Should football brace itself for a dementia claims crisis? February 10, 2021 Last week the Football Association’s head of medicine, Charlotte Cowie, announced the governing body was considering “likely risk factors” for dementia among players. The review comes as concern grows across contact sports around the potential link between neurodegenerative disorders and head trauma. The concern isn’t new – Alan Shearer’s 2017 documentary Dementia, Football and Me [...]
What Euro 2020 in a Covid-19 world will look like for football fans, sponsors and broadcasters February 9, 2021 Euro 2020 is scheduled to take place across 12 European cities in June and Covid-19 will mean changes to the way major sporting events operate. Hygiene protocols, new technology solutions and fan behaviours will emerge that present both challenges and opportunities for brands and rights holders. Safety is paramount Any British fans who do physically [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Fenerbahce step up attacks on beIN; CVC serves up $300m volleyball deal; London pipped by Big Apple; Qatar sales record; Man Utd February 5, 2021 Conflict is in the air at Fenerbahce – and not just because they face rivals Galatasaray in the Istanbul derby this weekend. Mesut Ozil’s new club have embarked on a bizarre crusade against broadcaster beIN Sports, accusing it of conspiring against the club by manipulating VAR and choosing camera angles or highlights that show them [...]
Premier League set for its lowest January transfer window spend since 2012, barring unexpected deadline day splurge February 1, 2021 The Premier League is heading for its lowest January spend since 2012, barring an unexpected transfer deadline day flurry of activity. Heading into the final hours of the transfer window, English top-flight clubs had forked out around £78m. Unless they spend more than £40m before tonight’s 11pm deadline, it will represent their lowest outlay for [...]
Why football clubs face an increased threat from cyber criminals during the transfer window January 31, 2021 It isn’t just football’s wheeler-dealers springing into action this month for the January transfer window. Increasingly, it is open season too for cyber criminals who see the game as rich pickings for various forms of hacking. “Right now there are big amounts of money changing hands,” says Max Heinemeyer of cyber defence firm Darktrace. “So this [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Premier League still No1 in China; Leeds boss keeping busy; Matchroom’s media move; Wimbledon optimism; London 2012 gold for sale January 28, 2021 The Premier League’s ongoing dispute with a Chinese broadcaster doesn’t appear to have affected its popularity in the Far East. England’s top division has been named the most popular football league in China by a new report ranking digital performance. It had 80 per cent more engagement on leading social media platform Weibo than La [...]
World’s richest football clubs 2021: Barcelona top Deloitte Football Money League ahead of Real Madrid while Bayern Munich overtake Manchester United January 26, 2021 Barcelona have retained their status as the world’s richest football club, according to Deloitte’s latest Football Money League. Barca remained fractionally ahead of fellow Spanish giants Real Madrid despite their revenue falling by €125m to €715.1m in 2019-20. European champions Bayern Munich climbed to third ahead of Manchester United, the highest placed English team in [...]
Manchester United slip to fourth in Deloitte Football Money League as Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Tottenham also make top 10 January 26, 2021 Manchester United have slipped further down the ranking of the world’s richest football clubs, according to Deloitte. England’s highest-placed team are fourth in the 2021 Football Money League, published today, after being overtaken by Bayern Munich. Barcelona and Real Madrid continue to occupy the top two places as clubs saw revenues contract due to Covid-19. [...]
Covid-19 deals €2bn blow to world’s leading football clubs, says Deloitte January 26, 2021 The world’s 20 richest clubs will lose €2bn in revenue due to Covid-19, says Deloitte’s latest Football Money League report. Those teams have already seen income fall €1.1bn to €8.2bn in 2019-20 and Deloitte predicts a similar effect in 2020-21. Football clubs have lost significant revenue from matchday activity and broadcast rights payments during the [...]
Chorley FC, Marine AFC and the true value of a fairytale FA Cup run to non-league football clubs January 22, 2021 When Chorley FC take on Wolves in the FA Cup tonight, there will be more at stake for the non-league club from Lancashire than a place in the fifth round. If Chorley manage another upset against their Premier League opponents, they will earn £175,000 from broadcast payments and the FA’s prize fund alone. Chorley’s FA [...]