Nike said Thursday it parted ways with Neymar last year after the superstar Brazil attacker “refused to cooperate in a good faith investigation” as the company probed an employee’s claim that he sexually assaulted her.

The apparel giant said in a statement that its investigation into the alleged 2016 incident — which was reported to the company in 2018 — was inconclusive.

“No single set of facts emerged that would enable us to speak substantively on the matter,” the company said.

In a Wall Street Journal article reporting the assault allegation, a spokeswoman for Neymar said the player denies the claim.

“Neymar Jr. will vigorously defend himself against these baseless attacks in case any claim is presented, which did not happen so far,” she said in a statement, adding that Nike and Neymar split for commercial reasons.

 Nike said otherwise in its statement.

“It would be inappropriate for Nike to make an accusatory statement without being able to provide supporting facts,” the company said, but added: “Nike ended its relationship with the athlete because he refused to cooperate in a good faith investigation of credible allegations of wrongdoing by an employee.”

The Wall Street Journal reported, citing documents and unnamed people, that Nike hired lawyers at Cooley LLP to conduct an investigation starting in 2019 and decided to stop featuring Neymar in marketing during the probe.

In its statement, the company said it was prepared to investigate in 2018 when the woman first came forward, but “respected the employee’s initial desire to keep this matter confidential and avoid an investigation.”

The firm therefore didn’t share information with law enforcement or any other third party until 2019, when she expressed an interest in pursuing the matter.

“We continue to respect the confidentiality of the employee and also recognize that this has been a long and difficult experience for her,” Nike said.

Neymar’s spokeswoman told the Wall Street Journal that the two parties had been in talks since 2019.

“It is very strange a case that was supposed to have happened in 2016, with allegations by a Nike employee, come to light only at that moment,” she told the newspaper.

Neymar’s father accused Nike of “blackmail.”

“We were surprised by something that happened in 2016,” the senior Neymar told Brazil’s Folha de Sao Paulo newspaper. “It’s all very strange now. Neymar doesn’t even know this girl, of course this came from Nike after we left.”

Nike did not give a reason when it terminated its contract with Neymar at the end of August 2020. The company had sponsored Neymar, 29, since he was a 13-year-old prodigy.

The superstar announced in September 2020 that he had signed an endorsement deal with Puma to become the German sportswear giant’s new poster boy.

Earlier this month, Neymar signed a contract extension with French champions Paris Saint-Germain that will keep him with the club until the end of the 2024-2025 season.

The Brazilian said he had “grown as a person, as a human being” since joining the club in 2017 from Barcelona for 222 million euros ($270 million) in what remains the most expensive transfer in history.

Neymar has claimed three Ligue 1 titles and two French Cups with PSG, although he has also provoked hostility from fans by saying he wanted to return to Barcelona.

His image as an eternal spoiled child was revived late last year by rumors, which he did not deny, of a giant year-end party he organized in his homeland in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic.

A young woman also filed a complaint against him for rape in 2019 — a case he vehemently denied and that was eventually dropped.

Source: AFP

Max Mosley, the former head of Formula One’s governing body, has died at the age of 81 after suffering from cancer, his family said on Monday.

“The family of Max Mosley can confirm that he died last night after a long battle with cancer. They ask to be allowed to grieve in private,” a family statement said.

His old friend and ally in the world of motor sport Bernie Ecclestone paid tribute.

“We were like brothers for 50 odd years,” Ecclestone, 90, told Reuters by telephone from Ibiza. “Better he’s gone than suffer the way he was suffering.”

The youngest son of Oswald Mosley, the leader of the British fascist movement in the 1930s, Mosley was a racing driver, team owner and lawyer before becoming president of the International Automobile Federation (FIA) in 1993.

He won a high-profile privacy case against the News of the World newspaper in 2008 after it said he had taken part in a “sick Nazi orgy”.

He later gave financial backing to the court costs of claimants in newspaper phone hacking cases.

The Oxford-educated Mosley and Ecclestone, who was the son of a trawlerman, forged a close alliance.

Together they formed a double act in running the sport as it grew from amateurish beginnings into a $1 billion business, while also pushing through much-needed safety measures.

“We had differences of opinions but we could talk to each other about them and sort them out, whatever they were,” said Ecclestone.

