According to UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin, European football should not fear an exodus of players to Saudi Arabian clubs.

In an interview with Netherlands broadcaster NOS, Čeferin said believes that Saudi Arabia's investment in aging stars is a mistake and suggests that the country should focus on developing its own players and academies instead.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema have recently joined Saudi Arabian clubs for significant sums, and similar offers were made to Lionel Messi and Luka Modrić. However, Čeferin argues that top players seek to compete in Europe's top competitions rather than chase money alone.

Chinese failure

Čeferin pointed out the unsuccessful attempts made by the Chinese league to attract star players at the end of their careers. He emphasized the importance of investing in youth development and nurturing talent for long-term football growth.

“Tell me one player who is top, top age and who starts his career and went to play in Saudi Arabia?” Čeferin asked during the interview on the sidelines of the Nations League Finals mini-tournament hosted in the Netherlands.

“But it’s not about money only. Players want to win top competitions. And top competition is in Europe,” the UEFA leader said.

 

Reading face new points deduction after EFL charge for failure to pay players’ wages three times

Reading are facing the prospect of another points deduction after the English Football League (EFL) charged the club, who were relegated to League One last month, with multiple breaches of its regulations.

In a statement, the EFL said the charges relate to the club’s failure to pay their players on time and in full on three occasions last season – in October, November and April.

The EFL said Reading’s owner since May 2017, Dai Yongge, had also been charged with “causing the club to be in breach of EFL regulations, despite his commitment to fund the cash requirements of the club”.

If Reading accept the charges or are found guilty by an independent disciplinary panel they can expect to be docked points.

The club have until 29th June to respond to the charges. A panel would determine any sanction, which could be applied by the time they begin their first season in the third tier since 2002.

Agreed business plan

Reading were docked six points in April for failing to adhere to the terms of an agreed business plan after a previous profit and sustainability rule breach.

The club was also hit with a six-point deduction in 2021, for exceeding the permitted £39 million financial loss limit across a three-year cycle.

 

Sampdoria set to receive Serie B licence after financial statements and bond loan are approved

Sampdoria are set to be registered in time for the Serie B season after a series of crucial steps were completed late last week, paving the way for the new ownership group led by Andrea Radrizzani to secure the club’s future.

In a statement, Sampdoria confirmed that the financial statements as at 31st December 2022 were approved during the shareholders' meeting held on Friday.

The club also said it has subscribed and converted the first tranche of the €30 million convertible bond loan needed to complete the required capital increase.

“In the next few hours the club will complete all the formalities necessary for registration for the 2023/24 championship,” Sampdoria added. The final deadline for the club to complete their application to play in Serie B is this Tuesday, 20th June.

Debt restructuring plan

As reported by Italian media, the Court of Genoa had earlier given the green light for the debt restructuring plan agreed as part of the takeover deal, including the authorisation to issue the bond.

The convertible bond loan was issued by Sampdoria and subscribed by the new owners through a special purpose vehicle, Blucerchiati Srl.

The Qatari group bidding to buy Manchester United is reported to be edging closer to a takeover deal, with the club now in discussions over granting exclusivity to the consortium led by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani, according to Reuters.

It is understood that members of the Glazer family, which own minority stakes in United and control it thanks to a dual-class share structure, would be cashing out as part of the £6 billion proposed deal.

The Qatari offer is now believed to be viewed by the Glazers more favourably than a bid from British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, after reports earlier this month had indicated the Ineos founder was the clear favourite.

The club would not be allowed to negotiate with any bidder other than Sheikh Jassim for the exclusivity period, although it is not clear how long this period may last.

Fluid situation

Sources told Reuters that the situation remained fluid and a new bid from Ratcliffe could prevent Sheikh Jassim from securing exclusivity. Ratcliffe's current offer envisions that the Glazers would keep some interest in United.

Shares in the club jumped nearly 15 per cent on the news on Wednesday, before paring some gains.

 

Everton face multimillion-pound legal threat from quartet of clubs over FFP case

Everton face legal action from Leicester, Leeds, Southampton and Burnley that could run into tens of millions of pounds if they lose their case for an alleged breach of the Premier League’s financial fair play rules, The Guardian reports.

Everton were referred to an independent commission back in March in relation to their spending during the 2021/22 financial year. The Guardian understands the hearing will be heard on 25th October.

At the end of the 2021/22 season, Leeds and Burnley met the league to question whether Everton had broken the rules after they recorded losses of £371.8 million over a three-year period.

The Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules allow for losses of no more than £105 million over three years – and clubs who break the rules can be fined or deducted points.

However, Covid-related losses, as well as costs relating to Everton’s new £550 million stadium being built at Bramley-Moore Dock, women’s team and community work, can be incurred without counting towards that.

Relegation rivals

After the Premier League charged Everton in March, relegation rivals Leicester, Leeds and Southampton, who were all to suffer the drop, and Nottingham Forest, who would stay up, wrote to the league – along with Burnley – demanding that the case be heard before the end of the season.

 

West Brom in advanced talks over minority stake and eventual takeover

West Bromwich Albion are in talks with a group of investors over the sale of a minority stake that could eventually lead to a full takeover, according to a report from The Athletic.

The group includes Egyptian businessman Mohamed Elkashashy and Manchester-based sports lawyer Chris Farnell. It is understood they have been speaking to the EFL Championship club for several months and the talks are said to be advanced.

West Brom are currently owned by several Chinese firms and businessmen but the controlling shareholder is Guochuan Lai, who runs the club’s parent company Yunyi Guokai (Shanghai) Sports Development Limited.

The web of Chinese owners that is led by Lai have been in charge at The Hawthorns since the Chinese businessman paid more than £200 million to buy former owner Jeremy Peace’s 88 per cent stake in the club in August 2016.

Charlton and Burnley bids

Elkashashy and Farnell have previously been linked with bids for Charlton Athletic and Burnley, and they were first approached by Lai’s representatives about an investment in West Brom in 2020, shortly after their bid for Burnley failed.

West Brom, who finished in ninth place last season, three points off the play-offs, are currently valued at around £75 million, which would represent a significant loss on Lai’s initial investment.

 

Serie A: 15 clubs looking for new shirt sponsor deal for 2023/24 season

Around two months from the start of the Serie A season, 15 of the 20 clubs are searching for a new shirt sponsor and are yet to agree a deal, analysis from Calcio e Finanza has found.

The only clubs to have contracts already in place are AC Milan, which has renewed with Fly Emirates, Monza, with Motorola, and Verona, with Sinergy, as well as two clubs whose sponsor is linked to the club’s owner: Fiorentina (Mediacom) and Sassuolo (Mapei).

Juventus will have the Jeep logo on their shirts once again, but are understood to be assessing their options for 2024/25 and beyond when the current deal expires.

Among those looking for a new sponsor for next season, Inter Milan and Roma are among the most prominent examples as both have experienced payment issues with the blockchain network DigitalBits, while also in the crypto field Lazio are looking to replace Binance.

Another searching for a new partnership are Bologna after the online car retailer Cazoo announced its intention to stop all its sports sponsorships in Europe.

Napoli linked with MSC Cruises

Last season’s title winners Napoli, who have in recent seasons always renewed their agreement with Acqua Lete, are reported to be considering a potential deal with MSC Cruises.

