FootBiz newsletter #81: All change at Spurs, Leverkusen exodus and a policy to save European football?

An old boss of mine used to say “don’t come to me with problems, come to me with solutions” and it was one of those phrases that always stuck with me.

Creative problem-solving is at the heart of any business but the emphasis needs to be on the solving.

In football, everyone is aware of the problems. People know there are big issues with widening financial gaps between clubs, poor governance (at club and league level), the overloaded calendar as well as transparency, integrity and a raft of other things.

But how do we solve them?

Subscribers received an email from us yesterday with an op-ed by Alex Muzio, the chairman of the Union of European Clubs. In it, he detailed the UEC’s new policy proposal to more fairly distribute UEFA money.

I have no idea if UEFA will engage with them on this, but it’s exactly the sort of thoughtfully produced policy that football’s governing bodies should welcome (or even think of themselves?!)

And it appears to have resonated with people in the game, being picked up by media across Europe (L’Equipe, Marca etc…) as well as the New York Times and Associated Press in the US.

So let’s see if UEFA engage or, more likely, take a few years before discussing a watered-down version with a different name.

It’s been mentioned before, but we are keen to carry op-eds where there are topics and issues of interest to our audience, so don’t be shy about getting in touch.

Yesterday’s is a great example, and I hope the policy itself gathers momentum because it’s a realistic and simple way to improve the game for hundreds of clubs.

Anyway, really positive news also coming out of France with the Ligue 1 reforms being proposed there. Usually I’d be more sceptical but there’s no way the new structure could run the league worse than the LFP have been. It’s all upside, though French football is still at the bottom of a pretty deep hole, looking upward and trying to work out how they’re going to get out of it. What rules they put in place on multi-club ownership will be very interesting, with buyers like Fenway Sports Group sniffing around the market.

Table of Contents

• Gianni come lately

• New ownership group at Salford

• Big changes coming to Ligue 1

• Newcastle will change badge

• The exodus begins

• WSL ice plans to ditch relegation

• Media story to monitor

Gianni come lately

The increasingly close relationship between Saudi Arabia and FIFA continues to fascinate, with president Gianni Infantino now seemingly more concerned about paying tribute at the court of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman than running world football’s governing body.

As reported by The Times last week Infantino has annoyed senior figures at several national associations by delaying his arrival at FIFA’s annual congress in Paraguay after receiving an invitation to attend a Gulf-US summit in Riyadh this week, which has been timed to coincide with President Donald Trump’s state visit to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

As a result of attending the summit Infantino will not arrive in Paraguay until late on Wednesday and miss several scheduled meetings with confederations, although he will make congress, which starts the next morning. Consequently, a FIFA Council meeting that was due to take place in Asunción today was brought forward to last Friday and held remotely, with several important decisions made.

Most significantly FIFA announced that the women’s World Cup will expand to 48 teams for the 2031 tournament in the United States, just eight years after it was increased to 32 for the first time. The format will mirror the men’s World Cup featuring 12 qualifying groups of four teams and 104 matches, with FIFA claiming that tournament expansion will facilitate rapid global growth of the women’s game.

The issue of expansion will also be on the agenda at Congress with Alejandro Domínguez, president of South American confederation CONMEBOL, to make an official proposal to increase the centenary men’s World Cup in 2030 to 64 teams. UEFA, the Asian Football Confederation and North American confederation CONCACAF have already publicly stated their opposition however, so Domínguez faces a difficult task to build support.

Infantino has yet to comment on the proposal so his response will be intriguing, assuming he makes his plane of course.

That said, it sounds like Qatar has one they’re willing to let people use. 

New ownership group at Salford

David Beckham and Gary Neville have formed a new ownership group at Salford City with their former Manchester United team-mates Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville selling their shares in the League Two club.

Former banker and current Chair of the Lawn Tennis Association, Lord Davies of Abersoch, and Irish-American financial services executive Declan Kelly have joined the consortium, who have injected around £15m into the club for additional working capital.

Giggs will remain on the coaching staff at Salford and Scholes is still involved in recruitment, but Butt and the younger Neville have severed their formal links with the club entirely.

The so-called Class of '92, who came through the Academy at Manchester United together before going on to win a historic treble of Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup in 1999, initially took charge at Salford when they were in the Northern Premier League in 2014, with the club securing four promotions in five years to climb into League Two. With average attendances of around 2,500 Salford have been unable to push on and have spent six seasons in League Two, with Beckham claiming last week that the additional investment would enable them "to go on to the next level".

At Beckham’s other club there are growing questions over the future of Javier Mascherano as head coach.

The former Argentina midfielder was the choice of Lionel Messi, his old teammate at club and international level, but has struggled in his first senior coaching role.

Inter have lost four of their last five games, including a 4-1 pasting by Minnesota United on Saturday and a CONCACAF Champions League exit at the hands of Vancouver.

