Wonderful Italian story.

I Mondiali più costosi di sempre – Ultimo Uomo Se volete andare negli Stati Uniti per i Mondiali, preparatevi a spendere gran parte dei vostri risparmi.

The #2026WorldCup is a gigantic scam.

I wrote about that awful situation on L'Ultimo Uomo (in Italian): "The Most Expensive World Cup Ever".

ultimouomo.com/mondiali-big...

Another case of a professional football player on trial fro sexual violence, this time in Spain. I'll give you a heads up: there will be another one tomorrow, in Italy (again).

Il calcio e la cultura dello stupro - Valigia Blu “Non te la prendere”: nelle quattro parole che Giorgio Micheletti ha detto a Greta Beccaglia, la giornalista molestata da dei tifosi all’uscita da Empoli-Fiorentina, c’è qualcosa in più di una leggere...

5 years ago, I wrote an article for @valigiablu.it about the rape culture in football (or soccer, as you prefer). It's sad to note that, at least in Italy, things haven't improved at all since then. Indeed, the issue continues to be largely underestimated.

www.valigiablu.it/calcio-cultu...

🚨 BREAKING: Hungary violated EU law when it banned children from accessing LGBTQ+ content, the Court of Justice of the EU has ruled.

Read the full story: politico.eu/article/eu-t...

Another funny football-politics story from Italy.

A little-known fact about Italian #racism: some people in my country still don't accept as Italian those who come from the far north-east, on the border with Austria, like Jannik Sinner.

"Sinner is not like us. He's not even what we'd like to become." (And this should be a "positive" article!)

A small, amateur club became the first in Italian football to wear a jersey with a symbol to support the LGBTQIA+ community, yesterday.

In Italy we have this football player under trial for gang rape: on Thursday he was sentenced on appeal to six years; today, he's playing as team captain in 2nd tier.

❤️

The story of the day: Brazilian football and Communism. Enjoy!

If you are in #Rome today, I'll be there soon.

A tra poco!

Quite interesting that FIFA is criticising Democrats governors and mayors, while it's boss is a well-known Trump's puppet.

Cos’hanno fatto le altre nazionali di calcio europee per superare le crisi Negli anni Francia, Spagna e Germania hanno cambiato lo sviluppo dei giovani calciatori, con modelli diversi a cui l'Italia potrebbe rifarsi

🇮🇹 Italian football needs to change. We need to do what they did in Germany/France/Spain. Yes, but what did they actually do?

It might take you all weekend to read this, but here's an attempt to answer this question. Mine on @ilpost.it (in Italian).

www.ilpost.it/2026/04/17/a...

🇸🇦 Al Hilal (the club managed by Simone Inzaghi) was sold yesterday by PIF to Alwaleed bin Talal, the richest man in the Arab world: his takeover had already been anticipated in January in my newsletter THE BEAUTIFUL SHAME.

You can learn more here: pallonateinfaccia.substack.com/p/al-hilal-n...

THE BEAUTIFUL SHAME is my newsletter (in English) about football, politics, and human rights in #SaudiArabia. You can read and subscribe for free (so go ahead, please), but you can also become a paid subscriber and support my work.

👉 pallonateinfaccia.substack.com

🇸🇦 In 1997, Time called him the "Arab Warren Buffett": since yesterday, Alwaleed bin Talal is the owner of Al Hilal, but already in January I reported in my newsletter that the takeover was imminent.

For more information: pallonateinfaccia.substack.com/p/al-hilal-n...

I grew up watching African top footballers playing in Europe: today, I talk about them in the new episode of my podcast on the critical and political history of football. Enjoy!

With this brief and cold statement, Condé Nast CEO Roger Lynch is closing Wired Italy today. On the same day of the Italian journalists' strike. How bitter.

Solidarity with my colleagues.

Il caso Portanova Da qualche mese, uno dei temi che maggiormente ha fatto discutere sul profilo Twitter di Pallonate in Faccia è l’accusa di stupro ai danni di Manolo Portanova, 22enne centrocampista del Genoa…

I dedicated a long article about this story, speaking strictly of the facts surrounding this process, which unfortunately seems to be just the tip of the iceberg of a bigger problem.

pallonateinfaccia.com/2022/12/04/i...

We have this situation in Italy: a pro football player on trial for gang rape since 2021, still playing regularly in the 2nd division. Convicted the first time in 2022, today the sentence has been confirmed. But he will continue playing until the Supreme Court verdict.

Paul Kagame's regime will win the #ChampionsLeague even this years.

Sui social Giorgia Meloni è diventata un’icona internazionale per delle cose che non ha mai detto | Facta Una vasta rete di content farm ha attribuito alla presidente del Consiglio italiana spericolate dichiarazioni contro Stati Uniti e Israele

Una vasta rete di content farm ha attribuito alla presidente del Consiglio italiana spericolate dichiarazioni contro Stati Uniti e Israele | @simofons.bsky.social

I experienced football as a blind fan - it was harder than I ever imagined Glasses, telescopes, and the power of crowd noise - my day at Wigan Athletic taught me how technology holds the key for fans registered blind, and proved football must do better

On Saturday, I experienced a live game as a blind supporter does. It was one of the most fascinating days I've had in football.

These are the things I learned, and some of them are important.

inews.co.uk/sport/footba...

I realize now that Orbán has been working for years to have a #ChampionsLeague final in Budapest: it will be in 2026, and in the meantime he lost the elections. We are celebrating.

BFC Dublin published the video on other platforms (X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook) but not here: I downloaded the video from X, because I believe it's important to tell these stories. Football doesn't exist in a vacuum.

It seems Bluesky censored the video @bfcdublin.bsky.social did on Israeli violence in Gaza for the campaign against Ireland-Israel on October 4th.

Historic! Nashville SC's win at Estadio Azteca Nashville are the first MLS team to ever win a match at the legendary Mexico City stadium

Nashville SC are the first MLS club to ever win a match in Mexico City's Azteca Stadium. They're just the 14th MLS club to make it to the Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals, and they're looking to become the second to ever win the tournament.

One of my favorite stories about football & politics.