Football's Magic Money Tree

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Royboyclaret
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Royboyclaret » Mon Jul 13, 2020 7:32 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Mon Jul 13, 2020 6:31 pm
Anyone surprised that the 2 richest (biggest) teams in League 1 are the only ones against a flat salary cap - no me neither - Portsmouth and Sunderland are not happy though

https://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/sport/f ... t-18584473
Sunderland seem to conveniently forget that in their last three financial years Total Income has been boosted by £92m in parachute payments (£41.6m to Jun'18, £35.9m to Jun'19 and £15.5m as a League One club to Jun'20).

Now, from the new season, all that comes to an end and Income will be as generated via the normal channels which for them equates to circa £12m. With that in mind they might possibly have a re-think in terms of salary cap in League One particularly with costs which are way too high for a club playing at that level.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 13, 2020 7:38 pm

Royboyclaret wrote:
Mon Jul 13, 2020 7:32 pm
Sunderland seem to conveniently forget that in their last three financial years Total Income has been boosted by £92m in parachute payments (£41.6m to Jun'18, £35.9m to Jun'19 and £15.5m as a League One club to Jun'20).

Now, from the new season, all that comes to an end and Income will be as generated via the normal channels which for them equates to circa £12m. With that in mind they might possibly have a re-think in terms of salary cap in League One particularly with costs which are way too high for a club playing at that level.
Proposed salary cap for league 1 is £2.7m so that gives them room to manage their finances and they will understandably argue that a cap that is substantially less than 25% of revenue is unfair, in America owners would rejoice in the supposed profit. Of course running costs for the training ground and stadium would be huge - they have recently ditched the Academy.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Royboyclaret » Mon Jul 13, 2020 7:45 pm

Chester Perry wrote:
Mon Jul 13, 2020 7:38 pm
Proposed salary cap for league 1 is £2.7m so that gives them room to manage their finances and they will understandably argue that a cap that is substantially less than 25% of revenue is unfair, in America owners would rejoice in the supposed profit. Of course running costs for the training ground and stadium would be huge - they have recently ditched the Academy.
The last accounts I saw for Sunderland were to Jun'18 (their first back in the Championship I think) and their Wage bill was a whopping £47m. No doubt reduced now they reside in League One but nevertheless they remain a club in need of serious cost cutting to mirror the level at which they are now playing.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by bfcmartin » Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:03 pm

Chester have you looked at Leicester's finances, some folk on their forum reckon that they are £240 million in debt and could be in trouble if they don't make the champions league

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:10 pm

bfcmartin wrote:
Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:03 pm
Chester have you looked at Leicester's finances, some folk on their forum reckon that they are £240 million in debt and could be in trouble if they don't make the champions league
the debt is significant, and they have just spent about £100m on the training ground (ours came in at ££10.5m) - I know they are being linked with some ambitious transfer targets, but they also have some significant playing assets that others covet so they can sell if they need too (and we know they don't sell cheap) - will have a better look when I find the opportunity.

I will say that everything has been spent with the intent of regular European football, so it will have been part of the financial modelling

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Royboyclaret » Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:24 pm

bfcmartin wrote:
Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:03 pm
Chester have you looked at Leicester's finances, some folk on their forum reckon that they are £240 million in debt and could be in trouble if they don't make the champions league
Something about Leicester that still doesn't sit right. They pretend to be a top four club now but their financials certainly do not reflect such a lofty position.

Their last set of accounts to Jun'19 showed Cash balances of a mere £11m (in the bottom four of the PL), a Wages to Turnover ratio of a very high 84% and an EBITDA of minus £6m (only Everton with a worse figure).

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:42 pm

Royboyclaret wrote:
Mon Jul 13, 2020 8:24 pm
Something about Leicester that still doesn't sit right. They pretend to be a top four club now but their financials certainly do not reflect such a lofty position.

Their last set of accounts to Jun'19 showed Cash balances of a mere £11m (in the bottom four of the PL), a Wages to Turnover ratio of a very high 84% and an EBITDA of minus £6m (only Everton with a worse figure).
A quick glance shows the worry re UEFA FFP - it allows a EUR 30m loss over previous 3 seasons 2017/18 £2m profit, 2018/19 £20m loss and 2019/20 Covid and a potentially huge loss given spending - saving grace for playing in Europe next season was the £92m 2016/17 profit (they reached Champs League last 8 and got £89m in UEFA TV money (so would have had a big loss without as that UEFA sum doesn't include additional matchday and sponsor income).

Champions League qualification would guarantee a minimum of £30m even if the lost every game and went out at the group stage - more realistically they would earn £40m - to £60m - The Europa League would likely reach that lower figure only if they got to the final.

Premier league FFP they are comfortable as that allows for £105m loss over 3 seasons

I will say that UEFA will not be impressed with a wage bill that last season was 84% of an £178m turnover

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 14, 2020 7:59 pm

Just when you think that Saudi are getting themselves sorted in getting their ducks in a row for the Newcastle takeover - they go and do something as strange as ban BeIN Media from operating in the country - From the Telegraph - talk about self sabotage

Newcastle United takeover confusion deepens as fresh Saudi TV row erupts
TOM MORGAN JULY 14, 2020

Saudi Arabia's takeover attempts at Newcastle were plunged into deeper uncertainty on Tuesday night as state officials announced the permanent banning of one of the Premier League's biggest TV rights holders.

A fresh attack on beIN Sports was branded "nonsensical on every level" by the Qatari broadcaster, which has been locked in a three-year dispute with the state over the beOutQ TV piracy scandal.

The licence removal by Saudi’s General Authority for Competition (GAC) is said to be part of wider strategic efforts to eventually launch an independent bid to screen European domestic sport, having already been linked with a potential swoop for Bundesliga rights.

However, the announcement sparked a furious response from Qatar, and effectively places Richard Masters, the Premier League chief executive, under even more pressure as he deliberates over the Newcastle takeover approach by Saudi's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

Less than a month after the state was criticised by the World Trade Organisation for turning a blind eye to piracy, officials announced on state television that they were hitting back by fining beIN Sports SAR10 million (£2.1m) for alleged “monopolistic practices”.

The broadcaster, which was initially blocked in Saudi Arabia under a boycott imposed when Riyadh and its allies severed diplomatic and trade ties with Qatar in June 2017, said the ruling was "breathtaking".

"This decision was arrived at through sham legal proceedings that repeatedly violated beIN’s due process rights at every turn and the decision itself is not only contrary to international law but also the most basic principles of competition law," BeIN responded in a statement sent to Telegraph Sport.

"The decision is nonsensical on every single level, banning beIN for packaging its rights in the standard way that sports and entertainment broadcasters all around the world do, and indeed as other broadcasters active in the Saudi market also do. Moreover, the very idea that permanently banning a leading competitor from a market could in any way promote competition is plainly absurd."

The Premier League refused to comment on the fresh row on Wednesday night, but a long-awaited decision from the top tier's directors and owners' test is finally said to be near. Masters has been deliberating for months over whether to wave through the sale, which includes an 80 per cent stake for Saudi’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). beIN, which paid £1.3bn for rights to screen English top-tier matches since 2015, has said it will “reconsider” future rights deals if the Newcastle takeover goes through.

Given the timing, beIN sources described the latest Saudi statement as "remarkable and ridiculous". GAC said it found beIN Sports had “abused its dominant position through several monopolistic practices” related to what it described as an exclusive sports broadcast bundle for the 2016 Uefa European Championship matches.

However, the WTO ruling last month painted a very different picture, attacking Saudi for hosting piracy network beoutQ, which was carried on the national network Arabsat, based in Riyadh and majority owned by the state's government.

At the 2018 World Cup, there were 294 public gatherings in Saudi Arabia where games were shown on beoutQ. It was also supported by “governmental tweets” by Saud al-Qahtani, close confidante to the Saudi crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, who is also the chairman of PIF.

Current owner Mike Ashley bought Newcastle in 2007 and put the club up for sale in 2017. The prospective owners hoped to complete the deal, brokered by British financier Amanda Staveley, before the season's resumption last month.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 14, 2020 8:01 pm

As ever there is more of a story behind it - Simon Chadwick guides us through it

https://twitter.com/Prof_Chadwick/statu ... 8081548290

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Jul 15, 2020 2:08 pm

Well this could get interesting and messy - The Premier League, having recently distinguished between moral and political issues to the DCMS Committee (or is that issues that will and won't impact commercial revenues - remember Ozil and the Uighurs in China and Arsenal distancing themselves), are considering banning sponsorship from organisations that "fuel hatred" - from the Guardian.

Premier League clubs move to boycott advertising with firms that 'fuel hatred'
EFL clubs also talking to Conscious Advertising Network
Zaha, McGoldrick and Kabasele have received online abuse

Paul MacInnes - Wed 15 Jul 2020 10.00 BSTLast modified on Wed 15 Jul 2020 10.01 BST

Premier League clubs are in discussions over joining an advertising boycott of companies that fail to promote inclusion and diversity, part of a new front in the battle against online abuse.

The pressure group Stop Funding Hate is talking with top-flight and EFL clubs over the possibility of signing up to the Conscious Advertising Network (CAN), which seeks to stop advertisers funding companies that “fuel hatred”. It follows the arrest this week of a 12-year-old boy after racist messages were sent to Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha on Instagram.

The push for a more ethical approach to advertising comes after the success of the Stop Hate for Profit campaign in the United States. Over the past month more than 100 US companies have paused advertising on Facebook over its failure to deal with hate speech on its platform. Facebook has said it is “focused on the important work of removing hate speech”.

English football has been fighting its own battle with tech companies over abuse but negotiations with social media companies have failed to result in a discernible change to policy. Following the abuse received by Zaha, the Premier League’s chief executive, Richard Masters, said: “Tackling this issue must be a priority.” The Professional Footballers’ Association called for the media regulator, Ofcom, to be given stronger powers to control social media.

The CAN advocates “action by advertisers to make hate unprofitable” and advises that companies which sign up to its code should “endeavour to avoid advertising with media outlets that fuel hatred”. More than 70 companies have joined it already.

Alex Murray of Stop Funding Hate said football clubs have the ability to change the priorities of tech companies if they join others in flexing financial muscle. “I believe that there’s the ability for football to come together to demand action,” he said. “I think that the influence clubs have, as well as their massive spending power, means there’s a real opportunity to get behind a campaign like this and add to the impact it’s already having.”

Last month the Premier League launched a portal for players, coaches and managers to fast-track reports of online discriminatory abuse. The system was set up in response to a growing trend for abusive direct messages being sent privately on social media platforms. The league will not comment on the number of complaints but it exceeds the number reported publicly. Sheffield United’s David McGoldrick and Watford’s Christian Kabasele joined Zaha in sharing experiences of abuse this week.

Zaha received abusive direct messages despite not following the user on Instagram, a company owned by Facebook. A spokesperson for Facebook said: “We’re committed to giving people more control over their privacy and safety on Instagram. Last year we announced a test of new tools to control who sends you a message and this has recently expanded so that public figures can prevent people they do not know from sending them a direct message.”

