Soccer-Liverpool's Salah named Premier League player of the season
FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Premier League - Brighton & Hove Albion v Liverpool - The American Express Community Stadium, Brighton, Britain - May 19, 2025 Liverpool's Mohamed Salah misses a chance to score Action Images via Reuters/Matthew Childs/File Photo
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The Star
19 minutes ago
- The Star
Motor racing-Austrian association urges FIA members to reject statute changes
Formula One F1 - Bahrain Grand Prix - Bahrain International Circuit, Sakhir, Bahrain - April 13, 2025 FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem with third placed McLaren's Lando Norris after the Bahrain Grand Prix REUTERS/Rula Rouhana/File Photo MONTREAL (Reuters) -The Austrian Automobile Association (OAMTC) has urged FIA members to reject proposed statute changes it fears will damage motorsport's world governing body and limit opposition to the re-election of president Mohammed Ben Sulayem. In an unsigned June 10 letter emailed to the mobility section of the FIA's world council, and seen by Reuters, the OAMTC set out its opposition to a vote on the agenda of the FIA General Assembly in Macau on Thursday. "We appeal to all members to support our motion to remove the voting on the proposed FIA statute changes from the General Assembly's agenda," the letter said, suggesting a postponement to a later meeting. "There is no urgency regarding these proposed changes ... they risk further contributing to the erosion of the FIA's reputation for competent and transparent governance. "It cannot be - and is not - a coincidence that changes relevant to the FIA's elections have been promoted by the FIA's leadership at the same time as the FIA's incumbent president has announced an intention to run in those elections. "Where there is even a risk of these changes appearing to benefit the current FIA administration, and not the FIA itself, the changes should not be adopted." An International Automobile Federation spokesperson in London was not immediately aware of the letter but confirmed the vote was scheduled for Thursday. Those attending the gathering in Macau could not be reached immediately for comment. The OAMTC said the eight proposed statute changes raised issues of fairness and consistency, and that they would discourage opposition to Ben Sulayem. Ben Sulayem is standing for re-election in December, with no rival candidate so far coming forward. He told Reuters last month when he confirmed he was standing that he welcomed competition. Ben Sulayem recognised he had enemies but said he was confident he had the support of a majority of FIA members. "I only have to answer to my members. And they are happy. Actually, they are very happy. They are extremely happy," he said. The Emirati has been involved in several controversies since he took over in 2021 and has been at loggerheads with drivers as well as drawing criticism from FIA insiders, while some senior employees have left. Briton Robert Reid, a former close ally who quit as an FIA deputy president in April, wrote in his resignation statement of a "fundamental breakdown in governance standards" at the governing body. Reid and Motorsport UK head David Richards had opposed other statute changes approved by the General Assembly last December that they said limited the powers of audit and ethics committees. (Reporting by Alan Baldwin, editing by Peter Rutherford)
The Sun
24 minutes ago
- The Sun
Five of the stars missing at the Club World Cup
FIFA's inaugural expanded Club World Cup in the United States has one billion dollars of prize money on the line but will be missing some of the game's star names. AFP Sport highlights five players who will not be lighting up stadiums across the United States once it gets underway this weekend: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) Liverpool finished as English champions, but like Spain's Barcelona and Italy's Napoli, will not be at the Club World Cup, because of the convoluted qualification process. That means Egyptian winger Salah, who broke the Premier League record for goal involvements, with 29 strikes and 18 assists, misses out. After a tiring season in which he faded in the latter months Salah might not be too upset about having a summer off. The winger posted a photo of himself sunbathing by the beach on Instagram. However it will be a shame that African football icon Salah, captain Virgil van Dijk and others miss out on the chance of a potential rematch against their Champions League conquerors Paris Saint-Germain. Liverpool transfer target Florian Wirtz will also be absent, as his side Bayer Leverkusen did not qualify. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) No player in world football this season has offered more excitement than Barcelona's 17-year-old star Lamine Yamal. The Spain winger has been in sensational form for his club this season and is one of the candidates to win the Ballon d'Or. Yamal's thrilling dribbling and penchant for the spectacular make him one of the biggest draws in world football at the moment. He is often compared to former Barcelona great Lionel Messi, but because of the Spanish champions' absence, may have missed out on his only chance to face the Argentina star, who will be there with Inter Miami. Barcelona's Raphinha, midfield maestro Pedri and veteran striker Robert Lewandowski are others who will be missed. Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr) Messi will also not go up against his long-time rival Ronaldo in the US. The Portuguese striker, 40, was reported to be looking for a way to play in the tournament. FIFA president Gianni Infantino had suggested Ronaldo might move from Saudi Arabian side Al Nassr to a team who had reached the event, saying that 'discussions' were being held over it. Five-time Ballon d'Or winner Ronaldo, who won the Nations League with Portugal last weekend, indicated after the game however he was set to stay at Al Nassr. 'Some teams reached out to me,' the former Manchester United and Real Madrid star revealed last Saturday on the eve of the Nations League final. 'Some made sense and others did not, but you can't try and do everything. You can't catch every ball.' Bukayo saka (arsenal) Champions League semi-finalists Arsenal are another team to miss out and after finishing the season trophyless, the Club World Cup would have been a chance to win some silverware. England international Saka's only club trophy, excluding the FA Community Shield, was an FA Cup win with Arsenal in 2020. Mikel Arteta's side showed this season they have improved to the point where they are in contention for major honours, including knocking out Real Madrid in the Champions League, but came up just short. For a player of his quality, who has spent six seasons playing regularly at the top level, Saka could do with expanding his medal collection. Arsenal will be disappointed to miss out on the prize money too, as they try to overhaul Liverpool and Manchester City, who have dominated the English game in recent seasons. Neymar (Santos) Brazilian icon Neymar struggled with injury at Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia and returned to Santos in January 2025, hoping to get fit and firing ahead of next summer's World Cup. The 33-year-old forward, despite fading with age, is still one of the biggest names in the game and his absence is also a blow in a commercial sense. 'Neymar, what can I say about him? He's an outstanding player, who, for me, in my football cycle, is in the top three, with Cristiano and Messi,' said Brazil midfielder Casemiro. With organisers struggling to sell tickets, Neymar's presence would have been a boon.
Free Malaysia Today
31 minutes ago
- Free Malaysia Today
Premier League ‘under strain' despite record £6.3bil revenues
Fan protests have grown at Premier League stadiums over high ticket prices and clubs favouring tourists seeking premium matchday experiences. (EPA Images pic) LONDON : The combined revenue of Premier League clubs rose to a record £6.3 billion in the 2023/24 season, but fan unrest and worsening competitive balance are cause for concern, according to financial experts Deloitte. The rise in income for England's 20 top-flight clubs was fuelled by commercial income surpassing £2 billion for the first time and a rise in matchday revenue beyond £900 million. English clubs continue to enjoy a huge financial advantage over their European rivals. Spain's La Liga, the second highest revenue-generating league, earned just over half that amount at €3.8 billion, almost 50% of which came from Real Madrid and Barcelona. However, fan protests have become a common sight at Premier League stadiums over rising ticket prices and the squeezing out of local supporters to make way for more tourists willing to spend more for a special matchday experience. 'There can be no doubt that the system in English football is under strain,' said Tim Bridge, the lead partner in the Deloitte Sports Business Group. 'Repeated reports of fan unrest at ticket price and accessibility demonstrate the challenge in the modern era of balancing commercial growth with the historic essence of a football club's role and position in society: as a community asset.' There is also uncertainty over the implications of an incoming independent regulator for England's top five leagues. And for the past two seasons, all three promoted clubs from the Championship have been immediately relegated back to the second tier. 'The financial implications of the 'yo-yo effect' on clubs, their spending, and overall competitiveness are major factors to address in order to continue attracting high levels of investment across the system,' added Bridge in Deloitte's Annual Review of Football Finance. Total revenue of European clubs rose by 8% in the 2023/24 campaign to €38 billion, boosted by increased commercial revenue and stadium developments. The women's game also continues to grow commercially, particularly in England's Women's Super League (WSL). Collective revenues in the WSL rose 34% to £65 million in 2023/24 and are projected to reach £100 million in the upcoming season.
