2024/25 Soccer Thread

US money plays part in Ipswich’s rise

Portman Road has a nostalgic vibe, right down to the 70s font used on the stadium’s main stand, but Ipswich, despite being a League One club two years ago, fully embrace modernity. These are no church mice. While Ed Sheeran has a minority stake, the majority of the business is owned by an investment consortium, ORG, which manages funds on behalf of a multibillion US pension pot, known as the Arizona Public Safety Personnel Retirement System. In March, a private equity fund, Bright Path Sports Partners, bought a 40% stake. The pastel suits and aviator shades of Stateside business were visible in the executive boxes, a contrast to the blue-shirted fervency of the home fans. A good day was had by all, barring the result, especially during an excellent first-half display. Kieran McKenna and his players offered hope for the season ahead. Theirs is a huge task but the ownership has the wherewithal to support them. John Brewin

Edit: Ooof. He’s basically come out and said that if a player isn’t in ‘his’ squad of 21 players, then he doesn’t care about them at all.

The new CBA will roll out gradually, with all restriction on player agency notably being lifted immediately.

While drafts have historically been a cornerstone of the American sporting landscape, European leagues have long embraced a system in which players have significant control over their careers, marked by free agency models and robust transfer regulations. This framework allows players to negotiate contracts, choose their teams based on preference of location and salary, and move between clubs with relative freedom, provided they adhere to established contractual requirements.

“It was really clear that there is a global labor market for talent, and it was also clear that we weren’t operating in ways consistent with global standards around player movement in particular, and player agency,” Berman said.

By embracing a free agency model, the NWSL positions itself as the first professional league in the US to adopt this global standard. The free agency system will build on the more limited framework introduced in the 2022 contract, which allowed players to become free agents only after a set period with the league.

Next month, the NWSL will eliminate the draft entirely. Berman described the shift as “monumental,” highlighting that players will now have the freedom to choose their entry into the league based on their preferences rather than their years of service. Not only will this foster a competitive environment among clubs hoping to attract the best talent – crucial for a sport once plagued with sexual harassment and abuse claims – but it reduces any confusion or red tape for overseas players looking to join the NWSL.

“It’s critically important, in order for us to be the best league in the world, that we are attracting the best players. And some of the best players are here in the US, and some of the best players are international, and we want to be a league that is a destination for those best players, regardless of where they come from,” Berman said. In adopting a model that aligns with the rest of the world, she said they have now “removed those self imposed obstacles to create a clear runway for the best players in the world to be able to come into the league”.

John Textor has revealed that he attempted a total buyout of Crystal Palace but the offer did not “induce a response” so he now intends to proceed with the sale of his 45% stake in the club in order to complete a ­takeover of Everton.

The American became the third party to be granted a period of exclusivity by Blue Heaven Holdings, the company that owns Everton, last week and has been on Merseyside this week for further talks with the owner, Farhad Moshiri. Under Premier League rules, Textor must sell his shares in Palace before being allowed to conclude a deal and the Guardian understands he is considering two offers, having invested about £150m in the south London club since 2021.

But in a statement posted on his website on Thursday evening, the 58-year-old, who also owns the French club Lyon as part of his company, Eagle Football Holdings, claimed he had made a last-ditch effort to buy out the other three Palace co-owners – the chairman, Steve Parish, and Textor’s compatriots Josh Harris and David Blitzer, who all own 10% stakes in Palace. “It is true that we made an offer to buy the remaining shares of Crystal Palace, at a valuation that far exceeds levels of prior investment,” wrote Textor. “We did so with a strong belief that Palace has become a much more valuable club, since 2021, and we respected our partners enough to offer fair value, regardless of circumstances.

“It is also true that our offer did not induce a response, and we believe that our Palace partners have the same desire to remain in ownership as we once did … so our efforts to sell our interests resumed. We have a significant number of parties active in our process, we have received strong indications from qualified buyers, and we believe strongly that we can complete a sale of our interests to continue moving forward with the next community we hope to serve, embrace and enjoy.” Textor also confirmed he was keen to “pursue a relationship with the Everton club and community”.

Palace were valued at £624m by Forbes in May, although the situation is complicated by the fact that Textor’s stake entitles him to only one of four seats on the board, with Parish retaining the deciding vote.

It has been a busy week on and off the pitch at Selhurst Park, with Joachim Andersen completing his £30m move to Fulham and Jordan Ayew has joined Leicester after ­Palace agreed an £8m fee for the Ghana forward. They have shown an interest in signing Raheem Sterling on loan from Chelsea, although his £350,000 a week salary would be a major stumbling block.