UEFA have recorded a loss of €76.3 million for the 2021/22 financial year despite generating total revenues of €4.05 billion, marking the first time that non-Euro competition revenues have gone past the €4 billion mark.

The results, revealed in UEFA’s Financial Report for 2021-22, come after the governing body for European football earned a profit of €22.1 million in 2020/21.

UEFA attributed the revenue milestone to its new club competition, the Europa Conference League, and a revamped format for the Women’s Champions League, which brought in €15.2 million in revenue.

With no men’s Euros competition and a lower number of other national team matches, 89 per cent of the total revenue was generated by club competitions.

Delayed Euros

The total revenue figure was less than the €5.72 billion received in 2020/21, which included the delayed Euros, but was significantly higher than the €3.04 billion in 2019/20, €3.86 billion in 2018/19 and €2.79 billion in 2017/18.

For 2021/22, media revenues were €3.42 billion, accounting for 84.5 per cent of the total. Commercial income was €533.7 million, with ticket revenue €35.9 million and hospitality income €27.9 million.

In terms of expenditure, the distribution to national teams participating in the European qualifiers and the Nations League amounted to €402 million, while more than €2.8 billion was distributed to clubs, a higher figure than in 2020/21.

 

Wolves post £46.1 million loss for 2021/22

Wolverhampton Wanderers have reported a loss of £46.1 million for the 2021/22 financial year, with the club pointing to a drop in income of almost £30 million due to the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Turnover for the year reached £165.7 million, compared with £194.1 million in 2020/21, and down from £172.5 million in 2018/19, the last reporting period prior to the pandemic.

The £46 million loss contrasts with a profit of £18.4 million the previous year, but the club pointed out that broadcast income was higher in 2020/21 following the postponement of Premier League matches from the 2019/20 season due to Covid.

Wolves stated that revenue was also reduced in 2021/22 due to a lower Premier League merit payment because of a lower final league position (10th as opposed to 7th), and a less successful FA Cup run (fourth round exit versus a semi-final exit).

£15 million in player sales

Player trading in 2021/22 generated a loss of £50.1 million, compared with a £10.7 million loss in 2020/21, with player sales amounting to £15 million.

The total wage bill fell by almost £20 million to £120 million, while the highest paid director, understood to be executive chairman Jeff Shi, received a pay rise of £212,000, taking his salary to £612,000.

 

AC Milan consider options for new 60-70,000 capacity stadium

AC Milan are considering plans to build a new 60-70,000 capacity stadium in the La Maura area of the city, according to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

It was reported last month that the club want to construct their own venue after plans with city rivals Inter Milan and the Milan City Council to redevelop the San Siro had failed to progress.

RedBird Capital Partners, who took over AC Milan last August, are now said to be assessing options of where to build a new home for the club. The La Maura area is a 75-hectare site near the San Siro that currently serves as a space to train racehorses.

The cost of the project is estimated to be €500-600 million and would likely be financed by a 10 to 15-year loan.

Sports management consultancy

AC Milan are understood to be aiming to reach a decision on the area for the new stadium next month, and last week announced they had hired the sports management consultancy CAA Icon to work with the club on the project.

However, the prospect of continued challenges for any plans to build a new stadium have been highlighted over the last few days after three city counsellors filed a motion to block development in the Parco Agricolo Sud area of Milan in order to protect the environment.

Inter Milan are said to be considering the Assago area of the city, where there is already a large shopping centre and indoor arena for concerts.

 

Women’s World Cup hosts call on FIFA to reject Visit Saudi deal

Football executives in Australia and New Zealand have told FIFA they do not want Visit Saudi or any other entity from the Gulf state to be a sponsor of the women’s World Cup due to its record on women’s and gay rights, The Times reports.

James Johnson, the chief executive of Football Australia, said it would be “uncomfortable” with a Saudi deal and that an “overwhelming consensus” of stakeholders had the same view.

FIFA has not confirmed or denied the Visit Saudi partnership, but the news of the plan for the tournament, which is being co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, has provoked a strong backlash.

Same-sex relationships are illegal in Saudi Arabia while there are heavy restrictions on rights for women. Arsenal’s Dutch striker Vivianne Miedema has said FIFA should be “deeply ashamed” for considering the partnership.

Open to consultation

It is understood the host nations cannot block the sponsorship deal but that FIFA has said it is open to consultation.

There have been suggestions that FIFA could replace the sponsorship with another Saudi-related entity instead of the tourism organisation, but that would also be seen as unacceptable by organisers and leading players.

Chelsea’s owners are holding fresh talks over the club’s £1.5 billion stadium project, according to The Daily Telegraph.

A complete rebuild of Stamford Bridge is understood to be the most likely option at the moment, with Chelsea owner Todd Boehly and co-owner Behdad Eghbali also considering redeveloping the stadium or relocating.

The project is being headed up by Jonathan Goldstein, a member of the Chelsea board, and Janet Marie Smith, the executive vice president of planning and development for the LA Dodgers.

Goldstein is said to be holding talks with powerful fans group Chelsea Pitch Owners (CPO) as they wait to hear whether the club have been successful in their £50 million bid to buy a 1.2 acre plot of land next to the Bridge.

55,000-seater stadium

If the club can successfully takeover the land currently owned by housing association Stoll, it would be a huge boost to their hopes of rebuilding on the current site, giving space for at least a 55,000-seater stadium, fan parks and offices.

Boehly and Clearlake Capital have made it clear relocation would only happen with consent from the CPO, meaning tearing down Stamford Bridge and rebuilding a stadium – as former owner Roman Abramovich intended to do – seems the most likely option.

 

Man Utd bidders to attend Old Trafford meetings as takeover discussions enter next phase

Bidders for Manchester United, including the Qatari group, have been asked to attend meetings at Old Trafford in the next two weeks as takeover discussions move to the next phase.

The Daily Mail reports that a number of meetings will take place between those now through to the second stage of the process, the United hierarchy, and merchant bankers Raine, who are overseeing negotiations.

Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani, who wants total control of the club, has been asked to head to Manchester, along with Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the British billionaire who wants a majority stake. A third, as yet unnamed group, is also thought to have been asked to attend.

Lack of access to full financial picture

Despite the development, which comes two weeks after bids were submitted, there is said to be a growing frustration among some of those involved at a continuing lack of access to United’s full financial picture.

At the first stage, those who expressed an interest were provided with entry to a data room, in exchange for signing confidentiality agreements. The information gleaned there, however, was not thought to be sufficient to form a comprehensive view of the club’s accounts.

An independent assessment of Old Trafford, and how much it would cost to redevelop the stadium or rebuild it, is needed, along with a similar report on the club’s Carrington training ground, which is in need of an upgrade. Estimates for an Old Trafford revamp are between £1 billion and £2 billion.

 

Tebas: FC Barcelona have to raise €200 million to enter summer window

FC Barcelona have been told they must raise €200 million from selling current players to have any chance of entering the transfer market this summer.

Last month, Barça president Joan Laporta claimed the club was in a strong position as he vowed to cut the wage bill by €170 million and stated that no player sales would be necessary.

The club spent around €150 million on new players last summer after triggering a series of “economic levers” including the sale of a portion of their TV rights.