It is expected that some new agreements will be announced in the next couple of weeks, with the official start of the 2023/24 campaign for regulatory purposes being 1st July. However, others may take more time.

FIFA has announced that secretary general Fatma Samoura will leave her role at the end of the year after seven years in the job.

In a statement issued by FIFA, Samoura said: “I had intended to share my news first with the FIFA Council members next week, but I am aware there has been growing speculation about my position in recent months.

“For now, I am fully focused on the preparation and delivery of the upcoming Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. I look forward to spending the next six months bringing to life the 11 objectives that President Infantino announced at the FIFA Congress in Kigali in March.

“From next year, I would like to spend more time with my family. I have been in love with football since I was eight years old and I feel honoured to have been on this journey.”

FIFA’s most senior woman

Samoura, a former diplomat from Senegal, is FIFA’s most senior woman and was appointed to her role in 2016, becoming the organisation’s first female secretary general and second in command to president Gianni Infantino.

The circumstances of her departure are reported to remain unclear. The upheaval comes as FIFA is preparing for the Women’s World Cup. The tournament takes place in Australia and New Zealand from 20th July to 20th August.

 

Ligue 1 clubs fear impact of Mbappé departure on TV rights values

Ligue 1 clubs are reported to be increasingly concerned about the impact of Kylian Mbappé’s potential departure from Paris Saint-Germain on the value of the league’s media rights deals ahead of negotiations for the next cycle.

France's Professional Football League (LFP) is due to go to market in September to sell its domestic rights for the four-cycle running from 2024/25 to 2027/28. It will be the first rights tender since a €1.5 billion deal was agreed with private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for a 13 per cent stake in the new commercial subsidiary LFP Media.

Mbappé looks set to leave PSG this summer after informing the club that he won’t be extending his contract. It follows Lionel Messi’s decision to leave PSG and sign for MLS side Inter Miami.

In comments reported by L’Équipe, Stade de Reims president Jean-Pierre Caillot said: “Mbappé’s departure can’t not have consequences on French football, even if he doesn’t make Ligue 1 all by himself. I hope that reason will prevail, and he will play in France next season.”

His thoughts were echoed by Montpellier president Laurent Nicollin, who said: “For my club, it would be good news, we would concede fewer goals, but I’m not sure the same can be said about Ligue 1.”

Jean-Michel Aulas, who has stepped back from his role at Olympique Lyonnais, added: “Ligue 1 without boys like Mbappé isn’t the same, especially just weeks away from the call for offers.”

€1 billion per year target

Earlier this month, LFP president Vincent Labrune declared that it is targeting revenues of €1 billion per year from the next cycle of its Ligue 1 domestic and international media rights.

French football has yet to recover from the bankruptcy of Mediapro, which had raised the rights for the 2020/21 to 2023/24 cycle to €1.153 billion per year, a sum that was never paid. The LFP had to review its ambitions downwards and settle for €624 million per year.

 

Finnish businessman Zilliacus to launch $400 million fund to invest in Serie A clubs

Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus has announced that his investment company XXI Century Football Capital is ready to launch a $400 million fund to invest in top Serie A clubs.

In a statement outlining the reasons for his focus on Italy, Zilliacus said: "Italian football has a long and rich history of being among the best in the world. This year, all three UEFA competitions, the Champions League, the Europa League and the Conference League featured an Italian club in the finals.

“Italian football has a big global following, with the top three clubs, i.e. Inter Milan, Juventus and AC Milan combined having more than 1 billion fans around the world".

He added: “We are starting in Italy where we see the biggest potential, and plan to later set up funds for investments in other European countries including Spain and France.”

Potential Inter Milan bid

Earlier this month, Zilliacus was reported to be considering a bid to buy Inter Milan and was present at the San Siro for Inter’s Champions League semi-final second leg win over AC Milan.

The former Nokia executive had previously emerged as a potential buyer for Manchester United but dropped out of the running after criticising the Glazer family and Raine Group for hosting what he believed had been a poor bidding process.

 

Premier League clubs agree new measures to tackle anti-social behaviour

The Premier League has announced that its clubs have unanimously agreed a series of new measures to address “the unacceptable rise in anti-social behaviour” following a number of incidents in the 2022/23 season.

In a statement, the league said the agreement was made at its AGM on Wednesday and follows “anti-social behaviour involving football tragedy-related chanting, gesturing, graffiti, online abuse and other behaviours last season.”

It added: “The measures are the output of a cross-football working group which was set up in December to explore available options to challenge the normalisation of such distasteful behaviours and incidents.

“The issues have continued to cause significant distress to the victims’ families, survivors and affected-club supporters, in addition to damaging the reputation of the clubs involved and football in England and Wales.

“The action will focus on criminal prosecution, the regulatory environment, enforcement, online abuse, education and communications. Following further football partner sign off, full details will be publicly announced ahead of the season as part of the Love Football, Protect the Game campaign which was launched last year.”

Three-year ban for Tottenham fan

The action has come after a Tottenham Hotspur fan was given a three-year football banning order and fined for making gestures mocking the Hillsborough tragedy during his side’s 4-3 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield in April.

Kieron Darlow, 25 from Welwyn, pleaded guilty last month to threatening and abusive behaviour to cause harassment, alarm and distress. His football ban covers football matches and the vicinity of grounds and he has been fined £314.

In April, an online petition calling on the UK government to make chanting about tragedies at football matches a criminal offence gained more than 15,000 signatures in the space of a week. That followed chants relating to Hillsborough during Liverpool’s Premier League fixtures against Chelsea and Manchester United.

The Qatari group bidding to buy Manchester United are understood to be still waiting to hear whether their fifth and final offer for the club has been successful after 24 hours of intense speculation about who United’s future owners will be.

Sources close to Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani told The Evening Standard that the consortium was still in the dark about the outcome of their latest offer, believed to be of no more than £6 billion.

Reports from within Qatar had earlier indicated that Sheikh Jassim’s bid –which is for 100 per cent of the club – had seen off the proposal from British billionaire and Ineos founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe and that the Qatari group had clinched a deal.

The Sheikh Jassim camp described those reports as pure speculation and said they remained in a “holding pattern.”

United share price lifts 16.3 per cent

United’s shares on the New York Stock Exchange climbed 16.3 per cent to $23.42 in the after-hours trading session on Monday evening following the reports of the takeover agreement. The share price continued to increase overnight, passing $24 before the markets opened on Tuesday morning.

However, as reported by The Athletic, it transpired that the media speculation could be traced back to a Twitter account, apparently based in Cardiff, advertising illegal football streaming with barely 300 followers, which was then amplified by a major Qatari newspaper and its editor.

Minority bidders still in the race

The group led by Sheikh Jassim are believed to expect the next step will be for the United board to meet and consider their bid and Ratcliffe’s offer, and are said to be eager to get a deal done with the summer transfer window about to kick into gear.

According to The Independent, potential buyers have been reluctant to give a timescale on when they expect the process to be completed, as so many superficial deadlines have already passed.

The newspaper understands that while most of the focus has been on the offers fronted by Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe, those bidding for a minority stake are still in the race, with no party currently seeing themselves as out of it.

