Chelsea sale: Sir Jim Ratcliffe bid ‘rejected out of hand’ by Roman Abramovich’s bankers May 4, 2022 Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid for Chelsea has been “rejected out of hand”, according to senior figures at his business the Ineos Group. The British petrochemicals billionaire made an 11th-hour offer for the Premier League club last week which comprised £2.5bn plus a commitment to invest a further £1.75bn. But Ratcliffe has indicated that he is [...]
Chelsea sale: Deal plunged into doubt after U-turn on loan repayment – reports May 3, 2022 Fresh doubt surrounds the proposed sale of Chelsea after it was reported that owner Roman Abramovich wants to change the structure of the deal. Having previously indicated that he was willing to write off more than £1.5bn of debt owed by the club to another of his companies, he is now said to have asked [...]
Paul Merson: Football should do more to stop lives being ruined by gambling addiction May 3, 2022 Former footballer and reformed addict Paul Merson believes the sport should do more to stop players falling prey to gambling problems. Merson also battled alcohol and drugs during a career that nevertheless gleaned league titles, European trophies and playing at World Cups for England. The ex-Arsenal forward, 54, was driven to the brink of suicide [...]
English football regulator may be constrained by conflicting aims, says legal expert May 2, 2022 An independent regulator of English football may be rendered toothless by conflicting aims, says a legal expert on the running of the sport. The Government last week announced plans to create a regulator as part of its response to former sports minister Tracey Crouch’s Fan-Led Review of Football Governance. But Stuart Hatcher, a corporate lawyer [...]
Chelsea price is a steal – English clubs will be worth $10bn soon, says banker selling club April 28, 2022 The banker running the sale of Chelsea FC says the club would be a bargain even if it fetches £2.5bn, a record price for a sports team. Joe Ravitch, co-founder of US bank the Raine Group, said he expected Premier League clubs to be worth several times more very soon. “My guess is that Chelsea [...]
Hull City owning Turkish media mogul to fly in reality TV contestants for final game of season April 27, 2022 Championship football club Hull City are set to have some unusual guests at their final game of the season: contestants from the Turkish version of reality TV show Survivor. The contestants are due to be flown in especially from the Dominican Republic, where they are currently filming, for the match against Nottingham Forest next week, [...]
If the metaverse is the future, what does it hold hold for sport? April 26, 2022 Since Facebook rebranded to Meta last year, barely a day passes without a new capital raise, brand launch or futures fund for the metaverse, but what exactly is it and what does it mean for sport and its biggest stars? Despite the metaverse being a relatively recent term, it’s clear a new virtual reality is [...]
Chelsea sale: Todd Boehly bid wins backing from influential former player Paul Canoville April 26, 2022 Influential former Chelsea player Paul Canoville has thrown his weight behind Todd Boehly’s bid to buy the club. Canoville, who has a suite named after him at Stamford Bridge, has come out in support of the Boehly consortium after holding talks with all three remaining bidders. “This is by far the best fit for Chelsea [...]
English football regulator won’t ban owners for geopolitical reasons, says Government April 25, 2022 A new independent regulator for English football will not seek to prevent takeovers or force out owners on the basis of geopolitical issues, the Government has confirmed. The regulator will have power to implement tougher tests on prospective club buyers to “root out unsuitable owners”, the official response to last year’s Fan Led Review of [...]
Chelsea bidders told they must commit to keeping control of club for 10 years April 25, 2022 The three shortlisted bidders in the sale of Chelsea Football Club have been told they must commit to holding a majority stake for at least 10 years, according to reports. The requirement is set to be a legally binding part of any agreement to purchase the Premier League team from sanctioned owner Roman Abramovich, Sky [...]