However, failure to stay in the Champions League, as well as being knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United, has tightened budgets further.

Speaking at the Financial Times Business of Football Summit in London last Thursday, LaLiga president Javier Tebas said: “As of today, Barcelona doesn't have any room in its budget to spend in the upcoming transfer window.

“Barcelona has been involved in questionable behaviour which has had an impact on LaLiga and we are acting accordingly. We have ruled that they can no longer sign more players.”

“Strict economic controls”

Tebas added: “They sold off €700 million in TV rights and tried to find different ways to solve the situation but they won't be able to do that next season. We have strict economic controls. At the end of each window, we tell all the clubs in LaLiga what they can spend.

“In the case of Barcelona, they have to drop from spending on wages and transfers from €650 million to €450 million, so it’s a budget of minus €200 million.

“They have to reduce their investment in players and we have encouraged them to sell players because, for every amount they raise in sales, they can spend 40 per cent of that.”

 

Barcelona-Negreira case: New criminal complaint causes issue with prosecutor’s investigation

The Barcelona-Negreira case has taken an unexpected turn after it emerged a Spanish referee filed an individual criminal complaint against Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira and his son.

The Athletic reports that Javier Estrada Fernandez, a Spanish VAR official, broke ranks from the Spanish FA (RFEF) and filed a new complaint late last month at a Barcelona court over potential corruption and malfeasance.

It has now come to light that this new complaint from Estrada Fernandez means that La Fiscalia (the Prosecutor’s office) has had to abruptly stop its questioning of witnesses and search for new documents. Spanish law requires an existing investigation to stop as soon as the case goes to court.

The accusations at the heart of the Barcelona-Negreira case claim that the Catalan giants made payments totalling €1.4 million to DASNIL 95, a company owned by Negreira, during Josep Bartomeu's presidency across three seasons between 2016 and 2018.

It has subsequently been claimed that payments from Barcelona 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”.

Negreira’s son, Javier Enriquez, has also been involved in the case as the administrator of DASNIL 95, but he says the money he was paid was in exchange for actual reports and that he delivered all of those to the Prosecutor’s office during their investigation.

Newcastle United director Amanda Staveley has confirmed that she tried to buy Liverpool, but chose the north east club instead because it offered better value for money.

Staveley was part of a consortium that bought Newcastle for around £300 million in October 2021 in partnership with the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) and the Reuben family.

“We didn’t go for the wonderful Chelsea, Tottenham or Liverpool,” she told the FT Business of Football Summit.

“Everyone knows I’m a massive Liverpool fan and we tried to buy Liverpool, but when we walked into a Newcastle game we thought: ‘why spend X billion when you can actually spend three hundred million?’

“We’ve put in around £200m to date and have a particular business plan based on a five, ten and fifteen year timeline.”

Long term investors

Asked if PIF might sell their stake to scale up to a more prestigious team if the opportunity arose, Staveley described them as “long term investors”.

Her comments come a US Court document described the Newcastle chairman, Yasir al-Rumayyan, as “a sitting minister of the Saudi government”. Human rights groups and other EPL clubs have reacted angrily to the revelations after previous guarantees that the takeover wasn’t linked to the Saudi state.

Stavely described PIF as “effectively a pension fund that looks after people’s money for future generations.”

 

Aston Villa reveal £10 million payment to former owner after posting small profit

Aston Villa have announced a profit of £400,000 for the financial year between May 2021 and May 2022, while also revealing a £10 million payment to former owner Randy Lerner.

The American billionaire sold the club back in 2016 but as per an agreement struck at the time of the sale, the club paid Lerner the sum after retaining Premier League status for a third consecutive season since promotion.

An Aston Villa statement read: “Exceptional administrative expenses included a payment of £10m to Randolph D Lerner following the retaining of Premier League status for the third consecutive season since promotion.

“This payment was due as per the agreement entered into when Recon Group Ltd bought the club in 2016 and provided that if Recon Group and its Guarantor – Jian Tong Xia – failed to pay the sum, it would fall to the club to settle the liability.”

Spending spree

Villa have reported a profit of £400,000 but a reduction in overall turnover from £183.6 million to £178.4 million. They attribute that to a 14th-placed finish in the Premier League last season, three places below the previous year.

The club invested £203.5 million on new players including Emi Buendia, Leon Bailey and Danny Ings following the club-record sale of Jack Grealish to Manchester City.

 

Tebas: LaLiga cooperating on criminal case against FC Barcelona

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has confirmed that the Spanish league is cooperating on a criminal case against FC Barcelona over the current refereeing scandal, admitting that it reflects badly on the credibility of the entire Spanish league reports Senior Correspondent James Corbett from London.

Speaking to reporters from the sidelines of the FT Football Business Summit he confirmed that the league was cooperating with the Spanish judiciary as it investigated claims that Barcelona have paid millions to Spanish referees over the past 20 years.

Asked about the Catalan giants’ behaviour over the past couple of years, Tebas smiled and nodded, saying: “It’s true . They have questionable behaviour that reflects on the credibility of LaLiga. We’ve tried to stop all of their schemes.”

He said that the statute of limitations had expired under Spain’s sports law but that it had become a criminal case. A LaLiga official confirmed to Off The Pitch that it was a criminal matter.

LaLiga, Tebas said, was “working through the judicial side of things.”

“For us this is a very serious issue. It doesn’t matter if it is Barcelona or a smaller club. It’s about the credibility of LaLiga.”

Lack of action from the EPL

Tebas accused Barca president Joan Laporta of “playing the victim”, dismissing claims made Laporta that the allegations were intentionally timed against the Spanish giants and saying that they were designed to deflect attention.

He contrasted the speed with which LaLiga was acting against Barca with the EPL’s treatment of Manchester City. Pointing to a presentation he made at the Soccerex conference calling out City’s alleged financial doping in 2017, he questioned why it had taken the EPL six years to take action against City.

The “dumping” by City had forced other EPL clubs into making huge losses as they tried to keep up with them, he said. “If you can eliminate that it will be a good thing. It’ll make the EPL more investment-worthy.”

 

Masters: EPL gearing up for Premflix era – but it may be some time

EPL CEO Richard Masters has given 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 told the FT Business of Sport Conference.

“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.”

Future growth

Masters appeared bullish on the EPL’s prospects for broadcast revenue growth, but sounded a note of caution on domestic rights, citing changes to the calendar after 2024 which created more midweek dates.

“Internationally I’m very positive about our prospects for future growth,” he added.

Speaking at the same event, Newcastle director Amanda Staveley said that she anticipated domestic TV rights deals lengthening in the future from “three to four, to five or six years”

 

Brentford looks for new shirt sponsor amid potential ban on gambling companies

Brentford FC are searching for a new shirt sponsor to replace Hollywoodbets as the UK government pushes for a ban on gambling firms featuring on the front of football shirts, according to the Daily Mail.

The club are not expected to end their contract with Hollywoodbets before its conclusion this season, but they are exploring alternative options for the future.

Brentford's decision is influenced by the upcoming White Paper on gambling reform, which is expected to request Premier League clubs voluntarily ban shirt sponsorship from gambling companies.

