Manchester City‘s seismic guilty verdict could have repercussions beyond football. Olympic insiders say Manchester’s hopes of hosting a future Games at the centre of a wider, North of England bid, may well have been tarnished by the crisis unfolding at the Etihad Stadium.
That said, with City vehement they have done no wrong, even given the history of the long-running saga one would expect a final decision well before the International Olympic Committee decides who will host the 2040 Games, expected in 2033.
Meanwhile, Munich’s Oktoberfest beer halls were celebrating with extra thigh-slapping this year with the announcement that the Bavarian city will bid for the 2036 Games.
It remains to be seen whether the fact the date coincides with the centenary of the infamous Berlin 1936 ‘Nazi Olympics’ where those same Munich beer halls played such a key role, could potentially lose them votes when the IOC elect the 2036 host city in 2029.
City’s guilty verdict has threatened to tarnish Manchester’s hopes of hosting the Olympics
City’s kit supplier Puma have seemingly seen the funny side of the saga
A host of City sponsors have spoken out in support of the club, with the process ongoing. Indeed, as Daily Mail Sport reported, Etihad Airways have gone one step further and exploring legal action against the Premier League.
It would appear that kit manufacturers Puma have tried to see the lighter side of the scandal, at least if their Oxford Street store is anything to go by.
In a display featuring the club’s home strip, a sign advertising a ‘Cityzens Support Line’ takes centre stage. Who said the Germans don’t have a sense of humour?
Given the amount of noise and coverage around the City saga, under-fire FIFA chief Gianni Infantino may have enjoyed a relatively quiet week.
However, fans at Switzerland’s Nations League match on Saturday night unfurled a ‘InfantiNO!’ banner, while the man himself – according to the South China Morning Post – was ‘lustily booed’ when he delivered the inaugural FIFA Asean Challenge Cup to the pitch ahead of Hong Kong’s clash with Cambodia.
Following the hosts’ 2-0 win he returned to hand over the trophy, with the booing reported to be so loud that the stadium PA system was raised to ‘an offensive, ear-splitting volume to drown out the jeers’.
FIFA President Gianni Infantino received a hostile reception in Hong Kong on Saturday
Still no agreement over the Premier League’s financial distribution deal.
As Daily Mail Sport reported, one of the sticking points over what the EFL say would be an extra £1.8bn over 10 years is the split between the divisions, with the EFL looking at 75 per cent to the Championship, 15 to League One and 10 to League Two, in what would appear an entirely rational shift from the existing 80/12/8.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, that prospect has not gone down too well with some of those in the second tier. Indeed, all Championship sides are to meet at EFL headquarters to discuss the situation on Thursday.
Some have wondered if, should things not reach a satisfactory conclusion, a Premier League II may be back on the cards although, given the arrival of the regulator, any attempt at a breakaway would be unlikely.
Inside Sport recently revealed that BBC Sport was considering a cost-cutting move which would see local radio commentators stopped from covering away matches, with only the host station providing coverage.
A number of Premier League and EFL clubs have been in touch to say that, should such a development take place, they would have no hesitation in reviewing their agreements with the BBC and potentially ending them.
In many instances, local radio commentators – well known to clubs and their fans – also provide commentary for club websites and highlights packages with the thought of a commentator of another club doing so understandably unpalatable.
However, the BBC – who initially said ‘no decision have been made’ have now come back to say that they ‘are not making any changes to home or away premiership or EFL commentaries’.
Premier League and EFL clubs have contacted the BBC after it considered cutting local radio commentary across England
A brilliant weekend for rugby league with a sold-out Old Trafford witnessing a Grand Final which saw Wakefield Trinity crowned champions for the first time since 1968. Sadly, there are grave concerns that Trinity’s stunning semi-final victory over powerhouses Wigan – the most-watched programme of the day on BBC 2 – will be the last live action on the BBC for the foreseeable future. Amid an apparent plan to discard anything that does not generate huge numbers of clicks or go viral – and despite the fact that the entire nation funds the broadcaster – it would appear the sport is the latest to be jettisoned.
While the BBC have stressed that no final decisions have been made, some of those used in its rugby league coverage taken to LinkedIn to joke about looking for work, with an understanding that the next Super League deal will be split between Sky and DAZN. The Beeb has enjoyed three years of around 10 live Super League matches in addition to the Challenge Cup while picking up relatively small production costs given Sky paid to cover every game.
At this stage it is unknown whether even the Challenge Cup will return on what would be a huge blow for a sport that needs more eyeballs.
Indeed, it will not get them at the forthcoming World Cup in Australia, despite insiders claiming the rights were offered to a ‘disinterested’ BBC for a ‘tiny’ sum.
