Chilean second division side Palestino, which is based in Santiago, has "opened up the Israel/Palestine football debate on a different continent, but with the same entrenched political positions coming to the fore." Palestino has been "wearing a shirt for the opening games of its new season that shows a map of Palestine before the creation of Israel." This has "sparked complaint, including from the Latin America branch of the Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry, who took the matter directly to Chilean trade and government officials" (INSIDE WORLD FOOTBALL, 1/23). ... The nine Uruguayan players for rivals Nacional and Peñarol who were arrested for fighting during a game on Tuesday night were banned from the sport for two months on Wednesday (MARCA, 1/23). ... Chilean second division side San Marcos de Arica's players "decided not to play its game scheduled for Saturday due to salaries the players are owed" by club execs. The situation "could change by the weekend." The Chilean Professional Footballers' Syndicate (SIFUP) said, "The San Marcos de Arica roster has set Friday at 2pm as the final deadline for the club to pay its players" (EMOL, 1/23). ... Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff gave assurances on Wednesday that "the Curitiba stadium, the most delayed of the venues for the World Cup," will be ready on time for the football tournament that kicks off June 12. Rousseff: "I believe that everyone, the state governor, the mayor and the contractors responsible for the Curitiba stadium, will finish it on time. I am sure of that" (REUTERS, 1/22). ... FIFA announced on Thursday the organizations which will receive financial support from its Football for Hope initiative in '14. FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke confirmed that a total of 108 football-related social development programs across the world will benefit from FIFA’s financial support this year for a total amount of $3.1M (FIFA).