Other clubs also seeking alternatives

At present, eight out of 20 Premier League clubs have such sponsorship. Reports suggest that Brentford is not alone in their search, with other clubs also seeking alternatives, including Newcastle and Leeds.

If legislation is passed by the end of the current parliament, a ban on front-of-shirt gambling sponsorship could begin from the start of the 2024/25 season.

 

Former Chelsea bidder questions football’s private equity influx

Sir Martin Broughton, the city grandee who led an unsuccessful bid to buy Chelsea, has questioned the suitability of private equity as a way of buying football clubs.

He also suggested former owner Roman Abramovich influenced the sale process, despite being under UK government sanctions.

Last year Broughton led a consortium that included Josh Harris and David Blitzer, but which was overlooked in favour of a bid led by the US private equity fund Clearlake Capital.

Speaking at the FT Business of Football summit, Broughton said that there needed to be a “philosophical” debate on the suitability of such vehicles as a way of buying football clubs and said that as “a standard operating procedure” private equity didn’t offer a “great look”.

“US private equity is not allowed to control a US sports franchise,” he said “In fact they have minimal say as a minimal shareholder and yet they can come over here and buy who they like.

“Are we right? Are the Americans right?

“This is not about Clearlake, this is a philosophical view on a model that minimises the equity, maximise the leverage from the outset, or by taking out dividends and leveraging up, having a time frame, which is directed by the vehicle.

“As a standard operating procedure it doesn’t look great.”

Fan friendly

Broughton, who previously served as Liverpool chairman in 2010 but who is a Chelsea supporter, described his consortium as “fan friendly”.

“We were looking to do a fan friendly bid as an equity investment and that’s the opposite end of what private equity is,” he said.

“If you are looking at the right partner and the right investor – we didn’t want to get involved with private equity at all.”

Chelsea were put up for sale after its former owner Roman Abramovich was hit with UK government sanctions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Broughton said that despite the sanctions, Abramovich’s key aide Marina Granovskaia led the sale process with bankers, Raine.

“Price would normally be the ultimate dictator, but it was not the ultimate dictator,” he said.

“Between [rival bidders] Todd [Bohely], Steve [Pagiluca] and us there wasn’t a hair.

“We were very much led by Raine and Marina in terms of bid amount, investment over the next decade and into the academy

“I think it was Roman trying to say to the fans: I don’t want to leave, but if I have to I want to make sure that whoever takes over does what I would have done.”

“My experiences are very different. I guess I have tried different sort of structures and different ways of doing things. At my first job as manager at Alloa Athletic FC in Scotland we played in front of a crowd of 500. At Sunderland, around 30,000-plus fans came to the Stadium of Light, so the pressure was also very different. And that is when you get to see what people are really like, when the pressure increases.”

Jack Ross, the 46-year-old former St. Mirren, Sunderland, Hibernian and Dundee United manager, has accepted an invitation to share his thoughts on corporate governance in football.

“Since I now have the time to reflect on how things work in different clubs, and also because we are encouraged to do so at the Master’s programme I am attending at UCFB, I have found out how very, very important it is to have clarity in every organisation, and not least to be certain that everyone is actually walking in the same direction,” says Ross

He hasn’t worked as a full-time manager or head coach since the board at Dundee United decided to terminate his contract as manager - just five games into the season back in August last year after a disappointing start to the season.

After leaving Dundee United, currently bottom of the table in the Scottish Premiership, Ross has spent a significant amount of time trying to learn much more about the different corporate governance structures at various clubs, while attending the MSc Sports Directorship at UCFB.

It is a two-year part-time elite executive Master’s programme designed to equip sports leaders with the skills to develop a successful vision and deliver for the long-term success of sports organisations via the prominent role of sporting director.

Ross’ name might ring a bell quite in a few places after Netflix made the series “Sunderland till I die”. In the production, as manager, he guided the ambitious League One team to the play offs at Wembley, where they eventually lost to Charlton after they scored the winner deep into injury time.

Ross is very proud to have had the chance of being manager of a big club like Sunderland, but also very reflective on his managerial career so far, in which he has also managed teams such as St. Mirren, Hibernian and Dundee United.

“When you ask me about the processes I have been through when I have been appointed manager at the different  clubs, I guess it all starts there. And I have had very different experiences, some clubs were really thorough in their recruitment process. But one time it wasn’t really a job interview – it was just a cup of coffee. I felt we had a good talk about football and my priorities as a manager, but we were just chatting. And then suddenly I was offered the manager’s position. That was a bit surprising,” he says, in the online interview from his home in north-east England.

Being a rather reflective person, Ross always felt he took job interviews very seriously, because he wanted to make sure he was aligned with the clubs bringing him in as a manager. However, with the knowledge he has gained, he recognises that some of those talks could have been more detailed.

“I am not only blaming the clubs, this is very much my own responsibility to get those in-depth talks before you sign a contract. I guess that sometimes I felt that we had a good and detailed talk about the premises for the job. But looking back – not least with the knowledge I have today – I have no doubt in my mind that we should have talked in much more detail about all the aspects of the job. We should have discussed the staff and their qualifications, playing style, academy work, short and long-term goals and not least, clarified how responsibilities were shared between me, the CEO, the chairman and the sporting director.”

The Scotsman says if he had spent the right amount of time trying to understand in depth the nature of the jobs he eventually decided to take on, he probably would have realised he was not always the candidate the clubs were looking for.

“You have to keep in mind that in the football industry too many clubs tend to focus on the next game. And looking back, that is also the feeling I get that often clubs are very keen to do a fast process and make sure that they have a manager in place as soon as possible. So the period with a caretaker manager can be as short as possible.”

Ross also says discussions in interviews were often very much about short-term issues such as what he would do to get a team promoted the first season or how he would avoid relegation.

“We didn’t spend time talking about where the club wanted to be in three, five or seven years’ time, and how they wanted to achieve those ambitions,” he says.

Ross explains that as a manager in English football, the focus is clearly on the daily work on the training ground, preparing the team for the next game. And since games come thick and fast all the time - often with two games every week - there was then little time left to discuss and debate whether daily routines were aligned with long-term ambitions.

“Again I have to say that as a manager I did spend almost all of my time preparing for games and making sure that everyone had their heads up and were ready to give their very best on the pitch. And I am not saying that the manager shouldn’t handle those things, of course he should, but it doesn’t really make much sense if there isn't a bigger plan behind all your daily work. And that was certainly not the case all the places where I worked.”

Sometimes he was also invited to take part in board meetings where one would expect long-term plans to be discussed, however he didn’t feel that was on the agenda when he participated.

“Obviously it is very different from club to club. Overall I would say that the boards did care very much about the clubs. No doubt about that. But at some places we didn’t always have these in-depth discussions about what we wanted to achieve in the long run, and how we wanted to achieve that. It was more about me explaining my view on the squad and if I felt that we were on track to achieve the short-term goals.”

Q: There is a trend for clubs wanting to appoint head coaches who fit into their long-term ambitions. The idea is that the manager would have to adapt to the playing style developed by the club, and that there is a strong organisation and culture within the club, and then the head coach would have to fit into that strategy. Not the other way around – meaning that the head coach or the manager shouldn’t be the person who leads the direction of the club. What is your view on that model?

