Fifa’s disciplinary rules have changed: What clubs, players and agents need to know now Sport Business Amendments to Fifa’s Disciplinary Code from January 2027 have attracted attention, but most of the changes have already been binding for almost six months. The May 2026 edition of the Code introduced changes affecting clubs, players, agents and their advisers, while January will introduce further changes around domestic enforcement. The immediate exposure Deadlines are one [...]
Sport’s hypocrisy: Claiming to be inclusive while charging prohibitive ticket prices Sport Business Sport’s hiking of ticket prices for live sport is completely at odds with many of its marketing efforts and risks alienating future generations of would-be fans, writes Matt Readman. Last week, a BBC Sport investigation revealed just how sharply the cost of watching live sport has risen in the UK. Across the Ashes, the Open, [...]
Spain must host 2035 Rugby World Cup because Europe is sport’s commercial hub Sport Business Just imagine watching a Rugby World Cup final at FC Barcelona’s Camp Nou. It would be sensational. And it is not beyond the realms of possibility anymore after Spain announced its intention to bid for the 2035 tournament. Going up against Japan, which staged the tournament successfully – albeit with a typhoon interrupting proceedings – [...]
IOC’s abdication over Russia is causing much angst as clock ticks down to LA28 Olympics October 22, 2026 It’s baffling that sport’s global leaders are still prevaricating over Russia as the LA28 Olympics and Paralympics draw ever nearer, says Ed Warner. To Brentford FC’s Gtech Community Stadium last week for the second outing of The NEDwork, a gathering of chairs and non-executive directors from across Great Britain’s Olympic and Paralympic governing bodies. Russia’s [...]
Landmark Royal Antwerp case is another test of EU’s appetite to help football consumers October 19, 2026 EU law protects market competition but has been used too little to help football fans. Worse still, Europe has helped the big clubs to increase their market power, writes Tsjalle van der Burg. Football tickets have become expensive. Paris Saint-Germain currently top the European ranking: in 2024-25, the average admission price for a seat was [...]
What drinking alcohol at football could tell us about sporting fandom October 18, 2026 The Prime Minister has flirted with the idea of letting football fans drink alcohol on terraces again and it could have an impact on how we measure fandom, writes Ben McMahon. Settle into your Wembley Stadium seat for today’s NFL game and you can roar on the Jaguars with a cool Coors in hand. Visit [...]
Was the transfer window impacted by UK tax rules? October 17, 2026 This summer’s transfer window again showed the purchasing power of the Premier League, with almost £3.5bn being spent on transfer fees. And, while there were players being bought from foreign teams, there was also a significant number of very high value transfers between Premier League clubs this summer, which is notable compared to previous transfer [...]
Why Peppa Pig and the Lionesses is a partnership to bring home the bacon October 15, 2026 Peppa Pig and the Lionesses isn’t the most obvious pairing. One’s a muddy-puddle-loving pig loved by my kids and toddlers everywhere and the other is England’s women’s national football team, equally loved by my kids after their heroics in 2025. But when you take a deeper look behind the Football Association and Hasbro deal, it [...]
Football regulator’s reputation rests on its handling of Manchester City October 15, 2026 The Independent Football Regulator has improving English clubs’ failing finances in its sights but its treatment of Manchester City is what will likely define it, writes Ed Warner. What word or phrase to you best describes the state of English football? Would broken, bust or (morally and/or financially) bankrupt fit your bill? A tad sensational, [...]
Manchester City owners must get messaging right or risk own fans turning against them October 11, 2026 Sport fans aren’t just consumers but stakeholders so what Manchester City say during their crisis could be existential for them, write Jess Chan and Matthew Gilleard. “Some people believe football is a matter of life and death…I can assure you it is much, much more important than that.” So said Bill Shankly, encapsulating both sport’s [...]