How Wayne Lineker has made Ibiza the go-to destination for Premier League stars this summer after building 'adult Disneyland' on party island - and the one player who spent £51,000 there
After playing football for 11 months of the year, players in the professional game just want to blow off steam. Early nights, good nutrition, and intense training go out of the window - they want to escape the pressure that is on their shoulders.
Like many who get granted their annual leave, a lot of stars will spend quality time with their families, who they have spent many a day away from during the season.
The locations of their holidays are slightly more glamorous than where the average Joe gets to go, with Dubai, Barbados, and Marbella among the popular destinations for footballers who enjoy family time.
For players jetting to those trio of locations, it's time to kick their feet up, relax, and get a tan.
However, not all players chase tranquility. After working as hard as they do for so long, and with how disciplined they have to be to stay in tip-top chase, many want to let loose.
Where do they go to do that? Well, where better than Ibiza? It's the party capital of the world. And the one place that they seem to go more than anywhere else is Ocean Beach, owned by Wayne Lineker.
Launched by the brother of now former Match of the Day presenter, Gary - also a national treasure - in 2012, O Beach is a hot spot for the game's biggest stars, as well as a whole raft of other celebrities.
'In June, it's like a PFA meeting in Ocean. It's that many of them. It's good fun,' Lineker told talkSPORT last week.
Even Liverpool boss Arne Slot was seen living it up there earlier this month, following the Reds' Premier League triumph. The season hadn't even finished at that point, but the partying at Ocean Beach was in full flow.
Slot could be seen getting a kiss on the cheeky from Lineker - no, not Gary - before he went behind the DJ decks as Queen's 'We Are the Champions' blared out.
It was originally thought that the Dutchman opted to go to Ibiza on his own, while his Liverpool squad had a big bash in Dubai. However, that was not the case.
'Who did we have last week?' Lineker continued. 'Harvey Elliott was in the other day. I ended up in Pacha with Elliott at six o'clock on Sunday morning.'
Jude Bellingham is the latest high-profile footballer to have been welcomed to the venue with open arms by Wayne. The Real Madrid star, 21, chose to celebrate his brother Jobe's promotion to the Premier League with Sunderland.
English football's golden boy was all smiles as he enjoyed several beverages with his pals, and Lineker, as they sat in an exclusive VIP area.
But what is it about O Beach that entices so many stars? Every year, Wayne can be seen partying with the next big name in football, or even music. The turnover of top stars in the club is just remarkable.
The 63-year-old's path has been very different from older brother Gary's from an early age. While one was doing big things with the ball at his feet, the other was dropping out of school at 14 to pursue a career in business.
In 1986, Wayne opened his first bar as he looked to break into the hospitality scene. It was the same year in which Gary won the Golden Boot award at the World Cup in Mexico, so he named the venue in Tenerife, Lineker's Bar.
The bar was a huge success, and Lineker's reputation in the industry grew rapidly, taking him to Marbella, and then Ibiza in 2008.
Four years later, Ocean Beach was opened, and it has only grown in popularity with each passing year. Lineker himself regards it as 'Adult Disneyland', as celebrities and party-goers flock in their thousands to get a glimpse of the silver fox.
'I compare it to Mickey Mouse at Disneyland when he comes out and everyone runs to get a picture," Lineker once quipped. 'But I'm the Mickey Mouse of adult Disneyland.
'I literally have to plan my day around it because it's got so intense, 500-600 pictures a day.'
It's true, snaps of Lineker and stars flood timelines on the daily. You can always see him posing with a celebrity at this time of year, usually Jack Grealish.
Lineker admitted that 'it's like a parade' when Irish UFC star Conor McGregor arrives at the club
Grealish is a regular at Ocean Beach with Lineker once joking about the prospect of a four-week loan deal for the Manchester City man at his beach club, following his omission from the England Euro 2024 squad.
Believe it or not, though, Grealish is not believed to be the biggest spender at Lineker's party empire. In fact, it's not a footballer at all.
Controversial mixed martial artist Conor McGregor and YouTuber-turned-boxer KSI are the individuals who splashed the most cash, with Lineker opening up on what it was like to host the pair.
'I had sorted everything out for KSI. Made sure he was on the owner's table - it's the best spot,' he told the Let Me Land podcast last year.
'And, because they've got the boat with 100 bottles of champagne on, that was all going to the table. They did it right. But yeah, KSI was probably, as far as celebrities go, the biggest party.
'We have other people that just go crazy and spend a lot of money. Obviously, Conor McGregor... he parties! When he walks in it's just a parade. He's got all his security with him.'
