Southampton sponsors could sue over £170m Spygate verdict May 21, 2026 Southampton could face legal action from sponsors for reputational damage after they were kicked out of the Championship play-off final over “Spygate”, lawyers have warned. An arbitration panel dismissed Southampton’s appeal against their expulsion from the £170m Wembley showdown after the club admitted multiple counts of spying on opponents. Leading sports lawyers believe the Saints [...]
DR Congo: Fears Fifa World Cup could be Ebola superspreader event May 20, 2026 The Democratic Republic of Congo’s participation in the Fifa World Cup is under threat after an Ebola outbreak led to a US travel ban on the African nation. Health reports suggest there are over 500 suspected cases of the contagious disease in the DRC, with over 125 deaths. It is not yet being classed as [...]
Uefa warns Kang and London City Lionesses over multi-club rules May 20, 2026 Uefa has warned Michele Kang and other investors that women’s football will not be granted an exception to its rules on multi-club ownership. It means US billionaire Kang may have to sell or place into a blind trust either French side OL Lyonnes or London City Lionesses if they both qualify for European competition in [...]
Uefa probes Brighton and Hearts connection under Tony Bloom ownership May 20, 2026 Uefa is scrutinising the relationship between Hearts and Brighton and Hove Albion, with both clubs connected to Tony Bloom on course to qualify for Europe. Brighton owner Bloom holds a 29 per cent stake in Hearts – deliberately below the 30 per cent threshold Uefa prohibits owners from holding in more than one club in [...]
MP calls on government to mandate for free-to-air Champions League final May 19, 2026 MPs have called on the government to ensure the Champions League is on free-to-air television in the future after the three European football finals went behind a HBO paywall. The Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League will feature three Premier League clubs – Arsenal, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace respectively – but will [...]
Premier League streaming platform to cost less than half what UK fans pay May 19, 2026 The Premier League has released pricing for its first ever streaming platform, which will show every single game next season when it launches in Singapore. Premier League + will be available via a dedicated app, with access priced at S$16 (£9.31) for 24 hours, S$44 (£25.62) for a monthly rolling contract, and S$399 (£232.39) for [...]
Premier League clubs’ success could earn HMRC £40m windfall May 19, 2026 Premier League clubs’ unprecedented success in Europe this season could earn HMRC a £40m windfall, according to tax experts. Bonuses paid out to players for winning domestic and continental trophies could hit £70m, generating a lucrative pot for the taxman, if Arsenal, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace clean up in the next two weeks. The [...]
Fifa World Cup under major threat of cyber terrorism May 18, 2026 The 2026 Fifa World Cup could be the victim of the largest volume of cyber terrorism and hacktivism events in sporting history. The sheer scale of next month’s tournament – which is being hosted across Canada, the United States and Mexico – could play into the hands of rogue states and groups looking to cause [...]
Premier League + and why owning the broadcast isn’t owning the fan May 17, 2026 The Premier League and Uefa’s moves into streaming platforms misunderstand the way fans want to consume football, says George Gilmore. In the last few months, the two leading lights in global club football, the Premier League and Uefa, have announced they will be launching direct-to-consumer broadcast offerings. In so doing, a revolutionary, if predictable, moment [...]
Championship clubs up promotion gamble by adopting new financial rules May 15, 2026 Loss-making Championship clubs have raised the stakes in their £1.2bn gamble to reach the Premier League by voting in new financial rules. Teams in the second tier have agreed to adopt a framework based on squad cost ratio (SCR), similar to those set to be implemented in the top division, from next season. The new [...]