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☆ Manchester United shares climb on speculations over takeover bid
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

June 13 (Reuters) - Manchester United's shares (MANU.N) were up 15% in premarket trading on Tuesday after a report hinted that Qatar's Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad al-Thani was likely to succeed with his takeover bid for the English football club. Qatar's Al-Watan newspaper reported on Tuesday evening that Sheikh Jassim, son of a former prime minister of the country, was poised to be announced as the preferred bidder of the Premier League soccer club, CNBC said. Manchester United declined a Reuters request for comment. New York-listed shares of Manchester United were up at $23.07, paring almost half their premarket gains on Tuesday. The Glazer family is reportedly seeking 6 billion pounds ($7.5 billion), which would be a world record for any sports club or franchise, but neither bid is that high.

Persons: Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad, Thani, Qatar's, Sheikh Jassim, Jim Ratcliffe's INEOS, paring, Glazer, Sheikh Jassim's, Medha Singh, Aditya Soni, Shinjini Organizations: Manchester United's, English, Watan, Premier League soccer, CNBC, Reuters, Manchester United, Daily Mail, Thomson Locations: Qatar's Al, . New York, Bengaluru

☆ Wrexham plan match in co-owner McElhenney's Philadelphia hometown
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/2] Soccer Football - National League - Wrexham v Boreham Wood - Racecourse Ground, Wrexham, Britain - April 22, 2023 Wrexham co-owners Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds celebrate with the trophy on the pitch after Wrexham win the National League and promotion to League Two Action Images via... Read moreNEW YORK, June 12 (Reuters) - Wrexham will conclude their United States tour in co-owner Rob McElhenney's hometown of Philadelphia, with a match against Major League Soccer (MLS) affiliate team Philadelphia Union II on July 28. The star of "It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia," along with his Marvel super-hero co-owner Ryan Reynolds, helped to raise the profile of the Welsh club through their docu-series "Welcome to Wrexham," earning the team legions of U.S. fans. "We're looking forward to our tour to America in the summer," Manager Phil Parkinson said in a statement. The lovable underdogs secured a fairytale return to the English Football League in April after a 15-year absence and the Philadelphia match is part of a victory lap planned across the pond. Reporting by Amy Tennery in New YorkOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Boreham, Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney's, Phil Parkinson, Amy Tennery Organizations: Soccer Football, National League, Wrexham, League, Major League Soccer, Philadelphia Union II, Marvel, Welsh, English Football League, Chelsea, LA, Manchester United, Thomson Locations: Wrexham, Britain, States, Philadelphia, America, Chapel Hill , North Carolina, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Manchester City wins Champions League for first time, beating Inter Milan 1-0 in tense Istanbul final
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-10 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

This was not only a night when City won its first Champions League. In beating three-time champion Inter, Pep Guardiola’s side became only the second English team to achieve the treble, winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in the same season. Rodri pictured scoring the winner which secured City the Champions League trophy. Manchester City has won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League this season. Will City dominate the Champions League like it has the Premier League?

Persons: Manchester City’s, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Pep, Alex Ferguson, Shaun Botterill, Bernardo Silva, Erling Haaland, André Onana, Nicolò Barella, Ederson, Rodri, Federico Dimarco’s, Romelu Lukaku, Catherine Ivill, Sheikh Mansour –, –, ” Guardiola, Guardiola, “, ”, Martin Rickett, Abu, Umit Bektas, Jack Grealish, I’ve Organizations: CNN, Manchester, Abu Dhabi United Group, Champions League, Inter Milan, City, Inter, Premier League, FA, Manchester United, City . Manchester City, League, Monaco, Tottenham, Real Madrid, BT Sport, Inter’s, Etihad, Reuters Locations: Istanbul, Europe, City . Manchester, Liverpool, Lyon, Chelsea, Manchester City, Abu Dhabi, Will City, Barcelona

☆ Middle Eastern investors are pouring money into US media, sports, and entertainment — here are the 9 most active players and their key leaders
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-05 | by ( Lucia Moses | Claire Atkinson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Investors in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and United Arab Emirates are pouring money into Western media and entertainment. Sovereign funds and other entities in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the UAE are pouring millions into US media and entertainment, and they're finding plenty of takers. The channels for money from Saudi Arabia and other parts of the Middle East are complex. Insider broke down the key entities — their owners, leaders, and high-profile investments and joint ventures — in the top three Middle Eastern nations pouring money into US entertainment and media. It describes itself as the largest media company in the Middle East and North Africa and runs one of the largest TV news channels, Al Arabiya.

