Short pulls out of Sunderland sale talks and commits funds for new season
June 30 – Sunderland owner Ellis Short (pictured) has taken the club off the market after sales talks with potential new German owners broke down.
Finance
West Brom owner Lai to build ‘soccer towns’ across China with club as centrepiece
June 29 – West Bromwich Albion’s Chinese owner Guochuan Lai (pictured) and landscaping company Palm plan to construct up to six ‘soccer towns’ across China as part of Lai’s expansion of the West Brom brand across China.
Leeds United get Elland Road back under club ownership
By Mark Baber
Junne 29 – Leeds United have confirmed that their parent company has completed the purchase of the Elland Road Stadium, as had been promised by new Chairman Andrea Radrizzani.
TV money: Is more cash making the game more equal?
June 27 – TV revenues have revolutionised club football finances in Europe. But it is how those revenues are distributed that is crucial to the competitive integrity of leagues, the sustainability of clubs and the competitive balance between the rich and poor.
Ashley sells Rangers shareholding as fan group takes stake over 10%
By Paul Nicholson
June 26 – The messy divorce of English businessman Mike Ashley from his involvement in Scottish giants Rangers now looks to be complete with Ashley having sold his remaining 8.9% shareholding in Rangers International Football Club for £2 million.
Doughnut management out, Donut salesman in at Orient
June 23 – After three years of being run by doughnuts, far fallen Leyton Orient have been taken over by a man who runs a doughnut company. A consortium led by Baskin Robbins and Dunkin’ Donuts chief executive Nigel Travis (pictured with friends) has completed its takeover.
Friends with benefits: Morocco earmarks $5m for Malawi football projects
By Mark Baber
June 22 – A newly formed partnership between Malawi and Morocco will see the Moroccan government inject $5 million into Football Association of Malawi (FAM) infrastructure projects via the Federation of Royal Moroccan Football (FRMF).
Rangers cut a deal with Ashley and Sports Direct, ending fan boycott
By Paul Nicholson
June 22 – Scottish Premiership side Rangers have reached a new retail agreement in their long running and bitter dispute with Mike Ashley and Sports Direct (SD).
Red Bull’s Salzburg and Leipzig given wings to enter UEFA Champions League
June 21 – Both RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg have been given the go ahead to participate in the UEFA Champions League, having restructured their relationships with the Austrian Red Bull energy drinks company to overcome the regulatory prohibition on common ownership of clubs.
Sunderland accelerate sale talks as Short holds out for £90m to end his reign
June 20 – Sunderland’s relegation from the Premier League also saw the resignation of manager David Moyes over lack of transfer funds, and has accelerated the desire of American owner Ellis Short to sell the club. The club announced it is prioritising its sale over the search for a new manager.
DraftKings and FanDuel merger hits antitrust roadblock in the US
June 20 – The merger of daily fantasy sports DraftKings and FanDuel has been temporarily shelved after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) stepped in to block the deal.
Everton’s new stadium would be centrepiece for Liverpool 2022 Commonwealth Games
June 18 – Liverpool’s bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games utilises both its Premier League club stadiums as venues, with Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock being the proposed centrepiece for the Games.
The price of success. At £672,941 per goal Ibrahmovic was the second best buy of 2016
June 15 – Premier League clubs are expected to break the £1 billion spend mark on transfers this summer, but is this money well spent? New research suggests that last summer the savviest clubs were Middlesbrough and Stoke City, while the most profligate were Leicester City, and Manchester United and City on a cost-per-minute-played basis.
Spanish prosecutors hunt for Ronaldo who denies €15m tax evasion
By Mark Baber
June 14 – Long-standing concerns over Ronaldo’s tax affairs have come to a head as a complaint by Madrid’s public prosecutor on Tuesday accused the player of “voluntarily” and “consciously” violating his tax duties whilst the player’s representatives strenuously denied any systematic tax evasion.
Lander back in the frame for Southampton as PL clears Gao for £240m takeover
By Paul Nicholson
June 13 – Chinese construction firm Lander Sports Development now looks the most likely new owner of Premier League Southampton after the company announced to the Shenzen stock exchange that owner Gao Jisheng had received verbal approval from the Premier League for the acquisition.