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Jul 15, 2020 5:38 pm

Sky Italia are still holding out for rebates from Serie A (Sky want 18%), the league is fighting this but has opted from pulling the plug on them - from SportsBusiness.com

Serie A clubs opt against pulling signal from Sky in rights fee stand-off
Martin Ross - July 13, 2020

The 20 clubs from Italian football’s top-tier Serie A have decided against withholding the signal from Sky Italia, the pay-television broadcaster and rights-holder, over an ongoing row over the payment of rights fees.

The outcome of Lega Serie A’s latest assembly meeting today (Monday) was that Sky would once again be ordered to settle its outstanding rights fees, but that Sky could continue to broadcast matches as per its rights agreement.

In a statement this afternoon, Lega Serie A said the clubs have “unanimously” sent a mandate to Romano Vaccarella, the league’s lawyer, to “reiterate to Sky the order to pay the instalment due in May in view of the injunction issued by the Court of Milan”.

However, the statement continued that the clubs have “decided not to suspend the execution of the licence agreement of the audiovisual rights despite the failure, by Sky, to pay the last instalment of the payment due”. This decision was made, the league said, to “protect and in full respect of fans, sponsors and all stakeholders”.

A July 12 payment deadline was thought to have been made by the league.

Milan’s civil court hit Sky Italia with an injunction a week ago after the appeal lodged by Lega Serie A over the missed rights fee payment by the broadcaster amid the Covid-19 shutdown. Lega Serie A took action over the non-payment by Sky of a €131m ($148.8m) instalment for the 2019-20 season by appealing to the Milanese court.

The injunction was not immediately enforceable with Sky given 40 days to pay or, if it chooses, oppose the ruling and initiate legal action against the league itself.

A total of 14 of the 20 top-tier Serie A clubs would have needed to vote for the broadcast signal to be withheld in order for it to come into effect. Some club presidents were thought to be pushing to withhold the signal as others sought reconciliation with the league’s main domestic rights-holder.

Lega Serie A also vowed today to continue the preparation work for the 2021-24 media-rights invitation to tender in the coming weeks.

Sky Italia had previously asked for a reduction in its fees for the 2019-20 season, equating to between 15 per cent and 18 per cent.

Sky and subscription OTT platform DAZN hold the live domestic rights to Serie A in deals worth €973m per season. Sky Italia pays the bulk of that fee with its contribution standing at €780m per season which give it the rights to seven out of the 10 weekly Serie A fixtures. DAZN pays €193.3m per season for the rights to the remaining three fixtures per week.

For its part, DAZN held payment negotiations with Serie A, as did the IMG agency, which holds international rights to the league. Both DAZN and IMG successfully reached accords with the league. Through the deals struck, the agency and OTT platform were both required to pay their first instalments by June 27 with the second due by July 20.

IMG’s international rights deal is worth about €380m per season for broadcast rights, club archive rights, betting rights, a marketing spend and fee for access to the broadcast signal.

Speaking in May ahead of the filing of the injunction as the deadlock in talks persisted, Sky Italia chief executive Maximo Ibarra said that he hoped it would “finally be the right occasion for representatives of Serie A clubs to take the proposal for dialogue that we have offered them for weeks”.

Serie A chief executive Luigi De Siervo gave the notion short shrift, saying that the broadcaster could not claim that amount if the season gets finished. He said: “We immediately made it clear that Sky’s request for a discount, in the event of the continuation of the championship, obviously could not be accepted, especially during such a tricky financial period for our teams.”

Serie A resumed on June 20 after the league’s shutdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Wed Jul 15, 2020 5:42 pm

Meanwhile a 7th party has entered the running for a slice of the Serie A pie - again from SportsBusiness.com

Wanda-Infront ‘among seven contenders’ for Serie A investment
SportBusiness Staff - July 14, 2020

Seven groups, including Wanda Sports Group and its agency Infront, are said to have been given the green light to proceed with potential investment offers for Lega Serie A, governing body of the top division of Italian club football.

According to multiple reports in the Italian media, the process moved forward at the Lega’s latest general assembly meeting held yesterday (Monday). La Repubblica newspaper said Wanda-Infront, along with CVC Capital Partners, Bain Capital, Advent International, General Atlantic, TPG Capital and Apollo Global Management will be allowed to continue talks.

Infront has strong existing ties to the Lega. The agency holds a six-year near-€6bn ($6.8bn) minimum-guarantee agreement to work as its exclusive adviser on domestic and international rights media-rights sales, but that deal comes to an end in 2021.

Infront has worked as the league’s media-rights adviser since 2008.

The Lega is said to be requesting concrete offers from the participants by July 24, at which point it could convene a meeting for the final week of the month where proposals will be presented for clubs to vote on.

Reports concerning external investment in Serie A have been rife in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Lega Serie A decided to continue to examine proposals from private equity investors following a general assembly meeting. It was recently reported that the French financial consultancy Lazard had been appointed by the Lega to help weigh the bids.

CVC had enjoyed an exclusive negotiation window but this is now thought to have expired. CVC’s reported €2.2bn bid was to acquire 20 per cent of a new company that would manage the media rights, Serie A’s international trademark and commercial development, and part-finance a new investment fund responsible for stadium development.

Yesterday’s meeting also saw the 20 Serie A clubs opt against withholding the signal from Sky Italia, the pay-television broadcaster and rights-holder, over an ongoing row over the payment of rights fees. The outcome was that Sky would once again be ordered to settle its outstanding rights fees, but that Sky could continue to broadcast matches as per its rights agreement.

Domestic live rights to Serie A games are held by Sky and DAZN in deals worth €973m per season, while the IMG agency holds the international rights in a deal is worth just over €380m per season for international broadcast rights, club archive rights, betting rights, a marketing spend and fee for access to the broadcast signal.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Jul 16, 2020 12:30 am

Benfica are being investigated for money laundering - from OurLastGame.com

Luís Filipe Vieira and Benfica SAD also investigated for money laundering
July 15, 2020 Alex Martin

The investigation that led to the constitution as defendants of the president of Benfica, Luís Filipe Vieira, and of the club's SAD, focused on tax fraud, but also on money laundering, a source from the Attorney General's Office (PGR) explained to Lusa.

“It is clear that the investigations took place in the context of an investigation investigating the crimes of tax fraud and money laundering”, pointed to Lusa source of the PGR, one day after the constitution as defendants of Luís Filipe Vieira and the administrator was confirmed Domingos Soares de Oliveira, as legal representatives of Benfica SAD and Benfica Estádio, according to a statement from the 'incarnates' to the Securities Market Commission (CMVM).

The investigations are part of the ‘blue bag’ operation, focusing on obtaining an “undue asset advantage” by those companies in the years 2016 and 2017.

This action “is associated with a possible tax contingency calculated by the Tax Authority in the approximate total amount” of 600 thousand euros, said the “eagles” in the statement to the CMVM.

Contacted by Lusa, the official source of the ‘reds’ confirmed on Tuesday that Benfica’s SAD was one of two collective defendants whose constitution was revealed by the PGR.

The same source said that the lawyers for the 'incarnates' had filed an application in order to find out if the case is under secrecy, noting that this was a tax crime case, which has nothing to do with sporting issues or 'bags'. blue '.

Before, the CMVM suspended the trading of Benfica SAD shares, pending the disclosure of relevant information to the market, having withdrawn the action after a communication from that entity.

The investigation is directed by the Public Ministry (MP) of the Department of Investigation and Penal Action (DIAP).

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Thu Jul 16, 2020 7:22 pm

A group of MP's have made a renewed appeal to the Premier League to block the Saudi bid for Newcastle United - from the Telegraph

Exclusive: MPs launch late bid to halt Saudi Arabia-led Newcastle United takeover
TOM MORGAN JULY 16, 2020

A group of cross-party MPs have launched an 11th hour bid to torpedo the Saudi Arabia takeover at Newcastle United, by telling the Premier League any deal will help whitewash the state's repressive regime.

England's top tier "should do everything in its power to bring individuals carrying out human rights abuses to account", according to the letter from eight MPs to Richard Masters, the league's chief executive.

The group expressed particular concern at Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's chairmanship of the state's Public Investment Fund, which wants an 80 per cent stake in Newcastle.

"Unless Saudi Arabia reform their criminal justice system and release all political detainees, the Premier League cannot sign-off on the sale of Newcastle United to PIF," says the letter from John Nicolson, Damian Collins, Caroline Lucas, John McDonnell, Crispin Blunt, Virendra Sharma, Alistair Carmichael, Lord Judd, Chris Law and Baroness Young of Hornsey.

The state-ordered murder of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khashoggi has been disastrous for bin Salman's current campaign to earn new Western allies, but he has pressed ahead with dramatic reform in his attempts to modernise Saudi, and diverse his economy away from oil.

Masters has already received several warnings over the deal from the likes of Amnesty International over the state's human rights record and Qatari broadcaster BeIN Sports over the nation's role in the beOutQ TV piracy scandal.

Yasir Al-Rumayyan, governor of PIF, is in line to be nominated chairman of Newcastle if the deal goes through. With a long-awaited decision from the league's directors and owners' test still pending, the MPs see their letter to Masters as the last chance to derail the deal.

"There are serious concerns regarding his (bin Salman's) suitability as a ‘fit and proper person’ as defined by the English Premier League (EPL) Handbook. Section F.1.6, which applies to both owners and directors of football clubs, provides that an individual cannot hold such a position if the board determines that certain offenses conducted outside the United Kingdom would disqualify them from such a position," the letter says.

Mr Nicolson, an SNP member of the Select; Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, told the Daily Telegraph: “On top of the disgraceful assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, Saudi Arabia under the stewardship of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman continue to commit human rights violations at an egregious level. Whether using detention as a tool of political repression, which has seen senior royals such as Prince Mohammed bin Nayef and Prince Turki bin Abdullah imprisoned, or the continued detention of women’s rights activists such as Loujain al-Hathloul and hundreds of other prisoners of conscience, Saudi Arabia are trying to whitewash their image through this acquisition.”

The MPs claim the Premier League's own rulebook should immediately exclude Saudi. "According to sub paragraph F.1.5.2 and F.1.5.3, these offenses include 'any offence involving any act which could reasonably be considered to be dishonest'," the letter adds, also citing oppressive living conditions for women. "We are seeking clarification on how the Premier League could possibly define the head of one of the most repressive regimes in the world as ‘fit and proper’. This is the head of a regime whose war in Yemen has resulted in one of the worst humanitarian disasters in the world, who executed 184 people in 2019, and who continue to repress any form of dissent through the use of illegal detention.

"The Saudi authorities are only too aware of these allegations, and through a sophisticated ‘sportswashing’ campaign, are attempting to whitewash their reputation as a repressive regime. By enabling this, the Premier League is facilitating this activity and acting as a laundry service for repressive regimes to improve their images internationally."

Last month the state was criticised by the World Trade Organisation for turning a blind eye to piracy. This week the country escalated its ongoing dispute with Qatar by permanently banning beIN Sports, the only Premier League TV rights-holder for the region.

