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, [...]
Abramovich sale of Chelsea could take place next week, says Premier League March 3, 2022 The Premier League has welcomed Roman Abramovich’s decision to sell Chelsea and indicated that a takeover could be completed as soon as next week. Chief executive Richard Masters called it the “right solution because the position was unsustainable” given Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. “It’s the right decision. The situation escalated incredibly quickly,” Masters told the [...]
F1 champion Verstappen signs new deal with Oracle Red Bull until 2028 March 3, 2022 Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has signed a contract extension that commits him to Oracle Red Bull Racing for the next seven seasons. The deal, which is reported to be worth £40m a year, is a five-year extension to his current agreement and takes him to the end of the 2028 campaign. “I really [...]
Clock ticking on Roman Abramovich after he puts Chelsea up for sale March 2, 2022 Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has put the Premier League club up for sale – but faces a race against time to find a buyer amid the continued threat of sanctions. Abramovich has hired US bank the Raine Group to advise on a deal and is believed to want £3bn for the reigning European champions, who [...]
Swiss billionaire receives offer to buy Chelsea as Roman Abramovich is pushed to sell Stamford Bridge club quickly March 2, 2022 A Swiss billionaire has been approached to buy Chelsea football club, according to various reports this morning. 86-year-old Hansjorg Wyss reportedly confirmed he is interested in purchasing the Stamford Bridge club from Roman Abramovich, but only in a consortium. Russian-Israeli billionaire Abramovich is understood to want to retain his ownership of Chelsea but that could [...]
Premier League takes slow road to first NFT deal March 1, 2022 Driven by the extraordinary early success of the NBA’s Top Shot digital collectibles, NFTs were the talk of the sports industry when the Premier League dipped its toe into the market last year. It launched a tender process, inviting bidders to submit proposals for a range of officially licensed Premier League NFTs, which was due [...]
Everton backer Usmanov has assets frozen by EU over Putin links March 1, 2022 Everton backer Alisher Usmanov has had his assets frozen by the European Union on the grounds that he is close to Russian president Vladimir Putin. Usmanov’s company USM Holdings sponsors Everton’s training ground and has bought the naming rights to the Premier League club’s yet-to-be constructed stadium. The billionaire is also a close associate of [...]
Uefa terminates £100m Gazprom sponsorship as sport shuts out Russia February 28, 2022 European football’s governing body Uefa has confirmed the termination of its long-standing sponsorship deal with Russian state energy company Gazprom. The move came as Uefa banned Russian teams from its international and club competition following the country’s invasion of Ukraine. “Uefa has today decided to end its partnership with Gazprom across all competitions,” it said. [...]
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 [...]
Chelsea facing calls to clarify Roman Abramovich role February 27, 2022 Chelsea are facing calls to publicly clarify Roman Abramovich’s role after he said he had handed the club’s “stewardship and care” to trustees of its charitable foundation. Ministers have been urged to seize billionaire Abramovich’s assets on the basis of his links to the Russian state in the wake of the country’s invasion of Ukraine. [...]