LONDON: Manchester United’s owners were awaiting fresh bids Thursday from a Qatari banker and British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe after a deadline passed for revised offers to buy the Premier League giants.
Reports said bidders were initially told they had until 2100 GMT on Wednesday to submit new offers, but that has now been extended. It is unclear when the new cut-off will be.
Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Bin Jassim Bin Jaber AI Thani, the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank, and Ratcliffe, the founder of chemicals giant INEOS, remain the front runners should the American Glazer family, who own United, give up control of the club.
Finnish entrepreneur Thomas Zilliacus threw his hat into the ring on Thursday, with a bid he said will give fans the chance to own 50 percent of the club.
“My bid is built on equality with the fans,” Zilliacus, founder and chairman of investment company Mobile FutureWorks, said in a statement.
“My group will finance half of the sum needed to take over the club, and will ask the fans, through a new company that is being set up for this specific purpose, to participate for the other half.”
The Glazers have angered many United supporters by saddling the club with huge debts since they took over in 2005. They appeared ready to cash out at an enormous profit when they invited external investment in November.
However, they could yet shun the option of selling a controlling stake in the club, with other parties understood to be interested in a minority shareholding.
The Times reported US hedge fund Elliott Investment Management, which sold AC Milan for $1.3 billion last year, had made a bid to buy a minority stake.
A first round of bidding took place last month and it has been reported there are as many as eight separate potential investors in the club.
The BBC said several other proposed investors made their submissions by the Wednesday deadline.
No figures have been revealed but one or more of the initial bids was understood to be in the region of £4.5 billion ($5.5 billion).
That would make Manchester United — who have not won the Premier League for a decade — the most expensive sports club in history, although it would be short of the £6 billion valuation reportedly placed on the Old Trafford side by the Glazers.
Sheikh Jassim is bidding for 100 percent control, aiming to return the club to its “former glories.”
A source close to Sheikh Jassim’s bid told AFP he remains confident his bid is “the best for the club, fans and local community.”
Ratcliffe, a boyhood United fan, wants to buy the combined Glazer shareholding of 69 percent of the 20-time English champions.
The 70-year-old told the Wall Street Journal this week he was not interested in paying “stupid prices” for one of football’s most iconic clubs.
Ratcliffe, who already owns French club Nice, said his interest in United would be “purely in winning things,” calling the club a “community asset,” rather than a financial one.
He visited Old Trafford last week along with INEOS representatives, a day after a delegation from Sheikh Jassim’s group toured the club’s stadium and training ground.
A Qatari purchase of United would boost the sporting profile of the Gulf state months after it hosted the 2022 World Cup.
Reigning Premier League champions Manchester City’s fortunes have been transformed since a takeover from Sheikh Mansour, a member of Abu Dhabi’s ruling family, in 2008.
In 2021, the Saudi sovereign wealth fund bought a controlling stake in Newcastle.
Amnesty International has called on the Premier League to tighten ownership rules to ensure they are “not an opportunity for more sportswashing.”
If Sheikh Jassim’s bid succeeds, it would also raise the question of whether Qatar is shifting its attentions away from Paris Saint-Germain — currently home to the trio of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe — who were bought by Qatari investors in 2011.
United, three-time European champions, have not won the Premier League since Alex Ferguson led them to a 20th English title in his final season before retiring in 2013.
But they are enjoying a renaissance under Erik ten Hag’s management this season and ended a six-year trophy drought by lifting the League Cup last month.
Man Utd owners await revised offers for Premier League giants
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Man Utd owners await revised offers for Premier League giants
- Reports said bidders were initially told they had until 2100 GMT on Wednesday to submit new offers, but that has now been extended
- Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad AI Thani, the chairman of Qatar Islamic Bank, and Ratcliffe, the founder of chemicals giant INEOS, remain the front runners
Pochettino taken aback by Chilwell’s starts for England after injury
- Chilwell last started for Chelsea on March 2 against Brentford and has played just a few minutes for the London club since then
- Chelsea currently have nine players ruled out of Saturday’s Premier League match with Burnley
LONDON: Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino said Thursday he was surprised Ben Chilwell started two games for England during the international break after the defender only recently returned from a knee injury.
