Sports Groove

European football revenues topped €40 billion for the first time in the 2024/25 season, growing by 6% to €40.2 billion, up from €38 billion in 2023/24. More than half of the revenue was accounted for by the big five European leagues who collectively generated €21.6 billion during 2024/25, a 6% increase on the €20.4 billion in 2023/24. The revenue numbers are the headline findings in the 35th edition of Deloitte’s Annual Review of Football Finance, but come with a health warning from Deloitte who project that the growth of aggregate club revenue across Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues will slow in the coming seasons, “with some leagues experiencing a plateau or even reduction in 2025/26 and 2026/27.” Tim Bridge, lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group, said: “The expansion of UEFA and FIFA competitions has delivered financial benefits across Europe’s ‘big five’ leagues, but football cannot rely on simply adding more content to deliver sustainable growth. “An increasingly saturated...

Bournemouth's last gap winner, on Saturday is the latest dent to comes the way of Arne's Slot's deflated Liverpool side, condemning the Reds to seventh Premier League defeat of the season, leaving the reigning champions still searching for their first league win of 2026. Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk said he thought he had been fouled in the build-up to Bournemouth's winner, which came after a chaotic scramble following a long throw, but in the end his side capitulated again despite dominating for much of the second half. "Losing never feels good, especially as a Liverpool player, and in the season we're trying to find consistency," the Dutch defender told Sky Sports. Goals from Evanilson and Alejandro Jimenez set the pace for a composed Bournemouth lineup early in the first half, with the visitors managing to pull one back before the break through Van Dijk. Dominik Szoboszlai seems to have scrapped out a fifth draw in a row in the league f...

  West Ham have banned half-and-half scarves ahead of Saturday’s London derby with Tottenham at London Stadium, in a move that underlines how volatile this fixture has become over the years. The decision is part of enhanced security measures with officials determined to keep away fans from infiltrating home areas of the ground. Extra turnstile checks and stricter entry protocols are being enforced, with stewards instructed to clamp down on any items bearing the crests of both clubs. It is the new signing, Mohammed Kudus, who has lit the fuse. The Ghanaian forward, sold to Spurs for £54.5 million in the summer, is the first player to move directly between the clubs since 2011. His admission on Tottenham’s official channels that “I only wanted Spurs”, has gone down like a lead balloon among West Ham’s more vocal support. Protests against David Sullivan and the club’s ownership are also expected, adding further fuel to what promises to be a combustible evening. Clashes bet...

  The English FA have charged Chelsea with 74 breaches of rules relating to agents, intermediaries and third-party investment in players. The London club has said it expects to receive a financial penalty.  The charges relate to the period 2009 to 2022 but primarily between 2010 and 2016 – when Roman Abramovich was still the owner. In 2022, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital took over and self-reported the discrepancies. In a statement released on Thursday morning, the FA said: “The Football Association has today charged Chelsea FC with breaches of Regulations J1 and C2 of The FA Football Agents Regulations, Regulations A2 and A3 of The FA Regulations on Working with Intermediaries.” Chelsea face charges for breaching rules that forbid clubs from making secret payments or working with unregistered intermediaries. They are also accused of violating regulations that ban agreements giving third parties the power to “materially influence the club’s policies.” An indepen...

  West Ham United have announced a new collaboration with medical equipment manufacturers BTL, who have become the Club’s new Official Recovery Equipment Supplier. BTL works with high-profile sporting organisations using its non-invasive treatments, which West Ham say have become a crucial component in modern sports rehabilitation. With the football schedule becoming increasingly congested, recovery has become as important as training for Europe’s elite players. Though West Ham haven’t qualified for competitions outside of England this season, a decent cup run and full league season still amounts to around 50 games across 39 weeks. West Ham hope that BTL’s data driven, precision-based medical technology will provide the Club’s medical staff insights on player injury, including supporting the return of players to action as quickly as possible. The aim is that, used in tandem with traditional physiotherapy, the players have the best opportunity to return to maximum perfor...

