FIFA has come under further attack over their plans for the expanded 2026 World Cup and new 32-team Club World Cup announced earlier this week.

FIFA confirmed on Tuesday that the 2026 World Cup will feature 104 games, up from 64, and also approved the access list for the 32-team Club World Cup which will take place every four years from June 2025.

After LaLiga accused FIFA of displaying a "complete disregard" for the football community, the European Leagues association and the World Leagues Forum also joined in with heavy criticism of the world football’s governing body for the expanded tournaments and match calendar.

The European Leagues association, which represents 37 football leagues in 31 countries, said it was “concerned” about the announcements made ahead of the FIFA annual congress in Kigali, Rwanda on Thursday.

A statement from European Leagues read: “All these decisions were taken by FIFA in a unilateral way and without any consultation process with many of the football stakeholders and the leagues in particular. Unfortunately, this became a habit in the recent years.

“Lately, governing bodies’ solutions for football solely focus on adding new competitions and on further expanding existing competitions into an already heavily congested football calendar. This results in a privilege for a few clubs while completely disregarding the big negative economic and sporting impact these decisions have on domestic leagues, most of their clubs, players, and fans.”

“Multiple requests”

The World Leagues Forum also attacked FIFA over a lack of consultation or respect for its league members.

In a statement, it said: “Despite multiple requests, FIFA did not consult with the World Leagues Forum or any of its member leagues, which represent the foundations of professional football and organise the vast majority of professional competitions globally, about the recent international match calendar decisions by the FIFA Council.

“FIFA’s decisions … further crowd an already overloaded calendar and fail to consider the impact on domestic league competitiveness and player welfare.”

European Leagues and the World Leagues Forum both said they will work together to analyse FIFA’s decisions before deciding “on the most appropriate next steps.”

 

FC Schalke 04 post €19.4 million loss for 2022

FC Schalke 04 have reported a loss of €19.4 million for the 2022 financial year, running from 1st January to 31st December, slightly higher than the €17.8 million deficit suffered the previous year.

The German club were relegated from the Bundesliga in 2020/21 before making an immediate return this season after winning the Bundesliga 2 title in 2021/22. However, they are battling to avoid going straight back down to the second tier and currently lie second from bottom in the Bundesliga.

Revenues for 2022 totalled €157 million, down slightly from €167.1 million the previous year. Total liabilities were reduced from around €183.5 million to €180 million, while financial liabilities were at €141.5 million, slightly above the previous year's level of €140.6 million.

The club said the losses were “due in particular to the affiliation to Bundesliga 2 and the last phase of the squad restructuring after relegation in 2021. For the time being, this should remain the last conclusion with a negative result.”

Small profit

Schalke noted that in the second half of 2022, it managed to generate a small profit. “This means that expectations for 2022 have come true,” it said.

Christina Rühl-Hamers, the club’s board member responsible for finance, commented: "We are already forecasting a profit for the 2023 financial year, regardless of league affiliation. After almost three years of intensive work, we have managed to lay a more stable financial foundation again, from which we can now take the next steps.”

 

Infantino targets equal prize money for men and women at World Cups by 2027

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has set a target of equal prize money for men and women at World Cups by 2027 after announcing a five-fold increase for prize money at the Women’s World Cup this summer.

At the last edition of the tournament in France in 2019, the 24 teams shared a total pot of $30 million, compared to the $440 million allocated to the 32 teams at the last men’s World Cup, with a further $210 million distributed in compensation to the club sides that employed the players in Qatar.

Speaking on Thursday at FIFA’s annual congress in Kigali, Rwanda, Infantino said the prize fund in Australia and New Zealand will be $110 million, with a further $31 million set aside to help the participating nations prepare for the tournament and $11 million ring-fenced for the players’ clubs.

Media rights values

The FIFA chief added that he wants to close the gap to the men's game completely in the next four years – but he said that prize money would remain unequal until broadcasters offered what he deemed more reasonable amounts for the tournament’s media rights.

In his president’s address, Infantino challenged public broadcasters “funded by taxpayers’ money” to increase their bids for the Women’s World Cup, pointing out that some had offered less than 1 per cent of the amount they committed to the men’s competition.

“OK, their viewing figures are 20 per cent less, so offer us 20 per cent less, or even 50 per cent less,” he said. “But these same broadcasters then criticise us for not guaranteeing equal prize money – how can we do it when they offer so little?”

 

RFEF working with authorities on FC Barcelona-Negreira case

FC Barcelona are facing further pressure over the controversial payments made by the club to former Spanish referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira after the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) revealed that it is cooperating with the authorities on the case.

Barcelona’s regional court said on Wednesday it would investigate Barça and two of the club's former presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, over the crimes of corruption in sports, unfair administration and falsehood in documents.

The move came after the Spanish public prosecutor's office filed corruption charges against the club over the allegations that Negreira received more than €7 million in payments from Barça between 2001 and 2018 to influence match results.

In a statement on Thursday, the RFEF said it “has appeared in the procedure” against Barcelona, and “is collaborating from the outset with the competent authorities to facilitate as much as possible the work of the investigation into these events that predate the current management team."

The body said it intends to "go all the way" and requests "the necessary and advisable serenity that contributes to reducing the climate of tension that has been created towards the arbitration collective."

Meanwhile, José Manuel Franco, president of the Spanish Central Securities Depository (CSD), confirmed that the entity will appear in the Negreira case at the "opportune moment" and asked Barcelona and its president, Joan Laporta, to explain what happened to know if "it is not as serious as what happened seems".

The Spanish government and Real Madrid have also said they will join the complaint as soon as the judge takes it on.

Denied favouring

Negreira, who was vice-president of the Spanish FA’s refereeing committee from 1993 to 2018, has denied ever favouring Barcelona in terms of refereeing decisions.

In a statement last month Barcelona also denied wrongdoing, saying it had paid an external consultant who supplied it with "technical reports related to professional refereeing". It was a common practice among professional football clubs, it said.

UEFA is considering allowing clubs with the same owner to play in the Champions League simultaneously – a move that could have significant ramifications for the potential takeover of Manchester United.

In an interview with former United player Gary Neville’s The Overlap YouTube channel, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin was asked about the potential conflict with owning two clubs in the same competition.

He said a rethink of the existing rules was needed and that two options to keep the ban and prohibit clubs with the same owner playing in the same competition, or to allow them to take part – would be explored.

“We are not thinking about Manchester United only,” he said. “We’ve had five or six owners of clubs who want to buy another club. We have to see what to do. The options are that it stays like that or that we allow them to play in the same competition. I’m not sure yet.”

Of the two confirmed bidders for United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos group already owns Nice, while Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani is the chairman of one of Qatar’s biggest banks, raising concerns about links to Paris Saint-Germain, owned by Qatar Sports Investments.

