Chinese businessman Tony Jiantong Xia buys Aston Villa for £60m May 18, 2016 Aston Villa are set to become the first major English club to fall into Chinese ownership after the club confirmed a takeover by businessman Tony Jiantong Xia. The deal, which still has to be ratified by the Premier League and Football League, is thought to be for £60m – roughly the same price current owner [...]
Premier League prize money: Millions still up for grabs on final day with over £5m at stake for Everton, Watford, Crystal Palace, West Brom and Bournemouth May 14, 2016 With domineering Leicester already crowned champions and the relegation battle now settled, there appears little to play for in the Premier League this weekend other than Manchester United and Manchester City's battle for fourth place. Yet even if players have one mind on the beach and fans are happy to soak up the sun, clubs' accountants [...]
Businesses and government must play the part of an activist investor to clean up corruption in sport May 13, 2016 While last week’s anti-corruption summit in London was inevitably seen mainly in the light of the Panama Papers, there is another scandal bubbling under the surface that urgently needs the attention of the international community – corruption in world sport. The Institute of Directors has been one of the most vocal critics of the governance [...]
Manchester United stay on course for £500m year after announcing record third quarter results May 13, 2016 Manchester United remain on course to become the first Premier League club to generate £500m this year after announcing record revenue and earnings in the third quarter. Revenue for the three months ended 31 March jumped 29.9 per cent to £123.4m, meaning the club has already earned £348.7m for the year. The club finished the [...]
Wasps make Kurtley Beale the highest paid player in Premiership Rugby May 13, 2016 Australia's Kurtley Beale will become the highest paid rugby player in England after putting pen to paper on a two-year contract with Wasps. Wallabies star Beale will be paid £750,000 per season, making him the best-paid player in the Aviva Premiership and the third best player in the world behind international teammate Matt Giteau and former All [...]
£25m keeps Pochettino at Tottenham and puts him into premier league of best-paid managers May 12, 2016 Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino has forecast an era of domestic and European success at the club after ending speculation over his future by signing a new five-year contract. The Argentinian, who has been linked with Manchester United after turning Spurs into Premier League title challengers, agreed a deal thought to be worth £25m, making him [...]
Ryan Bertrand’s secret second career as a fintech entrepreneur – and John Terry is backing his latest venture May 11, 2016 The history of football’s relationship with technology is a chequered one, from the game’s long resistance to implementing goal-line gadgetry to the tale of former Aston Villa striker Darius Vassell taking a power drill to his toenail in the misguided belief that it would relieve pain. Ryan Bertrand hopes to change that perception. When he is [...]
Chelsea and Adidas agree to end partnership six years early May 11, 2016 Chelsea will pay shirt manufacturer Adidas compensation after agreeing to end their partnership six years early. The Blues, whose kits have been supplied by the German sportswear brand since 2006, are free to look for a new partner from 2017 onwards when their £30m-a-year deal with Adidas finishes. The German sportswear brand has boosted its full-year profit [...]
Most valuable football teams: Arsenal, Chelsea and three other Premier League teams worth over £1bn according to new ranking May 11, 2016 Five Premier League clubs are now worth over £500m according to a new ranking of the world's most valuable football teams from Forbes magazine. Spanish giants Real Madrid have been named as the most valuable club in the world for the second successive year with an estimated worth of £2.5bn, closely followed by domestic rivals Barcelona [...]
Players Championship 2016 prize money: Richest tournament in golf offers winner more money than ever before May 11, 2016 The Players Championship may not boast the renown nor history of golf's four Majors, but in purely monetary terms no tournament is bigger. Golf's richest event tees off on Thursday with the sport's largest winner's pay cheque of $1.9m (£1.3m) drawn from its largest prize fund of $10.5m. That marks an increase on Rickie Fowler's [...]