Liverpool have ‘identified potential investors’, says owner John Henry March 7, 2023 Liverpool owner John Henry says they have “identified potential investors” but that his group’s commitment to the football club “remains stronger than ever”. Henry’s comments appear to open the door to the sale of a minority stake in the Premier League team, having appointed bankers to test the market late last year. But they also [...]
CVC Capital Partners moves into women’s tennis with £125m WTA deal March 7, 2023 The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) is close to confirming a £125m ($150m) investment from CVC Capital Partners, according to reports. A deal would see prolific sports investors CVC take a 20 per cent stake in the WTA, which runs the main women’s tennis tour, reports Mark Kleinman for Sky News. CVC and the WTA would [...]
Cameron Smith thumbs nose at PGA Tour ban with Players Championship threat March 7, 2023 Open champion Cameron Smith has raised the possibility of embarrassing the PGA Tour by turning up at this week’s Players Championship despite his ban for joining LIV Golf. Smith has been denied the chance to defend his Players’ title as part of an indefinite suspension of his PGA Tour membership for accepting a lucrative offer [...]
Dan Azeez interview: Britain’s next boxing superstar on swapping financial services for the fight game March 7, 2023 Dan Azeez was planning for a career in the City when an encounter with Anthony Joshua in 2011 changed his life. The south Londoner’s parents, first generation Nigerian immigrants, impressed upon him the importance of education and a profession, so Azeez took a degree in accounting and finance at Essex University and set his sights [...]
‘Most expensive lottery ticket on the planet’: Premier League told why it must give more money to rest of English football March 2, 2023 English football’s financial structure needs a “proper reset” to make clubs outside the Premier League sustainable, says EFL chairman Rick Parry. The riches on offer in the top tier incentivise teams lower down the pyramid to overspend to dangerous degrees, says Parry, who wants the Premier League to reduce the inequality between divisions with more [...]
Former Chelsea bidder hints at interest in Liverpool and Manchester United March 1, 2023 Former Chelsea bidder Stephen Pagliuca has hinted that he could be interested in buying Liverpool or Manchester United but says he won’t be sucked into overpaying. The private equity veteran and co-owner of Italian club Atalanta and the NBA’s Boston Celtics missed out on Chelsea to Todd Boehly’s consortium last year. Pagliuca says he is [...]
Why Japanese advertising darling Dentsu has been charged with corruption over Tokyo 2020 Olympics contracts March 1, 2023 Japanese advertising giant Dentsu is among several companies and individuals charged with corruption over the awarding of contracts for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Dentsu’s competitors Hakuhodo and Tokyu Agency and event production companies Cerespo, Fuji Creative and Same Two have also been charged. Former Tokyo 2020 operations executive Yasuo Mori and former Dentsu executive Koji [...]
Why football clubs are like tomatoes – and these are salad days for the likes of Manchester United’s owners February 28, 2023 The salad shortage and the appeal of elite football clubs such as Manchester United are both being driven by the same thing, writes Neil Hopkins. Early 2023 seems destined to be remembered for shortages. For most of us, a shortage of tomatoes and other salad produce. For cash-rich investors from the Middle East, a shortage [...]
Kop of living crisis: Soaring bills hit Liverpool’s bottom line February 28, 2023 It seems that even the world’s richest football clubs are not immune to the cost of living crisis after soaring bills put a dent in Liverpool’s profits. The Premier League club achieved record revenues of £594m last season but turned a pre-tax profit of just £7.5m following a steep rise in matchday overheads. The return [...]
Ben Stokes: England captain to fulfil £1.6m IPL contract despite Ashes injury fears February 28, 2023 England cricket captain Ben Stokes insists he will fulfil his £1.6m Indian Premier League (IPL) contract despite injury restricting his participation in a blockbuster second Test in New Zealand and threatening his fitness for this summer’s Ashes. A knee injury meant Stokes took the ball for just two of the 216 overs bowled by England [...]