Manchester City Etihad Stadium Deal: Evading Financial Fair Play?

Liverpool's managing director Ian Ayre has joined up with Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and Liverpool's owner John W. Henry in criticising Manchester City's recent £400 million sponsorship deal with Etihad Airlines.

All three have now called for the sponsorship deal to be investigated by UEFA as it now looks as if the stadium sponsorship monies will allow Manchester City to balance their books, thus falling in line with UEFA's new Financial Fair Play rules which will come in from next season.

Stan Kroenke and Arsenal: The More Things Change The More They Stay The Same

It would seem that the old adage of "the more things change, the more they stay the same" will be most apt following Stan Kroenke's move to take control of the boardroom at Arsenal FC.

The American businessman is now in receipt of 62 percent of the club and is facing an uphill battle to take full control of it after both Alisher Usmanov (26 percent) and the Arsenal Supporters Trust (claims to own 3 percent and represent up to 15 percent) both refused to sell him their holdings within the club.

As such, the boardroom is now locked in a stalemate; on the pitch the club are more interested in finishing in the top four than winning trophies and given Stan Kroenke's past, this philosophy looks like it will be continued into the future...

Stan Kroenke Moves to Take Over Arsenal. Bright Future for the Gunners?

American businessman Stan Kroenke has increased his shareholding in Arsenal to more than 62 percent and has now agreed to make an offer for the rest of the club and to Alisher Usmanov who owns just over 26 percent of the club.

A full takeover of the club was triggered after Kroenke Sports Enterprises acquired the stakes of Danny Fiszman (16.1%) and Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith (15.9%) forcing him over the 30 percent threshold which forced a complete buyout of the club...

Liverpool FC: NESV's Plan for the Future

Barely two weeks since John Henry and the New England Sports Venture took over Liverpool FC, they have begun to put their stamp on the club.

Not only has Damien Comolli been placed between the Directors at the club and Roy Hodgson, but co-owner Tom Werner has also made it known how NESV will try to exploit the club going forward.

Wayne Rooney, Alex Ferguson, Manchester Dis-United and Contract Ploys?

The news that Wayne Rooney has told Manchester United that he wants to leave seems to have hit the club like a bolt out of the blue.

However, this has been coming for a long time, as his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson has somewhat soured over the last seven months or so.

Amidst growing rumours over the weekend, United Chief Executive David Gill spoke tersely to the press stating that the very idea of Rooney leaving the club was nothing short of "nonsense."

But just 24 hours later, it would appear that the striker’s advisors have firstly halted contract talks and followed that up by saying Rooney also wants to leave the club.

The news that the club's best player, by a million miles, wants to leave will be a bitter blow for Alex Ferguson to take.

Having brought Rooney to the club as a prodigious 18-year-old from Everton in 2004, many felt that the wily Scot was putting the pieces together for his last great side before retirement...

Liverpool Sale Hit By Hicks and Gillett's Texan Court Order

The saga at Liverpool took a massive twist tonight as a Texan court has granted a temporary restraining order on the sale of Liverpool FC to New England Sports Venture for £300 million.

Just as the board at Liverpool (Broughton, Purslow, and Ayre) was meeting John Henry at Anfield to discuss the finer points of the sale, Tom Hicks and George Gillett seem to have flung one last throw of the dice by claiming damages up to $1.6 billion.

Earlier, Mr. Justice Floyd had ruled in favour of Martin Broughton and the board of LFC after finding that Tom Hicks and George Gillett breached their contract with RBS when they tried to dissolve the board following Broughton’s acceptance of John Henry’s £300 million bid for the club.

The American owners openly admitted through a statement read by their representative in court that they had indeed breached their contract with RBS but argued that the duo had little option after being frozen out by “the home team.”

Harry Redknapp On Liverpool and Danny Murphy On Tackling: Misguided Defence of Hodgson?

Within the space of a couple of days, both Harry Redknapp and Danny Murphy issued extensive comments about two of the hottest topics concerning the English footballing world at the moment, the financial situation at Liverpool and dangerous tackling, respectively.

But were those comments genuine attempts at voicing their opinions or just misguided attempts at something else completely?

LFC Saved from Administration by Boston Red Sox Bid But Face Battle For Club

Liverpool FC has been saved from the ignominy of administration and a potential nine point reduction by the £300 million bid from John Henry and the New England Sporting Venture.

After years of uncertainty under American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett, fans of the club were given the news they were all dying to hear today. Chairman Martin Broughton has received a formal bid for the club from Boston Red Sox owner John Henry and if a legal dispute can be resolved by October 8 the world famous club could find itself moving towards a new era.