Chilwell last started for Chelsea on March 2 against Brentford and has played just a few minutes for the London club since then, as a late substitute in the FA Cup against Leicester.
Nevertheless, the 27-year-old featured for the whole of England’s 2-2 draw with Belgium at Wembley on Tuesday, three days after spending 67 minutes on the field in a defeat by Brazil.
Chelsea currently have nine players ruled out of Saturday’s Premier League match with Burnley at Stamford Bridge, with several others to be assessed following international duty, including Chilwell — who suffered a blow to his knee against Belgium.
“He didn’t play after Brentford, then he played only a few minutes against Leicester,” said Pochettino. “(Then) he started two games (for England).
“It’s a surprise for us. It’s bad luck because he got a dead leg in the last moment against Belgium. Now we need to assess if he can be available.”
Enzo Fernandez, who played twice for Argentina in the United States during the break, will also have his fitness monitored ahead of this weekend’s match.
Chelsea confirmed earlier this week that Romeo Lavia would be out for the rest of the season.
The 20-year-old midfielder who joined Chelsea from Southampton in pre-season for an initial £53 million (62 million euros), has managed just 32 minutes of first-team action this term following ankle and thigh problems.
“It’s a difficult situation for him,” said Pochettino. “He’s sad. He only played 30 minutes, for a new player at the club.
“When we signed him, he arrived with problems. He couldn’t train with us for the first months. Then when he was ready he suffered a problem in his feet.
“He recovered, he played 30 minutes then got injured in December. Then he didn’t have the possibility to train. It’s really sad news.”
But leading scorer Cole Palmer could face Burnley, with the 21-year-old having not featured in either of England’s recent games.
“I talked with him,” said Pochettino. “He’s a little bit disappointed because he couldn’t play with the national team.
“The first game he had a small problem,” the Argentinian added. “He thought maybe he’d play the second game. Now he’s OK, is training well. The plan is he will be available for Saturday.”
Chelsea are 11th in the table, with Burnley in the relegation zone.
Newcastle’s Tonali charged with alleged breaches of English betting rules
- Tonali’s multiple alleged breaches of FA rule E8 are said to have taken place between August 12, 2023 and October 12, 2023
- The 23-year-old has until April 5 to respond
LONDON: Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali has been charged with misconduct by England’s Football Association relating to 50 alleged incidents of betting on matches, the governing body announced Thursday.
Tonali’s multiple alleged breaches of FA rule E8 are said to have taken place between August 12, 2023 and October 12, 2023.
The 23-year-old has until April 5 to respond.
In October last year, it was announced Tonali would miss the rest of the season for club and country after FIFA, football’s global governing body, ratified a 10-month ban by Italian authorities for breaching betting rules.
He will also miss Italy’s defense of their European Championship title in the June-July finals in Germany.
Tonali’s agent has previously said his client, who joined Newcastle from AC Milan in July for around £55 million ($69 million, 64 million euros), has a gambling addiction.
As well as the 10-month ban, Tonali was fined 20,000 euros and ordered to undergo an eight-month course of therapy to address his problems after reaching a plea bargain following an investigation into illegal betting conducted by the Italian prosecuting authorities and the Italian Football Federation.
Newcastle, reacting to Thursday’s announcement by the FA, said in a statement: “Newcastle United acknowledges a misconduct charge received by Sandro Tonali in respect of alleged breaches of FA betting rules.
“Sandro continues to fully comply with relevant investigations and he retains the club’s full support.
“Due to this ongoing process, Sandro and Newcastle United are unable to offer further comment at this time.”
Bayern wait on Kane’s and Neuer’s fitness for ‘Klassiker’ against Dortmund
- Kane “was able to join in with parts of the session” in training Wednesday
- Neuer tore the adductor muscle in his left thigh in training with Germany last week
DUESSELDORF, Germany: Bayern Munich’s slim title chances might depend on a win over Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga “Klassiker.”
