Thursday was a day of few surprises at the Monte-Carlo Masters as big names advanced into the quarter-finals at a scorching Country Club. Here’s a round-up of all the action.
It’s not every day that foe turns friend on the tennis court. But that was the case for Taylor Fritz and Sebastian Korda on Thursday. Opponents on the Court des Princes in the morning, they found themselves on the same side of the net in the afternoon as they came up against Jamie Murray and Rohan Bopanna in the doubles.
Sharing a more literal, physical proximity on the court in the afternoon, fine margins separated the two in the morning as Fritz prevailed in an all-American affair (7-6, 7-5). It was a game of few rallies as it was played at a lightning pace.
Without any breaks of serve in the opening set, it was ultimately decided by a tie break in which serve still reigned supreme, before Fritz crucially broke the serve, prevailing 7-4.
Break points were like London buses, you wait over an hour for one and then two come at once. Fritz broke Korda midway through the second set, before the latter immediately hit back in the next game. The game seemed destined for a second tie-break, but the superiorly-ranked Fritz made sure that didn’t happen, breaking his compatriot to ensure progression to the quarter-finals.
Just moments later, both took to the court again, this time with the same goal: to progress to the quarter-finals of the doubles. Standing in their way were Murray and Bopanna.
Murray and Bopanna took the first set relatively comfortably, a single break of serve enough to decide it (4-6) before a tighter second went all the way to a nail-biting tie-break. The Americans prevailed (9-7) taking the game to a final set, which would be decided by a 10-point tiebreaker.
Four consecutive points from Murray and Bopanna changed the destiny of the tie, overturning a 6-4 deficit to go two to the good, they then converted to take the victory (4-6, 7-6, 7-10). A double dose of disappointment for Korda, who began the day in contention in both formats, but finished it out of the competition entirely.
Surprises at a premium
Fritz may be out of the doubles, but his victory against Korda in the singles was in fitting with the overriding trend of big names getting the job done, albeit sometimes in slightly arduous style.
Rhythmless, stuttering, but experienced and hard-fought best describe reigning champion Stefanos Tsitsipas’ victory against Laslo Djere (7-5, 7-6) on Court Rainier III. The Serbian Djere made Tsitsipas work for the first set, having held serve throughout, he gave his opponent two opportunities at the death, and although he held the first, two games later, the Greek player was given another chance and this time didn’t waste it (7-5).
The second set would be even tighter. In a match of very few rallies and low on quality for large swathes of it, Tsitsipas leaned back on his experience to see him over the line.
Djere took Tsitsipas to a tie-break, but thereafter couldn’t keep pace. The Serb looked exhausted, and frequent touching of his thigh alluded to an underlying injury as he succumbed 7-1 in the tie break and 7-5, 7-6 over the course of the match.
Zverev had no such issues in his match against Pablo Carreno Busta on the main court. The German, who is the highest ranked player left in the competition, sauntered to a first set victory (6-2). The Spaniard immediately hit back in the second, breaking Zverev in the first game, but the German hit back as he regained his grasp on the fixture.
Zverev then needed four bites of the apple to finish the match, but eventually broke Busta to advance into the quarter-finals.
Elsewhere, giant-killer Alejandro Davidovich Fokina breezed past David Goffin (6-4, 6-1), and Diego Schwartzman eventually prevailed against Lorenzo Musetti (6-2, 4-6, 6-3). Although the trend of the day was of favourites coming out on top, a few did buck that trend. Fourth seed Casper Ruud was beaten in straight sets by Grigor Dimitrov (6-3, 7-5) and in the final match of the day, the Italian crowd roared on Jannik Sinner to victory against Andrey Rublev (5-7, 6-1, 6-3).
Whilst the opening days of the tournament were defined by shock exits, the last few days have been defined by big names imposing themselves and getting the job done. Many will have sniffed a glorious chance of a title following Novak Djokovic’s exit, and with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal absent through injury, they may never have a better chance to win it.
Make sure you follow Monaco Life on Instagram for all the action as it happens from the Monte-Carlo Rolex Masters!
