The Independent - Football
Manchester United ready to sell Luke Shaw for £20m in January
Despite paying over £30m three-and-a-half years ago it is understood United would be willing to accept as much as £10m less now
Thursday, November 30, 2017
Sports clubs receive €56m in grants: Check out biggest winners in each county
Sport: : BreakingNews.ie
Sports clubs receive €56m in grants: Check out biggest winners in each county
Christmas came early for the nation's sporting grassroots todayas the Government unveiled details of its €56m capital grants programme.
So who is the world’s best paid football manager?
Sport: : BreakingNews.ie
So who is the world’s best paid football manager?
With Big Sam Allardyce expected to clear a nice €6m a year as new Everton boss it got us thinking who exactly are the best paid managers in the world.
Wednesday, November 29, 2017
DREAM TEAM POINTS: Stoke 0 Liverpool 3
Dream Team FC
DREAM TEAM POINTS: Stoke 0 Liverpool 3
Liverpool fans felt Mohamed Salah wasn’t clinical enough at the start of the season.
Well now the Egyptian winger is the top scorer in the Premier League and has more goals than Lionel Messi and Neymar this season.
CLAIM YOUR FREE £20 BET Sun Bets are offering this great offer when you sign up and bet a fiverNot bad.
PA:Press Association Salah scored his 11th and 12th goals of the season[/caption]
Salah was at it again on Wednesday night, coming off the bench to score twice as Liverpool comfortably saw off Stoke 3-0.
Sadio Mane opened the scoring in the first half before Salah scored a quick fire brace to make sure of all three points for the Reds.
But Liverpool supporters held special praise for a man who didn’t find the net.
Roberto Firmino’s unselfishness is one of his main and most endearing attributes, and the Brazilian displayed that quality again for Mane’s goal.
With Mane’s delicate chip only tricking over the line, Firmino had the opportunity to steal the goal himself – but instead stopped to allow his team-mate to score instead.
Shout out to Bobby Firmino for not being a goal stealing grass, what a man.
— Jay 
(@64_bit_hero) November 29, 2017
STOKE: Grant -2, Diouf 0, Zouma 1, Shawcross -2, Martins Indi -3, Pieters -2, Allen 0, Fletcher 0, Shaqiri 0, Choup-Moting 0, Crouch 3
Subs: Rodriguez 0, Adam 0
Booked: Martins Indi
LIVERPOOL: Mignolet 7, Gomez 5, Matip 8, Lovren 8, Moreno 8, Can 3, Wijnaldum -1, Oxlade-Chamberlain -1, Firmino 3, Mane 14, Solanke 5
Subs: Salah 13, Henderson 0, Milner 5
Booked: Mignolet, Can, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Wijnaldum
STAR MAN: SADIO MANE
FIFA advisers: ‘Danger’ for gay fans at World Cup in Russia
Football – Inquirer Sports
FIFA advisers: ‘Danger’ for gay fans at World Cup in Russia
MOSCOW — FIFA’s anti-discrimination advisers are warning gay soccer fans going to the 2018 World Cup in Russia that displays of affection could be met with an aggressive response from intolerant locals. Homosexuality was decriminalized in Russia in 1993, but anti-gay sentiment remains strong and intensified after a law was introduced in 2013 prohibiting dissemination […]
The post FIFA advisers: ‘Danger’ for gay fans at World Cup in Russia appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Antoine Griezmann rules out ever joining Arsenal for one specific reason
The Independent - Football
Antoine Griezmann rules out ever joining Arsenal for one specific reason
The France striker has revealed in his new autobiography that he was on the verge of joining the north London club in 2013 only to be unceremoniously snubbed
Toronto FC has chance to prove they are the real deal vs. Columbus
Sportsnet.ca
Toronto FC has chance to prove they are the real deal vs. Columbus
var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-759565" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink');
if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&iu=%2F7326%2Frogers.broadcast%2FSportsNet.Sportsnet%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=5661607472001&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&iu=%2F7326%2Frogers.broadcast%2FSportsNet.Sportsnet%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=5661607472001&cmsid=384"; }
$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );
$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-759565" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "rkedLxwfab", //autoplay: false, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 5661607472001, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "http://assets4.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/tosaint-ricketts720-1024x576.jpg" }); });
Tuesday, November 28, 2017
Watford scare was a 'good lesson' on complacency for Manchester United, says Jose Mourinho
The Independent - Football
Watford scare was a 'good lesson' on complacency for Manchester United, says Jose Mourinho
Mourinho said that the fright his team faced at Vicarage Road will remind them that 'football is football' even when they have a commanding lead
Romelu Lukaku has just frozen in front of an open goal
Dream Team FC
Romelu Lukaku has just frozen in front of an open goal
Does anyone have a heater they can take to Vicarage Road?
