What the TV rights fight means for the Fifa Women’s World Cup June 20, 2023 With just five weeks before the Women’s World Cup kicks off in Australia and New Zealand, Fifa has finally reached a deal with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to air all 64 matches in Britain, Spain, France and Germany – ending the threat of a blackout in Europe’s top football nations. While ITV and BBC [...]
European football chief Ceferin plays down fears of talent drain to Saudi Pro League June 19, 2023 Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin insists he is not worried about the Saudi Pro League’s ambitious transfer policy stripping European football of its top stars. Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante and Ruben Neves have already followed Cristian Ronaldo in moving to Saudi, where a major investment programme from the Public Investment Fund is also reported to be [...]
How the Home Office made it easier for English football to sign foreign youngsters June 16, 2023 A little over two years after English football shut the door on a host of foreign talent by implementing strict post-Brexit rules, it prised it open again this week when the Home Office approved a relaxation of the regulations. The biggest change affords clubs more scope to appeal for an exception to be made if [...]
Ed Warner: What’s next for the losers in the rush to embrace sovereign wealth? June 15, 2023 City A.M. columnist Ed Warner discusses the recent LIV Golf merger, the Saudi Arabia PIF deal and what comes next for the losers in the rush to embrace sovereign wealth. Elite runners focus on every step of every run. Us mere mortals seek displacement tricks to block out the pain. And so I found myself [...]
From Big Five to Big One: Premier League pulling away from European rivals – Deloitte June 15, 2023 European football’s Big Five leagues are steadily being replaced by a Big One as the Premier League pulls away from its rivals, according to research published today. The total revenue of Premier League clubs reached £5.5bn in 2021-22, around twice as much as its nearest challenger, Spain’s LaLiga, Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance reports. [...]
Jude Bellingham signs for Real Madrid in potential English record transfer June 14, 2023 Real Madrid have confirmed the signing of Jude Bellingham from Borussia Dortmund in what could become a record fee for an English player. The 19-year-old England midfielder is believed to be costing the Spanish champions an initial €103m (£88m). That fee could rise to as much as €133m (£113m), eclipsing the £100m Manchester City paid [...]
Kylian Mbappe puts ball back in Paris Saint-Germain court over summer sale June 13, 2023 Kylian Mbappe has insisted he does not want to leave Paris Saint-Germain this summer, despite indicating that he will not take up the option to extend his current contract. Mbappe’s stance places additional pressure on PSG to sell the World Cup-winning France forward in the coming weeks – or risk losing him for nothing next [...]
Everton CEO departure hints at takeover deal edging towards conclusion June 12, 2023 Premier League club Everton have announced the departure of their chief executive Denise Barrett-Baxendale along with a number of other off-field members of staff. The Toffees’ chief finance and strategy officer Grant Ingles and non-executive director and ex-player Graeme Sharp have also left their roles. It comes after a difficult season at Everton with the [...]
Women’s Super League revenues grow by 60 per cent as teams head for sustainability June 12, 2023 Women’s Super League clubs are on a path to sustainability after growing revenues by 60 per cent in a year. WSL teams’ collective income swelled from £20m to £32m in 2021-22, according to analysis by Deloitte published today. And it is expected to have enjoyed another substantial uplift this season as WSL attendances grew by [...]
Lionel Messi tipped to make Inter Miami worth $1bn and be MLS ‘game-changer’ June 8, 2023 Lionel Messi’s impending transfer to Inter Miami has been hailed as “a game-changer for Major League Soccer” that will make the US franchise worth more than $1bn. Messi announced on Wednesday night that he has chosen to join Miami over offers from Saudi Arabia and former club Barcelona after leaving Paris Saint-Germain. His superstar power [...]