“I understand that. That is sensible, because you don’t want to rebuild all the time, because the head coach is often replaced or he is leaving. However – this is maybe from a head-coach perspective – if the responsibility of winning matches is only on the shoulders of the managers, then you need to be very certain that the organisation around him is one hundred per cent professional and dedicated. You need that balance,” he says and explains further:

“My point is that you can have the best structure in place, and I saw a structure similar to that in one of the clubs were I worked, but as a club you need to also evaluate the staff around the manager or the head coach. And if you don’t have those measures in place to do that – to actually make sure that the staff, the very key of the sporting organisation, consists of top-professionals - then you can change the head coach over and over again, but results won’t change, because the biggest problem in your sporting organisation might not be the head coach. It’s something else. And it takes a lot of knowledge to do such an analysis.”

Ross says he could easily work in such a structure – but the executive management team at the club need to make sure they have people on board who can actually assess whether everyone involved in the sporting department are up for the job.

“You need to look at all the whole puzzle. Every tiny little piece. And if you don’t spend money and time to do that then there is a potential fault in that structure,” he says.

At Hibernian, where he was the manager for more than two years, guiding the team to both the Scottish  Cup Final and the Scottish League Cup Final as well as clinching a third-spot position in the league, the best league position for the club in 16 years, he thought things were very well organised. He felt the club did superbly planning the transfer windows and overall he was surrounded by good and very hard-working people.

Today Ross is very excited about the Masters’ programme he is attending, and is definitely keen to work in a more strategic role in the future.

“First of all, I think that as a person I can sometimes overthink things. That is just part of me that I am rather reflective on things. But what struck me during this course is that when you actually take the time to really talk through everything, involving both the commercial side and the sporting side of a football club, making sure that everyone is aligned in terms of knowing the long-term plans and their roles and responsibilities -  when all this is in place, then people would also stick together when the bumpy rides are coming.

“Because they are part of football, we all know that. But when the long-term goals are not clear, and people don’t share the same vision, because they have never been discussed and explained properly, then people start to work in different ways and in different directions. And then the bumpy rides can continue for a very long time.”

Liverpool’s owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) are considering major media companies as potential investors to take a minority stake in the club, according to a report from The Daily Telegraph.

Earlier this month, the club’s US ownership group announced that it is examining a partial sale which it is expected to use to fund the next stage in the club’s development. John W Henry, the principal owner at FSG, said the club was “talking with investors” and that there would not be a full sale.

The Telegraph understands that one such contender could be the US media giant Liberty Media, which owns Formula One as well as the Atlanta Braves of Major League Baseball.

Spurs partnership

Formula One announced a 15-year partnership with Tottenham Hotspur this week, primarily an electric karting track to be built underneath the south stand of the new stadium – for public use and also championship racing. The deal prompted suggestions that Liberty may look at Spurs as a long-term investment.

The Telegraph report said FSG declined to comment on potential investors or indeed the sector from which they might come, other than to say it was still in the process of evaluating the suitability of minority partner options.

Benfica, Sporting Lisbon and FC Porto report mixed financial results for H1 2022/23

Portugal’s ‘big three’ of Benfica, Sporting Lisbon and FC Porto have released their financial results for the first half of the 2022/23 financial year. Overall the trio saw improved figures as they continued to recover from the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, but challenges over wage bill increases were also prevalent.

Benfica losses ease as turnover rises by 16.3 per cent

Benfica closed the six months to the end of December 2022 with a loss of €13.3 million, after suffering a €31.7 million deficit during the same period the previous year.

Turnover grew by 16.3 per cent to €111.5 million, driven by the team’s performances in the group stage of the Champions League, which brought in €52.9 million of UEFA prize money after qualifying for the round of 16. Broadcast revenue increased by €10 million and ticket sales reached €16.7 million.

Operating expenses remained stable, up 4.5 per cent compared with the first half of 2021/22 to €102.2 million, 58.8 per cent of which was accounted for by personnel costs.

Sporting Lisbon profit increases five-fold

Sporting Lisbon earned a profit of €47.5 million in the first half of 2022/23, around five times higher than the margin achieved during the corresponding period last year.

Total revenues rose by 67 per cent to €148.4 million, boosted by player sales of €74 million, up from €9.4 million during the first six months of 2021/22. Notable transfers included those of Matheus Nunes to Wolverhampton Wanderers and João Palhinha to Fulham, which together brought in €46.8 million.

The club’s income was also boosted by a 10 per cent increase in ticketing revenues, which rose to €9.2 million. However, UEFA prize money fell by 8 per cent to €35.4 million after Sporting failed to qualify for the knockout stage of the Champions League and moved into the Europe League. Broadcast income rose by 3 per cent to €13.8 million, while sponsorships generated €8.5 million, down 6 per cent year-on-year.

In terms of expenditure, the club’s wage bill grew by 14.8 per cent to €27.8 million, while the amortisation of player purchases climbed by 35 per cent to €16 million, and expenses for player transactions reached €11.1 million.

FC Porto suffer loss despite 13 per cent turnover increase

FC Porto made a loss of €9.8 million in the first six months of 2022/23 despite turnover rising to €102.6 million, up 13 per cent compared with the first half 2021/22.

Around half of the total revenues came from UEFA prize money of €51.4 million after the club qualified for the Champions League round of 16. In addition, sponsorships income grew by 12 per cent to €13.6 million, and ticketing revenue climbed by 37 per cent to €5.7 million, although broadcast revenue fell by 10 per cent to €18.2 million.

Total expenses increased by 25 per cent to €86.5 million. Personnel costs grew by 32 per cent to €51 million, while costs for external services increased by 19 per cent to €27.5 million.

 

Manchester United takeover delayed as Glazers hold out for £6 billion sale

 

The race to buy Manchester United is set to be pushed back after it emerged that current owners the Glazer family are intent on securing a higher fee than those put forward so far.

The initial bids of Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe were lodged at a maximum of £4.5 billion, leaving the American family’s wish to close any deal by the end of March looking unlikely, with a sale by the end of the season more likely as things stand.

The bids from Thani, via the Qatari’s Nine Two Foundation, and Ratcliffe, Britain’s richest person and the owner of Ineos, were lodged less than a fortnight ago.

Indecision among Glazers

According to The Guardian, among the six Glazer siblings it is understood there is indecision because each has their own intentions but the sale is still under serious consideration by the family as a whole.

The Glazers’ price is closer to £6 billion but they may countenance an offer in between that and the existing bids.

 

TSG Hoffenheim to waive 50+1 exemption as owner plans to return voting rights

 

TSG Hoffenheim have announced that the club’s owner Dietmar Hopp intends to transfer the majority of his voting rights to the club, meaning the Bundesliga side will waive its controversial exemption to German football’s ‘50+1’ ownership rule.

Hoffenheim has been one of three clubs to have received an exemption to the rule alongside Volkswagen-controlled Wolfsburg and Bayer-controlled Leverkusen.

The DFL has been in discussions with Bundeskartellamt, Germany’s federal competition authority, over the 50+1 rule, as part of an ongoing investigation by the cartel office. The body has declared the 50+1 rule permissible, but also criticised the exemptions. A final decision is still to be made over its future.

