Germany’s professional clubs have voted against plans to sell a 12.5 per cent stake in the Bundesliga’s media rights business to a private equity firm in a proposed deal that would have lasted for at least 20 years.

The 36 clubs in Germany’s top two divisions were able to vote at a DFL extraordinary general meeting on Wednesday over whether to proceed with a transaction, with approval from at least 24 teams needed for any plan to go ahead.

However, Kicker reports that the required two-thirds majority was not found that would have allowed the DFL to conclude the bidding process and begin negotiations over a deal, from which it hoped to raise around €2 billion.

Twenty clubs voted "yes", with 11 saying "no", while five abstained. The vote was held by secret ballot at the request of VfL Bochum. Earlier, FC St. Pauli had withdrawn a request to postpone the vote until August.

“The issue is over as of today”

At a press conference following the vote, DFL supervisory board chairman Hans-Joachim Watzke said: "Sometimes life is simple. This is democracy. There was a clear majority, but not the one we wanted. That's why the issue is over as of today."

He added that he could not understand the voting behaviour of some representatives. "Anyone who abstains on such a central issue, I can be a little surprised, but everyone can do that as they want," he said.

Chelsea upheaval continues as Todd Boehly reduces involvement and Tom Glick looks set to leave

Chelsea are reported to be making further changes across its management of the club as the hugely disappointing first season under the ownership of Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital nears its end.

According to Bloomberg, Boehly is dialing back his involvement at the club as he refocuses on other ventures. The American businessman is now believed to be spending about 20 per cent of his time on day-to-day activities at the Blues, down from around 50 per cent in the months following the takeover last May.

A source said that Boehly, who stepped down as Chelsea’s interim sporting director in January, planned to relinquish responsibility over time as the club added more expertise behind the scenes.

Chelsea are soon expected to announce the appointments of Mauricio Pochettino as their next head coach and Chris Jurasek as CEO. As new arrivals settle, it is believed that Boehly is likely to step back further and focus more on other businesses.

Glick to leave president of business role

Meanwhile, The Guardian has reported that Jurasek’s arrival as CEO is expected to coincide with Tom Glick leaving his role as Chelsea’s president of business after just 10 months in the position, with control of the club’s commercial activities handed to Jurasek.

Chelsea have not commented on whether Glick has resigned, but a source denied that the former Manchester City executive has been pushed.

Earlier this month, The Guardian reported that Chelsea had brought in an external law firm to assess whether Glick acted appropriately when he told a female agent that her complaints to him about the behaviour of a club executive did not interest him and were not relevant to his job.

Manchester United takeover: Preferred bidder could be named by end of the week

The rival groups pushing for a takeover of Manchester United are hopeful that a preferred bidder will be announced by the close of the domestic season, and potentially as early as this Friday, The Independent reports.

Although that is already much later than expected, and will bring some more clarity, sources with knowledge of the situation told the newspaper that it is "another milestone of constant milestones" in a process that could yet go on for months.

It is understood there has been "cautious optimism" within the bid from British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS group due to the nature of the deal it has put together, which is said to still have the club priced at a higher value than the Qatari proposal.

While the Sheikh Jassim-fronted bid did come in with a late fourth offer after the supposed deadline for final bids had passed, and it was significantly improved on the third offer, sources said it did not "blow Sir Jim Ratcliffe out of the water."

State ownership complications

Both the bidders have also been arguing about how their offers are "cleaner" than the other, albeit from different sides. INEOS has been pointing to how its bid will not involve as lengthy a process through the Owners and Directors test, due to the fact it has no complications about state ownership.

Meanwhile, the Jassim bid insist their offer is private, although the widespread belief is that it is ultimately backed by Qatar. It is expected that if Jassim was to be the preferred bidder, there would be fierce opposition from at least 17 Premier League clubs.

The Qatari group is arguing that its offer can be negotiated more quickly, due to the fact it is for all of the Glazers’ shares and an outright buy-out.

German court grants injunction over new FIFA regulations and entry exam

Further question marks have been raised about FIFA’s new Football Agent Regulations (FFAR) and entry exam after a German court ordered them not to be implemented in the country until the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled on the matter.

As reported by The Athletic, the judge in the District Court of Dortmund issued an injunction against the FFAR being implemented by the German Football Association (DFB) as they contain an anti-competitive element, which was enough to allow restrictions on competition.

A Mainz District Court in Germany referred a preliminary ruling on the FFAR to the ECJ for consideration in April. Given the length of time it will take for the ECJ to deliver the verdict, the judge in Dortmund ruled that there was enough urgency to grant the injunction.

The new FIFA agent regulations and entry exam are due to be introduced at the beginning of October.

FIFA to review ruling

FIFA confirmed it is “reviewing the ruling carefully”. In a statement, it said: “First, it is worth noting that the ruling is inconsistent with previous judicial decisions in other European countries and even inconsistent with previous decisions in Germany itself (including from appeal courts).

“FIFA reserves its right to appeal the decision to a higher court in due course. Second, the FIFA Football Agent Regulations (FFAR) are currently being assessed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne.
“A ruling is expected by the end of July from CAS, including with regard to the compatibility of the FFAR with substantive EU law.”

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The Premier League is facing demands from some of its clubs to establish an independent unit in order to speed up complex financial cases such as those involving Manchester City and Everton, The Independent reports.