Dortmund isn’t the real threat though. With Bayer Leverkusen still soaring 10 points clear with just eight games to go, dropping any more points could be fatal to Bayern’s chances of a dramatic comeback in defense of the title.
Bayern might have to do without top scorer Harry Kane and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer after injuries meant both were unable to play for their national teams.
Kane “was able to join in with parts of the session” in training Wednesday after he hurt his ankle in a collision with a goalpost in Bayern’s 5-2 win over Darmstadt on March 16, when he scored his personal-best 31st goal of the season. Bayern said Kane trained on Thursday, too, without elaborating.
Neuer tore the adductor muscle in his left thigh in training with Germany last week, meaning Barcelona’s Marc-André ter Stegen took over in goal for friendly wins over France and the Netherlands ahead of hosting Euro 2024. Neuer managed what Bayern described as an individual workout Wednesday, his 38th birthday, and the same Thursday.
Even if Kane and Neuer aren’t fit for Saturday evening’s clash with Dortmund, Bayern might power through anyway. After all, Bayern had fitness concerns over their defense for the last Klassiker in November and still surged to a 4-0 win.
The problem with the Klassiker — in theory the German league’s showpiece game — isn’t just that Bayern are second and Dortmund a distant fourth. It’s also that so few recent Klassikers have been genuinely competitive contests.
Bayern have scored 23 goals in their last seven games against Dortmund in all competitions and haven’t lost since 2019 in a German Super Cup game.
The last time Dortmund won in the Bundesliga at Bayern’s Allianz Arena was all the way back in 2014, when the coaches were Pep Guardiola and Jürgen Klopp, and future Bayern great Robert Lewandowski was still a Dortmund player.
“They always save their best for us, so we have to be ready,” coach Edin Terzic said Thursday. He has some tough decisions to make on his lineup.
On-loan Manchester United forward Jadon Sancho is set to return after missing Dortmund’s last game, and striker Sebastien Haller could play for the first time since the Africa Cup of Nations after an ankle problem. However, midfielder Marcel Sabitzer is suspended, while goalkeeper Gregor Kobel is doubtful with a stomach bug, and left back Ramy Bensebaini was injured on international duty with Algeria.
The international break may also prove extra motivation for some Dortmund players who are out of Germany’s plans after forward Niclas Füllkrug was the only player at the club called up by coach Julian Nagelsmann. Teammates such as Julian Brandt, Emre Can and Nico Schlotterbeck were left out.
Bayern could be 13 points adrift of the lead before the Klassiker even kicks off, given that Leverkusen hosts Hoffenheim earlier Saturday. Xabi Alonso’s team are still unbeaten in a scarcely believable 38 games in all competitions this season. A first ever Bundesliga title is on the horizon.
Unless Dortmund can beat Bayern, they will miss the chance to put pressure on third-placed Stuttgart, which host Heidenheim on Sunday. Leipzig are fifth and could leapfrog Dortmund with a win over Mainz on Saturday.
Chelsea and Lyon advance to the Women’s Champions League semifinals
- Chelsea advanced 4-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg in Amsterdam 3-0
- The French champion advanced to the semifinals for a record 13th time after a 4-1 win over Benfica
LONDON: Emma Hayes’ hopes of going out on the ultimate high at Chelsea moved a step closer on Wednesday as the London club reached the Women’s Champions League semifinals after a 1-1 draw with Ajax.
Chelsea advanced 4-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg in Amsterdam 3-0.
Hayes takes over the US women’s national team at the end of the season, when she will lead their bid to win Olympic gold in Paris.
Before that, she is aiming to win a quadruple of trophies with Chelsea — including the Champions League for the first time.
The Women’s Super League champion had effectively secured their place in the next round after a dominant performance in the first leg of the quarterfinals at Ajax. And they extended their overall advantage to 4-0 on aggregate after Mayra Ramirez’s goal in the 33rd minute at Stamford Bridge.
Chasity Grant scored in the 65th to give Ajax some consolation and a 1-1 draw on the night.
