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“Dream big and respect other people”: the French football star and UEFA ambassador Eric Abidal gives Football for Friendship Young Journalist an exclusive interview

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The former French international and two-time winner of the Champions League with FC Barcelona supports the Gazprom International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship (F4F) in his capacity as a UEFA ambassador. As part of the Good News Show, he answered the questions of the 15-year-old F4F Young Journalist Irintsoa Rakotomamonjy from Madagascar.
Today, Eric Abidal is a football manager. He told the Young Journalist that the most emotional moment of his career had been his return to his team after an operation following a cancer diagnosis in March 2011. With his children’s cancer charity, which he founded in 2015, he wanted to make a contribution to the fight against this illness. And it was his dream to conquer cancer completely. He added that during the corona pandemic his charity – and also that of his wife – had tried, in spite of the lockdown, to stay in touch with the children it supports, and had visited them in hospital and brought them small gifts.
When Irintsoa told him that boys and girls in the F4F programme played in a team with equal rights, Eric Abidal replied that women’s football had already made enormous progress and was continuing to grow. He was convinced that women are showing the world that they can develop similar abilities to those of men. He predicted that women’s football would have become a global sport in 10 years’ time.
For him, it was very important to experience the emotionality of football on the playing field. But in sport too digitisation was gaining ground. He thought that in 10 years’ time e-sport would be the number one sport. Irintsoa explained that, in the case of F4F, the Championships in 2020 and 2021 were contested in a digital format.
The Young Journalist went on to tell her famous interview partner that the participants in F4F shared the programme’s Nine Values: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions and honour. When asked which value was the most important for him, Eric Abidal said it was friendship. For him, this included a good relationship with everyone, teamwork, and respect for others.
As a successful footballer, his advice to young people who are striving for a career in sport was, above all, to respect other people, their parents, their teachers, their trainers and their friends. And they should have big dreams, which of course they would have to work hard to achieve. To see the interview, please click on the following link: https://youtu.be/GhLvsy_tQbQ.
Following the ZOOM-interview with the Young Journalist from the F4F Press Centre, Eric Abidal held a short football training session with the 13-year-old F4F 2021 participant from Belgium Elias Ali Mohamad. After a short warm-up phase, Abidal showed his young training partner a few tricks and encouraged him to practise them with him. This episode can be viewed by clicking on the following video link: https://youtu.be/bsK04TU0ZV8.
Before Eric Abidal, the UEFA ambassadors Luis Garcia from Spain, Kelly Smith from England and Robert Pirès from France had already taken part in #STADIUMISWHEREIAM and had spoken on the Good News Show with the Young Journalist about Football for Friendship, their life and their career.
As part of #STADIUMISWHEREIAM, the following sports stars also showed what they can do: Anton Pawlinow, two-time freestyle world champion from Russia, Andreas Cetkovic, French freestyle football champion with the S3 Freestyle Crew, and the six-time freestyle world champion Mélody Donchet.
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Hub88 strikes Playzia deal to deliver branded content and proprietary mechanics
Popular TV-based IPs such as Love Island: Love in a Spin and the other iconic themes made available via aggregator’s platform
Hub88 has boosted its award-winning aggregation platform by entering a strategic agreement with online casino content provider Playzia.
Playzia’s popular games, including Love Island: Love in a Spin – released under licence from ITV Studios – as well as Tale of the Red Dragon, Crazy Chilli Party, The Great Fishing Adventure, Billionaire Wolf and Sweet Candy Fortune, are now available to Hub88’s licensed global operator network.
The agreement brings Playzia’s titles to Hub88’s platform, spanning slots, instant win content and crash and table games, with a focus on regulated market compliance across multiple jurisdictions.
Additionally, Playzia’s proprietary Cubicways mechanic offers players dynamic rotating reel configurations that reveal new progression paths and gameplay environments, a trademarked feature in titles such as Knights 2: The Dragon Cubicways.