Romelu Lukaku has just frozen in front of an open goal.
Man United were coasting at 3-0 up when the ball broke to Lukaku with Huerelho Gomes flailing around on the ground.
CLAIM YOUR FREE £20 BET Sun Bets are offering this great offer when you sign up and bet a fiver
Morata would’ve scored thatAFP or licensors
The Man United striker seemed to freeze with a chance to score his easiest goal of the season.
The Belgian couldn’t get the ball out of his feet for what seemed like an eternity when all he had to do was poke to the ball into the gaping net.
After a blistering start to the season the £70 million man has only scored one United goal since September.
Kane would also have scored itPA:Press Association
People are starting to question whether Lukaku is the real deal.
This miss will only raise eyebrows further.
Lukaku looked like his feet were made of lead when his moment came and Twitter didn’t hold back…
It was like God telling me to change channels to see Lukaku miss that 
— Kwaku Nyarko (@KwakuNyarko6) November 28, 2017
He delayed the most simple finish which allowed Watford defenders to get back on the line and when he finally got a shot away it was easily blocked.
The figure of Zlatan Ibrahimovic on the subs bench grew by about three feet as Lukaku missed.
Would Ibra have scored that?
Seeing as he has ice in his veins and the heart of a lion, it’s a resounding yes.
Watch Arsene Wenger reveal his knitting tactics for Christmas Jumper Day
Sport: : BreakingNews.ie
Watch Arsene Wenger reveal his knitting tactics for Christmas Jumper Day
Arsenal fans are being invited to swap their kit for a knit.
Monday, November 27, 2017
Some fans are outraged Jermain Defoe is missing from the Sports Personality of the Year shortlist
Sport: : BreakingNews.ie
Some fans are outraged Jermain Defoe is missing from the Sports Personality of the Year shortlist
Defoe struck up a friendship with young cancer patient Bradley Lowery before his death this year, aged six.
Watford vs Manchester United - Premier League: What time does it start and where can I watch it?
The Independent - Football
Watford vs Manchester United - Premier League: What time does it start and where can I watch it?
A look ahead to Tuesday night's Premier League clash at Vicarage Road
Sunday, November 26, 2017
Teenager becomes the youngest German player to appear in the Bundesliga
Dream Team FC
Teenager becomes the youngest German player to appear in the Bundesliga
We’re not going to ask you what you were doing at 16, because we don’t want to hear the answer.
But what we do know is that, unless you are Nuri Sahin, you weren’t playing in the Bundesliga.
But Sahin is no longer the only 16-year-old to appear in Germany’s top flight after Yann Aurel Bisseck started for Cologne against Hertha Berlin.
CLAIM YOUR FREE £20 BET Sun Bets are offering this great offer when you sign up and bet a fiver
Sixteen years young
At the age of 16 years, 11 months and 18 days Bisseck is technically the youngest German player to feature in a Bundesliga game.
We say technically because Nuri Sahin was younger when he first played for Borussia Dortmund.
However Sahin has since gone on to play for the Turkish national team so, in football terms, Bisseck is now the youngest German.
Bisseck has been starring for Cologne’s Under-19 side and has made two appearances for Germany’s Under-17 side.
Despite an impressive win against Arsenal in the Europa League Cologne are bottom of the Bundesliga with just two points.
What better time to throw a 16-year-old into first-team action than when a side are looking for their first win of the season, having been routinely thrashed?
Gulp.
Icardi scores twice as Inter beats Cagliari to go top of Serie A
Sportsnet.ca
Icardi scores twice as Inter beats Cagliari to go top of Serie A
MILAN — Mauro Icardi scored twice as Inter Milan reinforced its title credentials by winning at Cagliari 3-1 to move to the top of Serie A on Saturday.
Icardi and Marcelo Brozovic scored for Inter before Leonardo Pavoletti set up a nervy final 20 minutes for the visitors.