"We are gravely concerned by the direction of travel of Saudi Arabia and believe the English Premier League should do everything in its power to bring individuals carrying out human rights abuses to account," the letter adds. "Unless Saudi Arabia reform their criminal justice system and release all political detainees, the Premier League cannot sign-off on the sale of Newcastle United to the PIF. Human rights should be a red line in any proposed sale of a club."

Current owner Mike Ashley bought Newcastle in 2007 and put the club up for sale in 2017. The prospective owners hoped to complete the deal, brokered by British financier Amanda Staveley, before the resumption of season last month.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by The esk » Fri Jul 17, 2020 7:00 pm

Thanks for your interest in my Football Shorts series. My latest piece focuses on Moshiri and why pumping money into a club is not the whole answer.

https://theesk.org/2020/07/17/farhad-mo ... e-problem/
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Fri Jul 17, 2020 8:05 pm

The esk wrote:
Fri Jul 17, 2020 7:00 pm
Thanks for your interest in my Football Shorts series. My latest piece focuses on Moshiri and why pumping money into a club is not the whole answer.

https://theesk.org/2020/07/17/farhad-mo ... e-problem/
Paul this actually ties in well with the recent Investor thread on this board - some here believe that is what we need - though many of us believe the current board and and executive group have been doing the right things for a long time. What you have given us is a cautionary tale.

That thread started as a reaction to the recent urging from the manager to stretch the finances speculation he might leave - no one here appears to want that - we have recently seen the departure of our Chief Exec (he has gone to try and sort out the EFL) and have replaced him with our BFC in the Community Chief Exec (you will know all about that at Everton) and I have a number of concerns here that parallel yours for the Blues - though we are not yet (at least) defining ourselves as a Charity with a football team attached.

I also listened to your engrossing podcast on Marcel Brands https://shows.acast.com/the-esk-podcast ... cel-brands and thought a lot about our Technical Director Mike Rigg - who at best splits opinions and at worst is regarded as a source of any ill that comes our way.

Takeovers are never easy and the balance at keeping a link to the past and driving towards the future is always a difficult one, though immeasurably more difficult if you don't seem to have a coherent strategy in place and power to force it through.
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sat Jul 18, 2020 12:02 pm

AS Roma take a gamble and terminate their kit supp;y deal 4 years early - they must have something lined up - from SportsBusiness.com

Nike’s early exit allows Roma to ‘explore new opportunities’
Matthew Glendinning - July 16, 2020

The 10-year kit supplier agreement between sports brand Nike and Italian Serie A club AS Roma has been terminated ahead of its contract end date of May 31, 2024.

Signed in March 2013, the original deal will now end upon completion of the 2019-20 season.

The two parties will then enter a one-year agreement which will see Nike provide the club with all on-pitch, training and casual products for the first team, youth teams and women’s teams for the 2020-21 season only.

Francesco Calvo, chief operating officer at AS Roma, said: “The early termination of the commercial agreement will allow AS Roma to explore new opportunities in the equipment and licensing space.”

A joint financial release from the club’s brand management company and Nike European Operations Netherlands detailed that the 10-year agreement had been worth a basic €4m ($4.5m) per season, rising to €4.1m from 2019-20 and €4.2m from 2020-21 until maturity.

As well as the basic fee, the Nike deal included performance bonuses up to a maximum of €1m per year, in addition to approximately €1m in additional revenues for the supply of products. There was also a signing-on bonus of €3m and an additional €3m paid on the date of the so-called long-form contract which was signed in August 2013.

While these numbers add up to about €5m per season, the value is well below the eight-figure euro sums commanded by rivals Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan, and less also than Napoli’s deal with Kappa, which expired after this season.

One expert contacted by SportBusiness believes Roma could make between €15m and €20m per season from its kit deal in the current market.

Although neither party has commented on the reasons behind the early split, comparisons may be made with Nike’s six-year deal with Premier League club Manchester City, from 2013-14 to 2018-19, which was worth, on average, just £9.5m (€10.5/$12m) per season over the last three seasons of the contract.

This was well below the £40m-plus deals held by rivals at Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea before the 2019-20 season and also less than those at Arsenal and Spurs.

In this case, it is understood Nike declined to renegotiate the City deal mid-contract, despite the club’s extended run of on-pitch success, with three Premier League titles during the contract period.

Separately, in Italy’s Serie A, Hellas Verona has signed a back-of-shirt sponsorship with beachwear brand Sundek for the last five games of the season. The logo was present for last night’s match against AS Roma and will feature in matches against Turin, Lazio, SPAL and Genoa.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sat Jul 18, 2020 12:06 pm

If you are wondering why there has been no detail on the CAS verdict on the Manchester City appeal in this thread - I am waiting for CAS to release the detail of the judgement, which they have now said will be released on Monday.

there has been so much said this week with lots of speculation about what it means particularly for FFP and even UEFA, only when we have the detail can we make any sort of informed comment - I expect to see a lot of that.

Should say we still don't know if the released judgement will contain redactions - I sincerely hope not.

https://twitter.com/tariqpanja/status/1 ... 3209008128

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Sun Jul 19, 2020 10:09 pm

The vultures are at the door- The FA has been approached by a private equity firm over the purchase of a slice of the commercial rites to the Women's Super League (remember there are 7 such groups looking to do something similar with Serie A) - from the Telegraph - it was assumed that it would become part of the Premier League stable in the coming years

FA approached by leading London private equity firm over buying of stake in Women’s Super League
KATIE WHYATT JULY 19, 2020

The Football Association has been approached by a leading London private equity firm over the possibility of buying a stake in the Women’s Super League.

Bridgepoint, who own the rights to stage the global MotoGP series, has tabled a proposal to buy a large minority stake in a new company that would own the WSL's commercial rights, according to Sky News. Sky reported that the proposal would also see clubs own a stake in the company alongside the FA.

The governing body currently runs the WSL at a cost of around £7 million a year. Telegraph Sport understands that the organisation has predicted it will take a £300m financial hit in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and has planned to reduce its budget over the next four years, but the women’s professional game budget has been protected.

The Premier League has long been connected with a WSL takeover, with Premier League chief executive Richard Masters telling MPs last month that his organisation continued to hold talks about taking control of the WSL.

"We decided collectively - that is the Premier League and the FA together, and the WSL and Women's Championship Board - that now was not the right time. But we will return to that topic at some point in the near future," he said.

Barclays took over the title sponsorship of the WSL at the start of last season in a ground breaking deal for women’s sport in the UK. The deal - announced in March 2019 - was the biggest-ever investment in UK women’s sport by a brand, with the three-year deal understood to be worth more than £10m and bringing prize money into the WSL for the first time. Previously, clubs were given grants by the FA for their participation in the league.

Sports Briefing
That deal came in the same month that Nike launched bespoke women’s kits for its countries and Lucozade, Gatorade and Budweiser announced deals with the Lionesses, Manchester City and Tottenham respectively.

The FA is also in the process of attempting to monetise the TV rights for the WSL for the first time, with the ideal deal understood to be a mix of pay-per-view and free-to-air games.

Bridgepoint has owned Dorna, MotoGP's rights-holder, since 2006 and in that time has overseen growth in global audiences to 3 billion viewers annually.

An FA spokeswoman said: "As the WSL continues to grow and thrive, there is considerable commercial interest from a variety of sectors."

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 1:55 pm

I have suggested a few times in the last few months that the Premier League have their own view as to what the ideal member clubs would be - here Luke Edwards of the Telegraph takes is own stab as to what that could be - it is all rather predictable

Which clubs would make up the ideal 20-team Premier League?
LUKE EDWARDS JULY 20, 2020

With Leeds United heading back to the Premier League after 16 years of trying, it is a welcome return to the top table for one of English football’s grandest clubs, but which teams would also make the Premier League a better place if they were in it?

The obvious choice would be Leyton Orient, if only because I have spent my whole life wondering why my parents took me to Brisbane Road as a kid when they had Arsenal, Tottenham and West Ham all a short journey away from our family home in east London.

But that would be a ridiculously one-eyed, selfish approach. Leyton Orient would make the Premier League better for me.

I want to be vaguely serious about this, applying a certain amount of logic to an argument I admittedly have no chance of winning.

So, please, if you are offended, I will not apologise, it is merely a bit of fun based on my own subjective thought process.

The selection criteria is simple. I want the biggest and most interesting clubs in the Premier League, those with the most impressive history and largest fanbases, while considering other things like geography, transport links and size of stadiums.

Five teams currently in the top-flight will be removed and five have been selected to replace them.

Five teams to be removed
Watford
They are just another London club, which isn’t even in London. Bobbing around, somewhere between 17th and 8th, sacking managers, appointing managers, sacking them again, appointing them again, sacking them… Watford are never going to be more than they currently are.

They have had their Premier League fun, reached an FA Cup Final. They have already peaked and quite frankly I’m bored of reading variations of the same sentence in which Watford have parted company with a manager.

Burnley
A fine, traditional, family club in a small northern town which benefits enormously, certainly from an economic perspective, by boasting a Premier League football team. They offer hope to the many other clubs of similar size and stature that, if you get a good manager, spend wisely and stick together, you can not only get to the Premier League, you can also qualify for Europe.

It pains me a little, therefore, to remove them, but they are hard to watch, so hard to like. We all get bored of the plucky underdog story when the underdog has been hanging around , barking outside your bedroom window every night for years. And let’s face it, getting to Burnley isn’t easy for anyone who does not already live in Burnley.

Bournemouth
Ah, the old rags to riches tale, with the swashbuckling young hero as manager, rising from the old fourth division to the Premier League... it makes you feel all warm inside.

Except, Bournemouth spent an awful lot of money to make that journey, thanks to benefactor, Maxim Demin, and currently have players on their books earning around £100,000-a-week. The stadium is too small, the town itself gives off a strong retirement home vibe and they are another club that exists to survive every year. The only people who will miss Bournemouth in the Premier League are Bournemouth fans.

Norwich City
A nice club, friendly and inoffensive, but about as exciting as a trip to a muddy farmer’s field in torrential rain. Norwich have been relegated from the Premier League more than any other club, so maybe they should just stay out of it for a bit.

You can call them a yo-yo club if you like, but who plays with those anymore? Norwich have a great Academy, have produced some wonderful players, but they all leave in the end because, well, that’s just what happens to clubs with their budget.

The clincher, though, is this. Norwich is not close to anything, it’s not even close to most of Norfolk. It’s a nightmare to get to in the car and even the train journey from London is more than two hours. If you are going to build a city in the middle of nowhere, you should not have a Premier League football team.

Crystal Palace
I almost chose Southampton, but then I remembered my boss is a Saints fan and the south coast is already losing Bournemouth. Southampton are also just one of those clubs that is always in the top flight, they certainly have been for the majority of my life, albeit after a brief tumble down to League One.

