Prison inmate becomes professional soccer player

A Russian drug dealer in a previous life, Maxim Molokoedov is turning his life around.

While serving a three-year sentence in a Chilean prison for drug trafficking, Molokoedov managed to get on the prison soccer team and eventually found a second chance through his natural gift. Talent scouts from local club Santiago Morning received word of the talented Russian inmate, and obtained permission to let him leave the prison to practice with the team until he served his sentence.

Now, Molokoedov is a full-time squad member for the Chilean Second Division club and remains in the country under a working visa.

Jan

PSV visits Thai prison, plays friendly against inmates

When major European clubs go on international tour, you think of high-end planning; five-star hotels, city sightseeing and mixed in with low-key exhibitions against your occasional local pushovers.

This wasn’t the case for PSV Eindhoven earlier this week.

Two days after defeating Thai champions Muanthong United in a friendly during their Centennial Asian Tour, the Eredivisie side visited Bangkok’s notorious prison Klong Prem Central Prison, the same prison that hosts a World Cup tournament inside its walls due to the large foreign inmate population.

Dick Advocaat’s side were shown around the facility before taking time to play against some of the prison’s inmates. Players like Arsenal target Kevin Strootman and former Barcelona midfielder Mark van Bommel participated in the action.