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Roberto Carlos exclusive: the Global Ambassador for Football for Friendship answers the questions of Young Participants from all over the world

Published

5 years ago

May 28, 2021

Reading Time: 4 minutes

The former Brazilian international, three-time winner of the Champions League and Global Ambassador of the Gazprom International Children’s Social Programme Football for Friendship (F4F), Roberto Carlos, spoke in an exclusive press conference with Young Players and Young Journalists about his life, his career and his support for F4F.

Roberto Carlos won the World Cup with the Brazilian national team in 2002. He also won the UEFA Champions League title three times (1998, 2000 and 2002) with Real Madrid as well as numerous national league championship titles. Currently, he is working as a youth coach at Real Madrid. Since 2020 he has also been a Global Ambassador for Football for Friendship. He has supported the programme since 2019, when he presented the winners of the F4F World Championship the cup at the closing events in Madrid, having taken part in other important highlights of the tournament as well.

In an online press conference at the end of May, he answered a wide range of questions from Young Players and Young Journalists with charm and wit. The topics ranged from the highlights of his career to his relationship with his family, his native country Brazil, and his support for Football for Friendship.

Asked about his most famous goal, Roberto Carlos couldn’t suppress a smile at first because, as he explained, he is often asked this question. But he then went on to mention his free kick against France on 3rd June 1997 at the Tournament of France in the 21st minute of the game and also his spectacular goal against CD Teneriffa on 21st February 1998. He also explained that the derby match between Real Madrid and FC Barcelona had always been a highlight. He said that the Brazilian national team of 2002 and Real Madrid with its galacticos were his favourite teams, and argued that whether or not football was becoming more and more commercialised depended a lot on the actual club. Overall, football would continue to develop both technically and tactically.

He told David Sargent from Ireland that it was true that he had been named after the famous Brazilian singer Roberto Carlos Braga. It had been the wish of his father, whose favourite singer this was. He, Roberto Carlos, was a great admirer of the Brazilian singer Alexandre Pires. He explained that his family had been poor and that, when he was twelve, he had wanted to become a lawyer. But then everything had quickly turned out differently: a football career in Brazil, the national team and an invitation to play in Europe. He said that his family had always supported him, particularly his father, who had played football himself. And, of course, it had been painful to leave his family when he was just 13 years old.

Kinley Deki Yangzom from Bhutan asked him what he would do differently. He replied that everything had gone well and had helped him to develop personally and professionally. He told Miriam Sheahan from Ireland that he had never been afraid. But of course he had had dreams, for example to be able to build his parents a house.

In his view, respect towards others, and good, friendly behaviour – towards one’s opponent as well – were important qualities. He told Dominic Kramberger from Sweden that teamwork was an important precondition for success. And his answer to the question from Xuance Li, a Young Journalist from China, was that, because he himself had always behaved properly towards others, he had never been offended by anyone. Mihajlo Nasik, a Young Journalist from Serbia, played Roberto Carlos a serenade on his piano and then asked him about his creative hobbies. Roberto answered that he didn’t have any special talents and that his life was taken up with football 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Doro Yusupov from Tajikistan wanted to know what, in his view, were typical traditions in Brazil. The football star’s answer was good fortune, good food, respect for one’s family and the desire to spend the weekend with one’s family. Aahana Kamboj from India observed that Brazil had so many good footballers and asked whether it was to do with a particular kind of sand on the beaches there. Carlos replied that he had lived in India for some time and had a great love for the country. He went on to explain that the sand on the beaches most certainly wasn’t the reason why Brazil had so many good footballers. Quite simply, the people in his country played football everywhere and everyone wanted to become a star.

What he found good about Football for Friendship was that so many Young Players and Young Journalists meet up and can interact with one another. He thanked the young people for their many interesting questions and wished them all every success.

The 9th season of Football for Friendship is taking place in an online format from 14th to 29th May 2021. This year, F4F is bringing boys and girls together from more than 200 countries and regions. Young Players aged 12 are taking part in the 2021 Football for Friendship eWorld Championship (eF4F). The competition is being played on “F4F World”, the football simulator, which is available free of charge in 27 languages on MS Windows, Apple MacOS, Android and iOS.

