Mikel Arteta had no choice but to drop Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – and history suggests Arsenal captain should fall into line March 15, 2021 In dropping his captain, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, for the north London derby because he arrived late, Mikel Arteta took a huge risk. Lose to bitter rivals Tottenham, and the decision would look like hubristic self-sabotage. Win – as Arsenal ultimately did – and it is brave, principled leadership. Bold though it certainly was, in many ways [...]
Castore founder Tom Beahon on swapping life in the City and as a footballer to start fast-growing British premium sportswear brand March 12, 2021 Steven Gerrard wasn’t the only Liverpudlian celebrating when his Rangers team returned to the summit of Scottish football last weekend. Watching at home on Merseyside were Tom Beahon, 31, and brother Phil, 28, the founders of British sportswear brand Castore. Last year, Castore signed Rangers as their first football client. On Sunday, they toasted the [...]
Week in Sportbiz: Olympic chiefs offer vaccines to athletes; Israel wins French Super Cup; and Winklevoss twins return to Boat Race March 11, 2021 Olympic chiefs have eased concerns around this summer’s Games by offering Covid-19 vaccines to any athlete set to compete at Tokyo 2020. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) said the offer applied to athletes and teams involved in either Tokyo or the Winter Games in Beijing in February 2022. The IOC will buy the vaccines from [...]
Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish says Champions League expansion plans will have ‘devastating effect’ on English football March 10, 2021 Crystal Palace chairman Steve Parish has called plans to expand the Champions League and change the qualifying criteria “very concerning”. Europe’s top football clubs and governing body Uefa have proposed an overhaul that would create 100 more fixtures and allocate extra places on the basis of historical success from 2024. “With the assault on the [...]
Goals galore: Why the return of the Champions League and Europa League is good news for fans (and bad news for goalkeepers) March 9, 2021 The Champions League and Europa League resume this week and – *checks calculator* – that is good news for the armchair football fan. After a lively, goal-strewn start, excitement in the Premier League has plateaued as the season has rumbled on, leading to fears that fatigue had taken hold owing to a short pre-season and [...]
Premier League tester to launch Covid testing ‘pods’ at UK offices March 8, 2021 Covid-19 testing pods are set to be introduced this week at a number of IWG-run offices, which will be available to both the public and employees, the genetic tester said this morning. The company, which does the testing for The Premier League, will roll out 10 pods this week, with another 100 due to be [...]
Why Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel Jesus and Jadon Sancho might be forced to sit out the next international break March 5, 2021 Football’s international break is on the horizon, but for some players these 2022 World Cup qualifying matches might as well not be happening at all. The UK’s requirement that those travelling to certain countries quarantine for 10 days on their return has made some Premier League clubs reluctant to release players. But the situation could [...]
Cazoo, Dettol and Tik Tok: How the pandemic has changed the sport sponsorship landscape March 3, 2021 The pandemic may have halted the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace, but in the world of sport sponsorship it has sparked some dramatic moves. New entrants are making major investments while more established sponsors have moved aside to make way. A combination of enforced changes of habit and the uneven nature of Covid-19’s [...]
Gareth Bale is back for Tottenham – so is this another Jose Mourinho managerial masterstroke? March 1, 2021 Just a few weeks ago, Jose Mourinho did not want to talk about Gareth Bale. On 4 February, he sniped at a reporter for asking why Bale was left on the Tottenham bench during a 1-0 defeat to Chelsea. Eight days later, Mourinho publicly rebuked him for implying, via social media, that he was fit and [...]
Why science, engineering and business must unite to protect our athletes and the sports we love February 24, 2021 The stadiums were echoing, the stands empty, but when normal life ground to a halt, many professional sportsmen and women played on. The spectacle gave the rest of us a dose of much-needed escapism. Watching from our locked-down homes, it was easy to imagine the athletes on-screen didn’t have a care in the world beyond [...]