soccer

Soccer Faberge Eggs Head To The Auction Block

American football players get jeweled rings and shiny trophies but European football (a.k.a. soccer) players get Faberge eggs. Or at least some of them do. Two Faberge eggs created to honor two soccer players, Celtic legend Jimmy Johnstone and Manchester United's George Best are being auctioned off by McTears' Auctioneers in Glasgow, Scotland. The enameled eggs are decorated with silver and gold and open to reveal a small silver and gold figure of each of the players inside.

The eggs were created by Sarah Faberge, the great grandaughter of Russian Imperial Jeweler Carl Faberge and go up for sale on March 1. The egg shown at right is Best's egg which shows the European Cup medal and the football League Champion's badge. The sides of the Egg are decorated with the official crest used by Manchester United in 1968 and, from the same year, the Northern Ireland official crest. Inside the egg, a figure of Best stands with a sterling and black-gold diamond studded ball at his feet. It is estimated at £20,000 to £25,000.

Tags: Faberge Eggs, George Best, Machester United, Mc Tears Auctioneers, Soccer

Manchester Derby Is The World's Most Expensive Sporting Match, For Now

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

Think the Super Bowl is expensive? Today's soccer match between Manchester United and Manchester City of the English Premier League may have had the honor of being the richest sporting event on the planet. According to the Wall Street Journal if you add up the players on the field and on the two benches in the Manchester Derby, they totaled approximately $850 million to acquire. Compare that to U.S. teams like the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox (approximately $380 million) or the Dallas Cowboys and Washington Redskins (around $350 million). And this isn't even the most expensive of all possible matches. Next month when Manchester City and Chelsea square off that's a total of $900 million.

Tags: manchester city, manchester derby, soccer

Continue reading “Manchester Derby Is The World's Most Expensive Sporting Match, For Now”

Beckhams to Sell Their Mansion in England for $28 Million

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates, Wealth

David and Victoria Beckham plan to list their historic Hertfordshire, UK mansion – nicknamed "Beckingham Palace" – for sale at £18 million, or about $28 million. The seven-bedroom 1930's Grade II listed Georgian estate (above) sits on 24 landscaped acres and features indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a petting zoo, recording studio, billiards room, gym and tennis courts. The Beckhams are selling the property because they plan to make Los Angeles their permanent home, the London Daily Mail reports. They bought the estate in Sawbridgeworth, Hertfordshire for £2.5 million in 1999 and spent more than £18 million renovating it over the years. The garden has three £10,000 gazebos, each with a different theme – lakeside, romantic and ornamental. They have also installed a 52 ft. garden pavilion with a marble floor, which houses a £70,000 barbecue. Three years ago David joined the LA Galaxy team and the couple, who are worth a cool £125 million, have decided they prefer to reside in America where they live in an opulent £11 million Beverly Hills mansion.

Source

Tags: celebrity, celebrity real estate, David and Victoria Beckham, David Beckham, estates, Los Angeles, soccer, sports, UK, Victoria Beckham

World Cup Ball Sells For Over $73,000 On eBay

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

The other day I mentioned the $50,000 search for a game-winning hockey puck another game winner has sold recently for a high price. The "Jo'bulani ball," the gold-decorated Jabulani soccer ball used in the final World Cup match between Spain and the Netherlands sold on eBay for £48,200 (approximately $73,368). The auction raised money for 46664, Nelson Mandela's HIV/Aids education and prevention campaign.

The Jabulani has been a source of controversy. Adidas created the World Cup ball's "radical grip 'n' groove" technology which was supposed to provide stable flight and a perfect grip has been criticized by some players.

A total of 133 bids from 55 participants came in for the ball. It eventually went to a group of Spanish fans.

Tags: football, jabulani, jobulani, soccer, soccer ball, sports memorabilia

Hublot Watches & Manchester United Soccer Team To Hold $1,000,000 "Kicking" Contest To Support UNICEF

by Ariel Adams (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Timepieces / Watches, Charity, Sports

Charity left up to chance? On July 22nd at 4pm in New York City on 23rd and Broadway in front of the Flatiron building, professional soccer players from England's Manchester United Soccer Club will try to hit a small target from 51 feet away with a soccer ball. The target will be shaped like an Hublot timepiece, and if one of Manchester United's finest hits the target, Hublot will donate a million dollars to UNICEF for charity.

The "million dollar goal" as Hublot calls it will accompany a major outdoor event, and high participation is expected on the street in New York. Hublot and Manchester United have an existing partnership, as Hublot is a Sponsor of the team. Hublot has also created a limited edition collection of Manchester United "Red Devil" Big Bang watches (that are quite cool). In the event that no player hits the target and wins big for UNICEF, Hublot has still declared that it will make a sizable donation to the popular charitable foundation.

Ariel Adams publishes the luxury watch reviews site aBlogtoRead.com.

