Swansea City poised to take ownership of Liberty Stadium
August 15 – Premier League Swansea City is close to taking ownership of its Liberty Stadium from the local council on a 30-year lease.
Finance
Southampton sold: Liebherr hands over control to China’s Gao family
By Paul Nicholson
August 14 – Southampton owner Katarina Liebherr has finally concluded the sale of control of the club to Chinese investors. In a letter to fans Liebherr said that she has entered into partnership with the Gao family.
Las Vegas rolls the dice with new USL franchise for 2018
August 14 – Probably the worst kept secret of the USL, the second-tier of professional leagues in the US, has become official. Las Vegas will have a team playing in the 2018 competition.
West Ham are most expensive club to watch in PL, followed by Arsenal and Chelsea
By Paul Nicholson
August 10 – West Ham are the most expensive club for an adult and two children to watch top flight Premier League football, costing £150 for the three-person outing. In contrast the same outing to Bournemouth would cost £44, and £47 at Newcastle.
Lyon’s Aulas says PSG’s ‘bubble’ spend on Neymar is unbalancing football stability
August 10 – Neymar’s €222 million record-breaking move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain has upset the balance of French football according to Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas.
QPR boost season ticket sales with direct debit payment scheme
August 10 – Clubs usually collect season ticket money via a one-off payment from the fan and in some cases offering the fan finance via a third party lender. English championship side Queen’s Park Rangers is the latest club to change the model, allowing fans to pay for season tickets via Direct Debit, a move that has seen a 40% uplift in season ticket sales.
Rummenigge warns inflated fees like Neymar’s €222m will alienate fans
By Andrew Warshaw
August 9 – Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is the latest footballing figurehead to express concern over the €222 million world record transfer of Neymar, saying all major stakeholders should “sit round the table” to discuss the whole question of inflated fees in order to prevent fans switching off from football.
Barca boss Bartomeu says Neymar is history, but not all the €222m will go on new players
August 8 – Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has broken his silence over the manner in which Neymar left the club for Paris St-Germain.
Neymar unveiled at PSG with a desire to ‘write history’
By Andrew Warshaw
August 4 – Within hours of completing his world record move to Paris St Germain, Brazilian superstar Neymar insisted he did not leave Barcelona because he was in Lionel Messi’s shadow but that he wanted to “write history”.
Neymar transfer furore sparks FIFPro call for EC to stop rich owners distorting the market
August 4 – Amidst the wave of reaction emanating from Neymar’s blockbuster transfer from Barcelona to Paris, the international players’ union FIFPro has called on the European Commission to do something to stop the game rapidly being destabilised by the deep pockets of a select few clubs.
Neymar: the PSG move has nothing to do with the €222m, really, nothing to do with it
By Andrew Warshaw
August 4 – No more rumours, no more speculation. Just global disbelief. The protracted €222 million world record transfer of Brazil forward Neymar to Paris St Germain from Barcelona has finally been completed, with the Brazilian forward telling anyone who will listen that he needed a new challenge rather than the record-shattering move being just about the money.
Eisner skates in waving his magic wand and takes over at Portsmouth
August 4 – Former Walt Disney chief executive Michael Eisner has completed his £5.67 million takeover of Portsmouth via his Eisner’s Tornante Company.
US club owners go to CAS demanding end to closed MLS league system
By Andrew Warshaw
August 4 – The closed shop system in the United States which prevents promotion and relegation has long been a source of controversy, but usually only outside the country where traditional fans are bemused by a practise that differs totally from the rest of the world.
Spurs beware. Buy big and buy early or suffer the fate of Man Utd
August 3 – With Europe’s transfer deadline now less than 30 days away and the start of the Premier League season just eight days off, how much more activity can be expected in what has already been a financially explosive window?
Klopp adds voice to growing scepticism over history changing Neymar mega-deal
August 3 – As the football world awaits the official unveiling of Neymar’s world record €222 million move from Barcelona to Paris St Germain, reaction to the deal is coming in thick and fast led by Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp who has slammed the fee as flying in the face of UEFA’s attempt to cut down excessive spending.