“He was a very straightforward guy, Max. Did a lot for the sport, did a lot for the general industry to make sure people were complying with the right regulations when they built road cars,” he said.

“If he thought something needed to be done, and someone needed to be punished, Max was the guy to do it.”

Such punishment famously included a $100 million fine for McLaren, who also lost all their constructors’ championship points, in a 2007 spying controversy involving Ferrari data.

Source: REUTERS

Argentine football icon Diego Maradona received inadequate medical care and was left to his fate for a “prolonged, agonizing period” before he died last year, an expert medical panel concluded Friday.

In a 70-page document, the panel stated that Maradona, who succumbed to a heart attack on November 25 at the age of 60, “started to die at least 12 hours before” the moment he was found dead in his bed.

Maradona died just weeks after undergoing brain surgery on a blood clot.

A panel of 20 experts was convened by Argentina’s public prosecutor to examine the cause of death and to determine if there had been any negligence.

Maradona’s neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque, psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov and psychologist Carlos Diaz are under investigation as well as two nurses, a nursing coordinator and a medical coordinator.

The finding could result in a case of wrongful death, and a prison sentence of up to 15 years if convicted.

The legal proceedings were prompted by a complaint filed by two of Maradona’s five daughters against Luque, whom they blamed for their father’s deteriorating condition after the brain operation.

Maradona underwent surgery on November 3, just four days after he celebrated his 60th birthday at the club he coached, Gimnasia y Esgrima.

However, he appeared in poor health then, and had trouble speaking.

‘Deficiencies and irregularities’

Maradona had battled cocaine and alcohol addictions during his life.

He was suffering from liver, kidney and cardiovascular disorders when he died.

Two of the football great’s daughters have accused Luque of responsibility in Maradona’s deteriorating health.

The panel concluded that Maradona “would have had a better chance of survival” with adequate treatment in an appropriate medical facility.

He died in his bed in a rented house in an exclusive Buenos Aires neighborhood, where he was receiving home care.

Maradona did not have “full use of his mental faculties” and should not have been left to decide where he would be treated, the experts said.

They also found that his treatment was rife with “deficiencies and irregularities” and the medical team had left his survival “to fate”.

Sebastian Sanchi, a former spokesman for Maradona, told AFP, “it is clear that the panel says that things were not done right.”

Maradona is an idol to millions of Argentines after he inspired the South American country to only its second World Cup triumph in 1986.

An attacking midfielder who spent two years with Spanish giants Barcelona, he is also loved in Naples where he helped Napoli win the only two Serie A titles in the club’s history.

Source: AFP

Japan has decided to stage this summer’s Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics without overseas spectators due to public concern about Covid-19, Kyodo news agency said on Tuesday, citing officials with knowledge of the matter.

The Tokyo 2020 games organising committee said in response that a decision would be made by the end of March.

The Olympics, postponed by a year because of the pandemic, are scheduled for July 23 to Aug. 8, and the Paralympics from Aug. 24 to Sept. 5.

Kyodo said the Japanese government had concluded that welcoming fans from abroad would not be possible given public concern about the coronavirus and the detection of more contagious variants in many countries, Kyodo cited the officials as saying.

The opening ceremony of the torch relay would also be held without any spectators, Kyodo said.

“The organising committee has decided it is essential to hold the ceremony in the northeastern prefecture of Fukushima behind closed doors, only permitting participants and invitees to take part in the event, to avoid large crowds forming amid the pandemic,” Kyodo said, quoting the officials.

Tokyo 2020 President Seiko Hashimoto has said she wants a decision on whether to let in overseas spectators before the start of the torch relay on March 25.

“Five parties, the IOC, the IPC (International Paralympic Committee), Tokyo 2020, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and the national government, came together for a meeting via online just last week,” the organising committee said in response to the Kyodo report.

“The decision regarding allowing spectators from overseas to attend the Tokyo 2020 Games will be made by the end of March based on factors including the state of infections in Japan and other countries, possible epidemic-prevention measures, and expert scientific advice will be considered.”

Public wary

In the last Olympic Games, the 2018 Winter Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea, local fans accounted for 80 percent of all ticket sales, with international fans buying 20 percent.