Photo by Luke Entwistle, Monaco Life
“The most important two weeks in the club’s history”
During an exclusive interview with Monaco Life, AS Monaco Basketball’s General Manager Oleksiy Yefimov spoke about the team’s “fairytale” Euroleague season, whilst revealing grand plans to consolidate that success.
“I truly believe that those two weeks were the most important in the club’s history so far,” said Yefimov in the aftermath of the Roca Team’s qualification for the Euroleague play-offs on Friday. This unlikely feat is a tale of how AS Monaco Basketball ploughed on through adversity to make their dream a reality.
Although the last few weeks and months are the exciting third act of this captivating tale, the opening two acts carry an equal, if not greater importance, as Yefimov set the scene for a story that would captivate basketball fans across the continent.
Arriving in 2015, the Ukrainian has piloted a soaring project that has reached new heights with each passing season. Taking the reins of a LNB Pro B club, the Roca Team immediately earned promotion into the top division of French basketball, the LNB Pro A.
Just a year later, the side were competing in Europe, and in the 2020-2021 season, they won the Eurocup, securing entry into the Euroleague for the first time in the club’s history, as Monaco entered into the hall of the basketball elite.
New kids on the court
The odds were stacked against the Roca Team from the outset, who nonetheless had ambitious, clearly outlined objectives. “When we started the Euroleague, of course our main goal was to get into the play-offs, to remain in the competition for the upcoming season.” Announcing themselves on the largest stage of European basketball doesn’t come without its own set of unique challenges.
“Back in September, we had a lot of things to fix,” began Yefimov. The greatest source of those problems? The Salle Gaston Médecin. Its limited capacity (only 5,000) didn’t fulfil the requirements of the league, and this was a heavily disruptive issue in the run-up to the season.
“Only two weeks prior to the start of the Euroleague season, we got permission to host Euroleague games in Monaco. There was an open question about the home arena, so a lot of players in the beginning were hesitant because we didn’t have that kind of reputation at the highest level.”
Difficulty in recruitment was a major issue for a side that Yefimov believed in need of an almost completely refreshed roster. “We had seen that Euroleague and Eurocup levels were almost incomparable… The Euroleague is a completely different level, a much higher level than the Eurocup or any other European competition.”
Those recruitment difficulties were only exacerbated by a relatively small budget compared to their Euroleague rivals. “Last year we had the 10th or 12th biggest budget amongst Eurocup teams, this season we are operating with only the 13th or 14th largest budget in the league,” said Yefimov.
In addition to the squad rebuild, a limited budget and a lack of arena, history also weighed heavily against the Roca Team. “When you look at it statistically, there isn’t a case where a newcomer in the Euroleague reached the play-offs. Teams in the Euroleague for the first time are finishing 16th, 17th, 18th…Since the tournament became the Euroleague, no French division team has reached the play-offs.”
Despite using their funds in a “smart way,” the outlook wasn’t great in the opening stages of the season. Following a five-game losing streak in the Euroleague, and languishing in 14th position, a change was required and coach, Zvezdan Mitrovic was fired.
The Serbian saviour
“It was an extremely risky decision. Considering it statistically, in more than 80% of cases, when a team is changing a coach during the season the situation doesn’t improve,” admitted Yefimov. Risky, but certainly not reckless, the decision to bring in Sasa Obradovic was a heavily deliberated one. “You need to think not just twice, but 20 times prior to making your decision to part ways with your coach during the season.”
Serbian coach, Obradovic was always the standout candidate. Having already worked at AS Monaco, he knew the organisation, the league and also had experience of taking charge of teams mid-season.
Hindsight would reveal that Yefimov’s decision to bring him in to be a masterstroke. “When we brought in Obradovic, we were sure he was a Euroleague level coach. He really proved that by fixing the locker room and by converting us from the worst defensive team into one of the best defensive teams in the second part of the season.”
With 13 wins in 18 Euroleague matches, the Roca Team’s record since his arrival speaks for itself. Consequently, he has been rewarded with a new contract, which was announced by his agent Misko Raznatovic on Twitter, and later reported by BeBasket, on Wednesday.
