All 19 nations competing at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final 2015 in Barcelona have taken part in a special photo shoot as part of the #SupportYourNation campaign, which centres on supporting the athletes at this Final across all news and social media platforms.
The world’s top Jumping riders may have a serious mission ahead of them, but that hasn’t stopped them having fun on set at the Real Club De Polo De Barcelona, where the €2.3 million Final showdown kicks off at 16.00 local time today (24 September).
Global pop icon Carly Rae Jepsen will be singing at the closing ceremony in Barcelona
Carly Rae Jepsen will be performing live at the closing ceremony of the €2.3 million Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final in Barcelona (ESP) on Saturday 26 September.
The Canadian superstar will be singing on Saturday night at the world’s richest team final, staged at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona. The iconic Club, venue for the equestrian events at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992, celebrates its 104th anniversary show this year.
Teams from 45 nations took part in 19 qualifiers around the globe, with 19 countries qualifying for the Final in Barcelona, where they’ll compete for a total prize fund of €2,362,500. FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping is the world’s oldest and most prestigious team jumping event, celebrating 106 years of competition.
Carly Rae Jepsen Credit: Universal Music Group
Carly Rae Jepsen shot to fame in 2012 after her single Call Me Maybe reached number one in 18 countries worldwide. She has since released a number of smash hits, including I Really Like You and Run Away With Me.
Carly Rae was thrilled with the invitation to perform at the closing ceremony in Barcelona, where she will be showcasing some of her greatest hits, as well as tracks from her new album Emotion, which is out now.
“I am really excited to be performing at the closing ceremony for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Final”, Carly Rae said. “I’ve always loved horses and show jumping and I can’t wait to see the world’s best riders compete in Barcelona and then get on stage and perform for them! It’s going to be amazing!”
Ingmar De Vos, FEI President said: “We are so happy to have Carly Rae Jepsen performing at the closing ceremony. She’s a global pop icon and she’s going to be singing at a world-class event. We are really looking forward to seeing her perform as the wrap-up to the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Final, the highlight of our outdoor jumping season.”
Barcelona’s most celebrated “human tower” builders, the Els Castellers de Barcelona, have pulled out all the stops to welcome the world’s best Jumping athletes to the €2.3 million Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Final 2015, which starts in their legendary city this Thursday (24 September).
Gathering in Barcelona’s Plaça Sant Jaume in the middle of the Gothic Quarter, home to the most important buildings in the lives of the people of Barcelona and Catalonia, the Els Castellers de Barcelona built a human tower wholly dedicated to the prestigious Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Final.
A total of 120 members of the Els Castellers de Barcelona between the ages of six and 70 built the symbolic human tower to showcase a shared set of deep rooted values.
“The team concept, and the understanding that together we’re stronger, applies just as much to the teams competing at the Furusiyya Final as it does to the Castellers when they’re building their incredible human towers”, FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.
“The Castellers literally embody the concept of team building, and that team spirit is equally important in equestrian sport. It’s all about trust. There’s the team of human and horse, one of the oldest and strongest partnerships in the world, and then there’s the national team, the four riders and their horses that come together to represent their nation with pride at the Furusiyya Final in Barcelona. It’s a really powerful combination.”
“The Castellers are core to the fabric of Catalonia and especially to Barcelona, which is world-famous for its football, food, architecture, energy and of course horse sport,” explained Daniel Garcia Giró, Event Director of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Final 2015, which takes place this week at the Real Club de Polo de Barcelona, venue for the equestrian events at the Barcelona Olympic Games in 1992.
Benvinguts! Human tower builders welcome Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final to Barcelona
“By their very nature, the human towers are striking, powerful, emotive, and the relationship between the tower members is critical for success, exactly like horse sport.
“Here in Barcelona, human towers are in integral part of our cultural identity, and here at the Real Club de Barcelona, horse sport is just as central to the fabric of our community.”
“It has been a great honour for the Castellers of Barcelona to take part in this event as our personal and most sincere tribute to the CSIO Barcelona, a popular event that goes beyond sports and represents values shared with our community, and to the FEI which brings us to a global audience,” said Daniel Dávila Montes, President of the Els Castellers de Barcelona.
