| Premier League gives NESV go-ahead to complete Liverpool takeover • American company passes owners' and directors' test• Court action means club could be hit by nine-point deductionThe Premier League has given the go-ahead for New England Sports Ventures to complete a takeover of Liverpool. The move means only the high court action by the current owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett stands in the way of the £300m deal by the American company, owners of the Boston Red Sox, going through.The Premier League said in a statement: "The Premier League has met with the owners and directors of New England Sports Ventures (NESV) regarding their proposed takeover of Liverpool FC and has received details, in accordance with Premier League rules, of the proposed company and ownership structure as well as the make-up of the new board."The Premier League is satisfied, with the information provided, that the individuals NESV intend to put in place in the event they complete their takeover of Liverpool FC meet the criteria set out in our owners' and directors' test."The board of the Premier League will continue working with Liverpool FC in regard to this process, however, we are aware that the formal completion of this takeover is yet to be resolved and it is therefore inappropriate for us to offer any further comment at this time."If the takeover is not completed by next Friday then the Royal Bank of Scotland could put Kop Holdings, the company owned by Hicks and Gillett, into administration over its unpaid £280m debt. If that happens, Liverpool would be at risk of a nine-point deduction.Initially it had been thought the Premier League would not penalise the club for Kop Holdings becoming insolvent, but now the threat of a points deduction has become a serious one.Under Premier League rules, the fact that the holding company is solely concerned with the ownership of Liverpool and football-related matters could trigger the nine-point penalty.West Ham had been used as an example of why the Anfield club might escape a deduction if administration goes ahead when it was owned by the Icelandic bank Straumur. The London club, however, was a solvent part of a whole portfolio of different companies while Kop Holdings is solely concerned with Liverpool.Liverpoolguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Shevchenko says he'll retire after Euro 2012 Former AC Milan and Chelsea striker Andriy Shevchenko says he will retire after the 2012 European Championship. cbc.ca |
Wenger: City now a match for United • 'You have to consider them one of the teams that will challenge'• Arsenal 'have forgotten' Emmanuel Adebayor's celebrationArsène Wenger believes tomorrow's opponents, Manchester City, can form a rivalry with Arsenal to match the one the Gunners already have with Manchester United. Roberto Mancini's side, who are second in the table and three points better off, having spent heavily on players last summer.Asked whether City may be about to compete as fiercely as United have done, the manager said: "Of course. City now will be one of the contenders because they are not at the end of an investment cycle. It looks like they are at the start of it, so you have to consider them as one of the teams that will challenge."Mancini's lavish investment last summer included David Silva (£30m) Mario Balotelli (£22.5m), James Milner (£26m) and Yaya Touré (£25m), and Wenger admitted the petro-billions of the owner, sheikh Mansour, have affected Arsenal. "At the start they [were] not at the same level football-wise but when they are at the same level football-wise, it will be easier for them to attract the players."When Roman Abramovich took over Chelsea in the summer of 2003, the Russian oligarch also spent heavily. Wenger was asked whether Manchester City are the new Chelsea. "I know what they paid for our players, that's it," he said. "You know as well as I know I am not interested to speak about Manchester City." City bought Emmanuel Adebayor for £25m and Kolo Touré for £14m, and Wenger seemed to hint that Arsenal had hiked their prices.When the question was posed, the Frenchman followed a long silence by saying "no" and then laughed.Despite Mancini's ability to operate at the top of the transfer marker, Wenger said he is not envious of the Italian: "I am happy where I am and I work in the way I work. I could do it [work with Mancini's level of finance] but he has his own problems and I have my problems."Whereas City have a seemingly endless supply of money, Arsenal are the Premier League club with the firmest financial footing, as they have reduced the debt on the Emirates stadium and show a profit each year. What, then, is the best model, City's or Arsenal's? "It is a different way," Wenger said. "In our own way, we are [also] at the start of a cycle.That's what is good in football. Every club can work with his own rules. Sometimes it is an advantage for the players."You see today, Wayne Rooney has signed a five-year contract. Certainly, the threat of City behind [them] made Manchester United respond as well. The players are the beneficiaries."Adebayor scored against Arsenal at Eastlands in City's 4-2 win early last season, a goal he followed with a pitch-long sprint to memorably celebrate in front of the Gunners' fans. The centre-forward also scored a hat-trick yesterday in the Europa League, against Lech Poznan, yet with Mancini often favouring Carlos Tevez at the head of a 4-5-1, there is no guarantee Adebayor will face his former club."He will be determined to play but he will not decide that," Wenger said. "What I can master is the team that I will play, and the way we focus and the way we play. We feel we have, of course, won again [twice in the past week] and we are very close to doing something special. There is a good spirit in the side, we have seen already at Chelsea that we are close to winning these big games and that is what we want to do."Wenger said he and his players have never considered whether they should forgive Adebayor for the overzealous goal celebration. "We never spoke about that. I am sure we have forgotten that. We are all focused on putting in a good performance on Sunday. We have played so many games since that we don't even care about that now."Wenger expects Andrey Arshavin, 29, to stay beyond the end of his current contract, which has two years to run. "I think he has a long future at the club," he said.ArsenalArsène WengerManchester CityPremier LeagueJamie Jacksonguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Wigan Athletic v Bolton Wanderers: live Follow live, minute-by-minute commentary of the Premier League match between Wigan Athletic and Bolton Wanderers at the DW Stadium on Saturday Oct 23, 2010, kick-off 15:00 BST. telegraph.co.uk |
Real Salt Lake Ties Colorado, 2-2 Alvaro Saborio scored goals in the 90th minute and in added time, and Real Salt Lake extended its unbeaten streak to 14 with a 2-2 tie against the Colorado Rapids on Saturday night. feeds.nytimes.com |