Many believe that sacked Chelsea manager Avram Grant was treated harshly by the media because he was Israeli and Jewish. Certainly, he has faced plenty of antisemitic abuse from racist fans.

One would have thought therefore that Dublin-based bookmaker Paddy Power would have been aware of the sensitivities when it decided on the headline for a story about ticketing arrangements for the recent big game in Moscow between Manchester United and Chelsea. “Final Solution” was the charming headline chosen in Paddy Power’s email newsletter. They thoughtfully added a photo of Grant (many of whose family perished in the Holocaust) to the story.

Paddy Power confirmed that the organisation had received several complaints. Said spokesman Ken Robertson: “The two guys who drafted the copy were particularly upset and we’re all incredibly sorry about this. There were a number of red faces in the office.”