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Does Arsenal's Visit Rwanda shirtsleeve deal remain a 'compelling fit'?

David Luiz might well recommend a holiday in Rwanda, but with the situation there of international concern this sponsorship looks increasingly strange

I n January this year the Foreign Office urged the Rwandan government to look into allegations of “deaths in custody, enforced disappearances and torture”. The logistics of this shouldn’t be too difficult. The allegations are against the Rwandan government itself.

Six months ago Paul Rusesabagina, the hotelier whose peaceable role in the 1994 genocide was portrayed in the film Hotel Rwanda , was bundled on to a plane in Dubai to face what his family have called a sham trial on terrorism charges.

And a year before that David Luiz travelled to Rwanda on a sensational luxury tourist holiday – all the better to illustrate what the then chief commercial officer, Vinai Venkatesham, called “the very compelling fit” between Arsenal football club and a country where public life is marked by “threats, intimidation [and] mysterious deaths”, according to Human Rights Watch .

Never mind that, though. Look away from the moral discomfort. Here’s David Luiz’s video diary. Here’s David Luiz stalking a gorilla, David Luiz nutmegging a laughing child, David Luiz walking through the forest in a soaking wet Arsenal tracksuit. David Luiz’s verdict ? “I’m going to recommend all my friends to spend their holidays in Rwanda.”

Arsenal’s sponsorship by Visit Rwanda remains an oddity of the commercial-sporting nexus. There was a degree of surprise in May 2018 when the shirtsleeve deal was announced .

It has since puttered along in the peripheral vision, absorbed into the wider moral contortions of Premier League life. Football has spent the past decade being bought and sold by sovereign states, used to puff, gloss and scour international reputations. What’s another friendly despot?

The difference with Rwanda is that, while undoubtedly a beautiful place to visit, it is also one of the poorest nations on earth. This isn’t a mini-superpower with surplus GDP tumbling out of its trouser turn-ups. Rwanda is not much bigger than Wales. The majority of its people live in poverty. It relies massively on foreign aid. And yet here it is paying out £30m to one of the world’s richest sporting clubs.

Two things have brought this into starker relief in the past few weeks. That three-year contract is up for renewal in the summer. And as the UK government statement suggests, the situation in Rwanda has become a source of genuine international concern.

Michela Wrong is a writer and journalist who has been covering Rwanda since the genocide. Her book on president Paul Kagame’s 21-year regime – Do Not Disturb: The story of a political murder and an African regime gone bad – is published in April.

“On a human rights front things have definitely got worse since 2018,” Wrong says. “Rwanda is one of the most repressive countries in Africa. You’ve got real poverty. Every election in Rwanda is rigged, everyone knows that. Worse, there is an unrelenting desire to hunt down and silence critics of the government abroad.”

This process, known as “transnational repression”, is a key theme in Wrong’s book, with the suggestion the Rwandan government silences dissent abroad via a secret service she compares to Mossad and the East German Stasi.

The government is essentially an embodiment of its president. Re-elected in 2017 with a hugely impressive 99% majority , Kagame was a leader of the liberating armies after the genocide. He has been a darling of the world stage, cosying up to Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, and often tweeting about Arsenal in the final days of Arsène Wenger (Kagame was, reluctantly, #Wengerout).

“I think of [Kagame] as a very sinister figure now,” Wrong says. “He’s going to be there for life, he doesn’t have any successors, all his closest colleagues from when he rose to power have been killed or imprisoned.”

How does that fit with the branded gushing, with David Luiz’s trip to the presidential residence (the hand‑slaps, the “PK” replica shirt)? Or indeed the account on the Arsenal website that describes Rwanda as “a leading reformer in Africa”.

The club are not willing to shed any light on the renewal of the deal. A spokesperson told the Guardian: “We never discuss the commercial terms or renewals of our partnerships, but we and Visit Rwanda are delighted with how things have been working since we launched together in 2018. As well as raising awareness of the country as a luxury holiday destination, we have also worked together to challenge perceptions and tell Rwanda’s incredible story of culture, heritage and transition.”

The schmaltz may seem a little galling to some. But there is at least a bracingly bullish amorality to Arsenal’s position on this. These are, after all, questions football needs to confront and untangle with a degree of honesty as it struggles to navigate a path between unfettered growth and expansion (also known as greed), and any notion of being selective over who it deals with.

Arsenal are right, too. According to Rwandan figures the campaign has been a success, lifting overall tourism numbers by 8%. Whatever the regime might be up to, Rwanda has a functioning tourist industry –; hoteliers, taxi drivers and everyday people who will benefit hugely from economic activity.

Where do we draw the line? Who do we deem acceptable from our own rather wobbly throne of judgment? Can we fly Emirates but not Visit Rwanda? Can we sell Saudi Arabia instruments of death but not a football club? This is simply football’s global landscape, a ziggurat of conflicting interests and messages, a place where nobody is really out of the murk.

For Arsenal, the question of whether to renew the Rwanda deal remains open. Perhaps Rwanda’s presence on the Covid travel red list will play a part. Perhaps the concerns of the Foreign Office will carry some weight.

This was always an unexpected fit. Set against English football’s much-trumpeted moral rectitude of the past year, and couched as a simpering corporate partnership (David Luiz waving in a Jeep: meet the Gikondo street children’s transit centre), it looks increasingly strange.

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Visit Rwanda: Arsenal agrees £10M-a-year sleeve deal for at least two more years, while the arrival of Messi at PSG is expected to boost tourism campaign.

The Rwanda Development Board (RDB) has renewed their 'Visit Rwanda' sleeve sponsorship deal with Arsenal football club after realizing the return on investment has more than doubled since the launch of the campaign.

The new four-year deal, which will run until 2025, is said to be worth up to £10million a year, according to football.london .

In an effort to build on its campaign to boost tourism through partnerships with European football clubs, RDB signed a three-year sponsorship deal worth more than £30million with the Gunners to have the 'Visit Rwanda' logo displayed on their shirt sleeve.

However, the campaign, which generated up to £77 million of media value from an initial £36 million in less than three years, had minimal impact on the East African nation's tourism last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic that disrupted tourism and football activities.

Before the pandemic, the RDB had high hopes of boosting tourism revenue for the country. Their survey showed that the likelihood of tourists visiting Rwanda as a result of its partnership with Arsenal increased from 35 per cent in 2019 to 41 per cent in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic, however, altered international travel on a global scale, causing Rwanda's tourism revenues to decline by a whopping 76 per cent from $498 million in 2019 to $121 million in 2020.

According to the country's official tourism data, the East-African country received 493,734 international visitors in 2020, mostly from African countries, out of which only 1,200 were from the U.K. and 924 from France.

In terms of online engagements, the RDB reported that 851 social media "Visit Rwanda" posts were shared online, creating organic visibility and generating 110 million impressions, reaching 78.5 million accounts, and drawing 10.5 million engagements.

The arrival of Lionel Messi at PSG

Things are expected to improve for Rwanda's tourism as the lockdown has been lifted in many countries, and international travel is gradually back on course. What's more, the arrival of Argentinian footballer and world-class player Lionel Messi at PSG is expected to boost the established campaign and create a new channel for facilitating new deals, according to Ariella Kageruka, Ag. Chief Tourism Officer at RDB.

"When such a new partner or new signing comes on board through our partnerships, it means greater visibility for our campaigns. It means that we can reach greater audiences and also varied demographics," she said.

