Muere un campeón del mundo en defensa de Ucrania – europeantimes.news

Vitaly Merinov, cuatro veces campeón mundial de kickboxing, murió la semana pasada en el hospital como resultado de las lesiones en las piernas sufridas mientras luchaba para las fuerzas armadas ucranianas en Luhansk. El atleta se unió al ejército ucraniano como voluntario pocos días después del inicio de la invasión rusa de Ucrania….

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Which country’s players have played the most matches for the season before Euro 2020?
Which country’s players have played the most matches for the season before Euro 2020?

A lot of football has been played in the last year, as there was practically no summer break, and the presence of many different competitions at club and national level squeezed the players as much as possible. However, some of them are indispensable for their teams and they had to play as many matches as possible. Apart from a jump in the percentage of injuries, all this has led to the question of the extent to which physical training will play a role in the performance of individual teams at Euro 2020. Let’s see which country’s players have played the most matches before the start of the championship, according to Transfermarkt, determining the number of matches per player on average.

With the fewest matches on average, a player from 29.2 matches is one of the outsiders of the championship, Finland, who failed to leave his group. Curiously, one of their leading players, Glenn Camara of Rangers, played 63 games, which is twice the average. Very close to the Scandinavians are Slovakia with an average of 30.5 games per player and Northern Macedonia with 31.8 games.

Among the considered favorites for the trophy with the least played matches were Belgium – 39.2 matches on average for a player from the team. The leader in this respect is Yuri Telemans with 62 games. With an average of 39.7 games per player is the extremely strong team of Denmark, where obviously the players are well trained.

As expected, the players of the top teams have played the most matches, with Italy with 44.2 games per player on average, Croatia with 44.4, Spain with 44.8 and England with 46.6. Disappointed Germany and the Netherlands have 45.5 and 45.2 games per player on average, respectively, and the considered French team is the absolute leader in this indicator with a total of 48.2 games played per player per team.

However, the information about the specific players who played the most matches in the season before the start of Euro 2020 is also interesting. Premier League. The other two are Barcelona players, Frankie De Jong and Antoine Griezmann. However, the sole leader is the Portuguese star of Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes.

We should not ignore the fact that nowadays very serious attention is paid to the recovery process after every game. Along with each team there are always physiotherapists, cooks and everything you need so that their bodies are ready for the next battle. Obviously, this brings results, as Italy and England are the two teams that reached the final, and their players were one of the busiest in matches last season.

Dutch television aired the Nazi version of the text of the German anthem
Dutch television aired the Nazi version of the text of the German anthem

A huge blunder was made by the Dutch television NPO during the performance of the anthem of Germany before the 1/8 finals of the European Football Championship against England at Wembley. The Nazi version of the musical symbol of the German state was broadcast on teletext, which broadcasts subtitles for people with hearing impairments. The media was quick to apologize on Twitter for the release of the text of “Germany above all”.

“During the live broadcast of the England-Germany match, a wrong version of the German anthem was shown due to oversight. The mistake is our employee. We apologize to the viewers who have been affected by this,” the statement said.

An ultra-modern flying taxi have been demonstrated in Paris – to be used at the Olympics in 2024
An ultra-modern flying taxi have been demonstrated in Paris – to be used at the Olympics in 2024

The machine, which looks like a small helicopter, can carry two people and some luggage.

A German company demonstrated state-of-the-art air taxis in Paris, world media reported.

The demonstration flight was made at Bourges Airport. The company plans to use air taxis as early as 2024 during the Olympic Games in the French capital.

During the demonstration, the machine, which looks like a small helicopter, flew for about 3 minutes and traveled nearly 500 meters without people on board.

According to its creators, it will initially be operated by licensed pilots. Over time, however, air taxis will become fully automatic.

Volocopter Demo at Paris Air Forum on YouTube:

Explained: Why the marathon is longer than 40 km and has nothing to do with Ancient Greece
Explained: Why the marathon is longer than 40 km and has nothing to do with Ancient Greece

We all know the myth of the marathoner who announces the Greek victory over the Persians at Marathon and then dies, right? It is also known that the length of the modern marathon of 42 kilometers is based on it, but not everything in history is exactly like that.

