Pre-season tours: Inside the economics of football’s summer money-spinners Sport Business Football’s summer tours have turned into travelling commercial platforms bringing together big fees, sponsors, merchandise, media and global fan growth, explains Simon Dent. For most football supporters, pre-season used to mean low-key friendlies against a local non-league team, some heavy-legged players and a chance to see the new signing for 30 minutes. For clubs, it [...]
Liverpool FC eye US retail empire to steal march on Premier League rivals Sport Business Liverpool FC are in talks to become the first Premier League football team to open a chain physical retail stores in the United States. The 20-time English champions already have 26 bricks-and-mortar stores across the world, including in London, Hong Kong, Singapore, and South Africa, and want to grow to 40 by 2030. The move [...]
Enzo Maresca pays Chelsea compensation to become Manchester City manager Sport Business Manchester City have confirmed the appointment of Enzo Maresca as manager – but only after he personally paid compensation to former club Chelsea. City are themselves reported to have paid £17m to the Blues in order to secure Maresca’s signature on a three-year contract, but Chelsea have made clear that the Italian was also forced [...]
Yokohama F Marinos: City Football Group offloads second club in space of six months June 25, 2026 City Football Group, owner of 10 football clubs including Manchester City, has divested its minority stake in Japanese side Yokohama F Marinos to carmaker Nissan. The J1 League outfit will remain a CFG partner club but is now wholly owned by Nissan, who founded them as a works team in the 1970s. It comes six [...]
Premier League clubs warned crypto deals could be worthless in a year June 25, 2026 Premier League football clubs have been warned that long-term sponsorship deals with crypto firms could be rendered worthless in a year’s time. It comes after the Financial Conduct Authority took the unusual step of writing to teams about the issue this month and as the watchdog rolls out plans for tighter scrutiny of the sector. [...]
Manchester City and Chelsea boosted by lawyer’s compensation claims verdict June 22, 2026 Any football clubs seeking to bring compensation claims in the wake of Burnley’s landmark £40m award will face significant hurdles, a former Premier League lawyer has warned. The decision by an independent disciplinary commission earlier this month to order Everton to pay an eight-figure sum to Burnley has been tipped to trigger a landslide of [...]
Manchester City now worth £7.5bn, says chairman Al Mubarak June 5, 2026 Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak insists the club are now worth at least £7.5bn but that owner Sheikh Mansour has no intention of selling. City have been the most successful English club of the last 10 years but have now gone two seasons without winning the Premier League title for the first time since [...]
Fifa boss Infantino pips PSG chief Al-Khelaifi in City AM Football Power List June 4, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino has topped the inaugural City AM Football Power List, a week before the biggest ever men’s World Cup is due to kick off. The ranking, compiled with a 16-strong panel of expert judges drawn from across the sports industry, is designed to be a snapshot of who controls the most popular [...]
City AM Football Power List 2026: Who really runs the world’s most popular sport? June 4, 2026 The City AM Football Power List seeks to answer a simple question: ahead of the 2026 World Cup, who really runs the planet’s favourite sport? To answer it, we assembled a panel of experts from across the sports industry and picked their brains for nominations and, ultimately, a top 25. You can read more about [...]
Manchester City and Spygate prove lawyer gulf is opening in football May 31, 2026 In February 2023, Manchester City fans unfurled a banner at the Etihad Stadium bearing the words “Pannick on the streets of London”. This play on The Smiths’ 1986 song referred to Lord David Pannick KC, the barrister hired to spearhead the club’s defence against 115 charges for alleged breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules. [...]