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Sergio Aguero: The history of the FA Cup meant it was always a special competition to play in

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Stake’s global representative, Sergio Aguero, reveals his memories of playing in the FA Cup, why it was a special competition for him to win, how Pep Guardiola will keep his players motivated against Peterborough in their fifth round tie, and what this side could achieve this season.

The FA Cup has an amazing history and I am proud to have won the competition 

The FA Cup was always one of my favourite competitions to play in because of its history and because of the many famous players and teams to have won it.

When I was living in Spain and here in Argentina, everyone knew about the competition and its history.

We came so close to winning the FA Cup in 2013 but were beaten by Wigan in the final. It was hard for us because we had a very good team, Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Pablo Zabaleta all started that game.

But we were all very new to the club and it was only the start of our journey. I think we did okay in the end!

We were back at Wembley for my second FA Cup final in 2019 and that day went much better for us when we beat Watford.

We were so happy to win it and to be a part of FA Cup history was a very proud moment for me.

The tradition of the FA Cup is one of my favourite things about the competition, it was fun to meet Prince William to get my medal after the game and the celebrations with the fans afterwards was so special.

Everyone says that the FA Cup is magical and it is true, it was always really fun to play in and you felt proud to represent your team in the competition.

The day we played in the FA Cup was

always special because there was so much excitement in the team and the fans were always extra happy to see us play well.

Playing teams in lower divisions in the FA Cup is harder than you think, so Pep will have the City players focused ahead of the Peterborough match 

Not many people know how hard it is to play in the FA Cup. In England, you play a lot of matches and a lot of competitions, but as a player, it’s really exciting because you have the chance to try and win lots of different competitions, and winning finals is something that you are always proud of as a footballer, which means every game is important.

To get to the final you have to play against lots of different teams and some new ones that you might not have ever played against before. Playing against new teams and new players and at new stadiums is always hard because you don’t know 100% what you’re going to be playing against. We watch the teams in the Premier League and Champions League a lot and we all have friends and international teammates that play for them, but when you draw a team in the FA Cup that you don’t regularly get to play against or know too much about, it’s always a difficult experience.

When we played against a new team or a side in a different division, we were always expected to win, but it’s not as easy as that. Every manager always made sure the preparation for an FA Cup game was exactly the same. The training was the same, we worked hard on our jobs for the match and we went into the game knowing what we had to do, it made no difference if it was the final or first round.

This is exactly what Pep Guardiola will be doing with the team this week. Pep is a winner and he hates to lose, you don’t win the number of trophies he has without this attitude. He will be making sure the Manchester City players are ready for the game against Peterborough in the same way as if it was any other match.

There’s added pressure on Manchester City to win in the FA Cup and Peterborough will look to familiar tactics to beat them 

When you are the team in a higher league and you have to travel to a team in a league below you it is difficult because the crowd are always so excited that their team might cause an upset and get to beat a Premier League team! When you get to the ground you are quickly aware that everyone really wants you to lose – the fans let you know when you arrive. It’s not just the

home crowd that are extra excited to see you lose, but it is everyone watching at home also, we know this and try not to think about it and focus on our job for the day.

We played against Wigan, again, in 2018 in the Cup at their stadium and it was one of the hardest matches. They defended so well and frustrated us, we had all of the possession and so many chances, but they scored late and knocked us out, that’s how it is in knockout football. If Peterborough think that they can win then they should watch that game and do the same as Wigan did.

Peterborough will be tough for Manchester City because the team has just travelled to Portugal in the Champions League, had a tough game against Tottenham, then they’ll play away in the Premier League threes days before the match and then they have to play Manchester United after the FA Cup game, but the team has so many good players in every position and everyone is used to this way of playing now.

Manchester City are hungry to win every competition 

At Manchester City, we wanted to win everything, every match and every trophy, and that will always be the case at the club now. I think Manchester City are in a great place to win the Premier League again, they also have a good chance in the FA Cup and in the Champions League too, but this might be competitive, but I think it is possible that they win all three. Winning a treble like this would be a huge achievement and they have a team and manager that can do it this season.