Persons: Jamal Khashoggi's, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, —, WME, Jimmy Finkelstein's, Abu Dhabi's, It's, Yasir Al, Rumayyan, Waleed bin Ibrahim Al Ibrahim, Sam Barnett, Peter Smith —, Christina Wayne, SRMG, Mohammed bin Salman, Alrashid, Johnny Depp, Jeanne du Barry, Sharon Stone, Bruno Mars, Luca Guadanigno, Vince McMahon's, Turki Al, Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Dayel, Mansoor bin Ebrahim Al, Mahmoud, Peter Chernin, Nasser Al, Germain, BeIN, Sheikha Al Mayassa bint Hamad, Khalifa Al, Vincent, Asghar Farhadi's Oscar, Nart Bouran, JAF, Jeff Zucker, Graydon Carter's, it's, Semafor, Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Sheikh Mansour, Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber Organizations: United, Sovereign, Saudi, Washington Post, Saudi Crown, Endeavor, UFC, IMI, Abu Dhabi Media Investment Corporation, Public Investment Fund, Saudi Aramco, Newcastle United, English football, PGA, MBC, Shahid, Netflix, Vice Media, Variety, MBC Group's, Antenna Group, Cineflex Studios, NBCUniversal International, Amazon, AMC, Saudi Research, Media, Publicly, Red Sea, Cannes, Penske Media Corporation, Bloomberg Media, Vince McMahon's WWE, country's General Entertainment Authority, Development, Cultural Development Fund, George Washington University, American University . Qatar Qatar Investment, Qatar Investment Authority, Providence, BeIN Media, Paris Saint, Miramax, Paramount, Doha Film, Doha Film Institute, H.E, Hollywood Reporter, United Arab Emirates Abu, Investment Authority, UAE, Abu, Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, Hollywood, Dubai Studio, Dubai Media City, National Geographic, BBC News, International Media Investments International Media Investments, National, CNN, Sky News Arabia, Reuters, JAF Communications, Grid, RedBird Capital Partners, Punchbowl News, New York Times, Manchester City, The, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company Locations: Saudi Arabia, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, UAE, Saudi, East, North Africa, Al Arabiya, Netherlands, Greece, Dubai, Jeddah, SRMG, Riyadh, Doha, Europe, Americas, ViacomCBS, Qatari, Thani, Abu Dhabi

☆ Wrexham embrace surprise American fan base on the road
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-31 | by ( Amy Tennery | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Instead, the club has become a source of intense fascination for an American fanbase often blithely ignorant of the English Football drama that unfolds each year across the Atlantic. "People are looking for reasons to be excited and feel good. And Wrexham is certainly a feel good story," said Brian Berklich, chief marketing officer at Sports Endeavors, whose Soccer.com is the retail and content partner for the tournament. "There's been a lot of heartbreak and mystery around the club for a good long time now. And what the owners have done is they galvanized the whole town and they've really brought more of a community feel," said Howard.

Persons: Boreham, Rob McElhenney, Ryan Reynolds, Jon Mugar, Mugar, Brian Berklich, Steve Nash, Cesc Fabregas, Mark Howard, Andy Morrell, Lee Trundle, We've, Howard, There's, they've, They've, Amy Tennery, Toby Davis Organizations: Soccer Football, National League, Wrexham, League, English Football League, English Football, Dallas Cowboys, Sports, Spain, Reuters, Chelsea, LA, Manchester United, Thomson Locations: Wrexham, Britain, U.S, American, Cary , North Carolina, TST, Como, Chapel Hill , North Carolina, Los Angeles, New York

☆ Sheffield Wednesday promoted to Championship with 123rd-minute Windass winner
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Wednesday can now look forward to Championship football next season which had seemed wildly out of reach when they trailed Peterborough 4-0 after the first leg of their semi-final before producing the greatest comeback in English Football League playoff history. In front of 44,000 Wednesday fans crammed into Wembley, Windass emulated his father Dean, whose winning goal for Hull City in the 2008 Championship playoff final helped them win promotion to the Premier League. Wow," Dean Windass told BBC Radio Sheffield. "I've played for a couple of big clubs but look at this, it's unbelievable," Josh Windass told Sky Sports. Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru Editing by Toby DavisOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Leicester City: From Premier League champion to Championship? 2016 title winner is on the brink of relegation
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-27 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Leicester City’s Premier League triumph in 2015/16 remains one of the greatest achievements in the history of sport. With just one game left of the season, Leicester is in 18th place – the third and final relegation spot – on 31 points, two points adrift of Everton in 17th and safety. Former manager Brendan Rogers, who had been at the club since 2019, was sacked in April as Leicester made a last-ditch attempt to salvage its Premier League status by hiring Dean Smith. Of the teams facing relegation, Leicester certainly looks best placed to make an immediate return to the Premier League with some talented players and a potentially massive transfer budget from the sale of its stars. While Allardyce is known for his expertise in saving teams from relegation, his style of football could not be more different to Bielsa’s.

