Ed Warner: The metaverse, Web3 and what it means for football club valuations May 5, 2022 In this week’s column, Ed Warner delves into the metaverse’s possible ramifications for the business of sport and considers the latest twists in the Chelsea sale saga. It was the shoes that put me in my place. Queuing to enter the SportsPro Live jamboree at The Oval last week, I scanned the footwear of my [...]
Chelsea facing administration unless Roman Abramovich drops plans to call in £1.5bn debt May 4, 2022 Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will likely have to drop plans to call in his £1.5bn loan to the club or see it go into administration. Abramovich is reported to have scrapped an apparent previous commitment to write off the debt as part of the sale of the club. The sanctioned Russian oligarch is not allowed [...]
Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ shirt auctioned for record £7.14m May 4, 2022 Maradona’s iconic 1986 World Cup ‘Hand of God’ shirt fetched £7.14m at auction this afternoon- marking a new auction record for any item of sports memorabilia. The shirt itself football history during the Argentina v England quarter finals of the FIFA World Cup after the footballer scored two of the most notorious goals in footie history. [...]
Revealed: From Ronaldo’s £12m to Lukaku’s £8m, here is how much the Premier League’s best-paid stars stump up in UK tax May 4, 2022 While some might consider Premier League footballers to be overpaid prima donnas, they make contributions that would make the average taxpayer’s eyes water. New research shared with City A.M. today reveals how much tax is paid by the League’s biggest stars. The highest paid footballer in The Premier League is Manchester United striker Cristiano Ronaldo. [...]
Chelsea sale: Sir Jim Ratcliffe bid ‘rejected out of hand’ by Roman Abramovich’s bankers May 4, 2022 Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid for Chelsea has been “rejected out of hand”, according to senior figures at his business the Ineos Group. The British petrochemicals billionaire made an 11th-hour offer for the Premier League club last week which comprised £2.5bn plus a commitment to invest a further £1.75bn. But Ratcliffe has indicated that he is [...]
Sprinkling local football clubs with money won’t make them sustainable endeavours May 4, 2022 The domestic football season has come to a dramatic close, with two sides from the North West jostling for the title and four London teams competing frantically for the coveted spots in Europe. Since its inception, clubs from these two areas have dominated the Premiership, especially over the past twenty years. Perhaps it is something [...]
Chelsea sale: Deal plunged into doubt after U-turn on loan repayment – reports May 3, 2022 Fresh doubt surrounds the proposed sale of Chelsea after it was reported that owner Roman Abramovich wants to change the structure of the deal. Having previously indicated that he was willing to write off more than £1.5bn of debt owed by the club to another of his companies, he is now said to have asked [...]
Paul Merson: Football should do more to stop lives being ruined by gambling addiction May 3, 2022 Former footballer and reformed addict Paul Merson believes the sport should do more to stop players falling prey to gambling problems. Merson also battled alcohol and drugs during a career that nevertheless gleaned league titles, European trophies and playing at World Cups for England. The ex-Arsenal forward, 54, was driven to the brink of suicide [...]
English football regulator may be constrained by conflicting aims, says legal expert May 2, 2022 An independent regulator of English football may be rendered toothless by conflicting aims, says a legal expert on the running of the sport. The Government last week announced plans to create a regulator as part of its response to former sports minister Tracey Crouch’s Fan-Led Review of Football Governance. But Stuart Hatcher, a corporate lawyer [...]
Porsche and Audi to enter Formula 1 in 2026, confirms Volkswagen chief Diess May 2, 2022 Porsche and Audi are working on plans to enter Formula 1, says Herbert Diess, chief executive of their parent company Volkswagen. He said the decision was based on the growth in popularity of F1 in recent years, particularly in the US and among younger audiences. Confirming that Porsche and Audi would enter the series in [...]