EA Sports’ FIFA franchise delivers a 31% revenue bump as license comes to an end
May 12 – EA Sports FIFA video game, in the last season of its license of the FIFA name, has delivered a huge bonus for the gaming giant.
Finance
Brera rebrands North Macedonia’s FC Akademija Pandev as gateway to big money player sales
May 10 – Brera Holdings has completed its acquisition of North Macedonia’s FC Akademija Pandev. The company acquired 90% of the club’s shares, with the value set at €600,000. The new owners said the club will be renamed Brera FC.
Bundesliga private equity raise enters next bidding round as KKR dropped
May 9 – The on-off German Bundesliga foray into raising private equity finance via a sell-off of a stake in its media rights, has seen US private equity firm KKR drop out of the latest round of bidding, according to reports.
City Football Group add Brazil’s top flight Bahia to stable of club ownership
May 5 – Brazil’s Bahia have become the latest club to join the City Football Group (CFG), the owners of English giants Manchester City.
Televisa breaks out gaming and football businesses into new listed entity
May 5 – Mexican entertainment giant Grupo Televisa is spinning off its betting and football interests into a new business entity that will be separated from its traditional broadcast business.
Ronaldo at $136m is highest earning athlete in world sport, followed by Messi and Mbappe
May 4 – Three footballers top a ranking of the top 10 highest paid athletes in world sport compiled by Forbes magazine.
US sports stars JJ and Kealia Watt take minority stake in Burnley
May 3 – Burnley, who have bounced back to the Premier League after a season in the Championship, have received new minority investment from the US from retired NFL star JJ Watt and his wife and NWSL player Kealia Watt.
UEFA tackles financial sustainability issues with new Working Group and an end-June timeline
May 2 – UEFA have taken a step further in their proposed rethink of their financial sustainability rules with the creation of a Working Group that will look at ‘squad cost control’ (essentially the issue of wage caps) as well as how transfer fees are accounted for by clubs.
Will Sir Jim’s higher valuation beat Sheikh Jassim’s £5bn in cash for control of Man Utd?
May 2 – The race to buy Manchester United has taken another twist with British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos Group reportedly having valued the club higher than Qatari banker Sheikh Jassim.
Man Utd sale reportedly entering final phase with Sir Jim reported at £4bn and Sheikh Jassim at £4.5bn
April 28 – The Manchester United ownership saga is expected to take a significant step forward later today in what is expected to be the third and final bid deadline.
Barca agree new €1.45bn financing deal to renovate Camp Nou Stadium
April 25 – Spanish giants FC Barcelona have completed a €1.45 billion financing deal that will allow the club to renovate their Camp Nou Stadium.
European Leagues calls on UEFA for a 10% share of its €4.8bn revenue
April 24 – The umbrella body that represents Europe’s domestic leagues has urged UEFA to substantially increase the amount of money it gives clubs that do not qualify for its three club competitions.
Juve 15-point penalty suspended as case to be returned to court
April 21 – Juventus’ 15-point penalty for alleged false accounting in transfer dealings was revoked on Thursday but the spectre of sanction did not disappear after Italy’s highest sporting court ruled that the case should be re-examined and the long bans meted out to former chairman Andrea Agnelli, ex-CEO Maurizio Arrivabene and sporting directors Federico Cherubini and Fabio Paratici were upheld.
FIGC completes investigation into Juve ‘hidden payments’ investigation
April 13 – The Italian FA (FIGC) has completed its investigation into Juventus over alleged hidden payments to players, according to the club.
Ownership change brings £50m cash windfall for Abramovich era Chelsea directors
By David Owen
April 10 – Chelsea’s new US owners made payments totalling nearly £50 million to former directors of the West London club for services relating to the protracted £4.25 billion sale that last year brought down the curtain on the trophy-studded but controversial Roman Abramovich era.