However, Icardi scored late. The Inter captain moved level with Lazio’s Ciro Immobile at the top of the goal-scoring charts, with 15.
Inter moved a point above Napoli, which visits Udinese on Sunday. Cagliari, which tested Samir Handanovic several times, remained 13th.
"We’ll enjoy a night at the top of the league," Icardi said. "The others should know that we are there, right up with them.
"Not playing in European competition this year allows us to work well during the week and build the basis for doing something important."
Cagliari dominated the opening half hour and Handanovic pulled off good saves, notably denying Pavoletti from point-blank range.
However, Inter took the lead against the run of play in the 29th minute when Antonio Candreva crossed from the right to Ivan Perisic at the far post and he knocked it back for Icardi to tap in.
Inter’s Matias Vecino limped off early in the second half and was replaced by Brozovic, who scored with his first touch, firing home another Candreva cross from the right.
Cagliari reduced the deficit in the 71st. Paolo Farago swung the ball in from the right for Pavoletti to volley home.
Farago, however, was partly at fault for Inter’s third as he failed to clear the ball and Rafael’s punch fell straight to Icardi, who rifled it into the bottom left corner.
GREAT START
Sampdoria followed its surprise victory over Juventus by losing to Bologna 3-0 despite Bologna playing the second half with 10 men.
Samp’s third defeat left it in sixth place, six points above Bologna, which moved up to seventh ahead of the rest of the weekend’s fixtures.
Sampdoria beat Juventus 3-2 in the previous round.
Bologna got off to a great start, taking the lead inside three minutes. Sampdoria goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano could only parry Mattia Destro’s effort and Simone Verdi tucked away the rebound.
Ibrahima Mbaye headed in Verdi’s corner in the 23rd and even the loss of defender Vasilis Torosidis to a second yellow card in first-half stoppage time made little difference.
Bologna withstood Sampdoria’s siege in the second half and added a third on the counterattack in the 73rd as Godfred Donsah ran from inside his own half before rolling the ball across for substitute Orji Okwonkwo, who had been on the pitch for less than four minutes.
OTHER MATCHES
Relegation-threatened Hellas Verona snapped a run of five successive defeats by beating Sassuolo 2-0. Verona played the final 24 minutes with 10 men after Thomas Heurtaux was sent off for two yellow cards.
Verona remained in penultimate place, two points below Sassuolo and a point behind 17th-placed Spal, which lost at Chievo Verona 2-1.
Messi staying with Barcelona to 2021 after new contract
Football – Inquirer Sports
Messi staying with Barcelona to 2021 after new contract
BARCELONA, Spain — Barcelona enjoyed a big win on Saturday (Sunday Manila time) without even playing. Lionel Messi finally put Barcelona and its fans at ease by signing a new contract that will keep the Argentine forward at the Spanish club through 2021 when he will be 34. “The club … is my home,” Messi […]
The post Messi staying with Barcelona to 2021 after new contract appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Saturday, November 25, 2017
The sins of Jose Mourinho continue to haunt Chelsea
Sportsnet.ca
The sins of Jose Mourinho continue to haunt Chelsea
By Richard Buxton, Special to Sportsnet
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND – The sins of Jose Mourinho continue to haunt Chelsea this season.
Though Antonio Conte was able to stretch his side’s current unbeaten run to four games with a 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Saturday, their ailing Premier League title defence took another unwanted detour, once again thanks to the failings of the Italian’s predecessor.
Mourinho’s ruthlessness in cutting adrift some of English football’s brightest prospects almost came home to roost again, with Mohamed Salah threatening to condemn his former club before Liverpool were ultimately forced to settle for a point.
It is not the first time that the Blues will be plagued by mercurial figures who once wore their colours. Little under two months ago, Kevin De Bruyne dealt a hammer blow as Manchester City emerged victorious at the home of the reigning champions.
Only more dodgy defending from their hosts allowed them to emerge from Anfield with a point from a game where they had, until Willian’s 85th minute equalizer, appeared destined to end with nothing to show for their endeavour at both ends of the pitch.