It is believed that KSI spent a whopping £51,000 on 600 bottles of champagne during his trip to Ocean Beach in June 2023. Don't scratch your eyes, that is a real sentence.
Meanwhile, McGregor made his infamous visit in 2022 for his 34th birthday alongside family and friends, with the Irishman even getting into an argument with a fellow partygoer who threw a hat at him.
Not all celebrities have had positive experiences, mind.
Jonathan Hutchinson - a former Birmingham City footballer - was paralysed after breaking his neck following a dive into the Ocean Beach swimming pool back in 2016.
The ex-pro, who played in the Blues backline during the Premier League 2001-02 season, was found floating in a pool, unmoved, before being rushed to hospital where it was discovered that he had sustained devastating spinal injuries.
The now 43-year-old now requires 24-hour care, and in 2020 decided to take legal action against the club, suing Lineker for £8.5million in damages.
Lineker's reputation remains unblemished in the celebrity party scene, however, and Bellingham's recent trip to his club signals the start of a wave of footballers who will hit Ibiza over the summer.
He may even get another visit from Love Island presenter Maya Jama - who has been on numerous occasions in the past - due to her relationship with City star Ruben Dias.
What we know for certain is that O Beach will be packed to the brim with celebrities once again this year - it always is.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Young footy player Malaki Moreton-is airlifted to hospital with a serious spinal injury after horror incident during game
A promising young footballer from the NSW South Coast has been airlifted to hospital after suffering a horror spinal injury during a rugby league match over the weekend. Corrimal Cougars player Malaki Moreton was rushed to North Ryde Hospital before later being moved to a spinal unit at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney following the incident. Moreton, an Indigenous man and teaching student at the University of Wollongong, has since undergone surgery. His community on the South Coast is rallying to help with costs, setting up a GoFundMe that has been shared by Parramatta Eels star Josh Addo-Carr. 'Malakai's family have uprooted their lives to be there for Mal, which unfortunately comes at a financial cost,' the page reads. 'Mals recovery is unknown and has now been transferred to North Shore spinal unit in Sydney.' Moreton has since undergone surgery and is recovering in hospital while a GoFundMe (pictured) has been set up for him The page, which at the time of writing has raised more than $21,000, has been shared widely in the footy community. The Cougars sent their support to the young player in a statement on social media. 'All of the Cougars family are behind you and your family,' the statement reads. 'Get well soon mate!' Moreton's former footy club, the Moruya Sharks, have also sent their regards and encouraged members to get behind the GoFundMe campaign. 'We would like to wish our former player Malaki a speedy recovery,' the club wrote on social media.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
Revealed: The telltale signs everyone missed that Matildas star Sam Kerr suffered a shocking setback after her horror knee injury
Newly appointed Matildas coach Joe Montemurro shocked football fans when he revealed captain Sam Kerr recently had a second surgical 'intervention' for a mystery injury - and a deep dive shows why the Chelsea striker faces an uncertain future in the sport. Kerr, 31, has not played for club or country in 16 months after she ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) back in January 2024 during a training camp with Chelsea in Morocco. Fans were shocked to see Kerr attend the recent A-League Women's Grand Final in Melbourne - but it is now likely she was actually in Australia to privately see a surgeon. Recovery from an ACL injury typically is between six and 12 months, but it depends on the player. In January this year - 12 months after Kerr was injured - questions first began to be raised about her highly anticipated return to the pitch. Chelsea manager Sonia Bompastor declared in April it was unlikely that Kerr would be back before the end of the Women's Super League season on May 10 - and she was on the money. 'It is difficult for me to say because everyone is different and everyone reacts differently,' the Blues boss told reporters at the time. 'Sam is progressing in her rehab but I don't have enough elements to say if we will see her this season. 'Hopefully, yes, but it is difficult for me to say.' Away from the pitch, Kerr had to endure a high-profile criminal trial, and in February she was found not guilty of the racially aggravated harassment of a British police officer. It followed a night out with her fiancée Kristie Mewis in January of 2023, where the footballers feared they were going to be kidnapped by a taxi driver. Kerr has since returned to train with Chelsea - but only on light duties. It was anticipated Kerr would return to the team sheet as the Blues claimed another domestic title in May - but it didn't happen and her recovery continues to be dragged out. Mewis then gave birth to the couple's son Jagger last month - which followed Kerr being in Australia back in April ahead of the Matildas tackling South Korea in two international fixtures. Again, Kerr trained lightly but didn't play - and Daily Mail Australia exclusively revealed the goal machine was wearing a compression sleeve on her injured right knee. On Monday, Montemurro left Matildas fans on edge after confirming Kerr recently underwent a new surgical procedure following a separate injury. 'Look, I think there were some complications and I've only caught up with the scenario in the last 24 hours,' he explained to Channel 10 News. 'There was a subsequent intervention, but I do believe she is now back running. 'I think it was something completely different (to the existing knee injury). I think the knee is fine. 'I think there was some other issues, but again I've only been briefed in the last 24 hours.' When Kerr does eventually return to play, she knows her every move will be heavily scrutinised. Given she is also at the twilight of her career, Kerr's time representing the Matildas and Chelsea could be drawing to a close. No doubt she will be desperate to lead Australia out at the Asian Cup next year on home soil - but it also looms as a likely international farewell for the nation's greatest ever goal scorer.