It is understood that a core of clubs have been repeatedly pressing the argument for an independent body, but that it has so far gone unheeded. This is said to have left a number of clubs increasingly “furious”, particularly with reports of recent delays to the process.

Both City and Everton have strenuously denied any wrongdoing. The key for many others, however, is that it leaves a cloud over everything that happens on the pitch.

According to The Independent, a strident view within legal circles is that the nature of cases like those involving City and Everton is so financially complex that it goes beyond general sporting disciplinary issues.

The view is that such cases require specific financial experts involved from the outset rather than just heavyweight legal figures.

UEFA and EFL independent bodies

A number of Premier League club employees have been pointing out that this is why UEFA and the EFL have two independent bodies, with the continental federation setting up the Investigatory and Adjudicatory Chamber and the English body mirroring that with the Club Financial Review Panel and Club Financial Review Unit.

Premier League clubs observe that such units both speed up processes but also take discretion away from the boards, ensuring – in the words of the EFL’s own announcement – “consistency and independence”.

 

Hertha Berlin apply to postpone €40 million bond repayment by two years

Hertha Berlin have started an application to postpone the repayment of a €40 million bond due in November by two years as the club continues its attempts to resolve its financial problems and impending licensing difficulties.

In a statement, the club – whose relegation from the Bundesliga was confirmed on Saturday – said the Nordic bond is now due to be repaid in November 2025, with an increase in the interest rate from 6.5 to 8.5 per cent.

Club members have until 19th June to approve or reject the application. Hertha said the intended maturity extension is "the most important outstanding financial building block for Hertha to obtain the DFL license.”

The club must also close a liquidity gap of around €7 million by 20th June, which is the DFL's deadline for fulfilling the licensing conditions.

The developments follow Hertha’s agreement with American investment firm 777 Partners to acquire the 64.7 per cent of the shares in the club owned by controversial German financier Lars Windhorst.

The deal is said to have been under close scrutiny over whether it violates the league’s 50+1 ownership rules. It is understood that without the €100 million cash injection agreed by 777, the DFL's licence requirements cannot be adhered to by the club.

Relegation to cost Hertha €27 million

Meanwhile, Kicker reports that Hertha’s relegation to Bundesliga 2 will result in a €27 million drop in broadcast and commercial payments from the DFL next season.

Hertha has received €47.6 million from the German league this campaign, with €26 million of that being the amount paid equally to all top-flight clubs. In the second tier, each club receives €7.2 million. Hertha will also miss out on revenues from international marketing, which brought each Bundesliga club €3 million this season.

 

Everton takeover: MSP Sports Capital enters exclusivity agreement 

American investment firm MSP Sports Capital is reported to have moved a significant step closer to securing a deal to buy Everton.

According to The Daily Mail, the Merseyside club have signed an exclusivity agreement with the New York-based firm, after it stole a march on the Miami-headquartered 777 Partners last week.

It is understood that 777, which was initially believed to be the preferred bidder, wanted guarantees of Everton staying in the Premier League, but that MSP will guarantee their purchase even if the team are relegated to the EFL Championship. 

Discussions with MSP are said to be “progressing well” but a deal has not yet been concluded. The latest installment on Everton's new £505 million stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which is due imminently, is believed to be speeding up the process, with funds rapidly needed to ensure it is paid.

However, the nature of any potential agreement remains unclear, with The Athletic reporting that the talks with MSP are for a minority investment.

Still at risk of relegation

With the final round of Premier League matches to be played on Sunday, Everton are still at risk of experiencing relegation for the first time since 1951. The Toffees play Bournemouth at home, with Leeds United and Leicester City also in danger of the drop.

 

PSG owners QSI in talks with Santos about minority stake

Paris Saint-Germain owner Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) has entered preliminary talks to buy a minority stake in the Brazilian club Santos, according to a report from L'Équipe.

The talks were first revealed by the Brazilian outlet Globo, which understands that negotiations have been ongoing over recent months, with the two parties still discussing what the business model might be.

Globo also reported that QSI has asked president Andres Rueda for Santos' latest financial statement to study the club's accounts.

22 per cent stake in Braga

QSI – whose chairman is PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi – is said to be interested in investing in the South American market as part of its efforts to diversify its portfolio.

The Qatari government-owned investment fund acquired a 22 per cent stake in Portuguese club Braga last October and was also previously said to be interested in buying Málaga – who have since been relegated to the third tier of Spanish football – and an unnamed Belgian club.

 

LaLiga calls for radical change to legislation after Vinicius Jr racist abuse

LaLiga is to request greater jurisdiction to punish clubs whose fans are guilty of racist abuse following the latest incident involving Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior.

The Spanish league said it felt “powerless” at the lack of current sanctions in the wake of the abuse allegedly suffered by the 22-year-old Brazilian forward during a top-flight match at Valencia on Sunday.

LaLiga, according to the country’s law, can currently only identify and report incidents, and punishment is rarely handed out.

The league is now calling for legislation to be changed so it has the power to impose punishment such as forcing games to be played behind closed doors or financial penalties.

More sanctioning powers

In a statement, the Spanish league said: “LaLiga will request more sanctioning powers, with the aim of being more agile and effective in the fight against violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance in sport.”

The league stressed it “has been leading the identification and reporting of such behaviour in football stadiums for years, but feels powerless when observing how its reporting ends.”

