phoenix.
But if successful, Villa fans could find themselves having a second team – and having a jolly in Nevada.
Steven Gerrard confirmed as new Aston Villa boss in huge move from Rangers More

DANIEL KRETINSKY has completed his purchase of a 27 per cent stake of West Ham United to become their second largest shareholder.Kretinsky, 46, has now joined the board with his business associate Pavel Horsky, along with joint-chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold and vice-chair Karren Brady.
Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky has bought a 27 per cent stake at West HamCredit: PA
“I am delighted this detailed process has now been successfully concluded,” he said.
“I am passionate about football. I greatly appreciate and respect the exceptional history and tradition of West Ham United as well as its loyal and passionate supporter base and also the highly inspiring role it plays in many social programmes and initiatives.”
The Czech businessman, believed to be worth £3billion, already has a stranglehold on British business.
He owns the most shares in Royal Mail and second most in supermarket chain Sainsbury’s.
In 2004, he became chairman of Czech giants Sparta Prague, and he’s a media tycoon – owning newspapers in his homeland, as well as in France.
Although he keeps his personal life private, he is reportedly dating Olympic showjumper Anna Kellnerova, who is 22 years his junior.
SPECIAL DELIVERY
The ‘Czech Sphinx’, as Kretinsky has been called because of his inscrutable nature, made his money in energy through his company EPH, which he expanded to our shores.
EPH owns four power plants in the UK, in Eggborough in North Yorkshire, Lynemouth in Northumberland, Langage in Devon and South Humber Bank in Lincolnshire.
Worth £3billion, Kretinsky has been nicknamed the ‘Czech Sphinx’ in businessCredit: AFP
In 2020, Kretinsky amassed a £250million stake in Royal MailCredit: Getty
Kretinsky has a 10 per cent stake in British supermarket Sainsbury’sCredit: Getty
In 2020, the law graduate increased his shares in Royal Mail – amassing a £250million stake in the historic FTSE250 company.
A month later, his holding company Vesa Equity Investment Sarl became the second largest shareholder of J Sainsbury, when they acquired a ten per cent stake in the supermarket chain.
Kretinsky, who appears to be playing real-life Monopoly, also struck deals to own US trainer store Foot Locker, as well as American shopping centre Macy’s.
Expect West Ham merch to feature highly in both.
FAMOUS WAG
The talk of the Czech tabloids is Kretinsky’s romance with Olympic showjumper Anna Kellnerova.
Just 24, she is the daughter of his former EPH business partner Petr Kellner, who died in a helicopter crash earlier this year and was the richest man in Czech Republic.
She also attended the International School of Prague, the same as Kretinsky’s son.
A twice national champion, Kellnerova recently competed at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with the Czech Equestrian Team.
It was her father Petr who installed her hardworking values and encouraged her to follow her equestrian dream.
Anna Kellnerova is Kretinsky’s girlfriendCredit: Getty
The 24-year-old is the daughter of Kretinsky’s former business partner Petr KellnerCredit: Getty
Kellner was formerly the richest man in Czech Republic before his death in a helicopter crashCredit: EPA
She said: “He told me that I have to work hard in life, I have to be kind, respectful and happy with what I do.
“Because if you are not happy, you will never be able to put as much energy into work as you need.”
MEDIA MOGUL
The media landscape in Czech Republic and France has a Kretinsky flavour to it.
EPH owns several publications, including the daily tabloid Blesk, which is run out of Prague.
While over in Paris, magazines Elle and Marianne are also under the Kretinsky umbrella.
French afternoon newspaper Le Monde is also part of his media stable.
HE’S ALREADY IN FOOTBALL
For 17 years, Kretinsky has been chairman of world-renowned Czech club Sparta Prague, where the likes of Tomas Rosicky and Pavel Nedved made their name.
However, his time there hasn’t gone as smoothly as hoped, with only four league titles since taking over in 2004.
There was also a fallout with former West Ham favourite, Tomas Repka.
After the hot-headed defender was dumped by the club, he sensationally revealed how he conceded a penalty against a title-rival on purpose.
“At that precise moment I was not thinking straight. I hurt the team as a whole. But I was fuelled by human vanity, and I wanted to settle a score with Mr Kretinsky,” Repka said.
Kretinsky owns several media publications in his homeland and FranceCredit: AFP
Sparta Prague legend Tomas Rosicky meets with KretinskyCredit: PA
Kretinsky will be hoping for more success with West Ham than he’s had at Sparta PragueCredit: PA

“He didn’t behave fairly to me when I was leaving Sparta, so I promised him I’d get him back. Hopefully I succeeded.”
With West Ham flying high in the Premier League, Kretinsky will be hopeful for bigger and better things with the Hammers.
While Kurt Zouma seems far more amiable than ex-hardman Repka.
Pep Guardiola lauds ‘fantastic’ David Moyes More