  English football lobby group Fair Game has launched the 2025 edition of its report that analyses the health of England’s 164 professional and semi-profession clubs, and it isn’t comfortable reading. Fair Game says its ‘Fair Game Index’ reveals “the shocking state of football’ in England warning the UK’s newly minted Independent Football Regulator “it has a mammoth task on its hands to shape up the game (with) just four full time clubs are ‘Regulator Ready’. The Index, now in its fourth year, assesses 22,000 data points across 164 clubs in England and has been aligned to criteria that is expected be used by the new regulator, who will likely be operational before year end. Calling the report “a huge wake-up call for the football industry”, Fair Game said it “paints a potential financial doomsday scenario as almost half of the clubs across the top four leagues are ‘running on empty’.” The research shows that 43 clubs have less than one month’s cash reserves to cover the...

  English Premier League (EPL) side Leeds United have announced a renewed partnership with AMT that will see the Leeds-based company continue as the Club’s Official Vehicle Solutions Partner. AMT has been a part of the Leeds United sponsorship portfolio since 2021, and this extended partnership will ensure AMT branding is displayed both internally and externally at Elland Road for another year following the club’s EPL return. The renewed deal will also see the club collaborating with AMT on exciting brand activities, including exclusive partnership activations, campaigns and offers for supporters. Neil McGawley, CEO and founder of AMT commented: “We are delighted to renew our partnership with this great football club for the 5th year and look forward to supporting them in their successful return to the Premier League.” Morrie Eisenberg, Chief Business Officer at Leeds United Football Club, said: “It will be great to continue our well-established partnership with AMT for...

   After an underwhelming opening day showing in the stands, stadium attendances across the Premier League remain a step behind the levels recorded at the same stage last season after three match days. Despite some standout fixtures, the overall average has been slow to spark into life, with no obvious explanation for the dip. We are only three matches into the campaign so there’s no need to panic yet, but recent seasons have shown that the opening matchdays are usually the strongest, which may be a cause for concern amongst England’s elite. Matchweek 2 set the tone with an average stadium fill of 97.7%. The headline numbers came from two of the division’s capacity heavyweights: Newcastle’s home clash with Liverpool drew near-capacity, with just 28 empty seats scattered across St James’ Park. West Ham matched that enthusiasm, registering a near-perfect 99.94% for the visit of Chelsea which ultimately ended in a 1-5 headache for West Ham’s Graham Potter. Arsenal mad...

  For the past 25 years, Daniel Levy has been the face of Tottenham Hotspur in the boardroom. Appointed executive chairman in March 2001, he oversaw a transformation that turned Spurs into a global brand, was the main driver in building a state-of-the-art stadium, and delivered regular European football. Now Levy has stepped aside, leaving behind a complicated legacy defined by both progress and persistent frustration. Levy’s departure comes on the back of Tottenham’s UEFA Europa League triumph last season when they beat fellow Premier League team, Manchester United, to claim their first piece of silverware in 17 years and qualify for this season’s Champions League. It was a crowning moment, but even that success was overshadowed by a dismal Premier League campaign in which the club finished 17th, one place above the relegation zone. Australian manager Ange Postecoglou was dismissed in the summer and replaced by Brentford’s Thomas Frank, a change emblematic of Levy’s lo...

  Championship side Watford’s partnership with ASUS is set for a fourth season, with the Hornets confirming that the global technology platform will continue its backing of the club for the 2025/26 Championship campaign with its sleeve sponsorship.  The relationship, which began in 2022, has seen ASUS support a series of fan-facing and community projects. From digital activations to tech-driven matchday improvements, the tie-up has quietly become one of Watford’s more meaningful collaborations. Chris Walker, ASUS’s marketing chief, spoke of “shared vision” and “progress through innovation,” while Paul O’Brien, Watford’s commercial director, pointed to the partnership’s roots in common values and ambition. And ASUS is not the only major player extending its stay at Vicarage Road. In the past six months, Watford have also renewed their deals with local brewery Mad Squirrel, sportswear brand Kelme, and international betting operator Stake.com, each adding a different ...

