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Top clubs could pull out of Champions League

Submitted by WG on Fri, 13/01/2012 - 18:36

Top European clubs could ultimately decide to leave Uefa and the Champions League and form their own breakway competition as a solution to the constraints imposed by the Financial Fair Play regulations.   There is a growing fear, exemplified by the move of Nicholas Anelka, possibly to be followed by Didier Drogba, that financial power in football may start to shift from Europe to Asia.

Will Bribery Act hit clubs?

Submitted by WG on Wed, 30/11/2011 - 09:19

The Bribery Act came into force in July and some clubs are worried about its possible impact on them.  This is not a reference to payments or hospitality to the officials or even the players of the opposing team, which have not been unknown in countries such as Italy, but to the implications of the legislation for corporate hospitality at games.   In these difficult times clubs do not want any threats to an important income stream that helps to keep them afloat.

Ruling due on football creditor rule

Submitted by WG on Tue, 29/11/2011 - 15:49

An important court ruling is due this week on the 'football creditor rule' which gives so-called football creditors priority when a club goes bust.   The football authorities see it as integral to the governance of the game.

Portsmouth owner bailed

Submitted by WG on Fri, 25/11/2011 - 19:57

Vladimir Antonov, the Russian owner of Portsmouth Football Club and his business partner Raimondos Baranauskas were bailed until 16 December by Westminster Magistrates Court today (Friday).    They were arrested at their offices in Bishopgate on Thursday after the issue of a European Arrest Warrant.


They face an extradition request by the Lithuanian authorities in connection with alleged fraud and asset stripping at a Lithuanian bank.   Should they be convicted, the Lithuanian court could impose sentences of up to ten years' imprisonment.

Uefa's financial fair play dilemma

Submitted by WG on Tue, 22/11/2011 - 11:33

Uefa faces a series of dilemmas in terms of its enforcing Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.   If it doesn't enforce them at all, it will look foolish and be weakened in relation to the top clubs.  But devising sanctions that bite without undermining the Champions League itself is a real test of ingenuity.

The transformation of European football?

Submitted by WG on Tue, 15/11/2011 - 09:07

The book I have edited with Borja Garcia from Spain and Arne Niemann from Germany on the transformation of European football has now been published by Manchester University Press.   A 20 per cent discount is available to our readers who contact us through our e-mail address.

Spurs deny snooping charges

Submitted by WG on Wed, 09/11/2011 - 09:45

In the latest twist in the convoluted Olympic Stadium saga Tottenham Hostpur have rejected in the strongest possible terms allegations that they had organised the monitoring of all 14 members of the board of the Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) by private investigators.   The claim was made by Baroness Ford, the chair of the OPLC.

And now there are four

Submitted by WG on Sat, 05/11/2011 - 14:54

With the decision of Millwall to quit the stock market after 22 years as a public company there are now just four publicly listed clubs left.   Tottenham and Celtic are both on the second tier Alternative Investment Market (AIM) and Arsenal and Rangers are  on the small cap PLUS market.   Spurs was one of the first clubs to list.

Lawyer reviews Murphy case

Submitted by WG on Thu, 03/11/2011 - 08:31

The Association for the Study of Sport and the European Union, of which I am a member, is providing a series of analyses of legal cases concerning sport, particularly football.   The first of these concerns the so-called Murphy case on TV decoders which started with a Portsmouth landlady.  It is provided by

What do lawyers think about financial fair play?

Submitted by WG on Thu, 27/10/2011 - 07:09

It's always been my view that the fate of Uefa's financial fair play regulations will be decided in the courts.   There is just too much at stake for a club who is sanctioned under them to accept the verdict without challenge.   It's therefore interesting to see that lawyers anticipate that clubs would use every route available to them under commercial and competition law - and no doubt a good lawyer could find many.