Ed Warner: The row over sport banning Russian players will be even bigger in 2023 January 12, 2023 Wimbledon will be here before we know it. Expect the debate about banning Russian and Belorussian stars to start soon. The tug of war over the two bellicose nations’ participation at next year’s Paris Olympics and Paralympics has already begun. Schisms within sports and between their leaders and politicians are inevitable. Last year, backed (or [...]
Joao Felix: Chelsea pay eight-figure loan fee to make Portugal and Atletico Madrid star the 12th signing under Todd Boehly January 11, 2023 Chelsea have continued their recruitment drive by signing Portugal forward Joao Felix on loan from Atletico Madrid for the rest of the season. The 23-year-old is the 12th player to join since Todd Boehly’s consortium bought the Premier League club from Roman Abramovich for £2.5bn last summer. Chelsea are believed to have agreed to pay [...]
Why Manchester United sale could fetch the Glazer family even more than their £6bn asking price – despite Cristiano Ronaldo exit January 11, 2023 The Glazer family’s hopes of achieving a record valuation for the sale of Manchester United have increased after the football club’s share price reached a four-year high. Some analysts believe it could push the price of a takeover towards $10bn (£8.2bn), in excess of the American owners’ original $7bn (£5.8bn) asking price. United’s share price [...]
Football chiefs to meet tonight over future of WSL ownership January 11, 2023 A number of football’s top executives are due to hold talks this evening with hopes of hashing out a new structure of ownership for the WSL. The meeting will see those present look at funding proposals for the Women’s Super League. The chief of the Football Association, Mark Bullingham, is set to be at the [...]
Trevor Steven: VAR, handballs and concussion breaks – seven rules that English referees must resolve in football in 2023 January 10, 2023 While some readers will have New Year’s resolutions and supporters may have January wish lists for their clubs, I have my own hopes for football in 2023 and they revolve around rules and refereeing. Recent times have seen a conveyor belt of tweaks to officiating that I believe has only muddied the waters. The thinking [...]
Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Manchester City: Which team has the biggest wage bill in European football? January 10, 2023 Paris Saint-Germain’s signing of Lionel Messi contributed to the club setting a new record for the biggest wage bill in European football history last season. The French champions paid their players and staff €728m (£642m) in 2021-22, a year-on-year increase of 45 per cent, according to a new report by advisory Football Benchmark. It followed [...]
Rafael Nadal joins Sergio Perez in owning E1 speedboat racing team January 10, 2023 Tennis sensation Rafael Nadal has launched an electric speedboat racing team to compete in a league alongside a franchise owned by Formula 1 driver Sergio Perez. The E1 series is the latest brainchild of Alejandro Agag – the man behind Formula E and Extreme E – and Nadal’s team is the third to be confirmed. [...]
The South African cricket league with Archer, Buttler and IPL influence January 9, 2023 Tomorrow, on a sunny summer evening in South Africa, the world’s newest T20 cricket league gets underway. But this one is like something sport has never seen before. Because every one of the six franchises – each based out of a different South African city or region – is owned by an Indian Premier League [...]
Why Tottenham Hotspur have emerged as a target for Paris Saint-Germain owners Qatar Sport Investments January 9, 2023 Qatar Sports Investments, the owners of Paris Saint-Germain, have identified Tottenham Hotspur as a potential minority investment as they accelerate plans to build a global network of football clubs in 2023. Sources close to QSI said chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who is also PSG president, held talks with Tottenham executive chairman Daniel Levy last week to [...]
Why Fifa’s crackdown on football agents’ fees could spark a stampede to do deals January 8, 2023 Tougher rules for football agents come into force from Monday as part of a Fifa crackdown that will see agents’ fees capped at three per cent of a player’s salary. Some of the world governing body’s new regulations take effect immediately, such as a mandatory licensing system for all agents, while others, such as the [...]