Tuesday Yannick Sagbo, a player from the Ivory Coast for Britain’s Hull City team, was fined. He was fined $25,000 by the Football Association for posting a comment that supported Nicolas Anelka’s gesture. The gesture was in reference to anti-Semitic sentiments. The reason for the fine was he discussed matters which took place in an Independent Regulatory Commission Hearing. This was a breach of the league’s Rule E3. The rule states that players are restricted from making indecent and insulting comments. Yannick made reference in his comment about Nicolas’ race and or religious background and beliefs. As a result Sagbo is now taking an educational course to reeducate him about the issue with his actions. He has also been banned from five matches.

http://forward.com/articles/196938/soccer-stars-pal-gets-fine-for-quenelle-support/?

Milan High School fields will be hosting the new adult recreational Summer Soccer League.  The league will provide expanded opportunities for individuals to participate in soccer matches. The Summer League’s age range consists of eighteen years old to ninety-nine year olds and is open to both genders. The Milan Boys Soccer teams needs to raise an estimated $4,500 for this year’s new Adidas uniforms. The remainder of the proceeds will go towards assisting the Milan High School Boys and Girls Soccer teams. The league being so open enables individuals to create up their own fourteen player teams.  The league’s games are planned to be played Thursday nights on the fields from June 19^th to August 7^th. The game consists of 2 twenty-five minute halves. The number of players that will be able to play on the field at a designated time will be seven and all participants will receive a T-shirt.

http://www.heritage.com/articles/2014/04/24/milan_news_leader/news/doc53556d8271721367463370.txt

As the result of Hapeol Petah Tikva (Team) losing many players during the World Cup qualifiers the founder, Rafi Subra has decide to resolve the issue by recruiting from the Arab villages in northern Israel. This decision has enabled suppressed Arab Israelis to participate in the rare Israeli Women’s Premier League.  The team as a result has since added five Arab-Israeli women and the transition has been seamless.  The Arab community is a minority in Israel and thus experience discrimination, the soccer field included.  The Jewish and Arab players alike have explained that the diversity has created a positive environment and is encouraging that they are getting along so well. They have also experienced a fairly decent record consisting of 5-2-7 . Hopefully in the future they will continually be supported and gaining successes. http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/arab-israeli-women-break-ground-pro-soccer-team-23449745

Wednesday FC Barcelona was enabled to sign new players after their ban was cleared. The governing body panel chairman Larry Mussenden made the decision on the basis that the issues revolving around the ban were unlikely to be resolved by the July first the beginning of the next transfer window.  As the ban is currently lifted only under the contexts that the issues will not be resolved by the transfer date, FC Barcelona is preparing and establishing counter measures against FIFA in the future  against reinstatements of the ban that is valid until 2015. Barcelona is expecting to initiate many more challenges against the ban.  FIFA’s intent behind the ban was to ensure the safety of the underage players. The issue of signing underage players without the required fields is becoming a more common happening event as can be seen with the cases with Chelsea and Nates. This states the victory of FC Barcelona and the beginning of many cases against potentially violated player signing regulations. http://www.sportingnews.com/soccer/story/2014-04-23/barcelona-transfer-ban-suspended-fifa-la-liga-appeal-neymar-lionel-messi

FC Barcelona’s former head coach Tito Vilanova died Friday at the young age of 45. It was an international shock to the soccer community when Tito Vilanova finally lost his long time battle against throat cancer.  When he was diagnosed with the cancer he gave over his position to recover against his condition, he stayed alongside Pep Guardiola and aided some of the most dominant playing in Europe for the team winning 14 titles. Vilanova has been to have helped raise up star players like Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Gerard Pique and many, many others. FC Barcelona’s current President Josep Maria Bartomeu released this statement “Tito Vilanova was a wonderful person and will never be forgotten at FC Barcelona. Thank you for everything you taught us, rest in peace,” showing the whole FC’s appreciation for his work and dedication to the sport which he loved so much and greatly helped to improve.

“The Club wishes to express its most heartfelt sympathy to his family, who are being joined in these moments of mourning by FC Barcelona members and fans all around the world, as well as the rest of the footballing and sporting world. The Vilanova family has asked for respect for their desire for the strictest intimacy in the moments after his death. Over the next few hours, FC Barcelona will be opening a space in the main grandstand at the Camp Nou for people to express their condolences, which will be open to anyone who wishes to express their sympathy and love for the late Tito Vilanova. The Club will shortly be announcing when this space is open, as well as details of the religious ceremony that will be held in the coming days.” – President Josep Maria Bartomeu

http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2014/04/25/former-fc-barcelona-head-coach-tito-vilanova-dies/

In the 2014 FIFA Interactive World Cup Grand Final 18 year old Rafael Salles Leite Fortes, a Rio de Janeiro native, will be representing Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. This will be the first time ever that the FIFA World Cup and the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) will have taken place in the same country at the same time. Rafael established his position as the top player winning the FIWC Brazil Qualifer. The qualifying round took place at Flumninense’s historic former stadium Estádio Laranjeiras.  In the finals Rafael faced his fellow FIFA14 opponent Luccas wining 6-0. Rafael will need to compete against the French FIWC defending champion, Bruce Grannec, and against 18 other international qualifiers.  If he were to become the new champion he would acquire 20,000 USD and a invite to the FIFA Ballon d’Or. Rafael will be competing against his opponents in July.

http://www.fifa.com/interactiveworldcup/organisation/media/newsid=2323671/index.html