Our pick of the weekend has returned after the mid-week games in Europe and some teams have turned their fortunes around and will hope to transfer the form into their league matches. Players who have been rested will also make a return after a deserved rest and also look to make immediate impact for their club.
Tobi Olubiyi’s (@tobipreety) predictions:
SPANISH LA LIGA
Sevilla Vs Celta – Both teams to score (BTTS): Sevilla had a fantastic game in the Champions League at home against German club Borussia Monchengladbach scoring 3 goals. Unai Emery’s men have not won a league game this season but I believe they will score at least a goal against high flying Celta Vigo who are yet to loose this season and have scored 8 goals. I expect both teams to get a get at least a goal each in this game.
Real Madrid Vs Granada – Real Madrid win: Real Madrid have been in fine form this season scoring goals without remorse. They scored 4 against Ukraine giants Shaktar Donesk with Attacker Cristiano Ronaldo scoring 8 goals in his last 2 games and is close to setting a new goal scoring record in Real Madrid. Granada have lost twice this season conceding 7 goals. Los Blancos would be too strong for Granada especially at the Bernabau.
Chelsea Vs Arsenal – Arsenal win/draw : Chelsea and Jose Mourinho are having their worst possible start to a League campaign in decades and they are currently in 17th place , winning just once in 5 league games but the Blues had an emphatic 4-nil victory mid week against a poor Maccabi Tel Aviv at Stamford Bridge. Arsenal rested a few players in their Champions league game and lost to Dynamo Zagreb who have not tasted defeat in their last 47 matches.
Arsenal have been the in-form team compared to Chelsea so far this season and I believe arsenal will do enough to get at least a point from Chelsea.
Swansea Vs Everton – Both teams to score (BTTS): Ayew and Gomis have made Swansea an overly attacking team this season contributing to the lot of the teams’s goals so far this campaign. Swansea have scored in 4 of the 5 games they have played this season. Roberto Martinez got a well deserved victory against Chelsea last match day scoring 3 goals against the defending Champions.
I expect both teams to go all out for maximum points, this will be an interesting game with both teams getting on the score sheet.
ITALIAN SERIE A
Roma Vs Sassuolo – Roma win : Stadio Olympico is a fortress for Roma and their form this season has seen them undefeated so far including a victory against defending champions Juventus. Sassuolo will have to show something special to get anything in this game.
Chievo Vs Inter milan – Under 2.5: Second placed Chievo have had a dream start to the season so far winning 2 games and conceding just 2 goals and are having a uphill task against Inter Milan who have an 100% record this season. Inter have not scored much and the also do not give away a lot of goals, this will be a cagey game and both teams would want to avoid a defeat and concede few or none. I see this as a tight game between the top 2 teams and there will be less than 3 goals scored by both teams.
GERMAN BUNDESLIGA
Wolfsburg Vs Hertha BSC – Wolfsburg win : Wolfsburg have invested wisely in the summer after the departure of star player De Bruyne. They have started life without him positively by remaining unbeaten in 4 league games. Dardai’s Hertha have also been impressive with just 1 defeat in 4 league matches, but the firepower of Schurlle, Verinha, Draxler behind Bas Dost will be too ferocious for the Hertha defense line lead by Plattenhardt. Wolfsburg will do enough to get the victory at the Volkswagen arena
Borussia Dortmund
Borussia Dortmund Vs Bayern Leverkusen – Both teams to Score (BTTS) : Dortmund are one of only 2 teams in Bundesliga with a 100% record this season and a tie against Leverkusen could be tricky especially after the visitors scored 4 goals against BATE Borisov in the Champions League. Both teams would get goals in this game as they are both good attacking sides.
FRENCH LIGUE 1
Monaco Vs Lorient – Monaco win : Leandro Jardim’s men have started the season slowly with 2 wins from 5 games. They lost their last home match against high flying Champions PSG in a 3 nil white-wash. I see them returning the smiles to the grim faces of the Stade Louis Faithfull with a victory against Lorient who have won just once this season.
