How the sale of Newcastle United to Saudi Arabia’s PIF transformed the club’s fortunes

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Newcastle players celebrate after winning the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London on March 16, 2025. (AP Photo)
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Updated 20 March 2025
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How the sale of Newcastle United to Saudi Arabia’s PIF transformed the club’s fortunes

  • NUFC was purchased by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund in October 2021, marking the start of a major turnaround for the club
  • Under head coach Eddie Howe, the English football side have avoided relegation and quickly become top Premier League contenders

DUBAI: For the majority of football fans, Jan. 22, 2021, is unlikely to be a date that sticks in their long-term memory. But for supporters of one club in particular, it is one that is laden with significance.

With just 15 minutes left of Newcastle United’s match against Leeds United at Elland Road, the score was 0-0. A miserable Premier League season looked set to continue for Eddie Howe’s team. 




Newcastle's head coach Eddie Howe lifts the trophy after winning the EFL Cup final soccer match between Liverpool and Newcastle at Wembley Stadium in London on March 16, 2025. (AP)

Then up stepped Jonjo Shelvey to give Newcastle a priceless 1-0 victory. It is no exaggeration to say that the win instantly changed the complexion of the team’s season and with it the club’s trajectory.

Going into their 21st match of the league season, Newcastle United had found themselves with just one previous win, leaving them stuck in the relegation zone.

FASTFACTS

• Newcastle is a one-club city.

• Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup win was their first trophy in 55 years.

• Newcastle have won Four League titles and six FA Cups.

After the win at Leeds, however, Newcastle would embark on a run that would see them win five of their next six matches, and nine of the next 13. The team cruised to safety and ended the season in a comfortable 11th place.

Howe had conjured a miracle that barely seemed feasible just a few months earlier when he was tasked with turning around the club’s fortunes following their sale by long-time owner Mike Ashley.

On Sunday, as Howe, his team, and chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan celebrated with delirious fans at Wembley after Newcastle defeated Liverpool 2-1 in the Carabao Cup final, those memories from just three years earlier must have seemed like a distant bad dream.




NUFC Chairman Yasir Al-Rumayyan celebrates at Wembley after Newcastle defeated Liverpool 2-1 to win the title on March 16, 2025. (AFP)

Newcastle had won their first major trophy in 55 years, justifying the faith that Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) had shown in the club and the city when it finally completed a takeover on Oct. 7, 2021.

PIF, alongside Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners and Reuben Brothers, had been pursuing the club for more than a year. Once the deal with Ashley had been completed, they set about reawakening a sleeping giant — one of England’s and Europe’s biggest clubs.

Newcastle United supporters had had few reasons to celebrate since the mid-1990s when manager Kevin Keegan’s “Entertainers” team had come close to winning the Premier League, only to lose out to Alex Ferguson’s unstoppable Manchester United.




Fans at Newcastle’s St. James’ Park have seen their club transformed in just three years. (AFP)

Now, backed by PIF and its chairman Al-Rumayyan in the boardroom, and with Staveley and husband Mehrdad Ghodoussi initially their public face, this was a club reborn.

The mission was to not only build a successful football team, but to also rejuvenate the local area surrounding St James’ Park in this one-club city.

First up was to hire Howe, a promising young English coach who had performed footballing miracles with Bournemouth FC by taking them from League One to the Premier League.




In this photo taken on October 7, 2021, Newcastle United supporters celebrate outside the club's stadium St James' Park in Newcastle upon Tyne in England after the sale of the football club to a Saudi-led consortium was confirmed. (AFP)

While at the time some supporters had expected a more established European coach, PIF’s decision to give Howe the reins on Nov. 8, 2021, has proved to be inspired.

Next was to assemble and oversee a squad capable of Premier League survival. If and when that was achieved, they would need to go on to challenge the country’s elite clubs at the other end of the table.

Without splurging on superstar names, Howe’s signings were astute. January of 2022 saw the arrival of Kieran Trippier for Atletico Madrid, Chris Wood from Burnley, Matt Targett from Aston Villa, and former Newcastle youth player Dan Burn from Brighton.

But, without a doubt, the jewel in the crown was Bruno Guimaraes from Olympique Lyon. Fans instantly fell in love with their gifted Brazilian midfielder.




Newcastle United's Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimaraes celebrates on the pitch on March 16, 2025. (AFP) 

Another masterful trick managed by Howe was to rejuvenate players like Joelinton Cassio Apolinario de Lira, Sean Longstaff, and Miguel Almiron, who had stagnated under the reign of previous coach Steve Bruce and owner Ashley.