It is pretty rare that letting your star player pick their friend as coach works out well.

Big changes coming to Ligue 1

The French Football Federation (FFF), led by President Philippe Diallo, announced a significant restructuring plan for Ligue 1, aiming to adopt a model similar to the English Premier League.

And in a sign of quite how disastrous the state of French football is, LFP president Vincent Labrune (one of the principal architects of this mess) supports the new proposal even though it would mean the end of his organisation and put him out of a job.

Broadly the proposal involves:

• Creation of a Club-Owned Entity: The FFF proposes establishing a new company, owned by Ligue 1 clubs and private equity firm CVC Capital Partners, to manage and market France's professional football competitions. This entity would absorb the functions of the current Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) and its commercial arm, LFP Media.

• Governance Structure: While clubs and CVC would hold shares in the new organization, the FFF would maintain oversight and possess veto power over key decisions, such as changes to competition formats.

• Leadership and Operations: The new entity would be led by a CEO appointed by the clubs, replacing the current model of an elected president. This shift is designed to improve efficiency, transparency, and financial stability within French football.

• Legislative Changes: Implementation of this plan requires legislative amendments, with a related bill scheduled for Senate review next month.

• Additional Reforms: The proposal includes reforms in financial regulation, squad limits, multi-club ownership, and revenue redistribution to improve competitiveness and address the financial challenges faced by clubs across France right now.

Per L’Equipe, Labrune knows he is on the way out and is sick of being blamed for the mess he helped cause.

“A quick departure would seem like a relief for someone who is increasingly unhappy with being a constant target after failing to sell TV rights,” wrote Etienne Moatti in the French newspaper.

“Deemed far too close to Nasser al-Khelaïfi, the Qatari boss of PSG, and attacked for the way he carries out his duties as president of the LFP, he is now the object of profound rejection.”

The French have such a way with words.

Spurs’ summer of change

It could be a summer of significant upheaval at Tottenham Hotspur with the club considering replacing both its head coaches.

Ange Postecoglou may not survive at the head of the men’s team even if he wins the Europa League final against Manchester United in Bilbao later this month.

Robert Vilahamn’s future with the women’s team is also in doubt after Spurs finished second-bottom of the WSL, falling apart in the second half of the season. Their most recent win came in January, and that poor run included a 5-0 drubbing by arch rivals Arsenal.

At executive level things will be changing too, with Vinai Venkatesham joining as CEO, chief football officer Scott Munn’s future in doubt and Fabio Paratici’s ban coming to an end.

What happens to Paratici, formerly the managing director of football at Spurs but now fairly publicly fielding offers, is still not confirmed but the whispers had been that he was deep in negotiation with Spurs over formalising his return.

The reality is that he never really went away. The Italian continued to consult for the club during his ban as he was only prevented from holding an official role and he was fairly visible at matches.

While he held talks with AC Milan and analysed some opportunities with investment groups, the feeling was that Paratici’s first choice was to continue what he had started at Tottenham.

The first item in his in-tray may be finding a pair of new coaches.

Newcastle will change badge

Newcastle United are planning to change their club badge after 37 years in what is likely to provide a fascinating insight into the influence of their Saudi Arabian owners. The club announced the start of a week-long consultation process last Friday, with season ticket holders and club members, to be asked for their views on a planned redesign to the badge that has been on the team’s shirts since 1988.

“As our club grows on the global stage, the symbol that represents us needs to be able to keep pace,” read an email sent to fans, which provided a strong hint that the result is likely to be an image with a more international outlook.

Newcastle’s current badge is based on the city’s coat of arms, which club sources say is too complex and intricate to translate digitally, so it is likely to be replaced by a more straightforward version. It is the fourth badge Newcastle have used on their kits, although is largely based on their first badge that was originally seen in 1911.

The proposed new designs are likely to be closely scrutinised for signs of Saudi influence. Newcastle were accused of sportswashing by Amnesty International when they produced a white and green third kit for the 2022/23 season, which bore a striking resemblance to the Saudi Arabia national team’s shirt. The club previously had an all-green away kit during the 1994/95 season. 

The exodus begins

Bayer Leverkusen will pay the (delayed) price for their dream season last year this summer, with the club facing something of an exodus.

As has been well documented, Xabi Alonso will leave the club he led to a mesmeric double last year to return to Real Madrid as the replacement for his former coach, Carlo Ancelotti.

Several stars of the double-winning team will also be departing.

Leverkusen’s CEO, the eccentric Fernando Carro, has publicly said Florian Wirtz is “50-50” to leave the club but our information is that it’s significantly more likely than that. Wirtz is in talks with Manchester City, is of interest to Real Madrid and has already agreed a contract with Bayern and is expected to take the well-trodden path to Munich. Should he stay one more year, the expectation is still that he would join Bayern next summer when there would be just 12 months left on his contract, though City continue to push hard.

