Menu
Download the app

SBJ subscribers – Enhance your experience with the revamped iOS app

Events and Attractions

Match Hospitality Defends Arrested CEO As Lawyer Accuses Police Of Media Stunt

FIFA partner Match Hospitality "has defended" CEO Ray Whelan "after his arrest by Brazilian police investigating the illegal sale of World Cup tickets," according to the BBC. Match in a statement said it expects Whelan will be "exonerated" after he was released following questioning. Whelan's lawyer, Fernando Fernandes, said the arrest was "illegal and absurd" (BBC.com, 7/8). Match in its statement added the company has "complete faith that the facts will establish that he has not violated any laws" (SKYSPORTS.com, 7/8). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Kiernan & Jelmayer noted Whelan was released after he posted bail of about $2,250 and "delivered his passport to ensure he wouldn't leave Brazil." FIFA "works closely with Match, its official hospitality provider, which has a contract to provide hotel and game packages" until '23, through the next two World Cups. Match is 5% owned by Infront Sports & Media AG, and company President & CEO Philippe Blatter is the nephew of FIFA President Sepp Blatter. Neither man "has been implicated in the ticket-scalping probe," but the ticket scandal "is the latest in a string of controversies dogging FIFA." But Fernandes said, "This arrest by the police is a media stunt. There's no proof against Raymond. ... All the tickets that were with Raymond, that the police apprehended, were in his name and his relatives' names." Kiernan & Jelmayer noted it was not clear whether the tickets "were for past or future games." At the time of Whelan's arrest, four games "remained to be played in the World Cup" (WSJ.com, 7/8).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2014/07/09/Events-and-Attractions/Match.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2014/07/09/Events-and-Attractions/Match.aspx

CLOSE