It added: “Faced with this serious situation, in the coming days LaLiga will formally request the amendment of Law 19/2007 of July 11, against violence, racism, xenophobia and intolerance in sport and Law 39/2022 of December 30, on sport.”

Three fans identified

Valencia confirmed on Tuesday that police have identified three fans suspected of racial abuse following the match against Real Madrid, but denied their fanbase is racist.

In a statement, the club said: “The match against Real Madrid was broadcast live and it is totally false that the entire stadium was shouting racist remarks.

“There has been a lot of confusion and misinformation in the last few days. Valencia demand a responsible and serious approach to the matter.”

 

FC Barcelona ask to be part of Negreira trial as injured party as well as accused

FC Barcelona have asked the Spanish public prosecutor's office for the club to attend the Negreira case as an injured party as well as a party under investigation, Spanish media have reported.

Back in March, the prosecutor's office filed corruption charges against Barça, as well as former club presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, over the case.

The allegations are that the former referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira received more than €7 million in payments from the Catalan giants between 2001 and 2018 to influence match results.

Both Barcelona and Negreira have denied any wrongdoing, and at a press conference last month Barça president Joan Laporta claimed there was a concerted effort to paint the club as guilty. “It’s possible that Barcelona may be the victim here,” he said.

According to Mundo Deportivo, Barça have now requested to be part of the case as a potentially damaged party, a move which appears to underline the club’s belief it has been harmed by the case.

Request for Real Madrid not to appear

In addition, it is understood this season’s LaLiga champions have asked that Real Madrid do not appear at the trial despite their publicly announced intention to attend.

Barcelona are believed to have stressed that neither Real Madrid nor any other LaLiga club can point to a particular game with evidence of tampering, and thus cannot present themselves in the case as a damaged private entity.

Juventus have been handed a new 10-point deduction for alleged false accounting in relation to capital gains after the case was re-examined by the Federal Court of Appeals of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) on Monday.

The original 15-point penalty the FIGC gave in January was reversed in April after an appeal from the Turin club was heard by the Italian Olympic Committee, the country’s highest sporting court.

The FIGC Court of Appeals was asked to re-evaluate the punishment and make another judgement on the case, leading to the fresh hearing that took place remotely on Monday, with different personnel making a ruling this time.

Prosecutor Giuseppe Chinè – who had requested a nine-point penalty at the hearing in January – this time recommended an 11-point deduction, but the final decision was to penalise Juve with a 10-point penalty.

The punishment has dealt a major blow to Juventus’s attempts to qualify for next season’s Champions League. The club are still in the race to finish in the top four of Serie A, but their chances of doing so now look far more slim.

Pavel Nedved acquitted

At Monday’s hearing, seven former Juventus executives who had been banned from Italian football for eight months at the trial in January were acquitted. The most notable name on the list was former vice-president Pavel Nedved.

However, the two-year bans for former president Andrea Agnelli and CEO Maurizio Arrivabene were upheld, as was the two-and-a-half-year suspension for former sporting director Fabio Paratici, who left his role at Tottenham Hotspur last month.

Juventus to consider appeal

Juventus have reacted angrily to the fresh points deduction. In a statement, the club said it “reserves the right to … evaluate a possible appeal to the Guarantee Board at CONI [the Italian Olympic Committee].”

The club added: “What was ruled by the fifth instance of judgement in this matter, which began more than a year ago, arouses great bitterness in the club and in its millions of fans, who, in the absence of clear rules, find themselves extremely penalised with the application of sanctions that do not seem to take into account the principle of proportionality.

“While not ignoring the need for urgency, which Juventus has never shied away from during the proceedings, it is emphasised that these are facts that still have to be evaluated by a judge.”
 

RFEF president Luis Rubiales admits racism ‘problem’ after Vinícius Júnior abuse

Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales has said the country has a problem with racism following abuse suffered by Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior during a LaLiga match on Sunday.

Rubiales called for zero tolerance of racism in stadiums after abuse was directed at the 22-year-old Brazilian forward during a game at Valencia. “We have a problem in our country: of behaviour and racism,” Rubiales admitted.

In a statement released on Monday, Valencia said: “The police has identified a fan who made racist gestures at Real Madrid’s Vinícius Jr. … The club are also working along with the police to confirm the identity of any other potential offenders.”

The club added: “Valencia CF have proceeded to open a disciplinary case, will apply the maximum level of severity, including a lifetime stadium ban against the fans involved, and is working closely together with the authorities.”

“A country of racists”

Speaking after Sunday’s game, Real Madrid’s Italian manager, Carlo Ancelotti, said the racist abuse – which prompted his player to ask to be taken off the pitch after repeatedly being called a “monkey” – highlighted how “something bad is happening in this league”.

Real Madrid described the abuse as “a direct attack” on democracy and a “hate crime”, and announced it had lodged a complaint with prosecutors. Vinícius himself claimed Spain was now known “as a country of racists” in Brazil, where the latest in a series of attacks on him caused outrage.

Brazilian politicians, sports stars and celebrities staged a show of support for the player. The country’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, called on FIFA and LaLiga to take “serious measures”, saying: “we cannot allow fascism and racism to seize control of football stadiums.”

Swedish firm EQT pulls out of race for stake in Bundesliga media rights business

The Swedish investment firm EQT has pulled out of the bidding process to acquire a 12.5 per cent stake in the Bundesliga’s media rights business, Reuters reports.