 

Super League court verdict delayed until September

Europe’s highest court, the European Court of Justice (CJEU), is holding back on publishing a full judgement on the case brought to it by organisers of a proposed European Super League (ESL) until after the summer, reports senior correspondent, James Corbett.

The full judgement had been expected this month, but legal sources have told Off The Pitch that it is to be delayed until at least September as the CJEU judges consider two other football cases brought before it.

Last December the CJEU issued an Opinion by is Advocate General Athanasios Rantos that backed UEFA and FIFA’s right to have ultimate approval over the creation of breakaway competitions. While a Super League could be created, said the advocate general, the governing bodies would retain the right to ban participating clubs and players from their own competitions.

CJEU’s Opinions are non-binding, but usually form the basis of a full judgement.

Other cases

However Off The Pitch understands that before issuing a full judgement the CJEU is considering two other football related cases – Lior Refaelov and Royal Antwerp FC v UEFA and the Belgian Football Federation; and Swift Hespérange v UEFA and the Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Football (FLF).

The cases are unrelated to main Super League case, although the same lawyers Jean-Louis Dupont and Martin Hissel have worked on all three cases.

A legal source with knowledge of the cases said the apparent prevarication was attributable to the enormity of the judgements and the public attention they will receive. Although the cases were independent of each other “they all have to fit” and that some compromises would have to be found among the judges as there are no dissenting opinions published in the EU courts.

“The more that deliberations between judges take place, the ‘weaker’ the judgement will be.”

 

Swansea City, Huddersfield Town, Norwich City announce major changes at top of club

EFL Championship clubs Swansea City, Huddersfield Town and Norwich City are set for significant change ahead of next season following a series of announcements.

Swansea appoint Nigel Morris to board

Swansea City revealed that British businessman Nigel Morris has joined their board of directors after confirming his investment in the club.

Morris, the co-founder of finance firm Capital One, will become a minority shareholder with a cash injection reported to be close to £10 million. His appointment to the board comes after Swansea also secured investment from US businessman Andy Coleman, who became chairman last month.

The Swansea City Supporters' Trust – themselves a shareholder in the club – said Coleman has acquired a stake of just under 20 per cent. Morris, who is based in the US, will also invest directly into the club rather than via Swansea's existing American ownership, who the Trust said "remain fully committed to the club."

Huddersfield bring in Jake Edwards as CEO

Huddersfield Town announced the appointment of Jake Edwards as CEO as the takeover of the Championship club by American businessman Kevin Nagle nears completion.

Edwards joins the club after an eight-year spell as president of the United Soccer League (USL) in the USA. David Baldwin has stepped down as Huddersfield’s managing director, but will remain a strategic advisor.

Huddersfield confirmed Nagle has completed the English Football League (EFL)'s owners' and directors' test, but the American is awaiting clearance from a statutory government body before his 100 per cent shareholding purchase can officially go through.

Norwich sporting director Stuart Webber to depart

Norwich City confirmed that sporting director Stuart Webber is to leave the club following a six-year spell in the role.

Norwich have twice won promotion to the Premier League during Webber's time at the club but were relegated 12 months later on both occasions.

He informed the board of his decision in March and work to find a replacement is already under way. As part of that process, Neil Adams – who was assistant sporting director – has been appointed as Norwich's technical director.

The announcement of Webber's departure comes less than a month after he said he would not be forced out by critics after they finished 13th in the Championship.

Premier League clubs are considering introducing a spending cap amid growing concerns about the league’s ability to maintain a competitive balance, The Times reports.

The cap would link the amount any club can spend on wages to how much TV money is paid to the lowest-placed team.

The proposal called “anchoring” – would restrict the top teams to spending, for example, four times the amount the bottom club receive in broadcast income, though the exact proportion has yet to be defined.

Financial gap

The idea has emerged amid fears of the financial gap growing between those clubs in the Champions League and new Club World Cup and the rest of England’s top-flight.

Club sources say the proposal is just one of several options around cost control but is being “seriously considered”. The plan is expected to be debated at the Premier League’s annual meeting in Hampshire on Tuesday and Wednesday.

As previously reported by The Times, UEFA also wants a hard spending cap put on the total amount that clubs can spend on player wages and transfers in a single season and is working on a proposal that could satisfy the EU. However, that proposal is being opposed by players’ union FIFPRO.

 

Everton announce departure of three board members with chairman Bill Kenwright expected to follow

Everton have announced that three members of the club’s board have left their roles, with chairman Bill Kenwright expected to go within the next two days in developments which signal the arrival of fresh investment.

In a statement released on Monday evening, the Merseyside club said that CEO Denise Barrett-Baxendale, chief finance and strategy officer Grant Ingles and non-executive director Graeme Sharp have all departed.

The move comes after months of protests by fans against the board and the owner, Farhad Moshiri.

Everton said that a statement would follow on “interim appointments and the future of the chairman in the next 48 hours” – widely reported to be a sign that investment from the US firm MSP Sports Capital is imminent.

“Fully committed”

The three departing directors said in a joint statement: “We have all been fully committed during our time here and are disappointed to have made the decision to leave Everton.”

They added that commercial growth achieved under their stewardship and the new stadium project would “safeguard and sustain the commercial future of the club for generations”.

Kenwright said: “This has been a great board who have all worked tirelessly for the club, no matter what the circumstances.”

 

Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow departs as Unai Emery increases control

Aston Villa have announced that Christian Purslow is stepping down from his position as CEO and director of the club, with media reports indicating that manager Unai Emery is to take full control of football matters following his departure.

Purslow joined Villa in September 2018 shortly after NSWE, controlled by billionaires Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens,acquired ownership of the Premier League club.

After overseeing business on and off the field, Purslow took more of a back seat after Steven Gerrard was sacked as manager last October, with Sawiris becoming more prominent and Emery seizing control of football-related decisions. Purslow was offered a different role but rejected it.

According to The Times, Villa are working on a deal to recruit Monchi, the director of football at Sevilla, one of Emery’s former clubs. The Spaniard wants to build a team of trusted advisers around him as he enters his first full season in charge.

Football and business elements split in two

The football and business elements at Villa have reportedly been split in two, with Emery running the training ground alongside Damia Vidagany, his personal assistant.

Chris Heck, who was appointed as Villa’s head of business operations in May, will oversee all non-footballing matters, including the development of Villa Park.

Johan Lange, the Villa sporting director, is expected to stay at the club in a senior position, despite the imminent arrival of a new figure in his current role. Mateu Alemany was on the brink of succeeding Lange but made a last-minute U-turn to stay at FC Barcelona.

 

Carlo Ancelotti suing Everton in high court two years after leaving as manager

Carlo Ancelotti, the Real Madrid coach and former Everton manager, is suing the Premier League club in London’s high court, The Guardian reports.

Ancelotti’s lawyers filed the coach’s claim against his former employers late on Friday, according to court records.

The case relates to “general commercial contracts and arrangements” and is listed to be heard in the commercial court.

There were no further details provided about the basis of Ancelotti’s claim, which has kicked off two years after he left Everton, where he was manager for 18 months.

Financial struggles

The move appears to be a further blow to Everton, who have endured a series of financial struggles in recent years including a continuing three-year effort to raise funds to complete the building of their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

 

Wigan Athletic in talks with local businessman over potential takeover

Further speculation has emerged about the future ownership of Wigan Athletic, with The Athletic reporting that the club’s owners Phoenix 2021 Limited have held constructive talks with local businessman Mike Danson.

