All posts by Carmen Gomaro

Carmen Gomaro - leading international news and investigative reporter. Worked at various media outlets in Spain, Argentina and Colombia, including Diario de Cádiz, CNN+, Telemadrid and EFE.
INTERNATIONAL

Baerbock expresses German solidarity in Israel and meets with Shani Louk's mother

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The presidents of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, and the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola, visited this Friday the Kfar Aza kibbutz, where militants from the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas raided last Saturday and massacred the population.. “We were in Kfar Aza. One of the epicenters of the atrocities committed by Hamas last weekend,” Von der Leyen said in a message on the social network

Von der Leyen assured that “the horror of what happened here is indescribable,” and stated that “we are mourning with the families of the victims,” Efe reported..

The German Minister of Foreign Affairs, Annalena Baerbock, has joined the solidarity visits that political leaders are making to Israel after the massacre caused by Hamas, leaving behind a wave of criticism for the way in which she has managed the evacuation of the national. “Hamas has committed terrible atrocities in recent days and we must call this terror by its name,” Baerbock declared at a press conference with his Israeli colleague, Eli Cohen.. The minister expressed the solidarity of the German government, but also on the part of the German people with Israel and its people with the phrase “in these terrible days we are at your side and we feel with you.”. These days we are all Israelis.”

Baerbock's presence in Israel was obligatory, although purely testimonial, because unlike the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, on tour in the region, the minister's political agenda only included, as far as is known, a meeting with Cohen in Netivot, near the border with the Gaza Strip. Cohen thanked Germany for the visit of support and solidarity with the State of Israel and assured that “peaceful coexistence with Hamas was impossible.”. “You can't even call them animals,” he said.

Germany, which for historical reasons has made Israel's security a state issue, has condemned without palliatives or shades of political color the Hamas massacre, among whose victims there are several Germans and among them the young Shani Louk. The case of this 22-year-old girl lying in the back of a Hamas vehicle, unconscious, bloodied and trampled, has gone around the world.. She was presumed dead, but her mother, a native of Ravensburg, Germany, later found out that she is in critical condition in a hospital in Gaza.. Baerbock will meet with that mother in a place that is kept secret.

Baerbock and Cohen met at the crisis center installed in Netivot and the press conference they offered took place in the presence of the victims' families.. At Cohen's request, Baerbock later visited a house that had been hit by a Hamas rocket.. Three people died in the home.

Baerbock's trip to Israel occurs at a time of maximum tension in the area, but also in the midst of the criticism that his ministry is receiving for the delay and chaos with which the evacuation of its nationals has been carried out.. Unlike other neighboring countries, and even Poland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs only began the evacuation on Thursday, five days after the tragedy, and through a 48-hour operation put in the hands of Lufthansa.

“The undignified chaos surrounding the departure of Germans has already lasted too long,” declared the foreign policy spokesman for the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the Bundestag, Jürgen Hardt.. The criticism began with the “externalization of the problem”, since the Foreign Ministry, instead of resorting to military planes to speed up departures, engaged in negotiations with Lufthansa.

The process to access these flights has been tortuous. The Lufthansa hotline for accessing the few outbound flights was constantly busy, leading, according to Hardt, to four-digit phone bills due to the hours of calls to or from Israel.. The departure ticket had to be paid in advance with a credit card number provided over the phone, an impractical method for school classes, children and the elderly.

Hours before traveling to Israel, Baerbock declared on television that “there are always individual cases in which some people say, rightly, that we did not act quickly enough,” although “I know very well what the German embassy did about the ground from day one”. She herself said she had been in contact with the Icelandic Minister of Foreign Affairs so that some German school classes could leave on flights via Iceland.

Baerbock of the Green party cited the difficult situation on the ground and the relatively large number of some 100,000 Germans and dual citizens in Israel.. “It's not like a normal situation, where everyone can go to the airport and then we'll see who gets on which plane.”. The Israelis – rightly so – only allow people who have a plane ticket to enter the airport grounds,” he explained. “If everyone who wanted to leave the country had been asked to go to the airport, the result would have been absolute chaos “, said.

