Business

Mino Raiola, the architect of Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan's moves to Manchester United last summer (and Romelu Lukaku's this summer!), is about one thing only: getting his clients (and by extension himself) that money.

As we traverse the long, hot and boring summer, we find ourselves lost amid a desert of dullness — a boring expanse of time in which no football is actually played. No club football. No proper international tournament. Even the youth football has finished. Teams are barely beginning their preseason. Quite literally, there is no football to talk about. But the machine never ceases. Which brings us to the transfer market.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino's base salary has been reported at $1.5 million. That is far less than his predecessor, Sepp Blatter, earned. Infantino's net worth has not, as far as we can tell, been reported.

Teenagers and grown adults celebrated a triumphant moment of growing independence yesterday as they learned they’d no longer need their parents’ cable television login credentials to watch the UEFA Champions League online. A monumental deal between Facebook Inc. and Fox Sports will see the page livestream two matches on Tuesday and two on Wednesday throughout the group stage, four matches from the round of 16 and four quarterfinal games during the 2017-18 tournament.

Upon hearing the announcement of a new professional soccer team in San Diego, you’d probably expect to see Landon Donovan and Don Garber chumming it up. Donovan has been a main force behind bringing a MLS franchise to San Diego over the past six months. However, it’s the NASL and a group of European-based stars, led by Eden Hazard, returning soccer to the beach city. 

Mario Balotelli has extended his stay at Nice for another year. Balotelli, whose career briefly went off the rails at Liverpool, has found a productive home in France, and we're delighted that he's staying there. Mario balotelli is very fun, and he makes soccer much more entertaining when he plays.

Nice announced the new deal on Sunday.

Jurgen Klopp doesn't normally act like a super-rich person, but the Liverpool manager is in reality super-rich. 

Jurgen Klopp's net worth was estimated at between $20 million and $28 million near the end of his tenure at Borussia Dortmund.

Two-time Europa League winner Parma Calcio 1913 sold to Jiang Lizhang on Wednesday, adding to the growing trend of Chinese businessmen buying European socer clubs.

The following first and second division teams in Europe are now all principally owned by Chinese investors.

Zlatan is without a team. For now. 

Fortunately, he has other things to keep him occupied, like rehabbing his knee and overseeing various business ventures. One such venture is his clothing brand, which is moving to Los Angeles.

The journey continues. #azbyzlatan pic.twitter.com/PbbJTNil6p

With the FIFA Confederations Cup in full swing, the opening match of the 2018 World Cup in Russia is officially less than a year away. 

For fans who are planning on making the trip to cheer on their country, they can expect to spend about $2,500 on travel, lodging, tickets, food and other miscellaneous expenses for a week-long trip. Although only three teams have officially qualified for Russia 2018 (Brazil, Iran and Russia), it'd be a smart move to start saving up now for fans of nations positioned well in qualifying.