PSR backlash

GM football fans. Route One here, and we’re covering ‘unfair’ COVID allowances, clubs’ double standards, and much more.

STATS

Opta Championship 2024-25 predictions

→ Leeds and Middlesbrough are predicted to achieve automatic promotion, while Burnley, West Brom, Luton and Norwich are predicted to feature in the play-off finals.

→ Leeds are predicted to finish the season with 81.6 points at the top of the table, while Cardiff City are expected to finish last with 50.6 points.

Opta League One 2024-25 predictions

→ Bolton Wanderers and Birmingham City are predicted to achieve automatic promotion, while Huddersfield Town, Peterborough United, Lincoln City and Blackpool are expected to feature in the play-off finals.

→ Bolton Wanderers are predicted to finish the season with 81.6 points at the top of the table, while Burton Albion are expected to finish last with 46.4 points.

Plus… 

• Lionel Messi’s Ibiza house vandalised by climate activists (More)

• Alvaro Morata and Rodri banned for ‘Gibraltar is Spanish’ chant (More)

• The horse that won Gold for Equestrian Jumping at the Paris Olympics is owned by Thomas Müller (More)

• Liverpool are weighing up a move for Martín Zubimendi, who has a release clause of £51mn (More)

POLL

PREMIER LEAGUE

Manchester United handed ‘exceptional’ PSR allowances

Manchester United were reportedly given a £40mn COVID allowance by the Premier League, while the most “any other club had was about £1mn” in that year, per finance expert Stefan Borson.

Without these special allowances, it’s said that Man United would’ve been in danger of breaching the League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).

The truth of the allowances

One X (Twitter) user has investigated the £40mn allowance and found it to be for legitimate reasons:

• The cancellation of the Summer 2021 tour.

• Bad debts caused by commercial partner insolvency.

• United were unable to fulfil sponsorship partner obligations in summer 2021.

• Broadcaster rebates by the Premier League and UEFA.

On the other side, some critics say that Everton was not given a ‘bad debt’ allowance despite their partner’s insolvency.

COVID-related allowances: But, importantly, Man United’s sponsors were insolvent due to COVID and that’s why they were permitted the allowances. In Everton’s case, their commercial partners did not go bust because of COVID so they didn’t benefit from the same allowances.

But a question mark remains

Many clubs, including Everton, did also claim COVID allowances. But the problem lies in the fact that Man United’s £40mn allowance sits far above the allowances given to the rest of the clubs, per Swiss Ramble.

In fact, it’s estimated that Man United accounts for around 20-25% of all permitted COVID allowances.

At the time of writing this, we only know the allowance given to six clubs - Arsenal, Bournemouth, Everton, Fulham, Ipswich, and Nottingham Forest - which amounts to £20mn, half of what was given to Man United. And we still don’t know how much was given to Chelsea, Manchester City, Spurs and/or Liverpool.

Unlike Man United, these clubs are not publicly listed… so it’s unlikely we’ll ever find out. But that’s really where the juicy news lies.

HEAD START

🏟️ West Ham beaten by Twickenham to Allianz naming rights deal. West Ham’s search for a naming rights deal for their ground - The London Stadium - continues as Allianz opts for Twickenham, who they see as a better fit for their brand. What’s more, West Ham will only receive a share in a naming rights deal if they secure a deal that exceeds £4mn as the London Legacy Development Corporation owns The London Stadium.

😬 Chelsea complete preseason tour with loss to Real Madrid. Chelsea completed their final leg of their tour of the United States and suffered their third defeat in five games, losing 2-1 against Spanish giants Real Madrid. It means new coach Enzo Maresca has won only one of his five matches in the U.S., with the only victory coming against Mexican side Club America. Maresca admits that Chelsea’s high line causes his side defensive problems.

🔴 Manchester United will not demolish Old Trafford. The Red Devils are now leaning towards the creation of a new 100,000-capacity stadium, rather than redeveloping the current stadium. But they plan to preserve their existing 114-year home in a scaled-down form that would preserve the history of the club and provide a permanent home for the women’s and academy teams.

AGENTS

Football agents accuse clubs of double standards

Football agents have accused clubs of not honouring player contracts by placing them under pressure to leave and punishing them if they didn’t, per The Telegraph.

Bargaining power

The Bosman Rule in 1995 means that players can leave on a free once their contract expires.

Of course, every club would prefer to receive at least some cash for players they are letting go. But as it stands, clubs technically only have two options to stop this from happening:

1. Offer the player a lucrative new contract extension.

2. Make the environment as hostile as possible so to force the sale of the player ASAP (i.e., before their contract runs out).

And many clubs are opting for the second option which is making agents feel as though clubs are not upholding their end of the contract.

Take the two biggest transfers this summer, Conor Gallager and Leny Yoro. Both players have been effectively ousted out by their clubs because they have entered the last year of their contracts.

