New launch agency offers fans a piece of the player trading action
August 1 – Football agent Jon Smith, one of the first of the so-called band of Super Agents, is behind a fund-raising for a new player agency that will be part-owned by fans.
Finance
Premier League shirt sponsorships top record £313m in value
July 31 – Premier League clubs will generate a combined record £313.6 million for the 2018/19 from shirt sponsorships, according to a Sportingintelligence analysis, the ninth time they have conducted this report.
US investor close to snapping up Ligue 1’s Bordeaux for estimated €70m
By Paul Nicholson
July 31 – The attractiveness of French Ligue 1 clubs to foreign investors is undiminished. Girondins de Bordeaux owner M6 Group has announced it has entered into exclusive negotiations with US-based investment fund GACP to sell its shareholding.
Apax funds swoop to acquire data specialists Genius Sports
July 30 – Sports data specialists Genius Sports Group is to be acquired by a group of funds advised by Apax Partners. The new money will be used to expand internationally, said the company.
FFP settlement costs QPR £17m fine, £3m in legal fees and a debt write off of £22m
July 27 – English second-tier club Queens Park Rangers have agreed a settlement costing almost £42 million with the English Football League after an arbitration panel dismissed the club’s claims that Financial Fair Play rules are unlawful.
Real Madrid turns to banks to raise funds for €500m revamp of Bernabeu
July 27 – Real Madrid are going to the financial markets to raise between €400 million and €500 million for a remodeling of their Santiago Bernabéu stadium.
Is Gazidis next? Are back-from-the-bring AC Milan gunning for Arsenal boss?
July 26 – Speculation is mounting that Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis is set to follow manager Arsene Wenger out of the club, marking the end of an era, to join AC Milan.
Out of ammo? Usmanov now looks ready to sell 30% Gunners stake
July 25 – The on-going shareholder battles at Premier League Arsenal have taken a new turn with Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov (pictured), who has repeatedly failed in his attempts to increase his 30% stake in the club, now apparently putting his holding on the sales block to anyone but rival American shareholder Stan Kroenke.
Suning Sports raises cash and buys into streaming channel as Inter add new Chinese partners
July 25 – China’s Suning Sports, part of the Suning group of companies that owns Italy’s Internazionale, is moving more aggressively into the sports business with a find raising reported to have raised $600 million.
AC Milan cleared to play in Europa League after CAS rules in favour of new owners
July 23 – In a rare ruling against football’s authorities, AC Milan have been reinstated into the Europa League next season after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned UEFA’s decision to exclude them for infringing financial fair play (FFP) rules.
The economics of Ronaldo – counting the €340m cost and opportunity of Juve’s superstar
July 23 – Cristiano Ronaldo’s €117 million transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus has polarised opinion with car union protests over the ‘immoral’ size of his transfer and wages, and fan excitement at what he will bring to the Italian champions.
Egyptian and US investors take control at Aston Villa, but Xia keeps a stake the game
July 23 – Aston Villa is under new majority control after billionaire businessmen Naseef Sawiris and Wes Edens bought a reported 55% controlling stake in the club for £30 million from Chinese owner Tony Xia.
Fans spend €1.3bn in Russia during World Cup 2018
By Paul Nicholson
July 20 – Overseas fans in Russia for the World Cup spent about €1.3 billion between June 14 and July 16, according to a report by Russia’s Sberbank.
Hannover 96 vow to overturn ‘incomprehensible’ 50+1 DFL ruling
July 20 – Hannover 96 failed in its bid to get an exemption from Germany’s 50+1 ruling to allow the Bundlesliga club’s president Martin Kind (pictured) to take control, but has said it will appeal against the German Football League (DFL) ruling.
Mbappé tops U21 ranking, more than double the value of Rashford and Jesus
July 19 – France’s standout forward Kylian Mbappé is the most valuable under 21 player in the world, twice as valuable as England striker Marcus Rashford, according to a new report that values Mbappé at £170.2 million.