After relegation was easily avoided with a stunning second half to the 2021-22 Premier League season, the squad was strengthened in the summer transfer window with the signings of goalkeeper Nick Pope from Burney, highly rated Dutch defender Sven Botman from Lille, and the superlative Swedish international Alexander Isak from Real Sociedad.

Newcastle now had a formidable squad that was ready to challenge for trophies and European places. And that is exactly what they did in the 2022-23 season.




This combination of photos taken during the English League Cup final match between Newcastle United and Liverpool shows (clockwise, from top left) NUFC's Alexander Isak scoring their second goal, striker Callum Wilson (#09) fighting for the ball with Liverpool defender #Andrew Robertson, midfielder Harvey Barnes (#11) fighting for the ball with Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai, and Liverpool players reacting after Newcastle scored their second goal to win the title. (Reuters & AFP photos) 

At the start of 2023, Howe led the club to its first major cup final since 1998. But, on Feb. 28, the still-developing team found the task of defeating Manchester United a step too far, losing 2-0 at Wembley Stadium.

Despite the cup final defeat, Howe’s first full season as manager ended on a major high as the club finished in fourth place in the Premier League to secure a spot in the following season’s UEFA Champions League.

The following season would prove to be one of consolidation. Despite the signings of Anthony Gordon from Everton, Sandro Tonali from AC Milan, and Harvey Barnes from Leicester City, the team found it hard to balance the challenges of the Premier League and European competition.

 

 

A stunning 4-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain at St James’ Park in October, could not stop Newcastle from exiting the Champions League in the group stages. Their final position of seventh in the Premier League would have disappointed fans hoping for another invite to Europe’s top table.

But that was only a prelude to what will now go down as one of the greatest seasons in Newcastle’s history. There were moments of uncertainty for fans as the team’s Premier League form fluctuated throughout the current campaign. But glory was just around the corner. 

A superb two-legged Carabao Cup semi-final win, which saw a 2-0 victory at the Emirates followed by another at St James Park, gave Newcastle another chance to claim its first trophy in generations. This time it would be against Premier League leaders and England’s most successful club, Liverpool.




Newcastle fans erupt in celebration after Newcastle United's victory at Wembley Stadium on March 16, 2025. (AFP)

Sunday, March 16 would prove a golden day for Newcastle. Their fans, who had taken over central London in the two days leading up to the final, were as remarkable in the stands as their heroes were on the pitch.

Goals by the local hero Burn and talisman Isak either side of half time left supporters in dreamland. Despite a late Liverpool goal, Newcastle were not denied a well deserved 2-1 win.

Cue Bruno’s tears, Al-Rumayyan’s joyous celebrations and pure delirium on the Wembley terraces.

It was a victory 55 years in the making, but one achieved almost in a blink of an eye since the dark days of 2021.
 

 


Watson’s late strike lifts Sunderland into Premier League

Updated 1 min 46 sec ago
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Watson’s late strike lifts Sunderland into Premier League

  • Regis Le Bris’ side trailed to Tyrese Campbell’s first-half goal at Wembley
  • Eliezer Mayenda equalized in the closing stages before Watson delivered the priceless last-gasp winner

LONDON: Sunderland clinched promotion to the Premier League after eight years away as Tommy Watson’s stoppage-time strike sealed a 2-1 win against Sheffield United in the Championship play-off final on Saturday.

Regis Le Bris’ side trailed to Tyrese Campbell’s first-half goal at Wembley, but Eliezer Mayenda equalized in the closing stages before Watson delivered the priceless last-gasp winner.

It was an astonishing twist to the single richest match in world football as Sunderland recovered from a sluggish start to hit the jackpot with a promotion worth an estimated £200 million ($270 million) in increased revenue.

Watson’s moment ensured Sunderland fans can look forward to renewing hostilities with bitter rivals Newcastle next season.

Sunderland’s return to the Premier League for the first time since 2017 comes after a dark period that included a four-season spell in the third tier.

The Black Cats suffered five successive defeats coming into the play-offs, but they dug deep to reach the top-flight in the most remarkable style.

With a penalty shoot-out just seconds away, Dan Ballard’s last-gasp extra-time header sealed a 3-2 aggregate success in the semifinal second leg against Coventry.

They looked down and out with only 14 minutes left at Wembley before the stunning denouement.

Promotion completed an impressive rise for Le Bris, a 49-year-old Frenchman who arrived at the Stadium of Light last year after suffering relegation from Ligue 1 with Lorient

United are still without a win at Wembley in 100 years and have now endured four Championship final defeats among 10 failed attempts to win promotion via the play-offs.

United had finished in third place in the table, 14 points clear of fourth-placed Sunderland in the regular season, but that gap proved irrelevant.