According to Yefimov, Obradovic’s impact on the mindset of the squad since his arrival has been as clear as night and day; the collective has triumphed over the individual.
“In the beginning of the season, our problem was that we had a group of talented players, whilst in the second-half we had a real team. Every single player is humble and hungry on the court. In the second part of the competition, everyone was contributing and focused on the team result, no one was really focused on their personal stats.”
As a result, he said, “I don’t want to single out any player because we won it as a team. There was a huge pressure for results. They did it in the hardest arenas like in Red Star, they did it against Milano, which is one of the best defensive teams. The team did something really special.”
A mutually beneficial relationship
The play-offs now await, and as one of the most in-form sides in division, you can’t rule out the Roca Team making more history. Yefimov, however, has the bigger picture in mind, and is already thinking about consolidating their success.
Monaco have now qualified for next season’s competition, but beyond that, they aim to become a permanent member of the competition, and to do that Monaco must prove their worth, both on and off the court. “From day one, we were trying to prove that the Euroleague would benefit from Monaco’s participation. On the court, we are the first ever newcomer to reach the play-offs. Off the court, we showed that because of Monaco’s participation, the Euroleague can find a TV deal in Monaco. There is a huge demand for Monaco, not only in the Principality, but also in France.”
He added, “The TV ranking of our broadcasts of our games are so high that I believe it is now obvious that Euroleague and Euroleague clubs will only benefit if Monaco becomes a long-term partner and participant of the competition.”
Grand designs for a new home
Nothing represents the boundless ambition of Yefimov better than his plans for the Roca Team’s home arena. Yefimov was grateful for the government’s work in increasing the capacity to allow matches to be hosted at the Salle Gaston Medecin this year, whilst this summer, in just three months, the capacity will be increased further to 5,600. The run-up to the next campaign will therefore not be dogged by the same issues as this one. “Next season, we will not have problems or issues with hosting games in Monaco.”
That is only the beginning, however. Yefimov revealed plans to Monaco Life for an even larger stadium, away from their home within the Stade Louis II, in order to continue to prove their credentials to the Euroleague organisers. “One of the milestones will be to present an arena construction plan. This is something which is crucial and the most important, and we need to do this together, of course with the Monaco government. The minimum requirement for arena capacity for a shareholder club is 10,000.”
He continued, “We are discussing a few different opportunities with the government for the construction of the new arena. I am not empowered to give the exact dates, but we are doing our very best to find a solution as soon as possible. Our goal will be to find a solution in the following season.”
Lest we forget, amongst all of these grand plans, there is still a Euroleague title up for grabs, and Yefimov is hoping that it is his coach and playing staff that will do the talking on the court. “I would rather stay quiet, and hope that results will speak instead of me.” Regardless of what happens in the play-offs, it is clear that Monaco are comfortable at the top-level, and Yefimov endeavours to keep them there.
Photo source: AS Monaco Basketball
Monaco Streaming Film Festival prepares for powerful return
After launching during Covid, the Monaco Streaming Film Festival is back even stronger this Spring, with a heavy focus on powerful women and a goal of advancing the video-on-demand industry. Here is what we know so far.
After five years contemplating the idea of developing a streaming event in Monaco, Tony Davis gathered a team together and put the wheels in motion for the world’s first video-on-demand festival, the Monaco Streaming Film Festival, in 2021.
“There was no festival or event specifically focussed on viewing-on-demand, or streaming, and there was, in fact, a level of hostility towards streaming platforms from the film and theatrically-oriented industries,” Tony Davis tells Monaco Life. “So, we decided to create a platform for the industry to understand itself better, to communicate more easily, to network, and identify relationships and opportunities.”
Despite all the drawbacks of hosting an inaugural festival in the middle of a global pandemic, including last-minute cancellations and health restrictions, the Monaco Streaming Film Festival (MSFF) last year made headlines across the world and attracted some big names in the field.
Meanwhile, the Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the demand and subscriber growth in streaming video services massively. Disney+, for example, launched in November 2019 and reached its goal of 60 million subscribers globally by 2024 four years ahead of schedule.
But, the video-on-demand industry is still very much in its infancy.
