Manchester United striker Anthony Martial tells club of wish to leave December 27, 2021 Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has told Ralf Rangnick, the club’s interim manager, that he wishes to leave the club. The Frenchman joined the Old Trafford club from Monaco in 2015 for £36m – then a transfer record for a teenage footballer. Since then, he has played 268 times for United, netting 79 times. Rangnick [...]
Best of 2021: Why Saudi Arabia bought Newcastle United December 27, 2021 In this article, originally published in October, sports business expert Professor Simon Chadwick explains the strategic background to the takeover of Newcastle United by a consortium headed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund – and why it about much more than football. After years of speculation, prevarication and consternation, Saudi Arabia has at last sealed [...]
Sports law year in review 2021: Were our predictions right? December 26, 2021 In December 2020, while others may have been preparing for muted New Year’s Eve celebrations in light of the new coronavirus variant, we were busy making sports law predictions for the year ahead for City A.M. In summary, we predicted a rise in data-related disputes on the back of Project Red Card, the further growth [...]
Best of 2021: Football training can be safer with VR technology December 26, 2021 Technology is ever-changing, and that includes in sport too. Matt Hardy took a look at how new VR could revolutionise the way football teams train. Originally published on October 15. A whipped cross and a powerful header towards goal are staples of football and the essence of set-piece tactics used by every football team. But [...]
Man Utd boss Ralf Rangnick suggests scrapping Carabao Cup December 23, 2021 Manchester United manager Ralf Rangnick has suggested that English football should scrap the Carabao Cup to ease the burden on players. Concerns about player welfare have been heightened by a raft of Covid-19 postponements, which will mean fixture congestion – and an intensified workload – in the coming weeks. “England is the only league in [...]
Premier League calls off Watford and Leeds Boxing Day games December 23, 2021 The Premier League has postponed two Boxing Day fixtures – Wolves v Watford, and Liverpool v Leeds United – due to Covid-19 outbreaks. Watford and Leeds requested their games be called off after being left short of players by Covid-19 cases and injuries. The Premier League said it hoped its early decision would minimise disruption [...]
Ed Warner: Sport must be proactive in protecting its stars from abuse December 23, 2021 If you see me reaching for the remote to watch BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2022, you know what to do. I was delighted that our gold medal winning GB Wheelchair Rugby team was nominated for the Team of the Year last weekend, alongside an illustrious bunch of trophy winners from other sports, [...]
‘Zombie clubs’ on rise as Covid doubles football teams in distress December 22, 2021 Football finance experts have warned of a rise in “zombie clubs” as a result of Covid-19 restrictions slashing teams’ income. The number of English clubs in financial distress doubled from 17 to 34 in the six months after stadiums closed in March 2020, a new report by insolvency firm Begbies Traynor found. Derby County and [...]
Man City stars Grealish and Foden warned by Guardiola over night out December 21, 2021 Manchester City stars Jack Grealish and Phil Foden have been warned about their behaviour after being dropped by manager Pep Guardiola. Guardiola left Grealish and Foden on the bench for the Premier League leaders’ 4-0 win over Newcastle United on Sunday after the pair were pictured on a night out days earlier. “I pay a [...]
Premier League rejects calls to pause fixtures amid rising Covid-19 rates December 20, 2021 Premier League clubs have rejected calls to postpone a round of fixtures despite an increasing number of teams being hit by Covid-19 outbreaks. English top-flight teams met today to discuss the potential move after six of 10 games in the division were called off over the weekend. It means the matches scheduled for 28, 29 [...]