Final Premier League games could be make or break for World Cup hopes October 28, 2022 The eyes of the footballing world are already beginning to look into their peripherals and see the opening day of the Fifa World Cup looking back at them. Because, in a little over three weeks, the first Middle Eastern World Cup, held in Qatar, will begin. It’s been a tournament shrouded in controversy since the [...]
World Cup spells win for struggling advertising market October 27, 2022 The ad sector is set to score a much-needed goal this winter with the Qatar World Cup driving up advertising spend. According to new data from the Advertising Association (AA), ad spend for the final quarter is set to climb by 4.5 per cent from last year’s record high, to a total of £9.5bn. This [...]
Ad build-up to Qatar World Cup is ‘oh so quiet’ October 26, 2022 The World Cup is a little over three weeks away but it’s oh so quiet. At least when Björk sung those words, the accompanying music video by Spike Jonze showed people spontaneously spilling into the street in a Busby Berkeley-style choreographed celebration. But it’s increasingly hard to shake the feeling that there isn’t quite that [...]
Ed Warner: F1 needs to fast track its cost cap procedures October 6, 2022 The headhunter was calling me about a CEO role at a top six Premier League club. He was building his long list of possible candidates. One of the lures was that half the salary would be paid outside the UK in a low tax jurisdiction, ostensibly for services rendered directly to the club’s overseas owners. [...]
Hummel’s Denmark kit, the Qatar World Cup and what it means for sport sponsorship October 4, 2022 Sports industry expert Ben Peppi assesses Hummel’s controversial new Denmark kit for this year’s Qatar World Cup and what the ramifications may be for future sponsorships and commercial deals. The domino effect is in full motion. It started last summer when Cristiano Ronaldo advised people to “drink water” after removing two Coca-Cola bottles from view [...]
Qatar urged to investigate allegations of torture before death of UK tourism exec September 29, 2022 Qatari authorities have been urged to investigate alleged torture of a UK tourism executive before his death three years ago. Mark Bennett was found dead in December 2019 after being arrested 10 weeks earlier at the office of Qatar Airways, his employer. The Times lifted the lid on alleged horrific treatment the tourism executive [...]
What the data says: Who should be in England’s World Cup starting XI on form? September 27, 2022 We now know the tactics that Gareth Southgate wants to use at the World Cup – so who should be in England’s starting XI based on current form? To answer that question, City A.M. enlisted the help of Delphlyx, the data-driven platform for analysing, comparing and valuing footballers. England’s system “As we saw against Germany [...]
Saka and Bellingham in, Maguire on thin ice: What Gareth Southgate learned from England’s last games before the World Cup September 27, 2022 Gareth Southgate was keen to emphasise that England had “learnt a huge amount” from their final Nations League matches – their last action before the World Cup in Qatar later this year. After a mostly turgid display in Milan last Friday led to a 1-0 defeat against Italy, England restored some confidence with a 3-3 [...]
Jude Bellingham and the midfield problem England must solve before the World Cup September 23, 2022 Avoiding relegation to the second tier of the Nations League may be the obvious target for England in their matches with Italy, tonight, and Germany, on Monday, but Gareth Southgate could be forgiven for having other priorities. Less than two months out from the World Cup, the Three Lions manager faces a midfield conundrum that, [...]
Nations League: What’s at stake for England during this week’s international break? September 21, 2022 The frenetic pace of the domestic football season yields to the international break this week but, with a Nations League group stage to wrap up, the action will continue to come thick and fast. England are among several high-profile teams fighting to preserve their top-tier status in the competition, while results from the final two [...]