Chelsea bidders have until Friday to make offers
March 15 – Potential buyers of European champions Chelsea are reported to be queuing up to submit their takeover proposals ahead of Friday’s deadline.
Finance
English clubs top transfer spend ranking at €6.9bn… with a trade deficit of €4.3bn
March 14 – English clubs have racked up a combined negative international transfer trade balance of -€4.35 billion since 2017.
Wolves and Porto put finances in order to exit UEFA’s FFP control regime
March 14 – England’s Wolverhampton Wanderers and Portugal’s FC Porto have broken free of the shackles of UEFA’s financial fair play scrutiny and have exited the settlement regimes they were under.
Belgium’s Standard Liege added to 777 Partners club portfolio
March 13 – Private equity firm 777 Partners have acquired storied Belgian club Standard Liege, further expanding its portfolio following the takeover of Rio giants Vasco da Gama earlier this month.
Lyon say that any Pathe and IDG share sale won’t halt development strategy
March 11 – Olympique Lyonnais have responded to news that Pathé and IDG are looking to sell their near 20% stakes in the club, saying that the club is “actively working to strengthen its financial structure” and that it will continue its development work both on and off the field with the build of the new arena.
Chelsea sale on hold as Abramovich assets are frozen over his links to Putin
By Andrew Warshaw
March 10 – In what can only be described as a move of seismic proportions, the entire future of European champions Chelsea has been plunged into doubt after the club’s Russian oligarch owner Roman Abramovich was officially sanctioned by the UK government today following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Barça closing €300m deal with LaLiga’s private equity partners CVC, reports
March 10 – Barcelona, who are challenging the legitimacy of LaLiga’s €1 billion venture capital deal with CVC in court, are nevertheless reportedly close to signing their own €300 million agreement with the investor.
CFG bid €180m for control of Brazilian champions Atletico Mineiro
By Samindra Kunti
March 8 – City Football Group (CFG), owners of Manchester City and a slate of clubs around the world, is bidding to take over Brazilian champions Atletico Mineiro.
Madrid court rules against Real Madrid and Barca’s bid to pause LaLiga Impulso funding
March 8 – The challenge by Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Athletic Club to LaLiga Impulso, the joint venture that will see CVC Capital Partners inject about €1 billion into the league, has suffered a new blow in court.
Benfica have the world’s most profitable academy. Chelsea top Premier League
March 7 – Portugal’s Benfica have the most profitable academy in the world having generated €379 million from the sale of players since July 2015. Real Madrid have the second most profitable youth training system. Chelsea are ranked 8th.
Grealish deal sets seal on Villa’s financial turnaround as club consolidates in top tier
By David Owen
March 4 – Aston Villa, the West Midlands side that recently brought Philippe Coutinho back to the Premier League, has unveiled a sharply-reduced loss for the 2020-21 season when it consolidated its status as a top-tier club.
Abramovich confirms Chelsea is for sale with price tag put at $2.5bn+
By Andrew Warshaw
March 3 – Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch whose fortune transformed Chelsea from perennial also-rans into one of the most successful clubs in Europe, has decided to pull the plug and sell up.
Arsenal losses double as pandemic-linked refinancing lifts borrowings from Kroenke
By David Owen
March 2 – Arsenal, the North London club striving for a return to the Champions League next season, have posted a swingeing loss for the covid-impacted 2020-21 period.
Fire sale? Abramovich shops Chelsea to billionaire boys club
March 2 – Speculation is mounting than Chelsea’s billionaire oligarch owner Roman Abramovich may be about to sell the club in the wake of his country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Sticky Toffee pudding – Usmanov sanctions threaten Everton finances
March 1 – The European Union (EU) has sanctioned Everton-linked and Fencing Federation (FIE) President Alisher Usmanov. He was on a list of Russian oligarchs that the block targeted as it imposed further sanctions in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.