Jonathan Barnett: Gareth Bale’s former agent denies ‘sex slave’ claims in full February 10, 2026 The British football super-agent who negotiated Gareth Bale’s world record transfer to Real Madrid, Jonathan Barnett, has denied any wrongdoing after a woman alleged he kept her as a “sex slave” and threatened to kill her. Barnett, 76, is the subject of a range of serious allegations made by an Australian woman in a US [...]
Dupont image rights row puts Toulouse in rugby spotlight again February 10, 2026 French rugby giants Toulouse are facing the threat of a second salary cap-related sanction after a media investigation into star player Antoine Dupont’s image rights payments. The so-called Le Petit General has been an integral part of France and Toulouse teams in recent years but is now at the centre of a storm, alongside Stade [...]
‘Crown jewel’ of Olympic Games memorabilia put up for sale at auction February 10, 2026 An ultra-rare winners’ medal from the first modern Olympic Games in Athens in 1896 is set to be sold at auction in Denmark next month. The silver gong – gold medals were only introduced in 1904 – is believed to be the world’s oldest Olympic medal and has an estimated value of 200,000–300,000 Danish kroner [...]
Barry Connell: I’m not going to big up my horses anymore, apart from Marine Nationale February 10, 2026 THERE aren’t many trainers like Barry Connell; a former hedge fund manager who used to combine his job with riding out six days a week. Born close to Leopardstown in south Dublin, Connell was in his 30s before he learned to ride, yet he notched over 30 winners in the UK and Ireland before taking [...]
Are we seeing the death of the corporate box in sports stadiums? February 10, 2026 The future landscape of sports stadiums is undergoing a radical revolution: clubs and architects alike are growing in confidence, wanting their arenas to be 365-day businesses that go far beyond the 90 minutes of enjoyment football offers. Look at the planned chimneys on Birmingham City’s master plan and the three towers on Manchester United’s 100,000-seat [...]
LIV Golf open to PGA resolution and in talks over team sales, says president February 9, 2026 LIV Golf chiefs insist they remain open to working with the PGA Tour amid apparently receding prospects of a merger of interests but are focused on the next phase of their business, including the sale of stakes in two teams. More than two and a half years after a “framework agreement” was announced for the [...]
Luke Littler attracts Meta to darts with Oakley glasses partnership February 9, 2026 Tech giant Meta has entered the darts market by joining world champion Luke Littler’s ever-growing stable of partners. The deal saw Littler don a pair of Oakley Meta glasses to record his throws in a practice session filmed for social media. It sees Oakley and Meta join Xbox, fast fashion brand Boohoo, Target Darts, KP [...]
Horner in talks with MSP Sports Capital over £450m Alpine F1 stake February 9, 2026 Former Red Bull Racing team principal Christian Horner could return to the Formula 1 grid as a team owner at Alpine. A 24 per cent stake in the French team owned by Otro Capital has been at the heart of a number of sale discussions over recent months, with Horner involved in those. But the [...]
Private equity made to wait for Super Bowl win as Seahawks triumph February 9, 2026 Private equity was forced to wait for its first NFL Super Bowl win after the Seattle Seahawks beat the Sixth Street-backed New England Patriots on Sunday. The fund, based out of Super Bowl host city San Francisco, acquired a minority stake in the Patriots last November after the NFL opened up its league to a [...]
Why Winter Olympians make good City entrepreneurs February 8, 2026 Olympians and entrepreneurs have a lot in common. Both are highly driven in the pursuit of their goals and work tirelessly to achieve them. This is why many top-performing athletes turn to the world of start-ups and entrepreneurship when retiring from full-time sport. High-performing individuals need to channel their energy into something, and when sport [...]