Lufthansa will stop flying this Friday, but according to Baerbock, there are places available to leave Israel at all times, by bus to Jordan and on the boat to Cyprus.

ECONOMY

Wave of complaints against festivals: from preventing access with food to imposing the 'cashless' bracelet

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Music festivals have become the great leisure attraction among Spaniards and an attraction for international tourism.. It is a multimillion-dollar business – it is estimated that, from ticket sales alone, it has a turnover of more than 300 million euros annually – that leaves considerable direct and indirect economic benefits in the cities that host them throughout the national territory.. But the rise of recent times and the concentration of the organization of events in fewer and fewer promotional companies is leading to a series of widespread practices that violate consumer rights and that develop every summer in the face of the passivity of the regional and local authorities.

The prohibition of accessing the premises with food and drink from outside or the imposition of cashless bracelets as the only payment method are some of the most widespread practices that have set off alarms in consumer associations.. In these three summer months alone, the avalanche of complaints has reached nearly fifty festivals held in different Spanish cities.

The main promoter of these complaints in defense of consumer rights has been Facua. Last June, with the start of the high festival season, a series of claims began against several companies promoting festivals such as Interstellar in Seville or Boombastic, which is held in several Spanish cities.. The reason? Prevent entry with food and drink from outside.

From Facua they then pointed out that “participants have the right to bring in food and drinks from outside, given that the main activity of these events is not hospitality, but rather the celebration of musical shows, so this prohibition on access to the venue is not necessary for the correct achievement of its activity”. And they demanded that the competent administrations at the regional and local levels develop controls over the events held in their territory and open disciplinary proceedings against those who engage in this abusive practice.

However, “companies have continued to commit these irregularities due to the inaction of the regional and municipal authorities,” denounces Rubén Sánchez, general secretary and spokesperson for Facua.. He clarifies, however, that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs did open a file on a specific festival because it is celebrated in a dozen Spanish cities, so the department headed by Alberto Garzón does have the capacity to act in this case as it is irregularities that occur in several autonomous communities.

It was the first opening of a sanctioning file by the Ministry, which acquired the powers to fine this type of fraud in May 2022.. Specifically, it was directed against the organizing company of the Reggaeton Beach Festival, for including among its mandatory clauses the prohibition of accessing the venue with food or drink from outside.. It also opened an investigation into possible infractions for practices that may be considered abusive towards the consumer, related to the payment system through cashless bracelets, given the prohibition of paying in cash and the incorrect reimbursement of unconsumed amounts.

The promoter of this reggaeton festival (DQG Norte, AIE) is the only one facing a sanctioning procedure from the Government, but consumer complaints are directed at dozens of companies. The organizers of the Medusa Sunbeach Festival, Dreambeach Villaricos, Sonorama Ribera, Granada Sound, Bilbao BBK Live Festival and Mad Cool are just some of those accused of incurring this type of abusive clauses.. The latest complaint has been directed against the Jardín de las Delicias festival, held in Madrid.

Legal uncertainty

Mónica Muñoz, lawyer at Ceca Magán and expert in consumer law and advising companies on different matters, analyzes the problem from a legal point of view. He regrets that these are “common” practices, which until now have been allowed, but considers it necessary that, from now on, they “be analyzed.”

For now, the only sanctioning procedure opened by Consumption must continue its course and, if the company decides to appeal the sanction, it will be a court that decides whether or not the clause is abusive.. The lawyer sees here an opportunity to issue “an exemplary ruling” that sheds light on these controversial practices and on consumers' ability to defend themselves against companies.

And in general, Muñoz considers that companies face “great legal uncertainty” in this area due to the “great regulatory diversity at the level of autonomous communities.”. What is clear is that the prohibition of payment in cash constitutes an infraction because the current regulations make it clear that payment in cash cannot be prevented.

