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German FA headquarters searched in Euro 2024 graft probe

FRANKFURT: Investigators raided Germany’s football association headquarters and other locations across the country Wednesday as part of a probe into corruption linked to the Euro 2024 tournament. The case centers on allegations that employees of cities in Germany, which hosted the competition, were illegally invited to matches and received tickets on preferential terms from the organizers, police and prosecutors said. The DFB football association confirmed its Frankfurt headquarters were searched. Officials did not say which other places were targeted but the Bild tabloid reported that several city administrations, including in Berlin, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Munich, were raided as well as companies. “The subject of the investigation is unauthorized benefits that were allegedly granted, including in the form of attendance at an international football match,” police and prosecutors in North Rhine-Westphalia state said in a statement. A suspect working for a host city is accused of receiving these benefits “from persons responsible at the organizing company,” it said. “In addition, the host cities are said to have been offered exclusive pre-purchase rights for tickets by those responsible at the organizing company.” Euro 2024 took place in cities across Germany in June and July 2024. The news of the probe came two days after four-time champions Germany suffered a shock exit at the World Cup, eliminated on penalties by minnows Paraguay.

France look like World Cup juggernaut with fearsome foursome of Mbappé, Dembélé, Olize and Barcola

NEW JERSEY, USA: France’s fearsome foursome of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olize and Bradley Barcola leaves opponents exclaiming: Sacré bleu! “Their four up front is the best in the competition by far,” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said. France became the first nation to score three or more goals in five consecutive World Cup matches when they beat Sweden 3-0 Tuesday and advanced to a round of 16 match against Paraguay this weekend. Seeking to reach their third straight World Cup final, Les Bleus are a favorite to dethrone defending champion Argentina. “There is something that we cannot hide, that we have a lot of quality in the team,” French midfielder N’Golo Kanté said. ”But I think it’s the same for many other teams.

World Cup’s smallest venue in Toronto ready for its grand finale

TORONTO: Portugal and Croatia’s World Cup last-32 clash on Thursday could be Cristiano Ronaldo or Luka Modric’s final game on soccer’s biggest stage, and the massive moment will unfold at the tournament’s smallest venue. If there was any skepticism about how the 43,036-seat Toronto Stadium would hold up against its much bigger counterparts in the US and Mexico, that was squashed by electric atmospheres, sellout crowds and special moments in the five group matches it hosted. Toronto Stadium is not the grandest venue, but what it lacks in size it makes up for by bringing fans closer to the action and players, with few bad seats in the house. Before ‌hosting World ‌Cup matches, the home of Major League Soccer’s Toronto FC underwent a ‌C$158 ⁠million ($111.4 million) facelift ⁠to bring its capacity up to tournament standards, and those temporary changes are paying off. Soccer fan James Cuthbert said the venue did not feel like a World Cup stadium in March when Canada played Iceland in a friendly as it was still being renovated. But when he returned for Senegal and Iraq’s group match last Friday, he was impressed. “It feels different, it feels more like a world-class stadium,” said Cuthbert, who also attended the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Cuthbert and his ⁠wife were sitting in the back row of a 200-level section at ‌Toronto Stadium but were very happy with the view. “We’re (in) ‌the very highest seats but it feels amazing,” he said.

Heavyweight boxing enters a new era after Usyk vacates his belts. Here’s where they’re all headed

BEIRUT: Heavyweight boxing is entering a new era after Oleksandr Usyk’s decided to stand down as unified champion and sent his belts to different parts of the world. That’s given a bunch of globally unheralded fighters the chance to emerge from the shadows in the sport’s glamor division. Usyk recently vacated his WBA, IBF and WBC heavyweight world titles “ahead of stepping into the ring for my final fight” — without saying who that “last dance,” as he put it, would be against. “I want to make them available,” the unbeaten Ukrainian said of his belts, “so the guys who are next in line can fight for them.” So, who are they? Here’s a look at where the belts are headed in a division that has been blown wide open as Usyk — the dominant heavyweight force for the last five years — takes a new direction and established stars like Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury are seemingly in the twilight of their careers. Germany’s first heavyweight champ in nearly a century Agit Kabayel didn’t even have to fight to become world champion. The 33-year-old German was recognized as the new WBC champion last weekend, his ascension capping a steady rise in his 15-year undefeated professional career. Over the past few years Kabayel has collected various regional heavyweight titles — European, Continental Americas, Mediterranean — amid a run of 27 straight wins. Now he has been gifted the big one before fight No.

D-U-N-S Number as an international business identifier: why Ukrainian companies need it

Ukrainian companies that enter foreign markets, work with international corporations, investors, banks or participate in tenders are increasingly facing the need to have a business identifier that is understandable to the world. One such tool is the D-U-N-S Number — a unique nine-digit company number in the global Dun & Bradstreet system.

Promoted Hull sell Pandur and Shehu to satisfy financial rules

LONDON, July 1 : Newly-promoted Hull City confirmed the sale of Albanian midfielder Aidon Shehu on Wednesday, a day after selling goalkeeper Ivor Pandur, in order to avoid a breach of Profit and Sustainability (PSR) rules and a possible points deduction.

British hopes on a high for Silverstone weekend

SILVERSTONE, England, July 1 : George Russell heads to Silverstone on a high and hoping to give British Formula One fans a home winner at Silverstone for the third year in a row after Lewis Hamilton in 2024 and Lando Norris last July.

Sabalenka relies on survival instincts to tame Kessler

LONDON, July 1 : Aryna Sabalenka's love-hate relationship with Wimbledon's slick turf was once again on display before her survival instincts kicked in as the Belarusian subdued American McCartney Kessler 6-1 7-6(9) in the second round on Wednesday.

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Latest sport news

German FA headquarters searched in Euro 2024 graft probe

France look like World Cup juggernaut with fearsome foursome of Mbappé, Dembélé, Olize and Barcola

World Cup’s smallest venue in Toronto ready for its grand finale

Heavyweight boxing enters a new era after Usyk vacates his belts. Here’s where they’re all headed

D-U-N-S Number as an international business identifier: why Ukrainian companies need it

Promoted Hull sell Pandur and Shehu to satisfy financial rules

British hopes on a high for Silverstone weekend

Sabalenka relies on survival instincts to tame Kessler