Gruelling midweek Champions League excursions had taken their toll on both these sides – Chelsea on the back of a five-and-a-half hour flight home from Qarabag, Liverpool with the psychological torment of throwing away a three-goal lead at Sevilla.
var adServerUrl = ""; var $el = $( "#video_container-566969" ); var permalink = $el.closest('.snet-single-article').data('permalink');
if ( "1" == true && 'undefined' !== typeof window.getIndexAds ) { var so = {preroll:{1:{1:{siteID:191888},2:{siteID:191889}}}}; adServerUrl = window.getIndexAds( 'http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&iu=%2F7326%2Frogers.broadcast%2FSportsNet.Sportsnet%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=5658202076001&cmsid=384', so, permalink); } else { adServerUrl = "http://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/ads?sz=640x360&iu=%2F7326%2Frogers.broadcast%2FSportsNet.Sportsnet%2FVideo&ciu_szs=300x250&impl=s&gdfp_req=1&env=vp&output=vast&unviewed_position_start=1&ad_rule=1&vid=5658202076001&cmsid=384"; }
$el.after( unescape("%3Cscript src=\"" + (document.location.protocol == "https:" ? "https://sb" : "http://b") + ".scorecardresearch.com/beacon.js\" %3E%3C/script%3E") );
$( document ).one( 'ready', function() { $( "#video_container-566969" ).SNPlayer( { bc_account_id: "1704050871", bc_player_id: "rkedLxwfab", //autoplay: false, //is_has_autoplay_switch: false, bc_videos: 5658202076001, is_has_continuous_play: "false", adserverurl: adServerUrl, section: "", thumbnail: "http://assets3.sportsnet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/willian720-1024x576.jpg" }); });
Eden Hazard, however, showed little signs of the fatigue to which Conte had complained his side endured en route from Azerbaijan. Throughout the first half, the Belgian winger led the Reds’ defence a merry dance as he regularly fashioned a number of chances.
“The start of this season was full of trouble with Eden because he had an injury with the national team and we started the season without him,” Conte said.
“The problem when you have this type of injury and you need surgery, it’s very important to have the best time for your recovery. Now, Eden is in really good form and I think he likes to play as a striker. There is a good link with Alvaro [Morata].
“For me also it’s a great opportunity in this season to have the possibility to play with two different systems. For Qarabag we played with a 3-4-2-1, today we started playing with a 3-5-2. It’s very important that we don’t lose our identity in both case.”
Salah had scored just two goals in 19 appearances during a largely forgettable spell at Chelsea, something Hazard himself openly speculated may have been attributable to the whimsy of his former manager, now enjoying a charmed life at Manchester United.
With his 15th goal in all competitions, the Egypt international is already making up for lost time on a run of form which is already proving more clinical than that of Robbie Fowler, the benchmark against which Liverpool’s list of goal-getters are invariably measured.
Were it not for the resolute defending of Cesar Azpilicueta, Salah may have extended both Liverpool’s lead as well as his own atop the Premier League’s scoring charts – a status he could conceivably retain for the remainder of this season at the current rate of growth.
But Anfield’s season continues to be defined by a punchline of defensive indiscipline that inevitably begins with poor decision-making – Jordan Henderson had the distinction this time around – and ends with Simon Mignolet collecting the ball from his net.
https://twitter.com/RichardBuxton_/status/934474820275843072
Jurgen Klopp’s loyalty to his side’s serially under-performing players risks being the petard by which he is ultimately hoisted. A perseverance with Mignolet has continually undermined the German coach’s attempts to restore Liverpool to its once-glorious past.
It did so again as he was left back-pedalling in a desperate attempt to prevent Willian’s cross-cum-shot from handing the Londoners the most unlikely of lifelines as Klopp was left ruing only the second league goal his side had conceded on home soil in seven games.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, previously the object of Chelsea’s affection last summer before Liverpool intervened, highlighted just why Conte was right not to gamble on the former Arsenal man as his move north of the capital continues to prove largely forgettable. Klopp’s assertion that there is little differences between the England midfielder and Sadio Mane, forced to give up his place in the starting line-up, borrowed itself to poetic license.
Alberto Moreno, similarly, continues to escape recrimination with a “100 per cent” pledge of trust made by the Liverpool manager on the eve of this encounter, while Henderson showed again why he lacks the diligence required to protect his side’s flaky defence. Developments of Naby Keita’s final season with RB Leipzig have left the writing firmly on the wall for Henderson. In spite of the Guinea international amassing five bookings and three red cards in his first 10 games for club and country, flawlessly marshalling the Bundesliga outfit’s backline shows why the current Liverpool captain remains on borrowed time.