The discussions are believed to be about a proposed takeover that would include buying the DW Stadium.

Danson bought a 25 per cent stake in rugby league club Wigan Warriors in 2020 and is the millionaire owner of analytics and consultancy firm GlobalData, as well as the left-leaning political magazine The New Statesman.

Wigan were relegated from the EFL Championship last season and will start the 2023/24 League One campaign on minus eight points after failing to pay their players on multiple occasions. Players and staff were then paid last month, with the club apologising for delays.

Earlier this month, two directors resigned amid growing concerns about the financial state of the club, which has been owned by Bahrain-based Phoenix 2021 since March 2021.

EFL preference for Danson

The EFL, concerned by events, are thought to have a preference for Danson, after The Athletic reported last week that Sarbjot Johal, a 21-year-old entrepreneur, was attempting to buy Wigan from Phoenix 2021.

Johal previously tried to buy Morecambe and oversees the Vitanic, Lovely Drinks and Sarb Capital brands but his net worth is unknown and documents on the Companies House website show no obvious signs of significant wealth.

As recently as two years ago, Gauthier Ganaye was considered one of the rising stars of the football industry.

He had experienced a dizzying ascent in the football industry, holding positions at RC Lens, Barnsley, KV Oostende, and Nancy. But then it all started to go wrong – or did it?

His career began in 2013, at the age of just 25, when he was made head of legal at Ligue 2 side RC Lens, a few years later becoming club secretary and also taking up responsibilities on the club’s marketing side. At 29 he wanted to pursue a career in football outside France and asked headhunters Nolan Partners to look at his CV.

A few months later, in spring 2017, he found himself sitting in an interview with Barnsley-owner Patrick Cryne, who – about to sell the club – ended up offering the CEO job to the young and ambitious man in front of him, with a business law degree from the Universite Catholique de Lille.

Barnsley, were subsequently taken over by Pacific Media Group – the MCO driven by Paul Conway, Chien Lee and Grace Hung –  in December 2017. As Barnsley neared promotion to the Championship in February 2019, the new owners decided Ganaye should work for them at Nice in Ligue 1, a club they had also bought. Yet after just two months, in April 2019, Nice were sold on for £90 million to British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ganaye left Nice in August that year.

Step forward to May 2020 and Ganaye moved on to his next presidential job in PMG. This time it was at KV Oostende in Belgium, which was acquired in May 2020. Again, Pacific Media Group and Ganaye got off to a brilliant start, despite the club being in a mess due to debts of €9 million.

Just 11 months after taking over, Oostende fans couldn’t believe their team was in fourth place in the league under new ownership and under the guidance of a new manager who was also committed to the high-pressing style of football with young players dominating the side.

“The financial problems were huge. We were almost bankrupt … At the beginning of the season (at the summer of 2020) we were favourites to be relegated but we soon became appreciated for the way we play. The fans are delighted. We are alive, there is a good vibe between club and supporters and we play attractive football,” said Peter Van Nuffel, president of Kustboys, the supporters’ federation, in an interview with The Athletic at the beginning of April 2021, investigating the model behind what was considered at the time the success of Pacific Media Group.

After that, things did not go so well – either for Pacific Media Group or Ganaye.

By spring 2021, Pacific Media Group had acquired quite a few clubs – among them FC Thun in Switzerland, Esbjerg FB in the second tier of Danish football and AS Nancy Lorraine in the second tier of French football.

The ownership group wanted to build on the momentum they had seen in other countries and leagues, but things went from bad to worse and several of the clubs in the portfolio encountered relegation at the end of the 2021/22 season, including Esbjerg FB, Ostende, Nancy and Barnsley.

Heavy criticism

In this period, Ganaye was simultaneously serving as president at both KV Oostende in Belgium and AS Nancy Lorraine in France.

At that point, he had no doubt he could carry out his duties at both clubs.

“This [the appointment at Nancy] does not mean that I will quit or reduce my tasks in Oostende. The fact that a new club is added to the consortium also means more sporting and economic possibilities for the KVO.”

In the aforementioned April 2021 interview with The Athletic, Ganaye tried to explain the competitive advantage that the group enjoyed compared to its peers.

“We make decisions in minutes that other clubs spend days thinking about … Our dedication to data, our recruitment, our style of play, they are almost automatic now. But if you ask me what the difference is between us and other clubs, it is the speed of our decision-making. Me, Paul [Conway], Chien [Lee], Michael [Kalt], it’s not a lot of people.”

However, that formula seemed too fragile to build long-term momentum and success, and Ganaye started facing serious operational problems and criticism for the way he was carrying out his duties both in Belgium and France. The criticism has been harsh, as is often seen in football after relegations, but central to the criticism of Ganaye has been a lack of presence – especially at crucial meetings where key decisions were to be taken at both clubs, according to an analysis by Achille de Rauglaudre from sportsinvest.substanck.com.

Former Nancy owner and president Jacques Rousselot said: “We can’t recognise our club anymore. It is sad to see Nancy in this state … We’ve been fooled by their communication and their false promises, like they’ve fooled the supporters.”

Responsible for decline

“Nothing has improved with Gauthier Ganaye,” Juliette Schang editor-in-chief of Fans of Nancy says to this publication.

“Except for the cohesion of an entire club with its supporters, who ganged up on him. When he arrived, his communication was good, an improvement on that of the previous president [Rousselot]. But it didn't last long. He is largely responsible for ASNL's decline.”

Schang alleges that Ganaye ”tarnished” Nancy’s reputation laying out a broad brush of criticisms. She says that he negatively impacted the club's image and performance, alleges that he was involved in questionable transfers and faced criticism from multiple club employees and players.

Administratively, Ganaye abandoned his responsibilities, causing significant problems for the club. His absence, she alleges, resulted in contract issues, loss of points for the reserve team, and playing a suspended player.

Ganaye's decisions contributed to ASNL's relegation to a lower division. He emphasized the use of data but failed to effectively manage the team. Despite his poor performance, she says, he remained in his position and even requested a payout to leave the club.

It is believed that some shareholders were kept in the dark about the situation due to Ganaye's blocking of information. Overall, his management style lacked respect for the club, its history, supporters, and employees. ” His management style is unique in the world, because he doesn't manage!” she says.

At Oostende in Belgium, things were even more worrying since the finances were in a very bad shape. Debts reportedly stand at around €6 million and the club lack the cashflow to service these debts, which has led to the side being put up for sale, with the owners of Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle reportedly weighing up buying the Belgian club. If this fails, the club might face bankruptcy if their licence cannot be renewed due to the debts.

Surprising appointment

All of this is why the whole football industry was caught by surprise at Ganaye being revealed as the new CEO of the Textor-owned RWD Molenbeek less than two weeks ago.

In an official announcement from club there was not a word about all the problems at Oostende and Nancy.

“Gauthier Ganaye, an experienced CEO with a sophisticated network in France, UK and Belgium brings a big lot of experience to the club,” it read. “Ganaye has been CEO at KV Oostende the last three years and is well-known for his strategic visions and leadership.”

