On Monday Sweden beat four times world champions Italy out of the next soccer World Cup in Russia. It was a very intense play-off in two games where the players did everything they could to win the games.
After the game the Gli Azzuri superstar and Roma captain, Daniel De Rossi, stopped the Swedish players bus, stepped up on bus, apologized for the Italian players behaviour during the games and congratulated Sweden to the win. What a great sportsman. At a moment when he had played his last game for Italy, retiring from international games and just having lost the opportunity to play another world cup.
This is the same De Rossi who left his World Cup Gold Medal from 2006 in the former team material manager Pietro Lombardi’s coffin.
Some players are bigger than others. Some people are too.
Sweden sent shockwaves through world soccer on Monday by beating Italy in their World Cup qualifying playoff, securing a berth for themselves and knocking Italy out of the competition for the first time in decades.
For the first time since 1958 and only the second time ever, the Italian national team will not qualify for the World Cup. A 0-0 draw with Sweden in the second leg of the European play-off round sealed their fate, after the Azzurri lost 1-0 in the first leg on Friday.
Even without our iconic star, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Sweden defied expectations and played well enough to deserve their spot in the country’s first World Cup since 2006.
Now the big question everybody is asking is: could Zlatan Ibrahimovic be set to make a return to international football after Sweden qualified for the World Cup?
The Manchester United striker is Sweden’s all-time top scorer with 62 goals in 116 appearances, and could be attempting option for manager Janne Andersson should the forward declare himself available for selection.
Will he play?
Who knows, no team in the world turns down Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
It has now gone almost eight months since the World Trade Organization (WTO), Trade Facilitation Agreement (TFA) entered into force. TFA or the Bali package as it is also called, is the first global trade agreement in decades. Even the moderate predictions on how the TFA will boost international trade and positively impact the global GDP are impressive.I think it will be even more important than that. Today we know that trade is a way to development. Trade growth and improves the life of people. Trade also has a positive impact on stability and peace; the European history is an example on that.
When TFA entered into force, we got an opportunity we never had before and it happened in a time when there is uncertainty in the world. Now Trade Contact Groups, Stakeholder Engagement Platforms, Single Windows and AEO/Trusted Trade programmes – with measureable benefits – are not voluntary any more, but mandatory according to international law for all WTO members. The time lines for implementation, depending on the categories are still under development, but the fact is there, we have taken a huge step forward to a more advanced and facilitated trading system.
It is sometimes said that TFA is a Customs agreement, and it is true that the main components of the TFA are Customs related, but TFA is much more than that. It involves all stakeholders of the international supply chain and all agencies involved in cross border trade.
This is a unique opportunity and a momentum for the world and let us make sure we do not miss this penalty kick. This one we need to score.
We in KGH has developed two services (packages) to support Governments/Customs and Private Sector in estimating what TFA means and how to utilize and implement the positive consequences of the agreement. If you want to know more about our ‘KGH TFA Government’ or the ‘KGH TFA Business’ packages, please let me know and I will send you the information.
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