Clubs like Chelsea won’t be able to hide from regulator scrutiny Sport Business English football is a global entertainment and cultural powerhouse, contributing more than £9bn annually to the UK economy. Matches are broadcast to hundreds of millions worldwide, with clubs operating not just as teams but as global brands. But with that status comes increased scrutiny of how clubs are run. Under the new Independent Football Regulator [...]
Football missing bank-grade infrastructure as regulator powers grow Sport Business English football is entering a new era: the Premier League has just handed Chelsea a record fine for hidden payments, while the Independent Football Regulator (IFR) is starting to flex its intentions to improve financial soundness and resilience across the pyramid. The latest licensing proposals go further, allowing the regulator to categorise clubs as “high‑risk” [...]
Government ‘must not delay’ over Abramovich’s £2.5bn Chelsea funds, Tories say Sport Business Shadow chancellor Mel Stride has insisted the government “must not delay taking further action” against Roman Abramovich to unlock £2.5bn held after his sale of Chelsea. The Russian was forced to offload the Premier League club in 2022 after Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, with the proceeds of the sale to a consortium led by [...]
Shadow bank collapse floods London with hundreds of luxury properties March 17, 2026 London’s super prime property market is set to be flooded with hundreds of luxury homes following the collapse of one of Britain’s biggest shadow banks. Mansions in Kensington, Belgravia, Knightsbridge and Mayfair are being put on sale by administrators for Market Financial Solutions (MFS), all of which were controlled by individuals with links to the [...]
Chelsea hit with £11m fine and Premier League transfer ban March 16, 2026 Chelsea have been slapped with a £11m fine and a transfer ban for breaching Premier League rules under their previous ownership. An investigation into the London club found “undisclosed payments by third parties associated with the club were made to players, unregistered agents and other third parties” between 2011 and 2018, when the club was [...]
London property prices: Canary Wharf defies market trends February 20, 2026 Canary Wharf has become a hotspot for prime property in London with the number of homes listed for more than £1m, jumping 40 per cent in 2025 according to our annual Property Index. The index, which analyses listing data from Greater London and the Home Counties, found that 466 properties in the Docklands were listed [...]
Guardiola calls out Premier League clubs for not winning trophies February 3, 2026 Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has called out big Premier League clubs for not winning trophies despite spending more over the last five years. After the January transfer window closed on Monday – which saw the 20 Premier League clubs spend around £400m – City’s net spend over the past five years sat at £396m [...]
Why transfer window could be a tax issue for footballers February 1, 2026 As the end of the transfer window approaches, once again many young international footballers have relocated to England, with considerable salaries now in their pockets. For instance, Chelsea’s pair of teenage summer signings, Jorrel Hato and William Estevao, joined with reported salaries worth a combined £180,000. While these contracts mark the sudden arrival of significant [...]
Premier League clubs earn £250m in on-field Champions League prize money January 29, 2026 Premier League clubs in the Champions League have banked over £250m in on-field prize money after all six teams qualified for the knockouts. Arsenal, Liverpool, Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester City qualified straight for the round of 16 after successful campaigns in the 36-team, one-table group phase. Newcastle United qualified too, but will need to [...]
Premier League stadiums: Inside football’s grandstand revolution January 10, 2026 The Premier League is going through a revolution, and it is not in the form of playing formations. Stadiums – new and old – are second homes for fans, the community centre of their weekend. And England’s top flight is ever-changing. Three teams may get promoted each year and three may get relegated, but the [...]