“I’m really proud of the attitude but I have to say that both teams were, attitude-wise, really on a high level,” Klopp said.
“I think in weeks like this it could be different, not for us and not for, unfortunately, Chelsea tonight. So both teams had a big, big investment in this game, so everything was good… until Willian crossed the ball.
“Most parts of the game are still good, but it doesn’t feel that well, that’s how it is.
“The world is a strange and crazy place at the moment, there are so many much more important things that happened, crazy things are happening, so I can easily live with a point against Chelsea.”
Richard Buxton is a UK-based writer and special correspondent for Sportsnet. He filed this report from Liverpool’s Anfield stadium.
Messi receives 4th Golden Shoe as Europe’s top scorer
Football – Inquirer Sports
Messi receives 4th Golden Shoe as Europe’s top scorer
BARCELONA, Spain — Lionel Messi received his fourth Golden Shoe award on Friday (Saturday Manila time) for leading all of Europe’s leagues in scoring last season. It was the fourth time the Barcelona forward has received the honor, drawing him even with Real Madrid rival Cristiano Ronaldo as the award record-holders. Messi scored 37 in […]
The post Messi receives 4th Golden Shoe as Europe’s top scorer appeared first on Inquirer Sports.
Liverpool vs Chelsea - Premier League: What time does it start, where can I watch it and what are the odds?
The Independent - Football
Liverpool vs Chelsea - Premier League: What time does it start, where can I watch it and what are the odds?
A look ahead to Saturday's Premier League clash at Anfield
Friday, November 24, 2017
‘It's important to me because my surname is Irish’: Argentina ready to make history against Ireland
Sport: : BreakingNews.ie
‘It's important to me because my surname is Irish’: Argentina ready to make history against Ireland
"We feel we can make history but we know Ireland are in one of their best moments ever."
Man United captain reveals he’s back in training after undergoing heart procedure
Dream Team FC
Man United captain reveals he’s back in training after undergoing heart procedure
Manchester United skipper Michael Carrick has barely featured for the side this season.
The midfielder has just one appearance to his name so far – in their 4-1 win over Burton in the Carabao Cup back in September.
CLAIM YOUR FREE £20 BET Sun Bets are offering this great offer when you sign up and bet a fiverWhat gives?
PA:Press Association Carrick last played in September[/caption]
Well, taking to Twitter on Friday evening, Carrick revealed he recently underwent a minor medical procedure to address an irregular heart rhythm.
The 36-year-old said felt “strange” in the aftermath of the Burton game, before undergoing a series of tests to determine the issue.
Getty - Contributor Lookin’ cool earlier this month[/caption]
An irregular heart rhythm was identified by doctors and Carrick subsequently underwent a cardiac ablation to correct the problem.
Here’s the full statement from the player:
He says: “I just want to clear up my situation as I’ve had quite a few people asking if I’m OK and why I haven’t been fit over the last couple of months.
“After feeling strange during the second half of the Burton game in September I underwent a series of tests.
PLAY DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER Pick seven players for your chance to win £££“It turned out to be due to an irregular heart rhythm which has been fully investigated and I had a procedure called a cardiac ablation.
“I had to build up training steadily whilst being monitored closely but I feel fine now.
“I would like to reassure everyone that I’m healthy and back training hard with the team.
“I’m building up my fitness and aiming to be back in contention for selection soon.”
Rex Features Carrick is favourite among Manchester United fans[/caption]
Crikey, that’s worrying.
Carrick has been a staple of United’s team since joining from Tottenham back in 2006, and has made well over 400 appearances for the side in all competitions.
Disgracefully overlooked for the national team over the years (he only has 34 caps to his name), the pass-master is one of the most successful English players ever – having won the Premier League, FA Cup, League Cup and Champions League, along with the Community Shield, Europa League and FIFA Club World Cup.
Not bad, right?
PA:Press Association Carrick with Clarence Seedorf during his Testimonial back in June[/caption]
Wishing you a full and speedy recovery, Michael!
Getting rid of FIFA Ultimate Team packs is the best thing EA Sports can do
Dream Team FC
Getting rid of FIFA Ultimate Team packs is the best thing EA Sports can do
Whether you’re opening FIFA packs or playing on a slot machine, it can be hard to know when to stop.