So, over the course of four days, from 31st May to 3rd June at the Grimaldi Forum, the Monaco Streaming Film Festival (MSFF) will bring together industry professionals, content creators, investors, and the general public for a series of film premiers, conferences, cocktail and networking events, Q&As, screenings, and a gala.
It is a jam-packed schedule that will see the showcasing of 100 films in just three days, including 80 shorts and 20 features.
Monaco Life can reveal that among the highlights is the premier screening of a film produced by Sean Hepburn Ferrer, Audrey Hepburn’s son.
The festival will also welcome keynote speaker Cherie Blair, wife of former UK prime minister Tony Blair, who is a renowned barrister and advocate for equal rights and female empowerment. She recently made her first foray into film-making, serving as executive producer on the drama The Rock Pile. The film tells the story of Time magazine correspondent Bob Hastings who, while on assignment in Jerusalem, uncovers a story of three young boys of different faiths who are brought together through football.
“There is going to be a very strong theme of powerful female leaders,” says Davis, adding that the festival is representative of a contemporary industry. “The Streaming Festival is a modern festival. We don’t pay attention to the history of film, we are about the video-on-demand and streaming industry, and it is very important to us that we are a completely inclusive event, that we are open to all people, be they a film maker like James Cameron (Terminator, Aliens, The Abyss etc.), recently out of film school, or not from film school at all… there is a place for them to come along to the festival, to enjoy and learn.”
Unlike the highly exclusive Cannes Film Festival, which ends just two days prior, the MSFF encourages the public to attend conferences, and watch film premiers and screenings. Organisers are even going so far as to offer free popcorn and coffee as a special treat.
Meanwhile, on International Parent’s Day, Wednesday 1st June, the festival is teaming up with local group Entreparents to offer free back-to-back screenings of children’s films. Stay tuned for some big-name announcements here soon.
For industry professionals, or those wishing to enter the industry, the festival will host film and production distribution organisations from all over the world, providing a platform for the guidance and support of producers and distributors as they navigate their way in this new frontier.
Finance through NFTs is also a hot topic.
The Streaming Film Festival 2022
The event will culminate in the Monaco Streaming Film Festival Awards on Friday 3rd June, during which 12 individuals and organisations will be rewarded for their successes at a black-tie event.
Last year’s winners include ‘Lord of the Danse’ star Michael Flatley for Best Actor in his film Blackbird, ‘Seduced: Inside the NXIVM Cult’ for Best Documentary Series, and Jon Favreau, creator of the Star Wars Disney+ original series The Mandalorian, for the Reg Grundy Innovation Award.
“We decided that the award would recognise innovation because Reg Grundy changed television,” says Jo Cullen-Cronshaw, CEO of RG Capital and Director of the MSFF.
Reg Grundy is best known for the Australian television productions Prisoner, Neighbours and Sons and Daughters, as well as game shows Match Game and Wheel of Fortune.
“He wasn’t just a creator of programming, he created formatting. Copyrighting only existed in books etc. at the time, not in television, so how it all works today is down to Reg Grundy.”
The MSFF Reg Grundy Innovation Award is “specifically for game changers”, says Cullen-Cronshaw, “somebody who has changed the direction of film in all its genres. We admit, Jon Favreau will be a big name to follow.”
There have been 3,000 films submitted from around 112 countries for this award alone.
RG Capital is the main backer of the Monaco Streaming Film Festival, coming on board during a challenging inauguration. But an exciting line-up for 2022 has organisers confident that the event will attract more corporate sponsorship going forward.
They also expect to significantly grow on last year’s figure of over 100,000 people in virtual participation, 80% of which was in the US alone.
“The conferences will go out live again, so anyone in the world can tune in and participate,” says Davis. “This year, we are also packaging the films and series that we are screening for a number of global streaming platforms to share with their audiences. It will give producers an opportunity to be seen by a massive global audience to not only enjoy their work, but who may also help them develop and trigger their careers.”
The digital platform
While the MSFF will end after three and a half days, its mandate will continue through a new digital platform that will provide anyone around the world with ongoing access and networking opportunities in the world of streaming.
