Belgium’s Red Devils get royal pep talk

Belgium’s Red Devils received some regal encouragement Thursday evening as King Philippe dropped by the team’s hotel less than 24 hours before its World Cup quarterfinal against Spain. He’s also the latest European royal to make a pilgrimage to this summer’s tournament. According to Belgian news agency Belga, the king joined the squad for dinner…

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Dutch deputy leader slams Moroccan football fans after riots

Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius on Friday lambasted Moroccan football fans who clashed with police across the Netherlands following their team’s World Cup defeat to France. “One by one, countries are knocked out. That’s what a football tournament is all about. We’re disappointed, but we move on with our lives. Except for these ‘supporters.’…

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Spain’s post-separatist team

Separatist politics have long spilled onto Spanish football pitches. In Catalonia, where nationalist sentiments run deep, clubs like FC Barcelona have historically served as powerful symbols of the pro-independence movement. Their matches have often become venues in which fans display separatist flags and placards, and at major games they’ve expressed their support for separatism by…

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