“We shouldn’t just say no”

Ceferin added: “We have to speak about these regulations and see what to do about it. There is more and more interest in this multi-club ownership. We shouldn’t just say no for the investments for multi-club ownership, but we have to see what kind of rules we set in that case, because the rules have to be strict.”

LaLiga attacks FIFA over plans for 2026 World Cup and 32-team Club World Cup

LaLiga has accused FIFA of displaying a "complete disregard" for the football community after plans for the expanded 2026 World Cup and new 32-team Club World Cup were announced earlier this week.

FIFA confirmed on Tuesday that the 2026 World Cup will feature 104 games, up from 64, and also approved the access list for the 32-team Club World Cup which will take place every four years from June 2025.

In a statement, LaLiga said: “FIFA continues its malpractice of making unilateral decisions on the world football calendar, showing complete disregard for the importance of national championships, and the football community in general.”

It added: “FIFA completely neglects the economic damage these decisions inflict on leagues around the world. Leagues were not consulted about any of the changes presented today, especially about the new annual club competition, of which we were completely unaware, and which seriously affects our competitions.

“These decisions do not take into account the competitive, sporting and economic impact on national leagues, clubs and players, by further cramming an already overloaded schedule.”

LaLiga added that, along with other leagues represented in the World Leagues Forum, it will “analyse FIFA's decisions and decide on the most appropriate next steps.”

LaLiga to leave European Leagues

Meanwhile, LaLiga president Javier Tebas has said that the Spanish league will no longer part of the European Leagues association, which represents 37 football leagues in 31 countries across Europe.

In comments reported by Spanish media, Tebas said he had informed European Leagues that he and LaLiga are resigning from the association – a move which also means Tebas will no longer be on the UEFA executive committee, where he was present as a representative of the European Leagues.

“It is an association that has no influence because it is not taken seriously,” Tebas said. “They have done nothing to fight [PSG president Nasser] Al-Khelaïfi and the state clubs; neither against the abuses of the Premier League, nor against the Super League. The only one who has spoken clearly about these matters has been LaLiga and I prefer to go alone than with a group that does not help."

Manchester United bidders to meet club for ‘stage two’ of takeover talks

Discussions over a potential takeover of Manchester United are set to move to the next phase later this week, with Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani and British businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe due to meet with the club.

The two confirmed bidders are looking to complete a deal for United after the Glazer family revealed their intention to look for investment last November.

The Athletic reports that representatives of Sheikh Jassim will meet with the club at Old Trafford on Thursday while Ratcliffe will be present in meetings on Friday after attending Nice’s Europa Conference League tie on Thursday evening.

Finances and plans for growth

The discussions are being billed as “stage two” of the process and are expected to include a first look into the club’s finances as well as plans for future growth.

United’s chief financial officer, Cliff Baty, will assist with the presentations, where development plans for Old Trafford and the Carrington training ground could also be raised.

Spanish judge takes on FC Barcelona referee payments case

A Barcelona court has agreed to take on the case over the controversial payments made by FC Barcelona to former Spanish referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, Reuters reports.

The regional court said on Wednesday it would investigate Barça and two of the club's former presidents, Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu, over the crimes of corruption in sports, unfair administration and falsehood in documents.

Corruption charges

Last Friday, the Spanish public prosecutor's office filed corruption charges against the club over the allegations that Negreira received more than €7 million in payments from Barça between 2001 and 2018 to influence match results.

On Tuesday State Attorney General Alvaro Garcia Ortiz ordered that the case be transferred to the anti-corruption prosecutor's office due to the high-profile nature of the allegations, which could constitute significant corruption offences.

Three separate days last year are worth noting when trying to understand the financial regulation of European football.

On the 7th of April last year, the UEFA executive committee approved the new UEFA Club Licensing and Financial Sustainability Regulations at its meeting in Nyon. UEFA wrote on its website that the regulations were the first major reform of UEFA’s finance regulations since they were introduced in 2010.

“… the evolution of the football industry, alongside the inevitable financial effects of the pandemic, has shown the need for wholesale reform and new financial sustainability regulations,” UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin said when the reforms were presented.

On the 28th of October, L'Equipe reported that Paris Saint-Germain would book losses of €370 million for last season (2021/22).

And then last week, L’Equipe published another article explaining that PSG are not expected to face any sanctions from UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules for the 2022/23 season due to a “settlement agreement”.

The French giants were understood to be avoiding any punishment despite their heavy losses and debts, but had to stay within FFP regulations to avoid future penalties, which could include a reduction in Champions-League squad size as well as a transfer embargo.

If PSG actually registered a loss of €370 million for the 2021/22 financial year, the club would have lost more than €600 in the last three seasons. And everyone interested in football know the stories about the signing of Lionel Messi; the surprising renewal of the Kylian Mbappé contract and, not least, the massive wages that these two superstars are being paid because they wear the famous PSG shirt.

And yet – despite these decisions having been made when PSG executives had clarity about the serious effects Covid-19 would have on football finances – the French club then apparently managed to strike a deal with UEFA allowing them to avoid any serious penalties such as being rejected from playing in the Champions League.

So would it be fair to ask if this change from one set of FFP rules to another could benefit some clubs with massive losses - because there is a lack of clarity in this transition period about what UEFA can and can't accept?

“I think that is a fair assumption to make, yes,” says Dan Plumley from Sheffield Hallam University, one of the UK’s leading football finance experts.

He explains that the transition period was always going to be tricky for UEFA. Officially the new rules came into play from June 2022, “but there is a challenge with how you fit retrospective punishment here given some of the losses would relate to pre-2022,” says Plumley.

Also, of course, the pandemic presents another issue here dating back to the time when FFP rules were relaxed because of loss of earnings, and also how each club reports the estimated losses from Covid-19 and what should be deemed as acceptable. Plumley says we have seen issues in this area with EPL Profit & Sustainability regulations linked to these “acceptable” losses during the pandemic and how some valuations are very different from club to club.

Furthermore, in the new Pillar 2 of UEFA’s new Financial Sustainability Regulations (FSRs), the acceptable losses have also increased at UEFA level from €30 million to €60 million, so it does open the door for clubs to lose more in the changeover period.

“Again, this is tricky to manage from UEFA’s perspective and you would expect to see some more cases like the PSG one over the next couple of years while clubs adjust to the new regulations. For me, Pillar 3, on cost control, will also benefit the bigger clubs in the changeover and beyond because it is set against a wages/turnover ratio and the clubs that earn more can then spend more in real terms against this ratio,” says Plumley.

If you ask Stephen Taylor-Heath, head of sports law at JMW Solicitors, about this topic, he feels that for a start everyone in football needs to understand the core essence of this set of rules.

“It is generally naïve to consider these rules as having anything to do with concepts of fairness and the public should simply abandon any notion that professional football is operated financially on a level playing field,” he says.

“In reality, these rules are simply intended to act as a handbrake to try and avoid a club overreaching itself and becoming unsustainable to the point where it defaults on its footballing debts and destabilises the football market.”