As for Palace, they are the least exciting of all the London teams in the Premier League. When did Palace last do anything, well, memorable in the league? I’m going to go with the early 90s team of Ian Wright, Mark Bright and, erm, Alan Pardew.

The only thing their current stay in the top flight will be remembered for is Wilfred Zaha and Pardew (the manager) dancing on the touchline after Palace took the lead in the FA Cup Final with 12 minutes remaining only to lose it against ten man Manchester United, and then apologise for dancing in his post-match press conference after United’s players suggested it had given them extra-motivation.

Five team to replace them
Leeds United
A proper football club, with a large and passionate fanbase, with enough historical rivalries to immediately make the fixture list look more exciting. Yorkshire’s biggest city needs Premier League football, it’s a great place to visit for the weekend and we all need a team we dislike, without ever really being able to explain why. This is Leeds.

Sheffield Wednesday
They were a really big club once upon a time, have a large old stadium and will make it three Yorkshire teams in the top-flight. The thought of seeing Steel City derbies again in the Premier League is also appealing and Sheffield is slap bang in the middle of the country so ideal for away fans to get to.

However, I am willing to negotiate on this choice because they only just squeeze in ahead of Stoke City. Stoke have an equally passionate fanbase and have boasted a better matchday atmosphere in recent years. Sheffield already has a Premier League team and, in a purely ideal world, Stoke should have one too.

Sunderland
Another northern giant, which has spent most of the last century failing to live up to its potential. But what potential it has. Get it right at Sunderland and the city comes alive. Huge fanbase, passionate and knowledgeable and ridiculously loyal given so many years of underachievement.

The Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle United is probably the most volatile and explosive in English football. That is largely down to the fact that neither club has won a trophy since the 1970s, but also sparked by a long history of conflict between the two cities dating back to the English Civil War. They might not admit it, for fear of public rebuke, but Newcastle miss playing Sunderland. It is regional tribalism at its combustive best.

Nottingham Forest
This was never in doubt, it is not even a question in my mind. Of course, Nottingham Forest should be in the Premier League, they have won the European Cup twice for a start and were a successful club over a long period of time under the late, great Brian Clough.

Nottingham’s geographical location also makes them attractive and if you want clubs with big followings and a proud history, Forest are a top 20 club. It’s as simple as that. Nobody can disagree with this choice and if you do, you are wrong.

Cardiff City
They do not have a particularly appealing history, have never really won anything of note, but Wales needs a Premier League club and Cardiff is one of the great British cities to visit.

That is the swinging factor, for me, because you could argue Birmingham City, Stoke, Bolton Wanderers and Portsmouth have had more of an impact on the Premier League than the Bluebirds. Basically, I want Wales to have a Premier League team and that is it. I cannot really make another persuasive argument.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Bfc » Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:07 pm

He seems to suggest, only teams from a City should be allowed to play in the Premier League.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:14 pm

Bfc wrote:
Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:07 pm
He seems to suggest, only teams from a City should be allowed to play in the Premier League.
I have long suspected that is the Premier League ideal - and preferably cities with airports and mainline rail stations attached to help with the international fans and media - cities generally mean bigger catchment areas and provincial cities with single clubs like Newcastle, Leeds and Cardiff

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Buxtonclaret » Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:24 pm

I hope his nuts don't drop off anytime soon. :roll:

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Royboyclaret » Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:24 pm

Luke Edwards....another one removed from the Christmas card list.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Hipper » Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:28 pm

'....and Cardiff is one of the great British cities to visit.'

Has he ever visited Cardiff as a football fan? They're the last team I'd have in the Premier League.

The Premier League ideal is for the big money clubs that formed it - or the big money clubs now anyway - to finish in the top places so get regular European adventures and therefore even more money with which to make themselves ever more dominant of the rest. It wasn't good when Leicester won it and clubs like Burnley are only there to make up the numbers.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:36 pm

Royboyclaret wrote:
Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:24 pm
Luke Edwards....another one removed from the Christmas card list.
He is only saying what what most people think, there is no doubt that the Premier League would generate more money if it was full of the big clubs (particularly domestically - more subscribers for the broadcasters).

Many people fear a European Super league - I have suggested previously that the real fear is a franchised Premier League in the English cities - if the ideal mix is ever achieved I would not be surprised if the Premier League devolved itself from the pyramid

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 2:47 pm

French Football starts a record new TV deal this season that is a huge uplift on previous deals - since it was announced a number of clubs have been taken over by foreign investors - today we hear that Toulouse has been taken over by an investment group - from Sports Business

RedBird Capital completes deal to take majority control of Toulouse FC
Eric Fisher, US Editor - July 20, 2020

American investment firm RedBird Capital Partners has completed its expected deal to acquire an 85-per-cent stake in French soccer club Toulouse FC.

Following through on an investment in the works for many weeks, the deal involves the firm gaining the majority stake while former club owner Olivier Sadran retaining a 15 per cent equity stake. Though Sadran remains on the board, he will step down from his role as president.

“We are proud and excited to help write the next chapter of Toulouse FC and realize its tremendous potential,” said Gerry Cardinale, RedBird Capital Partners founder and managing partner. “We are committed to building a sustainable, long-term foundation for the club’s success by enhancing its on-field sporting performance, business operations, and contributions to its community. We look forward to working closely with Olivier, the City of Toulouse, and the Occitanie Region to return Toulouse FC to an elite level and elevate the entire city of Toulouse through its long-term success.”

Financial terms were not disclosed.

Toulouse FC had been relegated to the second-tier Ligue 2 following the premature conclusion of Ligue 1 amid the global Covid-19 pandemic.

As part of the transaction, veteran industry executive Damien Comolli was named the new president of Toulouose FC, effective immediately, and will oversee all management of the club. Comolli has held several senior management roles with other European soccer teams, including Premier League franchises Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur.

“We recognize the unique talent this city has and plan to commit continued focus towards youth development throughout the region,” Comolli said. “The club has great potential and I am looking forward to working with our players, staff, and RedBird to execute upon our plan to build a stronger future for the club.”

RedBird Capital recently partnered with the National Football League and Major League Baseball players associations to create OneTeam Partners, a company designed to help athletes maximize the value of their name, image and likeness rights.

It is also an investor in premium hospitality company On Location Experiences and the

YES Network, which the New York Yankees recently acquired from the Walt Disney Company.

The firm is not the only veteran of the American sports industry to have an equity interest in French soccer. Frank McCourt, former owner of Major League Baseball’s Los Angeles Dodgers, is the majority owner of Ligue 1’s Olympique de Marseille. New York-based investment management firm King Street Capital Management is now the majority owner of FC Girondins de Bordeaux.

France’s Professional Football League, under the leadership of chief executive Didier Quillot, has made a heightened push in recent years to create deeper ties with the American market. And last year, the LFP brought four teams including Bordeaux and McCourt’s Marseille, to Audi Field in Washington, District of Columbia, for a four-game event.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 3:02 pm

This is a strange deal considering where we are in the sales process for the the club - though possibly not given the proximity of new season and new kit release - Newcastle extend shirt deal with Fun88 - from SportsBusiness.com - it also shows how good our deal with Love Bet is, given our size, in comparison

Newcastle United extends shirt deal with Fun88
Matthew Glendinning - July 20, 2020

Premier League club Newcastle United has extended its main shirt sponsorship with Asian-facing betting operator Fun88.

The new deal is described by the club as a “long-term commercial agreement”.

Fun88 has been on the front of the players’ shirts and training wear at United for the last three years. The previous deal was thought to be worth about £6m (€6.6m/$7.5m) per year.

Asia-based Fun88, established in 2008, offers sports betting, live casinos, slots and keno games in multiple languages. It has used the United sponsorship to expand its reach globally, but especially in Asia.

Under the previous deal, the brand also engaged locally with fans in competitions for tickets and shirt giveaways.

Lee Charnley, managing director at Newcastle United, said: “Building on the success of our partnership to date, we look forward to this next phase and working together to engage fans and grow our collective reach around the globe.”

The deal comes at a pivotal moment for the club which is the subject of a takeover bid from a Saudi Arabian consortium.

The proposed £300m Newcastle takeover deal is 80-per-cent financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, led by the Kingdom’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman.

The current owner, Mike Ashley, owner of the Sports Direct sports retail chain, agreed to the deal in April, however it is up to the Premier League to ratify any change of ownership at the club.

Opposition to the bid has focused on human rights abuses in the country and, more latterly, a ruling by the World Trade Organisation against the Saudi broadcaster beoutQ for illegally broadcasting a range of professional sports, including the Premier League.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 3:18 pm

This century has become noted for the signing of players for their commercial value, possibly more than their contribution to the team on the pitch (though not in all circumstances - a few do both brilliantly well) their is one player likely to be available this summer who is considered a "money printing machine" - from the South China Morning Post (SCMP.com) - it is not the approach we would use but a few clubs are already in the running

Wu Lei: Wolves, Watford or Besiktas – what next for China’s in-demand star?
- China forward, described as a ‘money-printing machine’ after 18 months in La Liga with relegated Espanyol, linked with transfer
- Proven opportunity to strengthen ties with Chinese fans and companies makes signing potentially lucrative

Jonathan White - Published: 3:58pm, 20 Jul, 2020

With a 0-0 draw against Celta Vigo, Espanyol’s La Liga season is over. The question now is whether Chinese superstar Wu Lei has played his final game for the club.

With the Barcelona-based side already confirmed as La Liga’s bottom team and condemned to second tier football next season, there was little to play for in their final game and Wu came closest to scoring with a goal chalked off in first-half stoppage time. He was later substituted.

His first full season in Spain since moving from CSL champions Shanghai SIPG in January 2019 has been a roller coaster. It has included a goal against Barcelona to salvage a 2-2 draw in the city derby, testing positive for and recovering from Covid-19 and playing under four different managers.

During the season he performed well, when selected. He made 48 appearances in all competitions, bagging eight goals and one assist over 2,601 minutes. In La Liga he played 32 times, scoring four goals. Wu played seven times in the Europa League qualifiers, notching a goal and an assist, and then seven more games in the Europa League proper, scoring once. In the Copa del Rey he scored twice across three games.

All in all, since his arrival in January 2019, Wu played 63 times – a more impressive feat as he arrived at the end of the CSL season rather than the middle – and scored 11 goals.

He has certainly been good for the Chinese-owned club, on and off the pitch. Espanyol have reportedly attracted more viewers in China than even Barcelona and Real Madrid during his time, while the club have picked up sponsorship deals with mainland companies Irongest, Suanfarma Pharmaceutical Group, iFlyTek and China Mobile. Their Chinese-Spanish shirt supplier Kelme also noted 10,000 sales of Wu’s shirt in the first month, with delays on delivery because of a backlog.

No wonder there is interest in a player once compared to Diego Maradona and more recently described as a “money-printing machine”.

At the head of the queue now is Turkish Superlig side Beskitas. Turkish media outlet Fotospor has reported on their interest several times in recent weeks. Besiktas president Ahmet Nur Cebi was said to be positive for Wu’s prospects on the pitch and bringing in sponsorship.