Marseille Vs Lyon – Over 2.5 goals : This is the biggest fixture in the French Ligue Un this weekend and I expect it to live up to expectations with both teams giving us an exciting match with lots of goals. Marseille have scored 10 goals which is the highest in the league so far this season while Lyon have scored 6 goals.
Ademola Adejuwon’s (@demydemo) predictions:
English Premier League
Barclays Premier League
Chelsea vs Arsenal- Double Chance on Chelsea: Chelsea are not in good form in the league at the moment where they have lost 3 games in 5. The defending Champions got back to winning ways against Maccabi Tel Aviv in the UCL on Wednesday and they would hope they can bring that sort of form to the table when they play against their London neighbours Arsenal who are not in Scintillating form themselves. Jose Mourinho has never lost to Arsene Wenger in the league and I think this will continue this weekend when the Gunners visit the Bridge.
Liverpool vs Norwich- Liverpool win:
Liverpool would want to put the woes of their last two games behind them when they welcome the Canaries. Norwich would be happy that Suarez no longer plays for Liverpool. Coutinho is back for this one after serving his suspension and in him they have someone that could lead the team going forward. Benteke has two goals so far this season with a wonder against Manchester united and if he wants to get plenty of goals for Liverpool he needs to start scoring against smaller teams like Norwich.
Manchester City vs WestHam- Over 1.5goals:
Giant killing West-Ham United visit league leaders Manchester City. The Citizens have yet to concede a goal in the league this season with a sturdy defence made up of Kompany, Kolarov,Sagna and Mangala. West Ham have defeated Arsenal and Liverpool away from home this season and they won’t be scared facing City at the Etihad. An over 1.5 is a safe bet knowing both sides are capable of getting a goal or two in this fixture.
Real Madrid vs Granada- Real Madrid win and over 2.5 goals: Real Madrid are in red hot form at the moment especially their talismanic winger Cristiano Ronaldo who has banged in 8 goals in two games. Rafael Benitez side have yet to concede a goal which means they have found a way to balance attack and defence. Trust Ronaldo to get a goal or two in this one at the Bernabeu.
German Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund vs Bayer Leverkusen- Both teams to score(BTTS):
Dortmund have been doing fine in the league this season with an 100% record so far. This weekend they welcome a very tricky side in Leverkusen who are basking in the euphoria of their 4-1 victory in the Champions league. Dortmund have scored a lot of goals this season but they’ve also manage to ship in a little which means Leverkusen will have joy going forward especially with the kind of quality they possess offensively in Chicharito, Bellarabi, Hakan and Kiessling. Both team to score will be a safe bet here and trust this game not to disappoint.
Wolfsburg vs Hertha Berlin- Wolfsburg win:
Wolfsburg are in good form at the moment which sees them sit in 3rd position in the Bundesliga at the moment. They lost De Bruyne to Manchester City but in Draxler they have found a perfect replacement for the young Belgian. Hertha has not been bad themselves losing just one games so far but I don’t think they have the squad to push Wolfsburg all the way.
Darmstadt vs Bayern Munich- over 1.5 goals:
Unbeaten Darmstadt welcome defending Champions Bayern to their home. Bayern thus season have found goals easy to come by with Muller,Lewandowski and Costa doing the damage upfront for the Bavarians. Darmstadt have scored 4 and Conceded 3 goals this season which means they might not be given Guardiola’s men too many chances.
French Ligue 1
Monaco vs Lorient (Monaco double chance)
Monaco are in good form in the league at the moment and this weekend they welcome 17th place Lorient who win their first game last week at home to newly promoted Angers. Monaco’s team play has helped them a lot so far this season after losing key players like Abdennour,Kondogbia Carassco and Martial. They may suffer from fatigue due to their Europa league engagement on Thursday but trust them to at least get a point from this game.
League leaders PSG travel to 3rd place Reims. PSG form is good at the moment with Di Maria and Cavani doing the needful for them. Reims are no pushovers themselves being in third place but trust the Paris Landlords to get something from this game . It’s going to be tough but with the quality PSG possess they should at least get a draw in the encounter.