"Important news does have a direct impact as well on our messaging; for instance, since Messi got signed to the PSG squad, we had an increase of followers a few hours later. So that's the kind of leverage that we continue to see," she added.

Paris Saint-Germain F.C. is one of the Visit Rwanda Partners, under a deal of displaying the 'Visit Rwanda' logo on the back of PSG training kits, pre-game warm-up kits, and the women's-club shirt sleeves.

After announcing Messi's two-year deal, the club gained over four million followers on Instagram (38.7 million to 42.7 million).

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Arsenal jet off with Visit Rwanda for first sleeve deal

Soccer giants pen three-year deal with african nation’s tourist board..

English soccer giants Arsenal have signed their first sleeve sponsorship deal, securing a three-year contract with the Rwanda Development Board.

The deal through the Development Board’s subsidiary, the Rwanda Convention Bureau, is part of the country’s drive to become a leading global tourist destination. The agreement sees Visit Rwanda become Arsenal’s official tourism partner with its logo set to feature on the left sleeve of all of the club’s teams next season.

Chelsea pen record UK£50m Hyundai sleeve deal

No figures have been released for the contract but reports suggest it is worth less than the Premier League record UK£50million Hyundai partnership signed by Chelsea, although that could be simply down to it being a shorter contract.

Arsenal’s chief commercial officer, Vinai Venkatesham, said: “This is an exciting partnership which will see us support Rwanda’s ambition to build their tourism industry. The country has been transformed in recent years and Arsenal’s huge following will bring Rwanda into people’s minds in a new and dynamic way.

“The Arsenal shirt is seen 35 million times a day globally and we are one of the most viewed teams around the world. We look forward to working with the Visit Rwanda team to further establish the country as a leading tourist destination.”

Arsenal players from the men’s and women’s teams will visit Rwanda and club coaches will host coaching camps to support the development of the game for boys and girls in the country.

Visit Rwanda will also gain global exposure through branding on matchday LED boards at Emirates Stadium, all the interview backdrops and a broad range of other marketing rights.

Arsenal have signed their first sleeve sponsorship deal

Stay up to date with the latest sports business news and insights.

The deal through the Development Board’s subsidiary, the Rwanda Convention Bureau, is part of the country’s drive to become a leading global tourist destination. The agreement sees Visit Rwanda become Arsenal ’s official tourism partner with its logo set to feature on the left sleeve of all of the club’s teams next season.

No figures have been released for the contract but reports suggest it is worth less than the Premier League record UK£50million Hyundai partnership signed by Chelsea , although that could be simply down to it being a shorter contract.

How Rwanda benefits from Arsenal and PSG sponsorships

Stephanie Beatrice

February 29, 2024

Since 2018, you may have noticed Visit Rwanda imprinted on Arsenal’s and Paris Saint-Germain’s teams’ shirt sleeves and training equipment.

During home matches, the country is also advertised on the pitch’s advertising boards.

So how could Rwanda, one of the poorest countries in Africa, make a sponsorship deal to promote tourism on the biggest football teams in Europe, and how much did it cost?

Here are further details about the Rwanda sponsorship deal with the European League football club and its impact on the country’s tourism sector.

What does the Visit Rwanda deal involve?

The Visit Rwanda sponsorship deal is a £10 million-per-year sponsorship agreement between the Rwandan government, Arsenal , and Paris Saint-Germain football clubs.

Rwanda is also Arsenal’s first official Tourism Partner and shirt sleeve partner.

• For a three-year partnership, the Visit Rwanda logo is branded on the left sleeve of all Arsenal and PSG teams, men’s and women’s, to promote the country’s tourism.
• The Arsenal men’s and women’s team players will travel to Rwanda through the sponsorship.
• Arsenal’s coaches will organize coaching camps to foster the sport’s growth for both boys and girls in the nation.
• The partnership deal also involved establishing a Paris Saint-Germain Football Academy in 2020 in Huye District in Rwanda’s southern province.
• The partnership will provide global exposure to Rwanda and boost the country’s goal to be a successful tourism and investment destination.

Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame, is a dedicated fan of Arsenal and used his fandom to build exposure for his country.

Which teams are sponsored by Visit Rwanda?

In a three-year sponsorship deal, the Visit Rwanda is a premium partner to Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain football clubs. They also have deals with Bayern Munich and

The sponsorship logo is branded on Arsenal’s left sleeve. On the other hand, Paris Saint-Germain, the biggest soccer team in France, has it branded on their training kit.

The Visit Rwanda deal with PSG is valid until 2025, and the football club will experience the country’s beauty, culture, and environment.

The partnership also involves Rwanda’s readiness for business partnerships with France and worldwide.

In May 2023, PSG and Visit Rwanda celebrated their third anniversary. They extended their partnership to 2025 after successfully working together.

The first partnership between Arsenal and Rwanda was in 2018 when it became Arsenal’s first sleeve sponsor and official tourism partner.

Over three years, the Visit Rwanda Arsenal deal worth was estimated to be £30 million.

In 2021, Rwanda renewed its partnership for another four years until 2025, for £10 million per year.

The extension means the Gunners and PSG are estimated to earn £40 million during the partnership.

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Rwanda and Arsenal: Why a budding developmental state is sponsoring a football team

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Pritish Behuria explores the possible motivations behind Rwanda’s decision to sponsor Arsenal, and prospects for success for the “Visit Rwanda” campaign.

On 23 May, The Rwandan Development Board  announced  that it had signed a ‘Visit Rwanda’ sleeve sponsorship deal – worth around 10 million pounds a year for three years – with Arsenal F.C., the world’s best football club (I am clearly not an Arsenal fan). Many were surprised by this news. Most of all, Dutch Members of Parliament and politicians.  De Telegraaf – a Dutch newspaper – published a story,  quoting  one Dutch MP who said, “I am indignant that a country where we provide solid financial assistance has now become a whopping €30million shirt sponsor of a major English football club.” The country’s aid minister, Sigrid Kaag, has  been tasked  with looking into the deal and reporting back to the Dutch parliament.  Critics  of the Rwandan government have also latched on to this news, arguing that the money would be better spent  elsewhere .

Since the 1994 genocide, President Paul Kagame’s Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) government has led the country  through a remarkable period of economic growth . During 1999-2014, Rwanda’s  annual GDP growth was 7.7%  and its annual growth in GDP per capita was 5%, making it among the fastest growing African countries during that period. As part of VISION 2020, the Rwandan government has focused on creating a knowledge-based economy, largely driven by  growth in the services sector  (although manufacturing has featured more prominently recently). Rwanda’s government statistics also claim that poverty has reduced significantly though  some scholarship  has been cautious about such claims and  debates  have emerged about the veracity of these statistics. The RPF’s reign has remained controversial –  accused of human rights abuses at home and abroad  – while also being a ‘ donor darling ’ and popularly seen as a successful country example of African development.

So why has a budding African developmental state sponsored one of the world’s richest (and best) football clubs? Is it simply to please President Kagame (an  ardent Arsenal fan  who has  occasionally  been critical of former manager Arsene Wenger)? Or is there some broader strategic reasoning behind it? Sponsoring a football club seems an odd decision for a developing country. But it isn’t exactly rare. Rwanda is far from (being)the only country that has partnered with football teams to attract tourism to its country. Many countries have sponsored football club shirts. For example, Azerbaijan sponsored Atletico Madrid, Malaysia and Puerto Rico have sponsored Sevilla, Qatar sponsored Barcelona and Chad sponsored FC Metz. Emirates and other airlines have also sponsored several football club t-shirts (including Arsenal’s).