The Guardian
3 hours ago
- The Guardian
Matildas usher in new era after key interim role is filled perfectly by Tom Sermanni
One of the key themes of the past week for the Matildas has been a sense of serendipity. On Friday, Tom Sermanni's 150th fixture in charge of the national team was marked by Kahli Johnson's goal in a 2-0 win over Argentina, as the debutante became the latest in the long line of players whose international journey has started with the veteran coach. On Monday, the final game of Sermanni's tenure was played hours after Joe Montemurro was formally unveiled as the team's next full-time coach. Montemurro watched on from the stands of GIO Stadium as he begun preparations for the first games of his reign later this month. After coaching the Matildas across four separate decades, his final hitout in charge came in the same city where his coaching career began back in the 1980s. As one era ended, a player hoping to play a key role in the next demanded the attention of the incoming boss during the second game against Argentina. In her first start for 549 days, Amy Sayer grabbed a first-half brace to help steer the Matildas towards a 4-1 win in Canberra, before Emily van Egmond and hometown hero Michelle Heyman put the result beyond doubt. With Sermanni's third stint in charge of the Matildas now over, focus now turns to what comes next. As the 70-year-old himself reflected, his three stints in charge have intersected with the major eras of this team, and while he is too self-effacing to acknowledge it, that means stories of the Matildas cannot be told without him. He was there when the modern Matildas program was being established in 1993, and when Australian football made its move to Asia, before laying down a marker of what was to come with a continental crown in 2010. During his latest stint in charge, he was offered a chance to experience a team he had been so instrumental in building, after it had ascended to being something more. The 25,125 fans in Canberra – a record for a women's sporting event in the Australian capital – was testament to this. 'Back in the days when you'd essentially get family and friends to come to games, you dreamt of stuff like this' Sermanni told Paramount. 'It's just a dream come true.' It's this history that made his appointment as an interim such a key one. Not just because he deserved an opportunity to bask in the glow that exists around the side, but also because his willingness to do whatever is in the team's best interests – demonstrated across multiple decades – is indisputable. When he walked back in the door last October, he described the atmosphere that greeted him as being akin to 'turning up at a funeral' following a disastrous Paris Olympics. Combining an existing relationship with much of the squad and an unimpeachable record of service with a humble lack of ambition to make this anything permanent, he filled the temporary role perfectly. Yet, the results against the biggest nations weren't there. And the effects of an extended period of limbo as Football Australia's search for a permanent coach continued were clear to everyone during three games in February. While he did his best to bring through new talent and prepare the side for what was to come, as a caretaker there was a limit to his authority. Outside of the retired Clare Polkinghorne, much of the established squad looks set to still be in place come next year's Asian Cup, and it wasn't Sermanni's place to say otherwise. That is Montemurro's responsibility. Sign up to Moving the Goalposts No topic is too small or too big for us to cover as we deliver a twice-weekly roundup of the wonderful world of women's football after newsletter promotion But Sermanni cannot be blamed for the maladroit hunt for a full-time replacement. Back-to-back losses to Brazil and a winless SheBelieves Cup weren't part of the plan, but neither was him being in an interim role for nearly a year. He came in and did his job in getting the team back on its feet, and then the federation turned around and asked him to keep doing it. He would have been well within his rights to put decision-makers on blast, but doing what was best for the Matildas came first. Starting with Daniela Galic and ending with Isabel Gomez, nine players have made their international debuts during his brief tenure, while others such as Sayer, Holly McNamara, and Clare Wheeler have grown in prominence. Fittingly, Sermanni used one of his final appearances as coach of the Matildas to call for improvements to resourcing and staffing in the A-League Women, attempting to spur even more progress for the game, even after his exit. If some of the recent results have damaged Sermanni's standing in the eyes of a new generation of fans who have rallied around the Matildas, they shouldn't. He has played an irreplaceable role since before many of them were born. And now, with the Montemurro era looming, he can kick back.
