What is the ‘Swiss model’ set to be used in the Champions League, and why have big clubs chosen a system common to chess but unheard of in football? March 30, 2021 The biggest changes to the Champions League for 20 years – including the introduction of the controversial “Swiss model” – are set to be rubber-stamped in April. From 2024, it will mean more teams, more matches and a new format common to chess and croquet that, until now, was unheard of in elite European football. [...]
Mason Mount continues emergence as key man in Gareth Southgate’s England Euro 2020 project March 29, 2021 When Mason Mount collected Harry Kane’s pass and clipped the ball over Albania goalkeeper Etrit Berisha on Sunday it was job done. Another three points for England to continue their flawless start to the qualifying campaign for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. And another exhibit in the burgeoning cache of evidence that Mount deserves a [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Is crypto the next big player in sports sponsorship? Plus Extreme E’s Suez near miss and Amazon’s Six Nations interest March 25, 2021 Where US sports lead, others tend to follow, so it was with interest that industry insiders noted developments in Florida this week. Miami Heat’s home is set to be rebranded the FTX Arena after the NBA side struck a naming rights agreement with the cryptocurrency exchange. FTX will pay $135m for the 19-year deal, the [...]
The most complex World Cup qualifying process yet? England’s path, the role of Qatar, the Nations League and Russia in the race for Europe’s 13 spots March 23, 2021 When Bill Shankly quipped that “football is a simple game complicated by people who should know better” he could have been talking about the Qatar 2022 World Cup qualifiers. This week, England and the other 54 European national teams kick off their campaigns to reach next year’s tournament with a triple-header of matches. And the [...]
Thomas Tuchel has turned Chelsea into a winning machine – but the football is surprisingly dull March 22, 2021 Thomas Tuchel’s transformation of Chelsea from freewheeling self-saboteurs to uber-efficient winning machine continues apace. Days after reaching the Champions League quarter-finals by beating kindred spirits Atletico Madrid, they marched into the last four of the FA Cup with minimal flourish against Sheffield United on Sunday. So serene has their recent progress been that media-shy Roman [...]
Dale Vince interview: Forest Green Rovers chairman and green energy tycoon on climbing the football leagues while saving the planet March 19, 2021 With a large green Union Jack behind him and a casually dishevelled appearance, Dale Vince brings to mind the leader of some rebel republic when he appears on the Zoom call. Being cast as a revolutionary is nothing new to Vince. In business, the former New Age Traveller has turned once-leftfield ideas about green energy [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Tokyo 2020 Olympics hit by another sexism scandal; World Rugby boosts women’s game; LaLiga brings tiki-taka teachers to East Sussex March 18, 2021 “I would like to show a new direction,” said Seiko Hashimoto upon taking over as president of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in the wake of a sexism storm last month. Four weeks later, Hashimoto’s hopes have been torpedoed by revelations that another senior male official for this summer’s Games made derogatory comments about women. Tokyo [...]
Why the Premier League TV rights bubble really might be about to burst this time March 18, 2021 The Premier League TV rights for 2022 to 2025 will go under the hammer in the next few months. The outcome of that process could put the competition’s very existence at risk. In 2018, the UK segment of the Premier League TV rights sold for £4.5bn, down from a £5.1bn high in 2015. The rights [...]
Thousands of Dutch football fans to return next week for Holland v Latvia World Cup qualifier March 17, 2021 Holland has revealed plans to allow thousands of football fans, some without face masks, back into stadiums next week. Dutch football chiefs and the government will open doors at the Johan Cruyff Arena for the World Cup qualifying match between Holland and Latvia on Saturday 27 March. Up to 5,000 spectators will be allowed into [...]
England in line for more Euro 2020 games as Uefa vows to ditch host cities that cannot guarantee crowds March 16, 2021 Euro 2020 organisers will axe host cities if they cannot guarantee that fans will be allowed to attend matches at this summer’s tournament. Dublin, Glasgow and Bilbao are the three hosts considered most likely to be cut from the pan-European, 12-city format. “The ideal scenario is to play the tournament in the original 12 venues, [...]