Italian Serie A
Roma vs Sassuolo- Roma win:
Roma hosts Unbeaten Sassuolo who were held to a draw last time out against Atalanta. Roma held Barcelona to a draw in Rome during the week and their attack of Dzeko, Salah Gervinho is strong enough to defeat any Italian team especially when they play at home.
Paul Ayorinde’s (@El_pauleta) predictions
French Ligue 1
Reims V PSG- PSG win: Paris Saint-Germain will be looking to bounce back from last weekend’s draw against Bordeaux. Reims are a very compact and disciplined side, PSG have won once in the last three meetings at the Stade Auguste Delaune II. I tip PSG to dig deep and get a slim away win.
Rennes V Lille- Double chance(Win or draw) on Rennes: Rennes are in top form in the Ligue 1 this season losing just one game while Lille has been struggling in the league with just one win in the last 5 matches. I expect Lille to be defensive and Rennes might find it hard to break them down. I am predicting a win or draw for Rennes on Friday night.
Italian Serie A
Chievo V Inter Milan- Double chance(win or draw) on Inter: Chievo were denied a 100% start to their season because of a number of poor refereeing decisions at the Juventus arena. Inter maintained their winning run with an important win over city rivals AC Milan. Chievo and Inter are in good form, so i expect the match to be tight. I tip Inter Milan to get a least a draw away from home.
Napoli V Lazio- Both teams to score(BTTS): Napoli continue to struggle in the league while Lazio got their second win of the season last weekend. Both teams are blessed with attacking talents,so i expect a great game of football. I tip both teams to score at Stadio San Paolo on Sunday.
German Bundesliga
Darmstadt 98 V Bayern Munich- Bayern Munich win with over 2.5 goals: Darmstadt have been impressive this season getting good results away from home but I expect Bayern Munich “fire power” to be too much for them. I tip Bayern to win with lots of goals.
Cologne V Borussia Monchengladbach- Double chance(Win or draw) on Cologne: Monchengladbach can’t seem to get a good result this season and i don’t expect them to get a win at the RheinEnergie stadion on Saturday. I am tipping Cologne to get at least a draw at home.
Borussia Dortmund V Bayer Leverkusen- Dortmund win with over 2.5 goals: Dortmund are in top form while Leverkusen are yet to hit top-gear in the league. I expect Dortmund to dominate the match and get a win in an high-scoring game.
Spanish BBVA Liga
Real Madrid V Granada- Real Madrid win with over 3.5 goals: Real Madrid and 2014 Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo are scoring goals with ease. I expect the game at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu to be a goal fest. I tip Real Madrid to win with over 3.5 goals.
Barcelona V Levante- Barcelona win with over 2.5 goals: Barcelona got an important win away from home last weekend and i expect them to continue their La Liga winning run against Levante on Sunday. I tip Barcelona to win convincingly at the Camp Nou.
English Premier League
Manchester City V West Ham: Man City win: Manchester City have got off to a perfect start to the season winning all 5 of their opening fixtures without conceding a single goal. I expect them to defeat an high-flying West Ham United in a tight match at the Etihad on Saturday.
Finally the International break is over and football lovers can get back to enjoy the exciting club football that we love so much. Some key players have returned to their clubs with injuries, some with a low morale from their country’s poor performance or bad treatment from the coach during the series of fixtures. Some players have ended their goal droughts and some have traveled thousands of kilometers to represent their various countries which could result in fatigue. We have to be mindful of these factors as it could affect them and their teams either positively or negatively which will influence the matches. As usual we have picked from the top 5 Leagues in Europe i.e England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France.
Tobi Olubiyi’s (@tobipretty) predictions:
English Premier League
Everton Vs Chelsea – Both teams score (BTTS) : Everton played out a bore goalless draw last time against Tottenham in a game with very few chances for both teams. I see both teams scoring in this game as this is a wounded Chelsea who are coming off a home defeat against Crystal Palace in the London Derby. Chelsea look vulnerable especially at the back and Mourinho has responded by signing 2 defenders on transfer deadline day. Chelsea have conceded 9 goals already this season and old boy Lukaku would want to pile up the misery.