On 2 June, Textor had removed Thierry Dailly from his role as RWD Molenbeek chairman. But prior to that Dailly had been removed from any foootball decisions last summer, then removed from all management responsibilities in the fall and removed from official status as an officer in the club in February 2023.

In a lenghty letter addressed to fans of the Brussels-based club, the American outlined the reasons for dismissing Dailly, accusing him of misappropriating club funds, creating a toxic workplace and “actions and statements inconsistent with the values which RWDM, as a modern football club in Brussels, considers to be of paramount importance’’.

However the appointment of Ganaye should not be seen as him taking over from Dailly.

Off The Pitch asked John Textor, the Eagle Football Holdings chairman, why he decided to bring in Gathier Ganaye as new CEO, knowing that he was the President at two clubs in the Pacific Media Goup network who both have seen massive sporting and financial decline in recent years?

“Relegation and promotion never come at the hands of one individual. I am sure you know that by now. Having said that I also have to make it clear that I am not going to comment on internal things in other clubs. That would be unfair. But when I decided that Ganaye should be our new CEO at Molenbeek it was because he did a great job in Belgian football. I have been dealing with him, and I think the club should appreciate the millions of euros he managed to land in the transfer market,” Textor says to Off The Pitch in a phone interview from France.

“Furthermore you need to understand that at Molenbeek he is not going to be in charge of the football decisions. That is my responsibility. He will be the CEO handling the business side of the club.”

Q: If he was responsible for the great sales of players that Oostende finalized under his Presidency, and he should be saluted for that - shouldn’t he then also take his part of the responsibility, along with others, that the club were relegated?

“You missed my point. But I can make a philosophical point, because I don’t know how the ownership group did spend the money which was coming in. If one sells players from a small club in Belgium, for a high profit margin, that were acquired affordably, or developed directly, then those proceeds can be reinvested into the club. The small club wins. If, as the case has likely been, the money is sent to other clubs, like Barnsley, then it might not even make a dent in the problems of a larger club.”

Q: But as the Club President aren’t you ultimately responsible for the hiring of the sporting director, the head of recruitment etc.. Then I guess you are also responsible for the sporting results of the club?

“No, it doesn’t work that way. In Crystal Palace, where I am also a shareholder, the sporting director reports to Steve Parish, the chairman. And it works like that in most clubs. In Eagle Football Holdings it also works the way that the sporting directors of the different clubs reports directly to me since I am the chairman."

Q: And you are certain that Ganaye wasn’t responsible for those things at Oostende and Nancy?

“You have to ask them. I just know that he sold a lot of players and brought in a lot of value to the shareholders. But like I said before you need to respect that in a MCO-model a lot of things are moving along the way. Please be cautious not to blame a relegation on one person – that wouldn’t be fair. Would you blame James Maddison at Leicester City that they were relegated? I don’t think so – because it would be unfair, and the same thing goes for Ganaye which is going to be a great CEO for us. And look – I also made some failures myself many years ago, and someone gave me a second chance. I am grateful for that today” 

Q: Should that be understood the way that Ganaye also made mistakes at his previous clubs and you are giving him a second chance?

“I have no idea if he made mistakes. That was not my point. But I just know that he has a lot of knowledge about how to run a club in Belgium in the best league, and we need to be able to do that since we were promoted. He is smart and we will benefit from his experience.”

Q: Doesn’t it affect you when various stakeholders in both Oostende and Nancy say that they were very disappointed with the job Ganaye carried out at these two clubs?

“Fans understand the outside view of an organization, but they don’t have the inside view of a football club. And it is simply too easy to hang the failure on the principle guy that they know. The ownership in all organisations always have a big responsibility, but I don’t want to comment on specific clubs, this is just my general view,” says Textor.

Off The Pitch also tried to get in touch with Ganaye, but he did not respond to our enquiries.

Leeds United have reached an agreement with their American shareholders 49ers Enterprises for a full takeover of the club, bringing an end to Andrea Radrizzani’s ownership of the Yorkshire side.

In a brief statement released on Friday night, the club said: “Leeds United can confirm an agreement has been reached between Aser Ventures and 49ers Enterprises for the purchase of the club.

“Both parties continue to work through the details, and further updates will be provided soon. All of our focus remains on a quick return to the Premier League.”

The 49ers Enterprises, an investment vehicle linked to the San Francisco 49ers NFL franchise, already own 44 per cent of Leeds and have agreed a price for the 56 per cent shareholding belonging to Radrizzani in a deal which is reported to value the club at £170 million.

After Leeds’ relegation was confirmed last month, fresh negotiations have had to take place to agree a new price, and those have finally been concluded.

EFL approval

The takeover will be rubber-stamped once the EFL agrees that the new investors have passed its Owners’ and Directors’ Test.

Paraag Marathe, the president of 49ers Enterprises and vice-president of the 49ers, is Leeds’s vice-chairman and is expected to take over as the club’s chairman, with CEO Angus Kinnear continuing in charge of day-to-day operations.

 

Manchester United takeover: Sheikh Jassim still hoping for possible deal as £6 billion bid remains live

The Qatari group bidding to buy Manchester United are reported to be still hoping they can agree a takeover of the club despite recent speculation they were ready to withdraw from the process.

Media reports last week had indicated that the consortium led by Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani would remove their interest if a final last-ditch takeover offer was not accepted by Friday.

However, The Guardian later revealed that Sheikh Jassim’s final bid of no more than £6 billion would remain live even if the Glazers failed to respond to it by the Qatari’s self-imposed deadline.

The speculation about the Qatari group’s position came after British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm, Ineos, emerged as the clear favourite to complete a deal.

It is understood that Ratcliffe wants to acquire about 51 per cent of United and potentially leave one or more of the Glazer family with a minority share. Ineos has reportedly been in talks with the Glazers over the structure of such an agreement but it is understood the company does not believe a deal is imminent.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi denies playing role in Qatari bid

Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi has denied reports that he has played a significant role in the Qatari takeover bid.

On Friday, The Athletic published a report claiming that the Qatari businessman – who is also chairman of the European Club Association (ECA) – was initially consulted by Sheikh Jassim’s bid team for advice on United’s valuation and that he was subsequently contacted by the Glazers in an attempt to persuade Sheikh Jassim to increase his offer.

It was reported that Al-Khelaifi, acting in an advisory role for Sheikh Jassim’s bid, met the Glazers and Raine Group, the American bank that is conducting the sale, to discuss the proposed takeover.

However, Al-Khelaifi denied the claims during a press briefing a few hours before the Champions League final in Istanbul between Inter Milan and Manchester City.

As reported by L'Équipe, Al-Khelaifi denied any involvement in the Qatari bid, and said he had merely been asked to give his opinion.

"You make me laugh to be honest," he told reporters. “Of course, I am Qatari. I am often asked by different European clubs, about investments, etc.”

He added: “I don't work for anyone. I just want the best for football. Of course I would give my opinion if asked. I would do it for anyone, not just Manchester United. PSG is my club, it's in my heart, there's nothing else. … I gave my opinion and then apparently it's me who manages the deal. It's a joke."

 

Javier Tebas claims ECA is “orchestrating a silent coup” in scathing response to Charlie Marshall comments

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has launched another withering attack on the European Club Association (ECA) as the war of words continues between the Spanish league chief and the ECA’s CEO Charlie Marshall.