While Chelsea are searching for their first Women’s Champions League trophy, Lyon are hunting a record-extending ninth.
The French champion advanced to the semifinals for a record 13th time after a 4-1 win over Benfica.
Delphine Cascarino and Kadidiatou Diani scored two goals each as record eight-time champion Lyon won 6-2 on aggregate at Groupama Stadium after a 2-1 first leg win in Portugal.
Cascarino’s goal in the first leg had set up Lyon’s comeback win after trailing 1-0 at halftime of that match. And she tightened the French champions’ control of the tie when she opened the scoring in the 43rd of the second leg with a long-range chip to put Lyon ahead on the night.
Marie-Yasmine Alidou evened the score two minutes later, but Cascarino restored the home team’s lead with a powerful effort from distance in the 51st.
Diani put Lyon 3-1 ahead in the first minute of stoppage time and scored her second five minutes later.
Lyon were playing in the quarterfinals for a record-equaling 15th time, while Benfica became the first Portuguese team to advance to this stage.
Lyon last won the trophy in 2022 and will play either Hacken or Paris Saint-Germain in the semifinals. Chelsea face either defending champion Barcelona or Brann.
PSG and Barcelona both won their quarterfinal first-leg matches 2-1 and will host their respective second-leg games Thursday.
The home-and-away semifinals will be played on April 20-21 and 27-28.
Prosecutor seeks 2-1/2-year jail term for Spain’s ex-football chief Rubiales over kiss
- Prosecutor Marta Durantez charged Rubiales with one count of sexual assault and one of coercion for his alleged actions
- Hermoso and her teammates said the kiss was unwanted and demeaning
MADRID: A prosecutor at Spain’s High Court is seeking a prison sentence of 2-1/2 years for former football federation chief Luis Rubiales over his unsolicited kiss on player Jenni Hermoso, a court document seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed.
Prosecutor Marta Durantez charged Rubiales with one count of sexual assault and one of coercion for his alleged actions in the aftermath of the kiss, offenses carrying jail terms of one year and 18 months, respectively.
Rubiales, 46, grabbed Hermoso and kissed her on the lips on Aug. 20 of last year during the awards ceremony after Spain’s victory in the women’s World Cup in Sydney, making global headlines and causing a national debate in Spain about sexism.
Hermoso and her teammates said the kiss was unwanted and demeaning, but Rubiales argued it was consensual and denied any wrongdoing.
The prosecutor also accused the former coach of the women’s national team, Jorge Vilda, the current sporting director of the Spanish federation (RFEF), Albert Luque, and the RFEF’s marketing chief, Ruben Rivera, of coercing Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual.
The indictment said the three officials harassed Hermoso by exerting “constant and repeated acts of pressure” directly on the player and through her friends and family. They each face 18 months behind bars as well.
All three denied wrongdoing when they appeared before the court.
Durantez also said Rubiales should pay 50,000 euros ($54,080) in damages to Hermoso, with another 50,000 euros to be jointly paid by Rubiales, Vilda, Luque and Rivera.
In addition, she requested a restraining order barring Rubiales from coming within 200 meters of Hermoso and from communicating with her for the next seven-and-a-half years.
If convicted and sentenced as requested by the prosecutor, Rubiales would not necessarily have to go to prison. Spain’s criminal code allows judges to “exceptionally” suspend jail terms if — as in this case — none of the sentences imposed individually exceeds two years.
Rubiales has been named in a separate corruption probe that shook the RFEF last week, when police searched the federation’s headquarters and an apartment belonging to Rubiales, arresting seven people.
A Spanish court has been investigating since June 2022 if Rubiales committed a crime of improper management when the RFEF agreed with former Barcelona player Gerard Pique’s Kosmos firm to move the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, a judicial source told Reuters then.
Rubiales, who was in the Dominican Republic during last week’s searches, has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing and told El Espanol newspaper he would cooperate with the investigation.
A court source said his lawyers told the judge he would return from the Dominican Republic on April 6.