After losing IOC election, how about Seb Coe for chair of football regulator? March 27, 2025 It was, with hindsight, not a “keep Seb Coe out” but a “get Kirsty Coventry in” campaign that determined the International Olympic Committee (IOC) presidential election outcome. I was as guilty as most British observers in believing that Seb Coe would take it to the wire. Unconscious bias and all that. In the event, eight [...]
Premier League explores Premflix launch with dual TV sales model March 26, 2025 The Premier League is exploring the possibility of adopting a two-pronged media sales strategy from 2029 onwards, with a direct-to-consumer model adopted in certain overseas markets but the domestic broadcast rights still sold to traditional broadcasters, such as Sky Sports and TNT Sports. The decision to take all international broadcast production in-house from the start [...]
Platini threatens to sue after he and Blatter cleared of fraud again March 25, 2025 Michel Platini is exploring plans to sue Swiss authorities after he and Sepp Blatter were cleared of fraud for a second time over a payment of £1.75m from 2011. An appeals court near Basel on Tuesday upheld the 2022 decision of the federal criminal court, after Swiss prosecutors attempted to have the original verdict overturned. [...]
Boehly: Chelsea worth more now than £2.5bn we paid March 24, 2025 Chelsea chairman Todd Boehly believes the club is worth more now than the record £2.5bn his consortium paid to acquire them in summer 2022. The Blues have not won a trophy or qualified for the Champions League since the takeover, while Boehly’s group has spent more than £1bn on new players. But asked whether Chelsea [...]
Amazon Prime Video snaps up Republic of Ireland Nations League play-off March 20, 2025 Amazon Prime Video UK is showing the Republic of Ireland’s Nations League play-off against Bulgaria through its pay-per-view platform. The streaming service is also offering Spain’s tie with the Netherlands and Italy’s clash with Germany, priced at £2.49 a game. The matches are available to Prime Video subscribers and non-subscribers alike, and add to Amazon’s [...]
David Shrigley designs Non-League Day ticket for Whitehawk FC March 19, 2025 Cult artist David Shrigley has designed football tickets for Whitehawk FC as part of their efforts to attract new fans for Non-League Day this weekend. Shrigley, whose work has been nominated for the Turner Prize and fetched six-figure sums at auction, has created the screen-printed tickets as a souvenir for those attending Whitehawk’s fixture with [...]
Abramovich aide Granovskaia wins High Court battle over Chelsea transfer March 14, 2025 Former Chelsea chief Marina Granovskaia, a close aide of Roman Abramovich, has won a High Court battle against football agent Saif Alrubie over a payment of more than £2m. Alrubie brought a lawsuit against Granovskaia, claiming that he was owed £2,182,782 in relation to Chelsea’s sale of defender Kurt Zouma to West Ham United in [...]
Will Man United’s stadium project really deliver £7.3bn a year to the UK? March 14, 2025 It wasn’t just the big top design and Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comparison’s with the Eiffel Tower that raised eyebrows when Manchester United revealed the latest plans for a new £2bn stadium to replace Old Trafford this week. The benefits forecast for the project, which includes the wider regeneration of the area, also set tongues wagging: [...]
Uefa want talks over double-touch penalty rules amid Atletico Madrid row March 13, 2025 Uefa says it will hold talks with football’s lawmakers over the rules on double touches on penalty kicks after Atletico Madrid’s controversial Champions League exit. Julian Alvarez was deemed by VAR to have touched the ball twice as he fired in his penalty in a shoot-out against city rivals Real Madrid, with the kick being [...]
Scrapping relegation can help WSL dodge trap set by men’s football March 13, 2025 The WSL’s new leadership deserves credit for seriously considering ditching relegation in pursuit of a firmer financial footing for women’s football, writes Ed Warner. Manchester City have sacked their head coach with hopes of Champions League qualification this season fading and only cup dreams to cling to. No, not Pep Guardiola, but Gareth Taylor, now [...]