Dangerous Accusations German Tennis Star Alexander Zverev Faces Career Turning Point Alexander Zverev, Germany's best tennis player, has been accused of domestic violence by an ex-girlfriend and his clash with a former manager is now in court. Does this spell the end for a rising star? By Marc Hujer und Thilo Neumann
Skiing in the Pandemic Alpine Rivalries Flare amid Resort Closures While Austria and Switzerland want to keep their ski lifts in operation, Germany, France and Italy are worried about superspreader events in winter paradise. Billions of euros are at stake. By Walter Mayr und Britta Sandberg
“I Have No Explanation for all these Lies” Evidence Casts New Doubts on Russian Doping Whistleblower For five years, the sporting world has been gripped by Russian manipulation of the anti-doping system. Now new evidence suggests the whistleblower who went into a witness protection program during the scandal may not have been entirely truthful. By Thilo Neumann
A Strawman in England FC Barcelona, a Shell Company and Messi's Father The London-based company Sidefloor was part of the tax-evasion structure for which Lionel Messi and his father Jorge were convicted. Now it has been revealed that FC Barcelona spent years paying agent fees to this letterbox company, payments apparently destined for Jorge Messi. Von Rafael Buschmann und Michael Wulzinger
Football Leaks Why FC Chelsea Parked a Young Player in Cologne Why did the 14-year-old football prodigy Thierno Ballo transfer from Bayer Leverkusen to the amateur club Viktoria Köln? He was apparently parked there as part of a contract with FC Chelsea. Von Rafael Buschmann und Michael Wulzinger
Ukrainian Brotherhood How UEFA Payments Ended Up in the British Virgin Islands UEFA transferred around 380 million euros intended for the Football Federation of Ukraine to a company in the British Virgin Islands without knowing who controlled the firm. It was the oligarch Igor Surkis, president of Dynamo Kyiv, who finance his club using the offshore company. Von Rafael Buschmann und Michael Wulzinger
The Category-A Principle How Adidas and Nike Are Cementing Football's Wealth Gap Adidas and Nike are locked in bitter competition for the right to represent players and teams with the greatest global reach. It is a battle that cements the gap between the rich and the poor in world football. Cristiano Ronaldo's contract is perhaps the most astonishing. Von Rafael Buschmann und Michael Wulzinger
FC Bayern CEO 'Why Do We Need to Change Anything at All?' Everyone is talking about reforming the Champions League, but FC Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge would be happy for things to stay the same. He also tells DER SPIEGEL in an interview that he isn't interested in plans for a Super League. Von Rafael Buschmann und Christoph Winterbach
UEFA President Ceferin 'Should We Punish Football Clubs for Being Successful?' In an interview, UEFA President Aleksander Ceferi discusses corruption in football, plans for a new Champions League and the decision to play the Europa League final in Baku, Azerbaijan. Von Christoph Winterbach und Rafael Buschmann
Football Leaks Man City Accused of Using Shadow Firms to Flout Rules Football Leaks documents outline how Manchester City's owners may have used a surreptitious company in the Cayman Islands to conceal a player investment fund. The team has been accused of violating UEFA spending rules. Von Rafael Buschmann und Christoph Winterbach
A Child Prodigy's Fate Jadon Sancho's Path to the Bundesliga Young English football star Jadon Sancho is electrifying the Bundesliga, Germany's top league. Manchester City spent years trying to secure the player for the long term, even apparently resorting to irregular payments. But he landed in Germany nonetheless. Von Rafael Buschmann und Christoph Winterbach
Bratwurst and Beer German Football Struggles to Keep Up with Premier League Glitz Ahead of the Champions League matches between English and German teams, experts are gushing about the fantastic talent and marketing potential of the Premier League clubs. But why? The Bundesliga has much more to offer than just entertainment.
Trophy Trouble The Dark Side of Doing Business in Qatar When Qatar almost had to open the 2015 World Handball Championship before the trophy had been made, an entrepreneur stepped in to help the emir and the country save face. Rather than getting paid, his life turned into a living hell. Von Jürgen Dahlkamp, Gunther Latsch und Jörg Schmitt
Interview with Football Leaks Lawyer 'He Is Absolutely Aware of the Earthquake He Triggered' William Bourdon is a lawyer who represents prominent whistblowers. He's now leading the defense team for Rui Pinto, the man behind the Football Leaks revelations. In an interview, Bourdon discusses his client's motives and the threat he will be extradited to Portugal. Von Rafael Buschmann, Christoph Winterbach und Michael Wulzinger
'Considerable Danger' A Growing Workload for Alpine Mountain Rescuers The quest for mountain adventures is constantly growing -- sometimes becoming so irresistible that tourists ignore weather and avalanche warnings. Mountain rescuers risk their lives to save them, but they often only return with dead bodies. Von Gerhard Pfeil
'It Was Rough' New Documents Emerge in Ronaldo Rape Allegations Cristiano Ronaldo continues to make his fans happy on the field. Off of it, however, things aren't looking so bright: A woman has accused him of raping her in 2009, and there is an extremely sensitive document that supports her story. His lawyers say it is a fabrication. Is it? By DER SPIEGEL Staff
Anti-Doping Delay FIFA's Foot-Dragging in an Investigation in Russia Lawyer Richard McLaren was initially supposed to investigate widespread doping allegations in Russian football ahead of the 2018 World Cup. But he was prevented from doing so by a top FIFA official. By DER SPIEGEL Staff
Doping Irregularities Ramos, Ronaldo and the Controllers Do anti-doping rules apply equally to all players and teams? After Real Madrid won the Champions League in 2017, Sergio Ramos was tested for a substance prohibited in competition and caught the eye of inspectors. But the case never reached the light of day. Now, the team captain is entangled in a new affair. By DER SPIEGEL Staff
Don't Get Injured The Unfair Rules in Women's Football Special rules apply to female football players in the Women's Super League: If they get injured, their contract can be terminated after just three months. By DER SPIEGEL Staff
Rape Allegations Ronaldo's Defense Team Develops a Strategy It took two weeks, but the legal team seeking to defend Cristiano Ronaldo against rape allegations levelled by Kathryn Mayorga has now settled on a defense strategy. They are seeking to cast doubt on information published by DER SPIEGEL. By DER SPIEGEL Staff