“The Grundy Creator Platform, which will go live the day the Monaco Streaming Festival ends, can be used for a number of reasons – to search for project financing, to seek distribution, to learn more from key industry professionals,” reveals Davis. “It is a financing, distributing and learning tool that they can come into anytime they wish.”
It will also be a platform on which people can upload their creations, a bit like the Tinder of streaming.
“People can place their projects on the platform and potential financiers will use our algorithms to identify the type of project they want to invest in,” explains Davis. “They can then look in to it further and interact with the producers, and hopefully get involved by funding the production of the project.”
Monaco Life is proud to be a media sponsor of the MSFF. Tickets are now available online at http://www.mcsff.com.
Photos source: MSFF
“Ocean rights, like human rights, is about shifting our core values”
Efforts are underway to create a Declaration of Ocean Rights, similar to the concept of Human Rights and the Rights of Nature, giving the ocean legal status and the fundamental right to be protected. Michelle Bender, Founder of the Ocean Rights framework, tells us exactly how the declaration will work.
It was during Monaco Ocean Week, on Thursday 24th March at the Yacht Club of Monaco, that Relay4Nature was held, organised by the Ocean Race.
The issue on the table: Why do we need to give the ocean legal rights, and what does a Declaration of Ocean Rights actually look like?
“We have to talk about rights because of the way our western system is constructed,” says Michelle Bender, founder and creator of the Ocean Rights framework. “It’s a rights-based system and, unfortunately, if something is rightless, it is an object, a resource, property or utility. We have to shift how we value and treat nature, and rights is one way to do that.”
Bender is an environmental law and policy specialist at the Earth Law Centre in America. She also serves on the Executive Committee for the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature, a network of organisations and individuals committed to advancing this new paradigm internationally.
According to the Rights of Nature doctrine, an ecosystem is entitled to legal personhood status and, as such, has the right to defend itself in a court of law against harms, including environmental degradation caused by a specific development project or even by climate change.
The Rights of Nature framework recognises that an ecosystem has the right to exist, flourish, regenerate its vital cycles, and naturally evolve without human-caused disruption. Furthermore, when an ecosystem is declared a “subject of rights”, it has the right to legal representation by a guardian who will act on their behalf and in their best interest.
“We are really building upon a global momentum,” says Bender. “Rights of Nature is now in over 20 countries in some shape or form – at the global level, as well as the national, constitutional, and even parts of the judicial level. It’s this understanding that human wellbeing and human rights are embedded within and dependent upon nature – the air, clean water, jobs, our livelihoods. Rights of Nature is about recognising this reality in the legal system.”
The Relay4Nature discussion panel featuring former Ambassador to the UN for the Seychelles Ronny Jumeau, Ocean Campaign Director Michelle Bender, and Marine Biologist Dr. Antonio di Natale. Photo: Monaco Life
Michelle Bender points to Ecuador, which in 2008 became the first country in the world to recognise the Rights of Nature in its constitution, and the right of its citizens to defend and protect nature.
“We are learning a lot from Ecuador because it has been over a decade since the Rights of Nature were included in its constitution. To be honest, there are some challenges with implementing this, as we see with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We have these aspirations, but in order to put them into practice, we have to look at how we can implement their enforcement within national policies, the judicial system… Ecuador is showing us how we can construct these standards of decision making and principals for governance.”
Bender gives an example of the precautionary principle, which she says is a staple of environmental law. “Within Ecuador’s environmental code, they have evolved this principle to ‘in dubio pro natura’, from ‘When in doubt, err on the side of caution’, to ‘When in doubt, err on the side of nature’. It’s an evolution of the principle, saying that, in the absence of scientific certainty, we have to take preventative and restrictive measures.”
The second issue to consider is the standards: What is a healthy ocean? What is significant adverse harm? “We have to look at how to define what a healthy ocean is, based upon what the ocean needs to be healthy. It must be able to restore and have integrity.”
Finally, says Bender, the ocean needs to be given a voice and a seat at the table. “More than 20 ecosystems have already been taken out of normal property and designated as legal entities subject to rights,” says Bender. “Much of this has been in Colombia – the rivers, national parks, and the Colombian Amazon, but also in New Zealand – the Whanganui River, and the Ganga and Yamuna rivers in India.”