It is understood the decision to withdraw was made due to the financial expectations of the German Football League (DFL) for selling the stake, as well as doubts about whether investors can have sufficient influence.

The DFL is believed to have received bids of between €1.75 billion and €1.85 billion based on the new unit receiving proceeds from the Bundesliga domestic and international broadcasting rights for 20 years.

The DFL is said to be aiming to negotiate the price up to around €2 billion, but may only be able to achieve that figure if it does a 25-year deal.

Remaining offers

EQT’s departure from the race leaves the remaining offers from Advent, CVC and Blackstone, ahead of a DFL extraordinary general meeting on Wednesday at which the 36 clubs in Germany’s top two divisions will vote on the plans.

The holding company that controls the media rights is valued at an estimated €15-18 billion.

FC Köln board attacks plans to sell share of Bundesliga media rights unit to private equity firm

The FC Köln board of directors have spoken out against the DFL's plans to sell a 12.5 per cent stake in the Bundesliga’s media rights business in a deal for at least 20 years to a private equity firm.

The 36 clubs in Germany’s top two divisions are set to vote at a DFL extraordinary general meeting on Wednesday over whether to proceed with a transaction, with approval from at least 24 teams needed for any plan to go ahead.

Tensions among German clubs continue to build head of the meeting, with the FC Köln board the latest to express their concerns.

In an open letter to its members released on Monday, the club’s board wrote: “The goal of all of us must be to further develop the DFL business model in a self-determined manner through our own efforts.

"If a private equity investor were to participate for more than 20 years, the two Bundesligas would lose some of their freedom of choice." The board said it is "firmly opposed" to "generating additional money at league level for use at club level".

DFL's approach

In the letter, which was signed by president Werner Wolf and vice-presidents Eckhard Sauren and Carsten Wettich, the FC Köln board also criticised the DFL's approach.

Alternatives had "unfortunately not been sufficiently discussed or examined" at the DFL, it wrote, adding there are "good" ones: "For example, the naming rights to the Bundesliga could be awarded or an additional exclusive kick-off time could be created.

“You don't have to like both examples, but they are definitely better than an investor's involvement in the Bundesliga. Another possible way would be debt financing via a classic bank loan or bonds, as in the NBA or NHL.”

Napoli owner calls for Serie A to adopt direct-to-consumer broadcast model

Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has called for Serie A to abandon its traditional broadcast model and deliver matches straight to consumers, warning that rampant piracy and waning interest threaten the future of the sport.

Speaking to The Financial Times, De Laurentiis – whose club won their first Serie A title for 33 years earlier this month – said the Italian league should take control of broadcast production of live matches and stream them via established platforms such as Netflix and Amazon Prime.

“You put together Amazon, Apple, Netflix, Paramount Plus, Discovery HBO and you put it altogether, and you say, Serie A will produce itself the Serie A matches,” he said.

“And we’ll use those platforms as a physical distributor for our games to make a direct bridge from the league of Serie A and the supporters.”

The Napoli owner said he had first made this proposal to the Serie A teams two years ago as part of a wider project to reinvigorate Italian football and put it on a more sustainable financial footing.

Piracy eroding pay-TV demand

De Laurentiis warned that piracy is eroding demand for sports subscriptions, noting that while in 2015 Italy had 4.3 million subscribers for pay-TV channels to watch Serie A, today that number has dropped to just 1.9 million, due to piracy.

The Napoli president said he also worries that young Italians’ interest in football is waning, saying many youths now prefer to play “soccer-related video games that are faster than real games.”

He has suggested that the Italian government find a way to introduce football instruction into the educational curriculum to maintain public interest.

Southampton CEO Martin Semmens leaves club as owner Sport Republic takes full operational control

Southampton have announced that Martin Semmens has left his role as CEO and director of the club, and that owner Sport Republic is taking full operational control of the club with immediate effect.

In a statement, Southampton said: “After the huge disappointment of relegation from the Premier League of Southampton FC, majority owner Sport Republic has made several organisational changes in preparation for next season.”

As well as confirming the departure of Semmens, who joined the club’s board in 2017 and was appointed CEO in 2019, Southampton said that Dragan Šolak has been appointed chairman of Sport Republic, and that he “will play an active role in overseeing the activities of the Group and supporting the leadership of the club.”

Southampton added: “Rasmus Ankersen will continue as CEO of Sport Republic, overseeing football strategy. Henrik Kraft will continue as the Chairman of the club and will act as Interim CEO pending the appointment of a new CEO.”

First independent director

In addition, Andy Young, previously the chief financial officer of City Football Group, has been appointed to the board as Southampton’s first independent director.

“These are the first of many changes that we will be making to ensure the success of the club,” Southampton said. “Our incoming Director of Football, Jason Wilcox, will lead a review of the football department and we will announce the club’s leadership team for next season in the coming weeks.

“By taking these steps now, we are laying the groundwork for our goal of returning Southampton FC to the Premier League as soon as possible.”

Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani has made a formal offer to buy Sampdoria and vowed to make an immediate investment of €55 million to help resolve the club’s financial crisis, Italian media have reported.

The Genoa-based club must meet a 30th May deadline to cover debts, including €13.5 million in outstanding player wages, to be able to register for the 2023/24 Serie B season.