When asked if the PSG settlement with UEFA seems fair, he says that “… the main reason UEFA enter into these settlements is to avoid lengthy and costly legal battles.”

Inevitably, Taylor-Heath explains, any settlement involves a compromise but achieves a result with a level of certainty as to its terms and implementation.

“It would clearly be unethical for clubs to simply plan to breach the regulations with a view to budgeting for substantial legal fees in securing a settlement they can live with. This would clearly suggest the system is broken if clubs would rather benefit from breaching the rules in terms of on-the-pitch performance and can then live with the consequences.”

He believes the only real way to bring fairness into it would be for the other clubs to have a vote on whether to accept the terms of any proposed settlement or even sanction.

“That is of course not going to happen, although some teams may seek to lobby UEFA with their observations on proposed deals. Inevitably legal representatives for clubs will also review such settlements as potential precedents should their team ever be in a similar situation.”

In terms of the Covid-19 effects - and how to measure them - Plumley says clubs will cite, rightly or wrongly, the pandemic, acceptable pandemic losses and the changes in regulations to move to a different set of acceptable losses and wages/turnover ratios.

“There are so many grey areas in here that clubs could reasonably suggest have led to tough adjustments and that UEFA should be accommodating of this given it was UEFA’s decision to change the regulations. Given that, settlements would appear to be in a way a logical, if not ideal, way of solving things in the short term until the new FSRs are fully in play,” says Plumley.

Off The Pitch also spoke to a club executive who said UEFA is making the rules, enforcing them and “at the same time UEFA is organising the competitions with a clear business interest. Maybe a separation of these roles would make football more transparent?”

A PSG source told Off The Pitch that the "ship had been steadied" with regard to the club's FFP compliance. Revenues were up and it followed two transfer windows with very few purchases and a lot of player exits, with more planned for next summer. More free transfers, including the Inter defender Milan Skriniar, are also planned for the summer window, with key exits planned. Although the source wouldn't be drawn on the nature of this business, Messi's contract is up in July and Mbappé is entering the last year of his contract.

FC Barcelona have paused a €1.5 billion fundraising intended to fund the revamp of the Camp Nou stadium, according to The Financial Times. 

The Catalan giants are understood to have baulked at the terms of the deal amid an increase in US borrowing costs, forcing the club to weigh up alternative financing arrangements.

A source said the deal was meant to be priced late last week, but negotiations with private investors stalled as a flurry of recent inflation data pushed up US borrowing costs to 2007 levels.

The situation was said to be “fast-moving” and Barcelona could soon decide on a new method of financing.

Kroll Bond Rating Agency had given the club’s planned private placement a preliminary rating of triple B plus and a stable outlook on 3rd February but later that month it lowered it to triple B, citing a revised financing structure comprising a five-year €200 million bank loan and five tranches of senior notes.

KBRA said two of the tranches were expected to be issued in US dollars and “swapped back to their euro equivalent”, leaving the club more exposed to US interest rate movements.

Three equal tranches

The club had previously planned to issue three equal tranches of €500 million senior notes. The agency said the change “introduces additional refinancing and interest rate risk”.

Club sources told the FT that Barcelona were “working to optimise the terms and flexibility of the final financing structure” and that the club still intended to have funding in place by its March-end target.

 

Qatar Sports Investments in talks to buy Malaga

Paris Saint-Germain owners Qatar Sports Investments are in discussions about a takeover of LaLiga Smartbank club Malaga, according to Spanish radio station El Partidazo de Cope.

Malaga, who were in the Champions League just over a decade ago, are now lying third from bottom in the Spanish second division and battling to avoid falling into the third tier.

The club is currently in the hands of public administrators, as the Qatari businessman Sheikh Abdullah Al-Thani, who holds 51 per cent of the shares in the club, is under investigation for financial crimes.

For a takeover to happen, Al-Thani must deposit €9 million in the Malaga accounts in order to regain control of his shares and sell them.

Diversified portfolio

Qatar Sports Investments – whose chairman is PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi – has recently diversified its portfolio, acquiring a 22 per cent stake in Portuguese club Braga last October and also making investments in other sports such as Premier Padel.

 

Ex-FC Barcelona directors claim referee payments were made to protect against bias

Former FC Barcelona directors have claimed that former Spanish referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira was paid by the club for almost two decades as an act of “self defence”, Spanish newspaper El Mundo has reported.

The Spanish public prosecutor's office last week filed corruption charges against the Catalan giants and former club presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu over the payments.

Former club executives Oscar Grau and Albert Soler have also been listed in the case, which alleges that Negreira received more than €7 million in payments from Barça between 2001 and 2018 to influence match results.

El Mundo said former Barça directors had claimed the club was protecting itself from a perceived bias against it – a version of events which matches the one given by Negreira when he was originally investigated by Spain’s Inland Revenue. He said that Barcelona hired him to guarantee “neutral” refereeing.

El Mundo also said it had been told confidentially by the former Barcelona directors that ties were not cut with Negreira because he threatened to take revenge on the club by revealing the relationship.

This fits with faxes published by El Mundo sent from Negreira’s lawyers to the club at the end of 2019 and the start of 2020 when the club had finally stopped paying the, by then former, vice-president of the Spanish Referees’ Committee.

Laporta to be interviewed

Investigators will now interview former Barcelona coaches Luis Enrique and Ernesto Valverde as well as current president Joan Laporta.

Negreira has denied ever favouring Barcelona in terms of refereeing decisions. The club has admitted hiring an “external consultant” who provided reports “related to professional refereeing”.

In a Tweet last Friday, Laporta wrote: “Barça is innocent of the accusations made against it and is the victim of a campaign, that now involves everyone, to harm its honor.”

 

FIFA confirm 2026 World Cup will have 12 groups of four

FIFA have confirmed that the 2026 World Cup – the first to feature 48 teams – will comprise 12 groups of four rather than 16 groups of three, as initially proposed.

The change means that the tournament to be played in the United States, Canada and Mexico will feature 104 games. The group winners and runners-up, along with the eight best third-placed teams, will advance to the new last-32 stage.

The FIFA Council unanimously approved the format at a meeting in Kigali, Rwanda, on Tuesday. In a statement, FIFA said: “The revised format mitigates the risk of collusion and ensures that all the teams play a minimum of three matches, while providing balanced rest time between competing teams.”

The new format will see the tournament stretch across 38 or 39 days compared with 32 in 2018 and 2014. The preparation period for 2026 between a player’s release and his country’s first match will be about two weeks, double what was in place for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, but shorter than the previous two tournaments.

Sixteen-day window

Also agreed was a 16-day, four-match men’s international window in late September and early October from 2026, with two nine-day, two-match windows to be retained in September and October 2025.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino has predicted the 2026 World Cup will generate record-breaking revenues. The governing body has budgeted for revenues of $11 billion in the four-year cycle to 2026, almost $4 billion more than it earned during the same period prior to the Qatar World Cup.