The prohibition of bringing food or drink from outside or the imposition of cashless bracelets are some of the most reported practices.. But there are many more, such as the cancellation of previously advertised performances, the obstruction of the right of consumers to file complaints by not providing the basic information required by law on the event website, the request for protected data from attendees. about their health or even discrimination against attendees with reduced mobility.

In 2022, consumer associations have already reported more than twenty festivals for engaging in this type of practice.. A striking case is that of the promoter of the Dream Summer Festival, reported for not including the legal notice on the website, leaving the user in a defenseless situation as they do not have information to be able to exercise their right to complain.. Facua denounced the company in June of last year and in August of this year the Secretary of State for Digitalization and Artificial Intelligence of the Ministry of Economic Affairs imposed a fine of 3,160 euros.

ECONOMY

The price of oil heads towards $100 due to the escalation of war between Israel and Gaza

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The tense calm with which the markets have coexisted in recent days is coming to an end. Investors have begun to seek refuge in gold, in traditional gold (gold, which surpassed $1,900), but also in black gold, as oil is known, which rises 6% in the week and is on its way to 90 dollars per barrel. Only on Friday its price shot up more than 4%, and the same thing happened with the American West Texas, which exceeded $86. Neither Israel nor Palestine are major producers, but the key to everything is that the conflict gains breadth and crosses borders.

“The Hamas attacks on Israeli territory, ironically coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the Yom Kippur War, have occurred in a period of exceptionally high oil prices and in a completely different industry, but most likely have bullish implications.” on crude oil, and the big question is for how long,” Citi analysts ask.. It is taken for granted that the White House, historically an ally of Israel, will impose new sanctions on Iranian exports. It is the eighth largest oil producer in the world and also a great financial support for Hamas fighters.. The Wall Street Journal assumed a few days ago that Iran had supported the Hamas attack that “had been preparing for many weeks,” according to the newspaper.

This conflict has caught the crude one with a changed step. It had been falling for several weeks due to the expectation of lower demand worldwide. But it could not be. If the conflict escalates to other countries, analysts are clear that the price will skyrocket above $100 because there are fewer and fewer players left in the global oil puzzle.. It must be taken into account that the market was already tense with Russia (and the sanctions imposed due to the invasion of Ukraine) off the map. It is the third largest producer of crude oil, with a tenth of the global share. If Iran now enters the equation, and especially Saudi Arabia – the second largest producer -, this affects another 16% of the total.

But while the market looks at oil, natural gas is what has really imploded. Its price shoots up 53% in six days. And this is because, after Russia, banned from the international scene, Iran, Qatar and Saudi Arabia are among the largest producers and the same pattern is repeated.. The CEO of JP Morgan has dared to warn in a talk with journalists that “it could be the most dangerous time we have seen in decades.”

Iran is one of the flanks involved in the conflict, it remains to be seen to what extent. Another territory to take into account is Saudi Arabia. The last page he had written at the diplomatic level was a principle of agreement with Israel, where Washington acted as a mediator to win one more medal.. But the escalation of war has thrown this option to the ground.. Goldman Sachs, in the least bad scenario, considering that Saudi Arabia “maintains stable its production of 9 million barrels per day in 2024, would cause an increase in the price of Brent to $104” within twelve months. But if the conflict expands, Bloomberg Economics estimates that the repercussions on black gold will be much more noticeable. Its experts calculate crude oil at $150 and a strong recession in the economy, with a drop of 1.7% globally. These are higher prices than those seen in the midst of the 2008 financial crisis, when they reached $140.