Condescending stories in European newspapers (like  the Daily Mail ) that directly link aid funding to the shirt sponsorship miss the point. Aid money is not directly used in the deal and most foreign aid that the Rwandan government receives is linked to specific projects rather than budget support. The Chief Executive Officer of the Rwandan Development Board (RDB)  Clare Akamanzi  clarified this and admonished the condescending tone of such news stories. She also pointed out the reason why the government has invested in the deal: to bolster Rwanda’s tourism sector. The sector has consistently been the highest foreign exchange earner for the country. Rwanda’s service-based development strategy relies on the tourism sector’s continued growth – for foreign exchange, investment and job creation.

The logic behind the deal is to concentrate on a strong-performer sector with the hope that it will generate more resources to be spent elsewhere. The growth of Rwanda’s tourism sector has been nothing short of dramatic and has arguably been  the RDB’s greatest success . Foreign exchange receipts from the sector have been  growing at around 30% annually  and are targeted to reach $800 million by 2024. In 2016, they amounted to over $400 million in 2016 (more than double the amount that was received in 2010). As of 2015, the tourism sector reportedly provided  7.3%  of direct formal employment in the country. Rwanda is one of the few countries where mountain gorillas can be visited and hosts more than a quarter of them. In the 1970s and 1980s, Dian Fossey studied these gorillas and a Hollywood movie –  Gorillas in the Mist  – was made about her experiences in the Virunga mountains (that hosts the gorillas) in 1987. Yet the previous government failed to take advantage of the publicity and tourism barely grew.

In the 1990s and early 2000s, the Rwandan government began focusing on reviving the tourism sector and ‘going beyond gorillas’ by focusing on developing other tourism sites including national parks such as Akagera and Nyungwe Forest. The government has also prioritized making Rwanda a global MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) destination and a business hub. The Kigali Convention Centre finally opened in 2016. Rwanda quickly generated conference tourism and in 2017,  169 international meetings  were hosted there. To attract more tourism and as part of a vision to make Kigali a hub of various kinds (transport, business and finance), Rwandair (the national airline) has rapidly expanded its fleet and flies to over 20 international destinations including London.

Though the tourism sector has grown rapidly, it is unclear whether services sectors (and tourism specifically) can provide the same benefits that manufacturing has done historically. Despite expressing reservations about services-based growth,  Dani Rodrik  has suggested that it may be a new emerging trajectory of late development in African countries but it may not provide the same benefits that manufacturing-led development did. Contrastingly,  Jagdish Bhagwati  argues that India’s experience shows that services can be an alternative to manufacturing since services have become increasingly tradable.  Ha-Joon Chang  argues against such views and emphasizes that the most dynamic elements of the services sector actually depend on manufacturing. Emphasising the interdependencies and the possibilities of linkages between manufacturing and service sectors is more useful for policymakers than thinking in sharply-distinct manufacturing and services blocks. With the growth of the tourism sector in Rwanda, there are opportunities to supply goods and services, strengthening domestic value chains. Yet the Rwandan government has not done enough to support its local agriculture and industry stakeholders or link them to evolving demand patterns associated with tourism growth.

The Rwandan government has been successful in building a global reputation for the country as a tourism destination. It has also attracted global hotel brands like the Marriott and Radisson to bolster its image. But a boom in hotel construction of mid-range hotels has led to hundreds of them being  put up for auction  with owners unable to repay loans. Rwanda’s tourism gamble is built on supply-side logic: once the hotels are built, tourism will come. Similarly, Rwandair’s rapid expansion has continued undeterred by the fact that the airline has never made a profit and the government’s public debt has increased (though it is  ‘comfortable’ , according to the IMF).

Despite these challenges, for the determined Rwandan government, investments in tourism must continue. Rwanda’s key exports are primary commodities, vulnerable to fluctuations in global commodity prices. The manufacturing sector has been prioritized recently but benefits aren’t visible as yet. Tourism, meanwhile, has been a consistent and reliable source of foreign exchange. Yet the success of the sector depends on a positive global reputation and the Rwandan government is regularly criticized in the foreign press.  International press  has already highlighted that the deal grants the Rwandan government with access to hospitality boxes, matchday tickets and access to star players for promotional work, pointedly implying a personalistic element to the sleeve-sponsorship deal.

It will be difficult to actually measure the benefits of the ‘Visit Rwanda’-Arsenal partnership but there is no doubt that it will increase visibility for the country. Football clubs shouldn’t be too worried about such criticisms. They’ve partnered with controversial individuals and governments before. Arsenal may be more worried about sending conflicting messages to its fans though. Emirates doesn’t fly to Rwanda although a competitor (Rwandair) does.

Dr. Pritish Behuria is a Hallsworth Research Fellow in Political Economy at The Global Development Institute in the University of Manchester. He has been conducting regular fieldwork in Rwanda on the political economy of the country since 2011. His work on Rwanda has been published in  New Political Economy ,  The Journal of Modern African Studies ,  The Review of African Political Economy  and  The Journal of Eastern African Studies     

This blog was originally published on Global Development Institute, University of Manchester website.

2 thoughts on “ Rwanda and Arsenal: Why a budding developmental state is sponsoring a football team ”

Rwanda-Arsenal relations will go a long way in promoting tourism in the country and also increase its visitbility to the global platform. I feel this is a good development for tourism and the conservation of mountain gorillas which bring the biggest percentage opf Rwanda’s tourism earnings. Speedway Safaris ( https://www.speedwaysafaris.com ) or AAB Tours and Travel ( https://www.aabtoursandtravel.com ) are looking to enhancing their tourism services in rwanda and Uganda as both countries expetct the numbers to surge in the coming years.

Gorilla tourism is among the major sources of tourism earnings for Uganda and Rwanda. Rwanda marketing through sports will boost its tourism greatly. Uganda will also benefit alot since visitors in Rwanda usually do safaris and tours in Uganda since the country has alot to offer over Rwanda. Uganda has 10 national parks and several wildlife reserves, beautiful mountains like Rwenzori Mountains National Park ( https://www.rwenzorimountainsnationalpark.com ) plus lakes and rivers which offer amazing holiday experiences. Visit Uganda today – https://www.gorillasinuganda.com for gorilla tours and adventure safaris. You may go through Kigali or Entebbe.

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Arsenal's Visit Rwanda sponsorship and the dark side to a hideous sportswashing agenda

Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain both have multi-million sponsorship agreements with the Rwandan government but the actions of authoritarian president Paul Kagame and the arrest of Paul Rusesabagina have led to allegations of human rights abuses

• 08:00, 21 Feb 2022
• Updated 09:29, 21 Feb 2022

Watch any match involving Arsenal or Paris Saint-Germain and the message is impossible to miss.

Emblazoned on shirtsleeves, on training equipment and, during home matches, on the advertising boards surrounding the pitch.

This is the exposure that a £10million-per-year sponsorship agreement guarantees the Rwandan government with football’s wealthiest clubs to promote their tourist board’s message: ‘Visit Rwanda’.

Rwanda is, by any measure, one of the 20 poorest nations in the world yet its authoritarian president Paul Kagame – who has ruled since 2000 and was re-elected in 2017 with a 99 per cent share of the vote –sanctioned a huge outpouring of government funds into sponsorship agreements with billionaire-owned football clubs.