Manchester United Vs Liverpool (English Classico) – Draw : Both teams are going into this fixture at the back of a defeat. Manchester United lost at Swansea while Liverpool had a shocker at home losing by 3 goals to a rampant West Ham. These two teams would seek to avoid back to back defeats and they would most likely be content with a sharing a point and I see this as a draw.
Spanish La Liga
Atletico Madrid Vs Barcelona – Under 2.5 : In recent years Diego Simeoni’s Atletico Madrid have been a very good match for the Catalans. Simeone’s high pressing and high work rate is usually evident against Barcelona who like to pass and keep the ball a lot, this strategy if used perfectly would help them hold off Barcelona and ultimately reduce the amount of goals they concede if they concede at all. I see Atletico Madrid stopping Barcelona’s 100% record in the league and there will be less than 3 goals in this match.
Celta Vigo Vs Las Palmas – Celta win/draw : Celta have started the Campaign really well with 2 wins from 2 and Eduardo Berizzo will be glad to keep the run going or at least avoid defeat away at newly Promoted Las Palmas who haven’t won this season getting 1 point from 2 games. I see Celta avoiding defeat here.
Italian Serie A
Inter Milan Vs AC Milan (Milan Derby)– Under 2.5 : Roberto Mancini’s Inter Milan have started the season well with two wins and a 100% record with their new signings particularly impressive. AC Milan have struggled this season winning one and losing the other. This is a huge derby in Italy and I see both teams going for it as a lot of pride is at stake, I believe there will be less than 3 goals scored in this game.
Palermo Vs Carpi – Palermo win: Palermo is the only team in Italy not to have conceded in both fixtures so far. They have won both games albeit by lone goals. Carpi are bottom of the Log and have conceded 7 goals in 2 games, I see Palermo getting a win.
German Bundesliga
Bayern Munich Vs Augsburg – Bayern Munich win : Bayern Munich have won all 3 games this season scoring 10 goals and conceding just one goal. Pep’s Bavarians look to continue their dominance from last season and retaining the Bundesliga title with another win at home against Augsburg who are yet to win this season. Bayern will be unstopable and will score a couple of goals.
Frankfurt Vs Cologne – Both score : Both teams have done reasonably well so far this season with Cologne particular taking 7 points from an available 9 points and scoring 6 goals in the process. Frankfurt how ever have also scored 6 goals. I see both teams getting on the score sheet in this game.
French Ligue Un
Lyon Vs Lille – Lyon win or draw: Lyon have been hot and cold this season losing one and drawing another in 4 games played. Lille have been the draw specialists this season with 2 goalless draws from 4 games and scoring just one goal conceding once. Herve Renard’s boys haven’t scored a lot and they also don’t give away goals especially with Enyeama in goal. This would be dicey but I will give Olympique Lyon a double chance to either win or draw.
Rennes Vs Nantes – Rennes Win : Rennes have been the surprise package in Ligue Un this season with their signings and also match performances getting 9 points from a possible 12.
I will stick out my neck for a Rennes win away from home.
Everton vs Chelsea- BTTS (Both team to score):
Everton are in relatively good form which sees them a point ahead of the Champions. It is going to be a feisty game as usual and this fixture last season saw Chelsea outscore the Toffees at home. Am going to go for both team to score due to Chelsea’s lack of defensive solidity at the back.
Leicester City vs Aston Villa – Leicester win:
Leicester have been in amazing form this season whilst their opponents this weekend are still trying to gel with the number of player they’ve acquired. Trust Leicester with Mahrez and co to put Aston Villa to the sword.
Inter vs AC Milan -Inter win:
Inter Milan have found form easy to come buy and new kid on the block Stefan Jovetic has already announced his return to the Serie A with goals. I expect a win from Inter .
Frosinone vs AS Roma – Roma Win:
Roma are Unbeaten in two games while newcomers Frosinone have not won a game in two. The fire power of Dzeko,Salah and Gervinho might be too hot for the newcomers to handle.
