Qatar interested in buying Manchester United – but bidders won’t be PSG owners Qatar Sports Investments February 9, 2023 The Qatar Investment Authority is interested in buying a stake in Manchester United and has not ruled out a full takeover. QIA, which owns Harrods as well as significant shareholdings in Heathrow Airport and Sainsbury’s, has not made an offer for United yet. But it is one of the Qatari parties mulling an offer to [...]
Ed Warner: Rugby union could learn from the NFL model on Super Bowl LVII weekend February 9, 2023 For all the relentless commercial growth of the Premier League, IPL and F1, the NFL remains the sporting brand to beat. Super Bowl LVII will be watched by more than 200m people worldwide on Sunday. The matchup between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Philadelphia Eagles has its stories, but in truth the identity of [...]
Pressure grows over potential £42m deal between South Africa and Tottenham February 8, 2023 The South African government is under increasing pressure to scrap a proposed sponsorship deal worth over £40m with Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur. The proposed three-year deal is worth 900m South African rand (£42.5m) and has been criticised by the parliament’s tourism committee. Tourism Minister Lindiwe Sisulu told the committee that she had no knowledge [...]
Manchester City hire £10,000-an-hour Boris Johnson Partygate barrister to fight Premier League charges February 8, 2023 Manchester City have hired the barrister who advised Boris Johnson over Partygate, Lord Pannick KC, to defend them against more than 100 charges brought by the Premier League. Pannick is one of the country’s leading barristers and can command fees of £10,000 an hour – equivalent to City top earner Kevin de Bruyne’s £400,000 salary, [...]
Why PwC’s Global Sports Survey is good news for the owners of Manchester United and Liverpool February 7, 2023 From Chelsea’s record-breaking spending on new footballers to debate over the future of the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup in tennis and the arbitration between legacy tours and LIV Golf, private equity and sovereign wealth have been intertwined with some of sport’s biggest stories so far in 2023. The trend is only set [...]
Why have Manchester City been charged by the Premier League? What punishment can they face? Will it affect the title race or fellow big-spenders Chelsea? February 6, 2023 The Premier League hit Manchester City with an unprecedented volume of charges for alleged breaches of financial rules on Monday, but what happens next? What punishment could City face if found guilty? And what does it mean for the title race, and other big-spending clubs such as Chelsea? Read on to find out. What has [...]
Leeds United sack manager Jesse Marsch after less than a year in charge February 6, 2023 Leeds United have sacked manager Jesse Marsch just 11 months after the Premier League club appointed the American. Marsch leaves the job after failing to win in the Premier League since November. Leeds United are on a run of just two wins – both in the FA Cup – in 11 matches. Leeds are 17th [...]
Manchester City’s most successful era now has an asterisk after Premier League hit them with over 100 charges February 6, 2023 Manchester City are facing the threat of expulsion from the Premier League after the English champions were accused of the biggest financial scandal in the competition’s history. City were yesterday charged with more than 100 alleged rule breaches dating back to 2009, including falsely reporting income and the salaries of players and managers, and failing [...]
Football league club chairman makes radical suggestion to help non-league teams – and believes it could get majority backing February 6, 2023 English football is facing fresh calls to overhaul promotion and relegation and make it easier for non-league clubs to climb the men’s pyramid. The number of teams promoted from the National League to League Two should increase from two to three, argues Grimsby Town chairman Jason Stockwood. Stockwood, writing in the Guardian, says there may [...]
Harry Kane’s historic 267th Spurs goal dents Man City’s title hopes February 5, 2023 Harry Kane savoured a “magical moment” after becoming Tottenham Hotspur’s all-time leading goalscorer in yesterday’s Premier League defeat of champions Manchester City. Kane tucked past City goalkeeper Ederson in the 15th minute for his 267th Spurs goal, eclipsing the record previously held by Jimmy Greaves. It saw the 10-man north Londoners move to within one [...]