Kagame is a fervent supporter of Arsenal and gained a degree of widespread recognition after a series of angry tweets after the Gunners lost at Brentford on the opening day of the Premier League season, claiming that fans of the club “do not deserve” this and blasted the side’s “mediocrity”.

Yet behind this relatable image of fandom and exposure of Rwanda – undoubtedly a beautiful country to visit – and its tourist potential, there is a darker side to the sponsorship.

Kagame is a former guerrilla leader who has been praised for bringing stability and growth to Rwanda after its civil war and genocide in the first half of the 1990s, but now oversees a nation where – according to Human Rights Watch - public life is marked by “threats, intimidation [and] mysterious deaths.”

The British Foreign Office has urged the East African nation to investigate allegations of “deaths in custody, enforced disappearances and torture” which has been overseen by its government.

In 2020, Paul Rusesabagina – a former hotelier whose peaceful actions during Rwanda’s genocide helped keep safe over 1,000 Hutu and Tutsi refugees, inspiring the Hollywood film Hotel Rwanda – boarded a plane in Dubai, believing he was en route to Burundi.

The plane instead flew to the Rwandan capital Kigali, with Kagame’s government claiming they held “an international warrant” for his arrest on nine charges of terrorism that related to his association with the FLN (National Liberation Front) – allegations that the 67-year-old and his family have always staunchly denied.

Human rights advocates stated that they believed the charges were politically motivated due to Rusesabagina's open criticism of president Kagame with Human Rights Watch voicing their concern at Rusesabagina being “forcibly disappeared” and not facing a fair trial.

In September 2021, Rusesabagina – along with 20 others - was found guilty of terrorism-related charges and handed a 25-year prison sentence.

The Clooney Foundation for Justice described the verdict as a "show trial," citing that Rusesabagina's conviction lacked sufficient guarantees of fairness "required by international and African standards."

Rusesabagina's daughter Carine Kanimba, a US-Belgian dual citizen, has been leading her family’s effort to free her father from prison and she has called on Arsenal and PSG, who have taken funds from the Rwandan government via their Visit Rwanda sponsorship deals, to denounce the actions of the regime.

The term ‘sportswashing’ – defined as ‘where sport is used a tool to legitimise or improve the reputation of an individual, group, corporation or nation-state’ – is often associated with wealthy nations via sports sponsorship, influence, or hosting events.

The majority of Rwandans live in poverty, but there is international concern regarding authoritarian actions of its government and how in recent years, it is starting to launder its reputation through sport.

This starts with their multi-million sponsorship deals with Arsenal and PSG.

“This is exactly what Rwanda is doing,” Kanimba explained to Mirror Football. “The Visit Rwanda sponsorship is intended to hide human rights abuses and to make it look like a happy country, when it is not – its people are repressed.

“The Rwandan government is facing greater international criticism and investigations for its long-term pattern of human rights abuses and they know this is coming out all over the world.

“The way to divert attention away from that negative press is by talking about sports because they know that people like them and engage with them.

“Arsenal and PSG are risking their proud histories and reputation by associating with, and taking money from, a dictatorial regime who do not respect freedom of speech or the due process of law, and where human rights are systematically violated.”

Kanimba believes that the Rwandan government’s move into sponsorship is deflecting attention away from the concern and “pretending that everything is ok” in a move that ultimately “victimises more people.”

Since striking the initial agreement in 2018, Arsenal have visited the East African country on a number of occasions, with former defender David Luiz filming promotional content the following year.

Luiz posed for photos with the nation’s mountain gorillas before taking time to visit president Kagame with personalised Gunners shirts.

The Brazilian said: “I’m going to recommend all my friends to spend their holidays in Rwanda.”

Rusesabagina's contact with his family is conducted through monitored five-minute weekly phone calls, in which the topics of conversation are limited.

“This is the only contact we have with him and while we are very happy to briefly hear his voice, those calls are frightening,” admitted Kanimba.

“They are very scary because we can hear that he is being pressured when he starts to talk and when we start giving him information about his case - such as different parliaments discussing Magnitsky Sanctions on his behalf – they take the phone away from him, as they do not want him to have that information.

“We are grateful for those five minutes, but they are also very painful.”

Kanimba speaks candidly about her father’s torture and gut-wrenching experience behind bars, but she and her family are not about to give up hope on his future.

With international condemnation via governments and human rights organisations, she believes that her family will be reunited with their father – who has experienced adversity before.

She added: “He truly is a strong person who follows his principles so closely.

“While he was being tortured, they tried to make him sign false confessions, but he refused to do so and we know that he has the strength to hold on.

“This is also what he did during the genocide, when people were being butchered all around him and the hotel, but he protected them and kept his calm.

“We have had the European parliament, the Belgian parliament, the US Congress and the UK parliament speaking about regarding his situation and calling for his release and for his rights to be respected.

“We have hope that he will come home.

“He does not deserve this, and it is awful that he has to go through that.

“In Rwanda, nobody is allowed to speak out – you will never hear anything negative about the country because people are frightened and if they do speak out, they end up in prison or tortured. There is no democracy.

“In recent months, there have been multiple journalists who have been jailed for reporting on what the government is doing.

“My father speaking out led him to his position today and that shows that there is no democracy or freedom of speech or respect of human rights.

“It shows how important what he is doing is – so few people have that courage to speak out.”

Kanimba has called on Arsenal and PSG to use their platforms and influence to speak out against the Rwandan government, something which she believes the nation’s population live in fear of doing.

“Taking money from the Rwandan government is one thing but staying quiet about what you know to be happening is hurting the people,” she continued.

“Arsenal should stand up and call out these human rights abuses, rather than solely to celebrate Rwanda for being the beautiful country that it is.

“They should be demanding that the country improves itself and they should be putting more efforts into ensuring that the government improves.”

Carine - who was targeted with the notorious Pegasus spyware during her father’s trial - and her sister Anaise Kanimba were Rusesabagina’s nieces, but were adopted by Paul as babies when they were discovered in a refugee camp after their family had been murdered in Rwanda’s genocide.

Her family have tried to get in contact with Arsenal and various supporters groups to raise awareness for her dad’s situation and for his story to be heard, but have yet to receive a response.

When asked by Mirror Football for comment, an Arsenal spokesperson replied: “Since our partnership began in 2018, we have worked together to tell Rwanda’s story of culture, heritage and transition, as well as raising awareness of the country as a holiday destination.

“One year after the partnership began, Rwanda’s tourism revenue increased by 17 per cent and tourists from Europe increased by 22 per cent.

“This increase supports the growth of Rwanda’s economy, creating more revenue they can reinvest across all key sectors, lifting thousands out of poverty, and empowering citizens.

“This is where we will continue our focus as Rwanda continues its post-pandemic recovery.”

PSG did not respond to Mirror Football's request for comment.

Kanimba was unimpressed by the club’s stance that their partnership is focused on trying to develop and improve the country.

“That is like walking into a house that is clean and tidy, but where you know there are tortures being carried out, and responding “well, at least the house is clean and tidy”.

“They are not acknowledging the horrendous scores of human rights abuses and it is gruesome when you read the details of what happens in those torture houses in Rwanda.

“It is difficult to look away, but they are doing so because of the profits they are making from this dictator. It is all about money and they are saying that the money they are getting out of this is more important than the people being tortured by the regime.”

And what about those viral tweets from Rwandan president Paul Kagame after Arsenal’s two-goal opening day defeat at Brentford, which received tens of thousands of interactions.