Espanyol vs Real Madrid- Real Madrid win:
It is going to be tricky going to Espanyol but with the form Madrid showed in their last fixture they might just manage to nick a win in a very tricky place.
Celta Vigo vs Las Palmas – Celta win and over 2.5:
Celta are top of the La liga and with new boys Las Palmas coming around trust Nolito and co to get plenty of goals.
Luis Suarez
Atletico Madrid vs Barcelona- Over 1.5goals :
Atletico Madrid host Champions Barcelona. The winner might be hard to pick but one sure fact is that there will be goals due to the attacking prowess of both teams.
German Bundesliga
Bayern vs Augsburg – Bayern win and over 2.5:
Bayern are in blistering form at the moment while their opponent have just one point in as many games. Trust Muller,Lewandowski and Costa to shine for the Bavarians at the Allainz Arena.
Hannover vs Dortmund – over 1.5goals:
Dortmund are in superb form at the moment but the loss of Reus due to injury might affect them a bit but this fixture guarantee goals.
French Ligue 1
GFC Ajaccio vs Monaco – Monaco Double Chance (Win or draw):
Monaco are away to bottom side Ajaccio. They lost striker Anthony Martial in the transfer window but they still have what it takes to get at least a draw from the bottom place side.
The 19th and final qualifier of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 season will take place in Arezzo, Italy on Friday 4 September, attracting a field of 13 teams.
The starting order, which was determined by a draw held in Arezzo today, will be as follows:
1. Brazil
2. Italy
3. Denmark
4. Germany
5. Ireland
6. Turkey
7. Norway
8. Poland
9. Belgium
10. Sweden
11. France
12. Slovenia
13. Czech Republic
This is the eighth and last leg of the Europe Division 2 League, and the teams from Austria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Norway, Poland, Slovenia and Turkey will be eligible for Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping points. A total of 16 nations have been competing in Europe Division 2 during the season, and two teams will qualify for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 Final which will take place in Barcelona, Spain from 24 to 27 September.
Friday’s competition is scheduled to begin at 14.30 local time and will be broadcast live on FEI TV, the FEI’s official online video platform.
The FEI is providing a wide range of online information resources in connection with the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping.
World football giants FC Barcelona today welcomed equestrian sport to its iconic Camp Nou home in a ground-breaking venture.
The legendary Catalan club, winners of five European Cup and Champions League crowns, plus 50 domestic league and cup titles, achieved another first in its illustrious 116-year history when top Jumping riders Jeroen Dubbeldam (NED), Sergio Alvarez Moya (ESP) and Jessica Mendoza (GBR) helped mark three weeks to go to this year’s Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final in Barcelona.
The Final, which takes place at the neighbouring Real Club De Polo de Barcelona (24-27 September), is the highlight of the world’s oldest team Jumping series, bringing together the best Jumping athletes from 19 nations that have qualified from all over the globe.
And for Spaniard Sergio Alvarez Moya, especially, the chance to walk down a players’ tunnel that has been graced by superstars like Barcelona heroes Lionel Messi, Neymar and Andres Iniesta and be pitchside where some of football’s most memorable action has unfolded, proved an awe-inspiring occasion.
“It’s an amazing feeling being here at FC Barcelona, even though my team is Real Madrid!” he said. “It won’t be long now before Barcelona and Catalonia welcome the world’s best Jumping athletes and thousands of equestrian fans to the Polo Club right next door.”
This could get messy! Sydney 2000 Olympic Jumping gold medallist and current World European champion Jeroen Dubbeldam (NED), right, and Sergio Álvarez Moya (ESP) wrestle with the Furusiyya trophy at FC Barcelona’s iconic Camp Nou stadium in the countdown to the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final at the neighbouring Real Club De Polo de Barcelona (24-27 September). (FEI/Dan Rowley)
“The Barça player’s tunnel is really amazing with all the messages of support from fans,” said Jeroen Dubbeldam, who 10 days ago added the European title to his Sydney 2000 Olympic and 2014 world crowns. “Our sport is just as passionate and exciting as football, and we’ll all feel that competition fever again very soon in Barcelona when the Furusiyya Final gets underway, and the Dutch will be aiming to win it again this year!”