 

Russia invited to play in Asian football tournament

Russia have been invited to compete in the Central Asian Football Association (CAFA) Championship in June amid speculation over a switch to the Asian confederation (AFC).

The country is seeking a return to international competition, with Russian teams suspended from UEFA and FIFA competitions since Moscow invaded Ukraine in February 2022.

The Tajikistan Football Federation (TFF) said Russia had been invited to CAFA’s inaugural men’s tournament scheduled for 9th-21st June along with CAFA’s six member nations and another country yet to be confirmed.

CAFA is part of the AFC and was formed in 2014. It comprises the national federations of Afghanistan, Iran, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

The TFF said Russia had accepted the invitation, but the Russian football federation (RFU) told the news agency Tass the possibility and conditions of the team’s participation were being discussed.

Three friendlies

Russia’s men’s team played three friendlies last year, against Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, and are scheduled to face Iran and Iraq this month.

RFU president Alexander Dyukov has previously touted twitching from UEFA to Asia’s 47-nation confederation as a possible option to allow the Russian national teams and clubs continued international competition.

Real Madrid have said they will join the legal case against FC Barcelona over the controversial payments made by the club to former Spanish referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

The Spanish public prosecutor's office last week filed corruption charges against the Catalan giants and former club presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu over the payments.

Former club executives Oscar Grau and Albert Soler have also been listed in the case, which alleges that Negreira received more than €7 million in payments from Barça between 2001 and 2018 to influence match results.

A statement from Real Madrid released on Sunday read: “Real Madrid wishes to express its utmost concern regarding the gravity of the facts and reiterates its confidence in the legal system. The club has agreed that, in defence of its legitimate rights, it will appear at the trial when the judge opens it up to the affected parties.”

‘Victim of a campaign’

Negreira has denied ever favouring Barcelona in terms of refereeing decisions. The club has admitted hiring an “external consultant” who provided reports “related to professional refereeing”.

In a Tweet on Friday, current Barcelona president Joan Laporta wrote: “Barça is innocent of the accusations made against it and is the victim of a campaign, that now involves everyone, to harm its honor.”

FIFA sent petition over Qatar migrant worker compensation

FIFA has received an open letter backed by a million signatures demanding compensation for migrant workers at the Qatar World Cup, ahead of the world football governing body’s annual congress in Rwanda on Thursday.

The Athletic reports that human rights organisations Avaaz and Amnesty International have delivered a petition containing signatures gathered from 190 countries, as well as custom-designed shirts, to the FIFA headquarters in Switzerland.

The letter calls on FIFA president Gianni Infantino to use a Qatar legacy fund to compensate workers or their families directly, while the shirts – delivered to FIFA’s official museum in Zurich – echo the blue workwear and yellow vests worn by many of the migrant workers who built stadiums and infrastructure in Qatar.

Norwegian FA request

The move follows an official request lodged by the Norwegian FA that urged FIFA to “assess whether it has fulfilled its responsibility to remedy related to the 2022 World Cup, including an investigation into World Cup-related deaths and injuries”.

Qatari organisers have admitted that as many as 500 workers died in building-site accidents across the country since 2014, but reports have claimed there werethousands of unexplained migrant worker deaths.

Report: Qatar spied on meeting between Infantino and Swiss prosecutor

Fresh revelations have emerged about spying activity on behalf of Qatar as it prepared to host the 2022 World Cup.

A report from Swiss newspaper Neue Zürcher Zeitung has claimed that a spying operation on behalf of the Gulf state bugged a 2017 hotel meeting between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Switzerland’s then-attorney general during an investigation of football officials.

The report said intelligence operatives linked to a former CIA officer wiretapped a meeting involving Infantino and Swiss federal prosecutor Michael Lauber at a Qatari-owned hotel in Bern, which also then housed the emirate’s embassy.

The NZZ report said documents and sources showed the surveillance was carried out for ‘Project Matterhorn’ to gather material on Lauber.

At the time the prosecutor was overseeing a years-long probe of football officials that had begun in 2014 with a criminal complaint by FIFA to look for suspected financial wrongdoing linked to World Cup bidders, including Qatar’s winning campaign to host the 2022 tournament.

The revelations in NZZ follow reports by the Associated Press since 2021 that Qatar spent millions of dollars over several years hiring the Global Risk Advisors agency to spy on FIFA and international football officials to protect its World Cup.

Last year, the AP reported that the FBI was investigating whether agency boss Kevin Chalker’s work for Qatar broke laws related to foreign lobbying and surveillance.

Qatar dismisses report

The Qatari government’s international media office dismissed the NZZ report in a statement as “another attempt to spread false information about Qatar and damage its reputation. We reject the allegations and are exploring all legal avenues.”

In a statement about Infantino potentially being spied on, FIFA added: “The FIFA president has no knowledge of any secret surveillance actions, from whatever side. More importantly, there has never been any even remote attempt by anyone to influence him, let alone blackmail him.”

Juventus seek access to another secret document to overturn 15-point deduction

Juventus are pursuing access to a new secret document related to the case against the club over its use of capital gains which it hopes will result in their 15-point Serie A deduction being overturned.

The development comes after an appeal was won which meant Juventus's defence lawyers were allowed access to a document called ‘Note 10940′, referring to a formal request made by Italian football watchdog COVISOC to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné on 14th April, 2021.

According to a report from Tuttosport, this particular document didn't prove to be particularly relevant to Juventus' case, and there was no mention of the club in six pages of correspondence between COVISOC and the FIGC Prosecutor's Office.

However, Juventus are now understood to be keen to access another COVISOC document dated 31st March, 2021 two weeks older than 'Note 10940'.

Violation of timeframe

Juventus’s lawyers are said to be hopeful that this document could be crucial in overturning the club's point deduction as it may show that the investigation into their usage of capital gains started earlier than stated – which would lead to a violation of the procedural timeframe.

The Spanish public prosecutor's office has filed corruption charges against FC Barcelona and former club presidents Sandro Rosell and Josep Maria Bartomeu over the controversial payments made to former Spanish referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira.

Former club executives Oscar Grau and Albert Soler have also been listed in the case, which alleges that Negreira received more than €7 million in payments from Barça between 2001 and 2018 to influence match results.

The prosecutors claim that under a secret agreement and in exchange for payments, Negreira – a former vice-president of the referee committee in Spain – favoured Barcelona in both decisions taken by referees in games played by the club as well as in competition results.

“External consultant”

Negreira has denied ever favouring Barcelona in terms of refereeing decisions. The club has admitted hiring an “external consultant” who provided reports “related to professional refereeing”.

Last Tuesday, current Barcelona president Joan Laporta said: "Let it be clear – Barça have never bought referees and Barça have never had the intention of buying referees, absolutely never.”