While coronavirus infection numbers have been relatively low in Japan compared with the United States and many European countries, the country has been hit hard by the third wave of the pandemic and Tokyo remains under a state of emergency.

Japan has recorded more than 441,200 Covid-19 cases since the start of the pandemic, with the death toll at more than 8,300.

Most Japanese people do not want international visitors to attend the Games amid fears that a large influx could spark a resurgence of infections, a Yomiuri newspaper poll showed.

The survey showed 77% of respondents were against allowing foreign fans to attend, versus 18% in favour.

Some 48% said they were against allowing any spectators into venues and 45% were in favour.

Source: REUTERS

Argentina’s public prosecutor’s office will convene a medical board on March 8 to decide whether or not late football legend Diego Maradona was given proper treatment before his death, legal sources said on Tuesday.

Maradona died of a heart attack on November 25, weeks after undergoing brain surgery on a blood clot.

Investigators are trying to determine whether or not there was negligence in Maradona’s health care before he died.

Nine experts will be called on March 8 including the medical examiners that took part in Maradona’s autopsy.

The public prosecutor in San Isidro, a suburb of the capital Buenos Aires, has also called two more witnesses to appear before investigators on Thursday: a nursing coordinator and the doctor tasked with coordinating Maradona’s home care during the days before he died.

Five other people, including neurosurgeon Leopoldo Luque and psychiatrist Agustina Cosachov, are already under investigation in the involuntary manslaughter probe.

The latest two people included in the investigation were members of a WhatsApp chat group discussing Maradona’s care, local media reported.

Two of Maradona’s daughters — Gianinna, 31, and Jana, 24 — will also appear before prosecutors on Thursday.

They have accused Luque of responsibility in Maradona’s deteriorating health.

A first autopsy conducted the day Maradona died found he had suffered from liquid on the lungs with acute heart failure brought on by a disease of the heart muscles that makes it harder to pump blood. His heart was twice the normal size.

Maradona is an idol to millions of Argentines after he inspired the South American country to only its second World Cup triumph in 1986.

An attacking midfielder who spent two years with Spanish giants Barcelona, he is also loved in Naples where he helped Napoli win the only two Serie A titles in the club’s history.

He was coach of Argentine top flight outfit Gimnasia y Esgrima when he died.

He had celebrated his 60th birthday on October 30 at the club but looked in poor physical health and seemed to have trouble speaking.

Sources close to Maradona said he suffered from depression during eight months of coronavirus restrictions that confined him to home as he was considered a high-risk person.

Maradona was suffering from liver, kidney and cardiovascular disorders when he died.

He had battled cocaine and alcohol addictions during his life.

Source:  AFP

Organisers would have wanted to use the Club World Cup as a demonstration of readiness for next year’s World Cup in Qatar, highlighting gleaming infrastructure and a soft touch with fans from abroad.

Instead foreign supporters were banned and all eyes were on strict coronavirus containment measures that followed high-profile outbreaks at the AFC Champions League and recent Australian Open qualifiers played in the Gulf state.

While the measures were lauded by FIFA as a success, Bayern Munich star Thomas Mueller tested positive for the virus and at least two members of the Al-Ahly delegation went down with Covid-19.

New coronavirus cases grew 18 percent nationwide in the eight days of the tournament compared to the same period the week before as health officials warned of a second wave.

A new lockdown could now be on the horizon, medical sources have told AFP.

However, confident authorities said ahead of the tournament that stringent testing requirements at a recent domestic cup final, similar to those in place for the Club World Cup, showed that the risk of the virus spreading at such an event could be contained.

– Measures still in place for World Cup? –

The day before the competition was due to get underway, Qatar announced a tightening of restrictions including a reduction of spectator capacity at stadiums to 20 percent.

However because the Club World Cup had secured approval to stage matches with stadiums at 30 percent capacity prior to the new rules, it was permitted to proceed with larger crowds, an official source told AFP.

“One hundred percent security never exists, but we can do whatever we can to go very close to this,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino told AFP in Doha during the tournament.

For the first time he also raised the prospect of coronavirus measures being enforced during the 2022 World Cup but insisted stadiums would be full.

The Club World Cup played out as Doha underwent a relative cold snap with temperatures in the evening, when matches were played, dipping below 20 degrees Celsius (68 Fahrenheit).