Matteo Manfredi, an associate of Radrizzani and the founder and CEO of London-based wealth management advisory firm Gestio Capital, told Il Secolo XIX on Friday: “We are ready to proceed and close the deal. We reached an agreement with the banks yesterday for the integral payment of all their credit.

“Along with this, we are ready to invest €55 million straight away to save and relaunch the club, plus another €20 million that is available. There are also a series of institutional investors who are examining the dossier, who are interested in joining us and we are in close contact with them.”

Stadium renovation

Manfredi added: “On Wednesday we came to Genoa and spoke to Mayor Bucci, because our project plans for the renovation and, why not, the purchase of the Stadio Ferraris.

“We are already in contact with 777 Partners, who own Genoa. Sampdoria is not a recent interest for us. We’ve been tracking them since 2018.”

Radrizzani’s bid provides competition for Alessandro Barnaba, of the Luxembourg-based investment fund Merlyn Partners, who submitted a fifth offer to buy the club last week.

 

Everton takeover: MSP Sports Capital confident of stealing past 777 Partners to secure deal

MSP Sports Capital is reported to be confident of edging past 777 Partners and agreeing a deal to buy Everton after the race to secure a takeover of the club took a dramatic turn late last week.

On Wednesday, The Daily Mail had reported that 777 was closing in on a £600 million deal, with the Miami-based firm believed to be the preferred bidder.

However, the newspaper now understands that while 777 wanted guarantees of Everton staying in the Premier League, MSP will guarantee their purchase even if the team are relegated to the EFL Championship.

On Friday night, The Mail reported that MSP, which is headquartered in New York, was confident it could complete a deal to acquire the Merseyside club as early as Monday.

Tottenham link

Earlier this year, MSP was linked with a move for Tottenham Hotspur, but those close to the process say its focus has always been on Everton and has been exploring a deal for the Merseyside club for some time.

MSP’s chair, the Iranian American billionaire Jahm Najafi, and Jeff Moorad, a former agent and the firm’s CEO, were at Goodison Park in January to see Everton’s defeat to Southampton.

On Saturday, the Toffees earned what could be a crucial point in their battle for Premier League survival with a 1-1 draw at Wolves. They play Bournemouth at home on Sunday in their last game of the season.

 

Saudi Arabia in talks with CAF over $200 million African Super League sponsorship deal

Saudi Arabia are in talks with the Confederation of African Football (CAF) over a $200 million deal to sponsor the new African Super League, according to The Guardian.

It is believed that an agreement could help to secure Africa’s support for any future Saudi World Cup bid, with the country reported to be planning a joint offer to host the 2030 tournament.

CAF had been due to launch the 24-team Super League, which has been heavily supported by FIFA president Gianni Infantino, in August. However, it is understood its start will be delayed until the 2024/25 season when the sponsorship deal with Saudi Arabia is expected to begin.

A slimmed-down version featuring only eight teams is expected to run in the 2023/24 season, taking place this October and November.

Five-year agreement

Talks with Saudi Arabia are believed to have been taking place for some time. Earlier this month CAF announced it had signed a five-year cooperation and development agreement with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.

 

KNVB launch new investigation into Vitesse Arnhem-Abramovich links

The Dutch football association (KNVB) is preparing to launch a fresh investigation into alleged financial ties between Vitesse Arnhem and Roman Abramovich.

It comes after The Guardian and the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (TBIJ) uncovered documents that appear to show the former Chelsea owner secretly poured more than €100 million into the Eredivisie club.

Chelsea and Vitesse were known to have a close relationship, with the West London club frequently sending players on loan to their Dutch partner, but the two teams had previously denied the Russian oligarch was involved in funding Vitesse.

The latest investigation marks the third effort by the KNVB to probe the funding of Vitesse and any ties to Abramovich, after previous inquiries in 2010 and 2014/15.

Those investigations found that Vitesse was bankrolled by a British Virgin Islands (BVI) company called Marindale Trading Ltd, which belonged to the club’s former owner Alexander Chigirinsky. However, they concluded that Abramovich had no managerial influence on the club.

Chain of loans

The KNVB’s new inquiry comes after the Guardian and TBIJ revealed documents that appear to show that Marindale Trading was not the ultimate source of the club’s money.

Instead, the company was part of a chain of loans originating from two companies in the British Virgin Islands, Ovington Worldwide and Wotton Overseas. Both BVI companies belonged to Cyprus-based trusts, of which Abramovich was the sole beneficiary.

Between 2010 and 2016, at least €117 million appears to have flowed through this network of companies. The arrangements are now expected to be a key area of interest in the new investigation, which will be performed by a third party.

Manchester City have lodged legal challenges against the Premier League’s 115 charges for alleged rule breaches made back in February, The Times reports.

The club are said to be disputing the legality of the investigation and the involvement of the barrister who is in charge of the disciplinary process.

It is understood that City have raised the dispute due to recent changes in the Premier League’s rules, and are arguing that they should not apply to investigations into alleged rule breaches before then.

City are also believed to have challenged the involvement of Murray Rosen KC, the head of the Premier League’s independent judicial panel, as the person who appoints the chair of the disciplinary commission – under the rules he can appoint himself.

Rosen’s profile on his chambers’ website states that he is a “member of the MCC [Marylebone Cricket Club] and Arsenal FC”.

