Fifa risks legal battle by including Mexican teams in Club World Cup draw

Fifa will include two Mexican teams with the same owners, Club de Futbol Pachuca and Club Leon, in the draw for the Club World Cup tomorrow despite facing potential legal action over their involvement in next summer’s competition. 

Costa Rican club Liga Deportiva Alajuelense have sent a formal complaint to Fifa on the basis that allowing both teams to take part in the Club World Cup will breach the competition’s rules, as both are owned by the Pachuca Group.

Alajuelense claim they should take the place of either Pachuca or Leon among the 32 teams who have qualified for the tournament in the USA based on their continental ranking. 

The club’s complaint cites Article 10.1 of the competition’s rules published by Fifa last month, which states that no competing club may hold or deal in the securities or shares of any other club; be a member of any other club; be involved in any capacity whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club; have any power whatsoever in the management, administration and/or sporting performance of any other club.

Fifa has privately acknowledged that the matter is not resolved, but City AM has been told that both Club de Futbol Pachuca and Club Leon will be in the Club World Cup draw on Thursday. 

The most likely outcome is that both clubs will have to sign legal undertakings demonstrating a separation of management functions in a similar process used by Uefa to permit both Manchester United and Nice to enter this season’s Europa League, given Sir Jim Ratcliffe has stakes in both clubs. Fifa declined to comment.

Yongge stuns bidders by rejecting Reading takeover

Reading owner Dai Yongge’s plans for the club remain shrouded in mystery after the Chinese businessman rejected yet another takeover offer this week. 

City AM revealed last month that Reading’s former chairman Roger Smee was preparing a bid to rescue the League One club, with an offer of around £25m being submitted last Friday, only to be promptly rejected on Monday.

City AM has learned that Smee was informed that his bid would not be accepted in a short email from Reading chief executive Dayong Pang, which did not provide any reasons for the rejection or an invitation to negotiate further. 

Former Wycombe owner Rob Couhig received a similarly curt message informing him that Reading would not be proceeding with his offer in September, leaving even senior figures at the club baffled as to Yongge’s intentions.

ICC snubs Pakistan request in stand-off with India

The International Cricket Council is refusing to accept a demand from the Pakistan Cricket Board that any of their future tournament games due to be staged in India be moved to neutral venues. 

The PCB made the request in talks with the ICC last Friday as the price for agreeing that India’s matches at next year’s Champions Trophy can take place in Dubai.

Indian cricket chiefs have made it clear that they will not travel to Pakistan for the Champions Trophy in February, throwing the competition into doubt. 

In response to the ICC’s proposed solution for a hybrid staging format, Pakistan have demanded that they be excused from playing in India in the future. 

Given that India is due to stage the T20 World Cup in 2026, Champions Trophy in 2029 and World Cup in 2031 this would potentially involve moving the final of those tournaments, which the ICC cannot accept. 

The ICC gave the BCCI and PCB a deadline for resolving their stand-off last week, but a solution has yet to be agreed.

European rugby’s new TV deal concerns clubs

Premiership Rugby clubs are worried about the visibility and viewing figures of the European Champions Cup and Challenge Cup, which starts this week, to both supporters and sponsors.

This weekend’s opening round is also the start of a new three-year TV deal with Premier Sports, which will broadcast all 63 Champions Cup matches, as well as two Challenge Cup matches per round.

Premier Sports snapped up the rights at the start of the season after the existing rights holders, TNT Sports, walked away from the negotiations, and there is no terrestrial broadcast partner this season after games were previously shown by ITV and Channel 4. 

The projected audience numbers for Premier Sports have not been made public, but with the channel offering new subscribers a season pass for just £70 for Black Friday last week, several clubs have privately expressed concerns.

Arsenal give architects food for thought over expansion

Arsenal have returned to the architects who designed the Emirates Stadium to explore the possibility of expanding the ground. 

The club have hired Populous, who also designed the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which has left Arsenal trailing their rivals in terms of match-day revenue, to look at their options for a major overhaul.

Populous’s first job is to redesign and improve the kitchens at the Emirates. The kitchens are 20 years old and the club have concluded that they are too slow in getting food and drink to fans on match days.

Tottenham’s hospitality offering is the best in the country, with the club making over £800,000 from every home game from food and drinks sales alone, and Arsenal want to catch them. 

Arsenal have also asked Populous to examine if there is any scope for expanding the Emirates as part of their work on the kitchen overhaul. 

The stadium was not designed with a future expansion in mind however, so it could prove challenging. Populous declined to comment.