There are a few details that are changing, and a story with the English royal family that is often forgotten. And it is extremely important, because it is because of it that the length of the marathon today is not exactly 40, nor exactly 42 km, but 42,195 km, or 26.2 miles.

It is believed that the messenger Phidippides, who lived between 530 and 490 BC. is the man who announces the victory at the Marathon. Phidippides avoids the distance from Marathon to Athens (about 40 km, or 25 miles) to announce the good news – the victory of ancient Greece over Persia in the Battle of Marathon, with the words: “Rejoice, we have won!”, After which he falls and dies of fatigue.

Most historians attribute this story to Herodotus, who wrote the story of the Persian Wars in his History (c. 440 BC). Nowadays, however, history is thought to be simply a legend, the work of the satirist Lucian (or Lucian). He is the only classic source with all the elements of history known in modern culture as “The Marathon Story of Fedipid”: a messenger fleeing the fields of Marathon to declare victory, then die at the end of his mission.

This is exactly how the myth of the Marathon runner was born, after whom the athletics marathon was named. However, such a long run is missing in the ancient games organized in Greece between 776 BC. to 393 AD In fact, the first organized marathon was held on the idea of ​​the French professor Michel Breal during the first modern Olympic Games – those of 1896 in Athens.

The idea of ​​the first organized marathon, which was inspired by the myth of Phidippides and therefore initially set at 40 km, was supported by the “father of the modern Olympic Games” Pierre de Coubertin. The first Olympic champion in the marathon was the Greek Spiridon Lewis, who covered the distance in two hours 58 minutes and 50 seconds, stopping along the way and “recharging” with a glass of wine.

During the next two Olympics, the length of the marathon remained more or less the same, but in 1908, during the London Games, it was extended and its end point was changed to please the royal family, as British tradition dictates such competitions. to begin or end before the eyes of the monarchs.

It was initially decided to start the race in front of Windsor Palace, and the final – at the “White City Stadium” in West London. Subsequently, however, Queen Alexandra insisted that the final be moved by an additional 352 meters – in front of the East Lawn of the castle.

This led to a distance of 42,195 km, or 26.2 miles, which, however, became official only in 1924, which is still in force at all the Olympic Games. In the first seven Olympic Games, there are marathon runs for a total of six different distances in the range between 40 and 42.75 km.

Unlike at the beginning of the twentieth century, when marathons were far from popular, today thousands of marathons are held around the world every year, each of them sitting the same distance.

UEFA threatens with fines for the “war against bottles” at Euro 2020
UEFA threatens with fines for the “war against bottles” at Euro 2020

The players of Euro 2020 will have to stop moving the bottles with drinks to the sponsors during their press conferences, otherwise they will be subject to fines, UEFA threatened.

Cristiano Ronaldo set the trend by moving two bottles of Coca-Cola during a press conference in Portugal, advising everyone in the room to drink water instead of a fizzy drink.

His example was followed by Paul Pogba, who hid a bottle of non-alcoholic Heineken, which is also among the big sponsors of Euro 2020. Manuel Locatelli also did not like cars and moved them after scoring two goals in the victory with 3 : 0 against Switzerland in the second round of the group stage.

However, UEFA reacted and have already instructed the teams to restrain their players, otherwise financial sanctions will follow.

“This is important because the revenue from sponsors is important for the tournament and for football in Europe,” said Euro 2020 director Martin Cullen.

We would never fine a player directly, but we will do so through fines from UEFA to the respective federation. Let’s see then whether the given football player will continue with these actions. But we would never fine the player directly. “

How are giant waves born in Portuguese Nazaré?
How are giant waves born in Portuguese Nazaré?

In summer, the town of Nazaré, which is located on the western coast of Portugal, an hour’s drive from Lisbon, is a typical resort, generous with the gentle sun, friendly beaches and fresh seafood. From October to February, he surprisingly changes his temper and turns into a real mecca for surfers and adrenaline lovers. It is here, in small Nazaré, or rather on its northern beach Praia Do Norte, that the largest waves in Europe rise, up to 30 meters high!