This photograph taken on October 20, 2022 shows a replica of the Big Ben Tower at the Londoner Casino resort at the Cotai Strip in Macau. They can now do the same in Macao, the so-called Las Vegas of Asia. The Londoner Macao, a British-themed luxury casino resort in the Chinese gambling hub, held its grand opening ceremony on Thursday. You can't get better spa experience, you can't get better food experience," Las Vegas Sands CEO Robert Goldstein told CNBC on Thursday. The Londoner Macao casino resort and the Venetian casino resort, along the Cotai strip in Macau, China.

Persons: Eduardo Leal, EDUARDO LEAL, Ben, David Beckham, we've, Robert Goldstein, Goldstein, Wonderland, Beckham Organizations: AFP, Getty, Afp, Vegas Sands, CNBC, Downing, Fountain, Las Vegas Sands, Sands, The Plaza Macao, Hotel Macao, Bloomberg, Macao, Guard Locations: Macau, Asia, Macao, Vegas, British, Westminster, Shaftesbury, London, Las, Venetian Macao, Parisian Macao, Italy, France, England, Paris, China, Buckingham, Hong Kong

☆ Manchester City: Pep Guardiola's side lays claim to being Premier League's greatest ever team
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-21 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —When all is said and done, it is looking increasingly likely that this iteration of Manchester City will go down as the greatest team in Premier League history. A 'Premier League Champions' banner is revealed outside Manchester City's stadium on Saturday. Catherine Ivill/Getty Images Europe/Getty ImagesIndeed, defender Rúben Dias recently called Guardiola the “main piece” of this City team. Back in February, the Premier League accused Manchester City of more than 100 breaches of the league’s finance rules and referred the club to an independent commission. The Premier League told CNN it had no comment to make on the issue, while Rosen said he wasn’t taking press inquiries.

CNN —At first glance, the idea of a former NFL legend and a former US Women’s National Team star wanting to bring “global eyeballs” to an English soccer club might seem an unusual ambition. Its inhabitants have also been hit particularly hard by the UK’s cost of living crisis, which hasn’t been lost on JJ Watt and his wife, Kealia. “Burnley is a special club. “All I want to do is help tell their story. “The success of the football club this year has given such a boost to Burnley and the surrounding area.

☆ Manchester City: Is 'unstoppable' team the best in the world?
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-18 | by ( Ben Church | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

For years, this City team has dominated English football – winning four Premier League titles in the last five seasons – but it has failed to really stamp its authority in Europe. “I think that first half performance is one of the best I’ve ever seen,” former Manchester City defender Nedum Onuoha told Sky Sports. The timing of it, in the Champions League semifinal, that felt like one of the biggest games ever at that stadium. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola hailed a special night. Only one English team, Manchester United, has ever achieved the historic feat, but you’d be brave to bet against Manchester City in its current form.

☆ Why Ted Lasso’s Shoe Game Is So Strong
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Sarah Bahr | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

There’s a reason that Ted Lasso, the fictional, sunny, mustachioed American hired to manage an English football club in the Apple TV+ series of the same name, is a sneakerhead. “It was rooted in my own enthusiasm for sneakers and sneaker culture,” said Jason Sudeikis, who has sported more than a dozen pairs of blue, orange and even red paisley Air Jordans as the show’s titular coach. In a recent call from London, Mr. Sudeikis said that Ted’s affinity for footwear was also inspired, in part, by his longtime friend Brendan Curran, a fellow sneaker enthusiast and high school basketball coach in Lenexa, Kan., who connected with his students over this shared interest. “It was this bit of unspoken respect and camaraderie among him and his players and his students,” Mr. Sudeikis, 47, said of Mr. Curran and his team.

