Parachute payments uncertainty clouds the future of football’s richest game May 25, 2023 When Luton Town and Coventry City collide in Saturday’s Championship Play-Off Final there will be more than just glory at stake; both teams stand to make a minimum of £170m if they achieve promotion to the Premier League. It is a prize that has earned the traditional end-of-season fixture the tag of football’s richest game. [...]
Ed Warner: Football should offer players amnesty in wake of Ivan Toney betting ban May 25, 2023 This week Ed Warner examines what Ivan Toney’s betting ban means for football, the eye-watering cost of tickets for the Paris 2024 Olympics, and a nuanced take on the trans debate in sport. If you stick a betting company logo on a young man’s shirt, beam his image around the world for 90 minutes every [...]
ECB insist The Hundred has future despite managing director exit May 23, 2023 The England and Wales Cricket Board have said there is still a future for The Hundred despite the competition’s managing director Sanjay Patel was announced as leaving the organisation. Patel will step down from the franchise competition at the end of this year’s season, the third since its inception. Richard Gould, ECB chief, said: “I’d [...]
Who has Premier League’s biggest and smallest wage bill? (Look away Chelsea fans) May 23, 2023 Chelsea’s lavish spending since their takeover by Todd Boehly’s consortium has seen them amass the biggest wage bill in the Premier League, according to new research. The Blues’ estimated payroll for this season totalled £216m, an increase of 18.3 per cent or more than £33m on the previous campaign. That saw their salary costs overtake [...]
Chelsea co-owner makes ‘game changing’ investment in pro squash circuit May 23, 2023 Chelsea co-owner and LA Dodgers chairman Mark Walter has announced a major investment in professional squash that the sport’s bosses have hailed as “a game changer”. The businessman has acquired a stake in Squash Media & Marketing with the intention to promote the sport to a global market. This comes months after City A.M. revealed [...]
Major Welsh rugby sponsor pulls out amid WRU financial deal with clubs May 22, 2023 A major sponsor of Welsh rugby has withdrawn its backing of clubs in the country in what appears to be a stark warning against the Welsh Rugby Union. Oil 4 Wales will step away from rugby until the funding strategy recently announced for the four professional regions is redesigned. The company has links to all [...]
Everton in exclusivity agreement with with MSP Sports Capital May 22, 2023 Struggling Premier League club Everton have reportedly entered into an exclusivity agreement with MSP Sports Capital surrounding a potential £600m sale of the Toffees, City A.M. understands. Sean Dyche’s men are currently laying towards the bottom of the Premier League with one game – at home to Bournemouth next Sunday – remaining in their campaign. [...]
Spanish football chiefs SLAMMED for criticising racism victim Vinicius May 22, 2023 Spanish football chiefs have been rebuked for criticising Vinicius Jr after the Real Madrid star complained about serial racial abuse from opposition fans. The Brazil forward said LaLiga “belongs to racists” and that “Spain is known as a country of racists” after being heckled with monkey noises during Sunday night’s fixture at Valencia. LaLiga president [...]
Manchester City, Premier League titles and the many asterisks in European football May 21, 2023 Release the ticker tape, crank up Blue Moon and fetch Pep Guardiola’s dancing shoes: Manchester City are Premier League champions again for the fifth time in six years and the seventh time in a decade. With FA Cup and Champions League final appearances to come before the season is out, there is every chance that [...]
Man Capital buys new Major League Soccer franchise in San Diego for record £400m May 18, 2023 London-based Man Capital has been confirmed as the owner of a new San Diego franchise in Major League Soccer after agreeing a record deal with US football chiefs. The family office of Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour, the Conservative Party senior treasurer, is understood to have paid around $500m (£402m) for the team, who will begin [...]