Now reports suggest that any deal would not cost the club any money, with China’s iFlyTek willing to pay the transfer fee and wages as the artificial intelligence (AI) company looks to enter the Turkish market. It is reported that the club would also expect to add more sponsors from China, the chances of which would greatly increase if they can secure Uefa Champions League football instead of Europa League.

Chinese-owned Wolverhampton Wanderers got a chance to see Wu up close during their Europa League round of 32 meeting in February, although Espanyol barely impressed in a 6-2 aggregate loss.

Still, Wolves have made a point of mopping up young players with Chinese heritage since being taken over by Fosun and they have made it clear that is part of a targeted plan. Wu is the only Chinese player in any of Europe’s top five leagues and a move would make sense for all parties.

The last China striker to play in the English Premier League backs the move. Former Manchester United striker Dong Fangzhuo said on Weibo: “I think no matter if Espanyol is relegated or not, a better choice for him is to go to the Premier League. I think Espanyol is not a good fit for Wu now.

Considering the team’s deficiencies in midfield, the lack of supply to Wu up front and the squad’s overall instability, I don’t think Wu should stay at the club.”

If not Wolves, then perhaps Watford, another English Premier League side that has been linked with a move for Wu.

Kelme has just been announced as the club’s shirt suppliers for next season so there is an added financial incentive for it to work out. On the downside, Watford are not yet safe and on Sunday they sacked manager Nigel Pearson with two games of the English Premier League season left. If the club are relegated to the Championship then the transfer is less likely.

Wu can play in the Spanish second tier simply by seeing out the three-year contract he signed 18 months ago – and he has indicated that he might.

“If Espanyol needs me, and I’m capable of making contributions to the team, I will choose to stay,” Wu told Chinese newspaper People’s Daily earlier this month as Espanyol stared relegation in the face.

Japan international Shinji Okazaki has shone in the second tier with Huesca this season, with the 34-year-old firing them back to the top flight. Wu, at 28, faces a difficult choice over his next step.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 3:36 pm

The Football Today Podcast looks at why Premier League Academies are scaling up - includes discussion on the new Cat 1 Academies at Burnley, Palace and Leeds

https://www.footballtodaypodcast.com/po ... scaling-up

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 4:19 pm

Remember how recently I noted the difference in commercial approach between La Liga (aggressive income maximisation) and the Premier League (Diplomatic, Partnership focused for sustained long term growth) here we have an example of that played out by La Liga's Biggest club - Barcelona are suing Nike for a late shipment of next seasons kit (due to manufacturing issues) - How long has Nike been the kit supplier to Barcelona, how much money have they paid the club for that privilege in that time (never mind the key individuals have Barcelona taken from Nike in that time) Much more than a club indeed - from SportsProMedia.com

Why Barcelona’s new kit could see Nike bleed cash

Posted: July 14 2020By: SportsPro

These colours do run
La Liga’s restart has been a difficult one for Spanish soccer champions Barcelona. The Catalan club are already facing the prospect of surrendering their league title to bitter rivals Real Madrid, who are two points away from a first championship since 2017. And that disappointment has unfolded amid a row over the team’s blaugrana shirts.

According to the Financial Times, Barça are asking for €15 million to €20 million (US$16.9 million to US$22.6 million) in compensation after apparel partner Nike missed a crucial shipping window for the sale of next season’s edition of the first team kit. A manufacturing error has apparently meant that the colours of the blue-and-red striped jerseys bleed into each other when wet – a particular sore point given that the design is traditionally based on the flag of Catalonia.

Barcelona players were meant to be wearing the new kit for the concluding part of 2019/20 season – Italy’s Inter Milan and Premier League side Chelsea have been modelling new releases in recent weeks. The hope now is that the switch will be made in time for the resumption of the Uefa Champions League in August.

A Nike statement to the FT read: ‘We have identified an aesthetic change that is required in the FCB 2020/21 fan home jersey. Once this is resolved a date for the availability of this jersey will be announced.’ The club chose not to comment.

Barcelona began their latest ten-year deal with long-term partner Nike in 2018, worth a reported €150 million (US$169.9 million) a season.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 4:26 pm

It is no surprise that such an approach has been transferred to Manchester City given the influence of Barcelona - as this Telegraph article at the weekend attests - and our club has long known how petulant representatives of Arsenal can be

How the influence of Barcelona has spread through Arsenal and Manchester City
SAM DEAN JULY 17, 2020

The red of Arsenal meets the blue of Manchester City and, behind it all, is the red-and-blue of Barcelona.

The Catalan club’s fingerprints will be all over Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final, from the style of the teams on the pitch to the decisions taken by the executives watching from their boxes.

No club has had as much influence on the modern game as Barcelona, who began the 2000s as an ailing institution but soon grew into perhaps the most recognisable brand in the world’s biggest sport.

They did so in large part thanks to a group of dynamic, young directors and executives, many of whom have since scattered around the globe as other teams and countries seek to replicate their success.

Ferran Soriano, City’s chief executive, and Txiki Begiristain, their director of football, were both part of the off-field team that propelled Barcelona forward under the presidency of Joan Laporta from 2003 onwards.

The same is true of Raul Sanllehi, Arsenal’s head of football and the most important off-field leader at the club. There are plenty of others. Barcelona alumni, whether they are youth trainers, academy directors or executives, have travelled far and wide.

Omar Berrada is City’s chief operating officer. Marc Ingla is the chief executive of Lille. Carles Romagosa served as technical director of Paris Saint-Germain’s academy, and now works for the Thailand FA. Albert Benaiges, a former co-ordinator of Barcelona’s youth system, is currently operating in Japan.

And all this is before we come to the impact of Barcelona’s players and coaches, with Pep Guardiola standing above the rest as the most influential manager of the last two decades.

Mikel Arteta, whose Arsenal side must find a way to stop City on Saturday, is a disciple both of Guardiola and of Barcelona, having been schooled at the club in his formative years as a player. Saturday’s match will be a showcase of Barcelona’s methods on the pitch, then, and a meeting of Barcelona’s people in the stands.

The same executives who helped to turn Barcelona into the behemoth it is today, working in the same rooms and on the same projects, now go head-to-head at the helm of two of England’s biggest clubs.

Of them all, the case of Sanllehi is perhaps the most intriguing. He spent 15 years at Barcelona, having previously worked with the club through his role at Nike. He was appointed as director of football in 2008 and remained an influential figure under three presidents.

It is rare for a figure of such seniority to survive presidential changes but Sanllehi, as the club’s chief deal-maker, earned the trust and confidence of each new regime.

For years, the expectation of many in Spain was that Sanllehi would ultimately end up at City, along with all those former colleagues of his from the Camp Nou. Repeated reports in Spain suggest there was certainly considerable interest in Sanllehi from the City executives.

But he was instead seduced by the Arsenal project, sold to him by former chief executive Ivan Gazidis. When Gazidis left (an unexpected development for Sanllehi), he was raised into the position of head of football. And then, in December last year, he had to navigate the issue of luring Arteta away from City and his old friends.

City claimed to be furious about the lack of formal approach from Arsenal for Arteta, which caused some bemusement in north London. The noises from Arsenal were that Sanllehi had been in regular contact with Begiristain.

“We have been very careful, extremely transparent and very respectful,” Sanllehi insisted following Arteta’s appointment.

Why has there been so much demand for this generation of Catalonian executives? The answer can be found in Barcelona’s dramatic transformation in the 00s.

In their book, ‘International Cases in the Business of Sport’, Simon Chadwick and Dave Arthur write: “Laporta brought with him a directorial board consisting of equally young, commercially minded and entrepreneurially-spirited people.

“This marked a watershed for Barca as Laporta not only promised playing success but also a new focus on building the club’s off-field commercial activities.”

Graham Hunter, in his award-winning book ‘Barca: The Making of the Greatest Team in the World’, adds of Laporta’s election: “Laporta had sold the voters what they wanted to believe - that this young, vibrant team of businessmen would make Barcelona big hitters on the European stage once more.”

First with Frank Rijkaard and Ronaldinho, and then with Guardiola and Lionel Messi, Barcelona’s executives succeeded in spectacular fashion, despite all the various political controversies and in-fighting that often takes place at Spain’s biggest clubs.

That they found such success while enhancing the romantic appeal of Barcelona, with their ‘more than a club’ motto and team full of academy graduates, was key to the commercial developments made at the Camp Nou.

It all worked together and the directors were savvy enough to make the most of the team’s brilliance. It is no wonder that other clubs want to tap into their expertise.

These executives, and Sanllehi in particular, face new challenges now. As Guardiola and Begiristain decide how to spend their sizeable transfer kitty this summer, and Soriano continues to lead the global expansion of the City Football Group, Sanllehi is confronted with an entirely different set of circumstances.

Arsenal’s finances remain under strain and next season will be their fourth consecutive year outside of the Champions League. Budgeting for transfers and contract extensions is far from easy.

Sanllehi has said before that, at Barcelona, they would not even prepare for the possibility of being outside of the Champions League. “It was not a question,” he said.

At Arsenal it is the biggest question, and it is hard to imagine Sanllehi’s friends at City, revelling in the lifting of their European ban and plotting their global dominance, feeling too envious of their old colleague and his long list of problems to solve in north London.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 4:37 pm

CAS have released the full judgement on the Manchester City appeal - it can be read here

https://www.tas-cas.org/fileadmin/user_ ... ternet.pdf

EDIT apologies - this actually looks like the appeal last autumn before the the UEFA hearing that gave the 2 year ban - fascinating to read though

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 7:42 pm

How to make money from Football's Magic Money Tree (part god know's what) we know about Football pundit's well as complaints about the banality rises we now have coaches for football pundit's - from the Mail

'Lampard wanted to know how to interview Hazard and no one works as hard as Jenas': Meet the pundit coaches who teach the faces of football how to quiz the game's biggest stars and deliver cutting edge insight on television
- Ex-professional footballers are receiving punditry lessons to help their careers
- Gary Lineker, Robbie Savage and Alan Shearer have received hints and tips
- Pundits are looking to be original, insightful and avoid becoming stale

Sportsmail talk to two of the 'coaches' on how they help the pundits
By KIERAN GILL FOR THE DAILY MAIL - PUBLISHED: 17:31, 20 July 2020 | UPDATED: 18:50, 20 July 2020

From Gary Lineker to Alan Shearer, Chris Sutton to Robbie Savage, Clare Balding to Gabby Logan, Frank Lampard to Kyle Walker, all have received some form of punditry and presenter ‘coaching’ during their illustrious broadcasting careers.

How to avoid becoming stale. How to avoid sitting on the fence. How to be original. How to read the autocue, interview a player or provide analysis. It is not as straightforward as simply rolling a camera and hoping for the best.

It takes time and training, and Matt Curtis and Rob Nothman are the men who provide that. Together, they train the talent we see on our television screens, and here they explain how and why to Sportsmail's Kieran Gill.

