😬 Ole's confessions...

Gm football fans. Route One here.

Writing today’s newsletter during the Bayern vs United game. Look, I’m happy to see Kane score - for no other reason than I like him - but that’s not a penalty. Not in my book. How can a penalty be awarded when Eriksen’s arm is a yard away? If I was a manager, I’d tell my players to game the system. Aim for the arm… pathetic.

Anyway, let’s get into it.

Today’s newsletter includes:

• 💸 Deep dive: Chelsea raise $500m

• 🤕 Leading headlines: United’s chief executive under the cosh

• 💊 Expose: Investigation into use of ‘snus’ in the league

RESULTS

🗞️ MORNING BRIEF
Everything you need know

📰 Baby-face Assassin Ole Gunnar Solskjaer calls out United players that are not as good as they think they are, labelling it a “disease of modern football” in an interview with The Athletic on Wednesday.

📺 Today, Premier League clubs will be updated on key talks around a new broadcasting rights plan, increased financial handouts to English Football League clubs and how to tackle changes to the fixture calendar. More here.

…adding to this, The Telegraph reported that the Premier League TV rights deals may see 25% more games being shown live.

❌ Bernardo Silva out for the “next few weeks” according to Guardiola. With injuries growing… he went on to say: "We have five really important players injured and to sustain that for a long time would be difficult."

🤔 Daniel Levy has confirmed Spurs have a buy-back clause to re-sign Harry Kane.

🤕 More news for Spurs… as Ivan Perisic is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a serious anterior cruciate ligament injury. His contract is set to expire next July.

DEEP DIVE
Chelsea raises $500m from Ares

Cash is king. Especially if you’re Chelsea…

The Blues have spent a sh*t ton this summer and they need more money.

And it looks like they’re doing just that.

The Financial Times reported that Chelsea have raised half a billion from a US alternative asset manager, Ares.

What do we know about the deal?

1/ Those close to the deal described it as a preferred equity deal.

2/ Boehly & co are raising the cash to fund expensive stadium improvements + build stakes in more football clubs.

3/ Ares has already raised $3.7bn to invest in sports leagues, teams + media companies.

Who would’ve thought that the spending spree would’ve left the side cash-strapped for stadium development? Literally everyone… except Boehly, ofc.

José Feliciano, co-founder of Clearlake, the consortium that owns Chelsea, believes the club could be better run from a financial perspective.

In other words, Chelsea has one financial goal: increase revenue.

One way to do this is to increase the capacity of their stadium… which currently holds 40,000.

Competition at the top is rampant, and we might be seeing a whole lot more of football and private equity crossovers…

MORE NEWS…
United’s Chief Exec under the cosh after facing ‘very tough questions’

Ever wanted to grill your boss? Well, that’s exactly what United staff were invited to do.

Chief executive Richard Arnold addressed staff questions on Monday via Zoom, according to The Telegraph.

Staff were encouraged to share questions anonymously in the meeting described as “no-holds barred.”

Remember, this is a football club we’re talking about here… not a corny WWE plot. Though, it’s sometimes hard to tell the difference.

What concerns were raised? The primary focus was on the boards’ handling of Mason Greenwood and Antony. Not the two easiest subjects to navigate…

But, Arnold emphasised the club’s commitment to promoting an inclusive culture and zero tolerance for domestic abuse.. yada yada yada…

Woah, setting the bar high there, Arnold… keep it up. 🙃 

EXPOSE
Weeding out the ‘Snus’

Don’t know what ‘snus’ is? Aren’t you innocent…

Snus is tobacco inside a tea pouch. It is placed between the gum and top lip. It releases tobacco into the bloodstream and is said to have a calming impact.

Why does this matter to the Premier League? According to The Telegraph, an investigation has been launched over the ‘widespread’ use of snus amongst Premier League players.

Is it illegal? Nope, it is not banned under anti-doping laws… but concerns around the impact to performance and long-term health are growing.

Jamie Vardy admitted to using snus in his 2016 autobiography. “I had to kick it because you lot made a big deal about it”, he yelled at reporters in 2018…

What else do you need to know…

• The PFA/Loughborough investigation will last 12 months.

•  It’s unlikely to ban the substance but the investigation is looking for trends to understand the impact and use in the league.

• Some studies showed that snus “increased all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, with death from other causes and possibly increase cancer mortality.”

• Other studies… shows that snus is significantly less risky than smoking.

BIG-GAME PLAYER
The puzzle section

Ok, let’s go back to old school with some questions. Pens and paper at the ready…

1. Who holds the record for most Premier League assists? BONUS point: how many?

2. Who holds the record for most Premier League clubs manager?

3. Who holds the record for most Premier League games as club captain?

Tuesday’s answer:

1. Man United

2. Chelsea

3. Liverpool

4. Arsenal

5. Tottenham

6. Everton

7. Bolton

8. Reading

9. Portsmouth

10. Blackburn

MEME