Italy World Cup flop kills five per cent of bets on tournament winner April 2, 2026 Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup this week was an early win for bookmakers as it killed five per cent of wagers on the outright winner, betting data shows. Four-time champions Italy lost on penalties in a play-off with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, meaning they will miss a third men’s World [...]
Chelsea suffer biggest financial loss in Premier League history April 1, 2026 Chelsea have confirmed by far the biggest annual financial loss in Premier League history after they recorded a deficit of £262m last season. The figures surpass the previous record, the £197m loss made by Manchester City in 2010-11 during a period of rapid investment by their Abu Dhabi-based ownership. It also takes the amount lost [...]
Abramovich defies Starmer with new foundation plan for £2.4bn Chelsea funds April 1, 2026 Roman Abramovich has responded to Keir Starmer’s legal threats to claim the £2.4bn sum raised from selling Chelsea by taking steps to set up a new foundation. An application for the creation of the Foundation for Victims of Conflict will be made this week with the Charity Commission, without the permission of the government. No10 [...]
London City Lionesses CEO Martin Semmens: ‘We want to be sustainable’ April 1, 2026 London City Lionesses may have made their presence felt in the Women’s Super League by spending big on star signings such as Grace Geyoro, but Michele Kang’s riches are going on much more besides. It should probably come as no surprise that Kang applies the same attention to detail that made her a billionaire in [...]
Tottenham Hotspur make £121m pre-tax loss despite Europa League win March 31, 2026 Tottenham Hotspur have announced a pre-tax loss of £121m for last season despite revenue increasing by seven per cent as they won the Europa League. Spurs, who are set to name Roberto de Zerbi as their new manager in a bid to stave off the threat of relegation, suffered a drop in media revenues as [...]
Michele Kang committed to funding London City Lionesses after £10.6m loss March 31, 2026 London City Lionesses chiefs insist Michele Kang will continue to fund the club’s growth after they posted a £10.6m loss for the 2024-25 season, when they won promotion to the Women’s Super League. US billionaire Kang, who also owns French side OL Lyonnes and NWSL team Washington Spirit, injected £12.5m into London City Lionesses via [...]
World Cup: No Plan B if Iran don’t show up, insists Fifa boss Infantino March 31, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino insists there is “no Plan B” if Iran do not take their place at the World Cup but ruled out moving their games from the US to Mexico. Iran’s participation has been in serious doubt since the US and Israel began a military offensive on the country in late February. Iranian [...]
Cardiff City fails in £100m claim against Nantes over Emiliano Sala death March 30, 2026 Cardiff City’s £100m Emiliano Sala compensation claim has been dismissed by a French judge. The League One club had been claiming over £100m in compensation for loss of income and damages after footballer Sala died when a plane carrying him to Wales for his transfer to the Premier League crashed into the English Channel in [...]
Will AI replace gambling as Premier League front-of-shirt preference? March 29, 2026 AI companies have set their sights on sports. The Premier League already has competition-wide AI deals with Microsoft and Adobe, and recently Chelsea FC cut a front of shirt deal with industrial AI company IFS. These firms are in an extraordinary period of growth, and they have deep pockets to elevate their brands. They know [...]
Premier League +, VPN piracy and lessons from Norway and France March 28, 2026 The Premier League is built on its precious media rights but will its new streaming service be susceptible to the piracy that just scuppered a similar service in Norway? In less than five months’ time the Premier League will take one of the most significant steps in its history when it launches its own direct-to-consumer [...]