'BECOME JENAS THE PUNDIT RATHER THAN JENAS THE EX-PLAYER’

MC: Jermaine Jenas is a good example of how you can make it work. By his own admission, Jermaine doesn’t have the footballing CV of Rio Ferdinand, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, Gary Neville, et cetera. But towards the end of his career he knew he wanted to do what he does now. I don’t think I’d ever come across an ex-footballer who worked at it as much as Jermaine. Troy Deeney and Andros Townsend are fantastic for broadcasters right now.

KG: Because they’re currently active?

MC: Yes, and for a year or two after they pack up because they have great relevance. They know what it’s like to play in the Premier League in 2020. Their names are remembered enough to be relevant.

But that goes quickly. In the year or two while you’re trying to become established, you have to become Jermaine Jenas the pundit rather than Jermaine Jenas the ex-Tottenham and England midfielder. Audiences are much more demanding these days. They will take a good pundit over a pundit who had a better footballing CV.

RN: I worked with the BBC’s horse racing commentator Peter Bromley. He came from a military background and the phrase he would always say to me was: ‘Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted.’

That maxim has always been in the back of my mind. The more preparation you do, the more confident you will feel and the better you will communicate. Another who does a lot of preparation is Chris Sutton.

I remember going to see him in Norwich, right at the start of his punditry career and I had been told by people in the game that he was, quote, a ‘prickly character’. But I have found him to be one of the hardest working and committed pundits out there.

MC: The top line of everything we do is preparation and research. Having a knowledge of what certain people around you do in a television studio or gallery will make you more comfortable.

Robbie Savage is another really good example. Find out what a floor manager does, a director does, a producer does. Get to know the camera operators.

RN: It can be an intimidating experience – an uncomfortable environment. You can be unsettled by the amount of people. What do they all do? Who is hearing what in their ear? How long should I talk for? All of these questions can spread a degree of discomfort in the brain and the mind needs to be clear if we’re to communicate well.

‘LAMPARD WANTED TO KNOW HOW TO INTERVIEW HAZARD AND BECOME THE BEST AT HIS JOB… IT’S A DREAM TO HAVE PUNDITS WITH THAT ATTITUDE’

MC: If you say something good it will be put on that channel’s social media. It will be retweeted. So you can’t then go on a show the next day and say the same thing. Originality is huge. Jenas couldn’t go on the radio on a Friday night and say ‘Harry Kane is the best English footballer of all time’ and then go on Football Focus on Saturday lunchtime and say the same thing.

You have to be able to take it a stage further. You cannot be repetitive or people will get bored. ‘Oh here’s so and so coming on and saying the same old thing…’

RN: We talk to them to make sure they understand, especially after they’ve ended their careers, that they’ve crossed and are now on the other side. We would encourage them to be fair, sincere but not to sit on the fence.

Any pundit who believes that they can get away without offending or upsetting anyone is going to find it extremely difficult. They will compromise their reputation.

MC: You get the odd person who wanted to be the best at their sport – and now they want to be the best pundit. It’s a dream for us to have people like that. The first day I met Brian O’Driscoll, he turned up at BT in a Joy Division T-Shirt.

Literally the first thing he said was: ‘Last week I was a rugby player, now I want to be a broadcaster and I want to be the best broadcaster I can be.’ Frank Lampard was the same. He wanted to be the best. Before the FA Cup final in 2018, we met to go through clips but more pertinently, he was going to go interview Eden Hazard. ‘This is something completely new to me.

'How do I ask the questions? Get the best out of him?’ He spoke to Jake Humphrey about this as well. But Frank was a fantastic, intelligent, outspoken, opinionated, articulate pundit. That year we had Ferdinand, Gerrard and Lampard in the Champions League, and Lineker as the presenter, it made a TV producer’s job very easy.

‘CO-COMMENTARY IS THE HARDEST ROLE OF ALL – NOBODY GOES ON TWITTER TO SAY GOOD THINGS ABOUT GARY NEVILLE!’

MC: Any game of football you watch, the co-commentator will be trending on Twitter. Nobody goes on there and says: ‘Wow, Gary Neville is a really good co-commentator.’ They go on there to give them a hard time. It’s a hard role, and you won’t get a lot of praise. But most ex-players who do it say it’s the closest they'll get after retirement to feeling the emotions of playing.

KG: Jenas was in tears after Ajax-Tottenham in the Champions League.

MC: Neville probably leads the way. Not many want to do it. For the ones who work at it, form a rapport with their commentator, they are the broadcasters who are well thought-of down the line. When you find somebody who can co-commentate, it’s gold.

Co-commentary is the hardest role. I came across Karen Carney and quickly became aware of how well she reads the game. If you can’t do that, you can’t do the job of commentary. On BBC Radio 5 Live, she has been brilliant as a summariser. To see Karen where she is now is fulfilling.

‘PLAYERS HAVE TO REALISE WHEN THEY TALK TO THE MEDIA, THEY’RE TALKING TO THEIR FANS – DON’T BE RUDE OR UNRESPONSIVE’

RN: It is hugely enjoyable to be able to spend time with so many of your genuine heroes. I worked with Gary Lineker on his very first radio programme, just after he arrived from Japan. He was a great example, early on, of somebody who was receptive. He wanted to get better. He had high standards. He knew he had limitations but he wanted to get better. You can take a horse to water but… it’s down to them. It’s about them being able to take feedback.

MC: I remember saying to Chris Sutton: ‘Chris, I don’t think you are this unhappy!’ We’re watching football here. It’s entertainment. It’s fun. When you say something challenging to Robbie Savage or Mark Chapman, whoever, just give us a little wry smile at the end. If anyone watched Chris Sutton in 2016, they’d say he looked miserable. If anyone watched him now, or listened to him on the Monday Night Club, they’d say he’s fun. It’s very important to have your own style.

RN: You want to highlight their strengths and perhaps polish a few weaknesses. But it’s about retaining them as individuals and allowing them to be themselves on air.

KG: What about active players?

MC: Manchester City are a club we’ve worked with a lot. Micah Richards has been through the Rob Nothman school a couple of times. City approached me to work with their Under-18s. They wanted them to be comfortable with the interview scenario.

KG: Clips of Erling Braut Haaland’s interviews went viral recently for his short answers.

MC: We, the public, gain our impression of sports stars by how they’re interviewed. If you’re cold, rude or unresponsive, people notice that. Deep down, everyone wants to be liked.

RN: Look at Marcus Rashford, and how well he has come across. It is about the big picture, and players recognising that when they talk to the media they’re talking to their fans.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Mon Jul 20, 2020 7:50 pm

Is this a sign that Leeds know they are under financial challenges for the coming season already, or just a realisation that they have made a huge mistake - probably a bit of both, The club are seeking to avoid signing Jean-Kevin Augustin a player signed on loan in January with a clause that he should be bought were Leeds to be promoted, he has made just 3 sub appearances. - From the Mail

Leeds could face an £18m legal battle over Jean-Kevin Augustin with his loan deal including a clause forcing them to buy him after promotion... but the Whites will argue it EXPIRED on July 1

Leeds and RB Leizpig look set for legal proceedings over Jean-Kevin Augustin
The Whites last week claimed promotion back to the Premier League
The German side say the triumph triggered a clause in Augustin's loan deal
Leipzig say Leeds now have an obligation to buy him for £18m this summer
Leeds will claim the clause expired on July 1, not wanting to keep the flop striker
By TOBY MILES FOR MAILONLINE

PUBLISHED: 10:02, 20 July 2020 | UPDATED: 11:37, 20 July 2020

Neither Leeds nor parent club RB Leipzig want Jean-Kevin Augustin, with the clubs set to enter a legal battle over who the Frenchman should play for next season.

The Elland Road side secured promotion to the Premier League as Championship winners last week, with the English giants finally returning to the top flight after a 16-year absence.

Augustin had little influence in the triumph, making just three brief substitute appearances after signing for Marcelo Bielsa's side in January - on loan until the end of the coronavirus-hit campaign.

Despite the flop, Bielsa could now be stuck with Augustin, with Leipzig claiming Leeds have an obligation to buy the striker for £18m due to a clause triggered when they claimed promotion, according to Bild.

The Whites have no intention of keeping the 23-year-old and reportedly claim the clause expired on July 1 - an argument complicated by the coronavirus pandemic extending the season.

Bild believe the dispute is heading for the courts, with Leipzig set to file a lawsuit and complain to FIFA.

Despite the flop, Bielsa could now be stuck with Augustin, with Leipzig claiming Leeds have an obligation to buy the striker for £18m due to a clause triggered when they claimed promotion, according to Bild.

The Whites have no intention of keeping the 23-year-old and reportedly claim the clause expired on July 1 - an argument complicated by the coronavirus pandemic extending the season.

Bild believe the dispute is heading for the courts, with Leipzig set to file a lawsuit and complain to FIFA.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 12:02 am

In has been a bonanza year for sports lawyers and it looks like they are going to get another opportunity to shake the Magic Money Tree from the EFL
- from the Mail

Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday to AVOID relegation from the Championship as a result of financial dealings with points deductions to be imposed next season
- Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday are to avoid relegation from the Championship
- Clubs both face points deductions as a result of financial dealings
- The prospect of appealing the decision will affect the relegation battle
- Barnsley, Luton, Charlton, Birmingham and Boro are still in danger

By MATT HUGHES FOR THE DAILY MAIL - PUBLISHED: 20:05, 20 July 2020 | UPDATED: 21:38, 20 July 2020

Wigan and Sheffield Wednesday are set to avoid relegation from the Championship as a result of their financial dealings with any points deductions imposed by the EFL's independent panel to be applied next season.

The verdicts in both cases are due imminently, but as both clubs would have the right of appeal if found guilty there is little prospect of the punishment affecting the relegation battle that will reach a climax on Wednesday evening, with Barnsley, Luton, Charlton, Birmingham and Middlesbrough all in danger of dropping into League One. Bottom-club Hull appear doomed, but could still survive if the beat Cardiff and other results go their way.

Wigan are facing the prospect of being docked 12 points for going into administration, while Wednesday could lose a maximum of 21 points after being accused of an aggravated breach of the EFL's profit and sustainability rules, punishments which if applied immediately would see them plunged into the relegation zone.

Both clubs would have the right to appeal against such sanctions however, and given the amount of time required to complete such disciplinary proceedings it is unlikely the process would be completed before the start of next season.

While the relegation issues should be finalised tomorrow the Championship season does not finish until the play-off final on 4 August, with the formal transfer of clubs between the divisions taking place the following week.

The EFL have confirmed that the bottom three clubs in the Championship on Wednesday evening will be relegated subject to other on-going disciplinary proceedings, but there is little prospect they will be completed by the mid-August deadline.

Whilst several clubs have criticised the EFL over the lack of clarity the confusion has been compounded by the delayed finish to the season caused by Covid-19, without which there would have been no prospect of any point deductions being applied this season.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Hipper » Tue Jul 21, 2020 8:47 am

Chester, is there any report on how Burnley being in the Premier League has affected the town's local economy?