FIFA bribery case results in split verdict for ex-Fox executives

A former Fox executive has been convicted of paying tens of millions of dollars in bribes to secure broadcasting rights to the World Cup and other top football matches, and a second ex-executive has been acquitted.

AP reports that a Brooklyn federal jury deliberated for four days before returning the verdicts last week. Hernan Lopez, the former CEO of Fox International Channels, was convicted. Carlos Martinez, who headed the Latin America affiliate, was acquitted.

The prosecutors’ star witness was the executives’ former business associate Alejandro Burzaco, who said that he and the two executives paid millions of dollars in bribes to undermine competing bids for the TV rights to the Copa Libertadores, and help land broadcasting rights to the World Cup.

Prosecutors said the case revealed the levels of corruption in international football, while defence lawyers said the former Fox execs were framed by an admitted criminal who was trying to minimise his own punishment.

John Gleeson, an attorney for Lopez, asserted there were “legal and factual errors”, adding: “We look forward to vindicating our client on appeal.”

Copa America rights

A South American sports media and marketing company was also convicted of corruption allegations – involving different TV rights. Full Play Group SA, incorporated in Uruguay, was accused of paying bribes for the rights to the Copa America, as well as to World Cup qualifying matches.

New York-based Fox Corp, which split from a subsidiary of international channels during a restructuring in 2019, was not charged and has denied any involvement in the bribery scandal.

Lopez and Martinez are among dozens of people to have faced charges after a US-led investigation into international football and FIFA burst into view in 2015.

Glazers push Manchester United takeover deadline back to June

Manchester United owners the Glazers have pushed the deadline for a potential sale of the club back until the start of the summer transfer window in June, according to The Daily Telegraph.

The American family had initially aimed to complete a sale before the end of April. However, if the Glazers are to cash in on the club then June is now considered to be a more realistic timeframe.

The current offers from Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are understood to fall short of the price tag of at least £6 billion said to have been set by the Glazer family.

Last Thursday, officials from American investment management firm Elliot Management met with Raine, the merchant bank running the process. Rothschild, the Glazers' financial advisors, were also in attendance.

Representatives from Elliot also watched United's win over Real Betis in the Europa League on Thursday evening at Old Trafford. Elliott is not planning to buy the club but is willing to help finance a takeover from an interested party.

Detailed presentations

This week, Sheikh Jassim’s bid and Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group will attend detailed presentations at Old Trafford. Although they are the only two parties to have gone public with their bids so far, there are said to be at least two other parties interested in buying United.

Hertha Berlin finalise deal with 777 Partners to buy Lars Windhorst shares

Hertha Berlin have confirmed that the deal with American investment firm 777 Partners to acquire the shares in the club owned by controversial German financier Lars Windhorst has finally been completed.

Miami-based 777 and Tennor Holding – the company owned by Windhorst – had originally announced that an agreement had been reached to buy the shares last November, but the deal was hit by numerous delays and last month it was reported that it risked falling through.

Windhorst joined Hertha as a shareholder in the summer of 2019 and acquired a total of 64.7 per cent of the shares in the club for €374 million. However, last October he offered Hertha the buyback of his shares following a major fallout with the club’s hierarchy.

A statement released by Hertha on Saturday read: “777 Partners acquires all shares in Hertha BSC GmbH & Co. KGaA, which were previously owned by Peil Investment B.V., a subsidiary of Tennor Holding B.V. (64.7%).

“The Executive Committee of Hertha BSC e.V., which continues to be the sole shareholder of the general partner and the management of Hertha BSC GmbH & Co. KGaA, has approved this step, as have the Supervisory Board of Hertha BSC e.V. and the Advisory Board of Hertha BSC GmbH & Co. KGaA.

“As part of this, 777 Partners will receive two seats on the Supervisory Board of Hertha BSC & Co, KGaA, which now consists of a total of five members. In addition, 777 Partners will take two seats on the company's advisory board.”

Immediate cash injection

According to Kicker, the deal is worth €100 million which 777 will pay in three instalments, beginning with an immediate cash injection of €35 million.

The German magazine understands that 777 will also acquire an additional 10 per cent shareholding in the club, and there are suggestions that the total package could eventually be worth €200 million, including Windhorst's participation in a division of 777.

Hertha is the seventh football club to have struck an investment deal with 777, joining Genoa in Italy, Vasco da Gama in Brazil, Standard Liège in Belgium, Red Star in France, Sevilla in Spain and Melbourne Victory in Australia.

Last week, Hertha reported a loss of €44.6 million for the first half of the 2022/23 financial year. The club said it anticipates a deficit of €64 million for the entire fiscal year.

Compared to the same period the year before, revenue was down by €21 million to €62.3 million, while the club's wage bill increased to €51.3 million, up from €46.4 million.

Paris Saint-Germain consider bid for Stade de France

Fresh speculation about the future home of Paris Saint-Germain has emerged after it was reported the French champions are interested in buying Stade de France, the country’s biggest sports stadium.

The venue is valued at around €600 million and a bid hasn’t been submitted yet, according to a report by Agence France-Presse. News of the potential bid was first reported by L’Equipe, and the club has confirmed their interest to Bloomberg.

The French government indicated earlier this month that it would consider selling the stadium to the club. In an interview with the Journal du Dimanche, sports minister Amelie Oudea-Castera said that having a resident club has been shown to be the best way to “balance” the business model.

Saint-Cloud racetrack

In a statement to Bloomberg, PSG said that as an alternative they are also exploring the possibility of building a new stadium at the Saint-Cloud racetrack, near their current home at Parc des Princes.

The world’s largest company Apple, which last week launched its first football streaming service, is going to make “a concerted move into sport” and recognises that the “power” of sport and football will “positively influence” its overall multi-trillion business, according to a senior broadcast executive.

Apple’s service segment – which includes its streaming platforms – is now the fastest growing part of its business, with record earnings of $21 billion in the last quarter, and the company is merely “scratching the surface” in terms of its sports product, he said.

The comments were made by Adam Kelly, the President of IMG Media, the sports rights and production giant, which is partnering with the tech behemoth in its Major League Soccer (MLS) output.

Earlier this month Apple and MLS kicked off a broadcast rights deal worth a reported $2.5 billion over 10 years, putting the North American football league’s matches on its streaming service globally.

Here to stay

All live MLS fixtures are now shown globally on a dedicated MLS streaming service available exclusively on the Apple TV app.  The deal follows an agreement by Apple with Major League Baseball to broadcast its Friday night games.

Kelly, speaking last week at the FT Business of Football Summit, said that the MLS deal was likely to only be the start of a bigger leap into sport by the streaming giant.

“They are the biggest company in the world. They are focusing very heavily on the development of their service segment - it is the fastest growing part of their entire business,” he said.

“They've got two billion active devices and they've got nearly a billion subscriptions. So this is a company that knows its audience, that knows its data, that has access to more devices and people than anyone else by far. And they're making a concerted move into sport and they're here to stay.

