MANCHESTER City have won a huge legal battle against the Premier League.
After a summer hearing, three senior judges have now ruled that the Prem’s Associated Party Transaction rules meant City were “unfairly blocked” from inking two major deals.
It means that financial regulations restricting the value of sponsorship deals with companies aligned to their ownership groups could no longer come under financial handcuffs.
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While there is no direct link to the ongoing hearing into the “115” financial allegations made against City by Prem bosses in 2023, the scale of the defeat is a massive blow for the credibility of the League.
And with the victory giving City the right to seek significant damages, it will add to the growing pressure on Prem chief executive Richard Masters and his senior colleagues.
City were furious when League bosses pushed through the rules, strengthening oversight of commercial deals, at a fractious meeting of the 20 “shareholder” clubs in February.
The rules aimed to block clubs bypassing financial controls by earning “unfair” amounts from sponsorships by companies linked to an owner, or by signing a player for below market value from a club in the same ownership group.
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In the tightest vote on record, the new rules were approved on a vote of 12 in favour and six against, with two clubs abstaining, meaning they passed with the bare minimum majority.
That came despite clubs being informed that one member – which swiftly became clear was City – had threatened legal action under the League’s rules allowing an Arbitration appeal.
That panel, headed by former Master of the Rolls Lord Dyson, sat to hear submissions in June.
City argued that the new rules were anti-competitive, had been deliberately aimed at them by rivals and were both flawed and politically driven, while also questioning the cost of enforcement.
Pep Guardiola breaks silence on Phil Foden situation after fans’ conspiracy theory over England star’s absence
Ali Abdelaziz recently appeared on Submission Radio where he discussed a number of topics, including the possibility of a McGregor-Gaethje dream fight that may never happen. According to Abdelaziz, it’s McGregor who has been reluctant to accept the matchup.
“Let’s be real, Conor McGregor will never, will never, will never… he got offered this fight at least five times,” Abdelaziz said (transcription via Denis Shkuratov). “At least five. He never wanted to have to do anything with Justin Gaethje. He said the reason he didn’t want to fight Justin was because Justin talked bad to him on Twitter and Instagram before and the history we have with him. He didn’t want to lose to our team, I guess.”
Gaethje recently told a similar story to TMZ Sports, though he claimed it was actually six times that the McGregor fight was offered and not signed by his adversary. At the time, Gaethje said McGregor couldn’t risk fighting him because “How you lose to me is not how you can lose and continue to be Conor McGregor. That’s a big risk for him and he’s always saying something, trying to take the light away from people fighting in the cage.”
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Abdelaziz has a different take on it, alleging that fighters are told not to feud with McGregor on social media if they want to be booked against him.
“The last five, six years we offered Justin Gaethje so many times,” Abdelaziz said. “Never once, never once, this man—Even the UFC, told me this, ‘Hey, leave him alone. Don’t talk with him. He doesn’t like to fight people who talk bad to him on the internet.’ I promise you, he likes to be the one to start the talk and you retaliate.
“Why do you think [Michael] Chandler being so nice to him? Why? Because he was being told not to talk bad to Conor. Conor has to start talking bad and he talk bad back. He’s a weak mental midget. He’s soft like a marshmallow. And he’s a no-good, son of a bitch. This is what he is.”
The history between McGregor and Abdelaziz’s fighters dates back to McGregor’s ugly feud with Khabib Nurmagomedov. When the two fought at UFC 229, Nurmagomedov defeated McGregor by fourth-round submission, but then exited the cage afterwards to initiate a brawl with McGregor’s teammates. McGregor, Nurmagomedov, and several of their associates were fined and suspended as a result of the incident.
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Post-fight shenanigans aside, Abdelaziz believes the win was do definitive for Nurmagomedov that the outcome forever changed McGregor.
“It’s been six years since Conor lost his soul to Khabib,” Abdelaziz said. “Khabib took everything away from him. He took his manhood. He took his soul. He was never the same. He will never be the same. He took everything away from this man. This man, every time he look at himself in the mirror, he think about a Dagestani guy who wears a papakha, a wig. This is incredible. He ruined him.
“Khabib said, ‘I’m going to change your face. I’m going to change your mental.’ Remember that? The UFC lost so much money because of Khabib. But this is the game. You have to fight the best and Khabib was the best at the same time and Conor fought the best and he got whooped.”
The issue with yellow cards pre-dates Maresca’s appointment in June.
Former Chelsea manager Mauricio Pochettino spoke last season about how “silly” bookings were a problem and showed video clips to his players to try to rectify the issue.
The Blues were punished last season for not adapting to new Premier League rules for dissent.
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Jackson picked up 10 bookings last season but only one was for a foul, the others were for dissent, not retreating quickly enough for a free-kick and entering the field of play when a substitute.
Other players fell foul in similar situations and captain Reece James received two red cards – including one for two yellows – despite playing just 421 minutes.
The immaturity of Chelsea’s young squad may be another factor and with centre-back Thiago Silva having departed in the summer the average age of the group has dropped further to 23.4, according to data from Transfermarkt.
The Blues also have the lowest average height in the league, according to Transfermarkt, averaging just over 5ft 8in, which was another issue Pochettino complained about when in charge.
