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Karren Brady: The Premier League is the envy of world football.. now Man City’s rivals must fight to save it THIS WEEK

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Karren Brady: The Premier League is the envy of world football.. now Man City's rivals must fight to save it THIS WEEK

PREMIER LEAGUE meetings are usually cordial, professional and unobtrusive affairs.

All 20 clubs, plus their executives, sit in a room and ignore the massive elephant that also lurks in every meeting — the ongoing litigation and the £50million-plus of legal costs racked up fighting and defending claims.

Man City made it four straight Prem titles in may and now face a big fight with the Prem off the field, but so far have a winning PR team

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Man City made it four straight Prem titles in may and now face a big fight with the Prem off the field, but so far have a winning PR teamCredit: Reuters
Pep Guardiola's men are predictably again in contention for the top-flight crown but it's less easy to say what will happen in a big meeting next week

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Pep Guardiola’s men are predictably again in contention for the top-flight crown but it’s less easy to say what will happen in a big meeting next weekCredit: Getty

But at the League meeting next week that elephant is going to get an introduction, as we have just tripped over his trunk.

Manchester City versus the Premier League feels like a boxing match, where at the end of the final round both fighters put their hands up claiming the victory.

If the judges of this heavyweight bout were the public, then City would be clear winners.

They not only have the world’s best team on the pitch but also have the best off it too.

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Their PR and media team got their message across while making the Prem’s set-up look like a lower league outfit by comparison.

But it’s not the public or the media the Premier League has to worry about.

It’s the clubs, the rules that govern them and what on earth happens now.

Next week’s meeting is to decide exactly that.

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Man City vs the Premier League: Q&A

By Martin Lipton

BOTH Manchester City and the Premier League were claiming a win after their legal scrap over Associated Party Transactions.

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SunSport sifts the claims to try to explain the latest issues.

What was the case about?

City were furious that Prem bosses brought in new tougher regulations – by the smallest possible majority under League rules – in February. They were aimed at blocking clubs bypassing financial controls by earning “unfair” amounts via sponsorship from a company with the same owners, or selling players on the cheap to teams under the same ownership umbrella.

Why were City so upset?

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The Etihad club argued that the rules were illegal and had been deliberately aimed at them by rivals and were both flawed and politically driven. They also branded the “two thirds support” rule that has been part of Prem regulations since its inception as a “tyranny of the majority”

This was an Arbitration Tribunal – explain that?

Under Prem rules, any club has the right to ask for Arbitration if they are unhappy about the regulations or due process. The three retired judges heard evidence in June and their full ruling was distributed to the 20 Prem clubs on Monday afternoon.

And what did they say?

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Depending on who you listen to, they either totally vindicated one side or the other. The actual answer is that there were “wins” for both City and the Prem. But it’s your choice which ones meant more.

OK, what were City’s wins?

Maybe the most important one in terms of the repercussions. That both the new rules and the previous version – brought  in after Saudi Arabia’s PIF bought Newcastle in 2021 –  were “unlawful” as they exclude shareholder loans to clubs in any APT calculations.  City also won over their claims that the rulebook prevented them from responding to Prem decisions over whether two proposed deals with Abu Dhabi companies represented “Fair Market Value”, access to the “databank” of comparable deals and the time it took for decisions to be reached.

That sounds pretty big. So what about the Prem’s side?

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The key finding as far as the League is concerned is that the Tribunal backed the concept of APT rules as well as the Fair Market Value tests. Additionally, City’s challenges to the actual decisions on the two proposed deals “failed”. Prem bosses insist the “rulebook has been found to comply with competition and public law standards and is an effective and necessary system”.

Is that it, then?

Of course not. That shareholder loan issue is a big deal, given that it is believed owners have loaned around £1.5bn at low or preferential rates across the Prem. Those loans will almost certainly have to be calculated at commercial rates now, unless the owners convert them into shares. But the League is convinced the main thrust of the rules remains valid.

And what will be the impact on the “115 charges” case?

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Probably nothing. That is an allegation of breaking the rules, while this matter was City questioning whether one small element of the current rulebook was legitimate. But City are using the same legal team, headed by £10,000 per hour Lord Pannick KC. And the stakes on the bigger case are a great deal higher.

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But how did we get here?

Most supporters have never heard of the term APT — Associated Party Transactions — or knew about the new rules regulating them when they came into play in 2021.

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APT rules were accepted by the majority of clubs — although by no means all — and were put in place to ensure that all clubs’ sponsorship deals reflect a true and fair market value.

