By Paul Nicholson
July 29 – Chinese investors are reportedly circling around a third English Championship club. Leeds United, like Aston Villa and Wolverhampton Wanderers that are both under new Chinese ownership, are considered a ‘sleeping giant’ waiting to return to their glory years. Chinese money could provide the boost they need to achieve this.
July 22 – Wolverhampton Wanderers, one of the most evocative names in English football but for several seasons in the second tier of the domestic game, are the latest club to fall into the ambitious hands of Chinese ownership following the announcement they have been bought by Fosun International.
22 July – American owners of British football clubs have not always proved ideal bedfellows but Swansea City will hope for a different outcome after an American consortium completed the purchase of a controlling stake in the Premier League team.
July 21 – Premier League club Hull City, promoted back into the top tier after a year in the Championship, will be sold, but not just yet. Owner Assem Allam has put negotiations on hold until after the summer transfer window closes and while they recruit players for the upcoming season.
July 15 – Real Madrid have slipped to second behind NFL team the Dallas Cowboys in the annual Forbes list of 50 Most Valuable Sports Teams.
July 15 – English Championship club Queens Park Rangers, relegated from the Premier League three seasons ago with record losses, have taken a step nearer their dream of a new 40,000 seat stadium in West London after being granted planning permission to build 605 new homes the Old Oak Common site.
July 6 – The Bundesliga and Premier League will continue to dominate the business of football with their big and modern stadia; France, thanks to new stadia for Euro 2016 are getting better but need to do more, Spain and Italy are off the pace.
June 30 – Sports media service company Deltatre, which provides data and broadcast solutions for clients including UEFA, FIFA, and the English Premier League, has been acquired by fast growing US sports investor Bruin Sports Capital. No figure has been disclosed for the deal but Deltatre’s two founders, Giampiero Rinaudo and Luca Marini, will “keep significant minority shares”.
By Paul Nicholson
June 27 – One of the major legacies of the France 2016 European Championships will be the new and renovated stadia that the French clubs are left to play in. But with 19 of Ligue 1’s club stadia owned by municipalities, will the clubs really benefit from the increased revenue opportunities?
By Samindra Kunti
June 27 – Olympique de Marseille (OM), struggling financially under president Vincent Labrune, look poised to announce new money into the club with Iranian investors reported to be ready to splash the cash to rejuvenate the French giant.