Ed Warner: The higher the price for Chelsea, the sooner their new owners will feel the strain April 21, 2022 Unless the media have been blindsided by a canny investment bank, it seems that there are no sovereign wealth funds or squillionaires left in the running to buy Chelsea. No Musk, Bezos, Chinese tech magnate or gas-rich autocracy. The three remaining bidders, as reported, are all consortia. Let the game theory commence. The selling bank, [...]
How Nike’s Jordan deal changed sports industry: new Ben Affleck and Matt Damon film to tell story April 20, 2022 Ben Affleck and Matt Damon are to star in a new film about the rise of Nike from upstart trainer brand to global sportswear giant. The movie will focus on Nike’s unlikely pursuit of a contract basketball star Michael Jordan – a deal which transformed the company’s fortunes and changed the course of the industry. [...]
Arsenal have reconnected with fans this season but on-field slump threatens to undo good work April 20, 2022 Since the dark days of lockdown, Arsenal have been engaged in a major branding exercise aimed at reconnecting with supporters. Club staff have conducted thousands of interviews with fans in the UK and overseas, particularly in Los Angeles and Shanghai, in an attempt to gauge what they had been doing right and where they had [...]
Wayne Rooney blames Candy Crush tycoon Mel Morris following Derby relegation April 19, 2022 Manager Wayne Rooney has pointed the finger at former Derby owner Mel Morris after the club’s relegation to the third tier was confirmed. The former English champions, who were penalised 21 points for financial infringements, can no longer avoid the drop following Monday’s defeat at Queen’s Park Rangers. Derby have played most of the season [...]
Ash Barty: Former world No1 tennis star swaps racquet for golf club for sporting comeback April 19, 2022 Former women’s world No1 tennis player Ash Barty will make her return to sport this summer at a new Ryder Cup-style golf competition for A-list athletes, the Icons Series. Barty, who stunned tennis by quitting last month, is due to be joined by football stars Harry Kane and Pep Guardiola, boxer Canelo Alvarez and swimmer [...]
Chelsea sale heading for full time as deadline arrives for potential world record £2.5bn deal April 13, 2022 This is a big week for Chelsea Football Club on the field, with the Blues’ men’s and women’s teams both preparing for FA Cup semi-finals on Sunday. For the men, the game is a must-win if they are to lift a trophy this season, as well as a chance to bounce back from a painful [...]
Stephen Pagliuca: Boston Celtics owner breaks silence, vowing to make ‘substantial’ Chelsea bid April 12, 2022 Potential Chelsea FC buyer Stephen Pagliuca says he will submit a “substantial and credible” bid for the European champions, while hinting at reducing his stake in Italian club Atalanta. In a statement reported first by Sky News, the co-owner of the Boston Celtics basketball team also pledged to support both the men’s and women’s teams [...]
Crystal Palace defender named in top five most valuable European breakthrough prospects April 11, 2022 Crystal Palace and England defender Marc Guehi has placed fifth in a list of the most valuable young footballers. The CIES Football Observatory listed the top 50 players to have made their debut this season in one of Europe’s top five leagues before turning 23. Ex-Chelsea centre back Guehi has an estimated transfer value of [...]
Nikita Mazepin: I lost my seat in Formula 1 because of ‘cancel culture against Russia’ April 7, 2022 Russian motor racing driver Nikita Mazepin says he is a victim of “cancel culture” following his sacking by Formula 1 team Haas. Mazepin lost his seat at the US outfit on the eve of the 2022 season when Haas cut all ties with Russia in the wake of its invasion of Ukraine. Haas’s main sponsor [...]
Liverpool FC NFT sale: Reds raise £1.1m but 95 per cent of digital artwork left unsold April 4, 2022 Liverpool have closed their controversial NFT sale after selling just over five per cent of the available digital artworks of players such as Mohamed Salah. In the biggest project of its kind from a Premier League football club, Liverpool partnered with Sotheby’s to sell up to 171,072 NFTs for $75 (£57) each – $12.8m (£9.8m) [...]