Uefa calls meeting to move Champions League final from Russia February 24, 2022 European football’s governing body Uefa has called an extraordinary meeting for tomorrow morning when it is expected to strip Russia of the Champions League final. St Petersburg had been due to stage the biggest game in club football on 28 May but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine this week has seen pressure on Uefa to move [...]
KPMG ditches golfer Mickelson over Saudi breakaway tour row February 23, 2022 KPMG has terminated its long-standing sponsorship of Phil Mickelson in the wake of the US golfer’s comments supporting a proposed Saudi-backed tour. Mickelson apologised on Tuesday for remarks in which he pushed the case for a new circuit despite acknowledging Saudi Arabia’s “horrible record on human rights”. KPMG on Mickelson’s cap has been one of [...]
Jury out on Crystal Palace gamble ahead of reunion with Hodgson February 22, 2022 Crystal Palace face Roy Hodgson’s Watford tomorrow in a match that serves as a reminder of both their recent past and the significant gamble they have made on their future. After almost four unadventurous but reliable years under Hodgson, last summer Palace traded in the former England manager for a decidedly sexier brand of football [...]
No plans to move Champions League final from Russia, says Uefa February 22, 2022 European football chiefs Uefa say there are no plans to move the Champions League final from St Petersburg despite Russia invading Ukraine. The final of club football’s most prestigious competition is due to take place at the Gazprom Arena in the Russian city on 22 May. “Uefa is constantly and closely monitoring the situation,” the [...]
Saudi-backed golf tour ‘dead in water’, says Rory McIlroy February 21, 2022 Former world No1 Rory McIlroy believes Saudi-backed plans for a breakaway golf tour are “dead in the water” after more leading players turned their back on the talks. McIlroy also issued a stinging rebuke of Phil Mickelson after the US PGA champion indicated he would overlook his humanitarian concerns about Saudi Arabia in the name [...]
TV row comes back to bite Turkish football’s Super Lig rights sale February 20, 2022 Turkish football provided one of the most bizarre stories of last year when Fenerbahce president Ali Koc waged a public relations war with broadcaster BeIN Sports. Koc attempted to blame BeIN for bad results, cooking up an implausible conspiracy theory that it was manipulating replays shown to the video assistant referee to penalise his team. [...]
World No1 Rahm delivers another blow to Saudi golf league plans February 17, 2022 Men’s world No1 Jon Rahm has become the latest high-profile golfer to rule out joining a new Saudi-funded circuit. Leading players have been offered tens of millions of dollars to leave the PGA Tour and sign up to a new Super League competition fronted by Greg Norman and bankrolled by Saudi Arabia. “There has been [...]
Ed Warner: Commonwealth Games has earned extra life by embracing esports February 17, 2022 If you want to win a full bore rifle shooting medal at the Commonwealth Games you’ll need a keen eye, steady hand, ability to lower and control your heart rate, thousands of hours of practice – and a host city willing to include the event. However good you might be, then, Birmingham 2022 isn’t your [...]
Oracle Red Bull Racing sign record breaking sponsorship deal with Bybit February 16, 2022 Formula 1 team Oracle Red Bull Racing have agreed a world record sponsorship deal with cryptocurrency exchange Bybit. The three-year contract is believed to be worth $150m (£111m), making it the biggest crypto commercial partnership in sport in terms of yearly value. “I’m delighted to welcome Bybit to the Team,” said team principal and chief [...]
Fifpro boss Jonas Baer-Hoffmann on player power, biennial World Cups, Super League and Qatar February 15, 2022 There is a common thread that connects the two biggest football stories of the last 12 months, the failed European Super League breakaway and debate over biennial World Cups. It can also be seen in concerns about player welfare, disagreements over economic models and what global players’ union Fifpro says is a tidal wave of [...]