Explained: What Roman Abramovich sanctions mean for Chelsea sale, matches and transfers March 10, 2022 The future of Chelsea FC has been plunged into uncertainty after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK government today. Abramovich has had his assets frozen because of his links to Russia and its prime minister Vladimir Putin, and that has major ramifications for the Premier League club’s operations and his plan to sell [...]
Saudi Arabia’s PIF and Amanda Staveley should have waited to buy Chelsea instead March 10, 2022 I can’t help thinking that Amanda Staveley and her consortium have bought the wrong football club. Had they waited just five months they could have had Chelsea FC rather than Newcastle United. A mooted £3bn price tag may be 10 times the price paid for the Magpies, but still well within the means of Saudi [...]
Super League, Mbappe and at loggerheads over lunch: the feud between PSG and Real Madrid March 9, 2022 In the hours before Paris Saint-Germain beat Real Madrid in the Champions League last month, their respective presidents met for a traditional pre-match lunch that summed up the antipathy between the two clubs. Real Madrid president Florentino Perez arrived late to the Pavillon Ledoyen restaurant near the Champs Elysees. Nasser Al-Khelaifi, the Qatari president of [...]
Premier League suspend broadcast deal in Russia over Ukraine invasion March 8, 2022 The Premier League has today suspended its broadcast deal with Russian broadcast partner Okko Sport over the country’s invasion of Ukraine. The organisation will also donate £1m to support the Ukrainian people. This comes days after Chinese state broadcasters refused to show parts of Premier League games where there would be organised displays of solidarity [...]
Teddy Sheringham: Harry Kane should leave Spurs if he wants to win trophies March 7, 2022 Harry Kane should make a renewed push to leave Tottenham Hotspur this summer if he wants to win trophies, says Teddy Sheringham. Former Spurs hero Sheringham believes Manchester City would still be interested in signing Kane, having failed with several offers for the England striker last year. “If he looks at the situation at Tottenham [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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. [...]