Blues stuck in a crisis, admits Cech February 22, 2012 Chelsea keeper says players to blame for Napoli defeat that threatens manager Villas-Boas CHELSEA goalkeeper Petr Cech admits the club is in the midst of a crisis and says “silly mistakes” were to blame for the defeat to Napoli that has nudged manager Andre Villas-Boas ever closer to the sack. Tuesday’s 3-1 reverse in Italy [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING February 22, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES RUSSIAN LINK IN FRAUD CLAIM A $150m fraud allegedly attempted by a former fund manager at Threadneedle Asset Management is linked to a trade in more than a billion Argentinian warrants by former staff at Otkritie, the Russian financial services group. Threadneedle confirmed on Tuesday that a former trader had been dismissed in [...]
Arsenal urged to consider rights issue to protect £50m war chest February 20, 2012 STRUGGLING Arsenal were last night urged to consider issuing new shares in a bid to bolster their finances and free up cash for new players. The Gunners are poised to confirm more healthy financial results, with last summer’s sales of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri swelling their available cash to £50m. But that could be [...]
Fizz to fall out of Carlsberg profits in 2012 February 20, 2012 DANISH brewer Carlsberg yesterday warned its operating profits will be flat in 2012, hit by declining beer markets in northern and western Europea while its biggest market, Russia, will show a slow recovery. The world’s fourth largest brewer said yesterday it expects the Russian beer market to return to modest growth this year after a [...]
Remember Greece is not the only problem February 20, 2012 IF I’m getting sick of talking about Greece, I’m pretty sure you are just as sick of hearing about it. The thing that worries me more about the news fatigue around the Eurozone crisis is that we are about to become horribly complacent. Once Greece comes to a head, there’s bound to be another issue [...]
Chelsea at odds over Villas-Boas February 16, 2012 Manager admits squad is divided over his approach as Blues battle to finish in top four UNDER-FIRE Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas admits he is battling a divided dressing room – but insists owner Roman Abramovich still has faith in him. Villas-Boas is under increasing pressure, with the Blues on course to miss out on Champions [...]
Baume & Mercier: historic brand back on its game February 16, 2012 FOR a luxury watch brand with a history dating back to 1830, Baume & Mercier has been maintaining a curiously low profile for the past few years. Or rather had been until 2011, during which it had a bit of a break-out year. Suddenly there were interesting, charismatic pieces appearing again in its collection, and [...]
CAIRN ENERGY CHAIRMAN BREAKS BREAD IN SPANISH SUPERMARKETS February 15, 2012 A RED-LETTER day for Sir Bill Gammell yesterday, as the fast-growing food brand backed by the Cairn Energy chairman announced expansion into its second international market. Under a deal with French supermarket giant Carrefour, Genius Foods, the gluten-free grocery range in which Gammell is the largest single investor, will be available in the chain’s 350 [...]
Telenor claws back Vimpelcom February 15, 2012 Norway’s Telenor yesterday wrestled back partial control of telecom firm Vimpelcom from Russian oligarch Mikhail Fridman’s Alfa Group, in a move that gives it more say over strategy and could prolong a long-running corporate battle. The company said it has bought 234m shares in Vimpelcom that will boost its voting share to 36.36 per cent.
Will the real Abramovich please stand up? February 14, 2012 POPULAR wisdom has it that Chelsea manager Andre Villas-Boas is facing his moment of truth, but the next week promises to tell us at least as much about the man who hired him, Roman Abramovich. Villas-Boas swept into Stamford Bridge in the summer at a cost of £28m armed with a reputation as the next [...]