Changes to Premier League handbook

Although it is not certain which specific rules the legal challenge relates to, some changes were made in February 2020 – and the Premier League’s handbook has been changed in recent seasons.

In February 2022, the Premier League added new guidance to its rules stating individuals are required to provide information and documents.

 

Everton aiming to agree £600 million takeover deal with 777 Partners ‘next week’

Everton could conclude a deal to sell the club as early as next week, with American investment firm 777 Partners closing in on a £600 million deal, according to The Daily Mail.

The newspaper understands an agreement could be struck in the coming days as the Merseyside club fight to save their new stadium build as well as their Premier League future.

While 777 is believed to be the preferred bidder, sources said the firm is demanding a Premier League guarantee in order to conclude their sale.

Everton remain just above the relegation zone but could secure their top-flight status this weekend if results go their way. The club is said to want a takeover deal done at high speed.

MSP Sports Capital second favourites

Another US investment fund, MSP Sports Capital, remained in the running on Wednesday night and appear undeterred to be clear second favourites. Other possible candidates are circling but are said to be running out of time.

Critical to any deal is the requirement of the next instalment in the building of Everton’s new £505 million stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which is expected to be opened for the 2024/25 season.

 

Italian minister: Juventus stadium should be seized instead of points penalty if club found guilty of false accounting

The Italian minister of economy and finance, Giancarlo Giorgetti, has suggested that Juventus’s stadium should be seized rather than the team being deducted points if they are found guilty of false accounting.

The club’s 15-point penalty for alleged false accounting in relation to capital gains was reversed last month after an appeal from the club was heard by the Italian Olympic Committee, the country’s highest sporting court.

The Federal Court of Appeals of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), which handed out the original punishment in January, must now re-evaluate its decision and make a fresh judgement on the case.

As reported by Italian media, Giorgetti has further ignited the public debate over the case with his comments, which were made at a gathering of sports leaders at the Italian Open tennis tournament in Rome.

“Collective effort is needed”

Giorgetti said: “We’ve gotten to the point where the fans are rooting for this or that sports judge. We have reached paroxysmal levels of the system. A collective effort is needed to restore some fairness in behaviour and comments.

“As a joke, in purely economic terms, if Juventus made a false accounting why do I have to take away their points? If I reasoned like the Revenue Agency or the Guardia di Finanza I confiscate their stadium, since it’s the only team that owned the stadium, I’m creating economic damage on that. Everything needs to be rethought a bit, otherwise it becomes a mess.”

 

EFL junior ticket sales continue to rise – now up 41 per cent since 2007/08

The English Football League (EFL) has revealed that sales of season tickets for children across its three divisions are continuing to rise.

In a statement, the EFL said junior season ticket sales have now increased by 41 per cent across the league since the 2007/08 season. Overall season ticket sales are up by 28 per cent in the same period.

The league added that crowds for the 2022/23 season increased by 12 per cent compared to the previous season, with attendances at an all-time high this century.

The EFL said the increase in junior season ticket sales has been aided by 66 EFL clubs achieving Family Excellence status for the 2022/23 season, which marks the highest success rate since the standard was introduced 15 years ago.

“Outstanding work”

EFL chief executive Trevor Birch said: “Our clubs deserve an enormous amount of praise for the outstanding work they have done in making sure the matchday experience is a welcoming one for all families, which has helped boost attendances across all our competitions.

“From improved engagement with supporters before and after games, to innovative approaches around the matchday itself, such as creating dedicated fanzones and improving catering options, clubs are pulling out all the stops to enhance their offering and attract the next generation of young fans.

“I would like to congratulate all those clubs who have achieved Family Excellence status and thank them for their efforts.”

Hertha Berlin are in discussions with marketing agency Sportfive over an early extension of their contract as the club looks to resolve its financial problems and impending licensing difficulties, German outlet Kicker reports.

The development follows the Bundesliga club’s agreement with American investment firm 777 Partners announced in March, which is said to have been under close scrutiny over whether it violates the league’s 50+1 ownership rules.

It is understood that without the €100 million cash injection agreed by 777, the DFL's licence requirements cannot be adhered to by the club.

According to Kicker, in the event of an early extension of the contract with Sportfive, which expires in 2024, Hertha would receive a signing fee worth several million euros.

Financing plan for 2023/24

In addition, it is understood that part of the future income could also flow prematurely. Ideally, the club would have the option of using the fresh Sportfive money to cover part of the current gap that the German Football League (DFL) wants to see closed in their financing plan for 2023/24.

Hertha are also said to be in talks with several banks and it is reported that they must meet the DFL's conditions by 7th June.

 

RCD Espanyol owner considers putting club up for sale for €220 million

RCD Espanyol’s Chinese owner Chen Yansheng is considering putting the club up for sale and is valuing the Barcelona-based outfit at €220 million, according to a report from Mundo Deportivo.

Speculation has persisted over recent years about whether Yansheng, who is chair of the Chinese licensed remote control car business Rastar Group, was looking to sell the club.

Espanyol’s RCDE Stadium and Dani Jarque Sports City are said to be key factors behind the valuation.

However, any sale may now depend on whether the club avoid relegation from LaLiga. They are currently second from bottom and four points from safety, with four games left to play this season.

Sale made official in 2016

Yansheng took over the club in 2015 after reaching an agreement with the then owner Daniel Sánchez Llibre. The sale was made official in 2016, after approval by the Higher Sports Council (CSD).