Writing in The Guardian, Tebas has responded to a piece in the same newspaper penned by Marshall last month in which the ECA head addressed accusations made by Tebas and others that the organisation is hurting the game across the continent by supporting the interests of elite European clubs at the expense of others.

Marshall wrote that “you can understand my surprise to find out that the ECA is apparently the “evil elite” killing football.” His comments followed the launch in April of the Union of European Clubs (UEC), which claims to offer a fresh point of view for the issues facing small and medium clubs. Tebas was among those present at the launch.

“I must express my strong disagreement with Marshall’s assertions,” Tebas wrote, referring directly to the ECA CEO’s Guardian article. “It is imperative to set the record straight and shed light on the true nature of ECA’s actions and the distortions it has caused within the football landscape.

“Marshall accuses me of promoting a false narrative regarding the ECA’s influence on Uefa. However, the truth is that the ECA has been gradually orchestrating a silent coup within the European football governance structure.

“This slow-moving coup is designed to empower the continent’s largest clubs, enabling them to exert
greater control over the sport.”

Voting rights

Tebas also addressed Marshall’s claim in his own Guardian piece that by the end of this summer the ECA “will have 330 voting members from all 55 UEFA nations – from the very biggest to the very smallest.”

The ECA is amending its statutes so that clubs from Europe’s top six leagues no longer hold the balance of power on its board and Exco.

Tebas wrote: “It is essential to call out the democratic deficit within the ECA, a crucial point that Marshall conveniently glosses over. Of the 330 clubs holding a right to vote, only 140 possess full voting rights, while the remaining 190 have their voting power significantly limited.

“This disparity in voting rights showcases the undemocratic nature of the ECA, where a minority of clubs holds a disproportionate amount of influence and decision-making power.”

 

EFL and LFP report large increases in match attendances for 2022/23

The English Football League (EFL) and France's Professional Football League (LFP) have both reported large increases in attendance figures for the 2022/23 season.

The EFL revealed that over 21.7 million supporters attended an EFL match, with the highest cumulative attendances recorded for league matches since 1953/54.

Over 10 million fans attended a match in the Championship, the first time that milestone has been broken since 2018/19. It made the English second-tier the fifth best attended division in Europe behind the Premier League, Bundesliga, La Liga and Serie A in 2022/23.

English football’s third tier, League One, also made the European top 10 with nearly six million supporters attending a match, while League Two was in 14th place with over three million supporters taking in a fixture in the fourth tier.

The EFL said: “A 15 per cent rise in season ticket sales from 2020/21 has contributed to the growth in attendances and represents the highest number of season tickets sold from any EFL season in the 21st century. Junior season ticket sales have also continued to rise.”

Ligue 1 attendance up 16 per cent

In France, the LFP announced that a record 9.05 million fans attended Ligue 1 matches during the 2022/23 season, up 16 per cent on the previous campaign.

On average, 23,810 spectators attended matches in the French top-flight, the highest average in the competition’s history, while the stadium occupancy rate reached an average of 81 per cent, also a record.

Ligue 2 matches attracted 3.24 million spectators, up 59 per cent compared to the previous year, and the division also had the best average attendance in its history, of 8,680 spectators.

The announcement had nothing to directly do with football, but it gave a definitive vision of what may lie store for all of sport.

When the story broke on Canadian broadcaster CNBC last Tuesday afternoon that golf’s PGA Tour had agreed to merge with rival LIV Golf it felt like as if there was a shifting of tectonic plates across global sport.

LIV Golf is a rebel golf tour backed to the tune of hundreds of millions by the Saudi government that has, over its short life, attracted high profile players, tournaments and significant opprobrium. Indeed, the upstart tour had also been engaged in open warfare with PGA.

So when it was announced on Tuesday – in an entirely unanticipated development – that LIV would form a new joint venture with PGA and DP World Tour (The European Tour of golf), with the Saudi sovereign wealth fund, PIF, pouring “billions” into the new organisation it sent an unequivocal message to all of sport, especially football, where Saudi has been particularly active: if not through political influence, the country has the money to get what it wants.

In football it started with the takeover of Newcastle United in October 2021 after high level diplomatic pressure, took up pace with the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo by Al Nassr in January, has been heightened by intense politicking behind the scenes, a putative World Cup bid and reached fever pitch over the past week.

During the space of a few days PIF announced investment into four Saudi Pro League clubs (apparently privatised in 2021, only to be bought back by the state) and the signing of Karim Benzema, with more – N’Gole Kante, Sergio Busquets and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – set to follow.  Such was the deluge of news – this publication received eight separate press releases from the Saudi FA’s PR agency – the fact that Lionel Messi turned down a contract with a purported value of $1 billion to move to Saudi seems to have been almost overlooked.

Was this a moment, then, when Saudi showed that money could overcome even the most intense opposition to achieve its sporting ambitions? That the money taps had been turned on to full? That the Kingdom’s had fully announced its arrival as a genuine player in international sport? Or are there limits – as with the case of Messi – as to the extent of what money can buy you?

Shaping the global sports landscape

“It absolutely indicates a potential shift in the balance of power within the realm of sports,” Stanis Elsborg, senior analyst at Denmark’s Play The Game institute, told Off The Pitch.

“These high-profile moves highlight Saudi Arabia's growing influence and its ambition to play a more prominent role in shaping the global sports landscape.”

Elsborg has previously mapped Saudi’s global sporting investment and engagements in global sport and has shown that these go far beyond the well-publicised ownership of Newcastle and Liv Golf, to encompass Formula One deals, partnerships with the Italian and Spanish FAs, eSports, boxing, the Dakar Rally, Formula E, cricket and tennis.

Sport, he has written, create “a picturesque image of the Kingdom” but also provide “a possibility to showcase economic strength and to signal diplomatic stature, and to project soft power.”

Huge investment in sport helps Saudi Arabia garner soft power, project itself on the geopolitical stage, burnish an international image tarnished by human rights abuses and position it as a regional superpower, says the veteran journalist James M Dorsey, who is Adjunct Senior Fellow at Nanyang Technological University’s S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies and author of The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer.

Dorsey also suggests there is some regional oneupmanship in terms of “moving the centre of sports gravity away” from Qatar and Abu Dhabi, which respectively hosted the World Cup and “fathered Gulf involvement in global soccer with its acquisition of Manchester City in 2008”.

The question, Dorsey points out, is not Saudi’s rationale for focusing on sport “but whether its approach can succeed.”

“Definite madness”

Some of those who work within the region say that there are limitations to the approach of simply throwing cash at everything. They draw a contrast to the more strategic approaches operated by other petro-rich countries in the Gulf.

Dubai, for example, gained pre-eminence in global horse-racing and equestrianism by supporting the (now-ex) wife of the Emir to become president of the global equestrian federation (FEI). Yes, Abu Dhabi threw billions at Manchester City, but they also built a network of global clubs (City Football Group) to support it. Qatar built influence in international sports development (Aspire), broadcasting (Al Jazeera/ Bein) and European club football (PSG) to win and then support its successful 2022 World Cup bid.

A senior sports executive with years of experience in the Gulf said that Saudi’s approach contrasted with its neighbours.

“They have all the money in the world, but not everything is for sale – which is not something they always understand,” the executive told this publication. 