Next year the World Cup itself will be staged in November and December when conditions are likely to be similarly mild.

The two gleaming brand-new stadiums used for the Club World Cup — Education City and Ahmad bin Ali Stadium — also won plaudits from visiting players and managers.

So far Qatar has inaugurated three new venues and one refurbished ground with four still to open, most likely later this year. All of them boast state-of-the art air conditioning.

It was also revealed just ahead of the tournament that alcohol would be available at venues — albeit only in VIP hospitality suites pending a decision on general ticket holders’ access to drinks.

There was however no repeat of the boozy fan zones which proved popular with fans during the 2019 Club World Cup as all events away from matches were cancelled to stop the spread of Covid-19.

– Progress on human rights ‘limited’ –

While the large contingent of Al-Ahly fans who call Qatar home made stadiums feel more than 30 percent full, there was little else in Doha to suggest a major tournament was underway.

The limited number of fans attending matches also meant key aspects of Qatar’s 2022 infrastructure did not face an acid test.

The involvement of Bayern, both in the tournament and at previous training camps in Qatar, drew scrutiny from supporter groups and rights activists. Bayern have a shirt sponsorship deal with Qatar Airways.

In February 2020, labour activists Fair Square wrote to Bayern chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge urging the club to take a stand on workers’ rights issues.

Fair Square claimed that despite some progress, including reform pledges backed by the International Labour Organization, “progress has been limited in scope and as yet not effective in implementation”.

Qatari authorities stress that Amnesty International credits Qatar with meaningful labour reforms.

They include a new minimum wage due to begin this month, and scrapping requirements for managerial approval for staff changing companies.

Some migrant workers still complain of unpaid wages and being charged illegal recruitment fees.

Source: AFP

Odion Ighalo has written an emotional Manchester United farewell message as his time at Old Trafford comes to an end.

The 31-year-old striker’s loan from Chinese side Shanghai Shenhua expires at the end of this month.

The Nigeria international joined United in January last year on an initial six-month deal that was later extended to 12 months.

Ighalo scored five goals in 18 appearances during the 2019-20 campaign as he proved a useful back-up option for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

However, the arrival of Edinson Cavani in the summer transfer window has restricted Ighalo to only one Premier League outing this season, with Solskjaer confirming his loan will not be extended beyond January.

Ighalo has now posted a heartfelt message on Instagram, which reads: “It’s so hard to see this dream come to an end.

But I give God the glory for helping me fulfill this life long dream of putting on a Manchester United shirt as a player and represent this great club, it was indeed an honor I will forever cherish and be grateful for.

“To the manager (Solskjaer) I say thank you for trusting and believing in me when many did not, to my amazing team mates I will miss you guys, it was always fun and a time I look forward to training and spending time with all of you.

“And I pray we win the league and FA Cup this year.”

Source: Africa News

Support for holding the coronavirus-postponed Tokyo Olympics this summer has hit a new low in Japan, a poll found Sunday as the country battles a third wave of infections.

Just over 80 percent of those asked by Kyodo news agency said the huge global event should be cancelled or postponed again — a jump from around 60 percent in a December 6 survey by the same outlet.

Kyodo said the survey asked 1,041 participants nationwide, who were selected by random dialling.

Tokyo 2020 organisers have said another delay is out of the question and are insisting the Games will go ahead despite a state of emergency declared in the greater Tokyo area this week over a surge in Covid-19 cases.

In Sunday’s national telephone poll, around 35 percent of people told Kyodo they favoured outright cancellation, while some 45 percent said the event should be postponed a second time.

The month-long emergency in the capital and surrounding regions is less strict than harsh lockdowns seen elsewhere in the world and primarily targets restaurants and bars, which have been asked to close early.

Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said this week that Japan is committed to holding a “safe and secure” Olympics.

He said he believed the public mood will change when the country begins vaccinations, currently scheduled for late February.

But senior International Olympic Committee official Dick Pound told the BBC he could not “be certain” the Games will go ahead, because “the ongoing elephant in the room would be the surges in the virus”.

Public sentiment towards the Olympics in Japan has been less than optimistic for months.

Two polls in July showed the majority thought the event should be postponed again or cancelled, while a survey released in December by national broadcaster NHK found that only 27 percent of respondents supported holding the Games in 2021.

Source: AFP