SYDNEY FC chairman’s clash with Justin Bieber in Monaco, tributes to Demba Ba after his awful leg break, Mark Zuckerberg throws down the gauntlet to Neymar, Belgium’s bizarre search for a new national team manager, and more.

If it’s weird and it happened in football, it’s here in Paper Talk.

BARLOW ANGERS BIEBER

Sydney FC chairman Scott Barlow has just returned from the French Riveria celebrating his 40th birthday. As you do.

The week-long celebration, where Barlow and his entourage indulged in the finer things in life, is apparently not the first time the Sky Blues chief has visited the French glitter strip this year, and The Australian Financial Review reports that it included a run-in with the posse of one of pop music’s biggest names.

In May this year, Barlow and friend Marcus Moufarrige attended the Monaco F1 Grand Prix, where they made themselves a fairly strange enemy – Justin Bieber. One evening during the grand prix festivities, Barlow and Moufarrige found themselves at Monaco’s famous Jimmy’z nightclub on the same night as Bieber and his mates.

Sydney FC Chairman Scott Barlow. Source: Getty Images

The trouble reportedly started when a member of the Bieb’s crew accused the Australian pair of wrongly sitting at the pop star’s private booth, which turned out to be a misunderstanding.

The incident was later described as a “small disagreement” but the paper adds that “it didn’t go unnoticed by the Sydney boys two weeks later” when Bieber was punched in a hotel in Cleveland.

Still, Sydney FC haven’t had a brush with someone this famous since they signed Alessandro Del Piero.

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PLAYERS PAY TRIBUTE TO BA

Demba Ba has vowed to return after his horror leg break that made headlines around the globe on Monday.

Placed under general anaesthesia following the injury in the Shanghai derby, Ba woke four hours later and while in understandable pain, the first question the 31-year-old reportedly asked was: “Did we win the game?”

Demba Ba in his hospital bed in China. Source: Supplied

In an interview with Radio Monte Carlo overnight, he said: “This is a really bad injury but I know I can overcome it. I won’t call time on my career, that’s for sure.

“They haven’t done the full operation because I told them to wait.

“I wanted to go to Europe to have it done but when I learned that was not possible I arranged with the doctor here to sort me out a French surgeon who should arrive shortly. He will operate on me.

“There are other players who have returned from similar injuries, like Hatem Ben Arfa.

“Something similar happened to me earlier in my career and the treatment options are much better now. I think I’ll make a speedier return this time.

“The season here ends in November and the new one starts in March. I’ll do my best to return in time for the season after that.”

ZUCKERBERG VS NEYMAR

No, that isn’t a typo. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg really did challenge Brazilian superstar Neymar to a game of football. Okay, so he challenged the Barcelona forward to a game of keepy-uppy on an iPhone game, posting a video on his Facebook page.

Naturally, Neymar was up for the challenge.

No surprises if this challenge becomes a viral social media hit in coming days ...

WANT TO BE BELGIUM MANAGER?

Belgium were among the favourites to win Euro 2016, so few observers were surprised to see the Belgian FA sack manager Marc Wilmots following the Red Devil’s disappointing exit at the hands of Wales in the quarterfinals. Remember that Wilmots was also in charge of the national team and their ‘golden generation’ of talent at the 2014 World Cup where they also suffered the ignominy of a final-eight exit.

With the team now on the hunt for a new manager, the Belgian FA are taking a novel approach to find the new national team boss – posting a job ad on their website.

England aren't the only nation looking for a new manager, Belgium have posted their job vacancy on their website. pic.twitter.com/SPFKX3wCwI — Betfect (@betfect) July 19, 2016

That’s right, if you feel you have got what it takes to manage Belgium, the country’s FA want to hear from you. Among the selection criteria are “have experience and have achieved results in today’s world of football”, “having proven to transmit their tactical and strategic expertise to players” and “who has mastered the management of generations”.

Unsurprisingly, fans that have so far applied have largely pointed to their abilities on video game Football Manager as the reasons they should be given the job.

Too hot so I've applied to be Belgium manager pic.twitter.com/u6k2CLPqJc — Ollie Heptinstall (@OliHepy) July 19, 2016

Applied for the job of Belgium Manager, seen as though they advertised it online.



Wish me luck! 😂😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/FDjusobSLq — ©The Kloppites© (@Kloppites) July 19, 2016

My application to be the new manager of Belgium:



-I will not start Fellaini

-I will start KDB at CAM



The end — Jordan Katz (@NaturallyKatz) July 19, 2016

GERMAN GENEROSITY

A lovely gesture to fans here from German side Darmstadt. Ahead of their second season in the Bundesliga, the club have announced plans to provide free season tickets for low-income fans.

Tipped by many for relegation in their maiden top flight campaign last season, Darmstadt stayed up and have vowed to provide tickets at no cost to supporters who might not be able to afford them. German sports magazine Kicker reports that fans can apply for free tickets as long as they can provide a social security card, while the tickets are also available to low-income workers and pensioners.

Darmstadt players thank their fans during last year’s Bundesliga season. Source: Supplied

CHILE STRIKE

Chile’s footballers have voted to go on strike, forcing the start of the league season to be postponed. The players’ union Sifup is unhappy at a decision to reduce promotion and relegation in the new season, a move which it says has cost 120 players their jobs in the top two divisions. It has also complained about unpaid wages at some clubs.

“The professional players unanimously decided to follow the call to stop the national championship,” said Sifup in a statement. The Chilean FA (ANFP) has ruled that only one team will be relegated and one team promoted between the top tier, known as the Primera Division, and second tier, known as the Primera B, at the end of the 2016-17 season.

Meanwhile, there will be no promotion or relegation at all between the second and third tier, known as the Segunda.

Sifup said the decision had “reduced the competitiveness of the domestic tournaments, where the clubs, who do not see themselves as threatened in case of a poor campaign, have drastically cut the costs of their squads.” It said that 120 players had seen their contracts terminated in the top two tiers and 300 in the third tier.

THE SCARY SIDE OF FOOTBALL

Spare a thought for players playing away at German second division side St. Pauli. This is the new players tunnel at the club’s Millerntor Stadion. Yikes.

MAD: The brand new players tunnel at FC St. Pauli. Welcome to hell. pic.twitter.com/VgmlkkNJGc — BBC Sporf (@BBCSporf) July 19, 2016

You think that’s bad, then check out this Freddy Kruger-inspired tifo from MLS side Portland Timbers ahead of their derby game against Seattle Sounders. It must have worked, as the Timbers came away with a 3-1 win.

BECKHAM EARNS HIS SPURS

More from NFL star Odell Beckham’s adventures in football, the round ball version. In his first two years in the NFL, OBJ has shown off an ability to make spectacular catches, particularly one-handed ones.

Now, Beckham has teamed up with Tottenham midfielder Erik Lamela for a ’45-yard drop kick one-handed challenge’. Check this out.