Kanimba explains that not only are these a “smokescreen” to normalise the president’s reputation among a wider audience, but they have even more sinister undertones.

After Arsenal’s limp defeat at their London neighbours, part of Kagame’s thread of criticism claimed: “I am sure we all know on whose shoulders the heaviest burden rests. I hope they know too or even accept it!!!”

When reminded of those tweets, Kanimba responded: “That is supposed to make you like, to empathise with him – and certainly, to look away at the horrible things going on.

“The reality is that the West might look at that in a funny way coming from a small nation like Rwanda, but in Rwanda – if Paul Kagame says those words about you, it usually means you end up in a prison or tortured.

“He has previously insulted the Rwandan football team too, telling them that they should not play football.

“When he says that he is unhappy with people, that usually means that he will try to destroy them.

“A Western audience may have seen his tweet as a joke, but those comments make Rwandan people shake with fear.

“There are consequences to this in real life and how he speaks to a Western audience has a totally different meaning than to a Rwandan audience.”

Rusesabagina’s international fame grew following the release of Hotel Rwanda, embarking on a career as a public speaker.

Most notably, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the United States, by President George W. Bush in 2005 for "remarkable courage and compassion in the face of genocidal terror."

Rusesabagina began to move into politics, in 2006 he founded The Party for Democracy in Rwanda and a decade later confirmed his intentions to run for the presidency.

His international influence and outspoken nature against the Rwandan government were the driving force behind his arrest, his family claim.

In a recent interview with The Guardian, Carine’s sister Anaise explained: “When father got a platform through the film, Kagame expected him to say just good things about Rwanda. But he wanted the truth to be known.”

Of his current situation, Anaise added: “He’s been in solitary confinement for three months and can’t sleep because of the bed bugs. We worry about his health because he suffers from hypertension.”

His family will continue the campaign on his behalf, and they have called on fans of the club’s who have embraced Visit Rwanda’s sponsorship deal to speak out and make their voice heard.

Carine insisted: “Fans of the clubs must call for a stop to their sponsorship deal with the Rwandan government and for the release of my father before he takes his last breath.

“Every fan has that power to make a difference.

“They can call on Rwanda to release my father, to stop human rights abuses and to allow freedom of speech – and only then should sponsorship deals with the country be agreed.

“We must put values and principles of humanity and dignity above everything else, and not forget that human beings are suffering.

“These clubs can pressurise the Rwandan government to call for the release of my father and others besides because we want him to return home.

“The clubs have training programmes with Rwandan footballers which is positive – but those can surely be kept running separately from a sponsorship deal with this government.”

Arsenal’s former chief commercial officer, Vinai Venkatesham, called the club’s arrangement with the Rwandan government a “very compelling fit” but multi-million sponsorship agreements with impoverished nations whose regimes stand accused of human rights abuses prompt questions.

Carine and her family will continue to fight for justice for their father and raise awareness for his situation.

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Arsenal face questions over Visit Rwanda sponsorship deal amid human rights abuse allegations

Arsenal have renewed their lucrative sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda, despite the country facing allegations of human rights abuses, including claims that vocal critics of Rwandan president Paul Kagame are being murdered or disappearing

• 09:00, 21 SEP 2021

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When Arsenal succumbed meekly to Brentford on the opening night of the season, among the loudest critics of their performance was Paul Kagame. “We just must NOT excuse or Accept mediocrity,” the Rwandan president told his Twitter audience of 2.4million. “I am sure we all know on whose shoulders the heaviest burden rests. I hope they know too or even accept it!!!”

Kagame’s complaint was mostly viewed with amusement by supporters, and relayed by dozens of media outlets, before the story took another turn when it was reported a couple of days later that the club had renewed its lucrative sponsorship deal with the African country’s tourism board.

The agreement had actually been confirmed in May and sees one of the world’s poorest nations, which is reliant upon aid and with a GDP of less than $900 per capita, continue to pay one of the world’s richest football clubs more than £10m a year for its logo to appear on shirt sleeves and around the Emirates Stadium.

More troubling are the allegations of human rights abuses, including claims that vocal critics of Kagame are being murdered or disappearing. Human Rights Watch, the United Nations and the UK’s Foreign Office have all raised concerns this year and the conclusion of a high-profile trial in the capital Kigali yesterday should sharpen interest from the West further.

These developments pose difficult questions for Arsenal regarding their moral and social duty in addition to whether the club is being used as a sportswashing vehicle to enhance Rwanda’s reputation.

The journalist Michela Wrong, whose book Do Not Disturb digs deep into Kagame’s authoritarian regime, described the agreement with Arsenal as “like being sponsored by Pinochet” and “an insult to UK taxpayers” in an interview with football.london , while a spokesperson for the Arsenal Supporters Trust said that the club has “lost its moral compass in its desire to maximise revenues.”

In response Arsenal said that it was working with the country to “change perceptions” while, pre-pandemic, Kagame and the Rwandan Development Board claimed the deal pays for itself because of the rise in visitors.

His Twitter account has been dormant since those posts on August 14, save for two messages following a meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel a fortnight later. Perhaps because there are bigger issues to occupy his thoughts than a football club 4,000 miles away.

Yesterday in a Kigali courtroom Paul Rusesabagina, the real-life hero of Hotel Rwanda , was found guilty of terror-related offences. The trial has been described as a “sham” by his family and legal team in a country where, according to Human Rights Watch, legal standards are “routinely flouted… [and] often used to prosecute prominent government critics."

Rusesabagina, who has held Belgian citizenship since fleeing the country in 1996 in addition to a US green card, had been lured back via Dubai under supposed false pretences. The European Commission has criticised the government for his “enforced disappearance, illegal rendition, and incommunicado detention”. Rusesabagina, 67, boycotted the trial. He was given a 25-year sentence.

Earlier this month Revocat Karemangingo, a prominent critic of Kagame, was shot nine times in Mozambique. The former army general is the latest high-profile exile to have been murdered in recent years. While the Rwandan government has dismissed any suggestion of involvement the Foreign Office earlier this year called on the regime to “conduct transparent, credible and independent investigations into allegations of extrajudicial killings, deaths in custody, enforced disappearances and torture, and bring perpetrators to justice” having unexpectedly criticised the regime at the United Nations in January.

“It’s a controlling, repressive, sinister regime,” Wrong says. “There’s a good development record, they’ve won brownie points for controlling Covid. But does Arsenal want to be connected with a country with that profile and reputation? He does a lot of this sportswashing. He’s a very clever marketer who consults and pays huge amounts of money to lobbying and reputational management companies. Tens of thousands of pounds from this incredibly poor country.”

Several former Western leaders, including Tony Blair and Bill Clinton, have praised Kagame for how he led the country out of the 1994 genocide but the present impression is much different, illustrated by the UK and US both raising concerns in the past 12 months. “He’s very aware of how Rwanda has this unusual image,” Wrong adds. “He has capitalised on the genocide and the guilt and emotion people feel towards it.”

Kagame, who has been president since 2000 and changed the constitution so he can continue in office for as long as he sees fit, is also being accused of using basketball and cycling in addition to football as ways to enhance his reputation in the West. While Visit Rwanda have a similar deal with Paris Saint-Germain, the 63-year-old is a long-time Arsenal supporter and has use of an executive box at the Emirates.

