Sutton United: How the non-league lifers did a Leicester – and why they have had to transform the club for their debut season in the EFL August 7, 2021 Sutton United’s long-serving chairman Bruce Elliott has more than one reason to look forward to today’s trip to Forest Green Rovers. Elliott’s overriding emotion will be pride that the club he has been involved with for half a century has reached the English Football League (EFL) for the first time in their 123-year history. But [...]
£100m Jack Grealish: How most expensive signing in Premier League history compares to biggest transfers of all time August 5, 2021 Jack Grealish has become the most expensive signing in Premier League history after completing his £100m transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City. Grealish is also the most expensive English player ever to be traded, and the eighth most expensive transfer of all time. The England attacking midfielder, 25, shone for England as they finished [...]
Lionel Messi to leave Barcelona due to ‘financial obstacles’ August 5, 2021 Lionel Messi will leave Barcelona FC this summer after spending his whole career at the club due to “financial and structural obstacles”. In a statement this evening, the Catalan club confirmed that the Argentine striker, its all-time top scorer, would leave, despite recently agreeing a new contract. “Despite FC Barcelona and Lionel Messi having reached [...]
Wagatha Christie: Jamie’s phone could be probed in Rebekah Vardy’s libel battle with Coleen Rooney August 4, 2021 Footballer Jamie Vardy’s phone may now be inspected as part of his wife Rebekah’s libel battle with Coleen Rooney, a judge at the High Court has ruled. Rooney accused Vardy of leaking “false stories” about her private life in October 2019 after carrying out a months-long “sting operation”. The wife of former England star Wayne [...]
CVC to enter football with £2.3bn deal for 10 per cent of Spain’s LaLiga August 4, 2021 CVC Capital Partners is set to make its first major football investment by paying €2.7bn (£2.3bn) for a minority stake in Spain’s top league, LaLiga. The private equity giant, which has invested heavily in rugby in recent years, has an agreement in principle for around 10 per cent of LaLiga. “LaLiga confirms a strategic agreement [...]
Socios: The blockchain-enabled fan token platform promising to unlock revenue from the global fanbases of sport’s most famous teams July 31, 2021 Football’s transfer market may have lacked headline-grabbing deals so far this summer but the same can’t be said for Socios. The platform, which sells “fan tokens” offering supporters the chance to influence decisions at their team, has instantly increased visibility with a clutch of major partnerships. Last week Socios announced the launch of an Arsenal [...]
Gary Lineker joins LaLigaTV in ‘multi-year’ deal July 30, 2021 Gary Lineker has joined LaLigaTV as a presenter in a “multi-year agreement” to front coverage of Spain’s top-flight football league. The former England striker will present key fixtures on the 24-hour channel and feature regularly on its Viva LaLiga studio programme broadcast live from Barcelona. Lineker, who played for Barcelon during his career, already presents [...]
European football market contracted by £3.4bn in first few months of Covid-19 pandemic, Deloitte report finds July 29, 2021 The European football market shrunk by 13 per cent in the first few months of the pandemic, according to analysis by Deloitte. Total revenue fell by €3.7bn (£3.4bn) to €25.2bn (£22.1bn) in 2019-20, the first decrease since the global financial crisis struck more than a decade earlier. Clubs suffered as leagues were postponed and resumed [...]
Ineos strikes deal with New Zealand Rugby to add All Blacks to sporting stable that includes Formula 1, cycling and football teams July 28, 2021 New Zealand Rugby has announced Ineos is to become its official performance partner in a six-year deal beginning in 2022. The deal sees New Zealand Rugby’s national teams, including the All Blacks and the Black Ferns, join the growing Ineos sporting stable, which is owned by British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe. They will join Mercedes-AMG [...]
Fulham sign up blockchain telecoms network World Mobile as principal commercial partner on three-year-deal July 27, 2021 Fulham have signed World Mobile, a telecoms network that uses blockchain technology, as their new principal commercial partner. The three-year deal sees World Mobile replace bookmaker BetVictor as the club’s main sponsor. The agreement will see World Mobile appear on the shirts of the Fulham men’s, women’s and youth teams. Fulham’s men will be hoping [...]