The three Jumping stars made their way pitchside to get a full view of the famous Nou Camp stadium, with its “More Than a Club” (Més Que un Club”) slogan.
“The ’More than a Club’ idea really makes my heart beat faster”, said British teen sensation Jess Mendoza who, at 19, was the youngest British team member for nearly 40 years when she competed at the FEI European Jumping Championships 2015 in Aachen (GER) 10 days ago, helping Great Britain secure its place on the Rio 2016 Olympic startlist. “In our sport, you can’t do it alone, it’s all about team work. We’re like a big club, with a network of amazing grooms, vets, trainers, family and friends, whose only focus is to make sure you and your horse are ready to go out and win. The equestrian community is one big family and we’re all really close.”
This could get messy! Sydney 2000 Olympic show jumping gold medallist and current World and European champion Jeroen Dubbeldam of the Netherlands, and Spain’s best known and most successful show jumping rider, Sergio Alvarez Moya get into the zone as they lead their teams through the Camp Nou stadium players’ tunnel at FC Barcelona in the countdown to the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final at the neighbouring Real Club de Polo de Barcelona (24-27 September). FEI/Dan Rowley
“We are very happy to receive the elite of the show jumping world in our stadium”, Carles Vilarrubí, 2nd Vice-President of FC Barcelona said. “FC Barcelona is the reference point in world football and we welcome the best global events in other sports, and that’s exactly what the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final at the CSIO Barcelona is, and that contributes to our city being on top of the sports world.”
New British talent at FC Barcelona: Jess Mendoza pictured at FC Barcelona’s iconic Camp Nou stadium in the countdown to the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping Final at Real Club De Polo de Barcelona later this month. (FEI/Dan Rowley)
The Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™, the world’s most prestigious team Jumping series, has a brand new online home. The hub http://www.feinationscup.org, which has just been launched, has been created to take fans around the world on an innovative social journey and encourage them to support their nation and the series as a whole.
Feinationscup.org, which is very much picture-led, has been designed to immerse the fans in the spirit of the FEI Nations Cup™ and give them the opportunity to follow and enjoy each qualifier. The pride and excitement shared by the 45 nations competing in the series are central to this new tool. The site takes users on an exciting journey throughout the series all the way to the much anticipated Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Final 2015 to be held in Barcelona (ESP) in September. There is a dedicated page for each of the 19 qualifiers which will be updated with exclusive behind the scenes images, competition results and key statistics.
“The newly launched Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup hub is a great new platform,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos commented. “It has been developed to help fans from all over the world to understand and follow the series and to share the wonderful spirit of national pride and sporting excellence.
“Each nation’s achievements will be highlighted as suspense and excitement grow in the chase for the much coveted Furusiyya points. I encourage everyone to follow and cheer for their favourite athletes as teams battle it out to make the exclusive list of nations qualified for the Final.”
The hub will be supported by social media campaigns on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube encouraging fans to #SupportYourNation throughout the series.
It’s Sixty seven days to the Kick-off of the English Premiership and all the clubs in England and all across Europe are busy in the transfer market. here are some of the hot transfer gist and rumours making the rounds at the moment.
Real Madrid Midfielder Isco as been linked with a Summer move to Former BPL Champions Manchester City.
Meanwhile Manchester City’s top striker Sergio Kun Aguero is being rumoured as a target for Spanish Giants Real Madrid.
James Milner lookms set to Sign the dotted lines for Liverpool sometime this week, it is believed the England International would chose Liverpool over Arsenal.
Newcastle’s Moussa Sissoko has claimed that Chelsea Boss Jose Mourinho is tracking his progress and he would be open to a move if approached.
Jordi Alba is reportedly set to extend his Barcelona contract till 2020
Napoli Striker is believed to been keen on a move away from Italy And Arsenal Fc and Man United are believe to be interested.