  West Ham and Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta is considering suing the Football Association (FA) after he was cleared of spot-fixing, according to reports. The news comes after the 28-year-old was charged by the FA in May 2024 for allegedly getting booked deliberately for the “improper purpose of affecting the betting market”, a charge that has since been cleared. The investigation officially began in August 2023, beginning an ugly and lengthy saga which damaged the player’s reputation enough for Manchester City to pull out of their planned £80 million move for the midfielder that summer. With the player still at West Ham and his performances clearly effected by the long-term off-pitch drama, sources close to Paqueta have reportedly told British media that the player’s lawyers are currently “considering all options”, with a legal challenge expected to follow suit. Paqueta was cleared on four counts of supposed spot-fixing by an independent commission in July 2025. He h...

Manchester United have agreed to sell Argentine winger Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea for 40 million pounds ($54 million), a source close to United said on Thursday. The 21-year-old's sale value would be the fourth largest for a United player after Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Angel di Maria. Garnacho, who played 93 Premier League matches for United, was among five players seeking to exit the club this summer, along with Marcus Rashford, Antony, Tyrell Malacia and Jadon Sancho. Rashford joined Barcelona on loan last month. Manager Ruben Amorim has left Garnacho out of his squad this season, as United failed to win their first two Premier League games before being knocked out of the League Cup on penalties by fourth-tier Grimsby Town. Chelsea host Fulham in the Premier League on Friday. Source - Reuters

By Pearl Josephine Nazare       Liverpool manager Arne Slot praised his players' mental fortitude after their 3-2 victory at Newcastle United on Monday, saying his team had shown the kind of mentality needed to get results in difficult places. With the match unfolding in the shadow of Newcastle's dispute with striker Alexander Isak, who was reportedly the subject of a 110 million pounds ($148.60 million) bid from Liverpool this month, the Premier League champions endured a roller-coaster evening at a white-hot St James' Park. Liverpool squandered a two-goal lead against a Newcastle side reduced to 10 men following Anthony Gordon's first-half red card, but were rescued by a 100th-minute winner from 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha. "Winning away at Newcastle then you definitely need to have quality, especially in an atmosphere like this," the Dutchman told reporters. "Not football quality because that's not what we showed today — apart from the last...

   English Premier League (EPL) side Chelsea have added global analytics software company FICO to their commercial roster, announcing a multi-year agreement that makes the firm the club’s Regional Enterprise Analytics Partner in the United States. The deal will see the FIFA Club World Cup winners work with FICO on programmes aimed at promoting financial literacy in the US. Initiatives will focus on raising awareness of credit and credit scores, with the company looking to use Chelsea’s profile to reach American consumers. The partnership is the latest step in Chelsea’s push to expand their commercial footprint in the US, an important growth market for European clubs and one where football’s influence continues to rise. It helps that this summer’s performance at the Club World Club helped the English outfit stamp a footprint on US soil – one they hope will leave a lasting impact off the pitch, too. Dan McEwan, Director of Partnerships for Chelsea Football Club, said...

   English Premier League outfit Burnley FC have announced a new commercial partnership with UK-based brewer Favela Cerveja, who join the club as their Official Lager Partner. Favela’s range of products will be available at the club’s Turf Moor stadium during this Saturday’s league meeting with Sunderland. The length and value of the sponsorship agreement remain under wraps. Burnley Chief Executive Officer, James Holroyd, welcomed the partnership, commenting: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Favela. “Burnley are built on passion and community, and Favela shares those same values. We’re excited to be working with Charles and his team to bring a new offering to Turf Moor that enhances the matchday experience and adds something special for our supporters.” Favela Cerveja Founder, Charles Gay, said: “We are incredibly proud to partner with Burnley Football Club. At Favela, our mission has always been about more than just beer – it’s about culture, com...