It was hoped to prevent clubs from earning revenue through inflated sponsorship deals from companies related to their owners.

This is important, as the value of sponsorship and other commercial revenue is used to offset the costs of the clubs, like player salaries, agent fees and the manager, which leaves you with a number, usually a loss.

If you go over the League’s number of what they consider to be an acceptable loss — as Everton and Nottingham Forest did — you get a fine, a points deduction or possibly both.

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So, the higher your sponsorship, the higher your costs can be and the less you get into trouble.

City challenged the legality of these rules, alleging the APT Rules breach competition and public law and the League’s application of the rules also breached public law standards.

The Prem claims the three-man Arbitration Tribunal endorsed the overall objective of their rules.

No one wants it to become a competition between too few clubs, usually by rich ones who can afford multiple multi-million transfers and top wages.

They also agreed that if the price of an APT is evidently not at fair market value — what anyone else OTHER than the party connected with the owner would have paid — then the competition will be distorted as the club would be benefitting from what effectively is a subsidy.

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The Prem needs a financial system to ensure that football is, remains and will always be competitive.

The undiminished competitiveness of the Premier League is the envy of every other foreign league and club and the reason why our top-flight is the best in the world.

No one wants it to become a competition between too few clubs, usually by the rich ones who can afford multiple multi-million transfer fees and top wages.

So next week clubs have to agree to make the necessary changes to the APT rules to address the Tribunal’s concerns.

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This requires 14 votes — at least 14 clubs have to agree — or the whole system is thrown into chaos.

It needs to be so that the system can continue to be effective.

We must stop clubs spending whatever they like to get an unbeatable team and create an uncompetitive league.

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Chris Eubank Jr EXACT fight time tonight: When is boxing icon facing Kamil Szeremeta?

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Chris Eubank Jr EXACT fight time tonight: When is boxing icon facing Kamil Szeremeta?

BOXING lovers will finally get to see Chris Eubank Jr in action once again tonight – and SunSport can reveal the EXACT time he will step foot in the ring.

It was a successful outing for Eubank Jr when he last fought as the American ace beat Liam Smith during a September 2023 bought.

Chris Eubank Jr (L) makes his long-awaited return tonight

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Chris Eubank Jr (L) makes his long-awaited return tonightCredit: Getty

And the TKO triumph was revenge from when Smith beat him earlier that year.

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Now more than a year later, Eubank Jr is all set to face Kamil Szeremeta who is undefeated in his last six encounters.

Furthermore, the Polish powerhouse is

But fans are itching to know exactly when they can see Eubank Jr as his fight features on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol.

Read more on Chris Eubank Jr

What time is Chris Eubank Jr fighting tonight?

  • Chris Eubank Jr vs Kamil Szeremeta will get underway at approximately 9:15pm BST.
  • Ring-walk times are expected to be around 9pm BST – 4pm ET and 8pm locally.
  • Kingdom Arena in Riyadh is the chosen venue and it can host approximately 26,000 spectators.
  • The fight will be 12 rounds in the Middleweight division
  • It is scheduled to be on the undercard of the championship match between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

What is the full card?

  • Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol; For the IBF, WBC, WBO and WBA light heavyweight titles
  • Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Kamil Szeremeta; Middleweight
  • Fabio Wardley vs. Frazer Clarke; For Wardley’s British heavyweight title
  • Jai Opetaia vs. Jack Massey; For Opetaia’s IBF cruiserweight title 
  • Ben Whittaker vs. Liam Cameron; Light heavyweight
  • Skye Nicolson vs. Raven Chapman; For Nicolson’s WBC women’s featherweight title 
  • Mohammaed Alakel vs. Jesus Gonzalez; Lightweight

What has been said?

Chris Eubank Jr has revealed what “turns him on” about boxing ahead of his huge fight against Kamil Szeremeta.

The American ace said “I loved the competition. I love the challenge. I have a guy in front of me and he’s trying to take me out and I’ve been trying to take him out.

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“And who’s going to get to it first? Who’s going to land that first punch? That was always just sexy to me. And it just turned me on. I don’t know why.”

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UFC Vegas 98 Results: Royval vs. Taira

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UFC Vegas 98 Results: Royval vs. Taira

MMA Fighting has UFC Vegas 98 results for the Royval vs. Taira fight card, a live blog for the main event, and more from UFC APEX in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

In the main event, recent title challenger Brandon Royval hopes to hold on to his spot in the contender line when he fights the undefeated Tatsuro Taira. “Raw Dawg” bounced back from a disappointing loss to flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja with a narrow split decision win over two-time champion Brandon Moreno this past February.