A recent example of this is the Qatari-owned Bein, which Saudi covets. Qatar has been looking to sell a minority stake in the broadcaster so that it can expand its entertainment offering. It is an attractive investment, not just because it is profitable, buts its extensive international broadcast rights are prestigious and carry political weight.  Despite the economic and political appeal of Bein, Saudi interest waned when it became clear that a majority stake was not for sale. The Saudis retaliated by geoblocking the broadcaster from its territories during the World Cup.

“The fight and undermine when they could partner,” complained an official with first-hand experience of this behaviour.

“The overall strategy of diversifying and also sport and entertainment as a perennial growth market is sound, but they just go about things the Saudi way.

“It’s definite madness.”

Messi turning down a contract with a purported value of $1 billion to move to Saudi is another example, according to Dorsey, “that money cannot buy everything”.

He points to how LIV Golf lavished funds on top players and tournaments, but ultimately “failed to attract corporate sponsors and new star players and garner credible television ratings.”

In this telling – which suggests a more pragmatic and unyielding approach (albeit in which they still came out on top) –  LIV Golf needed the PGA Tour merger in order to make it a viable proposition.  “Money allowed Saudi Arabia to grease the merger and improve its weak negotiating position,” says Dorsey. But the merger “is as much a tale of the kingdom successfully wielding its financial muscle to gain substantial influence as it is a story of money buying a lot but not everything.”

Sustainable investment?

There are, of course, also many other examples of countries investing heavily in superstar players as a way of turbocharging football development and then not being able to sustain that flow of cash.

This dates all the way back to Colombia in the 1940s, where clubs paid the so-called “Bogota Bandits”, including Alfredo di Stefano and the England centre back, Neil Franklin, to step outside FIFA jurisdiction and accept lucrative salaries to play in South America; the NASL, which, after attracting the likes of Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and Johan Cruyff in the 1970s, collapsed into bankruptcy less than a decade later; Russia, where players like Samuel Eto’o and Roberto Carlos, were paid to play in warzones, like noughties Dagestan; and latterly China, where top foreign players and managers, such as Carlos Tevez, Oscar and Marcello Lippi went more recently in exchange for big bucks and where despite spending billions on football, the country’s FIFA ranking remains virtually unchanged in two decades.

Saudi is different in the sense that its GDP per capita wealth is in a different stratosphere to these examples, but even that can have limitations.

Capital Economics, an independent economic research consultancy, said last week Saudi Arabia's economy is likely to contract by 0.5 per cent this year following its decision to cut oil output. Their analysis came as S&P Global Ratings warned of weaknesses in the Saudi economy, including foreign reserves that have fallen to their lowest levels since the global financial crisis and that deposit growth has not kept pace to fund the expansion in domestic loans. It said that “the Saudi banking system alone cannot provide funding to vision 2030” – the country’s national development plan.

“I don’t think there’s an endless pot [of money], though they really need to pay for their mega projects somehow,” a regional sports official told Off The Pitch.

Ultimate Litmus Test

In short, we could be seeing another economic bubble, fuelling unsustainable investment in sport.

Is there a risk that investment is ephemeral – as we saw in China – where after an economic crisis the powers reined in investment?

Elsborg believes this is a possibility, but ultimately feels there is a more fundamental commitment to the project.

“It seems that the royal family and leaders of Saudi Arabia really means business in the world of sport, and since it is such a central part of their national development strategy, I believe we are just seeing the tip of the iceberg. What we are witnessing these days is just another ball game.”

To protect against potential economic cuts, Saudi needs investment in sporting infrastructure and talent development to promote an indigenous sporting culture. Dorsey points out that the country “has already embarked on that road” but adds that “the ultimate litmus test” of its investments “will be the development of a sports culture in which Saudis excel at the grassroots and elite level rather than employing financial muscle to purchase sports prominence off the shelf.”

In football, at least, that requires some work. According to research by sports intelligence consultancy, Twenty First Group, the Saudi Pro League is rated as the 58th highest-quality league in the world, according to the strength of its average team, with its worst teams ranked around 3,000th in the world, comparable to fifth tier clubs in England. Can Saudi ever make this up?

“Time will tell and the next three to four years will be pivotal in this regard,” says Elsborg.

“By attracting not only marquee names like Ronaldo and Benzema but also players from the lower ranks of the top 3-4 European leagues, Saudi Arabia can begin to assemble a mass of players with a certain level of skill and experience. With the state-owned clubs and the clubs’ new access to huge financial resources, it is certainly realistic to envision Saudi Arabia bridging the gap and elevating the quality of its league over time.”

Chelsea’s owners Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital have sought to reassure fans about the future direction of the club in an open letter to supporters.

The American group insist they remain committed and optimistic about the future following the appointment of Mauricio Pochettino as manager.

Chelsea’s 12th-place Premier League finish last season was their worst since 1994 and, after spending more than £600 million on transfers in their first two windows, the owners have come in for heavy criticism.

“We remain completely committed to the long term and sustainable success of our club and fulfilling that promise we made to you,” the owners said in the open letter.

“For all the challenges of the past year, we are optimistic about the future. We are looking forward to welcoming Mauricio Pochettino as the head coach of our men’s team in July.”

Sporting department

The owners added: “We are building a modern scouting, talent identification, and recruiting infrastructure within our sporting department, led by Laurence Stewart and Paul Winstanley, which will help us to identify and transform the squad around elite talent.

“We have also appointed Chris Jurasek as CEO to drive our business forward off the pitch, which in turn will make us more sustainable on the pitch.”

 

Salernitana under investigation over funding of Danilo Iervolino takeover

Salernitana are facing an investigation by the Rome Public Prosecutor's Office into the takeover of the club by Italian businessman Danilo Iervolino which was completed back in January 2022.

According to Italian newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano, prosecutors have been working on a case in which they allege the Serie A club of a "possible attempt at fraud with simulation of ownership and foreign funds of uncertain origin".

It is understood the top secret investigation has been underway for over a year and relates to the sale of the Campania-based club's shares which previously belonged to the families of Lazio owner Claudio Lotito and his brother-in-law, Marco Mezzaroma.

After earning promotion to Serie A in 2021, Salernitana required new owners to avoid breaking Italian football conflict of interest rules.

Doubts about companies’ ownership

According to documents seen by Il Fatto Quotidiano, there are doubts about the ownership of the companies involved in the transfer of the club’s shares to Iervolino.

At the moment there are no suspects, but under the specific attention of the investigators are the purchase proposals made by the Global Pacific Capital Management fund, based in Nova Gorica, Slovenia, which relies on the Private Value Asset Management SA trust of Grono, Switzerland.

 

Garry Cook to become Birmingham City CEO and leave Saudi Pro League role

Garry Cook is set to become the new CEO of Birmingham City following American financier Tom Wagner's takeover of the Championship club.

As reported by The Athletic, Cook will leave his role as the executive president and CEO of the Saudi Pro League just five months after taking up the post.

The Birmingham-born executive was previously Manchester City’s CEO from May 2008 to September 2011. He appointed Mark Hughes and Roberto Mancini as managers and helped sign the likes of Carlos Tevez, Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure.

Prior to working for City, Cook enjoyed a successful career with Nike, where he worked closely with Michael Jordan. After leaving City, he had stints with UFC and esports firm Gfinity.