SPAIN

Gamarra calls Sánchez's meeting with Bildu an "indignity": "It is a black day for democracy"

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“In that handshake and in those smiles we have seen that Pedro Sánchez is willing to pay with indignity” the price of his investiture, “in order to remain in La Moncloa”. The general secretary of the PP, Cuca Gamarra, described this Friday as a “photo of indignity” the meeting between Pedro Sánchez and the parliamentary spokesperson for EH Bildu, Mertxe Aizpurua.. “Today is a black day for democracy in Spain,” he stressed.

“Today's photo of Pedro Sánchez with Bildu, with one condemned for apology of terrorism, is the image of indignity, and the image of the lowest one can fall in our country,” said the 'number two' of Alberto Núñez Feijóo at a press conference in La Rioja, after insisting that it is the “greatest exercise of indignity of any European democracy”. “Never has a ruler of a European democracy gone so low to remain in power,” he added.

This Friday, within the framework of his round of contacts for the investiture, the acting President of the Government held his first meeting with EH Bildu and took the photo from which he fled throughout the last legislature despite the fact that the party Arnaldo Otegi was one of his priority partners who cemented his majority in Congress.

For Gamarra, this is an “indecent whitewashing” of Bildu by the acting president of the Government. “Today he has shown that, between indignity and decency, he chooses the former”, but, he added, “nothing surprises with Pedro Sánchez”. “A party like Bildu cannot be the one that sets the conditions for Pedro Sánchez to be president of Spain, and for all Spaniards to pay for it in terms of dignity and humiliation,” he added.

Feijóo's 'number two' has criticized the fact that Sánchez has met with the spokesperson of a party that “months ago had 40 convicted of terrorism on its lists, many of them for crimes of blood; which still does not condemn terrorism and refuses to collaborate in the clarification of 375 murders.

In that sense, he has assured that while the Government makes “unfounded” accusations against the PP regarding the booing of Sánchez yesterday, “it is not capable of demanding that Bildu stop the ongi etorris; it must be that this freedom of expression does “he likes it and feels comfortable in it.”. “He has a double standard,” he said.

For Gamarra, there are three images that mark the scope of Sánchez's negotiations: on Wednesday he spoke with Oriol Junqueras, “convicted of sedition”; today, with “someone who does not condemn acts of terrorism”; and, in a few days, “he will do it with a fugitive from Justice,” said the 'popular' leader, in reference to the fact that Sánchez did not want to explicitly rule out a call to Carles Puigdemont.

SPAIN

Diego Canga resigns as deputy of the PP of Asturias for "personal" reasons after announcing his party's congress

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The spokesperson for the PP of Asturias resigned this Friday as a regional deputy for “strictly personal” reasons. “A recent completely unexpected event forces me to return to my family,” he read, in an appearance before the media, without admitting questions.. Sources close to him assure his newspaper that this is a sudden problem and ask for respect for Canga's “privacy.”

His resignation coincides in time with the convocation of the Asturian 'popular' congress to decide who leads the territorial organization. In fact, the general secretary of the PP of Asturias, Álvaro Queipo, had convened this morning the Board of Directors that will decide the date of the conclave – it is scheduled for before 2024 -, with the approval of Genoa..

But Canga has assured that his decision has “absolutely nothing to do” with the calling of the conclave.. “I found out half an hour ago,” he said, and his departure was scheduled a few days ago.

In any case, those congressional times would have left Canga out of the race for the leadership of the party in the Principality.. He could not have presented himself because he had not completed one year of membership, as required by the statutes.. Although Canga has said that his farewell letter is a “see you later” and “maybe one day he will return,” but now he has to “urgently return” to his family, which is “the priority” of his life.

In fact, he came to the PP candidacy for Asturias as an independent, at the call of Alberto Núñez Feijóo, who convinced him to leave Brussels and try to unseat Adrián Barbón.. He was on the verge of achieving it: he would have needed to get 890 votes from the PSOE in the external vote to secure the seat that the majority was on his side, but he only managed to surpass it by 108..