“This is really significant for all of us. And again, they're interested because they appreciate the power of football, appreciate the power of sport, and how that can positively influence their business overall.”

Unique proposition

While Amazon, Paramount and Disney all have streaming services that show live sport, and specialised sports streaming service, DAZN, is making huge inroads into the football market, Apple’s dual technology and platform proposition make it a unique proposition.  

“We're just really scratching the surface when how we're producing the product,” said Kelly.

“We're going to start layering in through our IMG Arena technology and data business additional levels of insight and data to help improve the product, to help address audiences of tomorrow and create the content that really engages.

“I think that is really meaningful and noteworthy for the industry at large.”

Case study – with a health warning

Charlie Marshall, the CEO of the European Club Association (ECA) which is embarking on a joint media rights venture with UEFA, said that the Apple/ MLS deal offered a “really fascinating case study to watch from a European perspective” but cautioned at the relatively small size of the deal, which was “not something that moves the needle hugely for the sport”.

“It's not at the top tier of US sports. MLS is not right up there as soccer is in Europe,” said Marshall.

He said the interesting aspects were how the tech company could “push boundaries” in terms of “production innovation, the kind of consumer engagement opportunities that you have with a platform like that, the way that actually you can look at the competition itself as a sort of product and really play around with the way that it's distributed on this kind of a platform versus on a traditional linear platform.”

Marshall also warned about handing such concentrated power to an individual platform, which, while “enormous” was vested with “a huge amount of control over how that product gets distributed, and it can sort of turn taps on and turn taps off depending on what else it's trying to do on its global content platform.”

Sceptical dose

Last week the MLS Commissioner, Don Garber, refused to deny reports that the league’s agreement with Apple contained an “opt-out” clause allowing Apple to walk away from the agreement if the league gain a certain number of subscribers within a set timeframe.

“We’ve never talked about what the specific terms [of the agreement] are,” he said in an interview with The Athletic, “and we’re not going to talk about it now. It’s a 10-year partnership. We’re both very, very committed to that. I am wholeheartedly convinced that this company and our league are going to be together for a very long time.”

Netflix has already said that it wouldn’t be considering live sports as part of its output for the foreseeable future.

“We’ve not seen a profit path from renting big-league sports,” co-CEO Ted Sarandos at the UBS Global Technology, Media & Telecom Conference in December. “We’re not saying there never will be,” he added,” but “dramatically expensive” rights have made sports effectively a “loss leader.”

“We’re not anti-sports. We’re just pro-profit. We have yet to figure out how to do it. But I’m very confident we can get twice as big as we are without sports.”

Premflix

Others likely to be watching the Apple/MLS deal closely will include the Premier League. Also speaking at the FT Business of Football summit its CEO Richard Masters gave the clearest hint yet that the Premier League is working on a global streaming platform, but has said that it may be years before the league “pivots” towards a direct to consumer model.

“There is a discussion about how the media market is going to move and change,” he said.

“We are resourcing and looking at how we can build direct to consumer relationships with our own supporters around the world in order to be able to make that pivot as and when it happens.

“But it hasn’t happened for us yet. We are still principally a media rights licensing business and we may be for some time yet. But we will be ready when that challenge comes to us.”

Serie A is to ask its 20 clubs on Monday whether they want to begin a process to study proposals by private equity firms and banks interested in investing in the league's media rights business.

A document seen by Reuters lists banks and funds that have approached Serie A in recent months and states that, after meetings with all of the potential partners, three different types of financing offers have been put forward.

The first option is that of a "league wide" credit facility, although investors would also be willing to invest equity capital in a company holding Serie A's media rights.

A third option would combine equity and debt. The equity contribution would be lower because it would focus on a company holding only Serie A's international media rights.

Lenders listed

Citi, Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan and Barclays are the lenders listed in the document, which also mentions private equity firms Apollo, Apax, Carlyle, Three Hills Capital Partners and Searchlight.

A source told Reuters that Deutsche Bank, which has been indicated among banks interested in investing in Serie A, left the race as it is involved in a similar process involving Germany's Bundesliga.

Prepared ahead of a meeting of the 20 Serie A clubs scheduled for Monday, the document said clubs will be asked whether they are interested in exploring a deal and on what basis.

If the clubs decide to go ahead, the league would hire an adviser to organise a so-called beauty contest, soliciting all leading financial institutions to submit their best proposal, the document said.

Real Madrid reject UEFA Champions League ticket refund offer

Real Madrid have refused to accept UEFA's ticket refund scheme for fans who attended last May's chaotic Champions League final against Liverpool in Paris, and have offered legal help to their fans who wish to sue the European governing body for damages.

UEFA announced on Tuesday it was implementing a special refund scheme for supporters who were at the match, after an independent report released last month concluded the governing body held “primary responsibility” for the organisational and safety failures surrounding the match.

UEFA said that “refunds will be available to all fans with tickets for gates A, B, C, X, Y and Z where the most difficult circumstances were reported. … Given these criteria, the special refund scheme covers all of the Liverpool FC ticket allocation for the Final, i.e. 19,618 tickets.”

It added that “refunds to fans of Real Madrid CF who meet the refund criteria will be processed based on the requests received from the ticket buyer via UEFA’s customer service. The same applies to neutral supporters who purchased tickets directly from UEFA and who are eligible for a refund.”

Real Madrid have reacted furiously to the scheme, and a statement from the club released on Thursday read: “Regrettably, our club believes that UEFA's proposal … is insufficient. It merely consists of the reimbursement of the ticket price, which is also subject to the fulfilment of a series of requirements, including providing proof of the time of access to the stadium.”

“Inadequate organisation”

Madrid noted that the review into the failures in Paris “stresses that all fans attending the final were victims of its inadequate organisation and their safety and security were compromised.”

The club added: “For this reason, Real Madrid has decided not to cooperate in the restricted compensation procedure proposed by UEFA, which we ask to redress the situation and assume its full responsibility.

“In these circumstances, an online assistance service will be made available in the next few days to enable all Real Madrid members and fans who experienced any kind of harm at the 2022 Champions League final in Paris to make the appropriate claims against UEFA for their personal and legitimate interests.”

EU court adviser: UEFA home-grown rules partially breach EU rules

An adviser to Europe's top court has claimed that UEFA's home-grown rules setting a quota of locally trained players at clubs are partially incompatible with EU rules and may benefit bigger clubs eyeing young players at smaller rivals.

Reuters reports that the case centres on a dispute between UEFA and Belgian club Royal Antwerp FC, together with a player, over the governing body’s home-grown player rules dating back to the 2008/09 season, which set a quota of locally trained players at clubs but without any discrimination on nationality.

Antwerp argued that the rules hamper a professional club from recruiting and fielding players who do not meet the requirement of local or national roots, violating both EU competition and free movement of workers rules.