Taira, who doesn’t turn 25 until January, has taken the UFC flyweight division by storm, winning his first six fights for the promotion to improve his overall record to 16-0. He scored the biggest win of his career in his most recent fight, defeating one-time title challenger Alex Perez when an injury ended Perez’s night in Round 2.

Royval is currently tied for the No. 2 spot at flyweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, with Taira looking to climb up from No. 8.

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In the penultimate bout of the evening, Brad Tavares makes his UFC middleweight record 25th appearance when he takes on “The Iron Turtle” Jun Yong Park.

Check out UFC Vegas 98 results below.

Main Card (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira

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Brad Tavares vs. Jun Yong Park

Chidi Njokuani vs. Jared Gooden

Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia

Daniel Rodriguez vs. Alex Morono

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Preliminary Card (4 p.m. ET, ESPN+)

CJ Vergara vs. Ramazan Temirov

Jonathan Pearce vs. Pat Sabatini

Themba Gorimbo vs. Niko Price

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Julia Polastri vs. Cory McKenna

Junior Tafa vs. Sean Sharaf

Dan Argueta vs. Cody Haddon

Clayton Carpenter vs. Lucas Rocha

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How can England use Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer?

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How can England use Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden and Cole Palmer?

There are a few different ways the trio could fit into a 4-2-3-1.

One option is to play the three of them behind Harry Kane – or Ollie Watkins if the captain remains sidelined.

Palmer often plays on the right wing for Chelsea, Foden played on the left at Euro 2024 and Bellingham can play at number 10.

But the trio can all play in various positions across midfield and the front line.

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Bukayo Saka usually starts on the right – although he is an injury doubt for Sunday – so Bellingham or Palmer could play next to Declan Rice in central midfield.

Another consideration is that Bellingham – while playing centrally a lot – got most of his touches for Real Madrid last season on the left wing.

Palmer, recently named England’s player of the season despite only starting twice, has been featuring as a number 10 for Chelsea this season. So he could also slot in behind Kane.

Since the start of 2023-24, he has been involved – either scoring or providing the assist – in 44 goals, more than anyone else in the Premier League.

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“I was actually calling for Palmer to start as number 10 when Euro 2024 started, with Bellingham playing slightly deeper and Foden on the left, as a way of getting all three of them in the team,” BBC pundit Chris Sutton said.

“Obviously that didn’t happen – Palmer was used from the bench in Germany and had an impact that way.

“You simply cannot leave him out now, though.

“Carsley has got to find a way of getting him into the team, but it doesn’t have to be as the number 10 ahead of Foden or Bellingham because he can play off the right as well.

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“I have always believed that if someone’s form is good, get them in. So, whether it is the right or in the middle, Carsley has to fit him in.”

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Chris Eubank Jr vs Kamil Szeremeta EXACT ring-walk time: What time will the fight start in UK?

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Chris Eubank Jr vs Kamil Szeremeta EXACT ring-walk time: What time will the fight start in UK?

CHRIS Eubank Jr returns to the ring TONIGHT as he takes on Kamil Szeremeta in Saudi Arabia.

The 35-year-old’s last bout came against Liam Smith in September 2023.

Chris Eubank Jr returns to the ring this evening

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Chris Eubank Jr returns to the ring this eveningCredit: GETTY

Eubank Jr secured revenge over Smith after the Liverpudlian stopped him in the fourth round of their first bout.

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Next Gen dominated the rematch, knocking Smith down twice before the referee put an end to the fight in the tenth.

After a 13-month hiatus from the sport, Eubank Jr is lining up big things for the future with some huge names on his hit list.

The British middleweight revealed he is eyeing blockbuster fights with Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford, Conor Benn and a tasty rematch with Billy Joe Saunders.

But first, Eubank Jr makes his highly anticipated return on the stacked Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol undercard.

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What time are the ring-walks for Eubank Jr vs Szeremeta?

  • The ring-walks for Eubank Jr vs Szeremeta are expected to be at approximately 8pm BST.
  • The fight is set to get underway at approximately 8.20pm BST.
  • Timings could be subject to change depending on the length of prior undercard fights.
  • The main undercard begins at around 5pm BST.

What channel is it and can it be live streamed?