“I have no disagreement with the PP, on the contrary, I am proud to have served my region and my country under the acronym of the Popular Party”. “I leave Asturian politics with my head held high. In just a few months, since January 2023, we have managed to make a radical turn in the situation of the Asturian PP and I think I can claim part of that merit,” Canga said in the message that has read before the media.

Canga has informed Feijóo of his decision, whom he has thanked for his commitment. He has asked the general secretary of the PP of Asturias and acting president, Álvaro Queipo, to “take care” of what has been achieved and take the reins: “The party is in good hands with you.”

SPORTS

Rahm, touched but not sunk in the Spanish Open: "Nothing is lost"

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The effervescence of Thursday, where scenes of authentic popular fervor were experienced, was disrupted yesterday at the Madrid Country Club, where Jon Rahm did not perform at the expected level. The Barrika player's round over par made him close the second day of the Acciona Open of Spain with a disappointing card of 72 strokes (+1), which leaves him with -3 at the halfway point of the tournament. It was not in the plans of the Madrid fans that their great idol was almost lost in 45th place in the classification, eight strokes from the lead, owned by Matthieu Pavon. The Frenchman took advantage of the more favorable conditions of the morning session yesterday to leave a -11 in the clubhouse, coinciding with the largest outbreak of public on the tee of hole 1, where after two in the afternoon Rahm had his appointment yesterday with the second round of the tournament.

The first exit was deviated to the right, the graphic example of what he was going to find throughout his round.. Rahm hit only four fairways over 18 holes, where he sprinkled the course with missed putts from all lengths and drops.. Rarely have we seen the León de Barrika so wrong, although many of the putts were shot with sense. «Something like this had never happened to me in my life: making so many good putts and none of them going in.. The numbers 5, 6, 7, 8, etc. have hurt me.. Shots that seemed like they were going to go in, well thrown, but nothing…» assessed, visibly upset, the winner of the Augusta Masters.

A strange round with only one birdie and two bogeys, and that never finished starting despite the tireless encouragement of the public. Rahm looks touched, but not sunk and he looks impatiently at today's day. «I am eight shots behind the leader, but there is nothing lost. If I get close to -10 it could give me a chance, why not? Now what happened to me today could happen to someone else,” he concluded, before the Spanish press, hoping to find a “harder and more demanding” field conducive to a comeback.

“I'm playing well”

Alfredo García Heredia, a player who usually shines brightly at the Spanish Open, yesterday concentrated on what Rahm was unsuccessfully looking for: birdies.. The Asturian accumulated seven in total without failure to become the best lap of the day. An important boost to his chances of dreaming of something truly important on Sunday, at the moment from fourth place just two shots from the head. “Let's see what happens, because I'm playing well and I'm not ruling anything out,” said García Heredia, who on Thursday had competed with discomfort after a serious cut on his hand.. At -9, he is just one hit behind Wil Besseling and Shubhankar Sharma, and two from the aforementioned Pavon.

Likewise, the good Spanish news was completed thanks to two local players, Alejandro del Rey and Gonzalo Fernández Castaño. Del Rey, one of the big hitters on the circuit, finished seventh with -7. «Here in Madrid you always have to be on the fairway and hit the greens, which will get tough as the days go by.. The flags are demanding and getting them close from the rough is very complicated.

Meanwhile, Fernández-Castaño finished with -6, five under par on the day he celebrated his 43rd birthday. “The best gift he could give me,” admitted this veteran, looking for incentives to get back into a sport that gave him so much.. «Can you say that it was my best lap in years? Well possibly. At first I was very focused on being within the cut, but then I started to feel very comfortable on the field and I saw that I can be there giving me options on the weekend. “I think I have earned the right to dream,” Gonzalo closed. A happy man in Madrid.

