Grave impact of pandemic on English football laid bare by report but US investor appetite grows August 12, 2021 A report published by accountancy firm BDO has displayed the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on English football clubs. The BDO report, which surveyed the finance directors from the top four leagues, found that more than 80 per cent of clubs accessed the furlough scheme, while 70 per cent deferred tax payments. The impact of [...]
Real Madrid to sue La Liga and CVC chiefs over €2.7bn deal August 10, 2021 Real Madrid is suing bosses at La Liga and CVC Capital Partners over a €2.7bn (£2.3bn) deal that will see the private equity firm take a 10 per cent stake in Spain’s top-flight league. The football club said it will take civil and criminal action against La Liga president Javier Tebas and CVC chief Javier [...]
Sutton United: How the non-league lifers did a Leicester – and why they have had to transform the club for their debut season in the EFL August 7, 2021 Sutton United’s long-serving chairman Bruce Elliott has more than one reason to look forward to today’s trip to Forest Green Rovers. Elliott’s overriding emotion will be pride that the club he has been involved with for half a century has reached the English Football League (EFL) for the first time in their 123-year history. But [...]
£100m Jack Grealish: How most expensive signing in Premier League history compares to biggest transfers of all time August 5, 2021 Jack Grealish has become the most expensive signing in Premier League history after completing his £100m transfer from Aston Villa to Manchester City. Grealish is also the most expensive English player ever to be traded, and the eighth most expensive transfer of all time. The England attacking midfielder, 25, shone for England as they finished [...]
CVC to enter football with £2.3bn deal for 10 per cent of Spain’s LaLiga August 4, 2021 CVC Capital Partners is set to make its first major football investment by paying €2.7bn (£2.3bn) for a minority stake in Spain’s top league, LaLiga. The private equity giant, which has invested heavily in rugby in recent years, has an agreement in principle for around 10 per cent of LaLiga. “LaLiga confirms a strategic agreement [...]
Socios: The blockchain-enabled fan token platform promising to unlock revenue from the global fanbases of sport’s most famous teams July 31, 2021 Football’s transfer market may have lacked headline-grabbing deals so far this summer but the same can’t be said for Socios. The platform, which sells “fan tokens” offering supporters the chance to influence decisions at their team, has instantly increased visibility with a clutch of major partnerships. Last week Socios announced the launch of an Arsenal [...]
European football market contracted by £3.4bn in first few months of Covid-19 pandemic, Deloitte report finds July 29, 2021 The European football market shrunk by 13 per cent in the first few months of the pandemic, according to analysis by Deloitte. Total revenue fell by €3.7bn (£3.4bn) to €25.2bn (£22.1bn) in 2019-20, the first decrease since the global financial crisis struck more than a decade earlier. Clubs suffered as leagues were postponed and resumed [...]
Fulham sign up blockchain telecoms network World Mobile as principal commercial partner on three-year-deal July 27, 2021 Fulham have signed World Mobile, a telecoms network that uses blockchain technology, as their new principal commercial partner. The three-year deal sees World Mobile replace bookmaker BetVictor as the club’s main sponsor. The agreement will see World Mobile appear on the shirts of the Fulham men’s, women’s and youth teams. Fulham’s men will be hoping [...]
Crystal Palace report £58m loss for pandemic-hit 2019-20 season July 26, 2021 Crystal Palace have announced a £58m loss for the 2019-20 season as a result of Covid-19’s impact on football. The Premier League club saw revenue fall £13m to £142m, while operating expenses increased by £15m to £154m. The drop in income was largely due to the effect of matches in the second half of the [...]
Burnley sign spread betting and trading platform Spreadex as main sponsor on one-year deal July 20, 2021 Burnley have signed up spread betting and financial trading platform Spreadex as their main shirt sponsor for next season. The one-year deal will see the company’s sports fixed odds and spread betting arm, Spreadex Sports, replace Chinese brand LoveBet as principal partner. Spreadex is understood to be paying slightly less than LoveBet, whose £7.5m deal [...]