 

New Sampdoria takeover bid comes from Barnaba as Radrizzani also linked with club

Fresh speculation has emerged about the future ownership of Sampdoria after Alessandro Barnaba, of the Luxembourg-based investment fund Merlyn Partners, submitted his fifth offer to buy the club, Italian media have reported.

It is understood that Barnaba – whose fresh bid is being backed by Genoa businessman Edoardo Garrone – sent his latest proposal to the PwC advisor last Friday. Merlyn Partners already owns Ligue 1 club Lille.

The bid has come as Leeds United owner Andrea Radrizzani is also reported to have reappeared in the race to buy the club. The Leeds United owner was linked with an offer to buy Inter Milan last month.

Any proposal from Radrizzani will be affected by whether Leeds avoid relegation from the Premier League, with a takeover of the club by the investors behind American football franchise San Francisco 49ers said to be conditional on the Yorkshire outfit staying in the top-flight as a minimum.

Symbolic amount

The latest developments have come after former Sampdoria president Massimo Ferrero, who recently returned to the club, publicly declared he was ready to sell his shares for a symbolic amount.

Sampdoria’s relegation from Serie A for the first time in over a decade was confirmed earlier this month.

 

Premier League Under-21s competition set to adopt 'Swiss-style' format

The Under-21s competition Premier League 2 could become a 'Swiss-style' one-tier competition with no promotion or relegation under proposals being considered by clubs, according to the website Training Ground Guru.

A season-long review of the competition has been underway due to concerns about how effective the current games programme is in preparing academy players for senior football.

Currently, Category One clubs are placed in Premier League 2 and placed in two divisions. A handful of new formats have been suggested for the start of the 2024/25 campaign and academy managers will choose one to be put forward to the Premier League AGM in June.

The ‘Swiss model’ is believed to be the most widely preferred by academy managers. There would be one single league of 25 teams, with clubs seeded based on their historical performance in the competition.

Each team would play 20 matches in the regular season – the same number as in Premier League 2 Division Two in 2022/23 but six fewer than in Premier League 2 Division One.

Five pots based on seedings

Fixtures would be drawn out of five pots based on seedings and teams would play each club in their own pot as well as four or five teams from the other pots.

At the end of the regular season the top 16 teams would go into play-offs to determine the overall winner. The idea is that by removing relegation, development decisions would take priority over league position.

Real Madrid have lost a €400 million compensation claim over the collapse of the stadium naming rights deal with International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC), according to Spanish media reports.

The club had put forward the claim because it said the Abu Dhabi sovereign investor failed to honour a sponsorship deal under which it would acquire rights to name the Santiago Bernabeu stadium for 20 years.

Real agreed a strategic partnership with IPIC, which is now controlled by Abu Dhabi’s Mubadala Investment Company, back in 2014, to help finance the planned revamp of the iconic venue.

The initial plan was to add a striking new roof and exterior to the current structure and include a hotel and shopping centre to help boost the Spanish giant’s revenues.

However, in 2015, a Madrid court halted the original modification of the stadium. A later plan, approved by Madrid city council in 2017, was different to the one agreed by Real and IPIC.

Right of termination

Mubadala argued the subsequent changes to the scheme effectively infringed the terms of its contract, giving it right of termination.

The Paris-based International Court of Arbitration of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) has now found in Mubadala’s favour, ruling that the sponsorship contract had expired by the time the second expansion was agreed in 2017.

Cardiff City claim €110m for damages against FC Nantes over Emiliano Sala tragedy

Cardiff City have reportedly put forward a €110 million claim for damages against FC Nantes as the EFL Championship club press ahead with their latest legal action over the Emiliano Sala tragedy.

The Argentine striker died in a plane crash en route to Cardiff in January 2019, and the Welsh club and Nantes have been involved in a bitter dispute over the transfer fee for the player since the tragedy occurred.

According to L’Équipe, Cardiff have now filed a summons with the Nantes commercial court via their French lawyers for a claim of €100 million plus interest in compensation for “losses incurred”.

Cardiff claim that, based on their analysis of expected goals and points, Sala’s arrival would have given them the two points necessary to keep the club in the Premier League for at least another season.


The club are also said to be claiming the first instalment of the €17 million transfer fee back, plus interest, as well as “reputational damage”, taking the total sum to €110 million – a figure that could increase if the club are separately made to pay the remaining transfer instalments.

Appeal rejected

Cardiff have already paid €7 million to Nantes as the first instalment of a fee they were ordered to pay for Sala by FIFA’s Players' Status Committee. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected Cardiff’s appeal against that decision and confirmed that the transfer had been “finalised” before his death.

Nantes’ lawyers indicated to L’Équipe they are confident Cardiff’s latest claim will be dismissed, and lamented the “relentlessness” of the club’s legal proceedings, saying that after seeing their appeals rejected everywhere else, “they have opened up another absurd legal front”. The court hearing will take place on 22nd June.

CAF agrees five-year partnership with Saudi Arabian Football Federation

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has announced a five-year “cooperation and development agreement” with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF).

The agreement, signed by CAF president Dr Patrice Motsepe and SAFF president Yasser Al Misehal last Friday, “will foster growth opportunities for African and Saudi Arabian football,” CAF said.

In a statement, the African body said the signed memorandum of understanding (MoU) will “focus on initiatives around technical and football development at Club and National team level, Grassroots football, Women’s football, talent identification, competitions, friendly matches and commercial opportunities.”