The New Zealand case is unique because the Parliament finalised the Te Awa Tupua Act, appointing two guardians of the river: one representative of the Maori Indigenous people and one representative of the government, arguably reconciling two different worldviews.
By giving the ocean a voice, it creates new management bonds; it becomes the duty of its representatives to have respect for the intrinsic value of an ecosystem, and also to speak on behalf of that ecosystem’s interests and needs. “If we’re talking about equity for all stakeholders, representation of all to shape the future, the ocean needs to be one of those stakeholders,” says Bender.
Creating a Declaration of Ocean Rights
Using New Zealand as an example, Bender says the first step is the establishment of a scientific and technical body to review the decisions and impact assessments, and help decide what activity to allow, to what extent, and how to protect areas beyond national jurisdiction.
Indigenous peoples, small island states, and local communities who are on the frontline of the climate crisis, must be included in this group, she adds.
“The concept of ocean rights and rights of nature is something that they understand deeply,” says Bender. “They have a strong relationship with the ocean, it is a source of life for them, it is an ancestor. They have customs and customary law that recognises their responsibility to be stewards and custodians of the ocean, and this has helped guide local governance of human activity in more of a reciprocal and harmonious manner. We can learn a lot from them, but we must do it in a very ethical way, being careful not to appropriate the knowledge.”
Photo by Rishi, Unsplash
She adds, “We are really likening it to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights or the Universal Declaration of Indigenous Peoples because we have these first and foremost rights, but they are also aspirations and understandings. Focussing on rights is really about what our values are and the shifting of our core values. One way to look at that is in principles – what principles are we going to have for governance that will hold us accountable?”
Granting the ocean legal rights might help arm it against injury under the law, but how does that translate into reality? Giving legal status to ecosystems has so far been mostly symbolic, and the success of a lawsuit is largely based on how a case is framed and the interests of the claimants. But as the number of lawsuits grows, a precedent will hopefully be set for national and local governments to act on biodiversity conservation by opposing projects that might prove destructive to a particular ecosystem.
What about the Law of the Sea?
The ocean is not completely unprotected from a legal standpoint. There exists the Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), signed in 1982 by 117 States and entered into force in 1994. However, it is restricted to the geographic jurisdictions of coastal States and the rights and duties among those States in the use and conservation of the ocean environment and its natural resources.
According Michelle Bender, UNCLOS is an outdated reference that focuses on state sovereignty, the right to exploit, and freedom of the seas.
“Article 192 creates the obligation for States to protect and preserve the marine environment, but there is no framework to implement or enforce this provision, nor really hold States accountable, especially in areas beyond national jurisdiction. The negotiations to agree on a treaty to protect biodiversity on the high seas are underway and is going in the right direction, but we still see our effort as different.”
Monaco is part of this alternative push for a new treaty on the high seas. As a member of the intergovernmental conference, it contributed to the fourth and final session this month, finalising details for an international legally binding agreement for the conservation and sustainable use of marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (BBNJ).
Still, Michelle Bender sees the Declaration of Ocean Rights as a completely separate, and fundamentally essential, set of rules.
“A Universal Declaration of Ocean Rights would create a new overarching framework rather than be integrated into existing agreements like UNCLOS,” she explains. “Earth-centred governance places human society within natural systems. It would create a fundamental change in the values and ethics that underlie our legal, governance and economic systems. In this process, we are asking ourselves what the ocean needs to be thriving and healthy, and how we can better manage human activity in a reciprocal and ecologically sustainable way.”
The next steps
In order to define the principles of the Declaration of Ocean Rights, a series of innovation workshops are being held, gathering together stakeholders and representatives, including lawyers and scientists, but also community members, indigenous peoples, government members and officials, those who are actively involved in ocean conservation. The aim is for the principles to be agreed upon by September 2023.
Then, the declaration must be ratified by States at the UN level, ideally no later than 2030. It is the year when, hopefully, a campaign to protect 30% of the oceans comes to fruition. Currently, only 2.7% of the world’s oceans are completely protected from commercial fishing, mining, oil drilling and other destructive activities.