In a statement, Hoffenheim noted that Hopp's exemption was granted back in 2014 as “considerable financial commitment to professional and amateur football as well as popular sport of the club for more than 20 years was acknowledged.”

“Mistrust and hostility”

Explaining his move, Hopp said in the club statement: "It was never about power for me. I have always considered the privilege that the DFL and the members granted me at the time as an appreciation of my commitment.

“We always acted in the spirit of 50+1 before and after the exemption was granted. The special status never served to undermine or undermine this regulation."

However, he admitted that "my majority stake has repeatedly caused mistrust and hostility. I know that the 50+1 rule, which I have always advocated, is a valuable asset in German football."

Two former judges of the European Court of Justice (CJEU) believe that the court will confirm the opinion made in favour of UEFA by the Advocate General last December when it makes full judgement on the Super League case in coming months.

A third former CJEU judge and former FIFA governance chief has said that the issues in the case arguably go beyond the court and that EU institutions need to “step up their game” in protecting the so-called European model of sport.

Following a case brought by the European Super League and its advisors, A22, challenging UEFA and FIFA’s monopoly as regulators and competition organisers, CJEU Advocate General Athanasios Rantos confirmed much of the status quo in a non-binding opinion published on 15 December last year.

Rantos said that while a Super League could be created, football’s governing bodies would retain the right to ban participating clubs and players from their own competitions.

Both sides are now engaged in heavy lobbying ahead of the full CJEU judgment, which one of UEFA’s lawyers told us that they expected in May.

Legal experts are also reading the runes of the case and trying to judge to what extent the full judgement will concur with Rantos’s opinion.

Three former CJEU judges have proffered their views on what the court might decide in the full judgement, how the judges may come to their decision and what the implications may be.

“The structure makes the competition work.”

The Portuguese José Luis Da Cruz Vilaca, a CJEU judge from 2012-18 and former advocate general, said that “there is absolutely no reason to consider that the UEFA rules do not fall within the scope of the freedom of organisation enjoyed by sports associations and recognized by the court.”

Speaking at a Conference on Legal and Economic Aspects of the Organisation of Football in Europe hosted by by the Center for Law and Economics of Sport and the University of Luxembourg, Vilaca said “The structure makes the competition work.”

Scotland’s Ian Forrester KC, who served on the court between 2015-20, said Rantos “produced a pretty fat opinion, which is strongly, strongly in favour of the European sports model.”

He said that it was not impossible that the final judgement could go another way - “The court does sometimes go in the wrong direction and then correct itself. Not often. But it does happen” – but that he thought it unlikely.

“The question would be, if the court doesn't want to go that far, are there procedural guarantees if that's the word, which could save the European sports model as well as the treaty?”

Consensual nature

Nuances in the final deliberation might be different, he explained, because of the consensual way in which the judges collaborate. While the court produces unanimous judgements, “in the process of negotiating what the judgment will consist of the judge in the minority will often say ‘Okay, I can go along with it, but please, there is a concern. Would you give me this paragraph?’ and that paragraph gets inserted.”

“The challenge for court watchers is to read the entirety of the judgment in a balanced manner,” he said.

Forrester said that he did not think that the court would be influenced by current lobbying efforts saying that “the judges live somewhat cloistered life and [are] protected and isolated so on.” While they do read newspapers “It's not the case that the court produces a judgment to please the Daily Express or L'Equipe or La Stampa.”

The court, he said, is “composed of people who are professionally rather conservative, intellectually conservative, intellectually curious, with really good legal staff who stop them from doing stupid things.”

In the 1990s Forrester worked for UEFA on the Bosman case, which it lost at the CJEU. He talked about the experience had taught him a lot about how the court could make tough and unpopular decisions that went against the consensus of EU member states.

“When a controversy comes, the court has to decide one way or another. And in the case of Bosman, the court decided to disregard - if that's the word - the strong representations of the member states,” he recalled.

World class cartels

Miguel Maduro, who served as the CJEU’s advocate general between 2003 and 2009 and briefly served as chairman of FIFA’s governance committee in 2016, said that the issues facing European football went beyond the court.

Rather than upholding the European sports model, UEFA’s competitions had distorted competitive balance, while the sport was, he claimed, governed by “world class cartels”.

“There's a very strong claim to be made that in fact the current governance model has not been able to protect this competitive balance and the openness of the leagues in Europe,” he said.

“To a large extent, the Champions League has the fact to become a Super League.”

Speaking at Wembley Stadium at a conference co-hosted by the European Football Agents Association, UCFB and the University of Amsterdam, UEFA, Maduro said, had created “a self-reinforcing process” for the “one team in medium and small leagues that make it to the Champions League”. Wins bred “more financial power without a higher likelihood of sports success.” It was “having a terrible effect on the openness and competitive balance of national leagues,” he added.

Inherently undemocratic

The problem was compounded by a system of sports governance that was inherently undemocratic.

“The electoral universe is already so controlled that to a large extent we all know that sports organisations in football are world class cartels with voting control at an extremely high level,” he said.

Maduro ridiculed FIFA’s version of democracy and recalled how he left his role as chairman of its governance committee after just eight months having witnessed electoral irregularities.

“The degree of control of power is so embedded in the structure of governance that is become a common rule even to elect by acclamation,” he said, pointing out that 75 per cent of sports leaders now run unopposed. These include Aleksander Čeferin and Gianni Infantino who will be re-elected by acclamation at UEFA and FIFA congresses in coming weeks.

Maduro said that these matters transcended the CJEU and called on the European Union “to develop mechanisms of checks and balances” for bodies that are both competition organisers and regulators.

“I think this requires the other EU institutions to step up their game,” he said.  “It is not enough to put this burden in the hands of the Court of Justice. The Court of Justice will not be able to deal with this.”

Fight may go on

Forrester added that a binding solution to football governance may not ultimately be found in the CJEU judgement.

“The risk is that Advocate General Rantos's opinion was too bold,” he said. “But the possibility is, even if that is the feeling it may be, that procedure can be used as a way of finding the rival to the European sports model on this occasion is not satisfied.”

He added: “Sometimes the answers the court gives are not clear and it may take dissent. There's an American judge that said that a dissent ‘is an appeal to the brooding future spirit of the law.’”

In other words, the CJEU may be casting future legal battles for the control of European football years into the future.

Liverpool have reported a profit of £7.5 million for the 2021/22 financial year after recording losses of £4.8 million in 2020/21 and £46.3 million in 2019/20.

The club achieved record revenues of £594 million, up from £487 million the previous year. In the 2021/22 season Liverpool won the FA Cup and Carabao Cup and played in every club game possible, 63 matches in total.

Matchday revenue reached £86 million after dropping to just £3 million in 2020/21 due to the Covid restrictions on supporter attendance.

Commercial income rose by £29 million to £247 million, with the club pointing to “strong growth in partnerships and the reopening of non-matchday operations with the global retail stores and stadium tours and museum centre.”

A total of eight new partnerships were signed throughout the reporting period, including Sonos, Kodansha, Vistaprint and Wasabi. One partnership was renewed, with football simulation game partner EA SPORTS.

However, broadcast revenues fell by £5 million to £261 million as a result of the Premier League extending the 2019/20 season with additional games played beyond the previous reporting period due to the pandemic.