While it was only widely reported as new information last month, the renewed deal was quietly confirmed in the sixth paragraph of the club’s away kit announcement in May, a marked difference to the PR blitz that followed in 2018. Back then it was framed as a “compelling fit”, the defender David Luiz went on a promotional tour and coaches travelled to deliver seminars to young players.

“There is a strong element of it being a vanity project,” Wrong says. “Kagame likes to opine and engage with them on Twitter. He’s very present on social media, the whole administration is very savvy that way. It gives him a lot of satisfaction.

“A lot of people feel it’s inappropriate. It’s a very poor country with a questionable human rights record. Why not spend this money on hospitals? Why not spend it on education? Those are all paid for by donors and aid. DFID [Department for International Development] and USAID [United States Agency for International Development] have been pouring money in but why should they when they are spending these sums on a football club? It’s an insult to British taxpayers who make aid possible.”

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The most recent available figures indicate that the UK provides more than £60m in aid to Rwanda, while one European government discussed stopping its funding having been appalled by the Arsenal deal.

The Arsenal Supporters’ Trust have sought answers from the club and the government but said they “declined to share” evidence of increased tourist numbers and revenues. “The AST has questioned the morality of this commercial arrangement since it was first announced in 2018,” a spokesperson said. “Rwanda is one of the poorest countries in the world and is in receipt of foreign financial aid from many countries including the UK. On any grounds a deal such as this is hard to justify and claims of sportwashing by a regime that is coming under increasing scrutiny is difficult to refute.

“Disappointingly Arsenal appear to have lost its moral compass in its desire to maximise revenues and in the absence of any ESG [environmental, social and governance] framework at the club unpalatable deals such as this will remain unchecked.”

When all of these claims were put to Arsenal, a club spokesperson said: “Since our partnership began in 2018, we have worked together to challenge perceptions and tell Rwanda’s story of culture, heritage and transition, as well as raising awareness of the country as a luxury holiday destination.

“One year after the partnership began, Rwanda’s tourism revenue increased by 17% and tourists from Europe increased by 22%. This increase supports the growth of Rwanda’s economy, creating more revenue they can reinvest across all key sectors, lifting thousands out of poverty, and empowering citizens. This is where we will continue our focus.”

In 2019 Visit Rwanda said that pre-pandemic visitor numbers from the UK had risen by 5% and around the same time Kagame, again on Twitter, wrote: “Critics say that this is not how we should invest our money. In a very short time, I want to tell you that we have more or less made what we have spent more or less profitable, and that we expect much more.”

“Before the partnership was signed, 71% of the millions of Arsenal fans worldwide did not consider Rwanda a tourist destination, at the end of the first year of the partnership, half of them considered Rwanda a destination to visit,” said Belise Kariza, head of RDB’s tourism department.

Yet after 18 months of no tourism it is even harder to justify the outlay. For Arsenal, meanwhile, it is worth considering the words of the supporters’ trust. Have they lost their moral compass? And is it right to expect modern football clubs, billion-pound businesses rather than community assets, to put ethical concerns ahead of financial gain?

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No Arsenal plans to end Visit Rwanda deal despite ruling against government policy

Arsenal have no plans to cancel their sleeve sponsorship deal with Visit Rwanda following the UK Supreme Court’s ruling that the government’s Rwanda immigration plan is “unlawful”.

No changes are anticipated to the four-year £10million-per-year ($12.5m) deal signed in 2021 with Visit Rwanda, which first appeared on Arsenal shirts in 2018.

When delivering the verdict, Lord Robert Reed, president of the court, said Rwanda “has a poor human rights record”, citing evidence from the UN’s refugee agency. Lord Reed added there was a “real risk” asylum seekers could be sent from Rwanda to the places they fled from.

More details and analysis below

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Women's Champions League preview: Bayern v Roma

Bayern Munich face Roma in the first game group-stage game of the UEFA Women's Champions League this evening.

The German side beat Duisburg 2-0 last time out, with England international Georgia Stanway getting on the scoresheet. The victory kept Bayern top of the Frauen-Bundesliga, ahead of Wolfsburg in second.

Serie table toppers Roma sealed a thumping 6-0 victory over Napoli in their last outing with Italy international Lucia di Guglielmo netting a brace. Roma are unbeaten in their seven league games this season.

Who will come out on top tonight?

Grimaldo talks up Real Madrid move

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Bayer Leverkusen full-back Alex Grimaldo has opened the door to a future move to Real Madrid — despite spending eight years at El Clasico rivals Barcelona.

Grimaldo, who is in the Spain international squad for the first time, left Barcelona in 2016 without ever making a first-team appearance. He went on to make over 300 outings at Benfica, before joining Leverkusen this summer.

“Real Madrid are one of the world’s best teams, maybe the best, and any player would want to join them,” Grimaldo told an interview with OK Diario.

“I would like to play in Spain in the future, because I have always wanted to play there and it would be an opportunity for me to play at home.

“Right now, I am happy at Bayer Leverkusen. I have been here for three months and it is going great, we will see what happens in the future.”

Grimaldo, 28, also heralded the work of his “incredible coach” Xabi Alonso, who has guided Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga.

When asked if the former Real Madrid midfielder would be a good fit to be the Spanish club’s manager, he added: “He is ready for whatever he wants to do.”

Brazil treating Jesus injury ‘very carefully,’ Arsenal striker could face Argentina

Brazil head coach Fernando Diniz has insisted they are treating Gabriel Jesus "very carefully" after he reported for international duty despite missing Arsenal's last five games through injury.

Jesus, 26, was included in Brazil's squad for their fixtures this month, despite not featuring for Arsenal since the 2-1 Champions League victory over Sevilla in October.

He won't play against Colombia on Thursday but could feature against Argentina next Tuesday if he comes through fitness tests, with Diniz confirming that the national team are treating the forward with care.

Diniz said: "My concern is with Gabriel. We brought him here for some reasons and that it was important to him. He was one of the players, who even when we played a match below our standards against Uruguay, managed to make a positive impact in the game. It was a very difficult game but he got there and played well. He helped us sustain our position and create difficulty, sometimes even individually.

"I trust the player and he being here, I take satisfaction. He didn't come here without planning. He said he was feeling good and already doing certain things. When I talked to him he had two more weeks left. We thought it interesting to risk bringing him here. He is in good condition. We are doing things with great care.

"As soon as he arrived, he had a new MRI. We are treating him very carefully. If he does not have a condition, he will be available against Argentina. For Gabriel, it was very important for him to come here and he will return to Arsenal even better than when he got here."

Full story below

El Ghazi taking legal action over Mainz exit

Anwar El Ghazi is taking legal action against former club Mainz for wrongful dismissal over a social media post about the Israel-Gaza war.

Mainz have confirmed that a trial is set to take place on December 6.

The Bundesliga side terminated the 28-year-old winger’s contract on November 3 in the aftermath of a post on his Instagram story that expressed support for Palestinians.

More details below

Wilson faces four to six weeks out with hamstring injury

Newcastle United and England striker Callum Wilson has been ruled out between four to six weeks with a hamstring injury.

Wilson was taken off at half-time in Newcastle’s 2-0 Champions League defeat at Borussia Dortmund earlier this month. Head coach Eddie Howe said at the time that the 31-year-old “was feeling a tightness in his hamstring,” forcing him to be replaced.

He then missed his side’s 2-0 loss to Bournemouth in the Premier League last Saturday. Howe said after the game he was expected to be out for “a number of weeks”.