Michelle Bender acknowledges that the implementation of the Declaration of Ocean Rights, its enforcement, and defining the commitment of individual States, will be the most difficult aspect: “Just like with human rights, it will probably take some time. But we must put the ocean at the centre of governance, and ask ourselves: how can we transform our relationship with nature?”
Discussions will continue at the United Nations Ocean Conference in Lisbon on 25th June.
AS Monaco became the first club in Ligue 1 to step into the metaverse by signing a partnership with Capital Block, a move designed to strengthen its NFT strategy.
Having dipped their feet in the NFT water back in August through their partnership with Sorare, AS Monaco have now gone a step further and, in doing so, become the first Ligue 1 club to collaborate with an NFT consulting agency. They are also one of the first to do so in European football.
Capital Block will help the club with their NFT strategy as it traverses a novel industry, which football clubs are only just starting to engage in. Principally, it will advise ASM on the creation and launch of its NFTs, as well as which NFT platforms to partner with.
The partnership will also bring something new to AS Monaco fans, or at least those engaged in the NFT community, as plans for exclusive products and experiences are already being drawn up.
In a press release from the club, Vice-President Oleg Petrov said, “We are pleased to launch the partnership with Capital Block, which will enable AS Monaco to strengthen its positioning in the field of digital innovation and improve the possibilities for fans to connect with the club.”
Petrov added that the use of NFTs will be a big part of the club’s strategy going forward, highlighting the importance of the new partnership in reaching their goals. “Each passing day confirms the growing appeal of NFTs. Capital Block’s expertise will enable us to better understand this universe, to grasp the issues related to it and define a solid and sustainable strategy,” continued Petrov.
Tim Mangnall, CEO of Capital Block added, “We are delighted to be working with AS Monaco and we are really looking forward to hitting the ground running with the club.”
Mangnall says he is confident of what his company can bring to everyone around the club: “We are really excited that football clubs across Europe are starting to realise the importance of an NFT strategy, and those that do, will benefit in many ways, as will their fans.”
ROKiT Venturi makes historic partnership with CBD innovator
Monaco-based E racing team ROKiT Venturi has broken the mould once again, this time partnering with Craft 1861, the creator of CBD-based wellness products and technology.
The deal, announced on Thursday 31st March, makes ROKiT Venturi the first ever motorsport racing team to partner with an industry from the CBD sector.
CBD, otherwise known as cannabidiol, is a natural compound found in hemp plants and promotes wellness without the intoxicating and psychoactive effects.
As the team’s Official Wellness Partner, Craft 1861 will play a supporting role in both the physical and mental wellbeing of the team, monitoring team performance throughout the 2021/22 FIA Formula E World Championship and beyond.
“Craft 1861 is an innovator in the field of CBD innovation and we are proud to be part of their global brand development journey,” said Susie Wolff, CEO of ROKiT Venturi Racing, in a statement. “Craft 1861’s focus on the creation of sustainable product innovation without compromising on quality is something we really identify with as a team and, by partnering with ROKiT Venturi Racing, Craft 1861 will be engaging with the eco-conscious dynamic and progressive Formula E audience demographic.”
Photo source: ROKiT Venturi Racing
According to Craft 1861, its products interact with the body’s metabolic and neural receptors that regulate pain, the immune system, memory, stress response and other functions, to sharpen human performance in high-pressure environments, such as in Formula E.
From the Rome E-Prix onwards, Craft 1861’s branding will appear on the front wing and headrest of the team’s new black livery as driven by Edoardo Mortara and Lucas di Grassi, on driver racing suits, and on team clothing.
“We are thrilled to partner with ROKiT Venturi Racing Formula E team,” said Eric Lujan, Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Craft 1861. “Our company is proud to be the first CBD company in Formula E. We offer CBD hemp products to those focused on wellness and a healthy lifestyle, which is the perfect match for the rising millennial FE fan.”
In mid-February, ROKiT Venturi Racing announced that the team had partnered with alcohol brand Stoli elit Vodka as its principal sponsor.