Wage bill reaches £366 million

Costs continued to rise, with administrative expenses increasing by £69 million to £545 million. The wage bill reached £366 million, up from £314 million the previous year, after several players signed new deals on improved terms and bonuses were triggered due to the team’s on-field success.

The club also noted that in the past five years, annual operating costs for Anfield have increased by nearly 40 per cent.

Liverpool managing director Andy Hughes said: “The underlying strength of our financial position remains strong and we continue to operate a sustainable club which is our main objective from a financial perspective.”

He added: “The cost of running a football club does continue to rise. But we maintain our position of growing this club with significant investment with new and existing players signing contracts and the construction of the new Anfield Road Stand which we look forward to coming on stream in the summer.

“In the last five years we have invested over £250 million in infrastructure and created world-class facilities for our players, staff and supporters.”

 

Manchester City unveil plans to increase Etihad Stadium capacity to 60,000-plus

Manchester City have released plans to expand the Etihad Stadium capacity to more than 60,000 and create an upgraded entertainment, sport and leisure centre on a widened footprint of the Etihad Campus.

The club has published design concepts illustrating the plans and invited fans and local community members to share their feedback in a period of formal consultation from 28th February until 26th March.

This follows City’s announcement in December that feasibility studies were underway to explore concepts that could form part of a future stadium development.

The club said it has a “long-held vision to establish the Etihad Campus and the wider area as a globally relevant and competitive sport, leisure and entertainment destination.”

Expanded North Stand

In the design concepts, several connected all-weather facilities, fully integrated into the stadium, are centred around an expanded North Stand with one larger, single upper tier above the existing lower tier, increasing stadium capacity to over 60,000 from the current 53,400.

A covered City Square fan zone, with a capacity of 3,000 and a wide variety of food and drink outlets, new club shop, museum and hotel, are also proposed to offer a broader range of matchday and non-matchday activities.

The club added that a “modest workspace” has also been included for use by start-up and medium-sized organisations “looking to co-locate and collaborate with the Club and Etihad Campus partners.”

 

Noel Le Graet resigns as French Football Federation president

Noel Le Graet has resigned as president of the French Football Federation (FFF) following the publication of an audit report commissioned by the sports ministry earlier this month.

The report detailed claims of sexual harassment and bullying at the FFF and ruled that Le Graet now failed to hold “the necessary legitimacy” to continue to run the game in France.

The report also “highlighted the inappropriate behaviour of Le Graet towards women”. The 81-year-old, who has denied any wrongdoing, agreed in January to “step back” from the role he took up in 2011.

Philippe Diallo, who replaced Le Graet last month, will remain in temporary charge until the next general assembly in June.

FIFA role set to continue

The FFF confirmed Le Graet’s resignation in a statement while reaffirming “its strong commitment to fight against gender-based and sexual violence as part of its policy to protect licence holders.”

However, according to a report from L'Équipe, he is expected to continue in a role with FIFA leading its office in Paris.

 

PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi implicated in kidnapping and torturing investigation

Three investigating judges in Paris have been appointed to examine accusations of kidnapping and torture against Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaïfi made by Franco-Algerian lobbyist Tayeb Benabderrahmane, L'Équipe reports.

Benabderrahmane filed a complaint several months ago stating that he had been tortured in Qatar in 2020 for being in possession of documents containing compromising information on Al-Khelaifi.

Benabderrahmane filed a complaint with civil action, for which French law allows a judicial investigation to be conducted with regard to the alleged crimes.

His laywers, Maïtres Romain Ruiz and Gabriel Vejnar, claimed to be “very satisfied” with the news after spending months attempting to bring the case to the attention of the French justice, who they had criticised for their slowness and lack of action.

It is believed that the information possessed by Benabderrahmane could be stored on a mobile phone belonging to Al-Khelaïfi, who is also chairman of the European Club Association (ECA) and holds a place on the UEFA Executive Committee.

Middle East TV rights

The information may implicate Al-Khelaïfi in some form of wrongdoing related to the awarding of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar or even the awarding of TV rights for the Middle East for the 2026 and 2030 World Cups to beIN Media – of which Al-Khelaïfi is chairman.

The Qatari has already been investigated – and acquitted – in relation to this matter as a result of his relationship with Jerôme Vackle, formerly of FIFA. Both were suspected of having negotiated the rights behind FIFA’s back.

FIFA will examine the UK government’s proposals to set up an independent football regulator amid concerns that the new body could breach rules on political interference, The Times reports.

The white paper published last week laid out plans for a government-appointed body that would run a licensing scheme for clubs and oversee checks on owners and directors.

Legal experts believe there are several areas of concern where the regulator could breach FIFA’s Article 15, which states that national associations must “be independent and avoid any form of political interference”.

There are numerous cases in which FIFA has suspended national associations for government interference. Sources within the world governing body said nothing can happen until the regulator is set up, which is likely to be in 2025, but the proposals will be studied by its lawyers.

Several areas could trigger investigation

Gregory Ioannidis, an associate professor in clinical sports law at Sheffield Hallam University who has worked on more than 100 international football law cases, said that if the regulator goes ahead as planned under the white paper there are several areas that could trigger a FIFA investigation.

These include the licensing system, the power to control financial spending and the power to block clubs from joining other leagues.

He said: “All these are points that may create a ‘governmental interference’, as, in essence, FIFA may take the view that the FA’s role has become redundant and, therefore, its autonomy has been limited, excluded or disturbed.”

 

Manchester United bidders urged to increase offers as Glazers consider next steps

The takeover bids for Manchester United from Qatari Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani and Sir Jim Ratcliffe are not high enough for the Glazer family to sell the club, according to a report from The Financial Times.

A source close to the situation told the newspaper that the two bidders who have gone public with their indicative offers would have to increase their bids if they are to convince the Glazers to sell.

It is understood the American billionaire family have received a variety of proposals from other potential suitors, including several minority investment proposals that would allow them to raise capital at a more attractive price and retain control of the club.

The debt-free bid by Sheikh Jassim, second son of former Qatar prime minister Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim al-Thani, is expected to value the club at roughly $4.5 billion, while the value of Ratcliffe’s bid has not been disclosed.

No pressure to sell

The Glazers are believed to be in no rush to reach a decision and are under no pressure to sell, with the strategic review of the club launched in November still at an early stage.

The owners are likely to make a decision by the summer, ahead of the transfer window. However, that timetable has been complicated by the variety of proposals received and suitors that have emerged since the soft deadline for bids last week.

 

Chelsea in talks with Strasbourg over potential takeover bid

Chelsea co-owner Todd Boehly is considering an attempt to purchase Ligue 1 club Strasbourg and has held talks with club president Marc Keller, L'Equipe reports.

According to the French newspaper, Boehly is said to be “very interested” in acquiring a 100 per cent stake in the French club after the American and his investment partners had a meal with Keller, who has been in charge of the Alsatian club since 2012.

It is believed that Chelsea would look to loan players into Strasbourg if they bought the club. While their interest is concrete, they also hold an interest in investing in the German market.

Relegation battle

Strasbourg finished sixth in Ligue 1 last season but are facing a relegation battle this campaign and currently lie in 15th.