  • DAZN PPV, Sky Sports Box Office and TNT Sports Box Office will all broadcast Beterbiev vs Bivol.
  • TNT Sports and DAZN have both priced the event at £19.99, while you can purchase the fight on Sky Sports for the slightly cheaper price of £19.95.
  • You can live stream the huge bill on either the DAZN app, discovery+ or Sky Sports Box Office app, depending on which PPV you purchase.
  • Alternatively, you can follow all the action via SunSport’s LIVE BLOG.

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Canada vs England: Red Roses seek to retain title in WXV1 decider

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Canada vs England: Red Roses seek to retain title in WXV1 decider

Much of the build-up to both of England’s recent games against New Zealand was as if it was a dry run for next year’s World Cup final at Twickenham’s Allianz Stadium.

New Zealand have beaten England in back-to-back world finals, but the Red Roses showed their current dominance over them by comfortably winning both of their most recent matches.

Now it seems WXV1 hosts Canada, who ran England close in their World Cup semi-final in 2022, are ready to step into New Zealand’s shoes as the main challenger.

Despite their amateur status, they defeated New Zealand to win the Pacific Four Series earlier this year before recording big WXV victories over France and Ireland to set up a title showdown with England.

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They are ranked number two in the world and are on a six-game winning run of their own.

So is Saturday’s decider the actual dress rehearsal for the World Cup final?

Canada will need to produce a near-perfect performance to end England’s winning run but their confidence is building.

Lock Tyson Beukeboom, who played in Canada’s World Cup final loss to England in 2014, this week challenged her side to win next year’s World Cup.

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“Canada have always been knocking at that door,” said England captain Marlie Packer, who also played in the 2014 final.

“If you look 10 years ago they were in that World Cup final, they have always been threats.”

Seven players in the hosts’ starting XV play their club rugby in England, with four more named as replacements.

Prop McKinley Hunt and number eight Gabrielle Senft play for Packers’ Saracens, but unlike the England captain – who is centrally contracted with her union – spend most of their time apart from the national side.

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“They do a lot of training off their own back because they are very driven and athletic individuals,” Packer added.

“Some of them are great rugby players and you put that with confidence then that is the Canada side we are seeing at the moment.

“They don’t play together as much as us or the other home nations, so that gives us an advantage in the type of game we want to play.”

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Finland v England: Three Lions visit country where Brits are thriving

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Finland v England: Three Lions visit country where Brits are thriving


It is obvious why Finland’s most famous players – such as Sami Hyypia, Jari Litmanen and Teemu Pukki – aspired to play in a league as credible as the Premier League.

But what about British involvement in Finland – a nation that had not qualified for a major tournament until Euro 2020 – where ice hockey is typically seen as the biggest sport?

Twelve British players compares to none in the top leagues of Norway and Sweden, with eight each in France and Germany, and four in Spain.

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IFK Mariehamn took a chance on Jayden Reid – who left Portsmouth last season after two years without making an appearance due to injury – while fellow winger Imani Lanquedoc is on loan at FC Haka from Fulham.

Luke Plange – who Crystal Palace signed for £1 million from a Derby County side battling relegation from the Championship under Wayne Rooney – has since played Champions League qualifying matches for HJK Helsinki.

HJK made a profit from selling last season’s Veikkausliiga top scorer, Bojan Radulovic, to the Championship, so might the club see an opportunity for more business later down the line?

“I think the clubs here assume that if English professionals are willing to come over, they are going to be decent quality,” said Cicale.

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“Finnish football can be a very good platform for exhibiting your abilities – and perhaps if things haven’t gone in such a linear fashion throughout your career – it’s a good opportunity here to show what level you’re still at.”

Grieve’s view is that the Finnish league is a secure working environment for coaches – and it attracts a different type of player.

“It is not 100 mph like an EFL game, the technical level here is higher,” he explained.

“It is way more aggressive and more contact and a ‘free for all’ in Scotland or the lower leagues in England – it’s a different sport in all honesty.

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“People who want to try and develop their career and develop a style of play might be more inclined to go somewhere like Finland.”

But Coffey has seen a chance to thrive as an unusual type of footballer in the Veikkausliiga.

“I’ve been kicked and pulled around by men in England, whereas in Sweden and Finland, the lads that I’m playing against are quite young,” he said.

“Technically, they’re very good players, but I feel like I’ve got a bit of an edge in terms of physicality and aggression.

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“There are many good players in England, but I just don’t think a lot of them want to make the step or they’re quite comfortable living in England and maybe working and playing part-time,” he added.



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