Sunderland keeper Anthony Patterson made a brilliant save in the second minute, diving to his left to claw Kieffer Moore’s header off the line.

Patterson’s stop conjured memories of Jim Montgomery’s incredible save to help Sunderland shock Leeds in the 1973 FA Cup final.

Injured trying to stop Moore’s header, Sunderland captain Luke O’Nien was forced off with a dislocated shoulder that left him writhing in pain.

United deservedly took the lead in the 25th minute.

Ben Hamer showed why he was voted Championship Player of the Year with a perfectly weighted pass to Campbell, who guided a composed finish over Patterson from 12 yards.

It was a poignant moment for the 25-year-old approaching the first anniversary of the death of his father — former Arsenal and Everton striker Kevin Campbell.

Harrison Burrows thought he had doubled United’s lead nine minutes later, but his strike was disallowed for offside against Vini Souza after a VAR check.

United substitute Andre Brooks barged through on goal after the interval, but Patterson stuck out his foot to make a superb save.

It proved a costly miss, as Mayenda hauled Sunderland level with only their second shot on target in the 76th minute.

Patrick Roberts’ pin-point pass reached Mayenda just inside the area and he punished United’s sloppy marking with a fierce finish into the roof of the net.

O’Nien, his shoulder in a sling, sprinted off the bench to embrace Mayenda, waving his one healthy arm in jubilation.

That celebration was only the precursor to the ecstatic scenes sparked by Watson five minutes into stoppage-time.

Seizing on Moore’s loose pass, Watson drove toward the edge of the United area and curled a low shot into the bottom corner past Michael Cooper’s fatally slow dive.

Watson is due to join Brighton in the close-season and his thrilling winner was the perfect farewell gift, ensuring Sunderland will join the 19-year-old among English football’s elite.


FIFA president cites ‘discussions’ for Ronaldo to play in Club World Cup

Updated 24 May 2025
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FIFA president cites ‘discussions’ for Ronaldo to play in Club World Cup

  • Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr did not qualify for the tournament
  • Infantino suggested that the Portugal star could switch to one of the 32 teams playing in the competition

GENEVA: FIFA president Gianni Infantino says Cristiano Ronaldo might play in the Club World Cup because of a unique transfer window.

Ronaldo’s Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr did not qualify for the tournament, but Infantino suggested that the Portugal star could switch to one of the 32 teams playing in the competition in the United States starting next month.

“Cristiano Ronaldo might play in the Club World Cup,” Infantino told online streamer IShowSpeed, whose YouTube channel has more than 39 million subscribers. “There are discussions with some clubs, so if any club are watching and are interested in hiring Ronaldo for the Club World Cup, who knows. Still a few weeks time, will be fun.”

FIFA confirmed Wednesday that last-minute transfer signings are open to all teams going to tournament, which fueled more speculation that one of them will try to sign the 40-year-old Ronaldo on a short-term deal, potentially a loan.

Such a move would be unprecedented in modern soccer though could appeal to FIFA by boosting the profile and ticket sales of an inaugural tournament being played in 11 US cities.

A transfer for Ronaldo also would reunite him and Lionel Messi in the same competition for the first time since the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

Last October, FIFA invited Messi’s Inter Miami to enter the tournament in the slot that was expected to be reserved for the host nation’s champion. Inter Miami were eliminated in the MLS Cup playoffs.

Speculative reports have linked Ronaldo to the one Saudi club that qualified, Al Hilal, the Brazilian club Palmeiras and Wydad of Morocco, even though that club are currently banned by FIFA from registering new signings.

Transfers can be made from June 1-10 and again June 27-July 3 according to exceptional rules FIFA approved in October.

“The objective is to encourage clubs and players whose contracts are expiring to find an appropriate solution to facilitate the players’ participation,” FIFA said in Wednesday’s statement.


Liverpool’s Salah named Premier League player of the season, Gravenberch best youngster

Updated 24 May 2025
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Liverpool’s Salah named Premier League player of the season, Gravenberch best youngster

  • Having also earned the award in 2017-18, Salah became only the fifth player to win it twice
  • The 32-year-old Egyptian is on course to win another Golden Boot

LONDON: Mohamed Salah was named the Premier League player of the season on Saturday after a stellar individual campaign as Liverpool cruised to their second Premier League title while his team mate Ryan Gravenberch was named the young player of the season.

Salah scored 28 goals and provided 18 assists to guide the Anfield club to the title, with Arne Slot’s side winning it with four games to spare.

Having also earned the award in 2017-18, Salah became only the fifth player to win it twice after Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo, Nemanja Vidic and Kevin De Bruyne.