Keller and the club’s ten other shareholders have been considering for several years the best way to sustain the club and strengthen its ambitions. "We know that this will require the arrival of a strong partner who brings investment power," Keller said.

The EFL's broadcast rights are expected to double in value to over £200 million-a-year amid strong interest from leading streaming platforms, according to The Daily Mail.

The league is preparing to issue an invitation to tender (ITT) to broadcasters this week and it is understood that the EFL has been inundated with expressions of interest since beginning the sales process last October.

Streaming companies such as Viaplay and DAZN are believed to be joining Sky Sports and BT Sport in the battle to secure live matches.

Sky has held the live rights since 2002, but it is expected that it will have to almost double its current £119 million-a-year deal in order to maintain exclusive coverage from 2024.

Hybrid model

The EFL is considering a hybrid model involving multiple broadcasters and the tender document to be issued this week will make every EFL game available for purchase, which could lead to the end of the 3pm Saturday blackout.

The EFL tender will invite offers for all three divisions, the play-offs, the EFL Cup and the EFL Trophy, which have been split up into 20 separate packages.

The clubs were informed last Thursday that the EFL are confident a five-year deal could raise close to £1 billion due to the emergence of a number of new players into the market scrambling to secure live content.

 

Napoli post €51.9 million loss for 2021/22

Napoli have reported a loss of €51.9 million for the 2021/22 financial year, a slight improvement on the previous year’s deficit of €58.9 million.

Turnover was €175.9 million, down from €228 million in 2020/21. Broadcast revenues were €89.8 million, compared with €123.7 million the previous year, although this figure was boosted by the postponement of matches from the 2019/20 season due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Commercial income amounted to €37.2 million, while capital gains generated €10.8 million, of which €5 million came from the sale of Italian striker Gennaro Tutino to Parma.

Costs also decreased, totalling €241.1 million, compared with €306.6 million in 2020/21. Napoli’s wage bill was €130.3 million, down from €154.5 million the previous year, while depreciation, amortisation and write-downs amounted to €74.8 million, compared with €113.2 million in 2020/21.

Debts rise to €258.9 million

Consolidated shareholders' equity at 30 June 2022 was positive at €68.8 million, compared to €140.2 million at 30 June 2021.

Total debts rose to €258.9 million, up from €254.7 million at 30 June 2021. During 2021/22, Napoli signed two loans with Unicredit totalling €50 million, the first debts with banks the Neapolitan club has recorded on its balance sheet since 2007.

However, net financial debt was positive at €55 million, compared to the positive net financial position of €95.7 million at 30 June 2021, in light of the growth in liquidity to €107.8 million.

 

AC Milan plan to leave San Siro and construct own stadium

AC Milan are planning to move away from the San Siro and build their own new stadium, according to a report from La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Along with city rivals Inter Milan, the club had reached an agreement with Milan City Council back in October 2021 to build a new stadium to replace the San Siro that would continue to be shared by both clubs.

However, it is understood the situation has changed after the project failed to progress and due to a change of direction for AC Milan following the club’s takeover by the American investment firm RedBird Capital Partners last August.

The new owners are believed to want their own multifunctional venue which will be open 365 days a year and will bring in much higher matchday and non-matchday revenues for the club.

Inter Milan are now in a weaker position, with their owners the Chinese retail group Suning listening to offers to buy the club, after losing €488 million between 2019 and 2022, and facing the uncertainty of how the Chinese government’s policy changes may affect the investments of the country’s companies in foreign markets.

Considering options

AC Milan are said to be already considering options of where to build their own stadium, including areas that would not require involvement with the City Council, such as the private land of an old factory in Sesto San Giovanni on the outskirts of the city.

Moving there would mean the departure of the club from the city of Milan for the first time in its history. If RedBird prefers to keep the club playing within the city, the most likely option is the La Maura area, a 75-hectare site near San Siro that currently serves as a space to train racehorses.

 

Juventus capital gains investigation expanded to six other Italian clubs

The reopening of the investigation into the use of capital gains in Italian football, which last month resulted in a 15-point deduction for Juventus, has been expanded to include six other clubs.

Atalanta, Udinese, Sampdoria, Sassuolo, Bologna and Cagliari will all now be called to explain a number of allegedly suspicious deals with Juventus after further evidence came to light from the separate Prisma investigation into the Turin club’s player salary arrangements during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Corriere della Sera has reported that the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office has forwarded a number of documents to six other prosecutors around the country, closely scrutinising player transfers carried out with Juventus over the last few years.

Sassuolo identified as “parking club”

Coming under the spotlight are a number of deals and buy-back options which allegedly do not correspond with what was reported in financial statements.

These include Juventus’ dealings with Udinese over Italian midfielder Rolando Mandragora, as well as four players who moved from Juventus to Atalanta – as reported by La Repubblica last week.

According to Corriere della Sera, other deals being examined include several with Sassuolo, who have been identified as Juventus’ “parking club”, as well as those for Alberto Cerri (Cagliari), Emil Audero (Sampdoria), and Riccardo Orsolini (Bologna).

 

Andrea Agnelli reiterates support for European Super League and challenges UEFA’s role ahead of ECJ ruling

Former Juventus president Andrea Agnelli has underlined his support for a European Super League and once again called for the breaking up of UEFA’s role as the sole organiser of European football.

Proposals for a new-look, open competition to challenge UEFA’s Champions League were put forward earlier this month by A22 Sports Management, the company behind the Super League.

Speaking to Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf in his first interview since leaving Juventus, Agnelli said: “If everything remains as predictable as it is at the moment, the public will turn away from football.

“Hence the idea of a European league with several divisions with a promotion and relegation system. … If the current system is maintained, the gap between the English and Spanish clubs in particular and the others will only increase, except probably for PSG and Bayern Munich.”

Agnelli also claimed that “UEFA’s monopoly must be broken to give clubs a financially stable future.” His latest attack against the European governing body comes ahead of the upcoming ruling from the European Court of Justice (ECJ) over UEFA’s role.

“Only UEFA has a monopoly and is holding everything back – as long as the European Court allows it,” Agnelli said. “I am very curious to know whether the Court will confirm the monopolistic position of the UEFA associations in a free European market.

“If it does, the Court will not consider the football industry, with an annual turnover of around €50 billion and 700,000 jobs involved, as an economic activity, but as a small game, an activity based on volunteers playing a game of football on a part-time basis.”

Former ECJ judges: Court will rule in UEFA’s favour

Agnelli’s interview came after two former ECJ judges – José Luís Da Cruz Vilaça of Portugal and Ian Forrester from Scotland – said they believe the court will rule in UEFA’s favour.

As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Da Cruz Vilaca said: "There is absolutely no reason to believe that the UEFA rules do not fall within the scope of the freedom of organisation enjoyed by sports associations and recognised by the court".

Forrester referred to the opinion of ECJ advocate general Athanasios Rantos published in December, in which he agreed with the Super League’s case that UEFA had a monopolistic role in organising club football in Europe, but argued that this was legally permissible due to the special status of sport within EU competition law.

Rantos "expressed a fairly strong and firm opinion in favour of UEFA and the European sports model," Forrester noted. The ECJ’s ruling is expected in the next few weeks.

