Sports and Crime Briefing

Sports and Crime Briefing

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Why Are Fake Covid Certificates Catching Up With Swiss Sports Stars?
Granit Xhaka, the national football captain, has admitted to getting one. And the national ice hockey coach was fired for the same reason a few months…
 • Chris Dalby
The President of PSG Had Three Jobs. Now He Faces a Criminal Investigation.
Nasser Al-Khelaifi held separate roles at PSG, the French league selling its TV rights, and the broadcaster buying them. Investigators are looking at…
 • Chris Dalby
Six Takeaways From the NBA’s Kawhi Leonard Scandal
The NBA has imposed some of the harshest sanctions in its history on the Los Angeles Clippers. The case began with a suspicious endorsement deal, but…
 • Chris Dalby
Infantino vs. The People: Six Moves That Could Save His Presidency
As fans and federations turn on him, Gianni Infantino is still building the FIFA he wants to lead or leave behind.
 • Chris Dalby
Why Was Kun Agüero Linked to a Drug Trafficking Investigation?
An Argentine drug case has exposed plans to launder drug funds through Agüero’s esports brand, and a dispute over how far they went.
 • Chris Dalby
Australia Wants to Criminalise Match-Fixing. Why Single Out Sudanese Teenagers?
Sports Minister Anika Wells says overseas operators are targeting young arrivals from Sudan. Her office has offered no evidence of that specific…
 • The Sports Ambassador

August 2026

UEFA Sanctions Cannot Erase Red Star Belgrade’s Loyalty to Ratko Mladić
UEFA’s latest case against the club reaches back into the wartime history of its organised supporters
 • Chris Dalby
UEFA Is Lifting Its FIFA Boycott. But Its Campaign Against Infantino Is Not Over.
UEFA has stopped at the water’s edge, officially so players are not punished by being unable to play in top competitions. However, its boycott was never…
 • Chris Dalby
The Robot Olympics Are Really a Chinese Showroom
China supplies more than 96% of the teams and robots, while foreign universities frequently compete using Chinese-built humanoids.
 • Chris Dalby
Why Australia’s Nick Kyrgios Could Serve Just One Month for a Cocaine Ban
The International Tennis Integrity Agency and WADA allow for surprisingly lenient bans for certain illegal drugs. But that rule will soon change.
 • Chris Dalby
Two Decades Atop World Football: Gianni Infantino's Career in 45 Controversies
As UEFA considers examining Infantino's entire career, Sports and Crime Briefing works backwards through the allegations, investigations, governance…
 • Chris Dalby
No, Messi Was Not in Danger of Being Assassinated at the World Cup
Lionel Messi was named in two threats during the 2026 World Cup. But the public record shows no killers, no weapons and no real plot, only claims that…
 • Chris Dalby
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