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:34 pm

Hipper wrote:
Tue Jul 21, 2020 8:47 am
Chester, is there any report on how Burnley being in the Premier League has affected the town's local economy?
I wish - no but I suspect it is over £100m a year in economic revenue )possibly significantly more) and has helped with inward investment, we have also seen a rise in local and central government investment (not necessarily in cash terms, more % of budge - austerity and all that) just look at the infrastructure investment in roads and rail - for some reason the club, who are definitely aware of what they bring to the town (and would ideally like to have a larger share of it than they currently have), keep that kind of thing to themselves and even the council don't talk about it locally but certainly use it when marketing themselves to attract investment/business.

I will say that clubs who commission that kind of report are usually planning to do some development. Brighton and Liverpool are recent examples commissioning Deloitte (who have made this kind of thing a speciality) before submitting stadium expansion plans. Liverpool have had theirs approved but Brighton are still stuck in planning negotiations, the prime sticking point being modes of travel to and from the ground on matchdays. For some reason Brighton council (run by greens I think) expect many more (in the thousands) fans to use bikes to get to the match and back, and are hugely disappointed by the number that elect to use cars. Part of the problem is that so many fans do not live in Brighton or Hove. For over a decade the club laid on free coaches from points up to 60 miles away to attract new fans (Jack did the same at rovers) but that stopped a couple of years back when matches started being regularly oversubscribed,

Our club hinted last year that the redevelopment of the older parts of Turf Moor would be the next major development focus, particularly because they have a growing waiting list of corporate clients, who can provide a significant income uplift. If a major stand development was to be initiated then such an economic impact study would be used to pair with it. I suspect the Pandemic has put any such plans on hold, even though I sense the club want to make use of our current economic situation to improve the ground as part of the overall legacy of the Garlick/Dyche years. Though I am also sure they don't want a stand nicknamed the McNeil/Tarkowski/Pope by the fans and the long term ill feelings that can generate.
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 1:58 pm

The Telegraph and the financial implications of the Leicester - Man Utd match on Sunday - not quite the play of final territory but the the difference between winning and losing will be counted in the tens of millions

The £20 million match: For club owners, fourth in the Premier League now matters more than a trophy
JIM WHITE JULY 21, 2020

The Olympic Games should have started this week. Tens of thousands of athletes from around the world should have been congregating in Tokyo, primed to run, throw, swim and, in the case of most of the British medal contenders, sit down. But whatever their sporting pursuit, all of them would have shared one competitive goal: to not finish fourth.

In the Games, this is the most transparently painful position to end up. So close to the podium but medal-free, four years of work ending up as a footnote to history, the forgotten might-have-been: for Olympians, fourth hurts more than any other placing. Frankly, it is less demoralising to finish 20th.

But in the Premier League, fourth takes on a completely different scale. In football, coming fourth represents significant attainment. After all, Arsene Wenger spent much of his career insisting fourth meant success. Because since 2002 (apart from a brief hiatus in 2012 when Chelsea’s victory in the competition that season meant they took the Premier League’s final berth despite finishing sixth in the table), coming fourth has meant entry into the Champions League, and with it access to a minimum £20 million in revenue. For chairmen and owners, fourth matters more than a trophy for this simple reason: fourth means money.

Premier League 2019/20 latest standings (top eight)
This weekend, there is a fair chance that Leicester City and Manchester United will meet in the most valuable fourth-place play-off in sport. Mathematically, it remains an outside possibility that if Chelsea gain only one point from their two remaining matches, United beat West Ham on Wednesday and then lose at the King Power, then both Leicester and their visitors will qualify for the money-spinning European competition. But the chances are that Sunday’s will be the all-or-nothing fixture that decides fourth place. This will be the accountants’ favourite: “the £20 million match”.

The odd thing is, in the 18 years since the Premier League was granted a fourth entrant to Europe’s annual elite competition, this will be only the second time that the fixture computer has delivered the possibility that the two clubs pursuing the prize meet at the season’s conclusion. Sure, there have been many times when the race for fourth has gone to the last day. Arsenal squeezed ahead of Tottenham on the final weekend of the 2006 season. But they did so by beating Wigan, while Spurs lost at West Ham, after eating some dodgy lasagne.

Arsenal also pipped Spurs by a point in 2012, when they seized third place and fourth was turned into an irrelevance by Chelsea winning the Champions League later in the month and being invited to retain it. Arsenal did it again in 2013, and in 2016 Manchester City eased ahead of United on goal difference. Liverpool then outflanked Arsenal in 2017 before finally, in 2018-19, Spurs turned the tables on their local rivals and squeezed ahead of Arsenal by a point on the final day. But, however satisfying it might have been, it was not by virtue of winning a play-off.

Indeed, only in 2010 have the two competing sides faced each other for the chance to qualify. That year Tottenham journeyed to the newly named Etihad Stadium to take on Manchester City. Spurs, then managed by Harry Redknapp (better known to younger readers these days as a star of reality TV) needed just a point to secure their qualification. In a game fraught with nerves, in which the significance of the prize seemed to infect every tackle, every headed clearance, every dispute over a throw-in, Spurs emerged victorious after Peter Crouch (better known to younger readers these days as the presenter of a prime time Saturday night television show) stooped to head the game’s only goal.

Though, as it happened, that was not the final encounter of the season. It was the penultimate fixture, victory giving Spurs the leeway to lose at Burnley on the concluding day.

Which makes Sunday’s meeting between Leicester and United potentially all the more telling. This is a winner-takes-all, loser-preparing-for-a-season-of-Thursday-nights head-to-head. Olympians may be dismayed at the very idea, but as the legendary Brian Moore put it on a previous occasion when two protagonists met at the last to settle the spoils, it’s up for grabs now. For both sides, fourth is the new first.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 2:49 pm

The "When Sky invented Football" podcast talks to two regular features on this thread (and Middlesbrough fans) John Nicholson and Simon Chadwick about English football's China crisis

https://tunein.com/podcasts/Sports--Rec ... =155853452

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 3:33 pm

The Tifo Football Podcast looks at BeIN, Saudi Arabia and Newcastle - kicking off the recent Saudi ban of BeIN in the Saudi State,

on youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40wmH6Y ... e=youtu.be

podfollow
https://podfollow.com/tifofootballpodcast/view

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:13 pm

Leeds United, have reset the possibilities of what is commercially possible in the Championship and they look to be swiftly moving forward on what they can do in the Premier League - firstly by ditching their kit supplier - Kappa. they also have an expectation that their minority shareholder will put some significant money in - must say that I had not remembered that Leeds United were part owned by the San Francisco 49ers.

From SportsProMedia.com

Leeds owner Radrizzani expects San Francisco 49ers to up involvement
English soccer club also confirm end of Kappa kit deal ahead of Premier League return.

Posted: July 21 2020By: Sam Carp

- Radrizzani says Leeds will need more investment following promotion
- NFL’s 49ers currently own 10% stake in English soccer side
- PSG owners QSI previously linked with investment in Yorkshire club

Andrea Radrizzani, the majority owner of Leeds United, says he expects the National Football League’s (NFL) San Francisco 49ers to increase their involvement in the English soccer club following their promotion to the Premier League.

Speaking on a Zoom press conference after Leeds secured a return to English soccer’s top flight for the first time in 16 years, Radrizzani said the Yorkshire club will need more investment to be competitive in the competition.

The Italian businessman, who is also the chairman and founder of multinational broadcaster Eleven Sports, said the initial investment would come from his holding company Aser, but revealed that additional support could eventually be provided by the 49ers, who paid a reported UK£10 million (US$12.6 million) for a ten per cent stake in the club in 2018.

“People have said I would sell in the Premier League, but I have always said I would sell probably if I couldn’t achieve the Premier League,” Radrizzani said.

“But in this case I would love to stay ten years, maybe more, 20, I’m still young. I don’t have any rush. I’m enjoying it.

“[The 49ers] have done a good deal investing in the club with me because they see their investment already worth probably 3.5 times higher in terms of value of what they put [in].

“They are obviously good friends, a good partner and I think they could bring more value in the management of the club in the Premier League than what has been done until now.

“I expect them to help us more, step up and potentially in the future years in the Premier League in club management, particularly the stadium and merchandise.”

Leeds have also previously been linked with investment from Qatar Sports Investments (QSI), which owns French soccer champions Paris Saint-Germain.

Radrizzani said there were no current plans for QSI to invest in Leeds, but did not rule it out in the future.

“We have a very good friendship,” he said. “We have been talking, but to be honest we haven’t reached any concrete point of any negotiation.

“But we are really good friends and if they want seriously to come, they can always find my door open for a discussion, but at this moment there’s nothing.”

Leeds have also revealed that they will be sporting the logo of a new kit supplier when they return to the Premier League by confirming that their current technical partnership with Italian sportswear brand Kappa will end at the conclusion of the 2019/20 season.

The club said the identity of their new kit supplier will be revealed ‘in due course’, although it was reported in January that German brand Adidas was in line to replace Kappa from the 2020/21 campaign.

Leeds’ promotion from the Championship was confirmed on 17th July when West Bromwich Albion lost 2-1 at Huddersfield Town.

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:20 pm

Sheffield United may well be looking to capitalise on their success this year in looking for a new Shirt sponsor - the opportunity may arise not because the deal is up but because the sponsor's business has collapsed following investigations into unscrupulous practices - from Sports Pro Media

Sheffield United’s USG sponsorship under scrutiny after company collapse
Multi-asset broker being investigated for acting unscrupulously towards customers.

Posted: July 21 2020By: Ed Dixon

- USG signed three-year shirt and sleeve sponsorship with Premier League club in 2019
- Deal is said to be worth UK£3.5m per season
- Australian-based firm went into administration earlier this month

English top-flight soccer club Sheffield United could be on the lookout for a new principal sponsor after their current partner Union Standard Group (USG) fell into administration amid an investigation into its trading platforms.

The Australian-based global multi-asset broker, which signed a three-year deal with the Blades in June 2019, appointed administrators this month after facing allegations by the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) that it and its representatives had acted unconscionably towards customers.

ASIC this week suspended USG’s financial services, which operates the trading platform USGFX, as investigations continue.

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that creditors to the company have filed claims that indicate USG owes AUS$30 million (US$21.2 million). It has assets of about AUS$6 million (US$4.2 million) but may have access to AUS$40 million (US$28.2 million) held on trust in China.

The firm’s deal with Sheffield United is apparently worth UK£3.5 million (US$4.4 million) per season through to 2022. The agreement covers front of shirt and sleeve sponsor branding.

The Premier League outfit released a statement earlier this month asserting that it was business as normal regarding the pair’s relationship.

‘A spokesperson for USG has confirmed the following. The directors and management of USGFX are committed to continue working with all parties and assisting with matters to ensure all legal requirements are satisfied,’ said the statement.

‘USG Group, known as USG, consists of several companies, including USG AU, USG UK and others. The news relates only to USG AU and does not influence the financial status or service of USG.

‘The UK operation, USG UK, which is regulated by the FCA is not affected by this situation and continues to trade as normal.’

