Manchester United name Arnold CEO and confirm Woodward exit January 6, 2022 Manchester United have confirmed that managing director Richard Arnold will take over as chief executive when Ed Woodward steps down next month. Arnold, who has worked under Woodward since joining the football club in 2007, is to succeed him from 1 February. “I am honoured to have the chance to serve this great club and [...]
Liverpool get Arsenal cup game postponed over Covid outbreak January 5, 2022 The Carabao Cup semi-final first leg between Arsenal and Liverpool, scheduled for Thursday 6 January, has been postponed due to a Covid-19 outbreak at the Merseyside club. Competition organisers the English Football League (EFL) accepted Liverpool’s request to rearrange the fixture on the grounds the club did not have enough players and staff. The match [...]
Newcastle to kick off spending spree with £12m Trippier January 5, 2022 Newcastle United have agreed a £12m deal to make England full-back Kieran Trippier their first signing since the club’s Saudi takeover. Former Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley defender Trippier, 31, is poised to join from Spanish champions Atletico Madrid. The signing is widely expected to signal the start of a spending spree by Newcastle, who became [...]
Ed Warner: Why 2022 is the year of the sportswash January 5, 2022 A city without snow and a state in the desert. Obvious places to hold the Winter Olympics and World Cup if you are the International Olympic Committee and football governing body Fifa. Welcome to 2022, the Year of the Sportswash. The principal outdoor venues for Beijing 2022 are – on a good day – 90 [...]
Lukaku returns to Chelsea squad after being dropped over comments January 4, 2022 Chelsea striker Romelu Lukaku has apologised to manager Thomas Tuchel and has returned to the squad after being dropped for comments he made about his position at the London club. The 28-year-old Belgian said three weeks ago: “I’m not happy with the situation, this is normal. “But I am a worker and I must not [...]
Serbian-born TV mogul enters £100m deal to buy majority stake in Saints January 4, 2022 Southampton have confirmed a takeover deal led by Serbian-born cable television mogul Dragan Solak in a deal thought to be worth £100m. Solak is the lead investor of Sport Republic, who have purchased the shareholding of the club held by current owner Gao Jisheng (80%). They will work in partnership with Katharina Liebherr, who retains [...]
Best of 2021: Athletic Bilbao’s two Copa del Rey finals, unique philosophy, and the roles of identity and loyalty in sporting success January 2, 2022 Athletic Bilbao are mid table in LaLiga but maintain their devotion to loyalty and philosophy. Here, Frank Dalleres looks at the oldest club in the Spanish top-flight. Originally published 31 March 2021. Athletic Bilbao manager Marcelino Garcia Toral could be forgiven for using the old cliche about every game feeling like a cup final. That’s [...]
Sport sponsorship: Forecasting the impact of the big events in 2022 January 2, 2022 Six months on from wading through the smashed bottles and broken dreams that littered Wembley Way after the calamitous Euro 2020 final, sports fans and sponsors can look forward to an abundance of major global events in 2022. As it happens, this year has been designated the United Nations International Year of Glass, so it’s [...]
Deloitte’s sport business forecast: Women’s football to reach new heights in 2022 December 31, 2021 This year has been one to remember for women’s football, with further significant growth in the women’s game, including a £30m sponsorship deal announced for the FA Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship, marking a new record for investment in women’s sport in the UK. More broadly beyond the UK, according to Deloitte’s analysis, 19 of the top 20 revenue [...]
Best of 2021: West Brom and Wales footballer Hal Robson-Kanu on his health drink business, the Turmeric Co, and targeting more Euros glory December 31, 2021 Hal Robson-Kanu has represented Wales nearly 50 times and has played in the Premier League. Here, Frank Dalleres spoke to the 32-year-old about his health drink business and his Euros targets. Originally published 2 May 2021. 2016 was a breakthrough year for Hal Robson-Kanu, and not only because he scored one of international football’s most [...]