The 32-year-old Egyptian is on course to win another Golden Boot for most goals in a season and is five strikes ahead of Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak going into the final day of the season on Sunday.

No player before has had 46 goal involvements in a 38-game season and Salah could even break the record of 47 held by Alan Shearer and Andrew Cole, who achieved the feat in a 42-game campaign, when Liverpool host Crystal Palace at Anfield.

With six more assists than any other player, Salah can become the first footballer to win the Golden Boot, Golden Playmaker and player of the season awards.

Salah also won the Football Writers’ Association men’s player of the year for the third time earlier this month.

Gravenberch became one of the first names on the team sheet under Slot, who deployed the Dutchman as a deep-lying midfielder, and the 23-year-old has become a crucial part of Liverpool’s spine, making 36 appearances this season.

His versatility to shield Liverpool’s back line has come to the fore this season while his ability to quickly initiate attacks, cutting out passing lanes and winning back possession, has made him indispensable.

No midfielder has made more interceptions this season than Gravenberch (59).

Gravenberch was also nominated for the Player of the Season award along with Virgil Van Dijk — the three Liverpool players who have clocked the most minutes in the team in the Premier League this season.

He is also the second Liverpool player to win the youngsters’ award after Trent Alexander-Arnold won it in 2019-20, the season it was introduced.


Arsenal seek to defy the odds against mighty Barcelona in women’s Champions League final

Updated 24 May 2025
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Arsenal seek to defy the odds against mighty Barcelona in women’s Champions League final

  • Manager Renee Slegers believes her disciplined side can triumph over the Catalan giants of women’s football, who are the strong favorites to win their fourth European title
  • Alessia Russo: They (Barca) are a really good football team, but we are here to win

LISBON: Arsenal will bid to defy the odds against Barcelona in Saturday’s women’s Champions League final in Lisbon, aiming to secure their second title with courage and underrated defiance.

Manager Renee Slegers believes her disciplined side can triumph over the Catalan giants of women’s football, who are the strong favorites to win their fourth European title.

“We want to show courage tomorrow. We respect Barca as a team. They are a really good football team, so we are humble, but we are here to win,” she told reporters on Friday.

“We have to find ways to win, and I am confident that the momentum of the game will shift. It’s important that we deal with every moment really well. We need courage and discipline, and we need to be switched on. If we do all those things well, we can perform well. We believe in our ability tomorrow.”

Arsenal forward Alessia Russo echoed Slegers’ sentiments.

“We want to show courage tomorrow. We respect Barca as a team,” she said. “They are a really good football team, but we are here to win. We have to find ways to win, and I am confident that, if we handle all situations well and stay focused, we can perform well.

“Belief is something we have spoken about a lot as a team this season. We have found lots of different ways to win. It’s been a season full of highs and lows, but we’ve learnt a lot,” the former Chelsea and Manchester United striker added.

Veteran midfielder Kim Little, who played in the 2007 final victory against Sweden’s Umea, looked back in time when asked about Arsenal’s first meeting with Barca in Europe’s top club competition during the 2012–13 season, when the London team won 7–0 on aggregate.

“It’s incredible for me to still be at the club. We came out on top,” Little said. “After 2007 and everything the club has achieved since then, leading the team on this occasion is so special.”
 


Three clubs fighting relegation in SPL Roshn League’s final round

Updated 23 May 2025
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Three clubs fighting relegation in SPL Roshn League’s final round

  • Two out of the three clubs — Al-Wehda, Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah — will be relegated to join Al-Raed
  • Al-Wehda will stay in the league if they win or draw against Al-Ettifaq in Dammam

RIYADH: Three clubs — Al-Wehda, Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah — will be fighting relegation during the Saudi Pro League (Roshn League) final round on Monday with matches being played simultaneously.

Two out of the three clubs will join Al-Raed, who have already been relegated to the first division. As things stand, Al-Wehda is in 15th place with 33 points, Al-Akhdood is in 16th place with 31 points and Al-Orobah is in 17th place with 30 points.

Al-Wehda will stay in the league if they win or draw against Al-Ettifaq in Dammam. A loss means they will need both Al-Akhdood and Al-Orobah to also lose or draw.

Al-Akhdood must beat Al-Khaleej and hope that Al-Wehda lose, as that would keep Al-Akhdood in the SPL for another new season.

Al-Orobah has the most difficult task. They need to beat Al-Taawoun in Al-Jouf and then hope that both Al-Wehda and Al-Akhdood lose. If that happens, Al-Orobah will move above Al-Akhdood in points and tie with Al-Wehda.

In that case, Al-Orobah would survive because they have a better head-to-head record against Al-Wehda — losing the first match 2–1 but winning the second 4–2.