Novak Djokovic admits he’s a lucky boy after French Open tantrum almost lands him in hot water June 2, 2016 WORLD No1 Novak Djokovic admitted he was fortunate to still be in the hunt for a maiden French Open crown despite easing past seventh seed Tomas Berdych to reach a sixth successive Roland Garros semi-final. Djokovic comfortably dispatched Berdych in straight sets, 6-3, 7-5, 6-3, but could have landed himself in hot water after angrily [...]
Euro 2016: Travel chaos looms as French pilots call a strike for 11-14 June June 2, 2016 French pilots could be set to throw thousands of football fans' travel plans into chaos, after calling a strike for 11-14 June – coinciding with the start of the 2016 UEFA European Championship. Pilots working for Air France are planning to take industrial action over a pay dispute, according to union Spaf – which represents around [...]
On trial Barcelona star Lionel Messi denies knowledge of tax issues that could land him in jail June 2, 2016 Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi claimed he was unaware of how his financial affairs were handled after taking the stand for the first time in his trial for tax fraud. The world's highest paid footballer and his father Jorge Messi have been accused of defrauding Spain of more than £3m between 2007 and 2009 by using tax havens in [...]
Roland Garros 2016: Watching Andy Murray at French Open as a TV executive provides conflicting emotions, says Eurosport boss Peter Hutton June 2, 2016 Andy Murray's torturous run to the semi-finals of this year's French Open has put fans through the ringer but provided conflicted emotions for TV executives. The world No2's passage to a third successive semi-final has not been completly smooth sailing, with the Scot playing 20 sets in his last five games and twice coming within a set of [...]
Wimbledon set to be broadcast on pay TV for first time after Eurosport strikes agreement with BBC June 2, 2016 Wimbledon could be set for a new home on pay-TV this year after Eurosport announced it is in advanced negotiations for a groundbreaking deal with the BBC to share coverage of the tennis grand slam. The agreement is still waiting on approval from TV regulator Ofcom but could be in place for the start of this year’s [...]
Deloitte football finance: Arsenal kings of the capital as London accounts for over a third of English football’s entire revenue June 2, 2016 London clubs accounted for nearly a third of all revenue raised in English football in the 2014/15 season, despite making up less than 16 per cent of teams. The capital’s 15 clubs in the Premier League and Football League had a combined revenue of £1.3bn, contributing 31 per cent of the £4.1bn revenue generated by [...]
Deloitte football finance: Premier League TV riches could spell better ticket prices for match-going football fans June 2, 2016 Match-going football fans could benefit from the Premier League’s new £8bn broadcast deal next season as clubs freeze ticket prices to keep grounds full and broadcasters happy. Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance found that matchday revenue of £584m accounted for just 18 per cent of the Premier League’s total £3.3bn revenue in the 2014/15 [...]
Olympic Games 2016: Team GB set for medal slump in Rio de Janeiro say economists June 2, 2016 Great Britain’s net medal haul is set to plummet more than any other nation at this year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, according to financial services giant PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Team GB’s medal total is predicted to take a bigger hit than anyone else, with PwC forecasting the loss of home advantage being the main [...]
Deloitte: Premier League summer transfer spend on new players will smash records and easily surpass £1bn June 2, 2016 Premier League clubs are expected to smash transfer records this summer and spend over £1bn in a single window for the first time. Deloitte’s Sports Business Group is predicting Premier League clubs’ expenditure on new players will hit new heights in the forthcoming transfer window, following another season of revenue growth. Collective revenues for the 20 [...]
Former Manchester United skipper Roy Keane admits he wanted to kill some of Ireland’s players after friendly defeat June 1, 2016 Republic of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane was at his uncompromising best when he claimed that he wanted to “kill” a number of his side’s players after their defeat to Belarus on Tuesday. Their 2-1 reverse in Cork was only the second defeat Martin O’Neill’s outfit have suffered in 14 matches, although it was hardly the [...]