New Real Madrid Coach Rafa Benitez will be unveiled on Wednesday at the Bernabéu.
Dynamo Moscow are believed to be interested in the signing of Free Agent André Pierre Gignac.
Lyon’s Alexandre Lacazette has said he would be open to a move to Real Madrid or Barcelona even after top club officials announced that the player was not for sale.
Felipe Melo has denied rumours of any contact with Inter the Galatasaray midfielder has quashed all talk of a potential move to the Italian Club.
Borussia Dortmund’s Former coach Jürgen Klopp has once again confirmed that he would be taking a break from football for an unspecified period
Hugo Lloris as admitted that he’s thinking about his future, the french Goalkeeper has been linked with a move to Manchester United who might loose their number one Goalkeeper David de Gea to Real Madrid.
Louis van Gaal is confident that he would capture the signature of former Barcelona full-back Dani Alves
….As FC Barcelona’s Brazilian Right Back Rejects Contract Extension
Daniel Alves da Silva Popularly known as Dani Alves is set to leave Barcelona on a free transfer at the end of this season. The 32 year old Brazilian right back who also carries a Spanish passport as seen out his contract with the catalan giants and it looks like he’s set to finally actualise his move to the Barclays english premiership.
Liverpool were believed to have agreed a deal with Dani’s former club Sevilla way back In June 2006, but the English club were reported to have failed to match Sevilla’s £8 million asking price, this led to the defender signing a new deal with Sevilla.
Also About a year later Alves was reported to have announced that he was set to join an “European Giant” Alves later Publicly confirmed that his agent had been in England sorting things out with Chelsea Fc.
Sevilla went on to reject several offers from the London side which led to friction between Alves and the Sevilla President.
Dani Alves Spent a total of six years at Sevilla winning two UEFA Cups (Now Know as the Europa Cup) and Copa del Rey. It was after this Period that he moved to Barcelona on a four year deal in July 2008 for a fee reported to be about £23 million pounds and it was at Barcelona he eventually blossomed winning multiple trophies with the Catalan giants.
At the age of 32 Alves is believed to have so many admirers in the English Premier League, Chief Among whom Are Manchester United who would definitely require a player like him to play in the right back position, with fellow Brazilian Raphael seemingly not in Luis Van Gaal’s plans the Manchester club have played a couple of players in that position with winger Antonio Valencia playing more as a wing back.
United’s City rivals Manchester city might also get involved regardless of the depth of their squad the acquisition of a player like Alves will go a long way in adding an edge to the former champions first team.
The eighth qualifiers of the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 season will take place at Piazza di Siena in Rome, Italy tomorrow, Friday 22 May, attracting a field of eight teams.
The starting order, which was determined by a draw held in Rome this evening, will be as follows:
1. Belgium
2. Qatar
3. Switzerland
4. Great Britain
5. Spain
6. Sweden
7. Italy
8. Netherlands
The winning Belgian team at the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 Europe Division 2 leg at Odense, Denmark today: (L to R) Jeromy Guery, Wilm Vermeir, Chef d’Equipe Maurice van Roosbroeck, Catherine von Roosbroeck and Gilles Dunon. (FEI/Annette Boe Østergaard)
This is the third leg of the Europe Division I League, and the teams from Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden will be eligible for Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping points. A total of 10 nations will compete in Europe Division I during the season, and seven teams will qualify for the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping 2015 Final which will take place in Barcelona, Spain from 24 to 27 September.
Friday’s competition will begin at 15.45 CEST (local time in Italy, GMT+2 hours) and will be broadcast live on FEI TV, the FEI’s official online video platform.
The FEI is providing a wide range of online information resources in connection with the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ Jumping.
Barcelona Forward, Lionel Messi banked almost £1million-a-week last year – making him the highest-paid footballer in the world.
The Argentine earns over £26million in his basic salary before bonuses – and almost the same again in commercial deals with the likes of Adidas and Turkish Airlines.
According to France Football’s annual survey of wages, Messi’s total income is£47.8million!!!
Here is the list of top 20 earners in 2014 – based on salaries and commercial deals.
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