SPORTS

A less wild Giro 2024 and with more weight for the time trials and the 'sterrato'

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A very demanding start in the Piedmont region, two very respectable time trials – for a total of 68.2 km – and a final week with the usual mountainous toughness, including two days of more than 200 km each. The route of the Giro 2024 was made official yesterday in Trento under the watchful eye of Primoz Roglic, current winner, whose presence at the start on May 4 seems more than doubtful. His void could be filled by Tadej Pogacar, willing to include the Corsa Rosa in his agenda, with the desire to lift the trophy on May 26 at the finish line in Rome.

At a quantitative level, the 107th edition of the Giro is summarized in 3,321 km, with 42,900 meters of accumulated unevenness. From a qualitative point of view, however, the race has taken a step back in terms of toughness.. After the abrupt cancellations and cuts in the dolomite giants of the last editions, RCS Sport has opted this time for a greater weight for the medium mountain. In line with the Vuelta and the Tour, the Italian round has reduced the daily mileage with the idea of enhancing the excitement. Finally, only four days will exceed 200 km, with the majority around 170 km.

Furthermore, this time the race will ignore its great peaks (Mortirolo, Gavia, Zoncolan, Giau) to make way for less legendary names such as Prati di Tivo, Livigno or the double ascent of the intimidating Monte Grappa, with 18.2 km at the top. 8.1%. Likewise, the Passo Stelvio, Coppi summit with its 2,757 meters of altitude, seems much more relaxed, since it will be crowned 150 km from the finish line, located in Santa Cristina Val Gardena.

Six high finishes

That arrival at Monte Pana, after the second day of rest, will be one of the moments where the fate of the Giro will be elucidated.. Only two days before, the 15th stage, after a brief passage through Swiss territory, will end in Livigno, at 2,385 meters above sea level. The 17th stage includes the Passo Brocon, a mountainous difficulty unprecedented since the 1950s, while the 19th will end at the Cima Sappada, where Stephen Roche claimed his victory in the 1987 Giro. In total, six days with a high finish.

The varied menu of the Giro, of course, will be completed with two important trials, as crucial or more so than the mountain.. In the seventh stage, on Friday, May 10, the favorites will mark the first differences on the way to Perugia. After a completely flat initial section, the last seven kilometers of the climb to the capital of Umbria seem to be the most exciting. The second effort will be even more captivating, with a dizzying 31 km along Lake Garda, where the specialists will ride at an average of around 55 km/h.

Likewise, the Giro will recover the sterrato, another of its distinctive elements, which it had dispensed with in recent editions. To do this, in the sixth stage, you will face some of the unpaved sections of the Strade Bianche, the March classic. Through those 12 km of white roads, through the Siena area, no favorite will be able to afford a mistake..

During the initial week there will also be room for nostalgia, with the arrival at the Santuario di Oropa, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of that immortal attack by Marco Pantani. Not to forget the ascent, in the first stage, to the Colle di Superga, as a tribute, 75 years later, to the victims of the air tragedy that frustrated the history of Grande Torino.

SPORTS

The betting scandal that shakes Italian football

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The concentration of the Italian team was disturbed on Thursday by the presence of police to interrogate Sandro Tonali and Nicolo Zaniolo, within the framework of a betting investigation that threatens to unleash another storm in Calcio. Both internationals denied having bet on football matches, only on “poker and blackjack”, according to the newspaper La Repubblica.

By agreeing to end his sabbatical season to succeed Roberto Mancini in August, Luciano Spalletti would probably contemplate several scenarios, but in none of them would he see himself in the current situation.. On Thursday afternoon, just after the training session, several police officers showed up at the national center in Coverciano, near Florence.

Sent by the Turin Prosecutor's Office, investigators notified Tonali, 24, and Zaniolo, 23, that they were being investigated for illicit sports betting.. Accompanied by Gianluigi Buffon, the new head of the Italian delegation, the two Nazionale players were taken to a room at the training center, where they were interrogated for two hours.

Seized phones

Both allegedly used clandestine sports betting platforms, something prohibited by article 24 of the sports justice code of the Italian Federation (FIGC).. One of them would have even bet on a match for his team in which he was a substitute.

