Manchester City were stupefied in Madrid. They need to find the smelling salts and fast May 5, 2022 Of all the astonishing facets of Real Madrid’s latest Champions League miracle this week, perhaps the eeriest was what it did to Manchester City’s players in the second leg of their semi-final at the Santiago Bernabeu. Under Pep Guardiola, City have become one of the most meticulously orchestrated teams on the planet. They have swept [...]
Liverpool part-owner RedBird Capital Partners makes approach to buy AC Milan – reports May 5, 2022 RedBird Capital Partners, the US investment firm with a minority stake in Liverpool’s owners, is interested in buying AC Milan, according to reports. RedBird has approached AC Milan’s owners, US hedge fund Elliott Management, about a possible deal for the Italian football club, reports Mark Kleinman for Sky News. Bahrain’s Investcorp had been expected to [...]
Ed Warner: The metaverse, Web3 and what it means for football club valuations May 5, 2022 In this week’s column, Ed Warner delves into the metaverse’s possible ramifications for the business of sport and considers the latest twists in the Chelsea sale saga. It was the shoes that put me in my place. Queuing to enter the SportsPro Live jamboree at The Oval last week, I scanned the footwear of my [...]
Chelsea facing administration unless Roman Abramovich drops plans to call in £1.5bn debt May 4, 2022 Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will likely have to drop plans to call in his £1.5bn loan to the club or see it go into administration. Abramovich is reported to have scrapped an apparent previous commitment to write off the debt as part of the sale of the club. The sanctioned Russian oligarch is not allowed [...]
Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ shirt auctioned for record £7.14m May 4, 2022 Maradona’s iconic 1986 World Cup ‘Hand of God’ shirt fetched £7.14m at auction this afternoon- marking a new auction record for any item of sports memorabilia. The shirt itself football history during the Argentina v England quarter finals of the FIFA World Cup after the footballer scored two of the most notorious goals in footie history. [...]
Chelsea sale: Sir Jim Ratcliffe bid ‘rejected out of hand’ by Roman Abramovich’s bankers May 4, 2022 Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid for Chelsea has been “rejected out of hand”, according to senior figures at his business the Ineos Group. The British petrochemicals billionaire made an 11th-hour offer for the Premier League club last week which comprised £2.5bn plus a commitment to invest a further £1.75bn. But Ratcliffe has indicated that he is [...]
Carlo Ancelotti: Management’s Mr Cool banishing his comeback demons with Real Madrid May 3, 2022 Carlo Ancelotti added yet another achievement to one of the best CVs in football at the weekend when his Real Madrid team, who face Manchester City in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday night, won the Spanish title. It made former Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and AC Milan coach Ancelotti the only manager ever [...]
Chelsea sale: Deal plunged into doubt after U-turn on loan repayment – reports May 3, 2022 Fresh doubt surrounds the proposed sale of Chelsea after it was reported that owner Roman Abramovich wants to change the structure of the deal. Having previously indicated that he was willing to write off more than £1.5bn of debt owed by the club to another of his companies, he is now said to have asked [...]
Paul Merson: Football should do more to stop lives being ruined by gambling addiction May 3, 2022 Former footballer and reformed addict Paul Merson believes the sport should do more to stop players falling prey to gambling problems. Merson also battled alcohol and drugs during a career that nevertheless gleaned league titles, European trophies and playing at World Cups for England. The ex-Arsenal forward, 54, was driven to the brink of suicide [...]
English football regulator may be constrained by conflicting aims, says legal expert May 2, 2022 An independent regulator of English football may be rendered toothless by conflicting aims, says a legal expert on the running of the sport. The Government last week announced plans to create a regulator as part of its response to former sports minister Tracey Crouch’s Fan-Led Review of Football Governance. But Stuart Hatcher, a corporate lawyer [...]