Bale offers Real Madrid advice to Bellingham

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Gareth Bale has advised Jude Bellingham to ‘play the game’ at Real Madrid — and believes he paid the price for not doing so.

Bellingham has enjoyed a stunning start to his Real Madrid career with 13 goals in his first 14 appearances, including a last-minute winner in his first El Clasico against Barcelona last month.

Bale spent nine years in the Spanish capital, scoring 106 goals for the club and winning 15 trophies including five Champions League crowns, but was often criticised within the Spanish press.

The former Wales international insisted it was important to comply with the media’s requests while at the Spanish club. “If you don’t play the game and do what the media want, speak to them, basically be a puppet, you do get a lot of stick."

Bale believes that his failure to do so played a part in his ‘downfall’ at the club, where he featured in just seven games in his final season after spending the previous campaign on loan at Tottenham.

"I didn't want to do it (play the game),” Bale added. “I just wanted to play football and go home and that probably hindered me and that made them attack me a bit more." He concluded his advice by urging Bellingham to ‘speak in Spanish’ during media appearances.

Hayes to USWNT: Inside the deal

We'll hear from Emma Hayes for the first time tonight since that USWNT deal was confirmed.

How was she lured Stateside?

Our big read below gives you the lowdown:

• Multiple rounds of evaluation, including abstract reasoning tests and in-depth discussions of strategy
• $2million deal, commensurate with USMNT coach Gregg Berhalter
• Two months/four international games in charge before the Olympics

Chelsea not in talks to buy Earls Court site for potential new stadium

Chelsea are not in talks to purchase the former Earls Court Exhibition Centre site for a potential relocation from Stamford Bridge, according to the company overseeing the multi-billion pound redevelopment project.

Earls Court Development Company (ECDC) published the updated version of their masterplan for the 40-acre site in southwest London on Wednesday, which is to include the construction of 4000 new homes, extensive retail and office space, three large cultural and performance venues and an urban park.

The land, which has been largely derelict since Earls Court Exhibition Centre was demolished in 2014, has frequently been touted as the most attractive alternative stadium site if Chelsea were ever to leave Stamford Bridge. In March, the ECDC publicly denied reports suggesting the Premier League club’s owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, could purchase it.

Read more below

Women's Champions League preview: Real Madrid v Chelsea

Real Madrid face Chelsea in their first group-stage game of the 2023-24 UEFA Women's Champions League this evening.

The Spanish side enter the game off the back of a thumping 7-1 victory over Real Sociedad in Liga F. Chelsea, who are top of the Women's Super League, beat Everton 3-0 in their last outing.

It will be the English side's first game since it was confirmed yesterday that long-serving manager Emma Hayes will be leaving the club at the end of the season to take charge of the USWNT.

Real Madrid vs La Liga: Explaining Perez’s latest attack on Tebas

On Saturday, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez used the club’s annual assembly to once again attack his La Liga counterpart Javier Tebas.

The 76-year-old claimed La Liga had taken “repeated actions… against the interests of Real Madrid”, called the competition’s deal with private equity fund CVC a “scourge for Spanish football” and also criticised Tebas’s salary. Tebas responded in a typically direct fashion with a post on Twitter in which he accused Perez of telling “serious lies about La Liga” and added that there had been “no increase” to his salary, before his organisation posted a longer statement later.

For seasoned La Liga observers, the war of words was nothing new — Perez and Tebas have long been at odds with each other. But when did the dispute begin and was there something more intriguing at the end of Perez’s speech?

Dermot Corrigan and Mario Cortegana explain.

Atletico Madrid president voices Super League support

Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo has claimed the club withdrew from the European Super League because of the threat of sanction from UEFA, the governing body of European football.

Atletico were one of 12 clubs to join the project in April 2021, but withdrew their support days later, with a club statement citing ‘harmony throughout the club is essential’ and that ‘sporting merit must prevail above all other criteria’.

Their domestic rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona are the only founding clubs to maintain their support for the Super League, after Italian club Juventus withdrew in June — after all other nine clubs involved had pulled out.

“I think the Super League is good for Spanish football," Cerezo said on Spanish radio station Onda Cero. “Without the Super League, the Premier League has won because they have taken all the best players.

“Atletico left (the Super League project) because we did not want to be sanctioned by UEFA.”

Cerezo's comments come days after Real Madrid president Florentino Perez said that a Super League can be the beginning of “a new era for the good of football."

Rashford joins up with England squad

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Marcus Rashford has joined up with England's squad ahead of their upcoming European Championship qualifiers this month.

It was confirmed on Tuesday that the 26-year-old would meet up with Gareth Southgate's side later this week due to a personal matter.

Rashford, however, was pictured in England training on Wednesday ahead of their upcoming Euro 2024 qualifier against Malta on Friday.

England then travel to face North Macedonia next Monday in the final international break of the year.

Nunes withdraws from Portugal squad with injury

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Manchester City midfielder Matheus Nunes has withdrawn from Portugal's squad for their upcoming European Championship qualifiers due to injury.

Portugal are set to face Liechtenstein on Thursday followed by a clash against Iceland three days later.

They have confirmed that Nunes, 25, has been "declared clinically unfit" after undergoing tests and has subsequently pulled out of the squad. He now won't travel to Zurich with the rest of Roberto Martinez's team.

Nunes was an unused substitute in City's 4-4 draw against Chelsea on Sunday.

City face Liverpool in the Premier League on November 25 after the international break.

Rodri rejects Simeone stance on Premier League

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Manchester City midfielder Rodri has rejected a claim from Diego Simeone that no Premier League clubs focus on defending.

The Atletico Madrid boss made the claim following Chelsea’s 4-4 draw against City on Sunday, saying that while it was great entertainment value — nobody was prioritising defending.

“You see English football now and the matches finish 4-4, 5-3, 6-2, or 5-1, which is fantastic for the fans,” Simeone said. “Like Chelsea against Manchester City. These are all games that are fun to watch, but nobody is defending!”

Rodri, who played under Simeone at Atletico Madrid in the 2018-19 season before his move to the Premier League, did not agree with the Argentinian's analysis.

“I disagree a little bit,” Rodri responded when asked directly on Simeone’s quotes. “Not all teams play in the same way, but against Man City there are a lot of teams who look to defend for 90 minutes.

“Of course, this is not always the case and for other matches there will be more open spaces, but it is a tough league with strong defences.”

Bellingham and Ceballos training alone with Real Madrid physios

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Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham trained alone with physios as he continues to recover from a shoulder injury.

The 20-year-old withdrew from England's squad for their European Championship qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia later this month due to the problem.

Bellingham suffered a dislocated shoulder after an awkward fall early on in the draw with Rayo Vallecano on November 5. He was able to be part of the squad for the Champions League win over Braga but was an unused substitute, before he was left out against Valencia.

Dani Ceballos, meanwhile, is also training alone with physios. The 27-year-old is expected to return after the international break, having missed his side's last six matches across all competitions.

Iraola doubles down on Bournemouth approach

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Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola will not change his approach despite a difficult start in charge of the south coast club.

Former Rayo Vallecano boss Iraola was appointed at Bournemouth this summer to replace Gary O’Neil but his side collected just three points from their opening nine league matches — although they have since secured wins over Burnley and Newcastle.

“We knew it would take time for results to be what we wanted — we had a tough opening run of fixtures and transmitting our ideas would not be instant, but the recent wins have helped,” Iraola told Spanish newspaper Marca.