Wirtz is the big name but several other key pieces are also looking at transfers, with wing-back Jeremie Frimpong’s release clause (understood to be just shy of €40m) too low for a player of his calibre. The flying Dutchman spent nearly a decade at Manchester City as a youth but got his break at Celtic before a £11.5m move to Leverkusen. Former club City and Premier League champions Liverpool are both credited with an interest, as City look to replace Kyle Walker and the Reds search for Trent Alexander-Arnold’s successor.

Ecuador defender Piero Hincapie is also the subject of significant interest, not least from Real Madrid. The left-footed defender can play as the left-sided centre-back in a three or a four and has played full-back, which is a profile clubs are willing to pay serious money for. That is just as well, because Hincapie is only six months into a new contract signed last December and would require a significant fee.

Victor Boniface’s future is uncertain after the club agreed to sell him to Saudi club Al-Nassr in January, only for the deal to fall through when Al-Nassr (who were pursuing parallel deals) opted to sign Colombian striker Jhon Duran from Aston Villa instead. There won’t be a shortage of clubs interested in a physical striker like Boniface, and the fee agreed in January was around €60m.

Jonathan Tah, the central defender, has run down his contract and will make a huge signing-on fee this summer when he joins his new club on a free. Manchester United and Barcelona have been linked, though Bayern once again seems the most likely destination.

Odilon Kossounou will likely make his loan at Atalanta into a permanent move for €25m among a number of other exits, meaning Leverkusen could bring in north of €200m this summer.

While they will have to start again with a new coach and core, under sporting director Simon Rolfes they have been one of the best recruiters in Europe so there is cause for optimism amid fairly significant personnel turnover.

Media reports have linked Erik Ten Hag and Cesc Fabregas with Leverkusen as they look to replace Xabi Alonso.

The former Manchester United and Ajax coach is a free agent but Fabregas is head coach at Serie A upstarts Como.

More interestingly, Fabregas is also a part-owner of the club.

It is difficult to recall a situation in top-level football where a coach had equity in the club, but even more difficult to recall a situation where they were hired away from the team in which they were a co-owner.

While his stake is understood to be fairly small (the large majority is owned by Indonesia’s richest family, the Hartonos) and could presumably be dealt with fairly easily the equity surely acts as a decent anchor to keep the head coach in place?

Marca report that Fabregas is first choice for the role, so we could find out shortly.

WSL ice plans to ditch relegation

The Women’s Super League have put plans to introduce a four-year pause on relegation to the Championship from the 2026/27 season on hold, as revealed by the Guardian.

In a week of significant changes for the women’s game in the UK, with an announcement yesterday that the top two divisions will be rebranded as WSL1 and WSL2 from next season, clubs have been told that the relegation hiatus is no longer being considered, at least in the short term.

The proposal to pause relegation stemmed from a desire to expand the top two divisions and encourage more investment from owners, but provoked a backlash from fans, while the FA and the WSL’s main broadcast partners Sky Sports were also unimpressed. Discussions on possible changes to the competition format from 2026 remain ongoing, with other radical proposals including promotion play-offs believed to be under consideration.

Media story to monitor

Warners Bros. Discovery (WBD) is set to spin off its linear television assets, permanently separating its cable business from its streaming and film studio divisions, according to CNBC’s David Faber.

Much of the dirty work for that was done in a restructuring of the company late last year, and this would follow a similar move announced by Comcast which will — once completed later this year — see NBC veteran Mark Lazarus lead a new spin-off named Versant.

The significance for football will come down to media rights. Versant will own the USA Network, which broadcasts the bulk of NBC’s Premier League coverage stateside, but WBD is also a big player in sports.

While their US portfolio is primarily NBA, college basketball and NHL (though they have lost NBA to Amazon going forwards) WBD has significant Olympic rights in Europe and owns British broadcaster TNT Sports. TNT boast Premier League and Champions League rights, but where they end up in any corporate spin-off could have significant downstream effects for leagues in Europe.

People thought WBD CEO David Zaslav was bluffing when he said in 2022 that the company didn’t “need” the NBA, but they wouldn’t be held hostage by the league and Amazon took their package. If the same were to happen with Premier League or Champions League rights then those organisations would need to find new bidders.

Ordinarily that isn’t something that would raise a ton of concern, but given what’s just played out in France this is a story to keep an eye on.

ESPN’s ‘flagship’ direct-to-consumer (DTC) app that we mentioned last week will be named… ESPN.

That’s the last time we get excited about a name reveal.

There will likely be more news and details on the product and content this week as upfront season continues, but it was announced on Monday that the worldwide leader in sports is bringing back Rich Eisen to place his daily show on the app, and there are almost certain to be other big additions.