Dutch Queen’s split semis loyalties
Rio De Janeiro: The World Cup semifinal could produce some split loyalties in the House of Orange. Dutch King Willem-Alexander and his wife, Argentina-born Maxima, could face some minor matrimonial tensions on Wednesday when the Netherlands takes on Argentina in Sao Paulo. At least that's what photo manipulators on Twitter would have the world believe. Doctored images began circulating online as soon as the Netherlands completed its dramatic World Cup quarterfinal win over Costa Rica, setting up the semifinal with lionel Messi's Argentina lineup. One shows a couple lying in bed, facing away from one another, looking angry. The faces of Willem-Alexander and Maxima have been edited into the image of marital disharmony. Another shows the king and queen's mansion in the wealthy village of Wassenaar draped in orange flags on one side for the Dutch and blue-and-white flags for Argentina on the other. The photos are fakes, but emotions could well run high when the king's country plays his wife's country of birth at football's global tournament. The Dutch government information service confirmed in an email to The Associated Press on Monday that the couple will not fly to Sao Paulo to watch the match. Publicly, at least, Maxima is a fervent fan of her adopted country.
Birthplace of Brazil independence
Ouro Preto: Removed from the bustling World Cup host city of Belo Horizonte lies a charming colonial town that gave birth to Brazil’s independence. Ouro Preto, a UNESCO world heritage site whose name means “Black Gold,” is a former mining village a two-hour drive away from the metropolis of Belo Horizonte, where thousands of soccer fans will gather Tuesday to see Brazil face Germany in the tournament’s semi-final match. Following a road that climbs southeast through mist-shrouded hills and valleys, visitors approaching Ouro Preto first see the red-tiled roofs of its whitewashed colonial buildings before reaching the town’s cobblestoned streets and its astonishing 18th century Baroque church, a tribute to the riches of gold and gems extracted for the country’s former colonial masters. The tremendous wealth of the town made it a cultural focal point of the era.
Nigeriaheading for FIFA ban
Rio De Janeiro: Nigeria is not backing down after sacking its entire national football federation leadership, ignoring a FIFA directive and moving closer to a ban from internationals for the reigning African champion. A weekend meeting of football and government officials in the capital Abuja endorsed the earlier sacking of Nigeria Football Federation President Aminu Maigari and his executive committee for not solving a player payment dispute during the World Cup. Officials said in a statement Sunday they were planning new elections. The NFF is now being led by an official appointed by the sports minister. World body FIFA, said it would not recognize Saturday’s meeting and has given Nigeria until Tuesday.
Real madrid legend Di Stefano dies
Madrid: Real Madrid legend Alfredo di Stefano, one of the greatest footballers in history, died in a Spanish hospital on Monday aged 88, the club said. The Argentine-born former striker and honorary president was “the best player of all time”, Real Madrid said. Di Stefano had been taken to hospital after suffering a heart attack on Saturday. Rescuers had battled for 18 minutes to revive the 88-year-old after his heart stopped following a restaurant lunch with his family near Real’s Santiago Bernabeu stadium. He had been taken in a serious condition to the Gregorio Maranon hospital which later said he was in a coma, had been sedated and was breathing with the help of a machine. “Alfredo Di Stefano died today at 5:15 pm” (1515 GMT) at the Gregorio Maranon hospital, Real Madrid said in a statement on Monday.