   Another week, another Coca-Cola deal in the Premier League. The soft drinks giant has added Arsenal to its growing line-up of partners in the English top flight. The deal includes pouring rights for Coca-Cola’s full range of beverages – including Coke, Fanta, Sprite and each of their low calorie counterparts – at the Emirates and Arsenal events globally. Coca-Cola signed a near-identical deal with Aston Villa and Manchester United last week. It is also partnered with the Premier League, signing a new three-year partnership in May this year – a deal which marked a return to England’s top tier after the company initially partnered with the competition from the 2018/19 season onward. Juliet Slot, Arsenal chief commercial officer, said: “We’re proud to welcome Coca-Cola into our Arsenal family, and for such a globally-recognised brand loved by Gooners everywhere to become a staple of our matchdays in N5. We’re looking forward to working together to better serve our ...

   Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United have never particularly liked each other on the pitch and now they’ve taken their mutual dislike to the courtroom with United minority owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Automotive firing back at Tottenham Hotspur with a counter-suit exceeding £1 million, escalating a bitter legal battle that began when Spurs sued for £11 million in June. The dispute began as a failed sponsorship deal signed in December 2022. The five-year agreement was meant to give INEOS commercial rights for their Grenadier brand in exchange for £17.5 million in fees. Instead, it has become a courtroom nightmare with the only winners being lawyers. Tottenham claims they terminated the deal in March 2024, citing INEOS’s failure to pay nearly £480,000 in indexation fees (due August 2024) and a £5.1 million sponsorship payment (due December 2024). They’re seeking over £5.2 million in damages for breach of contract. Not surprisingly, INEOS tells a different s...

   English Premier League (EPL) entity Everton have announced that longstanding partner Davanti Tyres has renewed its commitment to the Blues in a new multi-year deal. The company will remain Everton’s ‘Official Tyre Partner’, a role first established in 2017 and expanded in 2022, with the renewed agreement aiming to increase the brand’s visibility in time for the start of a new chapter for the club at the Hill Dickinson Stadium this weekend. The deal will encompass physical advertisement at Everton’s new home, as well as an increased presence across the club’s digital and international social media channels. Mark Rollings, Everton’s Chief Partnerships Officer, said: “We’re thrilled to be extending our partnership with Davanti Tyres – a brand that shares our ambition, passion, and commitment to excellence. “Over the past eight years, we’ve delivered successful activations, told powerful community stories, and brought Davanti Tyres’ brand to millions of people world...

  On the back of becoming the FIFA Club World Cup champions, Chelsea has released its official ‘Fan Engagement Plan 2025/26’ designed to strengthen the bond between the club, and its supporters. Lord Daniel Finkelstein OBE retains his board-level role as the club’s supporter liaison, functioning as the primary conduit between the fanbase and Chelsea’s executive structure. The Fan Advisory Board, under the co-chairmanship of Tracy Brown and Neil Beard, has seen their brief expanded beyond consultation to strategic input on revenue-generating areas, including ticketing policy (a big bone of contention currently for the Blues faithful), heritage monetisation, and matchday commercial operations. Chelsea’s Supporter Relations Department, under Michael Cornall’s leadership, has been given the increasingly difficult relationship between the club’s global ambitions and local supporter base. The department’s structure includes dedicated liaison officers for matchday experience, ...

   Sky Media launched its biggest ever Premier League broadcast sponsorship line-up with the kick-off of the new season this weekend, confirming a record six brand partners in what it describes as the largest single investment in Premier League coverage in the company’s history. Beginning with Liverpool’s 4-2 win over Bournemouth on Friday, Sky Sports’ coverage carried four new sponsors in Guinness, Coca-Cola, Uber Eats and the British Army, who are joining returning partners bet365 and EA Sports. The agreements extend across broadcast, digital and social platforms, with brands set to feature in live coverage as well as branded content created in collaboration with Sky Sports talent – including the Sky Sports YouTube account. Sky will broadcast over 80% of live Premier League matches this season, with at least 215 games in total and have guaranteed first-pick fixtures each round. Fans will see a minimum of four live matches every week through to the end of May 2026...