Soccer

Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 will meet for another round of their traditional rivalry as the Bundesliga returns to action on Saturday. (Image: Alexander Scheuber/Bundesliga/Getty)

The Bundesliga Returns: Betting Odds, Preview for Saturday’s Matches

The Bundesliga will become the first elite soccer league to return to action during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, as the German league plays nine matches over three days beginning on Saturday. The action starts with six matches on Saturday, with all 18 teams in Germany’s top tier competing over the […]

Belgian's Lommel SK becomes CFG ninth club (Image: Getty)

City Football Group (CFG) Adds Lommel SK to Growing Empire

City Football Group just acquired Belgian club Lommel SK. With the addition of this second division team, CFG now owns nine clubs, including the Premier League’s Manchester City. Lommel SK, like most lower-tier football clubs, was struggling in the wake of the global pandemic. It had recently been denied a […]

The UK government has given approval for the Premier League and other professional sports to resume play as soon as June 1. (Image: Adrian Dennis/AFP)

UK Government Clears Premier League to Restart as Early as June 1

The United Kingdom has authorized the Premier League and other major sporting events to return starting on June 1, provided the nation meets certain standards in its coronavirus response. The UK government released a 60-page document titled Our Plan to Rebuild, which includes the return of sports in the second […]

The USWNT won the 2019 World Cup, but is unlikely to prevail in its lawsuit with the USSF. (Image:Getty)

How the USWNT Equal Pay Lawsuit Derailed, Settlement Still Possible

A federal judge dismissed the equal pay portion of the US women’s national soccer team’s (USWNT) lawsuit. Although some working conditions claims against the US Soccer Federation (USSF) can proceed, Friday’s decision puts more pressure on the USWNT to settle out of court. The USWNT is strong and strident. The […]

Matthew McConaughey proudly wears his Austin FC colors, surrounded by Shawne "Lights Out" Merriman, LA Rams QB Jared Goff and LAFC part-owner Will Farell (Image: LAFC)

Private Equity Fund to Buy Minority Stakes in Professional Sports

Arctos Sports Partners, a new private equity firm, is looking to buy minority stakes in US major league sports teams and European soccer clubs. Private equity firms often buy troubled assets and — in the coronavirus era — sports franchises now fit that model. But high franchise valuations may be […]

The heir apparent to the Saudi throne, 34-year-old Mohammed bin Salman is the financial engine behind the Newcastle United sale. (Image: AP)

Amnesty International Pushes EPL to Block £300M Newcastle Sale

Amnesty International entered the Newcastle United takeover saga this week, writing a letter to the Premier League raising concerns about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record. The letter followed reports that Newcastle owner Mike Ashley’s £300 million sale of the club to a Saudi-backed syndicate involving Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman […]

Harry Kane may be the latest Spurs player moving from North London to Manchester. The price: a record £200 million. (Image: Premier League)

Got £200 Million? Spurs Put Star Striker Harry Kane Up for Sale

The latest example of every player having his price comes from Tottenham Hotspur, which apparently made standout striker Harry Kane available in an effort to alleviate financial pressures stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. That price? A record £200 million, according to published reports. Kane’s £200 million price tag is more […]

Southampton Manager Ralph Hasenhuttl and the rest of his senior coaching staff agreed to defer part of their salaries for the next three months. Hasenhuttl's Saints are the first Premier League team to come to a wage agreement in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and suspension of play. (Image: PA)

Southampton Reaches Wage Agreement With Players

As other English Premier League teams wrestle with payrolls of both playing and non-playing staff during the coronavirus pandemic, Southampton became the first EPL team to reach an agreement with players over wage deferrals. Under the agreement, the entire first-team squad will take 10% pay deferrals through June. In addition, […]

Mannequins sit in front of a small group of real fans at a Dynamo Brest game on Wednesday. (Image: @dynamobrest/Twitter)

Robots, Mannequins Serve as Alternative Fans for Professional Sports Teams

A handful of sports leagues are still playing games, and eventually, many more competitions will join them as the world regains some sense of normalcy in the future. But even when athletes retake the field, they’ll likely do so without supporters in the stands, which has led some teams to […]

Chairman Mitsuru Murai says J. League soccer will return on May 9, with protections in place to limit crowd size. (Image: Kyodo News)

Japanese Soccer to Return Gradually, J. League Set for May 9 Start

J.League chairman Mitsuru Murai announced Tuesday that Japanese soccer leagues will restart beginning in late April, with the top-tier J. League coming back in early May. The staggered restart will begin with the third-tier J3 league opening again on April 25, followed by J2 on May 2, and J. League […]