The club and the player took their grievances about UEFA and Belgian football governing body URBSFA, which has similar rules, to a Belgian court which subsequently sought advice from the Luxembourg-based EU Court of Justice (CJEU).

Israel international

The player was not identified by the court but media reports named him as 36-year-old Lior Refaelov, an Israel international who was at Antwerp but joined Anderlecht in April 2021.

CJEU Advocate General Maciej Szpunar said that while the recruitment and training of young players must be accepted as legitimate, he had doubts about the general coherence of the contested provisions regarding the definition of a home-grown player. Judges will rule on the case in the coming months.

Cardiff to fight ban on buying players after making Emiliano Sala payment

Cardiff City are challenging an EFL restriction imposed as a result of the Emiliano Sala case that means the club are not allowed to spend any money on signing players until May 2024, The Times reports.

The EFL has lifted a transfer embargo after Cardiff paid €7 million to Nantes as the first instalment of a fee the Championship club were ordered to pay for the Argentinian striker, who died in a plane crash en route to joining them in January 2019.

However, other transfer restrictions remain in force. Under sanctions imposed under the EFL’s rule 52.6, which relates to defaulting on payments, Cardiff can sign only free transfers or loan players until the end of next season.

The club’s lawyer, Chris Nott, said: “Cardiff City are challenging the EFL’s application of rule 52.6 and that will be determined by the end of the current season.”

Loss of £29 million for 2021/22

The restriction of spending money on new players is detailed in Cardiff’s accounts for the 2021/22 financial year, which show the club made a loss of £29 million, up from nearly £12 million in 2020/21. Turnover dropped from £55 million to just under £20 million as the loss of parachute payments kicked in.

The club’s total debt as at 31st May, 2022, was £123.4 million, with £73 million owed to owner Vincent Tan and his family, and £20.8 million to Tormen Finance, a company that the Cardiff chairman, Mehmet Dalman, has “significant influence over”.

FIGC prosecutor requests more time for Juventus player payments investigation

Italian Football Federation (FIGC) prosecutor Giuseppe Chiné has requested more time to investigate the allegations that Juventus agreed a series of secret player payments during the early stages of the Covid-19 pandemic.

La Gazzetta dello Sport reports that Chiné could request extensions of 20 or 40 days after receiving an abundance of new documents from the Turin prosecutors who have been working on the Prisma investigation examining the alleged arrangements.

The latest development comes after hopes were raised at Juventus that the 15-point deduction handed down in January over its use of capital gains could be overturned.

The punishment was delivered after the trial into the application of capital gains in Italian football was reopened when fresh evidence from documents discovered in the separate Prisma investigation came to light.

The possibility the sanction may be overturned has emerged after Juventus's current sporting director, Federico Cherubini, and his predecessor Fabio Paratici, now managing director of football at Tottenham Hotspur, won an appeal related to the case.

The development means Juventus's defence lawyers can now access what is said to be a “secret document” Chiné sent Italian football watchdog COVISOC in April 2021.

‘Note 10940′

According to Italian media reports, the Administrative Court of Lazio (TAR Lazio) has accepted an appeal from Cherubini and Paratici which will allow Juventus’ defence lawyers to scrutinise the document, which had been kept secret until now.

The document, called ‘Note 10940′, refers to a formal request made by COVISOC to Chiné on 14th April, 2021. In it, COVISOC asked the FIGC prosecutor for clarification on Juventus’ alleged inflated transfer values. However, according to Juventus lawyers, the proceeding did not open until 21st April 2021.

From that date, Chiné had 60 days for investigations and 30 days for trial registration, meaning that all the documents acquired after 14th July, 2021, that ultimately led to the 15-point penalty, would not have been usable. COVISOC now has seven days to send the ‘Note 10940’ to Juventus lawyers.

Fifpro: World Cup in winter “should not be a viable option”

World players' union Fifpro has declared that holding another winter World Cup is unacceptable without major changes to how the tournament is arranged.

The call has come as the union published a report on how the Qatar World Cup, held in November and December, affected player workload.

The study found that post-tournament recovery time was cut from 37 days to eight to reduce disruption to Europe's club calendar. And because the tournament was held in the middle of the European club season, preparation time for was cut from the usual 31 days to seven.

In its post-tournament survey, Fifpro said most players want at least 14 days preparation time and a recovery period of between 14 and 28 days.

“Not acceptable"

The union’s general secretary Jonas Baer-Hoffmann said a winter World Cup "should not be a viable option for anybody”, adding that "repeating what we had this time is clearly not acceptable."

He continued: "If you want to pursue a winter World Cup again, you need to get into conversations with the leagues to completely change their schedules to provide appropriate training and recovery time. That would mean a two or two-and-a-half month break from competition. I find it unlikely they would agree to that."

Leicester City have reported a record loss of £92.5 million for the 2021/22 financial year, following deficits of £31.2 million in 2020/21, £67.3 million in 2019/20, and £20 million in 2018/19.

The club put the result down to its activity in the transfer market, stating that it “retained its primary playing assets while making further significant investments in player acquisitions and salaries.”

The club spent an estimated £50 million on new players, and also had significantly higher running costs on the new training ground at Seagrave, which is larger and requires more staff than the previous facility.

Total revenue was £214.6 million, down from the £226.2 million earned in 2020/21, but £32.9 million of that figure came from delayed income from 2019/20, when Covid-19 impacted the season’s fixture list.

Turnover was boosted by the full return of supporters to the King Power Stadium and the team’s run to the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.

Matchday income rose from £0.5 million to £21 million, while UEFA prize money increased from £13.7 million to £21.5 million.

FFP regulations

The loss suffered in 2021/22 is thought to explain Leicester’s lack of investment in the last summer window as they seek to comply with both the Premier League and UEFA Financial Fair Play regulations.

In December, chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha relieved the club of its outstanding debt to parent company King Power International through the conversion of £194 million in loans and related interest into equity.

 

DFL proposes putting a stop to 50+1 rule exemptions

The German Football League (DFL) has submitted a proposal to the country’s federal competition authority to stop the granting of exemptions to the ‘50+1’ ownership rule.

The rule blocks major investors from controlling a majority of voting rights in Bundesliga clubs. However, Bayer Leverkusen, VfL Wolfsburg and TSG Hoffenheim are all currently exempt from the rule due to having investors who have substantially funded the club for a continuous period of 20 years, allowing them to own a controlling stake.

Hoffenheim announced last week that the club’s owner Dietmar Hopp intends to transfer the majority of his voting rights to the club, meaning it will waive its exemption to the 50+1 rule.

The DFL has been in discussions with the Bundeskartellamt, Germany’s competition authority, over the 50+1 rule, as part of an ongoing investigation by the cartel office. The body has declared the rule permissible, but also criticised the exemptions.

Legally secure footing

The German league’s proposal to stop the granting of exemptions is designed to help put the 50+1 rule on a legally secure footing and make it fit for the future – amid some calls for the rule to be abandoned.