Tags: charity, Hublot, manchaster united, new york, soccer, UNICEF

German Football Coach Orders Tod's Bracelets for World Cup

by Jared Paul Stern (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports, Men's Style

Germany's national football team got an extra boost of team spirit and patriotism at the World Cup this year thanks to Italian luxury goods firm Tod's. Oliver Berhoff, the German National Team Manager, was shopping in one of Germany's Tod's boutiques a short while back when he spotted the brand's new My Colours braided leather bracelets in the country's national hues of black, red and gold (above). He purchased them for all the players and management as a symbol of team spirit and togetherness; the soccer stars were seen wearing them off the field while head coach Joachim Löw sported his on the sidelines of the games in South Africa. Currently available at Tod's boutiques worldwide, the bracelets retail for about $225 apiece and come in various national colors with steel clasps.

Tags: bracelet, football, Germany, leather, soccer, sports, Tods, World Cup, World Cup 2010

Cristiano Ronaldo Flashes His Armani-Ready Abs

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Apparel, Men's Style

You have to admire Giorgio Armani, he knows what people want to look at, sexy well-abbed soccer stars and beautiful starlets. While Cristiano Ronaldo might not be a household name here in the States like David Beckham yet, his chiseled stomach and wicked smile in Armani's latest ads might just attract a whole new legion of World Cup watchers and more fans for his new Facebook page. The brand posted a couple of shots on the Armani Facebook page.

This is Ronaldo's second season as the face and body of Emporio Armani Underwear and Armani Jeans. The images are from the Autumn/Winter 2010-2011 advertising campaign coming soon to billboards near you in New York, Los Angeles, London, Milan, Rome, Paris and Tokyo. In September there will be a commercial spot with Cristiano Ronaldo to showcase the collections. Ronaldo in just a pair of Armani briefs after the jump.

Tags: armani, Cristiano Ronaldo, giorgio armani, soccer, world cup

Continue reading “Cristiano Ronaldo Flashes His Armani-Ready Abs”

South African Jeweler Shimansky Dazzles With World Cup Bling

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Sports

South African jeweler Shimansky is getting their share of the focus brought to the country by the World Cup with a couple of dazzling projects. The jeweler recently showed off the world's most expensive tattoo. The tattoo is only temporary, made of 612 Shimansky Ideal Cut .5 carat diamonds applied to the skin using a water-based adhesive. South African model and Shimansky brand ambassador Minki van der Westhuizen wore the tattoo valued at $924,000.

Should that not be enough to get your attention, the company has also unveiled a diamond soccer ball. The nearly five pound ball is covered in 6,620 white and 2,640 black round brilliant cut diamonds, all sourced in South Africa, a total of around 3,500 carats of stones. It has a value of around $2.6 million. Replicas of the ball rendered in crystals will be in Shimansky's seven national stores for the duration of the World Cup. Afterwards each replica will be auctioned with the proceeds being given to each regional store's chosen charity. The jeweler has also created a World Cup ring and silver soccer shoe cufflinks. The rest of the world may not have been familiar with the jeweler before the World Cup but they will be now.

Tags: jeweler, shimansky, soccer, world cup

Is A World Cup Soccer Shirt Worth Millions?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

When is a shirt worth millions? When it's the shirt worn by Sir Geoff Hurst in the 1966 World Cup final. The London Times says that the shirt has been put on sale for £2.3 million. That's quite a value jump, Hurst sold the shirt at an auction at Christie's in 2000 for £91,750 and it was later sold again. Now property developer Andrew Leslau is hoping to cash in on World Cup fever. Should the shirt sell for even close to this total it would blow away the previous record of £157,750 set in 2002 for the shirt worn by Pele in Brazil's 1970 World Cup triumph.

Leslau bought the shirt in 2008 and took out a £1 million insurance policy. The Times reports that he originally planned to display the shirt at Harrods before the South Africa World Cup but decided to sell it for £2 million plus VAT after receiving so many inquiries. It is now on display at the famed Harrods London store.

Many have raised their eyes at the price. Although the shirt does represent a shining moment for England and for soccer, it still seems unlikely that it will sell for this high price. The shirt is on display until June 14.

Tags: harrods, sir geoff hurst, soccer, world cup

Will Soccer Fans Want To Smell Like A Stadium?

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Cosmetics and Fragrance, Sports

You wouldn't think that the scent of a stadium would be a hot seller but never underestimate the fervor of World Cup fans. Rachel Stevens is the face of Eau De Stade a new scent created by Sky+HD to evoke the smells of the soccer field and the host country South Africa. It's a bit unusual for a television broadcaster to develop a scent but the fragrance is meant to be worn while watching Sky's high definition television coverage of the games.

The scent was developed by John Bailey of The Perfumers Guild Limited and uses essential oils sourced from South Africa, hints of sea breezes, the smell of fresh grass and yes, a little hint of sweat. The unisex perfume will be on sale for a limited time.The perfume is on sale from at Soccer Scene's World Cup pop-up store in central London. The scent sells for £19.99 and will only be available for a limited time.