EFL approval

Cook was spotted in the directors’ box sitting next to Wagner at Birmingham’s final game of the season against Sheffield United on 8th May.

The English Football League (EFL) approved the American hedge fund manager’s proposed takeover of Birmingham earlier this month.

The Qatari group bidding to buy Manchester United have submitted a final last-ditch takeover offer – and will withdraw from the process if it is not accepted by Friday, The Times reports.

It is understood that British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his petrochemicals firm, Ineos, have now entered the final stages of negotiations with Raine, the New York bank handling the sale.

After Ratcliffe emerged as the clear favourite to complete a deal with the club’s owners, the Glazer family, Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani tabled a fourth offer of more than £5 billion after the 28th April deadline for what were supposed to be the third and final bids from all interested parties.

Now, with Sheikh Jassim believed to sense he may have lost to Ratcliffe, it has been reported that another improved offer has been sent directly to the Glazers and Raine with a request that the Qatari group receive a response by Friday or they will withdraw from the process.

Infrastructure investment

Sheikh Jassim’s offer is for 100 per cent of the club and as with previous bids there is also a pledge to invest a further £1 billion in United’s infrastructure.

Ratcliffe’s offer would enable two of the Glazer siblings, United co-chairmen Joel and Avram, to retain a stake in the club while still surrendering control. However, it has since emerged that all six Glazer siblings might want to retain a shareholding as a form of investment.

 

Exclusive: Secret clause in EFL TV deal opens up way for joint broadcast deals with Premier League

The £935 million five-year broadcast deal the Football League (EFL) signed with Sky last month contains break clauses allowing the league to jointly renegotiate TV deals with the Premier League (EPL) further down the line, reports Senior Correspondent, James Corbett.

Sources with knowledge of the EFL deal and speaking under condition of anonymity confirmed the existence of the clause to Off The Pitch. Neither the EFL nor the EPL would comment on the matter.

The EFL chairman Rick Parry has previously spoken of the imperative for the EFL and EPL to jointly negotiate TV deals so that the strategic objectives of clubs are better aligned.

Two years ago Parry told this publication that by jointly selling TV rights with the EPL as well as securing the EFL’s financial stability “it provides all sorts of opportunities to potentially use the EFL as the test bed” for new ideas in broadcast and marketing.

“We can experiment in a way and innovate in a way that would be more difficult for the Premier League,” he said then.

In March the EPL CEO Richard Masters told MPs that the EFL were looking at a mechanism called “net media revenue” that would pool TV revenues generated by the two leagues and split them according to a “preordained formula”.

“Essentially, you put our media revenue, the EFL’s media revenue in a pot, you take away costs and you divide it on a preordained formula which means that going forward, our growth is the EFL’s growth, and vice versa, so our success is shared, it aligns the two organisations in a different way and ensures that gaps don’t build up in the future.”

Asked by Kevin Brennan MP whether he was amenable to that approach, Masters replied: “Totally. Our proposals include that mechanism.”

A change of face for the Football League

Off The Pitch understands that the break clause allows for such a deal to be negotiated when the EPL’s next set of domestic rights go for auction. It would mean that the new five-year deal could be scrapped ahead of time so that EFL and EPL can sign a joint deal with broadcasters.

Whether the EPL share Parry’s enthusiasm for such a deal remains to be seen, but it could change the face of the Football League for years to come and also cement Sky’s hegemony in the UK broadcast market.

“I’d be very surprised if the EFL do another deal on their own” an EFL chairman told this publication. “I believe the next deal will be done jointly with the EPL.”

Sky, the EFL and EPL were contacted for publication.

 

LFP targets €1 billion per year for domestic and overseas media rights

France's Professional Football League (LFP) is targeting revenues of €1 billion per year from the next cycle of its Ligue 1 domestic and international media rights, LFP president Vincent Labrune has revealed.

The LFP is due to go to market in September to sell its domestic rights for the four-cycle running from 2024/25 to 2027/28. It will be the first rights tender since a €1.5 billion deal was agreed with private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for a 13 per cent stake in the new commercial subsidiary LFP Media.

"We maintain the business plan developed with CVC for global national and international audiovisual revenues of around of €1 billion," said Labrune. However, he conceded that “the macroeconomic and financial context is delicate".

Mediapro bankruptcy

French football has yet to recover from the bankruptcy of Mediapro, which had raised the rights for the 2020/21 to 2023/24 cycle to €1.153 billion per year, a sum that was never paid. The LFP had to review its ambitions downwards and settle for €624 million per year.

For the domestic rights, Canal+ currently pays €332 million for two matches per round, with Amazon Prime spending €250 million for the other eight matches, while the telecoms firm Free pays €42 million for the deferred broadcasting rights of the ten weekly Ligue 1 matches.

For the overseas rights, BeIN pays a reported €70 million per year to market Ligue 1 rights overseas. Any income earned over the guaranteed figure is then split between the LFP and BeIN.

 

Sampdoria takeover on hold as agreements sought with banks and agents

The takeover of Sampdoria led by Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani is close to being completed but is being held up as agreements are sought with banks and agents, according to a report from Tuttosport.

The key stumbling block to be resolved is understood to be the approval of the debt restructuring, which has dropped from €150 million to €80-90 million. The banks involved in the deal are hoping to obtain better conditions than the ones presented by Radrizzani’s group before signing off on the deal.

Also blocking the takeover are agents, who are owed around €21 million between commissions and agreements from recent seasons. The first proposal made to the various creditors, brought forward by the club’s board, has a debt recovery with variable percentages of up to 70 per cent.

With the agents, however, this percentage has not yet risen above 50 per cent, leading to a clear refusal as they do not want to spread the debt over three years.

Serie B licence

The involved parties are now negotiating to find an agreement and are keen to finalise proceedings before the deadline to register for Serie B.

Sampdoria are still not registered for the upcoming season and have until 20th June to complete their application to the league.

 

FC Barcelona confirm receipt of Juventus letter on European Super League withdrawal

FC Barcelona have confirmed they have received a letter from Juventus in relation to the Italian club’s decision to back out of the proposed European Super League – but are insisting their own position will depend on the outcome of the European Court of Justice ruling due later this year.

Juventus released a statement on Tuesday evening announcing that they are leaving the project, with only Real Madrid and FC Barcelona remaining.

In a statement reported by Spanish media on Wednesday, Barça said: "FC Barcelona confirms that it has received a communication signed by Gianluca Ferrero, current president of Juventus, yesterday, June 6, 2023.

“In accordance with current and contractual obligations, FC Barcelona will maintain the utmost confidentiality regarding future conversations with Juventus in order to assess their potential withdrawal from the Super League project."

European Court of Justice ruling

The Catalan giants added: "FC Barcelona reminds once again that the project is currently in the midst of legal proceedings awaiting resolution by the Court of Justice of the European Union in Luxembourg.

“The resolution of the Court of Justice of the European Union will be essential to ensure the need for legal certainty as regards the proper and correct interpretation of the legal framework for professional football in Europe.

“This resolution, which is expected to be approved in the coming months, will determine Barça's final position on the matter.”

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) is set to rule later this year on whether UEFA and FIFA abused a dominant position under European competition law by blocking the creation of the Super League and seeking to sanction the clubs involved.