Young Journalists report in the International Children’s Press Centre on the events in the 9th season of Football for Friendship and share with their friends the most important values in the programme: friendship, equality, fairness, health, peace, devotion, victory, traditions, and honour.

You can watch the video of this press conference by clicking on the following link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi6qD7wkhWA.

Aahana Kamboj, India: “I really enjoyed the session with Football for Friendship Global Ambassador, Roberto Carlos, where the Young Journalists from different countries asked questions related to his football career. Even I got the opportunity to ask a question. According to Roberto, teamwork is the key to success, and everyone must follow this rule to be successful in life.”

Brook Bakery

MIDNITE PARADES GIANT CHIP BUTTY AHEAD OF STEEL CITY DERBY

Published

12 minutes ago

February 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

midnite-parades-giant-chip-butty-ahead-of-steel-city-derby

Midnite, principal partners of Sheffield United, unveiled a giant chip butty ahead of the Steel City derby against Sheffield Wednesday. The display coincided with the Blades’ 2-1 victory, which relegated their city rivals.

To celebrate the club’s iconic chip butty anthem, Midnite collaborated with Brook Bakery to create the oversized butty, which was showcased on the touchline prior to kick-off. In addition, hundreds of chip butties will be donated to local homeless charities and food banks across Sheffield in the coming weeks.

Andrew Mook, Head of Brand at Midnite, said: “We wanted to give something back to Sheffield United fans in a way that is synonymous with the club. The chip butty anthem is instantly recognisable as being something unique to Sheffield United, and by creating a giant chip butty, we wanted to have some fun, while ultimately delivering a strong message.

“Midnite is dedicated to offering value to Sheffield United fans. We aren’t just here to use the club and stick our logo on the shirt. We want to become a part of the club, and our initiatives and activations have all been designed to bring fans closer to the clubs they love.

“It has been great to work alongside local Sheffield businesses to create the chip butty, and then to help give back to the community foodbank and charities.”

Throughout the season, Midnite has supported fans by covering travel for away matches, providing complimentary haircuts to celebrate the new year, and unveiling a 50-square-metre mural honoring Chris Wilder opposite Bramall Lane.

The post MIDNITE PARADES GIANT CHIP BUTTY AHEAD OF STEEL CITY DERBY appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Latest News

Stakelogic goes live with Spanish entertainment giant Luckia

Published

12 minutes ago

February 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

stakelogic-goes-live-with-spanish-entertainment-giant-luckia

Stakelogic has partnered with Luckia to expand its presence in the regulated online market of Spain.

Through the agreement, a selection of Stakelogic’s slot portfolio will be integrated into Luckia’s online platform via the Light & Wonder aggregation system. The rollout includes both classic and modern video slots featuring a wide range of themes and gameplay styles designed to appeal to diverse player preferences.

Founded in 1972, Luckia has evolved from a traditional slot machine operator into a multi-channel entertainment provider offering sports betting, casino games, bingo, and slots across online and retail channels, supported by more than 2,500 employees.

Roberto Navarrete, Senior Account Manager at Stakelogic, said: “Luckia is one of Spain’s most prominent and long-standing gaming and entertainment groups, with a significant retail heritage and a growing digital presence. Partnering with a brand of this scale and reputation is a major step for Stakelogic in the Spanish market. We are excited to bring our slot portfolio to Luckia’s platform and are confident their players will enjoy the variety, quality and gameplay depth our titles are known for.”

Eloy Fernandez, Head of Product Team at Luckia, added: “Adding Stakelogic’s content allows us to further diversify the entertainment we offer online, with games that combine distinctive design and well-balanced gameplay. Strengthening our slot portfolio in this way is an important part of ensuring our digital platform continues to evolve in line with player expectations and market trends.”