The UK government’s plans to introduce a new independent football regulator have received a mix reaction from stakeholders across the English game.

The government published its White Paper on football governance on Thursday, and has now confirmed it will act on a recommendation from the 2021 fan-led review of football to create a regulator.

Responding to the announcement, the Premier League said in a statement that "we appreciate the Government’s commitment to protect the Premier League’s continued success.”

However, it added: “It is vital that regulation does not damage the game fans love to watch in the deepest professional pyramid in the world, or its ability to attract investment and grow interest in our game.

“We will now work constructively with stakeholders to ensure that the proposed Government regulator does not lead to any unintended consequences that could affect the Premier League’s position as the most-watched football league in the world, reduce its competitiveness or put the unrivalled levels of funding we provide at risk.”

EFL welcomes proposals

The English Football League (EFL) said it was “pleased to note that the Government’s announcement regarding an Independent Regulator proposes to ‘oversee the financial sustainability of the game’.”

The league said it also welcomes “that a Regulator will have ‘targeted powers of last resort to intervene and facilitate an agreement as and when necessary’, should football be unable to find a funding agreement that safeguards the future of our pyramid for the long term.”

It added: “Going hand-in-hand with financial reform, the League is supportive of proposals relating to enhanced regulation and looks forward to consulting with Government on matters including Club Licensing, the Owners and Directors Test, and heritage protection in the period ahead.”

FA highlights grassroots funding

FA CEO Mark Bullingham commented: "We welcome the publication of the White Paper and its commitment to improving the financial sustainability and governance of professional clubs.

"We will submit a full response to the proposals in the White Paper in the coming weeks. Our response will highlight a critical point made repeatedly by the Fan Led Review, which recommended that the professional game increases funding of the grassroots game.

"The players, referees, coaches and volunteers in grassroots football are the foundations of the English game, and it is important that an independent regulator recognises this and supports the long term health of the whole game."

FSA points to “historic commitment”

The government’s plans were also welcomed by the Football Supporters' Association (FSA), whose CEO Kevin Miles said: “The Football Supporters Association engaged in the fan-led review from day one and we warmly welcome the historic commitment from the government to introduce an independent regulator of English football.

“The football governance white paper clearly addresses our key concerns around ownership, rogue competitions and sustainability and, of course, we support any proposals that offer fans a greater voice in the running of their clubs.”

“We look forward to engaging with the government on the next steps.”

Sullivan attacks plans

However, West Ham co-owner David Sullivan branded the planned regulator “a terrible idea.” He Told Sky Sports News: "The regulator will have a huge staff that football will have to pay for. It will be a total waste of money. I bet it grows in size and cost every year.

"The Premier League is the best run and most successful league in the world. It gives more to the lower leagues and the PFA and the grassroots than any other top league in the world. It’s a fantastic export.

"Why does an incompetent government think it will improve things? In every area this government is involved in, it has provided a worse service.”

Aston Villa CEO Christian Purslow also warned over-regulation ran the risk of "killing the golden goose" of the Premier League.

 

Juventus investigation expanded to examine alleged secret deals with Udinese and Atalanta

Juventus are facing fresh allegations of false accounting after the Turin Public Prosecutor’s Office expanded the Prisma investigation into the club to examine secret deals between Juventus and other teams over player transfers.

According to a report from La Repubblica, the Prosecutor’s Office believes that Juventus failed to register debts in their accounts that they had with other Serie A teams, who were used almost as if they were “banks” to make ends meet for the Turin club.

The transfer of Rolando Mandragora is coming under particular scrutiny. Juventus bought the Italian midfielder for €9 million in January 2016 before sending him out on loan to Crotone. He was then sold to Udinese for €20 million in July 2018, yielding a capital gain of around €13.7 million.

In October 2020, Juventus then re-signed Mandragora for €10 million plus €6 million in add-ons, and sent him back to Udinese on loan a day later.

The transfer has been deemed suspicious by investigators and they have called a number of witnesses: the player himself, his father-agent, Udinese vice-president Stefano Campoccia and former Juventus director Maurizio Lombardo, now at Roma.

Private contracts

Juventus’ dealings with Atalanta are also being examined. The accusation is that a number of private contracts, totalling around €14.5 million, were not entered in the Turin club’s financial statements.

The buy-back commitments, which were not communicated to Lega Serie A, involve four players who moved from Juventus to Atalanta: Federico Mattiello (€4 million), Simone Muratore (€4 million), Mattia Caldara (€3.5 million) and Cristian Romero (€3 million).

The preliminary hearing of the Prisma investigation is scheduled for 27th March, and while the investigation is already closed the latest elements to be examined could lead to supplementary disputes during the trial.

 

Spanish court investigates alleged match fixing in Copa del Rey

A Spanish court is investigating alleged match fixing in a Copa del Rey game between Huracan Melilla and Levante in 2021 after LaLiga filed a formal complaint to the National Police Center for Sports Integrity and Gambling (CENPIDA).

In a statement, LaLiga said it took the step after receiving an anonymous tip about the match, which then top-flight side Levante won 8-0 against the fifth-tier minnows.

A regional court of Melilla has since opened an investigation and six people, including a former Huracan Melilla player, have already appeared before the court for questioning.

Police said a former Huracan Melilla player was arrested on Tuesday for allegedly participating in fixing several matches in order to profit from betting. The player, as well the other people arrested, was not identified for legal reasons.

“Fight against fraud”

Huracan Melilla said in a statement that they would make themselves available to the Spanish justice system and the football authorities.

"The club have always defended fair and clean play and will do everything necessary to fight against fraud," it said. "We want to make clear that if any active member of the club is involved, disciplinary and judicial actions will be taken immediately."

 

Ex-referee’s fax to FC Barcelona revealed as scrutiny intensifies over alleged payments

New revelations have emerged over FC Barcelona’s relationship with former Spanish referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira, who was previously the vice-president of the Spanish Referees’ Committee.

The accusations, which came to light earlier this month, claim that the Catalan giants made payments totalling €1.4 million to DASNIL 95, a company owned by Enriquez Negreira, during Josep Bartomeu's presidency across three seasons between 2016 and 2018.

El Mundo has subsequently reported that payments from Barcelona to Enriquez Negreira’s company date back to 2001 and total €6.6 million.

In the latest revelation to emerge, the Spanish newspaper reported on Thursday that when Barcelona stopped paying Enriquez Negreira, his lawyers faxed the club on 3rd December 2018 demanding that the payments were not stopped “after so many years of relationship, so many favours rendered and so many shared confidences".

In the document, Enriquez Negreira also specified that he had always received "indications" from the various presidents, including "Mr. Laporta".

“Publicise all the irregularities”

Last week El Mundo revealed that Enriquez Negreira sent another fax to Barcelona in 2019 warning that he would “publicise all the irregularities I have known and experienced at first hand in relation to the club”, if an agreement were not reached between the two parties.

The fax also stated that Enriquez Negreira was “surprised and disappointed” by then Barcelona president Bartomeu’s decision to end the working relationship. Despite the fax, Barcelona did completely cut ties with Enriquez Negreira in 2018 and there were no subsequent revelations.

According to El Mundo, current Barça president Joan Laporta plans to hold a press conference in two or three weeks to explain the situation