• Chelsea wouldn’t allow Gallagher to train with the first team and signed midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall to add to an already bloated and competitive squad, effectively ensuring Gallagher’s minutes will be reduced next season.

• Leny Yoro was allegedly threatened with no game time for the entire upcoming season if he did not agree to his move to Manchester United. 

As one agent put it, clubs are applying pressure on players to “break their terms and sign elsewhere”.

AROUND THE FOOTBALL WORLD

🇺🇲 Leagues Cup: FC Cincinnati's four substitutes score four goals in 10 minutes to come from 2-0 down against NYCFC to win 4-2 and advance to the Round of 32 (More)

🇮🇹 Serie A: Denzel Dumfries is holding off on signing an Inter Milan contract renewal amid his desire to move to Machester United (More)

🇪🇸 La Liga: Atletico Madrid are in advanced talks to sign Valencia midfielder Javi Guerra for a fee of approximately €25mn (More)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Championship: Burnley set £30mn price tag for Machester United target Sander Berge (More)

🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 League One and Two: Sky’s Building Foundations Fund awards Accrington Stanley £100,000 and Rotherham United £65,000 to put towards the redevelopment of their astroturf pitches (More)

OFF THE PITCH

🐶 Dolce & Gabbana introduces new alcohol-free fragrance for dogs (More)

💊 New drug that could prevent osteoporosis approved for NHS (More)

🌎 Visualisation of the alcohol preferences from around the World (More)

📺 Disney Plus, ESPN and Hulu are getting more expensive from this October (More)

🔥 Team GB runner George Mills confronts French athlete at Paris Olympics after pair collide (More)

PHOTO OF THE DAY

On this day in 2006. Former Huddersfield Town striker Gary Taylor-Fletcher scored the 500,000th goal in the history of English League Football. The goal came in the 78th minute of a League One match against Rotherham Town at the Galpharm Stadium. Taylor-Fletcher also found the net in the play-off final that sent Blackpool to the Premier League for the first time and then scored the club’s first Premier League goal. He is currently the manager of the 12th-tier team AFC Crewe.

ROUTER’S VOICE

Yesterday, we asked you: Would you be more likely to buy your club's shirt if it rolled over every other season?

Routers voted they would be more likely to buy their club’s shirt if it rolled over every other season.

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 👕 Yes… (51%)

🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 🟨 💸 Nope, still too expensive… (45%)

⬜ ❌ it’s OK how it is… (4%)

Your punditry takes:

• 👕 JH voted ‘Yes’: “Absolutely. I support Maidstone, who down in the National League South roll over their home and away kits every season. It makes it much more viable to buy a kit and also incentivises me to buy both home and away kits because I'm not being stung for both every year, including a third kit in the Premier League case!”

• 👕 Fred voted ‘Yes’: “Basically it comes down to the money aspect of it sometimes. I buy a shirt later in the season as they are a bit cheaper but by then you've not got time to enjoy it because the seasons is nearly done and a new one is out before you know it.”

• 💸 Gibo voted ‘Nope’: “When I used to buy shirts they were £30/40 now they are double with a two-tier system in play as well as having a matchday shirt (even more money) and a replica at the current price. It looks like a cash cow for clubs to keep the price of football inflated.”

• 💸 GM voted ‘Nope’: “Football in general is too expensive for an ordinary working man. It is the continually rising costs that will ultimately make it an elite sport and drive many of our smaller clubs into oblivion.”

EXTRA TIME

Wayne Rooney turned down a first-class seat to stay humble with his MLS teammate.

Brazil’s Priscila celebrated in Spain keepers face after “huge error”.

Juventus’ 2004 online forum made a wild prediction that came true.

Alan Shearer’s hilarious first press conference when he signed for Newcastle.

The strangest objects thrown on to a football pitch.

Martin Ødegaard uses one word to describe his Arsenal teammates.

Remi Allen on becoming Southampton’s manager at 33.

Study finds small-sided games are better predictors of 11-a-side performance than traditional training ground drills.

How the Premier League’s worst teams got on after relegation.

Oscar Bobb’s impressive pre-season highlights.

GAME FACE ON

Question: Which Premier League club has won the opening weekend match most?

Clue: They’ve won 21 from 31 such matches.

Scroll below for the answer.

ON TODAY

FOOTBALL

Olympic Men’s 3rd Place Final

• Egypt vs Morocco (16:00 BST)

Europa League Qualifying Round

• Fixtures can be found here.

Conference League 3rd Qualifying Round

• Fixtures can be found here.

*EST -5. PST -8. CET +1. CST +8. JST +9.

Answer

Manchester United have won the opening weekend 21 times, while Chelsea (20), Liverpool (18) and Arsenal (18) follow closely behind.