And that’s exactly how they want you to feel.
CLAIM YOUR FREE £20 BET Sun Bets are offering this great offer when you sign up and bet a fiverVariable-ratio reinforcement, a term coined by behavioural psychologists, is where a response is reinforced – or rewarded – after an unpredictable number of responses.
In other words, you’re never sure when you’re going to win, but you win just enough to keep you playing.
FIFA packs could change dramatically in the next year or two
It’s extremely effective at creating a steady, high rate of response – or, in the worst cases, an addiction.
Lootboxes are in-game transactions designed to give the gamer an edge or unlockable item.
They’ve been around for years in mobile games but are now worryingly more common in ‘full price’ console and PC titles.
So, when you pay for a FIFA Ultimate Team pack, you’re essentially opening a lootbox of sorts.
Or, as would have been in the case in Star Wars: Battlefront II, you’d have to pay to get your hands on some of the most iconic characters in the series.
CLAIM YOUR FREE £20 BET Sun Bets are offering this great offer when you sign up and bet a fiverThankfully, the gaming community revolted and gave EA a bloody nose by refusing to buy the game.
At one point, sales were down 61 per cent compared with 2015’s Star Wars Battlefront.
Ouch.
EA was given little choice but to backtrack and pulled in-game purchases from Battlefront II (temporarily, we must stress) following the backlash.
Not only that, but they’re now looking into a similar model present in Need For Speed: Payback.
But it gets worse.
Gamers are refusing to buy EA’s Star Wars Battlefront II over lootbox concerns
Belgium’s gambling authority investigated Battlefront II over its lootboxes and concluded they are a form of gambling.
Belgian Minister of Justice Koen Geens added: “Mixing gambling and gaming, especially at a young age, is dangerous for the mental health of the child.”
The commission will now work with the European Union to push for a total ban.
PLAY DREAM TEAM WEEKENDER Pick seven players for your chance to win £££Just hours ago, Hawaii’s Rep. Chris Lee denounced EA’s “predatory behavior” in a speech uploaded to YouTube.
In the clip, Lee described Battlefront II as a “Star Wars-themed online casino, designed to lure kids into spending money”.
He is proposing legislation for Hawaii that would prohibit the sale of games containing lootboxes to minors, a move he hopes will cause other states to follow suit.
FIFA 18 has come under fire from gamers who believe packs are too expensive
On the other side of the world, Australian gambling regulators are also considering whether “loot boxes” in video games constitute gambling.
But why has it taken this long for the relevant authorities to take notice?
Amazingly, the UK Gambling Commission recently decided that lootcrates were not gambling as rewards were only usable in the game – a stance echoed by the US.
However, these views are now coming under intense scrutiny, with top gambling watchdogs calling for these ‘loopholes’ to be closed.
Marc Etches, head of the Gamble Aware charity, told the BBC it was increasingly worried about in-game rewards.
FIFA is just one of many mainstream that encourage in-game purchases
“It is becoming more and more difficult to distinguish between some increasingly common features in computer games and gambling,” he said.
“Current legislation was not designed for this technology and loopholes need to be closed urgently.”
So, what does this mean for Ultimate Team?
CLAIM YOUR FREE £20 BET Sun Bets are offering this great offer when you sign up and bet a fiverIt’s looking as though EA will have to drastically re-think the entire model, which will be a major concern given the incredible amount of revenue Ultimate Team drives.
We doubt they’ll scrap the entire in-game purchasing model, but unpredictable FUT packs as they stand are dangerously close to gambling.
EA will likely have to provide visibility on exactly what each pack contains and price them accordingly. Although, as we’ve seen in the Battlefront II meltdown, this model brings with it substantial risks.
Battlefront is a solid, if unspectacular, game – but was doomed before it hit the shelves
Something needs to change – and just like the Battlefront saga, gamers are coming together to ensure this gets pushed through.
A movement called #FIXFIFA has spread across the globe, calling on EA to fix the ‘broken’ game. Ultimate Team packs are just one of the key issues gamers want addressed.
With a change.org petition now boasting more than 23,000 signatures, EA will be forced to take notice.
However way you look at what’s going on with lootboxes, there’s only one winner. The gamers.
And at the end of the day, that’s all that really matters.
WATCH: Hawaii’s Rep Chris Lee lays into EA Sports