After having their mobile phones seized and testifying before investigators, Tonali, transferred from Milan to Newcastle last summer, and Zaniolo, who joined Aston Villa in July from Roma, left the training camp.. “They are not in a position to face the commitments of the coming days,” the FIGC announced in a statement.

According to La Repubblica, the list of those involved could be expanded in the coming days, until reaching ten footballers.. In fact, Dillinger news has already reported the involvement of Roma's Polish full-back, Nicola Zalewski, although at the moment there is no official confirmation.

The Fagioli precedent

Still shocked by the situation, his teammates, joined on Friday by Roma striker Stephan El Shaarawy, continued their preparation for the match against Malta on Saturday in Bari and for the summit match against England on Tuesday at Wembley , a reissue of the Euro 2021 final, won by the Nazionale in the penalty shootout in that same stadium.

“The night was difficult,” Spalletti admitted on Sky Sport.. “Everyone appreciates them although Justice must do its job,” he added.. The case became public on Wednesday when the FIGC announced that it had opened an investigation in August against Nicolo Fagioli, a promising Juventus midfielder.

Fagioli, 21, is also suspected of having placed bets on clandestine platforms, which exposes him to a three-year suspension and a fine of 25,000 euros.. His lawyers revealed that he himself went to the authorities, showing “concern for maximum transparency and cooperation with sports and ordinary justice.”

“A social pathology”

But the truth is that his name had been circulating for several days on social networks since the revelations of the controversial Fabrizio Corona. The former king of the paparazzi, imprisoned for 10 years for extortion, among others of David Trézéguet, has spread information about the alleged addiction of some footballers to betting. “Fagioli is not the only one,” he warned, pointing to other Serie A players, including one from Roma.

In a country that is repeatedly shaken by scandals, concern over these revelations has reached the Government of Giorgia Meloni. “Gaming addiction is not a football problem but a social pathology,” said Andrea Abodi, Minister of Sports.

SPORTS

Abrines and Laprovittola's triples reduce Olympiacos in Piraeus

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An 18-2 partial, when the blizzard hit the hardest, earned Barcelona a victory in Piraeus. It was a game full of alternatives against Olympiacos, where Nico Laprovittola (17 points) and Alex Abrines (16), with eight triples between them, commanded the operations for Roger Grimau's team, very much in need of a victory for this entity to give momentum to your new project. [Narrative and statistics (68-77)]

With just four minutes remaining, the Blaugrana saw victory very far away, with a 64-59 victory against the current runner-up of the tournament, driven by the usual electricity in the Palace of Peace and Friendship. After seven consecutive points from Thomas Walkup, the locals seemed to have dealt the final blow to a game where they lost by 15 points (20-35) midway through the second quarter.

At that moment, three consecutive good actions by Barça in defense, led by Jan Vesely, turned the situation around.. Added to the Czech's aggressiveness was the offensive success of Tomas Satoransky, plus the aforementioned Abrines and Laprovittola. Barça, who had defeated Efes in the Palau on the opening day, had Georgios Bartzokas' team on the ropes.

Too many injuries

Grimau's group did not let go, driven by a superb triple from Abrines and the cold blood of Laprovittola, who closed the score to the helplessness of the 12,168 attendees.. Despite recovering Moustapha Fall in the paint, the swollen Helena missed three other important pieces. Because the muscle injuries of Nigel Williams-Goss and Luke Sikma had to be added to the knee injury of Shaquielle McKissic.

Walkup's 14 points, supported by Alec Peters (11) and Nikola Milutinov (10), were of no use because Olympiacos once again showed the nerves of their debut, when they stumbled in extra time in the derby against the hated Panathinaikos. With no time to rest, Barça will visit Partizan on Tuesday at the Stark Arena in Belgrade, where another more than hostile reception awaits.

