Why Tottenham and West Ham’s stadium experiments could count against them – and what decided the Manchester derby September 13, 2016 It would be a very different mood at Tottenham going into their opening Champions League game against Monaco on Wednesday if they had not beaten Stoke so soundly on Saturday. A draw or defeat would have compounded concerns about a hangover from last season’s failed Premier League title challenge and a slow start this term, [...]
Who will be Uefa’s next president? Aleksander Ceferin and Michael Van Praag fight over future of European football in bids to replace Michel Platini September 13, 2016 The future path of European football will become clearer on Wednesday after governing body Uefa elects a new president to replace the disgraced Michel Platini. Slovenian lawyer Aleksander Ceferin and Dutch administrator Michael Van Praag are duking it out at the 12th Extraordinary Congress in Athens for the potentially poisoned chalice of leading Uefa as [...]
Eric Dier backs Tottenham to thrive on Wembley setting for Champions League adventure – unlike north London rivals Arsenal September 13, 2016 Tottenham midfielder Eric Dier believes that playing their European home games at Wembley Stadium will work better for them than it did for north London rivals Arsenal. Staging Champions League fixtures at the national stadium was seen as a gamble that backfired for the Gunners, whose two seasons there – 1998-99 and 1999-2000 – both [...]
The Football Pools sale: Sportech plans disposal of betting game for nearly £100m to Burlywood Capital September 13, 2016 The Football Pools, the 93-year-old sports lottery, is being sold by owners Sportech to investment fund Burlywood Capital for just shy of £100m. Burlywood Capital, a venture capital firm focused on gaming and gambling, plans to list a new company created for the Football Pools on the AIM exchange. Shares in Sportech have jumped by 9.3 [...]
Sunderland 0, Everton 3: I need to be a serial killer, insists hat-trick hero Romelu Lukaku September 12, 2016 Everton striker Romelu Lukaku insists he needs to develop into a penalty box serial killer after ending his goal drought with a destructive hat-trick as his side hammered winless Sunderland. Lukaku brought a 13-match barren spell to a close as the Toffees recorded a third straight Premier League victory and their best start to a top-flight [...]
Arsene Wenger tips Arsenal for Champions League challenge September 12, 2016 Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger insists the added maturity within his squad gives him increasing confidence that the Gunners can break free from the shackles of knockout stage obscurity and mount a sustained Champions League challenge this season. The north London club begin their European campaign with a showdown against big-spending Paris Saint-Germain at the Parc [...]
Crystal Palace full-back Pape Souare airlifted to hospital after car crash on M4 September 12, 2016 Crystal Palace full-back Pape Souare is set for a sustained spell on the sidelines after being airlifted to hospital having been involved in a car crash on the M4 on Sunday. The Selhurst Park club have confirmed that the 26-year-old, who joined Palace from French side Lille in January 2015, suffered thigh and jaw injuries and [...]
Pep Guardiola doubts Manchester City’s ability to launch successful Premier League and Champions League assaults this season September 12, 2016 Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola admits he is unconvinced whether his side can successfully launch a dual Premier League and European assault this season despite their unblemished start. City host German side Borussia Monchengladbach in their opening Champions League group stage clash on Tuesday after winning all six matches so far this term and topping the [...]
Paris Saint-Germain v Arsenal: PSG have lost invincible aura following loss of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and look vulnerable for visit of the Gunners September 12, 2016 They might have become one of Europe’s most feared clubs since their 2011 takeover by a Qatari sovereign wealth fund, but a summer of flux has left Paris Saint-Germain looking uncharacteristically vulnerable as they prepare to face Arsenal. Read more: Which football clubs are the richest in the world? Ruthless PSG jettisoned manager Laurent Blanc [...]
Manchester United net half a billion pounds of revenue, breaking Premier League records and expectations along the way September 12, 2016 Manchester United reached a new financial high by revealing today it was the first Premier League club to generate more than £500m in revenue. Annual revenues for the year to 30 June were £515m, beating expectations of between £500m and £510m – but still trailing the global record set by Spanish giants Barcelona at £570m, reported this July. The commercial side [...]