Tottenham Hotspur Stadium Plans Are Designed Towards Club Becoming Challengers

Tottenham Hotspur, fresh from the exertions of a thrilling 4-1 victory over FC Twente at White Hart Lane, have signalled their intentions of moving towards the elite of English football by announcing not one but two potential stadium moves.

Roy Hodgson's Liverpool career is so fresh that the ink has barely dried on his contract. The popular manager has had to endure a trial by fire in his first weeks on the job. But just as he is getting his feet under the table there is a very real chance that he could be sacked.

Make no mistake about; six points from six games for a club with the stature of Liverpool is just not good enough. However, the most discouraging part of the Reds start to the season has been the manner of their performances; ranging from passable to abject.

Will Liverpool Last Another 37 Weeks Without Going into Administration?

Liverpool may have begun their season with a decent battling performance against Arsenal in their 1-1 draw on Sunday, but the many demons that haunt the club are still casting a long shadow over the famed Shankly Gates.

Despite all the doom and gloom that has surrounded the club, particularly this summer, hope is high at Anfield for the coming season. Rafael Benitez's departure may have left some fans thinking the club would then spiral uncontrollably, but if anything Roy Hodgson's signing as manager has actually helped quell those fears and install a new confidence that has been missing over the last 12 months.

Fernando Torres Declares His Future To Liverpool Under Intense Pressure

The old adage that no player is more important than his team came into focus today as Kenny Huang announced that his proposed Liverpool takeover depended upon the club keeping Fernando Torres at the club.

Needless to say, the Spanish striker, who just returned to pre-season training on Monday, announced that his "commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed," and that he was looking forward to the new season with the Reds.

Portsmouth's Odyssey: From Bad To Worse To Even Worser!

Just when they thought it was safe to go back on the pitch. It would appear that after last season's fiasco for the EPL at Portsmouth that things at the South Coast club have gone from bad to worse in comical amounts.

KPMG; Liverpool FC On The Verge Of Administration After Massive Rise In Debt

The season that just keeps kicking gave Liverpool and it's many fans the worst news imaginable after it emerged that the club have sunk deeper into debt . Yesterday's financial report from Kop Holdings revealed a record loss of £54.9 million over the course of the last season meaning that the clubs total debt now stands at £472.5 million.

Accounts for the club's holding company for the year ending in July 2009 show spiralling interest payments of £40m, wages breaking the £100m-a-season barrier, a record loss of £54.9m and an increase in the club's debt of £51.5m.

Football Is Not Recession Proof, Now UEFA Know and 2012 Begins a New Era

The landscape of football is about to take a dramatic change if UEFA and Michel Platini are to get their way.

Since taking over as UEFA President in 2007, the Frenchman has always stated his desires for financial fair play across Europe.


It is believed that Platini is concerned about the dominance of English-based teams in the Champions League and that their control over Europe's premier competition is based on huge debt.

English Premier League Finances 2010, Every Single Clubs Financial Report

Portsmouth are on the verge of becoming the first Premier League club to go into administration, and if many fans fears are to be believed Pompey may not be the first to go.

Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool are all under the heavy weight of massive debt. Such is the level of debt in the Premier League that it makes up 56% of all the debt in European football, some £3.5 billion.

The really shocking indictment of that ludicrous figure is that the traditional top four Chelsea, United, Liverpool, and Arsenal own almost £2 billion of that total figure. Meaning that just four clubs own 36% of all the debt in Europe...

Harry Redknapp: His Transfer History 1984 to 2010, The Best Record In Football?

Harry Redknapp is recognised as being the best English manager in the game today. He has always had a reputation as being a wheeler dealer. However, does he have the best transfer record in English football?

How Much Is Winning a World Cup Actually Worth? Happiness Over Money?

How much is winning a World Cup actually worth? This year, it would seem, that it is more valuable than ever. But is money more important than happiness?

Real Madrid and Barcelona Head Football's Rich List 2010, Manchester United 3rd, Arsenal 5th

Manchester United have dropped out of the top two richest teams in the world for the first time as Spanish giants Real Madrid and Barcelona have established themselves as the new dominant financial forces in football.

Seven of the top 20 richest teams in the world are now based in the English Premier League, but it now looks as if La Liga is where the real power lies.

Big Four Monopoly To End? English Premier League Clubs To Vote On Proposed Champions League Playoffs in April

The monopoly that Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea have enjoyed for the last ten years looks set to end. The Premier League are considering the introduction of a playoff for the last Champions League place, meaning a team as low as 7th could play in Europe's foremost trophy...