The deal further reinforces Hub88’s commitment to offering diverse gaming content from studios that successfully blend entertainment and iGaming, while sharing their regulated-first approach.
Ollie Castleman, Managing Director at Hub88, said: “Playzia has built an impressive portfolio that balances innovation with broad player appeal. Their Cubicways mechanic brings something different to the market, while their branded titles create compelling experiences that attract new player segments.
“As operators look to differentiate their content offering and engage new demographics, partnerships like this become increasingly important.”
Joe Caetano, Commercial Director at Playzia, said: “We’re thrilled to partner with Hub88, a platform that shares our commitment to seamless integration and delivering engaging gaming experiences.
“This collaboration enables us to reach new regulated markets and connect with operators looking for vibrant, high-quality content that resonates with diverse player audiences.”
The post Hub88 strikes Playzia deal to deliver branded content and proprietary mechanics appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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Betandyou shortlisted for three international awards
Despite the cold winter, the iGaming industry is entering its hottest season — awards season. This is the time when international experts evaluate the most innovative products, technologies, and services, highlighting the companies that set the standards for the year ahead. This season, Betandyou is kicking off with a strong start, making it onto the shortlist of several prestigious international awards.
Betandyou has been named a finalist at the European iGaming Awards in the category Sports Betting Platform of the Year, which recognizes brands delivering exceptional innovation, operational excellence, and user experience. At the same time, the brand has been shortlisted in the same category at the International Gaming Awards, one of the most influential global iGaming awards, where judging focuses on technology, UX, responsible gaming, and platform reliability.
Additionally, Betandyou has made it to the finals of the LCB Awards, earning recognition in three separate categories. This award is particularly meaningful because it combines expert evaluation with feedback from the real user community, reflecting both industry acknowledgment and players’ trust.
The Betandyou team commented on these nominations:
“This is an important milestone for us and a sign that our approach to product and service resonates with both the professional community and our users. We are grateful to the experts, partners, and players for their trust. Being shortlisted is already an achievement, and the wins are just the next step.”.
The team would like to thank partners, industry experts, and users for their support and high evaluation of the project. Awards season is just beginning, but Betandyou is already gaining international recognition as a strong player in the sports betting market.
Betandyou is a next-generation sports betting platform offering a seamless and secure experience for players worldwide. With a focus on innovation, fast payouts, and user-friendly design, Betandyou continues to set new standards for the online betting industry.
The post Betandyou shortlisted for three international awards appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
Latest News
Betandyou shortlisted for three international awards
Despite the cold winter, the iGaming industry is entering its hottest season — awards season. This is the time when international experts evaluate the most innovative products, technologies, and services, highlighting the companies that set the standards for the year ahead. This season, Betandyou is kicking off with a strong start, making it onto the shortlist of several prestigious international awards.
Betandyou has been named a finalist at the European iGaming Awards in the category Sports Betting Platform of the Year, which recognizes brands delivering exceptional innovation, operational excellence, and user experience. At the same time, the brand has been shortlisted in the same category at the International Gaming Awards, one of the most influential global iGaming awards, where judging focuses on technology, UX, responsible gaming, and platform reliability.
Additionally, Betandyou has made it to the finals of the LCB Awards, earning recognition in three separate categories. This award is particularly meaningful because it combines expert evaluation with feedback from the real user community, reflecting both industry acknowledgment and players’ trust.
The Betandyou team commented on these nominations:
“This is an important milestone for us and a sign that our approach to product and service resonates with both the professional community and our users. We are grateful to the experts, partners, and players for their trust. Being shortlisted is already an achievement, and the wins are just the next step.”.
The team would like to thank partners, industry experts, and users for their support and high evaluation of the project. Awards season is just beginning, but Betandyou is already gaining international recognition as a strong player in the sports betting market.
Betandyou is a next-generation sports betting platform offering a seamless and secure experience for players worldwide. With a focus on innovation, fast payouts, and user-friendly design, Betandyou continues to set new standards for the online betting industry.
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