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Boomerang Partners

Boomerang Partners highlights from iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026: The Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 presentation, sports activations and the ‘Best Live Event Marketing Campaign’ award

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boomerang-partners-highlights-from-igb-affiliate-barcelona-2026:-the-sports-marketing-&-betting-calendar-2026-presentation,-sports-activations-and-the-‘best-live-event-marketing-campaign’-award

From 20th to 21st January, Boomerang Partners participated in the iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026. This event once again brought together key players of the global affiliate marketing industry, serving as a platform for strategic discussions, partnerships, and knowledge exchange. Boomerang met with current and new affiliate partners, presented its latest expert product, the Sports Marketing and Betting Calendar 2026, and reaffirmed sports as its core strategic segment. Also, the company won the prestigious ‘Best Live Event Marketing Campaign’ award at the European iGaming Awards.

Sports as a strategic focus

For Boomerang Partners, sports is a long-term strategic vertical. The company aspires to become the world’s leading sports-focused affiliate program, backed by extensive experience and deep expertise. iGB Affiliate Barcelona provided an excellent opportunity to meet with affiliate partners and discuss collaboration for the current year, which can rightfully be called the Year of Sports, thanks to the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, and numerous other tournaments across various sports.

Strategy sessions and analytics at the core

Boomerang Partners traditionally attends major industry events together with representatives of its in-house analytics team. During iGB Affiliate Barcelona, the company held a series of strategic sessions with affiliate partners, focusing on traffic planning, seasonality, and campaign efficiency.

This approach allows affiliate teams to meet not only Boomerang’s affiliate managers, but also the analysts behind the company’s strategies. As a result, exhibitions like iGB Affiliate Barcelona become effective spaces for in-depth discussions and long-term planning rather than surface-level networking.

A must-have tool for sports-focused affiliates

One of the key highlights of Boomerang Partners’ participation was the presentation of the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026. This exclusive guide was introduced as both a practical analytics product and a value-driven gift for affiliate partners.

The Calendar consolidates sports schedules, traffic peak predictions, GEO insights, industry trends summary, and expert recommendations into a single framework, helping affiliate teams plan campaigns throughout the year. It can provide practical value to experienced sports-focused affiliates in shaping their strategies. Newcomers starting in the vertical will gain valuable insights into many nuances of working with sports traffic, such as the importance of tailoring campaigns to specific tournament phases (pre-event, during the competition, or post-event).

Booth concept and sports-focused activations

Boomerang Partners’ booth reflected the company’s sports-first positioning. All on-booth activities were built around sports engagement – from interactive mechanics to branded giveaways.  All of this reinforced the message that Boomerang speaks the language of sports affiliates and understands their needs.

So, among all those who downloaded the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 via QR code at the booth during the exhibition, a fully-funded trip and accommodation in Milan was raffled, including tickets to a home match of the Club at the iconic San Siro Stadium.

Looking ahead

Boomerang Partners encourages affiliate teams to stay up to date on upcoming updates and to actively use analytical tools when planning sports campaigns. Tools like the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 are designed to help partners anticipate traffic peaks, optimize strategies, and drive sustainable growth in the sports vertical.

Darina Sharban, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, commented:

“iGB Affiliate Barcelona is always about quality conversations. This year, we saw strong interest from partners who already work with sports traffic and want deeper analytics to scale their campaigns. Such opportunities are provided to them by our Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026.”

Kristina Shkredova, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, said:

“What stood out was how many discussions went beyond campaign planning. Partners were focused on seasonality, long-term planning, and how to prepare for major sports events in advance.”

Liliia Sudachenko, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, added:

“Events like this allow us to align expectations. When affiliate partners see our analytics approach and tools like the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar, conversations become much more strategic.

Well-deserved recognition

During iGB Affiliate Barcelona, the winners of the European iGaming Awards were announced. Boomerang Partners won in the category ‘Best Live Event Marketing Campaign’. In doing so, the jury rightfully acknowledged the company for its outstanding execution of the Golden Boomerang Awards ceremony at the legendary San Siro Stadium in Milan in May 2025. The event was combined with an exclusive networking and a charity auction. The participation of AC Milan Legend Andrea Pirlo, who presented awards in 11 categories, gave the ceremony a special status.

With iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026 behind them, Boomerang Partners continues to focus on analytics, expertise, and long-term partnerships – keeping sports at the center of its affiliate strategy. Download the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 on the company’s official website and plan your sports traffic campaigns effectively.

About Boomerang

Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global marketing agency offering a wide range of services. Boomerang Partners is the Official Regional Partner of AC Milan. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards — a global tournament for affiliate teams. More than 400 affiliate teams participated in the second season of the tournament in 2025. Partners of the Agency launched six new products in 2024-2025, contributing to a nearly 1.5-fold increase in product users.

The agency’s client portfolio contains 10+ brands offering affiliate and entertainment services across 40+ markets in compliance with local regulations. These products provide personalized bonuses and 24/7 multilingual support.

The post Boomerang Partners highlights from iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026: The Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 presentation, sports activations and the ‘Best Live Event Marketing Campaign’ award appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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QTech Games goes Orbital with rising star studio

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QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for emerging markets, has announced another progressive partnership with emerging force supplier, Orbital Gaming – a cutting-edge casino game development studio, focused on delivering innovative content that blends creativity, fairness, and technical precision.

Integrating content from such a forward-thinking studio, whose portfolio already boasts over 20 games, adds yet more creative muscle to QTech Games’ burgeoning platform, which is taking the widest range of online games to emerging territories with established names, such as Evolution and Blueprint Gaming, sitting alongside the industry’s most exciting up-and-coming providers. The games made available to QTech partners via the deal are comprised of Orbital’s trademark Original PF (Provably Fair) content, with all games designed in-house from the ground up. Every game features custom-built math models, modern mechanics, and striking visual styles that keep players engaged and entertained across crash games, slots, and fast-paced instant-win formats. All titles are lightweight, and optimized for seamless performance across emerging markets, guarding against technological barriers to engagement, such as handset-quality limitations, restricted access to fast networks, or high data costs.

Valerian Chanchibadze, CEO of Orbital Gaming: “Teaming up with QTech represents a fantastic opportunity to strengthen our product distribution across emerging territories and deliver our great games to a range of top-tier partners. This deal immediately improves our reach across emerging territories, and we can’t wait to watch how our titles capture the imaginations of a swathe of new players across emerging markets.”

Philip Doftvik, QTech Games’ CEO, said: “Orbital Gaming instantly took our eye, thanks to their flair for crafting simplicity out of complexity, alongside elevating top-class game design. These are values we share. We look forward to seeing how these games perform across a spread of new markets for Orbital – showcasing their fresh, engaging content to a growing network of players, and generating more revenues for our partners.”

The post QTech Games goes Orbital with rising star studio appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Boomerang Partners

Boomerang Partners highlights from iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026: The Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 presentation, sports activations and the ‘Best Live Event Marketing Campaign’ award

Published

on

boomerang-partners-highlights-from-igb-affiliate-barcelona-2026:-the-sports-marketing-&-betting-calendar-2026-presentation,-sports-activations-and-the-‘best-live-event-marketing-campaign’-award

From 20th to 21st January, Boomerang Partners participated in the iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026. This event once again brought together key players of the global affiliate marketing industry, serving as a platform for strategic discussions, partnerships, and knowledge exchange. Boomerang met with current and new affiliate partners, presented its latest expert product, the Sports Marketing and Betting Calendar 2026, and reaffirmed sports as its core strategic segment. Also, the company won the prestigious ‘Best Live Event Marketing Campaign’ award at the European iGaming Awards.

Sports as a strategic focus

For Boomerang Partners, sports is a long-term strategic vertical. The company aspires to become the world’s leading sports-focused affiliate program, backed by extensive experience and deep expertise. iGB Affiliate Barcelona provided an excellent opportunity to meet with affiliate partners and discuss collaboration for the current year, which can rightfully be called the Year of Sports, thanks to the FIFA World Cup 2026, the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, and numerous other tournaments across various sports.