What is so special about Nazar that makes it the cradle of such giants? The answer is simple: the structure of the ocean floor relief. Nazaré is located near the underwater canyon of the same name – Nazare Canyon, which is considered one of the deepest canyons in Europe. Its length is 227 km, and its depth is about 5 km. As you approach the coast, the depth of the canyon decreases, forming a kind of springboard for the waves and increasing their height many times over.

Waves in Nazaré are born literally in a matter of seconds. In the fall-winter season, when the stormy season comes, a giant wave can appear in as little as 14 seconds. It was here, in Nazaré, that the world record was set for the passage of the largest wave by a person: in 2017, the Brazilian Rodrigo Koja managed to conquer a wave with a height of 24.3 meters, for which he was entered in the Guinness Book of Records.

When shallow bathymetry slows down a part of a wave, this causes the waves to refract. Similar to the way a magnifying glass can bend light to focus it into one bright spot, reefs, sand banks and canyons can focus wave energy toward a single point of the coast. This is what happens at Nazaré to create giant waves.

At Atlantic Surf Routeyour website for a surftrip with a campervan in Portugal and Spain, to bring you one of the destinations most demanded by surfers: Nazaré.

The Nazaré Canyon causes very big waves, making Nazaré a very important point on the world surfing route. On November 1, 2011, Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara surfed a gigantic wave, breaking the world record, with 23.77 meters in Nazaré. In January 2013, it was confirmed that he had surfed a larger wave still 30 meters high in Nazaré too, probably beating his own previous record.

Although Praia do Norte has captivated the attention of the world, Nazaré has not only giant and powerful waves, but also corners and waves accessible to all athletes.

UEFA has launched an investigation and may punish Austria striker Marko Arnautovic
UEFA has launched an investigation and may punish Austria striker Marko Arnautovic

“I can buy this whole damn Macedonia.” Serbian Austrian player sparks Euro political scandal

What happened

On Sunday, the Austrian national team beat the North Macedonian national team (3: 1) in the first match of the Euro 2020 group stage. The final goal in the 89th minute was scored by the substitute striker of the Austrians Marko Arnautovic.

The Shanghai Port forward noted his success violently: he showed gestures to the camera, beat himself in the chest and shouted something loudly. Hearing this, the captain of the Austrian national team David Alaba, right during the celebration, grabbed Arnautovich by the jaw and started yelling at him. During the broadcast, it looked strange – Marco clearly did not expect such a reaction and was offended by his teammate.

Later it turned out that Alaba had not just grabbed Arnautovich for a reason. According to the media, the attacker shouted that he could “buy this whole damn Macedonia.” In addition, Marco indulged in anti-Albanian remarks about Egzon Beytulai, and also entered into an argument with Ezcan Alioski. According to unconfirmed information Goal.com, Arnautovich insulted the mother of the latter.

A similar case at the 2018 World Cup

The North Macedonian national team includes ethnic Albanians, and Arnautovic is a Serb on the paternal side. The tension between Albania and Serbia has existed for a long time. And even at a major tournament, this is not the first scandalous case – a similar one happened during the match between Switzerland and Serbia at the World Cup in Russia. Then the Swiss Granit Jaka and Djerdan Shachiri, whose parents are from Albania, celebrated the winning goal by showing with their hands an eagle – a symbol of their historical homeland. Both were fined by FIFA for unsporting behavior 10 thousand Swiss francs.

Arnautovich’s apologies

Later, the striker of the Austrian national team apologized for his behavior on Instagram: “There were a few hot words in the emotions of the game, for which I would like to apologize – especially to my friends from North Macedonia and Albania. I want to make one thing clear: I’m not a racist! I have friends in almost every country and I advocate diversity. Everyone who knows me is aware of this. Sorry”.

The sanctions will take place

The Macedonian Football Federation stated that it condemns the manifestation of nationalism and discrimination, and also stressed: “We have sent an official letter to UEFA, in which we ask the most severe punishment for the Austrian national team player Marko Arnautovic.” The European Football Union has already opened an investigation, which means that sanctions can be applied – up to the disqualification of a football player.

Greece has officially complained to UEFA about the teams of the North. Macedonia
Greece has officially complained to UEFA about the teams of the North. Macedonia

However, their first match at Euro 2020 with the controversial shirts did not bring them success.