☆ EddIe Howe: Man charged with assault after appearing to shove shoving Premier League manager during match
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-14 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

A spectator walked towards the Newcastle technical area late in the match before confronting and then appearing to shove Newcastle manager Eddie Howe. Leeds United said it had issued a lifetime ban on the spectator. “Leeds United can confirm that following an incident at our Premier League match against Newcastle United today, an arrest has been made and a lifetime ban has also been issued,” the club said in a statement. In a press conference after the match, Howe called for the security of players and team staff at Premier League matches to be improved. The safety of staff, players, is paramount for me at the Premier League, any matches in the football league, and we need to be mindful.

☆ Erling Haaland is on track to become 'the best striker ever' after record-breaking season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-12 | by ( George Ramsay | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

Would he adapt to life in the Premier League? Only Dixie Dean, who scored 63 in the 1927/28 season, has more goals in English football during a single top-flight campaign. Haaland’s Premier League tally, which includes four hat-tricks, is a league record for a single season, breaking the previous mark held jointly by Alan Shearer and Andy Cole. Haaland, Addo observes, has modified his game to devastating effect since arriving in the Premier League, taking his pace, power, and deadly finishing to another level. Mario Hommes/DeFodi Images/Getty ImagesAddo, a former Dortmund player and Ghanaian international, oversees the development of the Bundesliga club’s talented crop of young players.

☆ JJ Watt does pub crawl ‘research’ after investing in Premier League-bound Burnley
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Amy Woodyatt | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Just getting to know the supporters, I want to earn their trust by showing them how much we care and how passionate we are. “It’s research, I’m doing research – and lots of pints of Guinness along the way. The Royal Dyche took to Twitter to mark Watt’s visit, sharing an image of him behind the bar on Monday. Lovely gent, such a great reception in the pub from all us Claret fans,” the pub added. Kompany is best known for his exploits as the captain of Manchester City, with whom he won four Premier League titles.

☆ Hollywood's Reynolds and McElhenney found success at Welsh soccer club Wrexham. But there's a warning for would-be copycats
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-08 | by ( Elliot Smith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

"There's a big amount of pressure and attention from the press, not to mention scepticism from diehard football fans. WREXHAM, Wales - May 2, 2023: Wrexham AFC fans celebrate during a bus parade following their league title win. One fan has donned the costume of Deadpool, the comic book character played by co-owner Ryan Reynolds. Hollis said they understood that "it would take more than funny Twitter posts and a documentary" to turn around a struggling club like Wrexham. This sort of dedication plays a crucial role in attracting more support from fans," Hollis said.

Liverpool fans have a history of booing the national anthem, most recently doing so before last season’s FA Cup final at Wembley – many also booed Prince William when he appeared on the pitch. So why exactly do Liverpool fans have a history of booing the monarchy? Booing of the national anthem at football matches when the team played at Wembley – which was frequent given Liverpool’s dominance of English football in this era – became widespread and remains so today. Liverpool fans have a history of booing the national anthem. And, in an article written on Friday, football journalist Dominic King suggested Liverpool fans might just sing the club’s own anthem “You’ll Never Walk Alone” instead of “God Save The King” on Saturday.

☆ Wrexham to play in seven-on-seven tournament in North Carolina
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

May 5 (Reuters) - Wrexham, the newly-promoted Welsh club owned by actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, will compete in a seven-on-seven tournament in early June in Cary, North Carolina. The 32-team event from June 1-4 called The Soccer Tournament will consist of a group stage and knockout rounds capped by a winner-takes-all $1 million championship game. They will begin the group stage of The Soccer Tournament on June 1 against Italian Serie B club Como 1907, whose ownership group includes soccer greats Thierry Henry and Cesc Fabregas. Earlier this week, it was announced that Wrexham will play a July 22 friendly in California against Major League Soccer reserve team LA Galaxy II. Two other U.S. fixtures had already been set, with Wrexham facing Chelsea in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Manchester United in San Diego, California, on July 19 and 25 respectively.

☆ EFL signs record broadcasting deal with Sky Sports
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-05 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

EFL clubs unanimously voted to accept the deal, which will see over 1,000 matches being broadcast or streamed from the 2024-25 to 2028-29 seasons. The EFL, which organises the professional leagues below the top flight Premier League, said the arrangement would be made up of guaranteed payments of 895 million pounds and 40 million pounds in marketing benefits. "This is the biggest deal in football, in terms of the number of matches being broadcast," Sky Sports Managing Director Jonathan Licht said in a statement. "We look forward to working with the EFL and its 72 member clubs to give fans the most entertaining viewing experience." The deal is worth only a fraction of the value of the Premier League's, however.

