Italy World Cup flop kills five per cent of bets on tournament winner April 2, 2026 Italy’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup this week was an early win for bookmakers as it killed five per cent of wagers on the outright winner, betting data shows. Four-time champions Italy lost on penalties in a play-off with Bosnia and Herzegovina on Tuesday, meaning they will miss a third men’s World [...]
PSG sign deal with Whoop as Qatar links grow April 2, 2026 Paris Saint-Germain have announced a multi-year partnership with Whoop just days after the wearable tech firm was valued at $10bn following investment from a Qatari sovereign wealth fund. PSG’s parent firm, Qatar Sports Investments, is closely aligned with fellow state vehicle the Qatar Investment Authority, which this week joined Whoop’s $575m Series G fund raise [...]
Chelsea suffer biggest financial loss in Premier League history April 1, 2026 Chelsea have confirmed by far the biggest annual financial loss in Premier League history after they recorded a deficit of £262m last season. The figures surpass the previous record, the £197m loss made by Manchester City in 2010-11 during a period of rapid investment by their Abu Dhabi-based ownership. It also takes the amount lost [...]
Abramovich defies Starmer with new foundation plan for £2.4bn Chelsea funds April 1, 2026 Roman Abramovich has responded to Keir Starmer’s legal threats to claim the £2.4bn sum raised from selling Chelsea by taking steps to set up a new foundation. An application for the creation of the Foundation for Victims of Conflict will be made this week with the Charity Commission, without the permission of the government. No10 [...]
Michele Kang committed to funding London City Lionesses after £10.6m loss March 31, 2026 London City Lionesses chiefs insist Michele Kang will continue to fund the club’s growth after they posted a £10.6m loss for the 2024-25 season, when they won promotion to the Women’s Super League. US billionaire Kang, who also owns French side OL Lyonnes and NWSL team Washington Spirit, injected £12.5m into London City Lionesses via [...]
LeBron, McIlroy, Ronaldo in $575m Whoop raise at $10bn valuation March 31, 2026 LeBron James, Rory McIlroy and Cristiano Ronaldo are among a group of athletes part of a $575m raise that values wearable technology firm Whoop at $10.1bn. The Series G funding round, raising over $500m, is led by the likes of the Audi Formula 1 investors Qatar Investment Authority and Saudi Aramco Oil Pipelines stakeholders the [...]
World Cup: No Plan B if Iran don’t show up, insists Fifa boss Infantino March 31, 2026 Fifa president Gianni Infantino insists there is “no Plan B” if Iran do not take their place at the World Cup but ruled out moving their games from the US to Mexico. Iran’s participation has been in serious doubt since the US and Israel began a military offensive on the country in late February. Iranian [...]
Cardiff City fails in £100m claim against Nantes over Emiliano Sala death March 30, 2026 Cardiff City’s £100m Emiliano Sala compensation claim has been dismissed by a French judge. The League One club had been claiming over £100m in compensation for loss of income and damages after footballer Sala died when a plane carrying him to Wales for his transfer to the Premier League crashed into the English Channel in [...]
Will AI replace gambling as Premier League front-of-shirt preference? March 29, 2026 AI companies have set their sights on sports. The Premier League already has competition-wide AI deals with Microsoft and Adobe, and recently Chelsea FC cut a front of shirt deal with industrial AI company IFS. These firms are in an extraordinary period of growth, and they have deep pockets to elevate their brands. They know [...]
Premier League +, VPN piracy and lessons from Norway and France March 28, 2026 The Premier League is built on its precious media rights but will its new streaming service be susceptible to the piracy that just scuppered a similar service in Norway? In less than five months’ time the Premier League will take one of the most significant steps in its history when it launches its own direct-to-consumer [...]