SPORTS

Bryan Zaragoza's revolution: sponsored by Morata, without sleeping and with the '10' on his back

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It was difficult for Spain to build the revolution and it did so with patience and the energy of Bryan Zaragoza. Stray, dribbler, scoundrel, he was the type of footballer that Scotland were not going to know how to stop. Anarchy versus order. 22 years that did not weigh on him, nor having played a single minute as an international in his entire life. Of course, his nerves barely let him sleep, something that not even Luis de la Fuente knew. I was going to play for Spain and, furthermore, I would do so with number 10. «When they gave me the number I was amazed. I've worked my whole life for this, but I didn't think it would come so soon. “This shirt is for my father,” the young player admitted in the bowels of the Cartuja.

If he was a protagonist on the field, he will be the same in the concentration hotel. He was reminded by who has been his unexpected godfather in this debut: Álvaro Morata. “I knew what he is like as a player, but better as a person. I've been here for two days and he has treated me like a son,” admitted the man from Malaga.. For the debut, and perhaps for that comment that puts years on the captain, he will have to pay: “Someone is going to have to sing tonight…”, warned the scorer before remembering that he will exercise his captaincy as he saw it in “Iker Casillas, Fernando Torres or Koke in my team.”

Bryan lit the spark that woke up Spain, but he and Sancet, with the help of Porteous, scored the goals. For Morata, the 34th brings him closer to David Silva (35) and Torres (38). “I've had one before that has grazed the stick. “We haven't made many chances but, as long as we win, I don't care if I score or not.”. He wanted to share the merit with Jesús Navas. “At 38 years old it is amazing. I knew that he was going to give me a perfect ball and that I just had to position myself well. I freak out when I look at it every day.”

“Our greatest virtue, patience”

We had to fight for that victory in a leaden game. “Our greatest virtue has been patience,” Rodri acknowledged.. De la Fuente sought agitation in the second half because his team had crashed into a concrete wall. He put together an eleven of players that is beginning to be recognizable, led by Rodri and with Morata at the helm who had to be able to crack the group leaders. It was not going to be easy because Scotland is firmly on its feet: not only did they suffer a tough defeat in March but, with one more game, they had only conceded one goal in this phase of the qualification: Haaland scored it, from a penalty, and did not served Norway to win.

The Tartan Army is like a Roman legion capable of protecting itself in a turtle formation to save the points that bring it closer to the Euro Cup. Spain needed a spark on the wings that neither Oyarzabal nor Ferran could have, who wasted a one-on-one at the start. The post spit out a shot from Merino and Morata, with his constant presence in the area, was not successful. That was all the team could do in the 20 meters that Scotland left them. Gavi appeared little and Balde nothing, who ended up injured and will not travel to Norway. That's why De la Fuente didn't hesitate to look at the bench.. Without Lamine Yamal and with Nico Williams in the stands, and now on his way to Bilbao and replaced by Villarreal player Alfonso Pedraza, the poison had to come from Bryan Zaragoza.

Navas, decisive

The man from Malaga shook the duel with three dribbles and a shot in the first minute he was on the pitch. The game was still focused on Gunn's goal, but the scare came in Unai Simón's. A foul by Carvajal on the side of the area was sent by McTominay to the back of the goal with a screw shot. However, the VAR detected the offside of a Scotsman who interfered with the start of the Spanish goalkeeper.. Scotland was not yet guaranteed a ticket to Germany.

Spain sought not to lose patience and explore all options, but insisted on lateral centers without luck until it had to be associated with Navas and Morata. The veteran Sevilla captain, the only world champion still dressed as an international, dribbled past McGregor and sent a perfect ball towards Morata's head.

The icing on the cake was put by another goal man: Joselu. This time it was not because of a shot, but because of the mischief of pressing Hickey's slip to place a ball on the penalty spot that Porteous or Sancet ended up pushing. Who cares, although UEFA rewards the Navarrese's debut by giving him the goal. He and Fran García will not be spared from singing either.