Women’s Super League 2021-22: Why you should believe the hype about the biggest and best season yet of women’s football September 3, 2021 The most eagerly anticipated and loudly trumpeted Women’s Super League (WSL) season kicks off this evening when Manchester United host Reading. Ten years on from the first WSL campaign, the expectation is that this season will be the most-watched and potentially the most compelling yet. That is thanks in large part to a landmark TV [...]
West Ham United and the London Stadium have been good for each other – legacy chiefs should do a new deal to give the club more control September 2, 2021 This isn’t the article I expected to write; I went back to the London Stadium to bury it not to praise it. Instead, I came away with a deeper understanding of just what a valuable asset West Ham United Football Club has become. Nine years on from London 2012 and four from the World Athletics [...]
Premier League summer spending falls to 2015 levels as clubs seek value in football’s post-Covid transfer market September 1, 2021 Premier League clubs cut their summer transfer spending to the lowest level since 2015 in response to the pandemic. Gross spending by England’s top-flight teams in the summer window, which closed last night, fell 11 per cent to £1.1bn, according to analysis by Deloitte. Net spending was down 38 per cent to £560m, and both [...]
Cristiano Ronaldo completes Manchester United return for initial fee of £13m August 31, 2021 Cristiano Ronaldo has officially completed his return to Manchester United from Juventus on transfer deadline day for an initial fee of €15m (£13m). The Italian club confirmed the terms of the blockbusting transfer this morning. The fee could rise to €23m if Ronaldo and United hit certain targets. United announced the completion of the deal [...]
A brief history of cryptocurrency in football – and how blockchain technology might shape our experience of the game in future August 30, 2021 Bitcoin and cryptocurrency have reimagined finance and money as concepts. Now more than ever, however, blockchain technology and, more specifically, NFTs and tokens are disrupting everything else. And that includes human culture. NFTs especially have captivated millions of people around the world. This is because we, as humans, have an innate desire to collect and [...]
Cristiano Ronaldo asks to leave Juventus amid Manchester City interest as PSG line up Erling Haaland to replace Kylian Mbappe August 27, 2021 Cristiano Ronaldo has told Juventus that he wants to leave the club, paving the way for a possible transfer to Manchester City. Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri confirmed rumours about Ronaldo’s eagerness to quit the Italian side, where he has scored 101 goals in three seasons. Joining City would complete a remarkable return to the Premier [...]
Fifa president Gianni Infantino writes to Prime Minister Boris Johnson in attempt to resolve club v country red list quarantine row August 25, 2021 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has called on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to waive quarantine rules for footballers to resolve a stand-off between clubs and national teams. Premier League clubs say they will refuse to let their players take part in World Cup qualifiers next month if the fixtures involve travel to countries on the Covid-19 [...]
Premier League spending down in this summer transfer window as Covid-19 pandemic forces clubs to tighten belts August 24, 2021 The pandemic has forced Premier League clubs to dial down their summer transfer spending, according to new research by Deloitte. With one week of the transfer window remaining, England’s top-flight teams have committed £70m less in gross terms than at the same stage last year. And although Manchester City broke the Premier League transfer record [...]
Why a salary cap and luxury tax are unlikely to succeed where Financial Fair Play failed and make European football more competitive August 21, 2021 It feels symbolic that two of the biggest football transfers of the summer should precede the death knell for Financial Fair Play, the rules designed to rein in spending that now look set to be replaced with a salary cap and luxury tax. Paris Saint-Germain’s signing of Lionel Messi and Manchester City’s Premier League record [...]
What is the Europa Conference League, why is it happening and how will it work? Uefa’s new third club competition explained August 19, 2021 This season heralds the start of a new, third European competition for club football: the Europa Conference League. England’s role representatives are Tottenham Hotspur, who enter the competition at the play-off stage and play their first match this evening. But why has governing body Uefa created the new competition and how will it work? Read [...]