Why Fifa’s 2026 World Cup U-turn risks a fresh player welfare row March 14, 2023 Fifa is set to risk a new player welfare row by redesigning the format of the next men’s World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, according to reports. Football’s world governing body had planned to divide the 48 teams at the expanded 2026 tournament into 16 groups of three, in order to allay fears [...]
Pep Guardiola makes Manchester City Champions League admission March 13, 2023 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has admitted that their Champions League clash with RB Leipzig on Tuesday will help to shape his legacy at the club. Guardiola has delivered nine trophies in six and a half years in Manchester but success in Europe’s top competition has eluded them, despite reaching the final in 2021. The [...]
Newcastle United’s Saudi takeover won’t be re-examined by Premier League, says lawyer March 9, 2023 The lawyer who represented Newcastle United in a battle with the Premier League over the club’s Saudi Arabian takeover expects top-flight chiefs to reject calls to re-examine the deal. A US legal case has raised questions about the influence wielded by the Saudi state over the Tyneside football club, leading to fresh pressure on the [...]
Manchester City face wait until 2027 for punishment in Premier League dispute March 8, 2023 It may take as long as four years for Manchester City to receive punishment if found guilty of perpetrating the biggest financial scandal in Premier League history. City were charged last month with more than 100 alleged rule breaches dating back to 2009, including falsely reporting income and the salaries of players and managers, and [...]
Antonio Conte reveals Tottenham doctors’ fears for his health ahead of must-win Champions League match against AC Milan March 7, 2023 Tottenham Hotspur manager Antonio Conte has revealed the club’s doctors feared for his health after he rushed back to the dugout following gallbladder surgery. Conte needed an emergency operation last month but was back at work a week later and took his place on the touchline within days for the Champions League defeat at AC [...]
Liverpool have ‘identified potential investors’, says owner John Henry March 7, 2023 Liverpool owner John Henry says they have “identified potential investors” but that his group’s commitment to the football club “remains stronger than ever”. Henry’s comments appear to open the door to the sale of a minority stake in the Premier League team, having appointed bankers to test the market late last year. But they also [...]
‘Most expensive lottery ticket on the planet’: Premier League told why it must give more money to rest of English football March 2, 2023 English football’s financial structure needs a “proper reset” to make clubs outside the Premier League sustainable, says EFL chairman Rick Parry. The riches on offer in the top tier incentivise teams lower down the pyramid to overspend to dangerous degrees, says Parry, who wants the Premier League to reduce the inequality between divisions with more [...]
Premier League reveals stance on scrapping Saturday 3pm blackout March 2, 2023 The Premier League has ruled out supporting the abolition of the Saturday 3pm blackout which restricts when live football can be televised in the UK. The English Football League (EFL) has floated scrapping the ban and broadcasters have said they would consider it but Premier League chief executive Richard Masters insisted they had no intention [...]
Former Chelsea bidder hints at interest in Liverpool and Manchester United March 1, 2023 Former Chelsea bidder Stephen Pagliuca has hinted that he could be interested in buying Liverpool or Manchester United but says he won’t be sucked into overpaying. The private equity veteran and co-owner of Italian club Atalanta and the NBA’s Boston Celtics missed out on Chelsea to Todd Boehly’s consortium last year. Pagliuca says he is [...]
Why football clubs are like tomatoes – and these are salad days for the likes of Manchester United’s owners February 28, 2023 The salad shortage and the appeal of elite football clubs such as Manchester United are both being driven by the same thing, writes Neil Hopkins. Early 2023 seems destined to be remembered for shortages. For most of us, a shortage of tomatoes and other salad produce. For cash-rich investors from the Middle East, a shortage [...]