Strategy sessions and analytics at the core

Boomerang Partners traditionally attends major industry events together with representatives of its in-house analytics team. During iGB Affiliate Barcelona, the company held a series of strategic sessions with affiliate partners, focusing on traffic planning, seasonality, and campaign efficiency.

This approach allows affiliate teams to meet not only Boomerang’s affiliate managers, but also the analysts behind the company’s strategies. As a result, exhibitions like iGB Affiliate Barcelona become effective spaces for in-depth discussions and long-term planning rather than surface-level networking.

A must-have tool for sports-focused affiliates

One of the key highlights of Boomerang Partners’ participation was the presentation of the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026. This exclusive guide was introduced as both a practical analytics product and a value-driven gift for affiliate partners.

The Calendar consolidates sports schedules, traffic peak predictions, GEO insights, industry trends summary, and expert recommendations into a single framework, helping affiliate teams plan campaigns throughout the year. It can provide practical value to experienced sports-focused affiliates in shaping their strategies. Newcomers starting in the vertical will gain valuable insights into many nuances of working with sports traffic, such as the importance of tailoring campaigns to specific tournament phases (pre-event, during the competition, or post-event).

Booth concept and sports-focused activations

Boomerang Partners’ booth reflected the company’s sports-first positioning. All on-booth activities were built around sports engagement – from interactive mechanics to branded giveaways.  All of this reinforced the message that Boomerang speaks the language of sports affiliates and understands their needs.

So, among all those who downloaded the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 via QR code at the booth during the exhibition, a fully-funded trip and accommodation in Milan was raffled, including tickets to a home match of the Club at the iconic San Siro Stadium.

Looking ahead

Boomerang Partners encourages affiliate teams to stay up to date on upcoming updates and to actively use analytical tools when planning sports campaigns. Tools like the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 are designed to help partners anticipate traffic peaks, optimize strategies, and drive sustainable growth in the sports vertical.

Darina Sharban, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, commented:

“iGB Affiliate Barcelona is always about quality conversations. This year, we saw strong interest from partners who already work with sports traffic and want deeper analytics to scale their campaigns. Such opportunities are provided to them by our Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026.”

Kristina Shkredova, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, said:

“What stood out was how many discussions went beyond campaign planning. Partners were focused on seasonality, long-term planning, and how to prepare for major sports events in advance.”

Liliia Sudachenko, Affiliate Team Lead at Boomerang Partners, added:

“Events like this allow us to align expectations. When affiliate partners see our analytics approach and tools like the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar, conversations become much more strategic.

Well-deserved recognition

During iGB Affiliate Barcelona, the winners of the European iGaming Awards were announced. Boomerang Partners won in the category ‘Best Live Event Marketing Campaign’. In doing so, the jury rightfully acknowledged the company for its outstanding execution of the Golden Boomerang Awards ceremony at the legendary San Siro Stadium in Milan in May 2025. The event was combined with an exclusive networking and a charity auction. The participation of AC Milan Legend Andrea Pirlo, who presented awards in 11 categories, gave the ceremony a special status.

With iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026 behind them, Boomerang Partners continues to focus on analytics, expertise, and long-term partnerships – keeping sports at the center of its affiliate strategy. Download the Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 on the company’s official website and plan your sports traffic campaigns effectively.

About Boomerang

Boomerang Partners is a rapidly growing global marketing agency offering a wide range of services. Boomerang Partners is the Official Regional Partner of AC Milan. In 2024, it launched the inaugural Golden Boomerang Awards — a global tournament for affiliate teams. More than 400 affiliate teams participated in the second season of the tournament in 2025. Partners of the Agency launched six new products in 2024-2025, contributing to a nearly 1.5-fold increase in product users.

The agency’s client portfolio contains 10+ brands offering affiliate and entertainment services across 40+ markets in compliance with local regulations. These products provide personalized bonuses and 24/7 multilingual support.

The post Boomerang Partners highlights from iGB Affiliate Barcelona 2026: The Sports Marketing & Betting Calendar 2026 presentation, sports activations and the ‘Best Live Event Marketing Campaign’ award appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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