Business

LaLiga Prepares For Matches Without Fans Until 2021

Spectators are unlikely to be able to return to football stadiums until next year at the earliest due to the continued threat of the novel coronavirus, according to Jaume Roures, the head of Spanish media company Mediapro which broadcasts LaLiga. 

Roures, whose company also manages the international broadcasting rights for the Spanish top flight and broadcasts the Champions League, also predicts the end of colossal transfer fees for players due to the pandemic. 

Wayne Rooney Sees Massive MLS Potential But Wants Salary Cap Abolished

Major League Soccer (MLS) must remove caps on salaries if it is to fulfill its potential and compete with Europe's top leagues, former England captain Wayne Rooney has said. 

The salary cap was introduced to help level the playing field by preventing teams from spending big on players. It has worked to an extent, with 10 different teams crowned MLS Cup champions over the last 13 seasons. 

Atlético’s Saúl Launches Campaign In Solidarity With Freelancers And Small Businesses

The novel coronavirus has crippled the global economy and devastated lives and families but Atlético Madrid and Spain midfielder Saúl Ñíguez believes there is a way out if people show solidarity with each other. 

With football on hold during the health crisis, Saúl, 25, has launched Saldremos Juntos (“We'll get through this together”), a campaign to boost Spain's freelancers and small businesses whose livelihoods have been bludgeoned by the pause in activity. 

Now’s The Time For MLS-Liga MX Super League, Says Santos Laguna And Atlas Owner

Major League Soccer and Liga MX would benefit from joining forces into what would amount to a North American super league in the eyes of Santos Laguna and Atlas owner Alejandro Irarragorri. 

Irarragorri offered a statement after Liga MX, the top soccer league in Mexico, announced it would be suspending promotion and relegation for the next five years. 

Roma Players Give Up Wages For The Next Four Months

The players and coaching staff at Serie A side AS Roma have agreed to go without four months' salary to help the club through the crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Serie A has been suspended since March 9 and it is not known if or when the season will be able to re-start. 

Richest Premier League Owners: Newcastle’s Investors Are Impossibly Wealthy

Once the formalities are out of the way, the Premier League will finalize the sale of Newcastle United from owner Mike Ashley to a consortium that’s headed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). In terms of the richest Premier League owners, Newcastle's jumping from 11th on this list all the way to the top.

If The EPL Season Ends Now, Will Clubs Still Get Relegated?

There is unlikely to be any relegation from the English Premier League if the season ends with no more play possible because of the coronavirus outbreak, Brighton and Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom has told British media. 

Premier League clubs met on Friday to discuss possible models for finishing the season but all options remained hypothetical after the U.K. government extended lockdown restrictions for another three weeks. Brighton were two points clear of the relegation zone with nine matches remaining when the league was brought to a halt on March 13. 

U.S. Soccer Shutters Development Academy Due To COVID-19 Fallout

The U.S. Soccer Federation said on Wednesday it was shutting down its youth development academy permanently due to the financial fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

U.S. Soccer, the sport's governing body in the United States, said in a statement the decision to shutter the academy, which it founded in 2007 and included competitions across five age groups, was effective immediately. 

Female Footballers Risk Losing Their Livelihoods Due To COVID-19 Shutdown

Many female footballers are at risk of losing their livelihoods due to the global soccer shutdown caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, a report by global players' union FIFPRO said on Thursday. 

The report said specific measures were needed to help women's football during the crisis, which has brought world sport to a standstill and caused the postponement of major international events including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Otherwise, it said, the women's game could be facing an existential threat.

$392M Takeover Deal For Newcastle United Edges Closer

A possible takeover of Premier League side Newcastle United by a group fronted by British financier Amanda Staveley with Saudi Arabian backing appeared to be moving closer to completion on Tuesday. 

A 31-page charge agreement filed with Companies House and signed by Staveley for PCP Capital Partners and a lawyer for St James Holdings Ltd indicated a framework for a deal was being put in place. 

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