Government accused of wasting £120m on ‘festival of Brexit’ as MPs call event ‘recipe for failure’ March 16, 2022 MPs are saying the Government is wasting tens of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money on a so-called “festival of Brexit” without any clear idea of what it is meant to be. The Unboxed: Creativity in the UK event – due to take place later this year – is supposed to showcase the best of [...]
Saudi Media Group makes £2.7bn bid for Chelsea March 14, 2022 The biggest media group in the Middle East Saudi Media Group has made a £2.7bn offer to scoop up Chelsea as the football club races to find a new benefactor following Roman Abramovich’s sanction by the UK government. The sanctions block any new money going into the Premier League club, effectively forcing Abramovich to offload Chelsea [...]
Three Mobile suspends £40m Chelsea sponsorship amid Abramovich sanction March 10, 2022 Mobile giant Three has said it is reviewing its £40m sponsorship of Chelsea following the UK's sanction of owner Roman Abramovich.
Branding and product partnerships push football clubs into the fintech arena, and vice versa March 10, 2022 The fintech industry has never been fiercer. Funding levels have reached astronomical levels, as new ideas percolate throughout the financial ecosystem, meaning more and more fintechs are becoming experts and pioneers in a very specific aspect of the financial landscape. By adopting a collaborative as opposed to a competitive mindset, firms are given a platform [...]
Premier League suspend broadcast deal in Russia over Ukraine invasion March 8, 2022 The Premier League has today suspended its broadcast deal with Russian broadcast partner Okko Sport over the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The organisation will also donate £1m to support the Ukrainian people. This comes days after Chinese state broadcasters refused to show parts of Premier League games where there would be organised displays of solidarity [...]
Football match-fixing on rise as ‘lone wolves’ take it to lower leagues and even youth level March 6, 2022 It is almost 30 years since Bernard Tapie’s Marseille were found to be match-fixing in French football and more than 15 since the Calciopoli scandal rocked Serie A. Yet far from being consigned to the past, the manipulation of results is on the rise across sport and becoming more prevalent outside of football’s top divisions, [...]
From Abramovich to the Saudis: Football clubs have become the laundry for muddy reputations March 4, 2022 In 2003, Roman Abramovich bought Chelsea Football Club. In the years thereafter, a perennial underachiever became one of the most successful clubs in English football, a five-times Premier League champion and twice winner of the Champions League, the pinnacle of European football. Today, they are the reigning European and world club champions. Results on the [...]
International Olympic Committee calls for Russia and Belarus ban February 28, 2022 The International Olympic Committee (IOC) have urged sporting federations and organisations to “not invite or allow the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes and officials in international competitions”. As part of a list of recommendations released today, the IOC Executive Board (EB) have said their motives relate to the inability of Ukrainians to compete as [...]
Sport is guilty of shutting its eyes to Russia’s geopolitical ambitions February 27, 2022 Roman Abramovich’s near 20-year ownership of Premier League club Chelsea has been shrouded in mystery and therefore subject to constant scrutiny and speculation. Indeed, until the weekend, it remained unclear why he is there and what he is seeking to achieve. The oligarch has denied having direct links with Vladimir Putin but has been seen [...]
Ukraine war day three: Kyiv under curfew as Russia continues advance to the capital February 26, 2022 Day three of the Russian invasion of Ukraine marks another day of upsetting scenes for many across the world. After a night of gunfire and explosion, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky posted a self-shot video walking around the streets of the capital. As it stands this evening, Ukrainian forces remain in control of the capital city [...]