Sport
Barcelona extends football school to Warsaw
A year away from the 2012 European football championships in Poland and Ukraine, Warsaw’s city sports director has convinced the football club Barcelona to open the club’s first European football school outside Spain. Young Polish talent will train at the ‘FCB Escola Varsovia’ from the end of October. Barcelona is giving the Poles the ‘know how’ but not the money
Post-World Cup guide to language of European rugby
On 23 October, France lost to New Zealand at Auckland’s eden park. At the rugby world cup final, France had the 'all blacks' seriously worried, with just a point in it. If you’d have liked a European victory, this little article is your consolation prize: a chance to become multi-rugby-lingual
Football: a poor man's sport? Not for Qatar
The Qataris now own football club Paris Saint-Germain and have spared no expense in their attempt to turn the team into a crown jewel. But of whose crown: Sarkozy's kingdom or the Qatari emirate? What prompted these billionaire sheikhs to invest in Europe?
sport, money, world cup, paris, qatar, economy, economic growth
Balkan basketball: Macedonia honour and no 'hate thy neighbour' syndrome
In 1991 SFR Yugoslavia won the 'Eurobasket' gold medal and ended its existence as the second most successful country in basketball championships (after the soviet union). Twenty years on, all of Yugoslavia's ex-republic national teams have met for the first time at the same event. The riveting European basketball championships have reunited a region and end in Vilnius on 18 September
sport, balkans, yugoslavia, vilnius, society, macedonia, politics
Malmo, London, Berlin, Glasgow: roller girls derby in Europe
Cat fights on wheels? Or a sport to be taken seriously? In the run up to the first ever ‘roller derby’ world championships in Toronto in early December, the women’s team sport on wheels brought to the big screen in Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut ‘Whip It’ (2009) has been steadily sweeping through Europe. To mark the film's release in Germany, a German roller girl gets on the case
sport, cinema, lifestyle, best of cafebabel.com, men and women, europe, lifestyle
Freeday: beer vs bikes through Athens on Fridays
Every Friday at Asomaton Square in the heart of Athens, not far from the Acropolis, up to two or three thousand cyclists go for a solid ride starting at 10 pm and usually finishing around 3 in the morning. Tonight the destination is the small town of Hassia, 25 km north of Athens on the Parnitha mountain
Being a Beşiktaş football supporter in Istanbul
There are three big football teams in Istanbul: the aristocratic Galatasaray, the Asian Fenerbahçe and the self-proclaimed ‘people’s team (‘halk takim’), Beşiktaş. The fans of the latter are known to be politically active. The Beşiktaşli, as they are called, stand up for social progress and football integrity
sport, football, civil society, istanbul, society, turkey, citizens
European sport gay-rometer: spanning the fear
Twelve years after the death of gay British black footballer Justin Fashanu, who committed suicide at the age of 37, homosexuality in sports is still a taboo. European case studies from the no-go area of football to the changing image of rugby and gay-friendly status of tennis
Interview with psychic Paul, the German octopus
A slew of tanned, ageing football commentators aside, he was the only one to correctly predict Spain's glory and Germany's shock defeat at the 2010 world cup. He's also an octopus, hatched in 2008, who lives at the Oberhausen aquarium in a North Rhine-Westphalia zoo. Three questions for the eight-armed prophet
sport, football, world cup, netherlands, germany, best of cafebabel.com, animals
Euro 2012 in Warsaw: hanging around the stadium
The UEFA football championship kicks off in Warsaw’s brand new national stadium on 8 June 2012. While it prepares to host over 100, 000 fans and tourists, the Polish capital is abuzz with excitement about revealing how far it’s come to the rest of the world
sport, football, eucrisis on the ground, euro 2012, europe, poland, economical crisis
Uruguay vs Europe: what world cup identity?
28 countries out, four left. Uruguay aside, the football championship final will definitely feature either Germany or Spain, one of whom could be facing the Netherlands to contend for a title currently held by Italy. It's not about football anymore though – does this bridge a stronger European identity for those of us on the continent, supporters or not?
sport, football, european identity, world cup, italy, identity, netherlands
Porn, drugs and Domenech: a Eurovision of World Cup songs
As the World Cup moves into the next phase – sixteen of the best battle it out for the second round from 26 June – we follow the 2010-featuring European teams in song. Spain, Holland and Germany are EU favourites as runners-up on 11 July, with Brazil or Argentina to win, according to betting agencies
sport, football, world cup, italy, raymond domenech, rock, netherlands
Ban bullfighting in Catalonia
It’s a briskly warm spring afternoon in Barcelona and blood is shed for the first time this year in the grand Monumental arena to the cheers of willing fans. Brilliantly shimmering sequins sparkle on the skin-tight suit of a proud Torero as he marks the beginning of yet another season of bloodshed
sport, protest, entertainment, bullfighting, meat, bilbao, culture
Rock climbing Europe: discovering El Chorro in Spain
Every winter, rock climbers from across northern Europe arrange to meet in southern Spain to tackle one of this season’s biggest challenges. El Chorro is a limestone gorge hippy haven and small island of green in the Andalusian desert
sport, backpacking, climbing, nature, spain, mountain, andalousie
Peddling for votes; cycle across Ireland for Lisbon treaty
A group of cyclists from around Europe are embarking on a tour of the Irish countryside to demonstrate for a higher voter turnout ahead of the 2 October Lisbon referendum. Organiser Grace Cox enthuses about the ‘yes’ movement that’s gathering speed - and even Ryanair are getting on board
sport, pat cox, bicycle, vote, european union, demonstration, ireland
by
by
by