“Long-term initiatives”

CAF added: “The MoU between CAF and SAFF highlights the strong drive of both organisations to build on innovative and long-term initiatives aimed at raising football competitive levels and developing skills for football administrators.

“CAF and SAFF will organise and facilitate workshops and seminars aimed at empowering match officials, both men and women, to share their knowledge. This will also focus on the following areas: match organisation, marketing, media, refereeing and security.”

Bill Foley: AFC Bournemouth may opt to build new 20,000-seater stadium

AFC Bournemouth are considering plans to build a new 20,000-seater stadium, the club’s owner Bill Foley has revealed.

In a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic, the American businessman, who took over the Cherries last December, spoke about some of the options open to the club, whose ground is the smallest in the Premier League with a capacity of 11,307.

A potential expansion of the Vitality Stadium would involve renovating the South Stand, a temporary structure erected in 2013. The club recently applied to retain the stand for another five years, taking it up to the end of their current lease at the ground.

However, Foley said “the best approach is to try to build a new stadium and to do it economically, spend £80-90million, with the right hospitality and about 20,000 seats.”

Points system
The American added: “We don’t need much more than that but we do need to open up our ticketing to new fans. They’ve been using a points system until now you get a point for attending a game – but that just means everyone in the stadium looks like me: old, white guys.

“We want younger people. The tickets aren’t that expensive but to widen our fanbase we need to expand. We’re very intent on accomplishing that mission.”

Chelsea are set to appoint Chris Jurasek, an operating executive for Clearlake Capital – which jointly owns the club along with Todd Boehly, as their new CEO.

According to The Athletic, Jurasek – who was also CEO of a business funded by the US private equity firm – has already attended some business meetings in view of taking up the position at the Stamford Bridge club.

Questions over Tom Glick role

The Times reports that the decision by Chelsea’s owners to look to ease the crisis at the club by recruiting a new CEO from within their own business empire raises questions over the role of Tom Glick.

The American, who was appointed as the president of business at Chelsea last July, is expected to report to Jurasek as part of a broader management restructure at the club.

Glick previously worked at New York City FC and the City Football Group and was chief executive at Derby County in the 2000s. He was brought in to grow Chelsea’s commercial business and use his experience working for City’s owners to develop a multi-club model.

Lyon revenues up 5 per cent to €202.7 million for first three quarters of 2022/23

Lyon have reported total revenues of €202.7 million for the first nine months of the 2022/23 financial year – a 5 per cent increase on the €193.5 million earned for the same period in 2021/22.

The club’s income up to 31st March 2023 was boosted by the initial payment of €16.5 million from France’s Professional Football League (LFP) last August following the private equity firm CVC’s investment in the LFP’s commercial subsidiary.

Lyon, who were taken over by the US businessman John Textor last December, are due to receive further payments from the LFP/CVC deal of €23.5 million this July and €50 million next season.

The August payment resulted in Lyon’s LFP-FFF media and marketing rights income reaching €47 million, up from €25.9 million for the first three quarters of last year, more than making up for a decline in UEFA media rights income from €16 million to €1.3 million.

Lyon did not qualify for Europe this season after reaching the Europa League quarter-finals last time out. The club’s absence from Europe also affected matchday income, which fell from €25.7 million to €24.8 million.

The decline was minimal due to domestic ticketing income climbing from €17.6 million to €24.2 million – a rise of 38 per cent – as the rebound in attendances continued following the easing of Covid restrictions.

Revenues from player trading fell by 6 per cent from €82.2 million to €77.6 million. During the current financial year Lyon have sold Lucas Paquetá to West Ham for €35.7 million, Léo Dubois to Galatasaray for €2.4 million and Malo Gusto to Chelsea for €28.3 million.

€400-420 million revenue target for 2025/26

Commenting on the club’s outlook, Lyon reiterated that its medium-term objectives are to achieve total revenue of €400-420 million and EBITDA in excess of €90 million by 2025/26. It said this scenario includes a Champions League qualification and player trading.

Lyon also revealed that a termination fee of €10 million excluding taxes will be paid to Holnest, the family holding company of Jean-Michel Aulas, after he stepped down from the club’s presidency after 36 years last week.

Key witness in FIFA corruption probe avoids prison

Alejandro Burzaco, a former Argentine businessman who pleaded guilty in the FIFA corruption probe, will not have to spend time in prison, a US judge has ruled.

Reuters reports that the former head of Argentine sports marketing company Torneos y Competencias was sentenced to time served by US District Judge Pamela Chen in Brooklyn federal court on Friday. No fine was imposed. The defendant previously forfeited about $21.7 million.

Burzaco was a key witness at the trial held in March of Hernan Lopez and Carlos Martinez, two former 21st Century Fox executives accused of bribing football officials for broadcasting rights.
Lopez and sports marketing company Full Play Group SA were convicted and Martinez was acquitted.

Agreed to cooperate with prosecutors

Burzaco had pleaded guilty in 2015 to three counts of racketeering conspiracy, wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy and agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.

He admitted to paying bribes and kickbacks to officials at FIFA and regional affiliates for marketing rights to tournaments including the World Cup and Copa America.
Burzaco also said Qatar bribed FIFA officials to host the 2022 World Cup, which the Middle Eastern country denies.