In a statement, the DFL said: "This proposal has now been submitted to the Bundeskartellamt. Among other things there shall be no exemptions offered in the future from the 50+1 rule."

The league did not say when it expected a decision on the matter. It added that those clubs currently with an exemption would continue playing in the top leagues but would have to meet some criteria to retain their special status.

 

Saudi government anger emerges amid row over Women’s World Cup sponsorship

The Saudi government is reported to be furious after its plan to sponsor the Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand erupted in controversy.

The co-hosts of this summer’s tournament have opposed the sponsorship from Visit Saudi, the Gulf state’s tourism authority. There has also been a backlash from leading international players due to Saudi Arabia’s criminalisation of same-sex relationships and record on women’s rights.

Insiders have told The Times that FIFA is in a “Catch-22” situation as it tries to appease both the Saudis and Australia and New Zealand, but has found it difficult to come up with a solution acceptable to both.

Saudi ministers are understood to be frustrated that its progress on women’s rights and women’s football – including launching a Women’s Premier League this season – has not been recognised. They are also surprised that the two host nations were not informed of the sponsorship plan by FIFA.

Tourism rivalry

“The Saudis are furious, and FIFA will be desperate to keep them happy,” a source close to the Saudi government told The Times, while also claiming that the opposition from Australia and New Zealand was as much about rivalry from their own tourism organisations as human rights.

FIFA has not commented on the issue but is understood to have been trying desperately to find some kind of acceptable compromise, and held talks with the host nations on Tuesday.

FC Barcelona will be charged by the Spanish Prosecutor’s Office in Spain for “continued corruption in sport” over their controversial payments to former Spanish referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, according to El Pais.

The complaint will point to the club as the responsible party for the alleged crimes and will also be directed against former Barça president Josep Maria Bartomeu, members of his management team responsible for the payments, and Negreira himself.

Barcelona are alleged to have made payments totalling €1.4 million to DASNIL 95, a company owned by Negreira, during Bartomeu's presidency across three seasons between 2016 and 2018.

It has subsequently been claimed that payments from the Catalan giants to Negreira’s company date back to 2001 and total €6.6 million.

“External consultant”

Negreira has denied ever favouring Barcelona in terms of refereeing decisions. Barcelona have admitted hiring an “external consultant” who provided reports “related to professional refereeing”.

 

John Henry: Commitment to Liverpool "stronger than ever"

Liverpool principal owner John W. Henry has said the commitment of Fenway Sports Group to Liverpool remains "stronger than ever" following recent speculation about the future ownership of the club.

Back in November, it emerged that FSG could be open to selling their majority stake in the club, sparking reports of interest from the Middle East, the US and Europe. However, last month Henry told the Boston Sports Journal that the focus was solely on the search for a minority partner.

In an interview with the local newspaper the Liverpool Echo, the American has now sought to reassure supporters of his commitment to the club.

“While we formalised a process that has identified potential investors for the club, we remain fully committed to the long-term success of the club,” Henry said.

“That has been the case since day one in 2010. Our efforts every day have been and continue to be focused on the long-term health and competitiveness of the club.”

“Patience necessary”

Henry added: “Investment in the club is never for the short-term. This approach has been successful over the long haul with patience necessary from time to time.

“In regard to Liverpool Football Club our commitment remains stronger than ever. The club continues to make great progress with youth on the field and off. … Being a part of this club is something no one takes for granted.”

 

Ex-Sevilla president del Nido return ruled out after court verdict

The return of Jose Maria del Nido Benavente to his former role as Sevilla president appears to have been ruled out, at least for now, after a commercial court dismissed his request for the cessation of the club’s current board of directors.

Del Nido has been engaged in a conflict with current Sevilla president José Castro which intensified after the club’s annual board meeting in December, when a majority of shareholders voted against Castro’s leadership and also elected not to approve the accounts for the 2021/22 financial year.

Amid the crisis at the club, del Nido took legal action, requesting the removal of the current board headed by Castro and the appointment of a judicial administrator as a transitory measure prior to his return to the club. Del Nido also denounced that he had been "prevented from exercising his right to vote" at the last general meeting of shareholders.

However, as reported by Spanish media, the Commercial Court number 2 ruled against Del Nido’s requests when it delivered its verdict on Monday. The text of the ruling stated that the former president "does not reason what the legal damage is" caused by the maintenance of the current board.

Lack of evidence

In addition, the judge stressed there was a lack of evidence proving the relationship between the "alleged bad economic situation" of the club and "the permanence of the current board", and also ordered Del Nido to pay the costs related to the case.

The former president and his team of lawyers have already announced they will appeal the verdict. Del Nido is said to view the ruling not as a triumph for Castro, but as simply delaying his return to the presidency, and anticipates a different outcome following his appeal.

 

UEFA to refund Liverpool fans for Champions League final chaos

UEFA have announced they will refund all Liverpool fans who attended last season’s Champions League final in Paris in a further acknowledgement of the organisational and safety failures surrounding the match.

The unprecedented move, which will cost an estimated £3.5 million, follows an independent report released last month which concluded that UEFA held “primary responsibility” for the failures.

The review, commissioned by the governing body, concluded that only the calmness of Liverpool fans prevented a “mass fatality catastrophe” after UEFA were found to have sidelined safety and security.

The report also strongly rejected claims made persistently by UEFA and the French police and government ministers, that thousands of Liverpool fans without valid tickets caused the problems.

UEFA have already apologised and promised to implement recommendations in the report but have now decided to go further by announcing a refund scheme for the 19,618 Liverpool fans in attendance.

“Huge number of views”

A statement from UEFA read: “We have taken into account a huge number of views expressed both publicly and privately and we believe we have devised a scheme that is comprehensive and fair.

“We value the input from the Liverpool FC supporter organisations Spirit of Shankly (SoS) and Liverpool Disabled Supporters Association (LDSA) as well as the open and transparent dialogue throughout this period.

“We recognise the negative experiences of those supporters on the day and with this scheme we will refund fans who had bought tickets and who were the most affected by the difficulties in accessing the stadium.”

 

Paris Saint-Germain set to avoid UEFA FFP sanctions for 2022/23

Paris Saint-Germain are not expected to face any sanctions from UEFA’s Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules for the 2022/23 season due to a “settlement agreement”, L'Équipe has reported. 

PSG are understood to be avoiding avoid any punishment despite their heavy losses and debts, but must stay within FFP regulations to avoid future penalties, which could include a reduction in Champions League squad size as well as a transfer embargo.

If the French champions do not comply with the FFP rules, they could also face exclusion from the Champions League.

Marseille and Monaco to also avoid punishment

Among other French clubs, Olympique de Marseille and AS Monaco will be required to return to compliance with the FFP regulations, but neither club will receive sanctions until at least the 2025/26 season, according to the report.