Ed Warner: Why 2022 is the year of the sportswash January 5, 2022 A city without snow and a state in the desert. Obvious places to hold the Winter Olympics and World Cup if you are the International Olympic Committee and football governing body Fifa. Welcome to 2022, the Year of the Sportswash. The principal outdoor venues for Beijing 2022 are – on a good day – 90 [...]
Serbian-born TV mogul enters £100m deal to buy majority stake in Saints January 4, 2022 Southampton have confirmed a takeover deal led by Serbian-born cable television mogul Dragan Solak in a deal thought to be worth £100m. Solak is the lead investor of Sport Republic, who have purchased the shareholding of the club held by current owner Gao Jisheng (80%). They will work in partnership with Katharina Liebherr, who retains [...]
Best of 2021: Athletic Bilbao’s two Copa del Rey finals, unique philosophy, and the roles of identity and loyalty in sporting success January 2, 2022 Athletic Bilbao are mid table in LaLiga but maintain their devotion to loyalty and philosophy. Here, Frank Dalleres looks at the oldest club in the Spanish top-flight. Originally published 31 March 2021. Athletic Bilbao manager Marcelino Garcia Toral could be forgiven for using the old cliche about every game feeling like a cup final. That’s [...]
Best of 2021:‘Let’s get a Premiership Rugby game in Singapore’ January 2, 2022 Premiership Rugby is nearing the half-way point this season and in December Matt Hardy spoke to title sponsor Gallagher’s CMO. Originally published 16 December. Premiership Rugby’s main sponsor, the US-headquartered insurer Gallagher, has called for the league to stage matches overseas in locations such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. English club rugby’s top competition has [...]
Sport sponsorship: Forecasting the impact of the big events in 2022 January 2, 2022 Six months on from wading through the smashed bottles and broken dreams that littered Wembley Way after the calamitous Euro 2020 final, sports fans and sponsors can look forward to an abundance of major global events in 2022. As it happens, this year has been designated the United Nations International Year of Glass, so it’s [...]
Best of 2021: Chris Froome on his quest for a fifth Tour de France, Roger Federer, and his investment in cycling tech company Hammerhead January 1, 2022 Chris Froome may now have left serial winners Team Sky (now INEOS Grenadiers) but he is still hungry for a fifth Tour de France title. Here, Froome spoke to City A.M.’s Frank Dalleres about that ambition as well as his investment in Hammerhead. Originally published on 28 May 2021. When Chris Froome talks about fighting [...]
The strange case of The Hundred: a North-South divide? January 1, 2022 Recently this country has been roughly split down the middle on, well, virtually everything. Opinions are polarised and if there’s a fence in the middle, we’re damn well not sitting on it. Summer 2021 saw a new concept dividing the nation. Sports fans, I give you the strange case of The Hundred. Unlike most cricket [...]
Deloitte’s sport business forecast: Women’s football to reach new heights in 2022 December 31, 2021 This year has been one to remember for women’s football, with further significant growth in the women’s game, including a £30m sponsorship deal announced for the FA Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship, marking a new record for investment in women’s sport in the UK. More broadly beyond the UK, according to Deloitte’s analysis, 19 of the top 20 revenue [...]
Best of 2021: West Brom and Wales footballer Hal Robson-Kanu on his health drink business, the Turmeric Co, and targeting more Euros glory December 31, 2021 Hal Robson-Kanu has represented Wales nearly 50 times and has played in the Premier League. Here, Frank Dalleres spoke to the 32-year-old about his health drink business and his Euros targets. Originally published 2 May 2021. 2016 was a breakthrough year for Hal Robson-Kanu, and not only because he scored one of international football’s most [...]
Chelsea’s annual loss tops £145m despite increased turnover December 30, 2021 Chelsea FC have announced an annual loss of £145.6m after tax in the year leading to 30 June 2021. The club, owned by Roman Abramovich since 2003, did however increase its turnover to £416.8m – up from £387.8m. Chelsea are currently third in the Premier League and are reigning European Champions, having beaten Manchester City [...]