“Our offensive ideas are working, we are causing rival teams problems but defensively we are still conceding too many chances. We are working to address this but our underlying approach will not change — our results have come due to us pressing higher, taking more risks and using more man-marking.

“It is tough to convince players on your ideas until the results come, so that is why our recent wins have been so important, but they have believed in us and had no doubts.”

Iraola insisted he had ‘no regrets’ on his decision to swap La Liga for the Premier League, and outlined how English football represented a new challenge for him.

He said: “In La Liga, my team (Rayo Vallecano) differentiated ourselves because we pressed high and hard, but in England the pace of the league is higher, so we must adapt and find solutions.”

Who is Man Utd’s incoming chief executive Patrick Stewart?

Patrick Stewart has been at Manchester United long enough to have seen a Champions League win, the club’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange, Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement — and the subsequent decade of underachievement.

Stewart joined United in 2006, becoming their chief legal officer and general counsel, responsible for overseeing the club’s legal and regulatory affairs, and managing relationships with key stakeholders, such as the Premier League.

Apart from the name he shares with the famous Star Trek actor, relatively little is known about Stewart. But he will be thrust into the spotlight when he becomes United’s interim chief executive following Richard Arnold’s departure.

Read The Athletic's profile of him below

Patrick Stewart will take the role of Manchester United’s interim chief executive when Richard Arnold departs the club.

The Athletic reported last month that Arnold, who replaced Ed Woodward in February 2022, was expected to depart if Sir Jim Ratcliffe succeeded in his bid to buy a 25 per cent stake in the club.

United are yet to confirm Ratcliffe’s proposed £1.3billion investment — one that is set to see the British billionaire take sporting control — but Arnold is set to depart as part of an anticipated wider restructure off the field.

Stewart, the Old Trafford club’s legal counsel and a member of the board, will take up the position on an interim basis.

Stewart is United’s most senior lawyer, responsible for managing the club’s legal and regulatory affairs and serves as an arbitrator at the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Jean-Claude Blanc, the former Juventus chief executive who left a high-ranking role at Paris Saint-Germain last December to oversee the entire INEOS Sport portfolio, is under consideration to replace Arnold on a permanent basis.

Rwanda signs deal with Paris St Germain to promote tourism

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Reporting by Clement Uwiringiyimana; Additional reporting by Julien Pretot in Paris; Editing by George Obulutsa and Giles Elgood

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What is the Rwanda bill and who does the government want to send there?

After months of delay, Rishi Sunak's plan to deport asylum seekers who cross the English Channel aboard small boats to Rwanda has cleared parliament. What happens now?

Foreign news reporter @MikeRDrummond

Tuesday 23 April 2024 12:36, UK

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After months of delay, parliamentary bickering and legal challenges, Rishi Sunak's Rwanda bill is set to become law.

Legislation for the prime minister's controversial plan to deport asylum seekers to the landlocked African country cleared parliament last night after a lengthy battle.

The policy has been plagued by setbacks since it was first announced two years ago, with thousands of people arriving on Kent beaches aboard small boats all the while.

So what is the Rwanda bill and why is it so controversial? Here are some of the key questions, answered.

What is the Rwanda asylum plan?

Rishi Sunak's promise to "stop the boats" is one of five pledges he has staked his premiership on.

Key to this is the Rwanda scheme, which would involve some asylum seekers being sent to Rwanda to have their asylum claims processed there.

If successful, they can be allowed to stay in Rwanda or seek asylum in another country. But they would not be able to apply to return to the UK.

Ministers say the policy will act as a deterrent to people thinking of travelling to the UK "illegally" (though whether or not crossing the English Channel in a small boat is actually illegal is complicated).

Why haven't any planes taken off already?

The first plane carrying asylum seekers could take off in 10 to 12 weeks , the prime minister said ahead of the law passing, in what is another delay, having initially promised this would happen in the spring.

This would be more than two years since the first flight attempted under the deal was grounded amid last-minute legal challenges.

No asylum seekers have yet been sent to Rwanda.

While he refused to go into "sensitive" operations details on Monday, Mr Sunak did outline a number of measures the government was taking to prepare for the first flights to take off.

He said there were now 2,200 detention spaces and that 200 dedicated caseworkers had been trained to process claims quickly.

Around 25 courtrooms have been made available and 150 judges will provide 5,000 sitting days, he added.

Mr Sunak also said there were 500 "highly trained individuals ready to escort illegal migrants all the way to Rwanda, with 300 more trained in the coming week".

In November, the Rwanda plan was ruled unlawful by the UK's Supreme Court , which said those being sent to the country would be at "real risk" of being returned home, whether their grounds to claim asylum were justified or not - breaching international law.

Is Rwanda a safe country?

Much of the debate around the policy - putting aside differing views on whether it is effective or ethical - centres around the question of whether Rwanda is considered a "safe country".

The government insists it is, although it's worth pointing out that the UK granted asylum applications to 15 people from Rwanda last year.

According to Human Rights Watch, critics of the ruling political party in Rwanda have been "arrested, threatened, and put on trial". Some said they were tortured in detention, the organisation added.

Who will be affected by the Rwanda scheme?

The Home Office plans to use the agreement with Rwanda to remove people who make dangerous journeys to the UK and are considered "inadmissible" to the UK's asylum system - and will include people who have arrived irregularly since 20 July last year.

People whom the Home Office wishes to transfer to Rwanda will be identified and referred to the Rwandan authorities on a case-by-case basis, after an initial screening process following arrival in the UK, the government has said.

Although the agreement focuses on asylum seekers, under the treaty people who have made unauthorised journeys to the UK but not claimed asylum can be relocated to Rwanda as well.

Read more: Analysis: Sunak staking premiership on Rwanda plan How many asylum seekers does the UK remove?

What happened in parliament on Monday night?

On Monday, the Rwanda bill finally passed through the Commons and Lords and is now set to become law.

The legislation was introduced by the government in the wake of November's Supreme Court ruling which had declared that Rwanda was not safe for refugees.

Since then, the government has signed a new treaty with Rwanda which it says contains additional safeguards for people relocated.

With the new bill, parliament was asked to declare that Rwanda must be treated as safe in order to render the relocation plan lawful in UK domestic law.

What happens now?

The bill is now headed for royal assent after passing through parliament, but it's likely to still face various challenges.

Campaigners opposing the plans, and individual asylum seekers who are told they are to be sent to Rwanda, could look to take the government to court again in an attempt to stop flights.

Whether any legal challenges could be successful in light of the new law remains to be seen.

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How much has this all cost?

An investigation by Whitehall's spending watchdog said the cost of the Rwanda scheme could rise to half a billion pounds, plus hundreds of thousands more for each person deported.

The government has refused to say how much more money, on top of the £290m already confirmed, that the UK had agreed to pay Rwanda under the deal. However, a National Audit Office report revealed millions more in spending including £11,000 for each asylum seeker's plane ticket.

What are people opposed to the Rwanda asylum plan saying now the bill was passed?

The passing of the bill has sparked fresh condemnation from charities and other organisations.

Amnesty International said it will "leave a stain on this country's moral reputation".

Sacha Deshmukh, Amnesty International UK's chief executive, added: "The bill is built on a deeply authoritarian notion attacking one of the most basic roles played by the courts - the ability to look at evidence, decide on the facts of a case and apply the law accordingly.

"It's absurd that the courts are forced to treat Rwanda as a 'safe country' and forbidden from considering all evidence to the contrary."

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