Greece has sent a formal complaint to UEFA President Alexander Cheferin over the teams of Northern Macedonia’s Euro 2020 football team.

The letter, signed by Greek Sports Minister Lefteris Avgenakis, said the T-shirt’s FFM (Football Federation of Macedonia) logo lacked the letter “North”.

From February 12, 2019, after the Prespa Agreement, Macedonia officially changed its name to the Republic of Northern Macedonia, reminded by the Greek side. Therefore, the emblem of the teams must have the cyrilic letter “C”/latin “N” (for North) and it should read FFSM (FFNM in Latin).

The Greek sports minister also called on UEFA to pay general attention to the name, which is generally used by the country’s football federation, because it has nothing to do with the country’s new name.

“We would like to inform you that on the occasion of the post of the President of the Football Federation of Northern Macedonia Muammad Seydini in his personal social media account, the Greek Football Federation draws attention to the following:

It is sad, even outrageous, that issues governed by international conventions arise out of nowhere before the start of Euro 2020 and the participation of Northern Macedonia in it. The IOC and international sports federations, including football, have recognized Northern Macedonia as a member. Any other arbitrary self-designation is outside the generally applicable regulatory framework and is therefore unrealistic, “the letter said.

Avgenakis has sent a similar letter of protest to northern Macedonian Foreign Minister Bujar Osmani.

Just a week ago, Ukraine’s national team sparked a similar scandal after showing its teams a map depicting the country’s borders and Russia’s annexed Crimean peninsula.

Dispute over abbreviations

Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias also sent a letter to his Macedonian counterpart, Bujar Osmani. Dendias has urged Skopje to use the abbreviation “NM” (Northern Macedonia) or “RNM” (Republic of Northern Macedonia) instead of “MKD”, Greek diplomatic sources said.

The first diplomat of Athens also stressed that the issue should be resolved by changing the name of the football federation, and urged Osmani to intervene to resolve these issues within the framework of good neighborly relations.

However, Osmani stated that the football federation of his country does not receive money from the state, and therefore the Prespa Treaty does not apply to it.

“The Prespa agreement covers institutions that receive state money. As FFM does not receive such money, it is not obliged to adjust to the provisions of this contract. The trademarks are clearly defined there: the code is MKD, “the Macedonian foreign minister commented.

Unsuccessful debut

However, the first match of Northern Macedonia with the shirts in question turned out to be unsuccessful. The team lost 1: 3 to Austria in a Group C match played in Bucharest. The goals for the success were scored by Stefan Liner in the 18th minute, Michael Gregoric in the 78th and Marko Arnautovic in the 89th. For Austria, this was the first European Championship victory in history.

The consolation for the team of Northern Macedonia remained that it already has the first goal in the history of the country at the continental championship. He was scored by the most experienced football player in the team – the 37-year-old Genoa striker Goran Pandev.

Goran Pandev is considered the greatest Macedonian player of all time. He is 37 years old and is actually older than his homeland. Northern Macedonia gained independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, making Pandev virtually seven years older than his country. This is how the English sports site talksport.com began its material about him. The veteran qualified Northern Macedonia for EURO 2020, after scoring the winning goal in the decisive playoff against Georgia.

Pandev was born in Strumica, which at the time was still part of the former Yugoslavia. The striker has spent most of his career in Italy, playing for some of the best clubs at the highest level – Lazio, Inter and Napoli.

He is part of one of Inter’s greatest pages in the club’s recent history, when he won a treble under Jose Mourinho in the 2009/10 season. Pandev is the first Macedonian to score 100 goals in one of the Top 5 European Championships.

“It was a dream for all of us to go play at such a big forum,” he said after his team’s ranking.

Pandev received recognition for his sports achievements and his contribution to the development and promotion of sports in Macedonia by receiving a medal of merit, presented personally by the President of the country.

Meanwhile, Polish television declared Ukraine Russia, and Northern Macedonia was represented under the Finnish flag. The Croatian was replaced by the Swiss.

The national team of Ukraine is represented by the flag of Russia, England is represented by the flag of Wales, the Netherlands “carries” that of Belgium. The latest inaccuracy of TVPSport is the Danish flag against the name of Austria.

Both the starting hours are correct, as well as the groups in which the teams are located.