[via Now Smell This]

Tags: eau de stade, rachel stevens, soccer, world cup

World Cup Gets Official Rings

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry

At the instigation of Colombian jeweler Carlos Sotelo, the world's biggest event is borrowing inspiration from America's biggest events. For the first time ever, the World Cup will offer FIFA-sanctioned rings to the Cup's MVP, and additional rings will be available to those willing to spend from $2,500 to $250,000 for gem-encrusted souvenirs.

Sotelo and 269 jewelers are currently setting the stones on 2,010 rings for the South African tournament. The most accessible will be the 1,970 rings in gold and silver, set with emeralds, offered for $2,500. Above that are 33 white gold rings, each with 36 emeralds and South African diamonds, that will go for $70,000 each. And at the top of the pyramid are seven platinum rings, each with 200 emeralds, that will set you back a quarter of a million dollars apiece.

Sotelo ultimately wants the entire winning team to be presented with official rings, as is done for winning players in the Super Bowl, World Series, and NBA Championship, but for this year one of the gold rings will be given to the World Cup's most valuable player. Since that probably won't be you, we'd suggest taking an extra $2,500 to Johannesburg.

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Tags: colombia, fifa, ring, rings, soccer, world cup

Cheer the U.S. Soccer Team with "Ya Mampela!" on Cox & King's World Cup Tours

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Sports

In a little land you might have heard of, called Africa, there's a country you might have heard of, called South Africa, that's hosting a little get-together you might have heard of, called the World Cup. And although you might not have heard of soccer, the subject of that little get-together, you've probably heard of David and Victoria Beckham and that's close enough. For America, anyway...

There's no better year than this year to get to know the actual sport in question, and luxury travel group Cox & Kings has put together a smattering of options for trekking from USA to SA. The Sable level is the top experience in the the Follow Team USA packages, from June 9-24, which takes you to all three of the team's group matches and the tourney's opening match, puts you to bed in high class digs and then takes you for a roar on the wild side with a 3-to-5 night safari. For $26,155 it is all yours.

The are two other more, shall we say, slightly cost-effective levels: Wild Dog for $25,520 and Tembo at $24,355. There are also Follow Your Team packages for Mexico and Brazil, and a basket of general packages of various lengths. For graduation with honors from World Cup school you'll need to stay to the final match – the Super Bowl at the end of the playoffs, as it were, where they actually hand over the World Cup – and for that you might need Wild Dog 6 at $27,895. No, even at the antipodes higher education isn't cheap, but when your university classes are soccer, safaris, splendor, and South Africa, there's a good chance it'll be money well spent..

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Tags: africa, cox and kings, soccer, south africa, world cup, world cup 2010

Soccer Star's Earring Sold For Big Bucks

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Jewelry, Sports

At the start of the month I mentioned that Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona's earrings would be auctioned off to help pay his huge 36 million tax debt in Italy. BusinessWeek reports that the earring (turns out it was just the one) sold for an astounding 25,000 euros ($36,220) at the auction organized by the Italian financial police. The earring was purchased by an unidentified woman at the auction in the city of Bolzano and was only valued at around 4,000 euros. The winner also gets a copy of the police's charge sheet with Maradona's signature.

Italy's finance police had seized the earring from Maradona when he was in Italy in September at at a weight-loss clinic. The star, who now coaches Argentina's team, has struggled with his weight for years. Maradona racked up the debt during his time playing for Napoli in the late 1980s-early 1990s. The financial police have been persistent about getting the money back, in 2005 they took the fee he'd earned for testing his twinkle toes in the Italian version of the television show "Dancing With the Stars."

Tags: diamonds, Diego Maradona, DiegoMaradona, soccer, tax debt, TaxDebt

Soccer Star's Earrings To Be Sold For Tax Debt

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Sports

Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona is considered one of the best players of all time. But that doesn't mean he's immune from financial turmoil. The star, who is currently a coach in Argentina has had his ups and downs including drug abuse and weight gain. He's also run afoul of Italian tax authorities. Maradona has a tax debt of 36 million euros stemming from his time playing for Napoli in the late 1980s-early 1990s. It's just a drop in the bucket but Italy's financial authorities seized Maradona's diamond-studded gold earrings when he visited a weight-loss clinic in Merano during September 2009. The earrings, which are valued at around 4000 euros, will be sold off on January 14 and come with a copy of the police's charge sheet with Maradona's signature.

Tags: debt, Diego Maradona, DiegoMaradona, soccer

Soccer Players To Brave A Kitchen With Marco Pierre White

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Events, Sports

There seems to be an undeniable link between soccer and cooking in England. Gordon Ramsay was a soccer player and now England's first celebrity chef, Marco Pierre White, will be presiding over a unique cooking contest featuring top players. Three players from Manchester United, Wayne Rooney, Ryan Giggs and Rio Ferdinand will be cooking a three-course meal on November 26. The event will take place at Old Trafford Football Stadium in Manchester, England and will include a champagne reception and a judging of which course was best. It will cost £275 per person. Marco Pierre White is famous for his temper and though he has mellowed in recent years it should still be an entertaining evening.

[via The Guardian]

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Tags: machester united, MachesterUnited, marco pierre white, MarcoPierreWhite, soccer, wayne rooney, WayneRooney

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