The post Stakelogic goes live with Spanish entertainment giant Luckia appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Baltics

HIPTHER Baltics Launches in Vilnius with Agenda Revealing Lithuania’s 2026 Regulatory Reset

Published

12 minutes ago

February 23, 2026

Wladimir P.

hipther-baltics-launches-in-vilnius-with-agenda-revealing-lithuania’s-2026-regulatory-reset

A new Baltic-focused conference era begins on 21 April 2026, uniting iGaming, fintech, compliance, and innovation leaders in Lithuania’s digital-first capital

HIPTHER officially announces the agenda for HIPTHER Baltics: Vilnius 2026, the inaugural event of its newly launched Baltic conference series, taking place 21 April 2026 at the Hilton Garden Inn Vilnius City Centre.

Marking the evolution of the landmark MARE BALTICUM Gaming & TECH Summit, the new HIPTHER Baltics format introduces targeted, country-focused gatherings designed to deliver deeper regulatory insight, stronger regional dialogue, and practical strategic value for decision-makers operating across gaming, fintech, and digital innovation.

At the heart of the Vilnius edition lies a defining theme: Lithuania’s Great Regulatory Reset — a decisive transition toward stricter supervision, strengthened compliance frameworks, and sustainable, quality-driven growth across financial services and iGaming.

Lithuania 2026: From Easy-Access Hub to Compliance-Driven Ecosystem

As Lithuania sharpens oversight across banking, fintech, blockchain, and gaming, the conference agenda explores four structural shifts shaping the market:

Banking: Cyber-resilience stress testing, the rise of specialised institutions, and a pivot toward sustainable profitability
Fintech: Account-to-account dominance, international B2B expansion, and the emergence of agentic AI beyond chatbot automation
Blockchain: Post-MiCA enforcement, strengthened AML leadership requirements, and institutional tokenisation of real-world assets
iGaming: Advertising restrictions, ISP blocking acceleration, and intensified identity and source-of-funds compliance

Together, these forces signal a new operational reality for regulated digital industries in the Baltics.

Agenda Highlights Across Two Strategic Stages

Stage 1 — Strategy, Compliance & Banking

Key discussions will include:

Regulators’ Panel: Bank of Lithuania and FNTT on MiCA transition and new iGaming ISP-blocking protocols
Banking Transformation: How credit unions and specialised banks challenge Nordic incumbents
Post-MiCA Survival: Maintaining VASP licensing under 2026 regulatory structures
iGaming Advertising Ban: Operator strategies in a zero-marketing environment
AML 2.0: Implementing enhanced source-of-wealth requirements for high-stakes players
Cross-Industry Debate: Can tokenisation solve transparency challenges between blockchain and iGaming?

Stage 2 — Innovation, Blockchain & iGaming Tech

Agentic AI in Fintech: From conversational tools to autonomous financial advisors
Tokenising the Real World: Real-estate and debt instruments on-chain in the Baltics
Next-Generation Payments: A2A integration across gaming and retail ecosystems
Digital Euro & CBDCs: Technical readiness for the European Central Bank’s 2026 roadmap

A Boutique Summit Built for Decision-Makers

HIPTHER Baltics: Vilnius 2026 will gather 100+ senior attendees, 30+ expert speakers, and 15+ key industry topics in a one-day, high-impact format combining:

High-level regulatory and industry panels
Curated networking among operators, fintech leaders, regulators, legal experts, and investors
A premium, centrally located boutique conference environment

The event is designed for iGaming operators, fintech and payment providers, compliance professionals, regulators, affiliates, startups, and regional investors seeking actionable intelligence in a rapidly tightening regulatory landscape.

From MARE BALTICUM Legacy to HIPTHER Baltics Future

Reflecting on the transition, Zoltán Tűndik, Co-Founder & Head of Business at HIPTHER, stated:

“Lithuania is entering one of the most defining regulatory transitions in its modern digital economy. With HIPTHER Baltics in Vilnius, we are creating a focused platform where regulators, financial institutions, fintech innovators, and iGaming leaders can engage in honest, high-level dialogue about what sustainable growth truly means in 2026 and beyond.”

With HIPTHER Baltics launching in Vilnius, the Baltic region enters a new phase of dialogue — closer to local markets, deeper in expertise, and stronger in cross-industry collaboration.

The journey begins in Vilnius on 21 April 2026.

The post HIPTHER Baltics Launches in Vilnius with Agenda Revealing Lithuania’s 2026 Regulatory Reset appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.