By Paul Nicholson
August 14 – Southampton owner Katarina Liebherr has finally concluded the sale of control of the club to Chinese investors. In a letter to fans Liebherr said that she has entered into partnership with the Gao family.
August 14 – Probably the worst kept secret of the USL, the second-tier of professional leagues in the US, has become official. Las Vegas will have a team playing in the 2018 competition.
By Paul Nicholson
August 10 – West Ham are the most expensive club for an adult and two children to watch top flight Premier League football, costing £150 for the three-person outing. In contrast the same outing to Bournemouth would cost £44, and £47 at Newcastle.
August 10 – Neymar’s €222 million record-breaking move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain has upset the balance of French football according to Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas.
August 10 – Clubs usually collect season ticket money via a one-off payment from the fan and in some cases offering the fan finance via a third party lender. English championship side Queen’s Park Rangers is the latest club to change the model, allowing fans to pay for season tickets via Direct Debit, a move that has seen a 40% uplift in season ticket sales.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 9 – Bayern Munich CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge is the latest footballing figurehead to express concern over the €222 million world record transfer of Neymar, saying all major stakeholders should “sit round the table” to discuss the whole question of inflated fees in order to prevent fans switching off from football.
August 8 – Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has broken his silence over the manner in which Neymar left the club for Paris St-Germain.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 4 – Within hours of completing his world record move to Paris St Germain, Brazilian superstar Neymar insisted he did not leave Barcelona because he was in Lionel Messi’s shadow but that he wanted to “write history”.
August 4 – Amidst the wave of reaction emanating from Neymar’s blockbuster transfer from Barcelona to Paris, the international players’ union FIFPro has called on the European Commission to do something to stop the game rapidly being destabilised by the deep pockets of a select few clubs.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 4 – No more rumours, no more speculation. Just global disbelief. The protracted €222 million world record transfer of Brazil forward Neymar to Paris St Germain from Barcelona has finally been completed, with the Brazilian forward telling anyone who will listen that he needed a new challenge rather than the record-shattering move being just about the money.
August 4 – Former Walt Disney chief executive Michael Eisner has completed his £5.67 million takeover of Portsmouth via his Eisner’s Tornante Company.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 4 – The closed shop system in the United States which prevents promotion and relegation has long been a source of controversy, but usually only outside the country where traditional fans are bemused by a practise that differs totally from the rest of the world.
August 3 – With Europe’s transfer deadline now less than 30 days away and the start of the Premier League season just eight days off, how much more activity can be expected in what has already been a financially explosive window?
August 3 – As the football world awaits the official unveiling of Neymar’s world record €222 million move from Barcelona to Paris St Germain, reaction to the deal is coming in thick and fast led by Liverpool’s German manager Jurgen Klopp who has slammed the fee as flying in the face of UEFA’s attempt to cut down excessive spending.
August 3 – After almost four years in the making, David Beckham’s dream of heading a new MLS team in Miami has moved a vital step closer to reality.