By David Owen
September 29 – Prominent FIFA sponsor Qatar Airways has received a helping hand from the Qatar government after what it described as “one of the most difficult years in the airline’s history”.
September 29 – Serie A’s Parma, is under new ownership with US-based Krause Group have taken a 90% stake in the club.
September 25 – A Chinese businessman who owns controlling stakes in LaLiga’s Granada and Portuguese club Tondela is facing bankruptcy proceedings in Hong Kong over a mountain of unpaid bills and debt.
September 25 – Burnley could become the latest American-owned Premier League club with ALK Capital reportedly in talks to buy the club.
September 25 – English football’s National League, just below the fourth division in the professional pyramid, are in talks with the government and Football Association over a “critical financial support package” as clubs risk even more losses because of Covid-19.
September 17 – A week after European Club Association chair and Juventus boss Andrea Agnelli warned of a two year €4 billion Covid cash crisis for clubs, his own team have announced a third year of losses.
September 15 – Barcelona forward Lionel Messi has topped the Forbes list for highest-earning footballers in 2020, beating his eternal rival and Juventus player Cristiano Ronaldo.
September 14 – Waasland-Beveren have become the latest foreign-owned club in the Belgian top flight following investment by Bolt Football Holdings, the American majority owners of Crystal Palace.
September 9 – Recognised by FIFA and the United Nations as the world’s most environmentally sustainable club, Forest Green Rovers have now attracted attention from Arsenal defender Hector Bellerin who has become the club’s second-largest shareholder.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 8 – The head of European club football’s umbrella organisation warned today of the “deep scars” caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and the probable “cash crisis” for scores of clubs in the months ahead.
By David Owen
August 28 – Gianni Infantino’s New FIFA may have enjoyed the odd commercial success, notably with esports, but it has failed to reignite the body’s value as a marketing vehicle for international corporations. This has been treading water since FIFA was engulfed by reputational issues in the final days of the Blatter era.
August 26 – Private equity is a step closer to investing in the Italian top flight with firms CVC Capital Partners and Advent International preparing a joint bid of €1.3 billion for a minority stake in Serie A.
August 21 – Manchester City’s owners City Football Group (CFG) are reportedly still in discussions to buy French second division club ESTAC Troyes.
By Paul Nicholson
August 18 – German giants Borussia Dortmund have reported a loss of €43.9 million for the 2019/20 financial year ending June 30 on revenues of €486.9 million. The club had reported a €17 million profit in 2018/19.
By David Owen
August 18 – Michel Platini once told me that he would be annoyed if one day, when asked how their club had got on, football fans replied that the shares had gone up, rather than giving the result of a match.