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It perhaps leads to a tendency for players to look at other ways to try and impart their physicality on matches.
And under both Pochettino and Maresca Chelsea are firmly a possession-based team, trying to implement various pressing styles. That pressing can lead to bookings in transition phases and there is a tendency for teams operating these tactics to produce tactical fouls to stop counter-attacks.
Professional Game Match Officials Limited (PGMOL), the body which governs referees in England, has also changed the rules in recent years, with an automatic yellow card now expected to be brandished in several situations.
Netherlands legend Johan Neeskens has died at the age of 73, the Dutch football federation has confirmed.
The former midfielder was part of the Ajax and Netherlands teams credited with creating “total football” in the 1970s.
“With Johan Neeskens, the Dutch and international football world loses a legend,” the KNVB federation said in a statement.
Neeskens was capped 49 times for the Dutch and was part of the teams that finished runners up at the 1974 and 1978 World Cups.
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At Ajax he helped them win the European Cup three times and their domestic league twice.
Neeskens also spent five seasons at Spanish giants Barcelona, winning the Copa del Rey and European Cup Winners’ Cup with them.
“His name is forever linked to European successes with clubs like Ajax and Barcelona and two World Cup finals for the Dutch national team,” the KNVB added.
“With his characteristic tackles, sublime insights and iconic penalties, [he] will forever remain one of the most prominent and beloved players to ever play for our country.”
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After retiring as a player in 1991, Neeskens coached several clubs and was also an assistant coach with the Dutch national team from 1995 to 2000.
MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.
But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.
Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC, PFL and Bellator.
Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Sept. 30-Oct. 6.
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UFC Fight Night 246, Las Vegas, Nov. 9
Jan 21, 2023; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Luan Lacerda (red gloves) reacts after the fight against Cody Stamann (blue gloves) during UFC 283 at Jeunesse Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports
UFC 309, New York, Nov. 16
Jim Miller
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UFC Fight Night 247, Macau, Nov. 23
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 10: (R-L) Quang Le of Vietnam punches Chris Gutierrez in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on August 10, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC)
UFC Fight Night, Tampa, Fla., Dec. 14
Jun 29, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Cub Swanson (red gloves) fights Andre Fili (not pictured) during UFC 303 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
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UFC Fight Night, Las Vegas, Jan. 11
Chris Curtis
UFC 311, TBA, Jan. 18
Nov 4, 2023; Sao Paulo, Brazil; Jailton Almeida (red gloves) fights Derrick Lewis (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Ibirapuera Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jason da Silva-USA TODAY Sports
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Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
STAR juvenile filly Lake Victoria will only run at the Breeders’ Cup if she races again this season.
It had been mooted that the brilliant Cheveley Park heroine, terrifically handled by Aidan O’Brien, could step up two furlongs in trip for her next outing in the Fillies’ Mile at Newmarket.
But O’Brien, buzzing after a fabulous weekend in France, told me this morning: “The Breeders’ Cup (Juvenile Fillies’ Turf) is a possibility Matt, but not the Fillies’ Mile.”
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If she travels, Lake Victoria would still be stepping up to a mile in America but Del Mar is much more of a speed test than Newmarket with the tight bends.
It would seem a very good spot for her and the Coolmore lads – and she’s currently a best-price 2-1.
Lake Victoria us currently top priced as the 7-2 favourite for next year’s 1000 Guineas.
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In other news another Group 1 heroine, Tamfana, might be seen again this season on Champions Day at Ascot.
Tamfana provided the always charming David Menuisier with a well deserved Group 1 success in the Sun Chariot Stakes at Newmarket on Saturday.
Plans remain fluid, but Menuisier said to me this morning: “I don’t think the Breeders’ Cup will be on for Tamfana. We might think about the Queen Elizabeth II at Ascot run in memory of our late and loved Queen.”
Speaking of high class horses, it’s sales time this week and the first offspring of Lady Bowthorpe goes under the hammer (for sale) in Newmarket on Wednesday.
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Lady Bowthorpe was a terrific beast for music mogul Emma Banks, finishing second in the Group 1 Lockinge, third in a QEII and landing the Group 1 Nassau at Goodwood in July of 2021.
“Lady Bowthorpe’s colt yearling sells on Wednesday at Tattersalls. I went to see him in the sales grounds yesterday and he’s looking great and seems to be really well received,” Banks said.
ITV schedule undergoes major change with new broadcast of historic sporting event confirmed
“Now I’m no expert (being modest here!) on this stuff, but people tell me he walks really well for a Dubawi – apparently they are known not to be the best of walkers – and he seems to have a bit of a swagger.
“When I saw him he was still very interested in everything at the end of the day so I’m excited and nervous and full of trepidation of what is going to happen.
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“I think he’s a lovely yearling and I’m really proud of him and I know his mother, Lady Bowthorpe, is really proud of him. We’ll see what happens but Im not sure I’ll be eating much before Wednesday afternoon but that’s probably not a bad thing!”
Owner-breeders are so important to this game. Banks is not short of a few quid, but let’s hope this is a case of ’Show me the Money’.
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