Brand Finance Football 50 2015: $1bn Manchester United top league as most valuable brand in world football June 7, 2015 Manchester United have reclaimed their status as the club with the most valuable brand in world football despite a second consecutive turbulent season bereft of silverware. Record-breaking commercial deals and the looming windfall from the Premier League’s next broadcast rights contract have lifted United back to the top of Brand Finance’s Football 50 list, published [...]
Watford hire Spanish coach June 5, 2015 WATFORD have confirmed the appointment of Europa League-winning former Atletico Madrid manager Quique Sanchez Flores following their promotion to the Premier League. Sanchez Flores, who has also coached Benfica, Getafe and Valencia, succeeds Slavisa Jokanovic, who could not agree a new contract with the club he led into the top flight. The 50-year-old’s playing days [...]
Paul Clement: Former Real Madrid coach appointed Derby County head coach June 1, 2015 Championship club Derby County has appointed an English former Real Madrid assistant as their new head coach on a three-year contract. Paul Clement left the Bernabeu following the sacking of Carlo Ancelotti last week after two seasons in the Spanish capital. The 43-year-old former PE teacher has worked under Ancelotti since the Italian joined Chelsea [...]
Europa League qualification to slash West Ham summer break May 26, 2015 WEST HAM’S need for a new manager has gained greater urgency after it was confirmed that they will enter next season’s Europa League and therefore start the campaign in less than five weeks. The Hammers, who qualified by topping the Premier League’s fair play rankings, are due to enter the competition at the first qualifying [...]
Watford set to replace Jokanovic as managerial chaos continues May 26, 2015 PREMIER League-bound Watford are set to replace manager Slavisa Jokanovic with Getafe boss Quique Sanchez Flores despite the former Chelsea midfielder guiding the Hornets to English football’s top flight. Watford are understood to have made an official approach for Flores, who won the 2010 Europa League while in charge of Atletico Madrid after beginning his [...]
Could Liverpool legally let Raheem Sterling “rot in the reserves” in response to contract dispute? May 22, 2015 When a 20-year-old footballer publicly declares he wants to leave a club and his agent hurls insults at one of its legendary players, you can forgive fans for reacting emotionally. Raheem Sterling's all-too-public wrangling over a new contract with Liverpool has turned ugly in recent days, with many fans calling on the club to come [...]
Uefa FFP rules: Why Arsenal and Liverpool are “losers” while Manchester City and Chelsea are “winners” of proposed reforms May 19, 2015 "I think we’ll ease things", said Uefa president Michel Platini on the governing body's notorious financial fair play (FFP) rules yesterday. With Uefa's executive committee set to meet this June, insiders suggest FFP rules are about to be altered to allow clubs to make bigger losses in the pursuit of success. What would such measures [...]
Chelsea and Manchester City set to be unshackled by FFP as Uefa relaxes rules May 18, 2015 Chelsea and Manchester City could be given licence to return to free-spending ways this summer after European chiefs indicated they are ready to relax controversial financial fair play (FFP) rules. Michel Platini, the president of governing body Uefa and a driving force behind FFP, said yesterday that he expected the regulations, which have been [...]
Jose Mourinho blames City, United, Arsenal and Liverpool for his record-equalling Chelsea loss May 18, 2015 Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho admitted he was unsurprised by his team’s surrender against West Brom last night, insisting such results are a byproduct of being crowned Premier League champions with games to spare. England hopeful Saido Berahino took his tally for the season to 20 with two goals, either side of a bizarre red [...]
Liverpool transfer news: Raheem Sterling ready to leave Reds as Arsenal and Manchester City look on May 18, 2015 England forward Raheem Sterling looks increasingly likely to leave Liverpool in the summer following suggestions he has asked Reds manager Brendan Rodgers for a transfer. Sterling, whose existing contract expires in 2017, has already turned down a new £100,000-a-week deal, insisting his motivations centre on winning trophies rather than money. The 20-year-old is expected to [...]