☆ The trans soccer team that’s making history
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-04 | by ( Hannah Ryan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +12 min

On the rainy evening of March 31, 2023, he captained what he says is the first ever all trans masculine soccer team in Europe in a match. “I was quite nervous before the match,” Webber told CNN. They now also aim to make soccer a more inclusive sport and connect the trans community. “After the all trans feminine team played their game and once I’d played with the all-gender team, she took me aside and said she’d been thinking about what we could do next and asked if I’d be interested in captaining an all trans masc team,” Webber said. “One day, there’ll be hundreds of trans people playing football all over the country at all levels.”

☆ Erling Haaland smashes EPL record with 35th league goal of the season
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Andrew Mcnicol | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Manchester City striker Erling Haaland broke the record for most Premier League goals in a single season on Wednesday as the 22-year-old Norwegian scored his 35th league goal of an incredible debut campaign in England. “35 Premier League goals. The previous Premier League record of 34 was jointly held by Andy Cole (1993/94) and Alan Shearer (1994/94), when league seasons were 42 games long. Martin Rickett/APHaaland, who had already set the record for a 38-game season, still has five league games left to add to his haul. He has now scored 51 goals in just 45 games in all competitions this season – more than any Premier League player ever.

☆ Tragedy chanting: ‘Vile’ soccer songs about deaths fueled by ‘need to hurt’ opposing fans
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-03 | by ( Matias Grez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —Described as “vile” and “unacceptable” and fueled by “the need to hurt,” ‘tragedy chanting’ is becoming an increasing concern to soccer authorities. Then, in 1989, overcrowding in the stands ahead of the FA Cup semifinal between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium led to the deaths of 97 Liverpool fans. Nottingham Forest fans hold up a banner in memory of the 97 victims of the Hillsborough disaster. The working group has also been in contact with the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to discuss whether convictions can be pursued for fans that engage in tragedy chanting. Heysel Stadium Disaster, May 1985.

☆ Wrexham paint town red with open-top bus parade after promotion to EFL
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

[1/4] Soccer Football - National League - Wrexham Victory Parade - Wrexham, Wales, Britain - May 2, 2023 Fans light flares as Wrexham players celebrate with the trophy on the bus during the victory parade REUTERS/Carl RecineMay 2 (Reuters) - Wrexham's Hollywood owners Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney ditched the star-studded Met Gala to join the Welsh soccer club's open-top bus victory parade on Tuesday as they celebrated their promotion to the English Football League. Wrexham secured a fairytale return to the EFL following a 15-year absence last month after beating Boreham Wood 3-1 to win the National League with a game to spare. The dollop of Hollywood glitz has made Wrexham's promotion one of the most unlikely and heart-warming stories for many a season. Wrexham said the parade was also to celebrate the achievements of their women's team, who achieved promotion to Adran Premier, the highest level of league competition for the women's game in Wales. Reporting by Manasi Pathak in Bengaluru Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ JJ Watt and Kealia Watt invest in Premier League-bound Burnley FC
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-02 | by ( Matt Foster | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —After retiring from professional football in the NFL earlier this year, JJ Watt is turning his hand to soccer as he and his wife Kealia announced their investment in English club Burnley FC on Monday. In a statement released by the club, JJ Watt said: “When you invest in a club that’s been around since 1882, you must have great respect for its history and tradition. Kompany is best known for his exploits as the captain of Manchester City, with whom he won four Premier League titles. Manager Vincent Kompany has guided Burnley back to the Premier League. Burnley’s chairman Alan Pace said of the Watts’ investment: “We’re absolutely delighted to welcome JJ and Kealia into the Clarets family.

☆ Erling Haaland scores his 50th goal of the season and equals an English Premier League record
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-30 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

Arguably no player has made such an impact in his first season in the English Premier League. No Premier League player has ever scored as many. Only Everton’s Dixie Dean, who scored 63 goals in the 1927/28 season, has scored more goals in English football during a single top-flight campaign, according to the Premier League. The penalty was his 34th goal in the league, equaling Alan Shearer (1994-95) and Andy Cole (1993-94) for the most goals scored in a Premier League season. City still has hopes of completing the ‘treble’ as Pep Guardiola’s side remains in contention to win the league, the FA Cup and the Champions League.

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