However, the group’s administrator, Peter Krejci of insolvency firm BRI Ferrier, confirmed the sponsorship deal was through USG's Australian arm, casting fresh doubt over the contract.

“The sponsorship is on the Australian balance sheet as a pre-payment to Sheffield United,” Krejci said.

While USG’s UK and Australian entities are separate companies, the two share directors. The UK business is majority owned by Myanmar-based Hein Min Soe, who is also a director of the Australian operation.

The news comes after the Sydney Morning Herald and the Age revealed earlier this year that representatives from USG had prepared faked Commonwealth Bank business cards which they displayed on social media.

ASIC secured interim orders from the Federal Court in 2019 restraining USG's business in Australia. Those orders still remain in effect.

At the time, ASIC told the court it had concerns USG and its two representatives – two Australian groups that operated the trading platforms TradeFred and EuropeFX respectively – had “systematically engaged in dishonest and unfair conduct in the course of carrying on its financial services business in Australia, including preventing customers from withdrawing money from their accounts”.

TradeFred and EuropeFX ceased trading earlier this year.

Chester Perry
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:33 pm

the vultures are at the door continues - Serie A have laid out the guidelines for those competing to take a share in it before Friday's deadline for proposals - including stating that they are not prepared to release more than 15% of the equity - from Sports Pro Media

Report: Serie A places ‘15%’ cap on private equity investment
League organisers outline criteria ahead of 24th July deadline.

Posted: July 21 2020By: Ed Dixon

- Seven firms said to be interested in Serie A stake
- New company reportedly being considered for investment
- Separate entity would ringfence clubs' share of the league

Lega Serie A, organisers of the Italian soccer top flight, have set a 15 per cent limit on any potential private investment in the competition, according to Milano Finanza.

The cap was revealed in a letter from Serie A president Paolo Dal Pino, seen by the Italian business outlet, which was sent to the seven interested parties – reported to be Bain Capital, CVC Capital Partners, Wanda-Infront, Apollo Global Management, Advent International, General Athletic, and TPG Capital. Blackstone was also reportedly preparing to loan Serie A €100 million (US$114.5 million) to help cover the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic.

The deadline for a proposed investment is currently set for 24th July, with Dal Pino’s letter outlining the bidding criteria. This includes a stipulation that the offer must include ‘terms and conditions for the establishment of the partnership…for the minority shareholding to be sold by Lega Serie [A], up to a maximum limit of 15 per cent of the capital’.

The letter also says that the proposals must contain a legal assessment confirming that the terms and conditions of the bid comply with the country’s Melandri Law, which governs the collective selling of media rights in the country.

Additionally, interested firms have apparently been asked to specify the partnerships' governance structure, veto mechanisms and the board of directors.

The proposed investment in Serie A, which would address the €500 million (US$572.6 million) financial impact of Covid-19 on the league’s clubs, includes teams handing over the competition’s media rights and revenues.

Although, this element is apparently being met with resistance by some club presidents.

One reported solution would see the new investment placed into a company which would remain in sole control of Serie A itself, ringfencing the share of the league owned by the clubs.

This all marks the latest development in Serie A’s investment saga. CVC looked to have stolen a march on its rivals, having first been linked with the league in May, after entering into exclusive talks. However, that window has now apparently expired, prompting further interest from other firms.

Chester Perry
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 4:39 pm

This is something that I have touched on a few times - the need for data to be shared with economic partners in sport - this opinion looks at the issue from the sponsors perspective - from SportsProMedia.com

Opinion | Now, more than ever, the sponsorship industry must demand data
Rights holders need to get ahead of brands' demands for sophisticated, dynamic analysis of sponsorship assets, says GumGum Sports senior vice president, Dominic Zuccarini.

Posted: July 21 2020By: Dominic Zuccarini

With marketing budgets tight since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, sport sponsors are casting an ever-more critical eye over where their spend is going and the return on investment. For rights holders, this will bring greater urgency for a shift that has been on the horizon for some time - the need to upgrade the quality of how sponsorship performance is evaluated.

The traditional way rights holders have issued sponsors with mid-season and end-of-season reports on campaign performance no longer meets their expectations. Increasingly, brands are demanding more regular visibility over how campaigns are performing and a more sophisticated and agile approach to analytics.

We are seeing that brands are now commissioning cutting edge analysis of their portfolios in order to make more informed decisions and justify spend. Sponsors were moving in this direction long before Covid-19, but the pandemic and lockdown has only accelerated this trend and heightened the need for rights holders to do the same or risk losing out to competitors that offer more modern, advanced analytics.

Upgrading the quality of sponsorship valuation by rights holders boils down to two main areas:

Continuous analysis and optimisation
If rights holders want to provide the most effective partnerships for their sponsors, it is crucial that they adopt technologies that allow them to regularly analyse and enhance the performance of campaigns - including signage and branded content across social, broadcast and streaming. In the current economic climate, brands' budgets are getting cut, so rights holders need higher velocity data to optimise campaigns throughout the partnership and prove the value of their sponsorship.

If a rights holder continues to only provide mid-season and end-of-season reports to its partners, it will increasingly be at a disadvantage. With near real-time analysis and the ability to capture performance across a variety of consumption channels and metrics, sports properties can ensure their sponsors’ objectives are being met and defend their share of wallet.

GumGum Sports’ sponsorship analytics platform uses artificial intelligence to analyse the impact of sponsorship assets across broadcast, social media and streaming platforms. Taken together, this means we can ingest a much bigger, more accurate data set that gives a nuanced real-time picture of what is and isn't working.

For example, we work with a group in the US which owns five sports teams. By overhauling the sophistication of its analytics, we were able to help it score an extra US$3 million in revenue – partly via bringing disparate pieces of data into one integrated platform, providing the rights holder with a much clearer sense of how its partner campaigns were performing and how to tweak the offer when necessary.

Seeing the complete picture
Using more sophisticated technology makes it easier to value elements of your sponsorship assets that may have been previously out of reach, such as value driven by athlete, league, media and other non-team-owned social media accounts. This can lead to significant expansion in a rights holder’s inventory and its revenue.

Rights holders generally focus their sponsorship analysis heavily on owned assets like shirts and broadcast rights. But what we have learned from assisting teams and brands is that it is often the non-owned assets, such as the social channels of players, fans, influencers and leagues, that can offer an ever greater value. In fact, we are seeing that up to 81 per cent of digital channel sponsorship value can come from these assets. This is a tremendous amount of value that teams could be reporting back to sponsors, but it is going unnoticed, because traditional technologies are unable to capture this full picture.

Rights holders should be prioritising holistic analysis of sponsorships across broadcast, social media and even streaming, as well as how they interact, allowing you to experiment with tweaking broadcast content to maximise social profile.

Another opportunity for rights holders is to use advanced analytics to explore and identify new types of sponsorship assets that can be offered to partners. For example, using white space analysis, GumGum Sports was able to determine the sponsor media value (SMV) of branded seat coverings within English Premier League (EPL) football stadiums. Through broadcast analysis of the Manchester City v Liverpool game on 2nd July, we discovered that the new seat coverings generated UK£1.8 million (US$2.28 million) in SMV, driven by several changes in camera angles and game play that boosted the value delivered back to partners.

We all hope that the next few months will see a resurgence in professional sports. But it is clear that sponsors will only become more demanding in their desire for dynamic insight on how each part of their sponsorship portfolio is performing. Will you be able to give it to them?

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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:21 pm

The esk wrote:
Fri Jul 17, 2020 7:00 pm
Thanks for your interest in my Football Shorts series. My latest piece focuses on Moshiri and why pumping money into a club is not the whole answer.

https://theesk.org/2020/07/17/farhad-mo ... e-problem/
For anyone who has read this - please take the time to listen to this related podcast https://shows.acast.com/the-esk-podcast ... hiri-years it is a very good listen around strategy, governance, communication and relationships in football. Though I will emphasize that it is specific to Everton FC

And don't take offence when Paul suggests that "even Burnley could pass us" it is a lament that a club that has been part of the establishment for so long is withering away through self satisfied ownership and management rather than seeking to be combative. I was stunned last night when it was pointed out last night on the Sheff Utd match that Everton have spent £650m since Moyes left - the 12th highest figure in Europe in that period, they have little to show for it

as with the article I find it has resonance to the recent "Investor" thread on this board which I posted about at the time
Chester Perry wrote:
Fri Jul 17, 2020 8:05 pm
Paul this actually ties in well with the recent Investor thread on this board - some here believe that is what we need - though many of us believe the current board and and executive group have been doing the right things for a long time. What you have given us is a cautionary tale.

That thread started as a reaction to the recent urging from the manager to stretch the finances speculation he might leave - no one here appears to want that - we have recently seen the departure of our Chief Exec (he has gone to try and sort out the EFL) and have replaced him with our BFC in the Community Chief Exec (you will know all about that at Everton) and I have a number of concerns here that parallel yours for the Blues - though we are not yet (at least) defining ourselves as a Charity with a football team attached.

I also listened to your engrossing podcast on Marcel Brands https://shows.acast.com/the-esk-podcast ... cel-brands and thought a lot about our Technical Director Mike Rigg - who at best splits opinions and at worst is regarded as a source of any ill that comes our way.

Takeovers are never easy and the balance at keeping a link to the past and driving towards the future is always a difficult one, though immeasurably more difficult if you don't seem to have a coherent strategy in place and power to force it through.
there is an awful lot to consider with new blood on the club's board and we must be aware that we have a proven strategy, and have had buy in from all interested parties
we know:
- who we are
- what we are
- where we want to be
- how we want to get there

it is a powerful thing not many clubs have that, changing that dynamic could tumble it all
This user liked this post: The esk

randomclaret2
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by randomclaret2 » Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:48 pm

Thats a really good post CP, but might it be that on the third and fourth points you list, SD and the board may not be singing from the same hymn sheet ?

Chester Perry
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:54 pm

randomclaret2 wrote:
Tue Jul 21, 2020 5:48 pm
Thats a really good post CP, but might it be that on the third and fourth points you list, SD and the board may not be singing from the same hymn sheet ?
Strategy must always be driven from the top - and I don't see too much diversion between MG and SD, certainly the last few weeks have seen SD more realigned - and I know that SD was heavily involved in the forming of the Strategy,
Last edited by Chester Perry on Tue Jul 21, 2020 6:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

randomclaret2
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by randomclaret2 » Tue Jul 21, 2020 6:40 pm

Could it just be that our extraordinary form given the tiny numbers we have to pick from, has made SD realise that continually talking about increased investment on the playing side would seem a touch contrary at the moment ?

Chester Perry
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Re: Football's Magic Money Tree

Post by Chester Perry » Tue Jul 21, 2020 6:46 pm

randomclaret2 wrote:
Tue Jul 21, 2020 6:40 pm
Could it just be that our extraordinary form given the tiny numbers we have to pick from, has made SD realise that continually talking about increased investment on the playing side would seem a touch contrary at the moment ?
I actually think that has reminded him just how much he has to lose by inviting speculation on his future

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